Our water weekend

Have I told you lately how different my two girls are? Well....if you haven't heard in awhile....here goes! We had a REALLY BUSY Memorial Day weekend. In the previous post I said how much Kelly LOVED meeting new friends and swimming in our pool in the backyard, while Molly just stayed on the deck with all the adults. Sunday we took our boat out on the river for the first time. Kelly LOVED everything about it.....the boat ride, Daddy hitting waves, going fast, etc. where Molly just had her Mommy DEATH GRIP most of the time! When we get to the beach, Kelly hops right into the water to swim and play in the sand on the beach. I only see her the rest of the time if she wants a juice box or is hungry for lunch and a treat. I set Molly in the sand to take her life jacket off and she cries! I try to get her toes in the water, she cries! So, we put her on the blanket and in her sun shade protector. She's all good. But.....then sand gets onto her blanket....she cries! If you told an almost 18 month old that she could ONLY stay on this blanket.....do you think she would do it? NO!!!! But.....Molly was either held or on the blanket the entire time on the beach. Needless to say.....we weren't out on the river very long and swim coach Mommy has A LOT OF WORK TO DO!!!

Kelly LOVIN' the boat ride!
Grandma Peggy and Kelly enjoying the boat ride.

Molly wasn't so sure of this whole boat ride/river thing!

Molly happy on the beach....in her "safe" sun protector shade on the blanket.

Kelly playing in the river.

Since our first river trip was so short....we met up with Brian's family friends that were in town and went swimming at the hotel pool in Dyersville. Once again KELLY LOVED IT!!!! She didn't want to get out of the pool at 8:15pm (and she only slept the 30 minute ride home from the river). I bet she jumped into the pool 100+ times! I thought I would get in and swim and see if Molly would come to me in the pool....once again she cried!!!!!!!!

Kelly jumping in!

Kelly hanging out in her tube!

A sunburnt Mommy (from the river) and Kelly swimming!

Our pool train. At one point we had the pool to ourselves! :)

New friends

Kelly met some new friends today! We had some family friends on Brian's side over to our house for the afternoon/evening. They are in town for the weekend from Northern Minnesota. All three of them had a great time playing in our backyard. They enjoyed the pool, sprinkler, sandbox, and swingset. Molly wasn't so sure about these big kids....and spent the evening on the deck with the adults.

Evan (7 yrs.), Kelly (almost 4 yrs.), Polgara (9 yrs.)

Katelynn, Katelynn, Katelynn......

We picked Katelynn up from school on Wednesday this week. We enjoyed yummy Beecher's ice cream and went to the park. Kelly LOVES all the attention she gets from Katelynn. Katelynn pushed her on the swings, raced down the slides, and played in the sand. Instead of always hearing Mom, Mom, Mommy, Mom, Mom, Mom (you get what I'm saying)....I heard Katelynn, Katelynn, Katelynn......it was fun! When Daddy got off work at 5pm we met up with him and Katelynn and I got to go out to dinner together! It was a nice day!

Katelynn and Kelly
Katelynn pushing Kelly on the swing

Katelynn trying to teach Kelly how to "pump" her legs.....I have been trying, but it isn't working!

Playing in the sand!

Molly enjoyed playing on the playground and going down the slides!

A special visit

In a couple months I will begin my 12th season as head coach for the Wahlert Catholic Swimming and Diving team. Most of you know that my 10th season was a highlight in my coaching career, for multiple reasons. It was the first year that any varsity school records were broken (and we broke two) and all four of my graduating senior swimmers were a part of the state team all four years! Today, we had a special visit from three of those graduating 2009 seniors....as they have all finished there first year of college and are home for the summer. They played with the girls at our house, watched Kelly's tap and tumble routine, and went to Happy Joe's for lunch, games, and ice cream to celebrate Ali's birthday on Thursday.

Jordan, Emily, and Ali with my girls
Jordan playing basketball with Kelly

Ali playing the Popcorn game with Molly

The girls helping Emily get the balls for her Skee Ball game

Lunch at Happy Joe's!

WATER BALLOONS!!!!

We invited Kelly's friends over this morning for a water balloon toss/fight! :) All three of them will be in school together next year. Lynn (our babysitter) came down to our house this morning....instead of meeting at the park. We had the balloons filled and ready to go when they got here. All the kids had fun with the balloons, swingset, sandbox, and popsicle treats!

Caden, Kelly, and Sophia
Throwing the water balloons....

Molly didn't want to throw the balloons....she just stood there and giggled when someone would get wet!!!

