Happy Birthday, Myrt!

Today is my grandma's birthday! This picture is from her birthday last year- we haven't seen her yet today, but I will put up pictures from today later. Rylee especially loves Myrt's birthday because it means hers is just 3 days away!

Happy Birthday, Myrt!
We hope you have a great day!

The Zoo

 Yesterday was a free day at the zoo- and it was a beautiful day, so we had to go!  We have already been this summer, so I thought I would only take a few pictures and just enjoy the zoo.  It really is so much quicker and easier not to have to stop and take pictures the whole time!!

 The first thing we saw was this snake and Rylee was brave to touch it!

  

 I love the lion- 

it's usually sitting in the same spot 

just looking at us as we're looking at it!

 

Ashlyn loved getting drinks from the lion, but when Rylee realized that she would actually have to put her head in a lion's mouth, she was too scared!!  She can touch a snake, but can't get a drink from this- crazy girl!

We didn't see the tiger last time, so we were glad to see it this time. It started walking back to its cave or whatever as we were leaving, so we got there just in time!

 

 Rylee said the tiger was too hot to sit on, so she just pet it.  And Ashlyn was scared of it!

 We couldn't go in to pet the goats so Rylee had to pet it through the fence.  I think it was actually better that way!

 

 A zoo person brought this rabbit out just as we were leaving the petting zoo, so Rylee wanted to pet it- but not Ashlyn!

  

 We had just rented the movie Surf's Up the night before so Rylee was really excited to see the penguins!  Unfortunately they didn't surf though!

 

Map

I had a few errands to run yesterday and Rylee wanted to know what stores we were going to. So I told her Seagull Book, the mall, and Target. I guess she thought that was too much to remember, so she decided to make a map to help. (Like on Dora.) She drew a picture of all the places. I love them all, but I especially think the seagull and the bullseye on Target are great!!

Crazy Braids

I braided the girls' hair the night before picture day last week so it would be kind of curly. My mom brought them to school to get them taken. I did it last year with just Rylee, but I wish I had done it with Ashlyn too. So I did both of them this year- it's quicker and cheaper than going to Sears or somewhere. By the way, the curls turned out pretty good for Rylee, but Ashlyn's hair is still too fine for braids to curl it. Oh well!

Pipe Cleaners

This was the best 30 cent item I've ever bought. (Gotta love when the Target dollar section is on clearance!) Rylee thought these pipe cleaners were so fun!

She made a girl.

And a butterfly.

And jewelry!

What Would You Wish?

Last night we were looking at the stars and Rylee said that if you see a shooting star, you make a wish. I'm not really sure where she learned about that. So I asked her what she would wish for. And immediately she said a dog. Then she thought about the conversation Matt and I had with her the night before that dogs need a fence and we don't have a fence around our yard. (One of the MANY reasons we don't have a dog!) So she said she would wish for a fence instead- Then she would wish for a dog later! Smart girl- always thinking ahead! (And always thinking of getting a dog!)

Preschool

Today was Rylee's first day of preschool. I wasn't going to put her in preschool because I didn't know where to take her or how to take her and pick her up, but Oma started one at the daycare. She's there anyway and she's wanted to go to school for a long time. So she's excited to do it. She took all her supplies today so her backpack was full. She had so much fun with old and new friends.

Sharing a Bed

I didn't think that Rylee and Ashlyn were ever going to be able to share a room. I thought that one would keep the other up and that it just wouldn't work. Well Ashlyn has had a hard time getting back into a nighttime routine after our crazy summer of not much of a routine (not my idea- I need a routine even in the summer, but it's so hard!).

So a few nights ago I thought what the heck, let's give it a try. So I put her in with Rylee. She has a queen bed, so we all fit. It was nice because I could do both routines at once. I didn't have to go through the whole thing with Ashlyn and then again with Rylee. So we read a story, said our prayers, and then I told them to go to sleep. I was worried they would talk and play all night, but the first two nights were great- they went right to sleep and stayed in bed all night. I think they both liked having someone else with them. But last night wasn't so good- Ashlyn had a late afternoon nap and wasn't ready for bed at 9:00. But Rylee went right to sleep and I kept having to tell Ashlyn to go to sleep. I think she finally went to sleep after 10. She would have done that in her own bed though. So I think we'll try this sharing a bed thing for a while and hope it goes like the first two nights.

Especially if Matt doesn't think they're so cute together and take another picture that wakes up Ashlyn at 6 AM!!! But I guess it gave me something to blog about!

The Fair

It's been our tradition to go the fair the first Saturday it's open in the morning. There's usually not too many people there and we do our thing, have lunch, then go home and have a nap. But this year Matt helped his dad put up a fence, so we were going to go in the afternoon. Well after he worked in the sun all day and got burnt, he didn't really want to go to the fair. So I called my parents to see if they wanted to go last minute. They hadn't been to the fair for many, many years, but they said they'd go. We didn't get there until about 6:30. It was my plan to be home by 8 to give the girls a bath and go to bed. Well we didn't leave the fair until about 9, so we didn't get home until late. There were a lot of people there, but the weather was perfect. But it was a lot of fun- I know the girls especially loved it. I don't know- maybe we can start a new tradition and go with my parents every year- right, guys?!? No, I don't think that will happen. But I'm very glad that they went with us!

We spent a little while stamping and making pictures.

The girls in the traditional Culligan hats.

This was Ashlyn's favorite artwork- Harry and Voldemort.
It was a very good drawing and it even won first prize!

This was at the church place- Pioneer Rylee.

And Pioneer Ashlyn.

Trying out the covered wagon.

Rylee and Grandma in the wagon.


The girls loved the horses- mostly the little ones so they could pet them.

Rylee especially loved petting the horses.

They were a little scared of the big horses, so they didn't get too close!

The petting zoo was the last thing we did so it was dark.

Ashlyn didn't want to pet anything.
(She's more like me than Rylee is!)

And Rylee fell in love with the puppy!
She asked if we could take it home!

Petting a horse one last time.

We had a great time- thanks, Grandma and Grandpa, for going with us!