Another Trip to the Beach

We've been having a great summer in Maine. We had an evening trip to Popham Beach with Bronwyn, Tristan, and Uncle Ossian and we could barely pull ourselves away from the ocean. The sand was great fun too, as you can see.

Funny moments - and there are many...

With kids around, everything in life just seems a little funnier. I thought I would sneak outside quick to move the sprinkler we are using to sprinkle our newly seeded yard (Jud was working inside). I managed to get sprayed by the sprinkler, unhook the sprinkler and get doused by the hose, get sprayed when trying to reattach the hose and turn off the water AND fall on my bottom down a muddy slope. I tromped inside to find Eleanor similarly frustrated with her important task of the moment and near tears. "Momma - I can't get Barbie closed in the fridge!"

Kissin' Cousins

Well...Maybe not kissing. But nothing brings out a smile in both girls than spending time with their cousins, Boo Bronwyn and Tris. Both cousins are so sweet and attentive with the younger girls. Eleanor shrieks with excitement just talking about the two and begs to go visit them when she wakes. Gemma has so much fun watching Tris talk and act out scenes with his toys. And Bronwyn's silly faces get her giggling.

Sittin' Pretty

Gemma is often content watching the world (mostly Eleanor and our cat, Milo) go by. More and more, she is able to view the world from an upright and sitting position. She still requires pillows or an adult nearby to prevent going down headfirst while she is sucking on her toes. She also adores standing in her exersaucer.

Snow White and the Three Forks

Here's another common reenactment scenario. Elly stamped the end of her fork on the table and said, "This is Snow White. Who is that?" Asking me about my fork. "This is Dopey" I said. "No, that's Snow White's father." "What's his name?" I asked, to which she offered her customary reply, "What?"

A couple days ago at dinner I had to borrow my fork back from Eleanor for every bite I wanted to take. I was feeling a little silly and when she had pressed the issue as to my fork's name, I had told her that Snow White's father was Geppetto, which made Pinocchio her brother. Eleanor was delighted for the reunion of Geppetto and Snow White this morning, but needed a third fork from the drawer to play Prince Charming. I guess Pinocchio is out in the cold.

She also observed that the ketchup bottle upside-down like that was like a "hammerhead shark."

The wonderful world of toothpaste

To Eleanor, any object can be used to act out scenes from her imagination. From what I could hear from the hall, this is a dramatic conversation between "Beauty" - played by the Hello Kitty toothpaste - and Gaston- acted by Pepsodent.

Eye of the Hurricane

Don't let this sleepy demeanor fool you. This little girl is a party waiting to happen as soon as she wakes. For example, last night both girls insisted on partying with their mum until past 9:30. But what a cutie when she's sleeping...

Mermaid Bras

Elly says, "Mermaids have bras on, so we need to go buy me a bra." She's walking around topless with her mermaid tail costume as a dress. The top of the costume, discarded on the floor to the right of this photo, has disintegrated through use.