Though I tried to get a video of Rachel starting on her back and rolling to her front, this is the best I could get after running and getting the camera. Then, of course she wouldn't do it again. So, really I didn't start her on her side.

Our little bow hunter.
Ethan loves to go out and shoot his bow and arrow. He does a pretty good job, too. This also shows you our summer project of getting our yard fixed. Our house was moved to a vacant plot and they never did any landscaping. So, now we get to pick rocks and plant grass! Anyway, I think we have a little hunter on our hands.

Look at me! My first big girl bath!

Yesterday, Ben decided Ethan was old enough to start using a knife to help with dinner (supervised of course).

Ethan's assignment: prep the radishes.

He got his stool out and very carefully worked at his job. It wasn't until he was almost done that Ben actually looked closely at the radishes....

Ethan had taken a bite out of each of them to determine if they were hot and then separated them into "hot" or "not" piles. It was kind of nice for me because I don't like anything hot so I knew just which ones to put on my salad.

Way to take one for the team, E!

Last night, Ethan, Ben and I all sat down to watch a good family movie--The Bridge to Terabithia. This is probably the first non-cartoon movie Ethan has watched the whole way through. Though an excellent movie, it was also very emotional. Well, after a certain part of the movie that involves death, Ethan found himself in tears and was very upset that a movie would make him cry. Of course we explained to him that it's OK to cry (both his dad and I were) and that many movies are made to cause you to feel something and that even though they were people, the movie wasn't real. Though he still wasn't too sure of whether he liked the movie, he says he understands the points we were trying to explain. But, for me, it's a sign that my little boy is growing up. . .

We have a morning ritual that involves Rachel laying on my stomach (tummy time!) and talking to me. She usually gets excited, yells and shoves her hands in her mouth (hey, to each their own I guess). Anyway, this morning we were chatting and she got excited except this time she stuck her fingers too far down her throat and well, you can guess what happened.

I'm just thankful my mouth wasn't open.

Taking a 6-year-old on vacation can be difficult. Will they like where you're going? Will they ask, "Are we there yet?" 17 million times? What about safety? You get the point. Well, we ventured off for about 2 weeks to DC and then on to OBX with both kids in tow.

The vacation began with two cars in the shop the day before we left and a decision to rent a car. That was revoked after discovering that they charge you an arm and a leg. So, we set off in Ben's truck which would have been fine except that about 2 hours into the trip, the air conditioning went. Now, hindsight is 20-20 and in that perspective, we would have parked the car and rented one--I can get used to using only one arm right? But, instead we decided to drive without. Then it rained which meant we had to roll the windows up. Oh, and did I mention it was 90 degrees? Great fun! But, Ethan and Rachel both did great. In fact, Ethan only once asked if we were there yet and that was on the way home after 6 straight hours of driving.

So, kids will be kids. Our first stop was DC where thanks to Sears Reward Points, we stayed for three nights for free at an incredible hotel. Though we saw the sights, ate where the tourists ate, etc. I think Ethan's favorite parts of the trip were riding the carousel, riding the Metro and feeding the pigeons. Though he did give our Capitol tour guide quite a run for her money. She told us she was impressed by how attentive he was and what good questions he asked. Ethan told us that the Capitol was his favorite part of the trip. He was very interested in the whispering room, the crypt and all the statues. He also liked the Air and Space Museum and the National Zoo. We were all disappointed that the Museum of American History was closed but there was much to do. The only sight we didn't have a chance to see was the White House. Though we decided that next time we'll call our Congressman a few months in advance and get tickets for a tour anyway.

Then, it was off to OBX, NC, and the ocean. Ethan was very apprehensive of going in the ocean for fear of sharks. And, once he saw how big the waves were, the fear increased. However, his parents are mean :) so we made him go in. By the end of the vacation, he was body surfing and using his boogie board to ride the waves in to shore. He also played all of us in foose ball matches, learned to play Dominoes (along with the rest of us who are now addicted, thanks Aunt Nina!), played putt-putt where he scored a hole-in-one (see below), rode on a ferry to Ocrocoke, and even ate frog legs and crayfish. What an adventure! As you can see by the one golf picture, Ethan was just about the center of everyone's attention. However, my brother's girlfriend became the center of his attention (sorry, Emily!)

All-in-all, Ethan and the rest of us had fun. In fact, on the way home he commented that he was ready for school to start because he had a great summer vacation.

We've done good :)

This was Ethan's third season of t-ball and my second coaching. There is nothing better than 10 kids who are asking "Can I go to the bathroom?" "When will the game be over?" "Did you know I lost my tooth?" "So-and-so is throwing dirt" etc. for 14 games. They are die-hard let me tell you, our right fielder even fell asleep in the middle of one game. Now, Ethan and a few of the others are a bit different. They seem to actually grasp the concept of competition: They have realized and do not like the fact that everyone gets a single regardless of where they hit it. They want to slide into home. They want to know when they can throw the ball somewhere other than first base. They tag kids out...hard. The rest are in it for fun (or because their parents have made them play, which is what one 5-year-old explained to me). Though I would have to say across the board the best part of the season was twofold: snack after the game and getting trophies!

Rachel rolled over from back to front yesterday so now she's really dangerous considering she has the potential to barrel roll across the house. Will she do it? Probably not but the potential is there. In other news, and because I love to push the envelope, I decided to see what would happen if I sat her up. Why not? Here's the results...

Yes, we're still here. Just back from a lengthy, much needed vacation. For the record, if you have a three month old and your car air conditioning quits on hour 2 of a 12 hour trip, park the car and rent another. We drove to Washington, DC, and Outer Banks, NC, with no air. To make it even better, the forecast was 90+ and humid. Then, it rained on the way to DC so we had to roll the windows up! AHHHH!!!! Never again. But, the vacation was wonderful and the trip home was much cooler and therefore much better.

Rachel had her first taste of the ocean and wasn't too sure about it but had a good time otherwise. She got passed from person to person (we went with my family) and was very good. We think she's teething considering the slobber increase and the fact we haven't seen her fingers in a few days because they've been wedged inside her mouth!