Pixie Cut

In the big news department around here:

 

Drum roll, please!

Sabine got a major hair cut! The tangles had become a daily battle, and Sabine was ready for a change. We looked at different hairstyles online, and true to form, Sabine immediately found one she liked, and stuck with it, despite my constant efforts to show her other options. (Not that I didn't like the one she found, I just thought she'd want to see more choices. I clearly haven't learned anything when it comes to Sabine and her decision-making!) Sabine has been talking about her pixie cut for three weeks, but we had to wait to get an appointment. It felt like a long wait, but now it's done. She's even got hair chalk, so she can make it pink, blue, green, or purple if the mood strikes on a particular day.

Sabine is thrilled. She was listing off all of the advantages: no more ponytails, no more tangles, less shampoo, less chance of getting lice, easier to brush, and "side bangs," as she calls them. "Really, mom, there's no downside!" Plus, you know, it's darling. It's been a very happy change.

29 Months and Summer Camping

I wish this picture was just a little more in focus, because I just love it so much. But that's life.



Aspen is officially 29 months old. Her vocabulary continues to grow, she calls herself a "big girl," she throws the occasional tantrum, she is feistier than ever, testing every limit again and again. But she is loving and funny, she adores her sister, cousins, and cats. She also is thrilled to ride in the shopping carts with cars attached to the front, and strongly requests to ride the horse after we check out at the grocery store. (The mechanical one that costs a penny.) She helps feed Tatum most days, she loves Dr. Seuss books like Hop on Pop and Green Eggs and Ham.  Her severe separation anxiety seems to be dissipating just a little bit, she still prefers to be with parents, especially mom, but is having an easier time being left with people she knows well for short periods of time, family and sitters alike. She likes to eat grapes and cereal bars, and is slightly obsessed with the iPad. She can navigate between movies like a pro, and the chance of getting the iPad, even for five minutes, is a strong motivator.



Developmentally, Aspen is close to potty trained. She still has about an accident a day, but it's usually because we forgot to remind her to go. If we stay on top of the clock, and remember at least once every hour or two, she doesn't have any accidents at all. She even wakes up dry after her naps most of the time. She sleeps from about 12:30 to 2:00. She would go longer, but she's going to bed later and later, around 9:00 PM these days, so mommy wakes her up because mommy's not very good at staying up that late, herself! She even skipped her nap completely the other day, and went to bed at 7:00 PM and slept straight through until 7:00 AM! That was amazing. (Most mornings she wakes up closer to 6:30.)



It has been a good summer. Both girls are growing like weeds, their hair is lighter and longer, and Sabine has inherited her daddy's olive skin and is sporting a gorgeous tan, despite the copious amounts of sunscreen we slather on her. Sabine's swim teacher has said she has a natural talent for swimming, and wants her on the swim team by next year. Sabine likes that idea, so it sounds like we are going to drop gymnastics for a while, and continue swim classes through the school year.

Meanwhile, we had an excellent first experience at (day) camping with some good friends.

We had a lovely, lazy afternoon on the campgrounds; everyone having fun in their own way:













We had an excellent dinner made over the campfire


Followed by s'mores, made with the biggest marshmallows ever:





All in all everyone had fun, and then we came home to our air conditioning and comfortable beds, full of good memories and mosquito bites!

Ho, Ho, Ho, July!

We made it back to the North Pole this year, and this time we even had the cousins and Nana and Aunt Dani along with us! Aspen and H were big enough to ride on a lot of the rides this year, and they had a BLAST!  



As did the big cousins, of course.











It was a bit of a bummer to have to pause to do something so mundane as EAT LUNCH when there were so many more rides available, but the kids had a fun time running around, entertaining themselves while we got the food.



Sabine managed to duck in to see the man, himself, after lunch. Aspen was still quite nervous, and watched from my arms. Sabine asked for a Madame Alexander doll for Christmas; we thought Aunt Betsy would be proud!













We had a blast. The little cousins blew through their naps, acting like they would never need to leave, screaming and giggling with delight. (Though both did crash as soon as they were loaded into the cars around 4:00.)



I think we will be back before too long!

Busy Summer

We've crammed a lot into this summer already, including catching a Broadway version of The Sound of Music for me and Sabine:



 (with some good friends, of course.)





 Trips to the zoo,


(where Sabine rode a Panther on the carousel, in honor of her school's mascot!)

 Trips to the Butterfly Pavillion,









 a picnic for Sabine and all her classmates, all the rising first graders (and their families.)









Sabine went to an all-day camp, which was a great experience overall, even if the Color Wars, for the last two days, were a little overwhelming with all of the competition. Fortunately, having some good friends there helped make it more enjoyable.



Aspen definitely missed her sister, and took up walking the neighbor's dog, in the meantime!



 And, of course, it wouldn't be summer without lots





and lots



and lots



and lots



and lots of playdates!



We've even been inspired to break out our little pool at home!