Swings

Around the corner from the Cape May house is the cutest little park with just the right amount of shade and the right amount of sun. A few swings, a slide, some climbing toys, picnic tables, and a pond... it is a perfect place to play! Each morning we wandered over for about an hour and sometimes we even returned in the afternoon or evening. BP prefers Daddy to push her on the swings because he pushes higher and faster. Since it was BB's first time on a swing she was happy with my little pushes.

A Real Man...

Fishes with a Barbie fishing pole!

The Red Wagon...

The Barefoot Princess LOVES her wagon that we keep in Cape May. She talked about it all the way down the parkway last Thursday and she cried for it all the way up the parkway on Monday. She was so excited to share it with her little sister this year. Since BB is sitting alone now, it was perfect timing for a wagon ride. We used the wagon to get to the beach, the park, and to town. I think the wagon will get a lot of use in the next few years!

Cape May Buddies

One of the many reasons we love to go to Cape May is because the girls have friends there. The Barefoot Princess has been chasing "Jofus" a.k.a. Joseph since she began walking two summers ago. His mom says as soon as he sees our car parked in front of the house he yells with excitement and minutes later is at the door. "Jofus" is really patient with BP. He really likes to play with BP's Daddy too. The Barefoot Baby met little Shane for the first time this Memorial Day. They kind of met last year on Labor Day when they were in the womb. Shane's mommy and I had the same due date so we immediatley bonded. Because BB suprised us with an early birth, she and Shane are a month a part in age. They will have a lot of fun together at the beach as they grow too!

The Museum

Last week we took a road trip to NJ to visit a museum that was featuring an art exhibit by one of my favorite artists, Janet Kipp Tribus, who I have mentioned and shown her work previously. It was a bonus that the exhibit was at a museum that had a number of children's exhibits too. So we made a day of it and had a great time. We even were able to meet my brother, Uncle Mack, for lunch. BP wore her new dress that she picked out and her new brown sandals that she is obsessed with. Her favorite paintings were the "brella" ones like the one shown above. She also like the dinosours and the rocks and gems. BB had fun exploring in the children's section and happily smiled at everyone she saw throughout the rest of the museum. As we were leaving, I asked BP if she would sit on the bench by the statue so I could take her picture. (Somewhere there is a picture of myself, a little older than BP, sitting on the same bench.) So BP agreed, but would not get too close and kept her eye on the statue the whole time. I think she thought at any moment he may come to life.

Fountain Fun...

We are lucky enough to live next to a nursery, which is more like an arboretum and everyday, weather permitting, the girls and I take a walk over to the nursery to say hello to our neighbors, Jack and Lorraine, or "Raine" as BP calls her. Then we say hello to their four employees, BP calls them "the ladies." After talking with everyone BP takes off for the fountain and if it is warm enough she plays in it. The other day she pretended to take a shower and wash her hair and give her baby a shower too. I found this funny because she is afraid to take a shower at home. Then we walk through the rows of greenhouses and look at all the pretty plants and flowers. We have been doing this since BP was a baby and now BB gets to join in the fun too! BB is not too sure about the fountain, but loves to sit in the grass and tear out handfuls. She laughs at her big sister as she runs under the water and screams.

Thank You Aunt Cynthia...

This Melissa & Doug picnic basket is one of BB's favorite toys. Aunt Cynthia gave it to her a couple of months ago and she has played with it everyday since. It is made of soft chewey material, perfect for teething babies. BP often "borrows" it too. Thank You Aunt Cynthia, Uncle Charlie, and James for the such a great gift. We have bought the same picnic basket for two others friends.

Crazy Days...

Things have been a little crazy lately and I have not had time to post. I promise to get back into my blogging routine very soon.

Here is a picture from last week... The Barefoot Baby's feet and The Barefoot Princess' hands. BP is ticking BB's toes with a cold wet rock from the fountain. It reminds me that the simple things in life are so special! BP loves to play in the fountain in our neighbors garden. They refer to it as her fountain because she has loved it since she could walk. BP calls it the "mountain."

Perfectly Pink...

I think our garden is going to need one of these, a Cynthia Rowley designed pink garden hose. It can be found at Target for only $10. I think it is perfect!

The Glass Slipper...

This is what The Barefoot Princess does when we she wants to play Cinderella. I guess you could call it a subtle hint to Mommy. My job is to play the Prince when Daddy is at work and bring her this slipper on a pillow and try it on her foot as she sits like royalty waiting for me. We act out the whole scene and many others from her favorite movie. Her imagination lately has been amazing!

Too Cute...

I absolutely LOVE these little bloomers from Chasing Fireflies. I think The Barefoot Baby would look so cute in these this summer!

Seedling Success...

