While You Were Away

This year we did our summer Michigan trip a little differently. Chris and the big girls flew out four days before Elizabeth and I. Chris got to have his full 10 days at home, and I got to have 4 days of alone time with Elizabeth. It worked out perfectly. Elizabeth and I had a lot of fun on our own. A few of the highlights...

Elizabeth had the dress up box all to herself, and she had a blast picking out different outfits and accessories.

We built a tall tall tower, and Elizabeth got to admire it and then knock it down!

True to her style of turning anything circular into a bracelet, Elizabeth created this signature look...

We walked around holding hands. 

Our raspberries were just beginning to turn red, and we spent a lot of time in the raspberry patch, picking and eating.

Late afternoon shadows in the sandbox...

My biggest accomplishment during the few days "off" was finishing the pillow shams I've had in mind for the big girls ever since the cozy corner was created. 

Then it was off to Michigan for us! We were ready to see family and swim in the lake!

Motor Skills

We're on the move here in the Palte house! Trike riding, scooting, and WALKING all over the place!

Emily used to get very frustrated with the tricycle. Pushing the pedals, steering, watching where she was going...it was all just too much. I wanted to try to help her out by pushing the trike so she could focus on steering, but she wanted to do it all herself, so I all I could do was watch. I could tell she REALLY wanted to learn how to ride. Our sidewalk is slanted, and she was learning how to ride downhill, but whenever she turned around to come back uphill, she would give up in frustration. For the last month or so, she has been pedaling backwards and forwards across our front patio, which is nice and flat. Yesterday, I asked if she wanted to bring the tricycle down to the sidewalk. She put her helmet on, got on, and started riding...and didn't stop! Yeah Emily!!! Good for you! Nice job sticking with it!






While Emily gravitates towards the tricycle, Addie has always gravitated towards the scooter. Addie has been practicing the scooter quite a bit, and is getting really good at coordinating steering, balancing, and scooting!







And, last but not least, we also have a WALKER! Elizabeth has been taking more and more independent steps over the last month, but starting last week, she really truly became a walker. Her little toddle brings smiles to all of our faces, especially hers! She is so proud of herself, and we are so proud of her! Go Elizabeth! (Just a note on this video - she began her first symptoms of Hand Foot Mouth on the day it was taken, and she wasn't feeling great, so she was getting really frustrated that I kept walking away from her and that's why she cries at the end. I will try to get another walking video soon!)



Here's a video of Elizabeth taken the week before, when she was using the baby stroller as a confidence crutch. As you can see from the way she's flinging the stroller around, she would have been fine taking steps on her own, but it took her another week of practice and confidence building before she started truly taking steps on her own.

June Fun

Addie's flying high with Dad

Trying to get Elizabeth to walk, Chris would always find a toy she was really attached to and then hold it just out of her reach. One evening in June, the toy was this magic wand.

Go get it!

A step! Hooray!

A little Frozen humor, since Frozen has been a favorite in our house for quite some time now, especially since Addie bought the movie with her birthday money back in April.

We went to a friend's house and did tie dye, and the outcomes were magnificent...

Elizabeth and I were always up to something fun while the big girls were at their Wednesday fun mornings at Little Lights. One morning, Elizabeth found this bucket on the deck, so I filled it with water and let her splash around.

The bucket splashing gave me the idea to bring our kiddie pool up to the deck, where we have some shade from the awning. That afternoon, all three girls splashed around.

Grandpa John came over for an afternoon visit and read stories to the girls. It was a big hit for the girls, and Grandpa became a regular character in their imaginative play.

DeeDee also came over for one of her frequent visits, and we walked along the cottonwood trail, where, of course, I had to have everyone pose for a a few pictures. I especially wanted to get pictures of Elizabeth by the tree as she was wearing a hand-me-down outfit that had once been worn by Addie in front of our tree. Click here for a blast from the past.

Oh June, the beginning of summer. Warm winds, not scorching hot yet, everything green, summer excitement in the air.

Emily is a Walker!

It became official on Sunday, August 5th, when she took 3 or 4 steps 4 or 5 times while Skyping with Uncle Mike and then again later in the day while Skyping with CeeCee and PopPop. We now have the computer hooked up to the TV so we Skype on the big screen. Seeing herself on the screen along with a cheering audience helped her stay on her feet.

The next day, she was walking all over the place. Her longest distance was from the stove to the TV in the family room. In the following weeks, she would revert to the knee walk often, but would also walk on her feet. It was probably about 50/50 knee/feet for a couple of weeks, and by the end of August, she was on her feet the majority of the time. As of today, she will still scoot around on her knees once in a while out of habit, but when reminded to get to her feet, she does!

