Hot, hot, hot!

We've been enjoying the (somewhat) lazy days of summer, though the last week has been blazing hot here in Fresno. We escaped to the beach for a long weekend, but it was back to reality come Sunday night. The house was 88 degrees inside when we got back... and Sunday wasn't even the worst day of the hot spell.

Our activity-of-the-day project continues. Monday was appropriately "P" is for popsicle and pool - perfect for a hot summer day. Norah got a Zoku popsicle maker for Christmas, and we've been having fun coming up with flavor combinations. Monday's creation involved chocolate fudge and bananas (hold the bananas for Dan and I and the chocolate for Maddie). The pops were delicious and enjoyed by all.

While searching for recipes for Norah's project, I found some decidedly more adult-friendly pops and also a whole book about "Poptails," conveniently available from my local library in e-book format. I think the mojito posicles may be on our 4th of July menu later today. Norah won't mind of we borrow her Zoku as long as we make something (else) for her.

Our super hot weather is making most of my garden sad, but it's making my tomatoes grow like crazy. Dan got me a dehydrator for my birthday, so now we have homemade "sun"-dried tomatoes to go along with the tomato sauce, salsa, bruschetta, salads, etc. We're thankful for the temporary slowdown of the zucchini and patty pan squash production, since we were running out of new ideas of what to do with those. Since I'm home a lot more now, I've really gotten into my garden this year and have expanded from the usual tomatoes and herbs to also include summer squash, butternut squash, green beans, Swiss chard, carrots, peppers, strawberries, onions, etc. It's giving me an outlet for both my creative and nerdy sides. (I think it also gives me the subconscious feeling that I'm still providing something concrete for my family.) Dan says I've gone down the rabbit hole, but I think it's really interesting to learn about companion planting, vertical gardening, edible flowers, and safer ways of managing weeds and pests. Plus, it's making us get more creative with our meals as we figure out what to do with our bounty. Dan and Norah are being really good sports about trying zucchini brownies, borage lemonade, and microgreens. Norah - the kid who refuses to eat most sauces (ketchup and syrup notwithstanding) - pops nasturtium and borage flowers into her mouth without batting an eye. And Dan - who was wary of most vegetables when we met - now harvests Swiss chard in the mornings for his omelets. Dan did draw the line at getting a chicken, however. (In reality, while I am on board with the concept of backyard chickens, those of you who know me know that I am definitely not in favor of cleaning up after said chickens. Not to worry Dan - chickens are not in your future!) Either way, I'm having fun and we're getting some good veggies in the process.

A few of our tomatoes... feeling overrun!

Not a chicken, but a goat instead

Maddie turned 11 months old on Tuesday, thus entering her last month of babyhood (sigh). She's a very adept crawler, so we seem to be a bit away from walking yet. She is, however, perfecting her climbing skills. She spent hours this past weekend at the beach house going up and down the two steps from the kitchen to the family room... which has given her the confidence to explore greater and greater heights. She has a curious streak, this one! While at least now she has figured how to get herself down, she's still definitely keeping us on our toes.

 

Norah and Maddie are becoming quite the playmates. Maddie just laughs and laughs at her big sissy, and she's still a pretty good sport when Norah "borrows" her toys (right out of Maddie's hands). While they were playing the other day, I snapped the below picture...

...which reminded me of another picture we have hanging in our hallway.

I guess boxes really are one of those timeless toys. We're so thankful for both of our beautiful, happy, loving girls. Happy 4th of July to all!

Summer Fun

So one of the great things about preschool is that Norah gets to do some really fun, educational activities. And now one of the hard things about summer is that Norah still wants to be entertained - with creative, challenging projects - or she gets BORED. She started swimming lessons last week, and she's doing great. She had a really good teacher last year, so we went back to her this year. She's been learning to take breaths while she's swimming, practicing the elementary backstroke, and going off the diving board. The best part about the lessons is that she really loves going to them, and she's learning how to be safe in and around the water.

