Meet Baxter

My in-laws, Mary and Tom, happened upon a series of fortunate events and have adopted a lovely new puppy named Baxter.  He is a 7 month old English Cream Golden Retriever and he is as sweet as can be!  We went over to meet him today and the girls fell in love with him!  We wore him out playing hide and go seek and chase and evidently his new favorite toys are the two that we brought him: Eagle Beagle and Snoopy.

Tom continues to call him Spencer, Kate continues to crack up incessantly when he humps my leg, although she doesn't really grasp what is happening just yet, and Baxter continues to absolutely adore Maya!  She is just his size!

We are all smitten with this adorable new addition!

Papaw and Mimi with Baxter - day 2!

The girls come right on in and lay on top of him.

He better get used to it!

Eagle Beagle and Snoopy.  We brought over two lovies that had
been in the girl's rooms so that they smelled like them.

Pawsitively worn out!

Ice Skating

I've been trying to use Thursday's as our days to have a little fun.  One time I surprised Kate with a little me and her time.  This time I surprised them both with an ice skating date.  Our wonderful babysitter, Carly, met us at the rink to give us an extra set of hands!  I figured that would give both girls a bit more skate time!

Kate has been talking about going ice skating for a while, but she was not as interested in skating this go round.  I think she thought she was just going to hop on the ice and skate.  Maya on the other hand got suited up and took off.  She loved it!

Perhaps next time this will be a date for just Maya and I!

She totally looks the part!

Checking out her blades!

Working on her balance!

Kate also looks the part!

A natural!

And when we were done she wanted to "do it myself".
Girls, you got this.

Walking to School

We live close enough to Kate's Elementary School that we can walk to and from school.  This has quickly become one of my favorite parts of the day.  I love the simplicity of it.  I love the peace and quiet in the morning despite the hustle and bustle of getting to school and work.  Somehow while we are walking there's a stillness around.  I love the adventures that Maya and I have after we drop Kate off and that the three of us have on the way home from school.  One time we saved a butterfly and one time we found a retaining wall to walk on.  Several times we've chased squirrels and had picnics and stopped at the library.  On hot days we've been loading everyone up in the stroller and running if we're in the sunshine and walking if we're in the shade.  And even though the boys on York who had a lemonade stand a week or so ago are definitely in school, we still look to see if maybe, just maybe, they have their lemonade stand set up.

I love that Kate is so excited about school and I love that Maya can relax in the stroller, if she wants, with her blanket and just take it all in.

I also love that once Kate is in school, Maya and I don't typically have a strict agenda.  We can take as little or as much time as we want to get home.  And we can wear what we want and be who we want.  Day in and day out.

Amen to these amazing days where imaginations still run wild and my kids are still free to just be.

On the way to school in the morning, Maya dressed
as Anna.

On the way to school to pick up, Maya dressed
as Ariel, but when I asked her to smile she turned
her head the opposite way...

And when at first I thought she was looking at
something else, when I went around to her side
she turned her whole body and smiled.
She wins.  Every time.

You know, just walking to school in dress up clothes and heels.

After the retaining wall, which I thought was fun, Maya just sat
in the middle of the sidewalk.  (She is still 3, mind you.)

She was clearly frustrated about something but I have yet to figure
out what it was...