InstaFriday ~ a Peek at Our Week

Hey, everyone. It's summertime and the livin' is…busy! Not much time for blogging, but I have been loving Instagram. If you want to keep up with us this summer, following on Instagram might be your best bet {I've got a link over on the sidebar if you aren't following already}.

Here's just a quick peek at some of the fun we had this week...

 

After picking up the rental car Monday, the girls and I headed to the aquarium. We had the best time just be-bopping around the aquarium with no where to be and nothing else to do ~ it was a nice break from a fairly stressful weekend...and when we got home ALL the painting was finished! {pics soon!}

Tuesday morning we had Mickey Mouse pancakes. They were so good! More rain, and I finally got the house put back together now that the painters have cleared out.

Wednesday was another washout, so I took the girls for their first visit to the public library. I needed a few books for the beach next week, and I wanted them to understand how a library works before they start school next month {did I just say next month??!!}. They had a great time, did a very good job whispering, and came home with several books to enjoy!

 

Happy Independence Day! More rain on the fourth, but when you're already wet from swimming in the pool, there's really no need to take cover, right?

 

Today was pretty laid back, we played a lot, ate too much ice cream, it rained ~ again, and I still need to properly commemorate our Disney trip and the girls' dance recital ~ I have so many cute and silly pictures to share...hopefully I'll get to that soon!! Have a great weekend!!

 

Linking up at...

Just Keep Swimming

 

Sunday we spent practically the entire day by the pool; it was so pretty outside. The water is still too cold for mommy, though I did make it all the way in for about ten minutes and Walter spent a good deal of time splashing around with the girls. Anna Claire and Mallory, of course, have been swimming since April. Brrrr....

 

No surprise, then, that Mallory has already gotten up enough nerve to try swimming under the water. She's doing great. Earlier this week she was splashing around and told my mom she was a great swimmer ~ just like Michael Jackson! My mom asked her if she meant Michael Phelps???

 

 

Future Olympic Swimmer?

I knew it wouldn't take long before Mallory was swimming like a fish. Last week she was "swimming" underwater on the steps, using her hands to crawl along. Now, here we are one week later, and she is jumping off the side without a floatie, swimming underwater and turning flips!!!

She insists on wearing a mask, so that's a habit we'll try to break. Anna Claire is coming along though it might be next summer before she's swimming.

I know it's several video clips, but they're only a few seconds each...

Where Is Our Summer Going?

It's only June 27th, the Olympics have just begun, we have weeks of scorching heat to go, but I feel like summer, as I know it, is over as I've been easing back into work for a few weeks now. Nevertheless, our laundry room has looked like this every day...swim suits drip-drying...

Anna Claire has green hair. You really can't tell from this picture because it's a little over~exposed, but trust me ~ it's very green...and it's not from chlorine. Did you know it's the copper in the algicide that does it?

Swim lessons continue; just one class left...Anna Claire and Mallory are doing great, but Anna Claire still has a hard time putting her head all the way under. She's only done it once.

Here's Mallory; I think she'll be swimming in a couple more weeks.

 And here's Anna Claire; she'll learn to swim on her own schedule.

Here's how I'm dealing with the stress of getting back to work. I baked the peanut~cola cake from the July issue of Southern Living. So. Good. That missing piece was my lunch yesterday, and while I'm being honest, I also had a slice for breakfast this morning. Shhh.

Mallory wanted me to take a picture of Fluttershy; I take almost as many pictures of toys as I take of the girls' themselves. What's so cute about this, though, isn't the pony; it's Mallory in the background "reading" the Martha Stewart Cookbook. She carries it all over the house with her.

And this is Anna Claire's summer reading...

She writes the words, draws a few pictures, then asks me to read her story...like those are real words and I should know what they say. After asking a few very carefully worded questions, I can usually conjure up a little story close enough to what she imagined.

Perhaps we have a future chef and a future author in the family?

Just Keep Swimming...

Anna Claire and Mallory started swim lessons yesterday. Here they are waiting for their class to get started.

There are only two other little girls in their class, and all four of them were so chatty {maybe a little nervous excitement??} hardly letting the teacher, Ms. Nicole, get a word in edgewise.

Both Anna Claire and Mallory did great; though, I would say Anna Claire was a little more cautious when it came to trusting Ms. Nicole to help her float on her back.

Sadly, class yesterday was cancelled because we had a huge thunderstorm. I was totally caught off guard what with class being held at the indoor pool, but I guess it does make sense. If there is thunder, then the pool has to be closed for thirty minutes; the girls' class is only thirty minutes long and the storm probably lasted more than an hour...so, no class}. Anna Claire and Mallory were heartbroken, so we went to McDonald's for shakes and ice cream!

Hopefully, the afternoon thunderstorms will stay away today!

Where Did Last Week Go?

Last week I had to work in Columbia for three days and it's almost like the week didn't even happen! As a result, I don't have many pictures from last week, but here they are in no particular order:

I managed to get another outfit completed for Anna Claire and Mallory.

 Mallory is such a hard worker. She was determined to help Walter rake the back yard and it was hot!

Anna Claire and Mallory are jumping off the side of the pool again. Every summer it takes them weeks to build up their nerve. Swim lessons start this afternoon!!

 Slippin' and slidin' at Grandmom's last weekend...

This is what I had to drive into and through everyday on my way back from Columbia last week {not a fun way to end already exhausting days and drives}.

This week we have swim lessons and the girls' fiour~year~old well check {including shots!}. Anna Claire and Mallory are very excited about swim classes. The shots...not so much. Wish us luck!

Keeping Cool

Lunch by the pool...

Popsicles to make you drool...

It was so hot this weekend {still is} that if we weren't inside playing we were either in the pool or eating popsicles on the back porch.

My new favorite popsicle recipe:

8 oz fresh pineapple

1/2 c pineapple juice

1/4 c milk

1/4 c Coco Lopez

1/2 c coconut flakes

Blend until smooth then freeze in popsicle molds.

Tastes just like a pina colada {minus the rum}. Yum!





Don't Try This at Home

Last weekend was pretty laid back. We made a family trip to Lowe's for some shrubbery, a new gate latch, and sandbox sand. Then I made a separate run to Target for a kiddie pool and water blasters. The weather was gorgeuos, so we pretty much spent ALL day Saturday and ALL day Sunday playing in the yard.

Last summer we made our DIY water slide, so we thought we were brilliant when we put this year's pool under the girls' new slide. Not a good idea on so many levels {which mainly had to do with all the drained water pooling under the new swing set and soaking into the brand new sand which now I've discovered may or may not be life-threatening. They had a blast, though!

It Took All Summer

Now that summer is practically over, Anna Claire and Mallory have finally taken the plunge. One day last week they simply decided they'd like to float around in the pool wearing their $1.99 CVS rings and they haven't looked back.

Not only will they float around but they will kick their feet and "swim" wherever they want to go. They will even jump off the side of the pool wearing their rings. Of course we are in the pool with them at all times not letting them out of our sight, but to not have a child clinging to your neck, to not have to try to tread water with that child {or two} trying to climb on top of your head, to get Anna Claire off the pool steps ~ this is pool~time freedom like we've never experienced.

Rained Out

Rain in the 'ville all day yesterday kept us inside and rain along the coast today cancelled our trip to Sullivan's Island.

We did, however, manage to keep ourselves busy painting...

{yes, those are birthday party decorations in the background; I just got up and took them down. shameful.}

making jewelry...

and fixing peanut butter pie...

Only four more days of my summer break left; hopefully the sun will come out tomorrow!