As you can see from our picture we have to transplant our seedlings very soon. They sprouted and grew so fast. I swear we could watch them grow. It must have been the weather we had last week or we are just very lucky. BP checked them every morning, noon, and night. She watered them once a day and screamed almost every time she walked into the sunroom. Seeing her seedlings never got old for BP! So these little guys will head out to the cedar raised beds BP and BB's Daddy just built for them in the garden. Stayed tuned pictures of their next step!

Piggy Toes!

Yes those are her feet in her mouth! The Barefoot Baby has just discovered her toes and feet.

"Slaps"...

Flaps, our red and white eigth year old Bassett Hound, ran away for the one millionth time this morning... and he always smells... and he wakes up at 3AM to go potty... and he poops in the garden... and he has selective hearing... and he is PATIENT, KIND, and FORGIVING to our two little girls. He lets them rub his belly and pull on his ears and poke at his eyes and he never complains. We love you "Slaps," as BP would say.

Laundry...

We had A LOT of laundry to do yesterday and The Barefoot Princess and The Barefoot Baby made it a little more fun for me.

Garden Teepee

Inside our garden we plan on creating on eof these and this is where the inspiration came from. I think BP will love this. A place of her own... to hide and play. It could also be a nice shady spot for BB.

Operation: Block All Predators

In order to protect our garden project from all predators a.k.a. deer, rabbits, etc..., Daddy had to build a fence. It had to be at least 5 ft. tall and reinforced at the bottom to prevent the bunnies from digging under it. Just another step in our gardening endeavor. As Daddy says, "we are not planting a salad bar for the wildlife."

Of course BP was at his side all weekend to 'help' and inspect his work. Check out her outfit in the first picture... Snow White dress, John Deere hat, pink barn coat, and cow boots. She put this one together all by herself!

Grass...

Here is The Barefoot Baby inspecting the grass this past Sunday. It amazes me how many new things a baby experiences in the first year. Grass was a new thing for BB and she checked it out for a minute or two before grabbing handfuls. I remember BP's first time sitting in the grass. She cried and freaked when it tickled her legs. BP was not a big fan, which is ironic now because if we let her she would live outside from dawn unitl dusk, maybe even sleep outside too! We are hoping that BB takes after her sister and loves the great outdoors.

Sisters

Just for a minute when I look at these pictures I forget all that is on my mind. These two girls truly love each other. I guess that is what it is like to have a sister, a best friend for life. They look for each other in the morning, if one wakes before the other, and I am sure they listen to each other snoring as they go to bed at night.
BP loves to snuggle and kiss BB. I even catch her smelling her 'sweet baby scent'. It is soo...cute. I know someday they will argue over clothes, boys, and heaven knows what else, but I hope they will always be friends and be there for each other.

Overalls...

I love overalls on The Barefoot Princess. They are perfect for BP for many reasons. They protect her knees from getting skinned when she falls. They also protect her legs from bruises if she bumps them. (She seems to always have bruises on her shins.) Overalls can be worn with short sleeves or long sleeves so they are useful for at least three seasons. They keep everything tucked in and covered up. This is a big one. It drives me crazy when BP wears jeans and there is a space where her back shows or her diaper sticks out. Not a problem with overalls. Also, it seems impossible to find a pair of toddler girl jeans that are not low-rise, what are the designers thinking? Again, not a problem with overalls. She has two pairs of overalls right now that fit her and both are from Osh Kosh. I hope Osh kosh keeps making them... How long can BP wear overalls and how long will she willingly wear them?

Out To Tea...

I found this great website for hair clips and bows called http://www.out-to-tea.com/ and since The Barefoot Princess has some hair now, I am so excited to buy some of their products. I have waited two and a half years for hair that would actually hold a clip and now BP not only has hair, but the most beautiful curls to decorate with "hair pretties" as her good friend calls them. Above are a few that I thought were pretty cute, but there are lots more on the site.
My personal favorite is the sweet pea one of course!

6 Months

The Barefoot Baby will be 6 months old tomorrow! I cannot believe it!
She is the sweetest, happiest, most content baby. She is beginning to sit on her own and has rolled over once or twice. She does not have a lot of motivation to roll over, probably because she is over 20 lbs. We will find out her exact weight next week at her 6 month well visit. She loves to watch her big sister and Flaps. She also loves playing with toys, drooling, and chewing on everything in sight. She has no teeth yet, a little bit of hair, and a big smile almost all the time. Oh and she is always talking, cooing, babbling... she is never quiet, unless she is asleep.
Happy Half a Year BB!

Sowing Seeds

The barefoot Princess planted seeds for the first time today. She planted beans, peas, pumpkins, sweet peas, and zinnias. She started with her gloves on, but quickly abandoned them to get her hands dirty. (I was not surprised...I always do the same thing)

So now we wait and say prayers that soon we will see little green sprouts in any of the six the trays we planted. Fingers crossed!