Cruising through Summer

As we approach the Fourth of July, the kids and I will begin counting down the days until Aaron comes home for his two week leave. It's getting so close!!! We have been having a busy summer. Between work, play dates, hanging with cousins, and the normal day to day stuff, it's hard to believe we are nearing the half-way point of the deployment. Here are a few snapshots of the fun we've been having since the last update.

Having fun waiting for the pool to fill up

Mommy and Munchkin having fun in the sun

Clara and her first ice cream truck treat, a Dora ice cream bar

(a very loose interpretation of Dora, I'll add!)

I'm coming to get'cha!

Little man is getting pretty steady on his feet

Colton is definitely walking more than he is crawling now. It's so amazing to watch our children develop. It's been fun watching the difference in Colton's motor skill development compared to Clara. Colton took his first steps a few days after his first birthday and hasn't stopped walking since. He walked a little bit more each day and with every week that passed there was a marked improvement in his skill. Clara didn't take her first steps until she was 14 months old and then she waited well over a month before she gave it another shot, then she took off from there. Colton is climbing, riding toys and getting into mischief as much as possible. He has discovered my "hiding spot" for bags and blankets and the diaper bag in our storage bench and now putting the contents of it away has become a daily task! I definitely have come to understand the expression, "He's all boy" because, well, Colton is definitely ALL BOY!

Clara is blossoming into such a lovely little girl. She, in contrast to Colton, is ALL GIRL! She would wear a dress every day of the week if possible. She has discovered ballet, courtesy of Barbie Swan Lake, and now puts on recitals for me and her audience of stuffed animals. Clara is regularly mothering her baby dolls and making sure they are sleeping, being fed, and going for walks to the park. We went with some friends to see the movie Rio a few weeks ago. It's about a bunch of birds and their adventures in Rio de Janeiro. Well, my lovely daughter informed me halfway through that she didn't like the movie because it didn't have a princess in it.  I honestly don't know where she gets it? I'm definitely not a girly girl and Aaron and I haven't intentionally raised her to be that way. Score one for the nature side of the nature vs nurture argument.

As we wait the next few weeks before Aaron's leave we will be keeping busy with play dates, pool parties, sleepovers, and a trip to Detroit for Keri's baby shower. Let's keep our fingers crossed the time doesn't drag by too terribly slow.