Toddler Mania!

Jim's Wash U. friend Scott and his family paid us a visit last weekend. The Hurley's have two little ones as well, so we had a small zoo on our hands with four toddlers under the age of three roaming around. It's amazing the number of diaper changes in just two days! Katie and Maggie played together a little bit and when they did there was lots of squealing! Claire and Danny, who are just two days apart, certainly preferred the parallel play. The highlight was a visit to the Gorman Heritage Farm in Evendale where the kids got to see chickens, goats, pigs and mules up close. Claire even learned to say "Goat!" while we were there. Much fun was had by all!

Independence Day Weekend

We had a busy, fun-filled holiday weekend! Friday afternoon we ventured up to Mason to check out their July 3rd festival. The girls had a blast at the kid zone and Jim enjoyed the DeLorean exhibit. Saturday was the annual Flynn family cookout at my aunt Mick's in Dayton. The rain couldn't dampen the spirit of the kids who kept busy playing in the garage and parading around the house. We didn't take in any fireworks this year since the girls go to bed long before dark. There's plenty of time for that in the years to come.

Bouncy House fun in Mason


This DeLorean was outfitted just like Marty McFly's

Sparkling Sisters

"Painting" the garage floor

"You can't rain on my parade!"

Cutest Baby on the Block

Claire might just be at maximum cuteness right now. At 14 months, her vocabulary is really expanding with new words every day. She is so excited to be communicating with us and loves to wave "Bye, Bye." She is silly, playful and super snugly. Claire has started to understand how the camera works and always puts on a show. Here is some adorable video from snack time this earlier this week.

Hungry Baby!

Jim and I took the girls to the pool last weekend. The community center has a great aquatic program with a huge pool for the kiddos. The girls had a wonderful time splashing and playing. Claire really enjoyed floating on her back - she would close her eyes and get a huge smile on her face. Maggie wasn't too keen on getting water in her face. I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree in that department. The girls were hungry and exhausted when we got home from our pool adventure. Claire could not get enough turkey casserole. She was quite a sight!

Celebrating Grandpa!

My dad turned 65 this month and we celebrated in Dayton with a family birthday party. Uncle JJ, cousin Bixie and Aunt Beth were all in town too. The girls were very excited to see Bix and spent a lot of time squealing. I brought along a recently inherited bag of dress up clothes and Maggie and Bixie channeled their inner princesses. As always, it's so nice when we are all together.

Refresh and Recharge in AZ

I had the extreme fortune to get a five-day break from my kids last week! I cashed in some of those dusty frequent flier miles and flew (first-class) to Phoenix. It has been three years since I was in the airport alone, an eternity for someone who used to fly 75,000 miles a year. As I moved through the airport, ascending the long escalator to concourse B, I felt layers of "Mommy" melt away. There was something about flying, connecting to that old life of mine, that was especially grounding.

Upon arrival in Phoenix, I was immersed in another world. A world where the only person I had to take care of was myself. A place with no schedule; where dinner is eaten at 8 pm. A life of pedicures, shopping, and lounging by the pool. My friend Patty, a teacher who is off for the summer, was my tour guide on this journey. Oh, how my soul was fed!

P.S. Thanks mom and dad for watching my girls!

Summer Kick-Off

How is it mid-June already?! I am way behind in my blogging. We kicked off the summer with a trip to St. Louis the last weekend in May. The girls were very excited to see all our relatives there. We took a trip to The Stuckmeyers, the farm owned by Jim's aunt and uncle. It was wonderful to visit with cousins whom we had not seen in a few years. We appreciate them taking time from their busy work day to catch up with us. Maggie and Claire enjoyed seeing all the animals, but the highlight was the brand new kittens. Back at Maw Maw and Paw Paw's house, the girls had a great time playing in the pool and frolicking in the grass. It sure is great to be back within driving distance from St. Louis!