He'll bravely take 3 or 4 steps before tumbling to his knees. I am so excited to see my little guy reach this milestone! And yes - I'm also terrified because I know this means he'll soon be off and running!
It's also a moment to step back and watch him fill the role of pseudo-big brother since Brianne is not yet to the walking phase. She will get there when she's ready- and I'm sure Bryce will be a good motivator as she watches him cruising around. In the meantime - sister is mastering her own method of getting around. She's got the Mowgli Bear Cub Walk down - and you can't help but smile when you see it!
Brianne has another trick....it's one of those things where you don't want to encourage the activity - but you certainly need to get a picture before you try to tell your child not to do it anymore..... :) Presenting my little contortionist - who thinks a shelf on the entertainment center is her personal play space......
FYI - kids with Down syndrome are CRAZY flexible. :)
Champions Day!
Hawaiian Falls, a local water park, sponsored 'Champions Day' - an amazing day where individuals with Special Needs got in FREE, and their family members only had to pay $5....so of course we had to go check it out. We all loved floating around the lazy river. The wave pool was also a favorite - the kids smiled and giggled as the waves crashed while sitting at the waters edge. I had thought Mark was a little crazy for bringing the pack-and-play.....CRAZY SMART is what i concluded. The kids had a great time wrestling and giggling in that - and it gave us a way to have our hands free for a minute. A HUGE THANK YOU to Hawaiian Falls for this great day!
Did I mention there was giggling and wrestling in the pack-and-play?
The result of a day at the water park = serious naps!
Other Fun
Best Friends!
Best Friends - and more wrestling :)
Love this girl! Brushing her teeth is exciting now that she has a mouthful of teeth! :)
We caved - we have a Keurig....LOVE it!
Pugs enjoyed a day at the Doggy Spa
My girl's laughter - one of the sweetest sounds ever!
We are staying busy - and trying to stay cool as the crazy Texas heat starts to creep in. Loving the quality time with the kiddos and hubby!
What are you doing to beat the heat and enjoy the summer??
I thought it would be a good idea to let the kiddos finger paint. It was bath night - but still......I didn't quite realize what I was getting in to!
Hmmmm - this red pudding tastes funny. :)
THANK YOU Pinterest - for showing me the clean way to let your kids play w/ finger paint! Ziploc bag w/ paint inside and no mess!
Almost as much fun as the real deal.....
And here's a real work of art that we are so excited to have framed and hanging in our hallway! Brianne's class of Kinderfrogs created this masterpiece! Each kiddo did one color...and on the back of the painting is their hand print in that color. LOVE this!
My little painter - hard at work!
My favorite wall in the house!
Happy Father's Day
LOVE Free Printables. Make for fun/cute gifts!!! LINK!
My kiddos are so lucky to have an amazing daddy. The smiles that they get when they see daddy and the way their eyes light up is priceless!
It's also worth noting that I am VERY lucky to have an amazing dad!
Father's Day Breakfast - Inspired by Pinterest - Cinnamon Bun Waffles! :)
Grease the waffle iron and throw the cinnamon bun dough on for 2-3 minutes. Mix the frosting with a splash of orange juice and microwave for a few seconds - pour on top and ENJOY!
Wagon Rides!
The kids are enjoying evening walks around the neighborhood in their wagon.
Hmmmm - what is that???????
EEEK!!!!!! Two baby skunks?! Not what I expected to see on our walk.....glad I saw them - and didn't SMELL them. :)
It's written by Kelle Hampton - who has two beautiful little girls, one of whom has Down syndrome. Kelle is a skilled photographer and takes AMAZING pics of her girls and writes in a way that entertains, and inspires. Shortly after I learned of Brianne's extra chromosome - I found Kelle's blog - and it was exactly what I needed. I'm so happy that she has now published a book!
Friday night I walked into Barnes and Nobles and it was so exciting to be able to walk in and pick her book up right off the shelf!!!!
I'm only thru the first few chapters - but I'm certain that it will take the place of my favorite book! If you are looking for a good read - check this out!!!!
B loves Bloom!
B pointing to her friend, Nella! :)
Something crazy happened this evening - I had 5 minutes to sit down and read Bloom! Dinner was in the oven - Brianne was MESMERIZED by Baby Signing Times (she didn't take her eyes off it!)
- and Bryce was passed out in his high chair.
So I had 5 blissful minutes to sit down and read a bit of Bloom before dinner. :) It was a crazy little treat to myself that never happens - so I took full advantage! My 'free' time typically comes after the kiddos are in bed - so I took those 5 minutes of down time and relished them!
Time to get some shut-eye (perhaps after I read a few more pages of Bloom)....good night!
Summer fun has been in full force. Picked up B from school last week and we dropped
by the zoo - have I mentioned that I LOVE our zoo membership! Can't beat stopping in
and enjoying a snack of ice cream while watching fish and turtles and
crazy gators. :)
All the flamingos were chillin' on nests filled w/ eggs.....hoping we get to see some lil' flamingos when we come back next time!
Messy!
I don't know how daycare manages to feed Bryce and keep him in the same clothes all day....he sure loves to eat.....but he's not too worried about making a mess!
Dining For Down Syndrome!
The Buffalo Wild Wings in Arlington donates a portion of your bill to the Down Syndrome Partnership one day a month. We finally made it out that way....great food for a great cause - love it! We'll be heading back again when they do this...Fort Worth peeps - stay tuned - we hope you'll join us!
Other Fun....
Love our library books!
Blueberry pancakes.....yum
Did i mention we are messy lil' eaters!
Daddy and Son.....LOVE
Summer Essentials - Swimming and Popsicles
While our $20 inflatable pool in the backyard isn't too shabby...we were very thankful to our friend for letting us enjoy an afternoon at her community pool! The kids had a blast splashing around!
Cabela's
Enjoyed an evening of family fun strolling around Cabela's. Great aquarium and lots of animals to keep the kiddos entertained. Definitely a good way to get out and about for some free entertainment - in a nice air conditioned place! :)
Daddy and B - LOVE!
Hey - don't talk about the elephant in the room :)
The news has been depressing lately - this world is a big nutty and scary place. I've been hugging my kiddos a lot lately.......snuggling them a bit tighter......and just trying to soak up all the goodness of their laughter and smiles. They are such amazing little ones and I am so thankful to be their mom! Loving every minute with them - even if it's a sticky icky kiddo in need of a bath....or if it's a game of rock-paper-scissor with Mark to see who gets to change the super stink diaper....wouldn't trade the great job of being a mom for anything!!!
