At the pool!

Playing with Rylea

Going to the pool

Love :)

Why doesn't every shopping plaza have this?

We have the prettiest rocks on the block

Dressed as princesses making princess puppets with Gemma

All decorated!

Silly times at the playground with new friends

Vegged out

Watching  "Tinkerbelle" with Gemma, Mariana, and Marc. 

Post-yoga snack

Emily & Charlie

The kids' table

Ready for swim class!

Celebrating her last day of camp for this summer!

Surprise visit to Daddy's office!

"The best thing to spend on your child is time"

I am so enjoying spending time with the girls this summer.

Compliments for Craig

As wonderful is it is to hear someone say something nice about my daughters, it is even nicer to hear how fabulous my husband is.

Today, when we I picked Belle up from camp (which is also school), the women at the front desk said goodbye to Belle.  I wondered how they knew her name.  They learned her name because they've heard Craig say countless time, "Belle, say 'good morning.'"  Every morning, the front desk ladies told me, Craig makes Belle say "hello" or "good morning" to whoever is manning the front desk.

The women went on to extol the virtues of good manners and commended Craig on teaching Belle well. Belle's lucky to have such a great father, they agreed.

Yup, and I'm lucky to have such a great parenting partner.  

Fish-sitting

Emily helped me clean the fish bowl for and feed the fish we are caring for while it's owners are on vacation.

Stroller

Emily insisted on wearing her bike helmet on our walk. And then asleep. Funny child. 

More sprinkler fun

A heart painted on her arm!

Weeeeee!

Swings!

"Can I show you my playground?"

When Emily and I picked Belle up from camp today, Belle invited us to see the playground she enjoys on the premises. We started walking toward the playground, when Emily called for Belle. Belle obliged by taking Emily's hand. The two girls walk hand-in-hand to the outside of the playground. When they got there, Belle explained in her higher-pitched baby-Emily voice, "Emily, that's the playground I play on. And soon you can play on it, too!" Belle pointed out the different parts of the playground, all the while speaking in her baby voice and holding Emily's hand.

Emily is good to Belle, too. Belle was in time-out on Saturday evening when I was reading Emily bedtime books. Emily called for Belle to sit next to her, but I told Emily that Belle wasn't allow to come inside Emily's room at that moment. So Emily went in the threshold of her bedroom to sit next to Belle while Belle was in time-out.

It warms my heart to see the girls being loving toward each other. I hope that girls always remain close.

Good times

If not bus drivers....

....ship captains or equestrians!

Happy birthday, Grampy

From Captain's Cove in Bridgeport,  CT.

Future bus drivers

Happy birthday, Grampy!

Getting creative

Before Pinterest, moms like me just had to come up with creative ideas. And so I did. On my own.
I used a dowel and some hangers to make a dress-up clothes corner of the playroom. Belle was excited to come home from camp to this.
But not as excited as she was when she saw the books I borrowed from the library. It made this English teacher's heart warm to watch Belle's eyes open wide with excitement as she perused the books.
I hope Belle always find joy from dressing up and reading books. Mostly the books.

Emily gets a front row seat at story time!

My office

The view from my office today in Atlantic City. Not bad.

Bouncing with Joey and Mina

Dancing with a cow at Stew Leonard's

Cousin swim play date

Watching Groucho Marx

Groucho Marx makes everyone crack up:

Happy birthday, Grandma Helene!

Swimming!

Getting ready for swim class

Ready for the workforce

Belle types at a typewriter, and works on a computer (while Gaga and Charlotte look on), and Emily sits at a computer.  These girls are ready for work!