July

Enjoying our anniversary date, followed by dinner & drinks on the intracoastal 

So hard being 3!

Enjoying the splash pad

 & dinner at the beach, great way to tire these two buggers out

growing into a big boy!

new favorite play spot

Impromptu trip

Greg came early from work on Friday, and by early, I mean 9:30 in the morning, so we quickly decided to get out of dodge for the weekend. Greg called a hotel in Cary, I packed and we were out the front door by 11:30, headed to the zoo.

We arrived at the hotel around 3:30 and unpacked and swam in the pool all afternoon. It was nice, our backdoor of our room opened up to the pool courtyard so we could just walk to the pool and then back into our room as needed. Very convenient for night time swims. After swimming we showered and went out for the evening. They have a huge REI shop in Cary that was heaven for Greg & I. Then we went out for dinner at Wild Wings. When we got back to hotel, we put Quinn down to sleep and then Anna, Greg & I stayed up late watching movies in our cozy beds. 

Anna seriously LOVES hotel rooms. She thinks it's just great to have a special room and a big bed and be in a different place than home. She looks over to us during the movie and says, "Daddy, this is so special "

Anna enjoying her night time swims while Quinn sleeps. 

We cornered off Quinn by the front door & bathroom so he couldn't see us. 

2012 flashback 

Saturday morning we all slept in, had coffee in the room & then headed down to the hotel breakfast room and stuffed our bellies for the busy day ahead. We left for the zoo around 8:45 and arrived at 10. We spent the day enjoying walking around, the weather was beautiful, 80 degrees and the zoo is very nicely shaded so it didn't even feel like the typical NC July weather.

The stroller was a life saver for Q.

Anna hatching out of a shell!

Looking over the grasslands for elephants & gazelles 

Last year when we came the new baby gorilla was just born, this year we got to see how much she has grown (this is not her, this is the mommy), but the zoo is planning the baby gorillas first birthday celebration for next week. 

Taking a break between Africa & North American for a PB&J lunch. Where's Q you ask? Who knows, this kid wanders around so much and just comes back to take bites & eat, then he's off again. 

Enjoying the geyser 

There were nice playgrounds scattered about so we could stop & play for a bit

At the end of the day we took a tram ride back to the parking lot and then went to the gift shop to get Anna her $0.87 lollipop. I think this will become an annual thing for her,

Here she was last year sashaying with her treat

And 2013 version

Saw this at the gift shop, thought it might look nice in our living somewhere

 2012

2013

When we got back to the hotel, we swam for the afternoon & then showered & went out to eat. We ate at a place called Sweet Tomatoes, which I've been to in Florida with Grandma & Poppy, and knew it would be a hit with the family. Anna loved that she was able to go & pick out her own food, especially her dessert. After our chocolate lava cake topped with vanilla ice cream, we were all thoroughly stuffed. We planned on going to the park nearby to run off all that we ate, but it was storming out so we went and walked around Target instead. Back at the hotel, another night swim session & cuddling with a movie! 

The next morning it was more sleeping in, well for Anna at least, Greg & I were chasing Quinn around the pool courtyard much to early, another big breakfast down at the hotel breakfast room and then we decided to head back home & straight to the beach! Great weekend family! 

Two Anna Quotes:

Anna is climbed up high looking at the baboons and a another boy comes below her and says, "Mom, look at the monkeys!" Anna condescendingly looks down and over at the boy and says, in a sassy voice, "They are not monkeys!" The boys mother says, "What are they?" and Anna says, "They are baboons, the just look like monkeys". I appologized to the mom for her speaking like that, guess we need to work on not correcting people and if she feels she must correct, then it needs to be a nice helpful voice, not a "Duh!-are-you-serious-you-just-said-that" voice. 

As we were driving over to Cary, Anna wanted a drink so we passed her her water cup, she takes a sip and says, "This water is awful!" 

Half way through,

We are half way through summer, let's see how this list is going, 

We Had Fun....

Walking the Line with colored masking tape

Open Gym @ Gymnastics

Fort Fischer Aquarium

Bike Trailer Bike Ride

Homemade fingerprint name project

Emerald Isle Aquarium 

Feed the ducks at Hugh McRae Park

Playground fun & picnic lunch

Splash Pad

Beach 

Camp in the backyard

Power of Play

Zoo

We Still Need To....

Indoor Bean Bag Toss

Chalk - line walking & color hopping

Popular Grove Nature Walk

Christmas light play cave

Pipe cleaner strainer fun

Lunch with Grandma

Children's Museum

Balloon Ping Pong

Movie Theater Movie (Anna & Mommy) 

Vacation Bible School 

Movie Picnic in the living room - picnic dinner on blanket & watch movie together

Big Girl!

Anna asked me what day it was this morning, I told her Thursday, "Mom! My blanket is coming today!"

We heard the UPS truck and ran to the front door....

 Dear Anna, 

Hope this quilt keeps you warm & cozy. Some of the same material was sewn into your baby quit - can you find which ones are the same? The picture on the front is Mommy and Aunt Aimee when they wre around your age - weren't they cute? I think you look like them. Give Quinn a hug and kiss for me and let me know if he will need a quilt for his big boy bed. Can't wait to come to North Carolina and visit you. Love to Daddy, Mommy, Quinn and especially you! XOXO Aunt Lynne

Cousin love

Today, Anna

goes into her room to get dressed and shut the door. A few minutes later she pops her head out and says, "Mom, it is winter or summer today?" LOL!!!! She is wanting to wear pants and long sleeves so badly lately but I keep telling her not when we are going outside. So she knows we are going to the farmers market so she needs to wear shorts/skirt/dress/short sleeves, but I guarantee you that when we get home she'll go into her room and put pants on because we'll be staying in the house while Q naps. She's a hotbox like her mother!

Today, Quinn

put Anna's clothes in the toilet
ousted Sydney from her basket of clothes in the closet and climbed in himself
fell into the box of beanbags and couldn't get out
ate cereal with one hand while holding the spoon in the other
ate a sticker

Saturday

This morning we looked at the radar, well first, let me say, we were all up at 6:45, might as well get moving early, we looked at the radar and it was a lovely hue of mixed greens, reds and yellows all over. We decided to pack up anyways and head down to the farmers market, all of us, including Sydney. When we got down there and began walking around, DOWNPOUR! We were soaked. But we stayed and it eventually cleared up and continued. We took a nice walk down the river boardwalk and back along the streets of Wilmington. 

On the way home we made a pit stop at the splash pad in downtown Wilmington. Very cool. There is also a pool next door (that wasn't open yet) but we took off Anna's pants and threw on a rash-guard and let her play, and just swapped Quinny's diaper for a swim diaper. They had a blast for about 20 minutes. Since we didn't have proper suits/sunscreen/towels, we didn't stay long. But we will certainly be back this week. 

Here's our activity calendar for the remaining weeks of summer, 4 awesome weeks down, 5 more awesome ones to go! 

And some awesome clearance shopping this afternoon while all parties napped.

 I am addicted to resale shop clearance events. 

(There's a $15 stuff the bag even in 2 weeks - very excited -  shhh don't tell Greg!)

Quinn = $13.50

Anna = $8.50 for all 

Completed by dinner & playing at the beach. Love arriving home at 7:40 and just tossing the kids into bed because they are just wiped from ocean play. Another beach day planned for tomorrow. 

From grandmas phone

Stuff from Greg's Phone

Greg had a lot of park dates with the kids this week, 

And here's our moody 3 year old