I love summer :)

We have had another great week…the weather has been absolutely gorgeous, so as usual, there has been a lot of family beach time, swimming and walks around the neighborhood! We also had a nice celebration for my dad’s birthday, so all in all, it was a wonderful week.  I could get used to this summer living :)

Here is Charlotte playing at the neighborhood beach…she LOVES going down to this beach and looking at all of the shells/rocks/dead crabs/dead horseshoe crabs, etc. (haha), and trying to see the ducks and/or seagulls.

Henry, on the other hand, is still in the habit of putting every single thing into his mouth. So, if I try to put him down at any point, said shells/rocks/dead crabs/dead horseshoe crabs, etc. immediately make their way into his mouth. That doesn’t really make his germaphobe mommy happy, so he spends most of the time in my arms trying to wiggle out!

Over the weekend, Jon, Ray, Mamie and I took the kids to the beach, and then followed it up with some pool time.  Charlotte was so excited that Uncle Ray joined us!

He even helped Charlotte “waterski” :)

Poppy, Mamie, James, Charlotte and I went out to dinner to celebrate Poppy’s birthday a few days early…unfortunately, no one was really all that thrilled with the food, but we had fun anyway :)

Charlotte also started gymnastics lessons again this week, which she absolutely LOVED! I told her she could pick out a leotard, so of course she picked out the most obnoxiously pink/bright thing she could find, haha…it is actually called “bubblegum”. But she looked cute, and she walked right into the class with Miss Kimmy, barely even glancing back at me. I was kind of worried, because unlike her other gymnastics class, here there is a wall separating us and the kids can only see us through big windows, but she didn’t seem to have a problem at all. Every once in a while she would wave to me through the window and make sure I was still looking at her, but she didn’t seem to care that we were separated. Go Charlotte! :)

Here is a picture of Charlotte in her new leotard…

She’s so shy! Wonder where she gets that from?!!!

The next day we got to celebrate Poppy’s 67th birthday…I guess, just to be fair to my mom, I have to acknowledge that he is “rapidly approaching 70” :) I kid, I kid. Charlotte was very excited to have the birthday cake she and Mamie made for him, and even enjoyed opening his birthday presents FOR him! Happy Birthday Poppy…we love you!

Charlotte also started swimming lessons this week (apparently, this was a big week for lessons!). She did so well! She hates to get her face wet, and even freaks out if she gets a drop of water on her nose in the bath, so I was very surprised when “Miss Jackie Jack” had her “blowing out birthday candles” with her face in the water, and kicking her feet with her chin in the water. And she wasn’t even hysterically crying, so that is a big improvement, haha.  Here is a picture of Charlotte and “Miss Jackie Jack”…either Jackie is REALLY tan, or Charlotte is an albino :)

And here are some more pictures, just because…

Charlotte and Henry “hugging” (no really, she told me “he likes it mommy, he likes when I hold him really hard like this”)…

Posing by the water table

Trying to get Henry to look at the camera and stay still is pretty much impossible, so this is the best pic I could get of the two of us :(

In other Henry news, he is continuing to master this whole walking thing, and even took 6 steps tonight! He is getting steadier and more confident everyday. So proud of my big boy :)

Xoxoxo