That first week, on Tuesday evening, we spent some time out on the deck and Emily had a chance to show off her new skill!

Look Mom! No hands!

This is SO exciting!

 A couple of weeks later, Dad took Emily and Addison to the playground and got some great videos of our little walker on wood chips!

Yep! I am a walker!

Orchard Town Center Fridays

Last summer, the Sebrings raved to us about how wonderful Friday nights were at the Orchard Town Center, just minutes from our house. There's live music, splash fountain fun, and lots and lots of families with picnics. We never made it last summer, but actually did make it to one so far this summer.

The music was a Sting cover band, the kids were rowdy and happy, and the ice cream was cold and delicious! We're hoping to make it to another Friday night family night out before the end of the summer. (Maybe we'll even make it out to see Under a Blood Red Sky, Chris's all time favorite U2 cover band, playing August 3rd. Too bad I can't type with heavy sarcasm.)

Splash!

Addie was on the move, and whatever was in that green sippy cup on that stroller must have been pretty amazing, cause she kept running to it and trying to steal it.

Claire enjoyed her first ice cream cone ever! (I think she liked it. Vivian was just a little jealous.)

Emily, showing off her new walking skills

Addison, leading Dad towards the band

Our Favorite Toddler Playground

Found toys....they're the best!

This playground is great for Mom because everything's so close to the ground, I can actually relax a bit and watch the girls play. We first visited this playground back in April, when Addie was just beginning to take her first independent steps. Now that she's a cruiser, I had to take another video on the same equipment. (Although since this video was taken last month, Addison doesn't just walk everywhere, she truly runs. As she runs, her arms are either clasped behind her back or they are sticking straight in front of her, and nine times out of ten there's a huge grin on her face.)

Emily Walking (On Her Feet)

Last month, Emily started walking (while holding a hand) very well. She still prefers her knee walk, but will walk alongside someone while holding their hand.

She walks from chair to chair on her own and has been seen standing up on her own and walking up to three steps on her own.

She will now reach for a hand to help her walk when she's on hard surfaces, but when she reaches carpet, it's down to her knees, because her knee walk is still the fastest way to get around.

Here's a video from June 19th of Emily walking around with Chris. When it looks like she's licking Addie, that's a kiss. Emily went through a phase of licking for kisses, but her lip pursing skills have advanced, and her kisses are less wet these days. She will purse up often, asking for a kiss, because she sure does love lip smackers!

The Knee Walk

In case you haven't seen it yet, this is how Emily's been getting around for the last month.

Backyard Fun

Everything in its Right Place

At the beginning of April, my Darling Doubles club had a parent-to-parent educator come talk about activities we could do at home with things often found around the house. We tried out putting poker chips through the slot in the top of a container right away.

Emily loved the activity. It was right up her fine-motor-skills alley, and she concentrated hard, putting the chips in until the container filled up, and then she'd want to do it again and again.

Addison, on the other hand, found that the poker chips fit perfectly in her mouth.

These pictures were taken on April 5th, and at that point, Addison was much more focused on learning to walk.

Later in the month, Addie mastered walking independently.

Here she is walking to Chris on his birthday

And then, when the poker chips came back out on the 23rd, Addison was ready to focus on her fine motor skills.
Here's a little video of Emily putting clothespins in a container (another riveting game) and Addie putting poker chips through the slot. Addie is shirtless because she's also learned how to take off her own shirt, and for a little while she was doing it constantly.




Oh, and here's what happens with Addie's shirts when she's taken them off. (Emily must see us doing this often as there's a lot of spilled milk in this house!

A New Playground

We have discovered a new playground that has the perfect equipment for toddlers. Everything is fairly close to the ground and there are plenty of railing to keep kids from falling off bridges and walkways. Emily and Addison had so much fun, and we hope to go back soon!

Addie and Emily surround Ellie as they all try to climb the stairs

Emily pretending she's Jacques Cousteau

Addie WALKING! (Can you tell she's excited?)

Walking

Addie has been pulling up and cruising around on furniture for so long now, we keep thinking independent steps are just days away. Yesterday (March 8th) she did take a couple confident steps away from both Mom and Dad.
Here she is about a month ago, showing off her single-hand-held walk:


Emily has become a walker as well, taking her first hand-held steps last month. Here she is walking with Dad:


A couple days after that video was taken, Emily took it up a notch and started pushing the wagon around on her own.


And after Emily learned to push the wagon on her own, Addison decided she was ready for a ride.

Standing, Walking, Hugging, and Tackling

Emily stands at the gate....whatever's up there has to be good! 

Addie walks all over the house with her new toy

Ahhh, sisterly love

Staring contest

Too close for comfort

And....the tackle

Wait for it....

Here it comes....

Gotcha!