Baybay & Baybee: Week 102 (7/17-7/23)

102 weeks old!

I've been posting a lot of backlogged blog entries lately. I am trying to get all caught up by the girl's second birthday, but I still have a long way to go! I've been enjoying the challenge, and the time by myself working, while Brett is with the girls. He has been so supportive and helpful. I hope I can do it.

Blueberries are ripe! And it's an amazing year for them. The bushes are full of berries and I've been picking them as often as I can at a farm in Hatfield. I went three times this week, once on my own, once with the whole family, and once with just the girls.

Beautiful blueberries.

Three berry pickers.

Maya samples the fruit.

"Wow, Mama, you've got a lot!"

"I'm going to eat one."

"Now girls, run off and pick your own berries. Mama wants to take her berries home and freeze them for next winter!"

Maya is serious about filling her pail.

She also wants to see the picture of her berries.

Ella took more of the wander-around-and-eat-berries kind of approach to picking.

When she got tired of wandering, she sat down.

Yum!

Making our way back to the car, with lots of berries.

The girls are talking up a storm these days! Especially Maya, who has been putting two-word sentences together almost every time she speaks. Both girls are also really into taking lots of books off the shelves, "reading" each one and then stacking them into a pile. This is really cute, and we're working on encouraging them to also put the books BACK on the shelves when they are finished.

Current favorite songs: "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?".
Current favorite foods: Corn for Maya and tomatoes for Ella.

They like apples, too.

We had our first somewhat expensive thing break this week, because it got pulled off the shelf by a curious baby. My camera wasn't even what Ella was after, it was the book that the camera was sitting on top of that she wanted. My camera survived the fall, but the lens broke and shattered on the floor, leaving it somehow stuck to the camera body. I searched online about how to get it unstuck. Turns out I'm not the only one whose kid has pulled their camera off the shelf and this particular lens has become stuck to the camera. I found a nice tutorial that Brett carefully followed.

My hero!

We are struggling with some not listening, especially while out in the driveway. The girls know that they aren't allowed to go into the road, but sometimes that doesn't stop them from doing it. It's been frustrating when they push the boundaries and don't listen to what we tell them, especially when it's something dangerous like that. Another especially tough time is when one of us (this is harder for me than for Brett) is alone with the girls and wants to get everyone inside. Because of the running into the road thing, I don't feel comfortable leaving one out in the driveway, even for a short time while I take the other inside. Let me just say, they are getting heavy and picking up two squirmy babies at the same time is not as easy as it used to be.

The fans that we've had on to keep the house cool have also been a objects of contention. The girls know that they should not touch them because it's dangerous and might hurt their fingers, but they don't really seem to get the severity of it. So far so good, but I hope no one has to get their finger stuck in the fan to learn that we really mean it when we say not to do something. 

We went over to the yellow house and explored down by the river one afternoon. It was a little treacherous to get down there with everyone, but it's such a lovely spot. It's going to be so exciting to have a river in our back yard!

Our soon-to-be very own swimming spot!

Ella gazing at the water.

The front of the Willow Street "yellow house".

We went to the library to play one morning this week.

Maya collects all the legos.

We also had a nice stroll to Cup and Top.

Eating "noonols".

Pinky dog and a bunch of magnets go down the slide!

Yum! Big burritos for such little girls.

Maya helps harvest some squash.

We are getting so many yummy vegetables from our garden!

Making lasagna and chocolate muffins.


So excited to find a ripe tomato on the vine. She picked it herself and ate the whole thing.

Ella loves her tomatoes!

Mmm.

Maya, reading Blueberries for Sal, while eating a bowl full of blueberries.

Baybay & Baybee: Week 101 (7/10-7/16)

101 weeks old!

This was a relaxing week spent mainly playing outside and around the house, with a few trips out in the world. Ella has been slowly getting her 2-year molars, and though it doesn't appear to bother her, sleep has been pretty terrible. Bedtime has been a long drawn-out process, and Maya figured out how to open the bedroom door, so that's new and exciting (and quite unhelpful for nighttime).

Both girls have been saying, "Yeah" a lot when they answer a question. They are also getting good at counting!

Counting raspberries.

Here are some more pictures of all the flowers in bloom in our yard right now. So many changes in a couple weeks!

Echinacea in full bloom.

Bumble bee.

View of the back yard.

So many lilies in bloom!

Pretty flowers in Evan and Marry's front garden.

First sunflower opening out front.

Dill.

Here are a bunch of pictures of our adventures playing outside this week.

I got this dress at the thrift store. I think it's just so adorable. The girls (though Maya especially) are always excited to try on new clothes that I bring home. 

Picking berries. This happened many times a day.

Picking peas and relaxing in the wagon.

Ella fits so perfectly.

Maya carefully opens the pods.

The ones Ella has look the best.

The slide was a little wet, so Maya dries it off for her sister.

"Those apples look delicious!"

Beautiful Maya.

Ella cools off in the tub on a hot day.

Favorite picture of the week.

And here are a bunch of pictures of what we did inside this week.

Maya brought her baby doll to her bed and tucked her in (with pacifier and doggie of course)...

...then sat down and read her a story.

More story reading.

Some coloring.

Of course, we did a lot of eating. Maya LOVES corn.

Ella is pretty fond of it, too.


Maya and baby using the big potty together.

I went across the street by myself to our garden for a few minutes. It was apparently the worst thing in the world for some people, and Maya and Pink doggie had to wait at the door until I returned with the kale.


Uncle Guy came to visit. He and Ella read some books together. Blueberries for Sal is a current favorite.


While they read books, Maya tried on Guy's shoes.

Brett and I each took the girls on a few outings. I took the girls on a walk, to the park for a picnic, to play at Cup and Top, and to the grocery store. Brett took them on a bike ride and to play in the river at Maines Field.

Fun at the park.

A cute video of Ella on the slide.

Swings!

Riding in the cool cart at the grocery store! Maya wanted to hold the butter for the entire shopping trip.

Pretend cutting at Cup and Top.


Maya takes a little snooze on our walk while Ella eats her pepper from Cooper's.


She did a good job with it!


Heading out on a bike ride with Dada.

The river!


Into the water.

Being silly after their dip in the river.

Brett and I stayed up one evening and made a few jars of dilly beans!

After watching an adorable video of their cousins singing BINGO and playing guitar, Maya and Ella wanted to make their own version.

Here is the original of Atom and Trillian, with Maya and Ella's response at the end. (Video credit Amber, with thanks to Papa for editing both clips together.)