Sprinkler Sunday

Yesterday was HOT!!!! It was 94 degrees and VERY HUMID! It was the first day we broke down and finally turned our air conditioner on! So, we thought it would be a great day to get the sprinkler ball out. We got this as a present over a year ago and never used it....it always seemed like a waste with just Kelly playing in the sprinkler. Well, Kelly had a BLAST! Molly....not so much! So, we got it out for just one kid anyway. Oh well! It was worth it on this incredibly HOT day!

Kelly laughed and giggled A LOT!

Brian putting Kelly on top of the sprinker ball!

Molly wouldn't even get close to the sprinkler ball....so Brian decided to run through it with Molly.....Molly cried the entire time!

I asked Brian to look at me for a picture.....Molly just cried and put her arms out for me to take her away from this scary ball that sprays water!

Molly was happy to just hang out on the deck with Mommy and watch her big sister!

Molly's FUN Day!

Yesterday, while Kelly and I were in Bettendorf for Big Girl and Mommy Day, Molly spent the day with Grandma and Papa Murray. It sounds like she enjoyed her one-on-one time too! They went to Farmers Market and Dubuque Fest in the morning, went home for lunch and a nap, and then went to the park! I had a great day with Kelly, but when we got home last night and I walked into the house.....Molly came running up to me and gave me a big hug and kiss! Since I am home with the girls everyday, I don't get those moments very often! It was the perfect end to an amazing day!

Molly at the park!

Big Girl & Mommy Day!!!!!

Today was the second annnual Big Girl and Mommy Day! My two college roommates, Sarah and Molly, met us at the Children's Museum in Bettendorf for a wonderful day! All three of our oldest children all have birthdays in either May or June. Instead of presents....we get together for a day of fun! We spent the first couple hours inside the museum, then went outside for a picnic lunch. After lunch, we had cupcakes and sang to our big girls. Then it was time for swimsuits and water fun. The girls played for almost three hours while the mommies talked with MINIMAL interruption!!! What a treat! It was then time to get dressed and head to all the girls first concert - Justin Roberts - who played kids music in the parking lot of the museum. It was our lucky day....since our museum admission covered the concert too! A perfect day....for the big girls AND the mommies too!

Myka (will be 5 yrs. old on June 21)

Kelly (will be 4 yr. old on June 17)

Michaela (turned 4 yrs. old this week)

Dress up time!

Kelly wearing an Ariel mermaid costume with a red sparkley tutu over top....which she kept on the entire time inside the museum, Michaela a lamb, and Myka a ladybug.
The girls with the dinosaur they put together....yep, it had three legs on one side.

The three girls "laying" their dinosaur eggs.

Water fun!

Kelly sitting in the water table!

Kelly filling a bucket with water while Michaela and Myka are sitting in it!

The three girls on their "STAGE" putting on a show for us!

Dressed and ready to go to the concert!

Big girl and Mommy day is fun for all 6 of us!!!!
Here we are waiting for the concert to begin.

Kelly & I

Michaela & Sarah

Myka & Molly

The three girls at the front, below the stage, waitin for the music to begin.

Michaela and Kelly dancing together.

Kelly LOVED dancing to the music! She said on the way home that the concert and dancing with her friends was her favorite part of the day!

The second annual Big girl and Mommy day was a success! I'm already ready for the next fun day with these big girls!

Family picture & Perkins fun!

Brian made an appointment to get our family picture taken last night as part of my Mother's Day present. After we got our picture taken, Brian's parents took us to Perkins for kids night. For those of you who don't remember....Kelly won a bike there 2 years ago. Since Molly has been a part of our family, I think this was our second time visiting Perkins for kids night. There were a few changes to kids night.....they didn't have the frosting for the kids to decorate their cookies.....instead they had someone making balloon creatures. Since we went out a little later....7pm after our picture.....there weren't very many kids there. Kelly got three things made just for her!

Our new family picture! Kelly was so good throughout the picture process whereas Molly wanted nothing to do with getting her picture taken. This was the ONLY one Molly was looking at the camera and not running or squirming away. Kelly has a fake smile....she was really cute in a lot of the other ones! Someday, getting pictures taken won't be so difficult!
Kelly showing off all her balloon things she got last night.....a princess, a crown, and a magjc wand.

Brusha in the new bathroom!

Since our master bathroom is completed, we turned our other bathroom into the kids bathroom. It's decorated "pink"....Kelly's favorite color (Mommy loves it too!) The girls have been having fun brushing their teeth every morning together.....and sometimes brush 4-5 times a day! See for yourself....

A picture through the mirror (you can see part of the shower curtin in the background)
Brusha, Brusha, Brusha!

I had to buy a second pink stool....as they were fighting over the one stool ALL THE TIME!