The other things we've been doing is a daily activity from "Norah's Box of Summer Fun." Most of the activities are connected to a letter of the alphabet, but there are also a few "Daddy Activities" that, while still technically educational, are also decidedly more danger-oriented.

A few of our adventures so far...

We started out with "I" and made ice cream in a plastic bag.

We also made a volcano with baking soda and vinegar for "V" day, brought donuts to Daddy for "D" day, and painted with our foreheads, faces, fingers, and feet for "F" day.

(Notice Maddie entertaining herself in the background)

And then there are the Daddy Activities. So far, Norah has only pulled one out of her box, but it was a good one! Dan taught Norah to build a fire using a magnifying glass and dryer lint. It was a huge hit, both for the fire itself and for the hot dogs that she got to cook over the fire that she made.

Norah is really excited every morning to pull out her daily activity, and we're all having lots of fun trying out some new projects (and maybe learning a little in the process).

Happy Father's Day!

We've had a busy couple of weeks, so I have a lot of activities to catch up on here on our blog. As of a week and a half ago, Norah is officially on summer vacation. She had a water play day on her last day of school, so Dan, Maddie, and I went to visit. She had a wonderful year and will miss her friends and teachers this summer. Luckily, Maddie has recently become an interesting playmate, because otherwise Norah would be a little bored with just Mommy to play with!

Speaking of Maddie as a playmate, have I mentioned that Maddie is on the move and having quite the adventures? We baby-proofed the house when Norah was little, and then never really undid the proofing between the kiddos, so we figured we were all set for Maddie. We were wrong. This kid isn't even walking by herself yet, and already she is displaying an incredible sense of curiosity (read: she's into everything). Oh, and she can climb, so it's not just things near the ground that we need to keep an eye on. Luckily, we haven't had any real injuries from all this adventuring, but Norah has certainly learned to keep her door closed if she wants her toys to stay out of sissy's hands.

Seems like this cabinet might need a child lock

Norah and Maddie love to play "car" together, which means that Norah likes to sit in her Cozy Coupe while Maddie pushes her around the house. Dan says that this is already an example of the older sibling taking advantage of the younger, but Maddie squeals with delight every time she sees Norah bring out the car, so it can't be causing that much harm, right?

The other night, after Norah got tired of being pushed around, Maddie was pushing around the empty car when she hooked her high chair... and then spent the next three to four minutes walking in a circle, completely content - as you can see in the video below. (For those of you who are thinking this might be a good way to keep her occupied in the future, we haven't been able to duplicate it, though we did spend a not insignificant amount of time trying!)

We had a fun time celebrating Father's Day last weekend. For one of Dan's gifts, we decided to take some silly pictures. (We have a lot of time together at home now that Norah is out of school, so we come up with some funny projects sometimes!)

 

Father's Day itself was a nice family day... church, some pool time, a tasty dinner. (Dan had to barbeque his own steak, lest I mess it up with my sub-par/nonexistent grilling skills.) We are so blessed that Dan is such a wonderful Daddy! He loves being silly with his girls, and he lights up (as do they) every night when he gets home from work. He is a perfect partner for me in this whole parenting thing, and Norah, Maddie, and I love him so much!

I also got to celebrate Father's Day with my own Dad. Even though I'm all grown up, I'm still learning things from my Dad, and benefiting every day from his love and example. Now I have the added fun of getting to watch him be Grandpa, too. (And my, how the rules have changed!) I love you, Dad.

 

We certainly wish Phil was still here to celebrate Father's Day with, too. We miss him a lot, but know that his spirit lives on through his kids and grandkids. He was an amazing person, and he left an amazing legacy.

And last, Norah had her dance recital this past Tuesday. She's been taking a tap and ballet class all year, so this was their big chance to show off their moves. (Even Grandpa, who thought he was done with dance recitals after his three daughters grew up, got to watch the show!) She was so excited to dress up in her costume (makeup and all!), and was very proud of herself after her performance. (See the video below.) She did a great job!

