Trip to NY

We're back from our trip to NY. We flew back to see my family and friends. I also attended my 20-year high school reunion. Idon't know how it's possible that I've been out of school 20 years!

It was a pretty easy trip out, except for a delay in Newark. The girls were excited and did very well on the planes. We got to my dad's late Tuesday night (7/19). The girls were wound up and didn't get to sleep until well past midnight. That didn't stop them from getting up at 6am the next day, though. The girls didn't get much sleep throughout the trip. Scott and I took long drives a few times to facilitate naptime. As soon as they were strapped in car seats, it was lights out.
We were super busy the whole time. We spent time with my dad & step-mom, my brother, my mom, my cousins, and my friends. We went to some of our favorite eateries in the Binghamton area and caught a Binghamton Mets game. Scott and I even had some time without the kids. That was nice. It was great to let the girls spend time with family and play in the country a bit. They got to experience lots of animals including cats, dogs, frogs, cows, and alpacas. Unfortunately, Ryann is allergic to cats so she had a little issue. She learned to admire kitties from a distance. She also got sick and had to go to the doctor on the trip. Her ailments, combined with lack of sleep, caused quite an emotional week. By the time our return trip came, she was miserable on the plane and in the airports. We were really relieved to get home. We arrived late Wednesday night (7/27). I love visiting my family and friends, but it can be a bit stressful as well. :0)

I'm back to work now. I went back the morning after we got back. I'm ready for a new school year already. Students come August 8th. This summer flew by!

Children's Museum

My friend and I took our kids to the Children's Museum of Phoenix today. It was awesome. The girls loved everything about it. There were tons of different areas to go in and play. They were able to touch everything and do all sorts of activites. They shopped for groceries, cooked, gardened, went through a pool noodle forest, put balls through cool maze things, drove things, and more. It was a lot like the Discovery Center in Binghamton, only super-sized. Ryann was especially excited about the 3-story "treehouse" thing. It's like an enormouse jungle gym/sculpture that the kids can go through. The kids loved it. Avery was a little less adventurous. I had to go up and get her once because she felt "stuck." She didn't know how to go back down the ramp she had climbed. I felt pretty good about being able to let them run around safely. It was low-stress. They even have tot-sized toilets. Ryann enjoyed that. Overall, it was a great experience. I'll definitely have to take them back again someday soon.

Zoo Day

Scott took the day off on Friday, so we set out for a family safari. We headed over to the Phoenix Zoo. Since it's over 100 degrees here most days now, we went early. We got there around 7:30am. By 10:30, we were wrapping it up and heading home. It was actually a nice trip. It was warm, but not super hot yet. There weren't a ton of people there, so that made for a peaceful time. We saw most of the animals, rode the merry-go-round, and petted the stingrays. The girls wore their giraffe-print dresses in honor of the occasion. It was a fun outing and we still had plenty of the day left for playing, napping and just being together.

Avery at the Dentist

 Avery went to the dentist for the first time this afternoon. Ryann went for her second visit, as well. Ryann went first. She was very happy to go and was very cooperative. While Avery and I waited, I was getting nervous because she wasn't doing her usual shy act. She was running around the waiting room and kept running into the records area. I kept saying, "I'm sorry," to the ladies behind the counter. I thought it was going to be quite a visit if this kept up. Fotunately, when they took her for x-rays, she settled right down. She looks quite pathetic actually, but don't let her fool you. :0)
After the x-rays, we entered the exam area and I smelled an unpleasant smell coming from her diaper. I had to excuse us for a few minutes while I took her to the car then restroom for a change. Once we finally got the exam underway, she was very cooperative and quiet. She got to wear sunglasses and watch a movie overhead. She did very well and didn't seem to mind at all. She especially enjoyed getting a t-shirt and balloon. The dentist informed me that the x-rays showed a tooth broken at the root. Apparently one of her million falls on her face resulted in a broken tooth. The tooth will probably turn colors and fall out or need to be removed. Then, she'll have a gap until her permanent teeth come in. I can't say that I'm surprised. She's constantly falling. She's just into everything and always on the go at top speed. I just hope she gets herself under control before her permanent teeth come in. I forsee an expensive dental future.

Fourth of July

 Tonight was the annual Independence Day event at the Goodyear Ballpark. I took the girls over to partake in the chaos and spend some time with their daddy at work. They love to go to Daddy's work. We walked around a bit, enjoyed the music, and got something to eat. Ryann had to have a hot dog, probably because we saw the Nathan's hot dog eating contest from Coney Island on TV this afternoon. After that, we headed down to Scott's shop. We like to set up our own fireworks viewing area. We put a blanket on the grass and let the girls run around. It's nice to escape the crowd and enjoy the fireworks as a family. Ryann loved how "colorful and wonderful" they were. Avery clapped and cheered. Both girls had to run around a bit during the fireworks show. Their attention spans aren't quite up to the whole show. The fireworks ended just before the sprinklers came on in our zone. It was perfect. :0)
Here are some pictures of the festivities. I'm not sure why Ryann can't keep her eyes open when she smiles for pictures. Some are a bit blurry, but you get the idea.

Summer Fun

WSU Shirts for Father's Day Picture

My summer vacation has finally begun. I've had trainings and/or been at work almost all of June. Now that July is here, I'm ready to realx a bit. The girls and I have had a lot more time together lately. They tire me out but I love being with them. I feel like I get to know them on a whole new level when I'm not working. Avery is into trouble every few seconds, but is a sponge for learning new things. Ryann is obsessed with being 4 and "a big girl" now. She can't wait to go to preschool in August. We do preschool time at home most days. She loves to play school. Unfortunately, she's not a fan of being told to change something she's doing. We'll see how that goes over in school. Luckily she's usually more cooperative with other adults than with her parents. Overall, she's pretty good most of the time. We just need to tame the drama queen in her. Avery is a bit of a bully to her big sis. I spend a lot of time refereeing as Avery torments her emotional sister. Ahh...the joys of motherhood.