I technically took this photo in the first couple of days in August, but I’m hoping it can count for my July picture, as long as I take another picture for August?
July flew by! We had family in town for the 4th, and we were all troopers… hanging out at the beach even though the weather was crummy!
Mike and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary. We were hoping to have an evening just for “us”, but we ended up getting a sitter for the older kids and brought the littlest man along. We enjoyed an ocean view dinner at Vigalucci’s in Carlsbad, and then we headed over to Barns and Noble to cruise the isles of books without interruption! (Isn’t that what every couple does when they get a break from their kids?) It wasn’t overly romantic, but we both enjoyed ourselves! I guess that was the main idea.
Wesley finished up Jr. Lifeguards here in Oceanside. I have been meaning to sign him up for the past few years, but didn’t really push the issue with him until this year. We felt that it would be a great thing for him, who loves to be in the water, to feel really comfortable in the ocean. Wesley has been a crazy water lover since I can remember, to the point where he used to give me heart attacks when he was only 4 years old… doing front flips into the pool. But a pool is not the same as the ocean. He has always been a bit timid in the big ‘ol blue… and now, after a month of Jr. Lifeguards, putting him in the ocean every day, has totally paid off. He seems to love getting into the salty water and just playing around.
Campbelle needs to be put into swimming lessons, it’s really all she asked to do this summer, but I just haven’t made it a priority. She, like her big brother, loves the water. But unlike her brother, she loves the ocean too! She makes me so nervous because she is not afraid. I think little kids should have a healthy fear of the ocean. Even playing in the little shore break, can sweep your feet out from under you and drag you into the water that is well over head. I’ve had a few heart attacks with her this summer, because she wants to get out into the deeper water, and I’m up on the sand, keeping an eye on Rylie and holding Griffyn. Luckily, she responds to my loud whistle and comes a runnin’. As soon as she gets in too deep, I whistle and she comes out! The month of July, for Campbelle, involved time at home, building forts, playing Barbies, riding bikes, and playing dress up.
Rylie’s big thing this month has been potty training. I have really been pushing it with her, and feeling the pinch of school starting. She needs to be totally potty trained for preschool, which starts at the beginning of September. She has good days and bad days. I am trying to not become frustrated, because she is taking way longer to get on the ball with this whole thing, than her sister did. I wonder if potty training will be nearly impossible due to the fact that she is on a medication, for her heart, that helps her body shed all excess liquid. She pees an abnormal amount during the day! I really don’t want to start her school experience off on the wrong foot, and I certainly don’t want to make her feel any different from the rest of the kids. So hopefully, everything will fall into place in the next couple of weeks. Her language is developing in leaps and bounds, and she seems to love to sing. Out of nowhere, she often launches into “Jingle Bells” which seems to be her favorite, closely followed by “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star!” When we sing “kinkle, kinkle wittle sta” together it brings tears to my eyes.
Little Griffyn, what can I say… he melts my heart on a daily basis with his smiles of cuteness. He has such an easy going temperament, and he can sleep through just about anything. We went to the doctor in, July, for his 2 month check up. He was up to 12 lbs, and into the 60th percentile for weight. He continues to get stronger every day, and he is actually beginning to like tummy time. He looks like a little surfer paddling on a board, the way he arches his little back and picks up his head to see what’s going on! He has been sleeping almost 8 hours at night, for the past few weeks. I feed him and put him down in his bassinet around 9:00pm and he sleeps until 4 or 5am. Bless his little heart, I hope that will continue or even get better as I get back to work.
All and all, we are having a nice summer, despite the cooler weather. I have a few fun things planned for the month of August before I get back into the classroom full time. I’m hoping to enjoy the freedom of our schedule and sleeping in until almost 8:00 next to my little Griffy! Oh, and Mike and I are both starting to think about loosing some of our “baby weight”. (me about 15 lbs, and Mike about 20 lbs)
Have a blessed day.
Katrina
