A Day at Elk Lake

We weren't really going that fast...it just looks like it

Playing with rocks on shore.

Mama and Marie eating some cheerios.

Today after nap we took the boat up to Elk Lake. It is a large lake that connects to Lake Michigan. We stayed inland though! It was very rough, especially for the little boat. But we just went slow and stayed safe. Captain Jim certainly knows what he is doing. We then played at the beach for a few hours. I couldn't resist the big waves so I had a great swim while Jim and Marie played with rocks. Jim taught her how to hold rocks in between her toes which she thought was just fantastic. Until she tried a rock that was a few inches wide; then we shrieked in frustration. It was the first swim and first boat ride for me this summer. Marie's first time on the boat ever (although there was the ferry in Hong Kong and some nice pontoon rides this summer). And...I backed the boat trailer up to the launch on the first try. While summer is slipping by too quickly, today was a fantastic day!

Summer Fun

Reading books with Aunt Abigail.

Chillin on the beach

Making sure all the rocks end up back in East Bay.

"Aren't I a cutie pie?"

(Photos courtesy of Aunt Abigail)

It is summer!!! Long hot days. We try to go to the beach as often as possible but, darn it, the kid takes a nap in the middle of the day! For over 2 hours!!! Seriously cramping Mama's beach style! The pictures are all from the Monday in June when Aunt Abigail spent the day with us. We did make it to the beach (after nap, of course) and it was gorgeous. Marie enjoys throwing rocks and handfuls of sand back into the lake. She plays in the shallows and toddles around. She loves to watch dogs and other kids. Then, she sits on her chair and eats whatever snack I have provided. When Jim is with her, he whooshes her through the water, skimming her across the surface. This, by far, is her favorite activity.

We are back to sleeping through the night with little protest (KNOCK ON WOOD). With the ear infection, we had some accidental parenting and perhaps a little too much soothing. So for a few nights we sat in her room near the crib after we lay her down. She stood at the side of the crib and screamed at us and eventually fell asleep. Then, we moved just outside the door for a few nights and the screaming/crying phase was getting shorter and shorter each night. For a few times, she would just give a brief cry and roll over. Now, she points to the crib if we take too long to get her to bed. So, we are back to normal, for the time being.

Marie's current favorite toys are the rings on a pole - where you stack them and dump them. And music. Music is her favorite to shake her head to and dance to. She is pretty funny. She has quite the moves, I must say. Hopefully, I can get some video up of that soon.

The First Fourth

With cousin Annie on Aunt Becky's lap, having a drink in Harbor Springs. Dress by Mrs. Sue Long.
Same spot later in the day, enjoying a great birthday cake for Aunt Pam! Thanks, Aunt Becky!!! Daddy there to pick up any crumbs and finish off the extra.
Enjoying a cook out on Daddy's lap with cousins Nicole and Kait, Shelby, Uncle Scott, Luke and Sydney at Uncle Tom's.
"See that potty over there??? I just pooped and peed in it!!!"

Mare had a wonderful and exhausting Fourth. On the day, we traveled up to Harbor Springs (which is just south of the Northern tip of the Lower Peninsula) where my Uncle Larry and Aunt Pam are currently living. We missed the parade but arrived in time to play with cousins. Marie's "cousins" that are closest in age to her were there. Annie is 11 months younger and Abby is 2 months younger. Technically they are the daughters of MY cousins but we figure we won't sweat the details. The girls played near one another and occasionally interacted while we planned future playdates! It was fun to swap stories and hear about someone else's tantrums!

Thursday, her Chicago cousins arrived...and there went sleep. The big girls of almost-6 and almost-9 had a great time on the boat and swimming. Little Luke and Marie tried to keep up but got a little overstimulated...no one slept much. They all truly loved being together and played amazingly well together. We love having our cousins over!!! Highlights were swimming off the pontoon at Uncle Tom's, Sydney's first kayak experience, playing at the beach with cousins Henry and George (actually, Marie mostly sat under the umbrella and snacked) and reading lots of stories together. We miss them already!

Yesterday, yes, a miracle of timing occurred...all planets were perfectly aligned and furniture feng shuayed as Marie looked at me with "that face of concentration" and I knew to get her on the potty. She performed a double! Sydney and Shelby cheered her on with great gusto! Now if it happened daily, I could get excited but it's a start to the end of diapers!

Today, after the cousins left we attempted a nap in the crib. Not well received. So I rocked her to sleep while singing a thousand verses of "Jingle Bells." Tonight...again, the crib was not a fond place to be. Tomorrow we need to get back in our good sleep habits!

And so it begins...

No pictures today...just words.

She has hit That Age.

Today, I was peed on - twice. The first time is when I took her diaper off after her nap. I pulled her out of the crib a little earlier than she wanted. The second time was when I lifted her off the potty as she indicated she wanted down. Grrr...

Today, she decided that it was no longer amusing and cool to use her spoon. So she put her hand in the applesauce and LICKED it off her fingers. She also lifted her bowl to her mouth to "drink" her cheerios. Grrrrrr.....

Today, she decided it was time to shake-up her predictable nap schedule. After singing in the crib for an hour at her usual nap time, I got her out and gave her lunch (see above note on applesauce). After that, tried to put her back down as she was exhausted. Forget the crib - that wasn't going to happen, Momma. I already did that time today. She finally fell asleep in my arms and I almost have feeling back in them. Grrrrrr..

Tonight, thankfully, there is a pint of ice cream in the freezer (This is unusual here. Ice cream has a shelf-life of under a half hour in this house and so we rarely buy it.) In fact, half of it is still there. But I emptied the salsa with the help of some crackers and cream cheese.

Someone better sleep through the night.