Tide Pools

My friend, Anjanette, and I took our kids to Laguna Beach to play in the tide pools.  My girls and I had never done that before so it was fun to discover a new world of beach play.

The girls were fascinated by some small crabs they discovered.  At first they were nervous to put their feet in the same water as the crabs, but that didn't last long.

The kids loved climbing all over the rocks.

A big pile of seaweed caught the girls' interest.  They would systematically rip a piece off, walk over to a wall of rocks, and throw it over.  Madi was paying special attention to Olivia's routine.  I think they might be sisters.

The gang.

We finished off the trip with some ice cream: Rocky Road and Cotton Candy.  Yum!

Anders chilling in the stroller.

Poor Madi fell asleep on the way over to the ice cream shop.  She ended up eating Jackson's cone in the car on the way home.  She didn't even realize she'd missed anything.

Play Time

With Madi getting a little older, the girls are enjoying playing together more and more.  Who knew that a little fold-up table could be so entertaining?

The other day, I walked around the corner to see the two girls snuggled up in Olivia's bed.  I quietly grabbed the camera and got a few pictures.

 Of course, once they noticed me taking pictures they got more silly.

This is Olivia's library.  She checks out a book one at a time and takes it to her "reading room," a.k.a. bedroom, and then returns it and swaps for another.

Olivia didn't want to share her library space so Madi improvised her own version in mommy and daddy's room.

OC Fair

On Saturday, Daniel and I took the girls to the Orange County Fair.  We had a lot of fun!  

The girls got to pet animals in a little petting zoo.  Olivia thought the hairy cow was a lion and was SO excited that she got to pet a real live lion.  Now that would be an awesome petting zoo.

Olivia rode on a few rides with Daniel and me while Madi waited patiently in the stroller.  Madi was too short this year to do any rides so I let her pick out a treat.  She chose popcorn and was content holding the bag and eating without having to share with Olivia.

Olivia got her face painted like a kitty cat.  Whenever she would bump or rub her face on something, she would ask me, "Am I still a kitty cat?"  

We watched two cows get milked.  I had never seen that before so it was really interesting to me, but I'm not sure the girls really understood what was going on.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Lately Olivia and Madi are really into dressing up as princesses, performing on stage (i.e. the fireplace), and playing with their dolls: Gracie and Rocket.  (Olivia picked Madi's doll's name.  Pretty cool, huh?)  Madi has discovered the dress-up shoes and she wears them about half the day.  

I love the diaper/high heel combo.  It's a good look for Madi.

 "Princess Belle" out for a morning stroll.

Olivia teaching Madi the can-can.

Madi exploring the new world of high heels.

These girls make me laugh.

Beach Time with Uncle Donovan

My brother, Donovan, flew in to Orange County for some work training.  He arrived on Saturday morning so we could hang out for a few days before he had to work.  We headed down to Newport Beach and let the girls enjoy running in the water.  It was fun having him here!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Olivia!

To celebrate Olivia's 3rd birthday, we decided to throw her a birthday party with some of her friends.  We ate some food, played some games, and opened presents.  Olivia loved all the attention and is already looking forward to her next birthday party.

 Olivia and her little buddies.

 Olivia's rainbow cake that took way to long to make.  It's pretty cool, right?

 Olivia and Madi checking out Olivia's new doll crib from Daniel and me.

 Three year olds definitely know how to party. :)

 Olivia's reaction to the celebration.  I think she approved. 

Happy 3rd birthday, Olivia!  We sure love you!