HOT HOT HOT

It is pretty steamy outside right now.  Even my usually heat-resilient kiddos don't want to be outside for very long.  I'm getting stir crazy playing inside so much, so for my own mental health I forked out $15.30 for the kids to play at one of those indoor play places I'm usually too cheap to frequent.  They had a great time with all of the play stations, but the ball pit was the biggest hit.  My camera didn't like the lighting in there, so I missed a lot of the huge smiles and crazy jumping around while the camera balked.

Please please please!

I was totally going to make fun of the way Peter does the American Sign Language sign for "please", but upon further reflection I have deemed it an entirely appropriate way to beg for yummy ice cream.

Poor kitty

Rocky was smelling kind of, well, grungy this weekend.  I remembered how Pacey and Chewie didn't seem to learn to lick themselves very well until they were a little older, so we decided to take matters into our own hands.  It wasn't hard keeping a kitten of less than two pounds under control in the tub, but we had a rough time holding Peter back from vaulting over the edge of the tub to join in the bath.

Rocky, who usually meows with all his might for all sorts of other reasons, was totally silent during his great ordeal.  His escape attempts were at a minimum, probably due to the steely grip I kept on him.  He looked pretty pitiful in the bathtub, but when he got out he REALLY looked like a drowned rat.  Poor little dude.

He smells MUCH better now.  I'm wondering whether he will avoid the bathroom like the plague now.  Then again, he still hasn't figured out that he should avoid Peter (who has a penchant for attempting to pick Rocky in all sorts of inappropriate ways).

Thank goodness it's not paper mache

Charlotte saw a character on a show make a paper mache volcano, so when she was playing with play-dough she decided to fashion one of her own.  The creation in the foreground (with the rolling pin stuck in to help the lava flow "explode") is the result.

I'm already looking forward to her first science fair.  Or not.  I remember spending long weekends torturing my mother as she helped me put mine together.  Maybe those sorts of things should be "Daddy's job".

Sleepy babies

Corn crazies

It was interesting watching the kids last week while playing in the baby pool full of dried corn.  It started out so nicely with digging and dumping.  Then Peter got the bright idea to dive in and out of the pool.  Then Stephanie taught the kids that the magic word to say to get in and out of the pool was "popcorn".  Eventually, it led to this:

Roll Tide!

It's up to Corey to explain why this video of Matt teaching Charlotte University of Alabama cheers is posted on the blog.

Hanging with the Pennsylvania/D.C. crew

The night before we drove home from Michigan, we met up with Corey's Aunt Martha, Uncle Doug, cousin Katie, cousin Erin, and Erin's boyfriend, Matt, at Granny and Grandpa's house for dinner.  After marathon naps, Charlotte and Peter were in terrific moods and ready to entertain.

Within just a few minutes of our arrival, Peter and Matt became great friends.  They met last summer at the Jolli Lodge, but Petey was just a little bubba back then.  Despite Peter throwing his food at dinner right onto Matt's plate, Matt seemed to have a good time with the little guy.

Erin and Katie helped Charlotte look for clues all over the house.

Granny knows the way to Peter's heart -- let him play with water!

Later, I found Peter playing cars with his Great Uncle Doug.  Thank goodness Uncle Doug was good at fixing all the stuff Peter broke (other than the ceramic bird on the back porch -- sorry about that, Granny!).

Peter gave Uncle Doug a big smooch (unsolicited!), then decided he needed to lounge on the floor too.  Peter was in heaven with all these great relatives to entertain him.

 

Oops -- I didn't get any photos of Aunt Martha.  I guess that means we need to get together again soon!

GrandDad and his little buddy

It's only fair that since Charlotte is the spitting image of me as a kid, Petey should look like someone on the Stringer side.  Looks like Petey is well on his way to becoming a mini-GrandDad!

Old friends, new friends

Corey's high school/college buddy, Nancy, and I have met once or twice, but we have gotten to know each other a little better over the past couple of years on Facebook.  We finally were able to get our kids together  Friday morning at a cool park.  Despite my kids being a little tired and cranky (it was an active week!), they had a great time with Nancy's super cute daughters (ages 5 and 3).  Corey is bummed he couldn't be there to see our little ones make friends, but he's thrilled we all got together.

There was actually a see-saw at the park we went to!  I haven't seen one in years.  This four-seater model was especially fun.

These two are only about a month apart in age.  I bet they would be good buddies if we lived closer together!  We promised to try to see them again when we come back up to Michigan for Christmas.

Last Day of Camp NanaB

We ended Camp NanaB with a morning at the pool and an evening adventure to get ice cream downtown.  The pool photos are carefully cropped to cut out any adult not willing to have a photo of herself posted on the blog.  Charlotte, however, has no qualms (nor did I ask her for permission).  No, I do not have any idea whatsoever why she was dancing around the edge of the baby pool singing some strange song that involved shushing babies.

Quinn hung out on the baby pool steps for most of the time.  He gave his mama fits as he toyed with the idea of jumping into the big pool.  Poor Steph waited and waited, arms outstretched, in the pool for him to jump, only to have him change his mind over and over again.  I'm not sure if he ever did jump.

Until the very end, Petey wasn't so sure about walking around in the 1 foot, 7 inches deep water.  Once he figured out that he didn't need the blue float, he had a ball.

Maisie loves splashing in the water!  Those thighs kill me.

The last supper around NanaB's kitchen peninsula was bittersweet until the kids realized we had one more item on the agenda involving a certain frozen treat.

The adventure to Dairy Queen was a big hit.  Charlotte ate probably as much ice cream as Quinn and Peter combined.  That girl loves her ice cream.

We walked the kids through the small car show in a nearby parking lot.  Peter was in heaven and tore around from car to car announcing "CAR-CAR!  CAR-CAR!"

Now camp is over.  Steph and her crew grabbed NanaB and GrandDad and headed up to Glen Arbor for a week of vacation.  The kids and I are sticking around to meet up with a high school friend of Corey's and her daughters, and then we are going to have dinner with Granny and Grandpa in addition to all of the Pennsylvania Taylor bunch.  More on that later!

The stand-up comedian toddler

Peter's language has really exploded in the last couple of weeks, but the real kicker is that he now tells jokes.  He has heard his goofy sister tell so many knock-knock jokes (usually ones that don't make much sense) that he has fixated on and imitated their format using his limited vocabulary.  I caught it on video, but here's a transcript in case you can't understand his garbled speech:

Peter: KNOCK KNOCK!
Me: Who's there?
Peter: Car!
Me: Car who?
Peter: VROOOOOOOM!




No, this wasn't a fluke.  He has now told us this joke about 457 times.  If you don't ask who's there, he keeps repeating "knock knock" louder and louder, until the shrieking just about sends you over the edge.  I'm going to need to search for some new jokes to teach him, because it's pretty hard to pretend to be delighted and amused by this one anymore.  Either that or he needs a new audience, because his NanaB, Aunt Stephanie, and I have all heard our fill.