Family Tea Party

Caroline is really into having tea parties right now...I mean REALLY into tea parties. We have about a dozen everyday. She sets up her favorite stuffed animals, which currently are Buzz Lightyear, Tinker Bell and her Bitty Baby, gets everyone dressed up and pours the tea. This weekend I moved her kitchen, tea set and a few other toys into her room to give her a "big girl room" even though she is still in her crib. I put together a "dress-up" box full of hats, old necklaces, gloves and handbags. She is thrilled with her new set up. The first thing out of her mouth when she wakes is "tea, tea!" Here are a few pictures from a tea party we had with Reagan. Even Daddy joins in the fun!

Buzz needs a hat for the big event

Tinker Bell and Bitty Baby are patiently waiting for their tea

Daddy helping her put on her fancy gloves

Yea!!

Pouring Mommy some tea.

4th of July

Every year our neighborhood puts on a big 4th of July bash! The afternoon starts with a parade through the neighborhood which ends at our community center. Everyone dresses up and decorates for the parade! They have grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, a horse-shoe tournament, sand volleyball matches and swimming. That evening there is a grilled chicken dinner and talent show. Usually there is a baking contest but they skipped that this year. This year Caroline was more aware of what was going on and could play with the other kids in the pool. She had a great time. Nana and Papa Boone joined us for the parade and lunch. We went home to take naps after swimming then heading back for dinner and to watch the talent show. We ended the night with dancing and watching fireworks on TV in our living room. Maybe next year C can stay up long enough to watch fireworks live!

She had to have her sunglasses!

Getting ready to go to the parade!

A couple police men and a firetruck led the parade! "Oh WOW" was C's response when she saw them.

Nana pulling C in her wagon. Our neighbor Hunter (the one in the silver box) walked with us. We had her family over for dinner the night before and helped her decorate the box for the parade.

The neighbors have fun with the parade!

Some people get REALLY into it!

Bye-bye!

This isn't a great picture but it really shows how tall C is. She is off the charts on height! As my Aunt Kathy says about the tall people in our family since most ppl are short. She is a mutant!

Baby it's HOT outside!

It has been unbearably hot here the last couple weeks. And that's coming from the girl that likes the smothering feeling you get when you enter your car after it's been in the sitting outside in the heat. We haven't wanted to leave the house that much because of the heat. The heat combined with our neighborhood baby pool being out of commission for repairs has forced us to get creative with our at home activities. We're made lot's of "trains" using chairs, strollers or whatever. Aunt Sarah gave C a tea-set for her birthday which has been a favorite activity too. She has tea parties with her stuffed animals (which is one of the cutest things I've ever seen!).

Our play-group started the brilliant idea of At Home Activities (AHA). One mom that has a 2 year old and newborn was asking for ideas on activities to keep her little one busy and help keep her sanity intact. A discussion on activities was started and AHA was born. Every few days someone has been posting events to do with your little ones at home. The first activity was washing dishes. Doesn't sound that thrilling I know but C seemed to really dig it. I filled one side of the sink with soapy water and the other side with clean water. Gave her lot's of plastic bowls, plates and spoons to "wash". Simple activity but it kept her occupied for 45 minutes. She would have played longer but we had someplace to go. Some of the other activities posted are making your own play-dough, drawing Yourself (tracing the kids body out on a huge piece of butcher paper) then decorating, making "welcome home from work" signs for Dad, build a fort in your living room, sidewalk chalk painting (mix crushed chalk with water and let the kids paint with it).

Trains!

More trains!

Tea party with friends

Doing the dishes

Daddy took a break from work to check out what we were doing.

I had to include the backside shot. It's just to cute!