Florida Photo Bomb

Our trip was pretty low key, but filled with fun.  Here is a glimpse at the rest of the trip:

Who says human center pieces only happen in Vegas!?!?  

Colbie got to sleep in GG’s bed for the week, such a treat!  She looks so tiny in the king size bed!

How I spent my time while the girls napped.  Pure bliss.

Fun times in the oversized chair!!!

Power nap before hitting up the Destin outlets!!!

GG and her girl!!  (Check out that bug bite on C’s forehead!  Girl seriously swells up with bites!)

Colbie scored Rapunzel/Elsa hair during our shopping trip!  Dreams really do come true.

More goat feeding

And once again, C manages to land in the cockpit on the way home!

Best travelers ever!

Can’t wait for next year!

Sydney’s Sea World

On the third day we were in Florida we headed over to a little place called Gulf Marine World (or something like that).  It’s basically like Sea World only small, lots of little shows, and takes about half the day to see everything.  We were positive that Colbie was going to love it, but it was Sydney who surprised us.  She was mesmerized the entire time and, given the opportunity, would have touched and held everything.  Seriously, during the reptile show the guy walked by with a baby alligator and Syd reached out and then started signing “please”.

Both girls LOVED seeing the flamingos.

Syd and Mama selfie during the reptile show.

GG and Colbie checking out the albino snake (GG was very brave)

Checking out the furry friend’s show:

The only moment of the day that Syd wasn’t happy.  Splash Zone of the dolphin show..sorry baby.

After Gulf World, we headed to the outdoor shopping area, where C shopped in style, per usual.

On the way home, we stopped by this random, local scrap yard, which also happens to be home to a hundred or so goats.  It’s the thing to do, to bring your old bread and feed the goats.  This was hands down, Colbie’s favorite activity of the trip.  

Beach Bums

The girls and I headed down to Florida for a week with GG last month, and we had a blast!

I knew we were going to have a great time once we got there, but flying with the two girls by myself was terrifying.  Luckily, Frozen arrived at our house the day before and I had some great flyers!!!

When we got outside for the first time, Colbie exclaimed, “The snow is gone, the snow is gone” and then minutes later loudly tattled on a couple for “not wearing their coats”.  Needless to say, they transitioned to the climate change well when they realized they could play outside!

After naps on the first full day we were in Florida, we headed straight for the beach.  Not surprisingly, given her fearless personality, Syd loved it!!!

And just for comparison, here is a shot of sweet C’s first beach experience at the same age:

Luckily for everyone involved, Colbie now is a total beach bum and pretty much begged on a daily basis to go back, which we did, once or twice.

Gotta love having the beach practically to ourselves!  Not to mention a GG that gives free rides!

 Syd’s favorite things to do at the beach: 1: run directly toward the water without hesitation (terrifying), and 2: roll in the sand.  As of the first night of vacation, the laundry sink became the girl’s official bathtub, and it is plain to see why.

Sydee Girl turns 15 months!

We had Sydney’s 15 month well child visit on March 18th, and needless to say, she’s doing awesome! Our pediatrician had no concerns and was more than impressed by Syd’s ability to follow multiple step directions (ie go pick up the paper and then throw is in the garbage).  The cutest part of the whole visit was Syd’s obsession with this little stool.  She insisted on sitting on it for everything from snack time while the doctor and I talked, to the full exam (ears, eyes, mouth, heart, etc).  The only part of the exam she had to lay down for was the belly exam and then the shot, which she handled relatively well.

Sydee is growing and thriving these days:

weight 22lbs 7oz (68%)
height  31 inches (69%)
***How’s that for proportionate!!!!***

Syd has a handful of words, but learning more every day.  Her motor skills are amazing as evidence by her being able to climb up and down on the bar height chairs at our island, and her ability to jump already!  She loves her books, her sister, and all things water related.  She thinks she is hilarious and likes to laugh at herself doing silly things.  She currently has 10 teeth and based on the amount of drool lately, is working on a few more.

Sydney, right before our very eyes has become more of a toddler than a baby.  Can somebody tell me when and how this happens so fast?!?!

Milwaukee Children’s Museum

About a month ago, the girls and I headed to the Milwaukee Children’s Museum with my good friend Monica and her two, Felicity (6) and Nikolai (3).  It was a 90 minute drive, but that also means it was 90 minutes of the mommies getting to carry on a real conversation!  The kids are all reasonably good travelers, especially when the Frozen soundtrack is playing.

The museum itself was fantastic: quiet, safe, fun and clean!  The biggest perk for me was that there was something for Syd to do in each area.  This is a feature that the Madison Children’s museum is missing in a big way!

A glimpse at our day:

The “Our Town” area had everything, including a grocery store, pizzeria, post office, bus, construction site, etc.  Here is C hard at work behind the register of the grocery store.

And then taking her little sis on a bus ride.

In the camping/outside section (located inside:)) There was a lot of learning and a whole lot of playing to be done!

The very last area in the museum was all gross motor sort of play.  Here Felicity and Colbie were dancing in order to make the balls go up in that track thing in front of them.  C could have spent hours on this dancing, light board.

And Syd wasn’t going to let her size or age slow her down.  She was playing and participating in everything...even if she had to improvise a bit.

The ride home involved four sleeping children and one drive through coffee stop for the moms.  Once back home, Felicity and Colbie played Elsa and Anna for a few minutes, because what else would anyone want to play right now?!?!

Later at dinner we asked C what her very favorite part of the day was, her response, “playing Elsa and Anna with Felicity”.  Awesome, glad we drug you all the way to Milwaukee kid :)

Annie the Rocketship

I’m not sure how it even started, but somehow or another, the hubs and I started building a “rocketship” for the girls Sunday evening.  Of course they stood by critiquing, but overall, approving of the build.  Syd had to go to bed before the final reveal, but based on Colbie’s reaction, I would say we did alright.

The next day, hours of fun was had in the rocket, and somehow she got the name “Annie”.  I’m guessing this is from Little Einstein’s.

We of course are aware that it looking NOTHING like a rocketship, but to the girls, that doesn’t matter at all.  Here Syd is next to the telescope while C has just finished demonstrating how the door functions.

The windows are one of the favorite features.  Here you can look through the window and see Syd and the remnants of her black eye (head on collision between giant dog’s skull and toddler cheekbone).  :(

Thanks to Amazon, our Rocketship smiles

The roof of the rocket lifts off with all of the lights.  Colbie doesn’t love the lights because they get stuck in her hair.  Syd on the other hand:

And here is a shot I got of our sweet Sydee that same night.  I love the plain white onesie look.  

Masterpieces

Sunday we sent the hubs to the ski slopes for some “him time”.  Us girls were feeling pretty lazy and not too interested in getting out of our PJ’s, so that meant time to get creative.  Colbie and I figured that it was time to introduce Syd to the world of finger painting.  It pretty much went exactly as I thought it would:

It didn’t take her long to realize that paint wasn’t just for the canvas.

Needless to say, there were baths taken midday, before nap time.

Not surprisingly, Colbie had a more delicate approach.  

In the picture below, she painted "Rapunzel’s dress spinning, and her long hair"

 
The plan is to decorate the walls of the stairway leading down to the playroom with the girl’s canvased art.  I think we are well on our way!

Let’s just say Daddy was pretty darn impressed when we got home!