More summer adventures to come...

Norah is Four!

It's hard to believe that we have a four year old in the McCoy family already! Norah celebrated her birthday at the end of last month with a party at school (she wanted to bring ice cream cones with sprinkles for her friends) and then pizza, cake, and presents at home.

This is the first year she has come up with a wish list, which included light up shoes, Play Doh accessories, and an inflatable pool. Who knows where she comes up with some of these things, but she was very excited to get her shoes, her Diggin' Rigs Playdoh truck, and her pool. (So she's a little bit of a shoe diva already, but she's also into trucks and sports... a good, well-rounded kid!)

The pool (yes, it's in the family room)

Norah has turned into such a big girl, both in the way she looks and the way she acts. She is so loving, silly, smart - and increasingly independent. She is also a wonderful big sister and quite a Daddy's girl. Dan and I are having so much fun watching her grow up.

4-year picture and 3-year picture... how much she has grown!

4-year-old booster seat

Maddie celebrated her 10-month milestone a couple of days ago. She, too, is becoming increasingly independent and adventurous... turn around for a minute and she disappears. She's crawling, cruising, climbing, opening cabinets and drawers, pulling things off shelves, checking out Norah's toys, and generally being a curious baby. Luckily she's sleeping better at night, since she wears us out during the day!

No hair of her own to pull, but sissy has plenty!

Norah's school year is quickly coming to an end, and last night we went to her Open House. Her class sang a few songs (including the bible rap below), and then she got to show us her classroom. Her teachers have done such a great job this year, and Norah has made some nice friends. I think she's ready for summer break, but she'll also be ready to head back to school in August as a pre-kindergartener.

Miss Haylee

Miss Breanne

Happy summer vacation to all!

Carnivals and Birthday Parties and Mother's Day, Oh My!

I'm a few days late, but I wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to our amazing moms! We love you both so much, and are thankful for all you have taught us!

I am now so blessed to be able to celebrate Mother's Day with my own girls. Norah and Maddie (and Dan) did a wonderful job of spoiling me on Mother's Day... no diapers and no dishes for me all day - just good family time! Norah and Maddie made me some beautiful presents - a necklace from Norah and flower holders from both girls - and got me a few other things for the garden. Norah was able to keep secrets about all my gifts this year (which probably made her want to burst all week!), though she did have me open the necklace when she first woke up Sunday morning. I am grateful (most) every minute of (almost) every day that God entrusted me with his precious gifts of Norah and Maddie.

Besides Mother's Day, we had plenty of activities to keep us busy last weekend. Norah's school had their carnival Friday night. The biggest hit of the evening... bounce houses! I think Norah spent the entire evening (other than the ten minutes in which she was forced to eat her hot dog/chip/cookie dinner) either in the bounce house or in line for her next turn in the bounce house. Oh, and she played musical chairs just long enough to win a popsicle, which she then ate while she was in line at the bounce house.

Bounce house!

Waiting for the bounce house (and repeat until they literally started deflating them)

On Saturday, Norah was invited to two birthday parties... one with a princess theme and one with a pirate theme. She had lots of fun and lots of cake, and Dan and I got a chance to meet some of the other parents from her class. By the time she got to dinner at my parents that night, she was a little overextended (she walked in and said, "Hi... as you know, I did not have a nap today" - sometimes, she talks like a miniature 40-year-old), but all in all, she had a great day. It did, however, take until about Tuesday for her to catch up on her rest.

Maddie got in on the pirate action

Since we've been having some crazy hot weather, the pool has actually warmed up enough for all of us to want to get in. Maddie loved the water. You can't see it in the picture below, but she spent her whole time in the water giggling at her sister and furiously kicking her little legs underneath the ring. Norah is starting to practice the swimming skills she learned last year as she gets ready to take lessons again this summer.

And finally, as I was looking for the Mother's Day pictures above, I came across the below picture of Maggie and I as little kids.

Fast forward about 30 years, take away a mustache, and you have...