A Dr. Seuss Night

It's no secret that this summer has been hot. That's unfortunate, since Libby and Mary's parents happen to own a house that is not air conditioned. The heat doesn't usually bother Libby. Once she's asleep, she's usually okay. Mary, however, is like her mother, and really can't function like a normal human being when it's hot out. Last night, though, it was Libby who woke up after about an hour in bed covered in sweat. So, she got to spend the night in bed with Mom and Dad where it's cool. Well, Mom and Dad like to read before bed, so Libby got in on the act. Little did Libby know that both she and Mom have Dr. Seuss as their author of choice before going to bed--Mom was into The Foot Book while Libby went for Dad's all-time favorite, Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb!

More Summer Shenanigans

We at the Yandek Family Blog are happy to report that Libby and Mary remain committed to their goal of squeezing every little bit of fun that they possibly can out of the Summer of 2011. The big event of recent weeks is the Libby and Mary hosted their very first sleepover! Mom and Dad invited friends and family over to cook out and watch the fireworks at Bohlken Park for the annual Fairview Summerfest. Of course, before any of that took place, Libby had to try all the rides at the Summerfest Carnival. Being a seasoned veteran of Kiddie Park, the Summerfest Carnivale didn't hold the same cache--the rides were kinda lame, but Libby and Dad still enjoyed themselves. It didn't hurt that Libby won a giant inflatable Dora at one of the midway games!
That night was the cookout. After the kids had their burgers and dogs, it was time for--lightsabres and swords. That's right, nothing says summertime like a good old fashioned sword fight. Unfortunately, for poor Camden, his puny "regular" sword didn't stand a chance against Jedi Masters Libby and Corinne. The kids also played in the pool, lit sparklers and were sure to leave no stone unturned in the house! The evening ended with fireworks and Claire and Corinne sleeping over. While Mary was sojourned in her room, Libby and her cousins bunked in Libby's room. Everyone actually slept, although Libby was up WAY past her bedtime.
The first ever cousins sleepover ended as any proper sleepover should, with Dad's pancakes! And that was just the beginning of another great day of fun, as Libby and Mary and their cousins went to Grammie and Papa Hanna's for Aunt Reen's birthday party. Now, let's be clear about this...despite the kiddie pool, the pinata, the ice cream cake, and all the people, Aunt Reen is actually a grown-up. But that didn't stop her from getting all the fun stuff for a kid's birthday party!
Everyone took their whacks at the pinata before finally cashing in on all the cool stuff inside. It was such a hot day that the kiddie pool was put to good use. And the ice cream cake was a big hit as well. As were the cupcake cones that Grammie made! Another great summer weekend for the Yandek Girls!

Summer Vacation

At the end of June, the Yandek Family made it's annual trek to southern Ohio for a week-long vacation at Salt Fork State Park. This year marked Libby's third trip to the park, while for Mary, this was her first. And, although Libby had been there before, this was the first year where she really got to enjoy everything about this annual family vacation.
First and foremost, Libby loved the daily trips to the pool. This year, she was able to swim on her own with the help of a very cool swim vest. Add to that the fact that she and Dad have spent a lot of time at the pool at the rec, and Libby was pretty much at home in the water. Mary had a great time, as well. She loved tooling around the pool with Mom, Dad, Grammie and Papa. She also had her own floating car which gave her a little independence of her own.
Libby and Mary also enjoyed trips to the nearby marina, where they were able to feed the large, obnoxious carp. These giant fish hang around the docks and swarm near anyone who comes by. Once they realize that you have food, they stick their heads out of the water and beg for more. After feeding the fish, Libby and Mary would be treated to an ice cream cone. For Libby, this was a familiar and welcome treat. For Mary, it was a whole new world. Her first ice cream cone elicited the following reaction:
She absolutely devoured any ice cream or cone that was put in front of her. She definitely takes after her dad in her love of ice cream! Another exciting adventure for Libby was her first go-round with fishing. She and Papa spent a lot of time fishing together either on the docks or behind Papa's "vacation house." On one evening, Libby and Papa caught quite a few fish! Unlike her dad, Libby had no qualms petting the fish or throwing them back in the water.
The other new experience for Libby was horseback riding! Libby got to ride her very own horse--Scout--around the stables for a good 15-20 minutes. She was very serious during the whole experience, but she did manage to crack a smile at one point. She absolutely loved seeing all the different horses and being able to ride a real horse. Libby also had a great time seeing all the deer, going for walks, chasing geese, drawing with sidewalk chalk, blowing bubbles with Grammie and Papa and hanging out with Uncle Tony, Aunt Nellie and Aunt Holly. Actually, Libby pretty much followed Aunt Nellie around the entire time she was there. Might this be an omen of things to come for the big wedding in August?

Fourth of July Fun!

Mary and Libby crammed into the hippo pool.

Mary Frances narrowly escaped being devoured by the hungry blue hippo.

Libby taking a break with some cheese curls.

Corinne and Libby getting some sun.

Claire, Corinne and Libby decorating cookies.