Rub A Dub, Two Girls in the Tub!

Kaitlyn and Claire had their first bath together (with me crammed in there for good measure)! It was wonderful to see Claire smiling in the bathtub again, as Kaitlyn happily entertained her with giggles, splashes and a spluttery shampooing. Not a tear was shed...until it was time to get out!

Why Am I So Cold?!

The forecast said it was going to be 100 degrees in Pasadena today, so the four of us packed up after church and headed straight to the beach...only to be greeted with cloudy skies and a high of 69 degrees. Brrr!! Being the hearty midwesterners that we are, we toughed it out for two hours. We'd already paid for parking, after all! Claire opted to sleep through most of it, but Kaitlyn was all about swimming in the icy water. I'm so glad Matt was there!

Tutu Fun to Jump on the Bed

Kaitlyn was jumping on our bed this afternoon, which is a somewhat common occurrence, but I had to get my camera out because she looked so darn cute jumping in her pink tutu. She was opposed to the photo shoot at first, but once she realized I was too busy snapping away to cut her fun short, she was all about it!

Baby in Red

We bought a new rug at IKEA this weekend so that Claire has something soft to roll around on in her room. I think she likes it!

Some Recent Favorites

I just ordered a couple hundred photos from Snapfish and got them all put in albums--this is what I call "work" these days! Here are a few of my favorites.

Bath Time Fun...Or Not

As much as Claire likes her birthday suit (see that smile?!), she is no fan of baths these days. She's at that awkward age--a little too big for the baby tub, and a bit too small for the big tub. I can hardly wait to have both girls splashing away together in a big tub of bubbles (I'll have a maid to clean up the bathroom floor by then, I should think!)

Someday She'll Want to Kill Me!

Claire loves being naked. I mean, absolutely loves it! So, sometimes I take my time with diaper changes and let her enjoy the moment. She smiles, she coos...and she chews on her feet. I know she won't approve of these photos someday, but I just could not resist! I have, however, omitted the x-rated shots!

The Hordes at Hermosa

The four of us took on the hordes visiting the street fair at Hermosa Beach on Monday. Thankfully, most of the revelers were content to browse the boardwalk while we headed straight to the beach! Matt took Kaitlyn for a swim in the impressively large waves (Kaitlyn kept saying, "Daddy caught a whale!") and I stuck to the shallows with Claire. We built a large sand castle, which Kaitlyn later wrecked with glee, and watched Claire bury her fingers and toes in the sand. We ended the day with a trip to Paisano's Pizza--so delicious!

Oh, and yes, that IS snot coming out of Kaitlyn's nose!

And She's Potty-Trained!

As of Friday morning, Kaitlyn had kept her cotton training pants dry for two days, so we went to Target to pick out the oft-promised Aurora panties. I was, therefore, surprised when she chose Elmo and Zoe panties instead. But even more surprising is how she has kept them dry...even waking up in the middle of the night to visit the potty. Yea, Kaitlyn!

What a Day!

It's been a day of firsts around here. Claire ate her first few bites of rice cereal...I mean, she actually swallowed them down this time! Kaitlyn got her first ponytail, ate 3/4 of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the first time, and, most impressively, kept her cotton panties DRY all morning!!

Grab and Chew

Claire is getting quite dexterous! She can now grab just about anything within her long reach...and even scoot a few inches to grab something just out of it! She LOVES grabbing glassware and dishware, which is making mealtime interesting. And she also loves grabbing her big sister's toys. Kaitlyn has been pretty good about sharing ONE toy at a time, as long as I promise that Claire won't "hurt" (read: drool too much all over) it.

Missing Those Hugs

The girls and I had a wonderful visit to Ohio to see Grandma and Papa Kneen. Here are a few of my favorite shots with the grandparents. Thanks for a great trip!