Marlowe

Marlowe is a great mimic.  Here are some of her words:

• Poopbrush (aka toothbrush)
• help, peese
• Dahlia
• Hello, Dahlia (Marlowe typically wakes up first and LOVES to say hello to Dahlia when she wakes up)
• Book
• tuck (truck)
• Buckle
• Bucket
• I do that
• More
• No
• Daddy
• Papa (which refers to Grandma as well)
• Where Papa go?
• Where Dahlia go?
• bye, bye
• hello
• puzzle
• hot

Somehow one morning in the car while driving to work we began discussing things Dahlia would like to learn about this summer.  We then decided to make a list.  Here are Dahlia's entries:

• Clouds
• Butterflies
• Trees

We started with clouds and I began at the library.  We found a number of great books and stuck to learning the basic three types of clouds.  Dahlia had fun one afternoon making these clouds out of cottonballs. 

Why does one look like a horse?  Well...in Tommy Depaola's book, Clouds, he explains that stratus clouds are like the mane of a horse.  Dahlia decided just to make the whole horse. :)

Post Holiday Peace

Both girls are sleeping.  Dahlia stayed up until 10:30 ish last night savoring all she could of the 4th.  The girl loves a holiday.  Grandma Lyn, my redheads and I started the day with the Admiral Neighborhood kid's parade.  I was so impressed Dahlia rode her trike the 6 blocks from our parking spot to the parade start.  Then another 6 or so blocks through the parade.  We were joined by Teagan and family.  The parade ended with popsicles, three legged races and a balloon toss. 

We then returned home to have a cookout with Aunt Laurie and family.  My favorite moments:

• all the girls squealing and giggling as they poured water on Grandma Lyn's feet
• Marlowe laughing as Jeff sprayed her with a water gun

Dahlia's efforts and joy in making dessert for everyone

By 5 pm everyone was exhausted and our visitors took off.  The girls had a bath and Marlowe passed out in bed.  We watched a movie as there were no holiday shows or festivities on at that point.

Around 9:30 pm Dahlia and I headed outside to watch the fireworks of surrounding neighbors.  At one point Dahlia paused and shared she had to run in and get something.  She returned with her binoculars :)

What fun it was to stand in the street with my sweet girl and oooohhh and ahhhhh as we spied the various shows.

Dahlia was a little upset we didn't go on the roof to watch as our neighbors had.

We came inside just in time to enjoy the Seattle Show on TV.  Dahlia then passed out sometime as the show was wrapping up and I carried her off to bed.