The Summer of Change

This Summer has brought big changes for our family. I can't say that I was ready for them, although most were on my list of goals to accomplish. I feel good that I was able to get so many things done in one summer. And really, it was all the kids doing. They changed a ton. And I wasn't expecting that either.

This summer, Azure moved from a toddler bed to a twin bed. It makes me sad to see how big she's gotten just in a few weeks. She's grown two to three inches this summer, which sent her out of the baby toddler section and into the big girls section. She also grew a whole shoe size! One of my favorite changes about her is that she is learning to read words, tell time, and is really good at telling me directions and the places we are going to and the things that are next to it.
Azure has also taken it upon herself to remind me to clean her ears. She had her ears pierced just after mother's day and she has been pretty responsible about making sure I remember to clean them and she leaves them alone. She has gotten really independent about getting her own snacks out of the fridge for her and Claire and she is sleeping in her room more often than not now. I am really excited for that. She learned to do some back floats in swim lessons and is less afraid of the water now. She is looking forward to school in the fall.

Claire has had some major changes this summer. She is now potty trained and has no more diapers or pull ups! I think this was my favorite one. We are now living in a diaper free home! Because she was potty training, we also took down the crib and put it away and she inherited Azure's toddler bed. That was a sad moment because I realized I had no baby anymore and it broke my heart. To top that off, we decided to sell the toddler bed since we had gotten bunk beds from my parents and got the bottom bunk ready for her. Claire is thrilled though and she adjusted really well to her new bed. She loves that she can get in and out by herself and that her bed is now like sisters big bed. She also enjoyed her swim lessons and learned to not be afraid of the water and swimming with other people. She was a bit scared at first, but soon was used to the teachers. She loved singing songs in the water.

One of the biggest changes is our new puppy Molly! Molly is a 3 month old Chihuahua terrier mix. She is really sweet and playful. She still has a lot of training to do, because she listens just about as well as the girls( which is almost never...)and she is a puppy. But as a dog owner starting out, I can definitely say that I am relieved that it has been as easy as bringing a new toy home for the kids.
Azure loves her and loves to take her out and play with her and always wants to put the leash on her to walk her. She will scold Molly if she sees her doing something she shouldn't. She has also gotten better at picking up her toys so the dog doesn't chew on them and that is a big difference because my house has stayed cleaner longer.
Claire is still adjusting. She is a bit jealous of the dog at times because Molly likes to sit in my lap. She is still a baby and Claire still thinks she is one too. But she is gradually warming up to the idea of having a little dog in the house.
I think the biggest surprise for me is Fernando. He was very opposed to the idea of having a dog for a long time until this summer. He started warming up to the idea and then just decided it was okay for us to get one. Of course, I had to find one right away because I was afraid he would change his mind. I found Molly on craigslist and was able to get her right away. It's been a challenge to have a new baby in the house, but there are times when she is just so cute it makes me smile.

One of our new favorite excursions is hiking to the lake. Both girls are big enough to walk without the stroller. We park the car at Brackett airport and walk the path to the lake and let the girls feed the ducks. The girls get excited when we take them and we love taking them because it wears them out. It's a great family activity for us.

I can now say that I have accomplished my summer goal of getting Claire potty trained and organizing the house a bit more. I've been making it a goal to throw out a box of junk once a month. Watching the TV show Hoarders is really helping me with that because I don't want to be like those people who have tons of junk and can't walk anywhere. I'm a very claustrophobic person and I can't stand tight spaces. I've also been trying to continue working on my New Years resolutions of learning to cook better, working on starting a photography business, and learn to play guitar. I've done well on the first two, not so good on the last one.

Fernando and I are really excited that we are getting a new sister in law, Tricia. Fernando's brother Danny recently became engaged and the wedding is set for the end of October. We are looking forward to the many fun events that will be happening in the fall and I've already decided that losing ten pounds before the wedding is my fall goal.

So goodbye summer! It's be a very eventful ride!