G-ma's 80th Birthday

My grandmother celebrated her 80th birthday this week, and we threw her a big birthday party. All her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were there (well, almost). I wish we would taken the time to take more group pictures. Oh well, maybe for her 100th - no lie. My grandmother is a strong and healthy old lady. And get this, Todd made and decorated the cake (I made the frosting).  

Museum Mania

The Nasher Sculpture Museum in Dallas has fun kid activities on the first Sat of every month. So I took the girls in May. It was a really nice activity for just me and the girls. We got there by 10; participated in the guided lecture; did the art project; picked up a lunch from Panera and had a picnic at a park that Todd and I frequented as undergrads; and played in the park. Bella even saw a classmate there with her grandparents. Apparently later that week during recess, Bella and the classmate were pretending that they were at the Nasher. So cosmopolitan! 

Then the following weekend Todd and I took the girls to the Heard Museum in McKinney. We took a couple different nature trails and "walked through a forest". They had some animals for viewing, and the girls were able to get up close to see them. The trails were nice, but not something to do during the summer. Forgot the camera though. 

And then today I had the girls to myself again, and I took them to the Science Museum since the second Sat of every month they have Discovery Days. Wasn't too impressed with the "Discovery Days" part of it, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the Children's Museum was at Fair Park, too. The girls had a great time playing in the dino dig and the water table. Of course we have a sand/water table at home, but I guess they really don't compare.

Bella's first fun run

Last weekend Todd and I did a 5K (Todd pushed the girls in the double wide), and before the 5k, there was a 1 mile Fun Run. We saw another family entering their 4 year old daughter, so we decided to sign Bella up, too. Bella has done a 50 yard dash, but never a mile. She has certainly walked that but we wondered if she would run it. So, we entered her, and I walk/ran it with her. She really did walk most of it with spurts of running. But like a true champion when she saw the finish line, she ran it in. I was so proud of her. And she has been proud of herself, too. She's told everyone to from her Popo to the lady at the restaurant that she ran a 1 mile race, and that her new pink shoes made her go super fast.  Todd and Becca assisted by taking photos and cheering us on.

B stories

Bella has a difficult time with the state of disarray that our van is typically in, and sometimes it gets to be too much for her and she has to say something about the mess. The last time she commented on the mess,  I said well you keep bringing stuff in here and you never take it back out. To that Bella commented, "You bring stuff in here, too, Mommy." Nuf Said.

Becca has always been quite a chatter. One of the first phrases I can remember her saying was while Chris and Julie were here. She stood in the kitchen and cried, "But I don't want to share." So much of what is says is clear, in fact she can now say Bella and not Beya. But she still can't say "sweaty". The other night Becca asked me, "Mommy, why you so sweaty?" I wish you could see it. She rolls her tongue when she says it, and it reminds me of those Jack-in-Box commercials where Jack's mouth just becomes a squiggle when he tries to say chipolte. 

Bella thinks herself quite the fashionista. If she had it her way she would exclusively wear pink dresses. So yesterday morning when I paired a turquoise blue shirt and necklace with black pants, I think she just didn't know what to make of it. She crinkled up her little nose in disapproval and said, "Mommy, your pants don't match your shirt OR your necklace." Me, "Yes honey, but black goes with everything." I could see her filing that bit of information away.  So today I decided to test her fashion sense, and I genuinely asked her opinion on which necklace I should wear today. And you know something, I think she got it right. 

Becca is the master of  faces. Always has been. From better beer face to "the Look". Now she has the silly face and the suprised face. And she performs on command, sometimes.  In between each time she gives "the Look" she'll roll her head back and laugh.

Some of Becca's favorite phrases right now, "I can do it. I can do it.", "I fell down.", "Daddy's turn." "Why Bella crying?"  "Mine. Mine! That's MINE!" 

More Easter

Easter was a little bit wet, but we still managed to have a egg hunt at Grammy's and Popo's.  We changed things up a little bit this year. We had Easter lunch at Grammy and Popo's, and PoPo bar-b-que'd. It was a refreshing change. And the cousins brought Cascarones to the egg hunt, and it FREAKED Becca out. She could not understand why everyone was heading each other on the head.  Todd had to comfort her a little.