Thurs. June 21, 2011 - Happy Father's Day X2!

Micaela is 29 weeks old! 

 The picture we put in a frame Riley painted for Daddy (it only took, oh, 5000 shots to get one in which they both have their eyes open and are looking in the general direction of the camera)

 Kisses for Daddy!

 Daddy had lots of help opening his gifts

 Some he didn't even get to help open

 Our 4 legged kid jumped into the action, too

 No Micaela, no beer for another 20 years 6 months!

 Nothing but the best for Daddy on Father's Day

 Surprise! He grilled our dinner.

 We love eating outside on our patio

 Chad requested chocolate creme brulee for dessert, as long as he got to caramelize the sugar

 Riley icing her finger after a bee sting...she just wanted to catch him so he would lead her to his honey

 Peaches

 Our homemade popsicles have quickly become one of Riley's favorites summer snacks

 Micaela examines absolutely everything

 She somehow found the one non-toy object in the living room

 Riley began ballet lessons last week

 Demonstrating proper foot position

 First they stretch their necks

 Then touch their toes

 And work on arm positions

 Riley's favorite part is jumping

 My new toy, a bike trailer

 Its a great trailer that pulls smoothly but wow, this is going to be a workout

Riley absolutely loves it

Happy Father's Day to our wonderful Daddy! We enjoyed a great day. Chad went out for a mountain bike ride in the morning which gave us the chance to make some special treats for him. The family relaxed at home together for the rest of the day, just enjoying the weather and some delicious food. Us girls are so lucky to have such a great Daddy and husband.


Riley, our little entomologist, was finally stung by a bee this week. She is fascinated by all bugs and we've been warning her to stay a few steps away from bees and simply observe them, but she just couldn't resist. When she calmed down she said he was a mean, angry bee who shouldn't have stung her. She only wanted to catch him so that he would lead her to his honey. I think we'll lay off the Winnie the Pooh books for a while.


We enrolled Riley in ballet classes through the Appleton Parks and Rec this summer. In the past we've tried soccer and gymnastics but she wanted to dance so we got her ballet shoes and a tutu: pink per her request because "Ballerinas wear pink." She absolutely loves the class. Parents can watch through a window that has blinds on it so the pictures aren't the best. I wish I could better convey the joy she has while dancing. She usually does pretty well at listening and following instructions for a while but at some point she just starts doing her own dance. This is usually performed close to the mirror so she has a clear view of herself. Today she followed the teacher until they worked on pirouettes, then she kept spinning around. I'm so glad she can do something that makes her so happy.


This week Riley and I went for our first bike ride. We purchased a Chariot bike trailer which seats 2 kids so once Micaela is a little older I can take both girls out. Its a great trailer and runs very smoothly, but the extra weight is really going to provide a tough workout for me. I'm really excited about the trailer and getting to ride again, but its a little sad to see my awesome mountain bike relegated to chariot duty. But it makes something for us all to enjoy!