Ellie has been enjoying the outdoors a couple days a week at Tot Lot. At Tot Lot she gets to play with other preschoolers, do arts and crafts, sing songs, play games and play on the playground. I love it because it gives me a chance to run errands around town with just one child in tow, and it totally wipes her out. She is more than ready for a nap when she comes home. Ellie loves it because she gets to carry a bookbag and take a water bottle. She NEVER lets me forget these two things in the morning. I still can't believe how big she is getting and how independent she has become. She has a new bedtime routine that started about a two weeks ago. We've always tried to read to Ellie before she goes to bed but lately she has wanted to continue reading after we have read to her so we decided to get a timer and put it on her lamp. It gives her about 30 minutes to read as much as she wants and then when the light goes off she knows that it is time to go to sleep. This way we don't have to be the bad parents that come in and turn her light off and tell her it is time to go to bed:)
Ellie started swim lessons this week. The first day was a little rough...she thought she was there to play so she kept wandering away from her teacher, but since she has gotten the hang of it and is having a great time. She is such a fish she would stay in the pool all day if you let her, but she sinks like a rock just like her dad so we thought swim lessons might be in order. Ellie is also officially signed up for preschool this fall. She is so excited to go and I am so excited for her as well. Ellie has been in a wonderful in-home daycare since she was 6 weeks old so this is going to be a big change for her. I know she is going to love it though!
A few funny moments from Ellie:
* She had a meltdown the other morning when the sippy cup I gave her DID NOT match her pajamas!
* While with her cousin Kalyn the other day she saw a dead fly on the window sill and told Kalyn it ran out of batteries!
Lily is enjoying summer vacation with mom at home. We get to spend a lot of time together since Ellie goes to Tot Lot twice a week and I cherish every minute of it. I find it hard to believe how far she has come in the past year. Lily and I are in a play group that formed out of one of my Baby Signs classes. We spend one night a month with these kiddos and their parents. Next Wednesday we are going to Storybook Hill Zoo which is a petting zoo in Dubuque. It also has a little train that is pulled around by a riding mower. I'm thinking she is going to like that, not so sure about the animals. She has inherited her sister's fear and her mother's dislike of dogs!
As far as Lily's health goes, she really is doing great. We had a few times I questioned her sweating so much but Dr assured us that she is fine and is not in heart failure. We have been in again recently for an ear infection. I am pretty sure this is about #9 since September. I really thought once cold season ended the ear infections would end too, but I guess not!
Though our summer has been busy we were able to sneak away for a mini-vacation to Winona, Minnesota. Our family has been going to Winona since both my brother and I were little so it is really nice that we are able to take the girls up as well. We went up over the 4th of July weekend and got a chance to get out on the Mississippi River. Ellie and my brother's daughter rode up with my parents early Friday morning so they got a chance to play at the river's edge and at the neighbor's waterslide. On Saturday we all went out to a beach for some swimming and playing in the sand and we all came home on Sunday. Although we had fun spending time with family and just getting away, it was definitly time to come home. The girls needed to get back to their own beds and get back into their routine!
This past weekend we had a chance to go to the National Mississippi River Museum here in Dubuque. We have been here several other times, but recently they opened another section and it was wonderful. There is an interactive kids area where the kids can play in water, put in dams, float boats, turn a water wheel, etc. Both Ellie and Lily had a great time playing in the water. They also have a 3D or 4D theater (not sure which?) that shows movies about water related things. I think the current one is about sharks. While sitting in the theater you chair can shake, water can spray on you, etc. We didn't get to go into the theater but plan on making a trip there very soon.
Before I end this I want to ask all of you to pray for community of Bellevue, just south of Dubuque. At their 4th of July parade some horses pulling a carriage got spooked and took off down the street and through the crowds injuring many and killing one. The last of the injured have recently been released from the hospital in Iowa City. I have several relatives, friends and co-workers that live in Bellevue and thankfully none of them were injured but the incident has affected the entire community.
I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and staying cool on these hot and humid days!
With Love,
The Duves
Glad that Lily is doing well and that you guys were able to enjoy your vacation in MN. Hope the rest of your summer is full of wonderful adventures together!!
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