Another Fun-Filled Memorial Day Weekend

Mary and Dad on the "Zoo Bus."

With the arrival of Memorial Day Weekend comes the unofficial kick-off to summer.  Now, as already documented, Libby and Mary are all ready well into the swing of things for the summer.  However, that did not prevent them from taking full advantage of the long Memorial Day Weekend.

Mary and Libby on the big turtle.

Things kicked off a little early, as Dad took Thursday off to spend the day with the girls.  The best part of the day?  The splash pad at the rec center!  The girls pretty much had the place to themselves and enjoyed every second of the splashing water.  It's so much fun taking the girls different places this year, as Mary is much more attentive and excited about things.  Also, the girls do play well together (when they are not fighting over a particular toy), which makes it a little easier to do things.

Libby the Bun Head.  Currently her hairdo of choice!

In keeping with tradition from last year, Saturday morning was spent at the zoo as a family.  Libby and Mary are very lucky to be able to go to the zoo quite often, but it's always a treat when the whole family gets to go.  This trip was special for the girls as it was the first time they made it up the hill to see the fish and cats and monkeys.  While they enjoyed the animals, their favorite part was probably the tram ride up the hill.  The "zoo bus" was a big hit!  The girls enjoyed all the animals, as well as the bubbles, stuffed monkeys and McDonald's lunch.  While Mary spent the better part of the day in the stroller and Libby walked all over the place, it was Miss Mary who fell asleep on the way home (which is odd, as in the car is the one place Mary doesn't EVER sleep).

Mary and Libby waiting for the parade to start (and the only moment Mary actually sat still).

The highlight on Sunday was a Pump It Up party for Will and Henry's birthdays.  Mary spent some time with Grammie and Papa Hanna, while Libby bounced, climbed, slid, and ran like a madwoman.  There was also cake, candy and a meltdown when it was time to leave, but it was a nice treat for Libby.  Speaking of which,  dinner on Sunday was pizza--currently Libby's favorite.   It's really nice not to have to eat nuggets for every meal every day.  Slowly but surely, the girls are expanding their culinary limits.

After a hard day at the zoo.

Monday was spent attending the parade with Will, Henry, Bryce and Quinn, followed by the whole group going to the park.  It was so hot that after the park, Libby and Dad went to "The Flip-Flop Store" (aka Target) and bought a great big pool for the backyard.  Since then, the girls have been in the pool every day (and probably will be everyday until it comes down in the fall).  That was definitely the best part of the weekend.  It's very cute to see Libby check out the upstairs window every morning to make sure that the pool is still there!

A Full Summer Already!

The soccer star showing off her ribbon.

There's been lots going on for Libby and Mary, so let's get right to it.  As of the last post, Libby was just starting her first foray into organized sports.  Well, after five weeks, Libby successfully completed her session of Mini Kickers.  Libby can dribble and trap, and she knows not to use her hands and to be a team player.  The highlight was today's meeting, at which the parents could participate in the drills and warm ups before playing a kids vs. parents soccer game.  Libby and Dad both broke a sweat en route to the kids beating the parents, 2-1.  For all her hard work and good listening, Libby got a ribbon.  And because she did so well and likes it so much, she is already signed up for the next session in a few weeks...

Hi, I'm Mary and I'm adorable.

While Libby was doing something "organized," Mary has been busy embodying "disorganized."  She has become quite adroit at creating chaos and destruction wherever she goes.  It's not difficult to tell where Mary has been, as the tell-tale carnage is everywhere.  Mary is doing great, though.  Especially since she's had to deal with Libby moving in with her.  In prepping for Baby #3, Libby and Mary are currently in Mary's room, as Mom and Dad finish repainting the other bedrooms and moving all the furniture.  The change has been great for Libby--she's sleeping much better.  Mary, on the other hand, who has always been the sleeper of the two, has been having some rough nights.  Hopefully, everything will work itself out soon, and the adjustment period will be over so everyone can get a better night's sleep.

Weeeeeeeeeeee!

Two weeks ago, Libby and Mary made their first trip of the season to Kiddie Park.  Libby still loves it, and Mary is much more into it this year.  The best part for everyone is that the girls can pretty much ride all the rides together.  Mary is much less inclined to look for trouble if she is strapped in next to Libby.  Not sure how that all works, but it does, so no one's questioning it.  The girls had fun riding all the rides, and as per usual, the tantrum at the end signified a fun time.  It was especially fun to have Grammie and Papa Hanna come along!

No, Tiger, Libby is over there...get her!

The girls also got to go back to the "Outside Zoo" (not to be confused with the Rainforest, aka "Inside Zoo").  We hit the usual favorites: elephants, lions, rhinos, giraffes, zebras and flamingos.  But we also got to see the bears, reindeer, camels, tigers and mini African horses (or whatever they're called).  It was such a beautiful day and all the animals were out and active.  Again, Mary was much more into the experience than in previous trips, which made it much more fun.

The Yandek Ladies on the Merry Go Round.

Other activities include going to the various parks around town, flying kites, practicing riding our bikes and blowing lots and lots of bubbles in the backyard. The girls also went to a Pirates and Princesses Party where there was music, dancing, a conga line and a real pirate!  FYI, Mary does a great pirate noise!  It's not even June yet, and the girls have already had a full summer!  All that's left to do is at least one Tribe game and vacation!  And it looks like Dad's going to be home a little bit more this summer, which means more time for trips, adventures and ice cream!

Flying a kite in the park!

And finally, Mom and Dad are happy to report that all is well with Baby #3.  The baby is healthy and has a gender (which we don't know).  Names are still being bandied about (read: if Baby #3 is a boy, his name may be Baby #3), and Mom is still doing her best to get past the not so fun parts of being pregnant.  But, in all, things are good, and at least Libby knows enough to know that a baby is coming.  It's possible Mary is on to it as well, as she has been doing lots of extra cuddling with Mom.  It's as if she knows her world is about to be turned upside down...