Evie the Fish

So last summer we took swim lessons at a local pool, and Evie got pretty comfortable in the water. She's never seemed upset about having water in her face, and she's never nervous in water. Well this summer I'm pretty sure she's turned part fish! We've been swimming in big pools a few times, and within the last month she's insisted on being on her own in the pool.
We started out with bigger flotation devices, but she wanted to swim, so we tried arm floaties. Evie now swims on her own in the pool with just arm floaties, it's crazy!! She kicks her feet and can swim with purpose and direction all over the pool. Obviously we watch her and stay close so we can grab her if we need to, but she's very confident and unafraid which is fun to see. The funny part is I'm not that great of a swimmer myself, so I think she'll surpass me soon. :) We're working on blowing air out when her face is in the water, but even now she's pretty good at not breathing in underwater. It's amazing to see her do all this at such a young age!

Summertime Catch Up

I have been slacking on posting photos of our summertime fun- I blame Instagram! Having a smart phone makes me use my nice camera less, and having Instagram makes me feel like I'm sharing photos of Evie with our friends, so I neglect the blog. But I haven't forgotten about you blog!! I'm here to share some pics :)

Pool party fun at the Bus' house- Evie is a fish! Video to come

Playground antics- we have an elementary school right down the street, last year most of it was too big for her, but this year she's all over the place climbing everything. Of course her favorite is still the swings: "High! Fast!" she demands ;)

Our seventh wedding anniversary was 8/13 and we always get gifts for Evie too- this year Eric and I got her a dollhouse, but Uncle Matt and Aunt Ally's gifts of a drumset and tool kit were the real hits.

The beginning of Evie's love affair with horses- her first pony ride at Eric's company picnic. She loves horses like crazy now and asks to ride them constantly.

Erie County Fair- yay for yearly traditions!! This year was the first year Evie could go on rides, she loved it and now we're doomed for life to spend a ridiculous amount of money on rides at the fair every year ;)

And some general cuteness and fun with friends- lots of kiddie pools, parks, playgrounds, ice cream outings, splash pads, hikes, etc. The usual summertime fun- it's been a good summer. :)

Big Girl News

Evie has some big girl news to share- she is officially potty trained! :) I don't mean to brag, but she did AMAZING and had the whole thing mastered in like 3 days. Not to say she'll never have an accident, I'm sure she will down the line, but she knows what she's doing and she's great at it! I won't give all the potty details, but she's honestly a pro already and we couldn't be prouder. She's comfortable using potties away from home and with people other than me. And she loves her big girl undies! Here she is displaying her finished potty chart, we just did a sticker reward system and that was enough. By the last row of stickers she didn't even really care about doing them anymore, which is great. Go Evie- mommy and daddy are so proud of you!!

2013 District Convention

I'm a little behind on blogging because well, it's summer, and summer is busy. :) In mid-July we had our annual convention in Rochester, and it was wonderful as usual. Evie behaved really well despite sitting for long periods and not getting her usual sleep. She did nap for a bit everyday which made me really happy. Here are a few photos, mostly so I can document the cute dresses Evie wore every day. ;)

And Daddy took Evie swimming so that was pretty fun for her too. :)

Boston Bound

We spent the past 4 days visiting our friends Rick and Julie in Boston, Mass. and had a blast! Evie was a dream, she was so well behaved and had so much fun- despite getting way less sleep than usual. We went to the beach, the science center, and toured all over Boston. It was great to catch up with Rick and Julie (and their puppy Cogan, who Evie nicknamed "Dogdog" and is still asking about!), and to make new friends with the fun people in their hall. It was great little vacation and we'd love to visit again. :)

First time in the ocean with Julie- she LOVED it and was so brave!

Seacoast Science Center in New Hampshire- tons of hands on activities for little kids!

Touch tank was Evie's favorite, she kept going back for more! She held sea stars, sea urchins, mussels, and periwinkles

The ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) was Eric's favorite part  ;)

Julie and Evie hanging out at Harvard

Rick driving the DUKW Boat, and our tour guide, Captain Obvious

Make Way For Ducklings in Boston Commons

Rick, Julie, Evie, and Cogan- we miss you guys already!

Letchworth in the Spring

We spent the afternoon at Letchworth with our friends Rob, Jen, and Declan last Saturday, and we had a great time! We usually visit Letchworth in the fall since the foliage is so pretty, but it was fun to go during another season and enjoy the park in warm weather. The kids had a blast running around, and Eric and I decided that we want to camp at the park sometime this summer.

Sprinkler Time!

Although this past week has been unseasonably chilly, we've already had some pretty warm weather this year, and we've been in the sprinkler a couple times. I can't believe how different it is this year compared to last! Last year she stood on the edge, just touching the water with her hands. She liked it, but she didn't really get into it. This year, it was an immediate 180- running through face first with her mouth open, laughing with pure joy. So fun. :)

And here's Evie and Emma having a sprinkler playdate :)