We're Having A Heat Wave

And looking for ways to beat the heat. 

We've had movie afternoons, puzzle days, playing restaurant, foam flower fun, and ice cube painting.  

There is still making a fort and the outside sprinkler when Daddy gets home.

Happy Summer

watermelon and self portrait

Corn on the Cob

Cana's first corn on the cob.

She thoroughly enjoyed it and ate most of it.

Corn on the cob is also one of Adley's favorites.

Sisters being silly. 

By the way, we don't take Cana to a tanning salon - that's ketchup.  

Swim Lesson Fun

Cana's Poolside Antics

Swim Lesson Progress

Going underwater?

Stormy weather

The video hardly does it justice.  The most dramatic lightning was about 15 minutes before we thought to grab the camera, while the storm was still a few miles off.  Once we started the video, the rain had started and the storm cell was nearly overhead. Remarkably, this continued for several hours.  

There was a lot of yawning in church this morning. 

Swim Lessons 2011

Nap Time Shenanigans

This was the product of nap time on Tuesday.
Day 2 in a toddler bed and Cana is exercising her new freedom.

The girls had a tough time settling down Monday night with all the excitement of the new bed.  It was hard to tell who was more excited.

Once they finally fell asleep we checked on them and Adley was asleep as usual, while Cana was asleep right next to her - on the floor. The next day for morning nap Cana fell asleep on the floor right behind the door.  Comfy?  For afternoon nap we found the above mess.

Consequently, we've all been a bit sleep deprived this week.

Playing quietly while Cana sleeps (maybe).

Cana's New Bed

Cana reached another milestone this week. She graduated from the crib to a toddler bed. Just before we left on vacation Cana began climbing into and out of the crib.  We were blessed with a toddler bed from a family at church a couple of weeks ago that we planned to store for awhile. So much for plans!

Not quite ready to give up the crib.

Its fun in here if you don't have to sleep!

Daddy works at assembling the new bed.  Meanwhile, Cana has already put her baby to bed in the appropriate spot. What a little Mommy she is.

Big Sister showing how to sleep in a big girl bed.

Cana in the new bed - "Cheese!"

This is where I sleep now.

"Night-Night"

The new arrangement.

Sunday - 7/17/2011

Sisterly fun after church

Family Fun Day - 7/15/2011

Our family bike ride around the Lake Renwick County Forest Preserve.  We rode a little over 2 miles.  Adley rode for half of it on her bike and then bunked with Cana for the remaining portion.  We planned to go further but half of the trails were blocked due to nesting season in the bird sanctuary.  We'll go back when we can go out on the peninsula. As an added bonus, Daddy took the girls off-roading for a quick ride-by look of our garden since we were so close.

We spent the afternoon beating the heat in the AC and then playing in the sprinkler out front.  Note our new outdoor umbrella that Jared found.  It is retractable and and adjustable really does a great job of blocking the sun when positioned right.  

New Pantry

While us girls were on vacation Daddy was busy working on upgrades to our pantry.  The pantry is an odd shape and the old shelving was ill-fitted and not adequately supported.  Jared built new shelves that are solid (no more food falling between the slats), deeper (lots more storage) and at varying heights (which just makes sense).  Additionally, he added some vertical storage for cookie sheets and cutting boards that was sorely needed and a canned goods "lip" shelf which helps our visibility.  

It is amazing how much more we can fit in the same amount of space with the same amount of shelves.  We can see better and it is helping keep the kitchen neater too.  

Thanks dear.  I love it.

Garden Update - 7/14/2011

Trying sugar snap peas right from the garden. 

Watering and washing a harvested beet.

Visiting the Farm a.k.a. Feeding the Puppies

Grammie arranged a visit to her friend Patti's house to visit her collection of farm animals. Patti and her husband Sam live on a couple of acres in Wilton and they care for Patti's pet pig Libby, three goats (Blondie, Rafiki and _____), two sheep (whose names escape me) one Llama named Dolly, 48 geese (one named Cuddles), two ducks and two chickens named "Bo" and "Peeps."

Cana, of course, called them all "puppy."

The animals didn't seem to mind too much as long as she offered food.

"Here puppy!" "C'mon, Puppy!"

And Grammie held a chicken for the first time. This was "Peeps"

After feeding each of the larger animals several times we got to see Libby the pig do her trick.  She has been trained to play a small keyboard with her snout and receive popcorn as a reward. She is quite spoiled and requested handfuls of popcorn for every note played. 

Next we watched the geese and then walked all the way around the pond before heading back to the house for a cold drink.

One last photo op before we got back in the car.
Thanks to Sam for taking such wonderful pictures.
Thanks to Patti and Sam for a fun tour of their property and up-close-and-personal opportunity with the animals.

Clockwise from upper left:
Us girls with Libby the pig
Adley and Grammie feeding Dolly with Patty
Cana getting ready to feed Blondie
Meeting Cuddles the goos
All the girls with the chicken
Cana and Adley posing in front of Libby
Cana feeding Rafiki
Adley posing with Dolly
Adley feeding Libby with the help of Sam
Adley and Cana bringing the bucket of apples

Center:
Adley feeding a sheep
The girls watching the geese get their afternoon snack.