Some clouds in Chatham

The first few days of our vacation were beautiful.

On Tuesday, it was kind of cloudy so we had lunch at the squire...our favorite Cape restaurant!

Sydney played with her feet on the way.

Sydney's first Squire trip!

Well, maybe next time we can get a normal one.

We drove to the beach to have an evening stroll.

I snapped this candid pic, and realized that it looked almost identical to one we took last year.

What a difference a year makes!

Wednesday was still a little overcast. We went to Oyster Pond and let the girls play in the sand until the rain drove us away.

  

I'm a happy beach baby!

Pretty Cape Cod scenery.

WE MADE IT.

I interrupt your regularly scheduled programming with this crazy piece of news. Chris and I loaded up the girls and drove for almost 17 hours this weekend to make it to Cape Cod. 

I had no idea what to expect, but the girls did FANTASTIC. I actually cannot believe how well they did. I did have to sit in the back seat for several hours but it wasn't terrible. We did a lot of things to pass the time. 

We colored...

We watched Peppa Pig...

We slept...

And when the going got tough, we held hands.

The real MVP of the day was Maddie's bladder. She NEVER once asked to stop for the bathroom. (Y'all, I had nightmares about this for weeks prior. I just knew Maddie's legs were going to start shaking and we'd be on a stretch of highway with a sign saying: Next Service Area 42 miles) 

After 12 hours (8AM-1030PM), we stopped in Albany to try and get a good night's sleep. 

The hotel experience was ...well...how can I describe it. TRAGIC.  The girls were knocked out when we arrived, so I imagined just transferring them into la la land. Well, in the chaos of getting out the of the car, they both woke up. And were WIRED. They were hard to get settled, because there was a party going on right net to us. Around 12:30 we called the front desk after they woke up Sydney. At 2 AM, we all four ended up in the same bed. So, that was awesome.

 This is how the girls looked in the morning. 

I am not going to show you a picture of Chris and I. It might scare you.

You cannot see Madeline's foot in this picture. It was probably still lodged in my rib cage, where it was for 6 straight hours while I tried to sleep.

The next morning we had four hours to go. Seeing this bridge was like seeing a hot fudge sundae.

We are getting on the Cape, folks. It's been 16 hours, but we are HERE!!

We immediately went to the beach.

Aunt Judi came over and brought some books. Maddie is very taken with aunt Judi and loves spending time with her!

Before we left, Madeline asked me to bring her some American flags for her castles. My little patriot!

Sydney so far has loved her two days at the beach. She's been a trooper!!

Looking forward to the rest of our time in beautiful Chatham!

"Big" Girls Night Out

Stella Murphy and her mom invited Madeline and I to the YMCA pool. 

Sydney went to grandma and grandpa's house and Madeline and I spent the evening with Stella and Amber! Maddie was so excited about a "BIG girl's night out," she kept telling people she was going out with just the big girls.

Calypso Cove was so much fun. 

Amber and I were in the pool nearly the entire time, but we did let the girls play for a few minutes by themselves. No worries, it's only about 18 inches where they are and we are about 3 feet away. 

As soon as we got there, the girls were on a mission to find the perfect chairs.

Best buddies!

Maddie never stopped smiling! The park really really makes me want a Y membership. But then I guess I'd have to make it worth it and work out. Hmm. It's a trade off, I suppose. :)

So, what else have we been up to?

Well, daddy moved the school upstairs because the garage was too hot. 

Miss Madeline is a tough cookie.

I think she's making him write his name here. (Side note: Maddie can spell her name entirely from memory! Which is tough when your name is 8 letters!)

Maddie has been riding her bike every day. She was so excited to show our neighbors. They came back from England and Maddie hopped on her bike and rode around shouting, "LOOK AT ME!!"

Sydney. Poor no-hair Sydney. In this photo, you might be saying, "where is that girl's fashion sense?" Well, blame Chris for that. I went out for the morning. When I came home she looked all disheveled. Husbands!!

She WALKS with this walker all over the house and LAUGHS hysterically while she does it. She is now starting to balance herself without holding on to anything. She's only 9 months...seriously Sydney!! Slow down! 

We flew our kite with Tia.

Maddie clapped and shouted, "Look at it go!" 

Maddie also went to the dentist. She did really great! The dentist cleaned her teeth, flossed them and gave her a flouride rinse. No cavities!

We are gearing up for vacation! You can read about our past trips to the Cape below. I love going every summer. 

2010

2011, part one

2011, part two

2012, part one

2012, part two

2012, part three

2013, part one

2013, part two

Happy pre-Friday!

Cups, bowls and Sydney

We leave for our annual Cape Cod trip very soon and we are getting so excited! This weekend I told Madeline she was allowed to pack a few small toys. She thought about it and then said, "Ok, I want to bring cups, bowls and Sydney."

I laughed and laughed. I explained to her that Sydney was already coming, and that we would have cups and bowls. So she thought again, and decided she wanted to bring her cleaning cart. This kid is a nut! 

Happy Fourth of July weekend! We had so much fun. Madeline got a bike! Nana and grandpa's house has the perfect driveway for bike riding!

Madeline LOVES her bike. She rode it ALL weekend. She even got out on the open road and rode to grandma and grandpa's house. She thought she was hot stuff.

We tried to take a picture of our girls.

I love my sister!

Now she's squeezing too hard. Not a fan.

GET ME OUTTA HERE!

FINALLY. 

Love my sweet sparklers.

Friday night, K and D brought Hudson over for burgers, ice cream and fireworks.

This happened.

Madeline and Hudson insisted on riding together.

Then, Sydney got cranky and daddy took her home, so this happened.

We were really squeezed in!

As it turns out, our house is a great location for firework viewing. We could see the fireworks at our neighborhood park and pretty much all the other ones going off in OC.

Happy birthday, America! So thankful for those who serve.

GG comes to visit!

On Wednesday, my grandma came to visit and play with us.

We blew bubbles, painted and had lots of fun!

  

Then daddy went to school!

Maddie was up early this morning. I told her she could watch a show while we got dressed. She said she wanted to stay with us while we got ready. Then she announced, "I'm going to organize mommy's shoes." And she really did.

What a mess!

This is the perfect spot for the red flat.

What can I say? I am SO THANKFUL that my husband likes to clean and that Maddie does too!