Fourth of July, Cauley Reunion, and More

Much to his father's chagrin, Alex insisted on having a bow in his hair just like his sisters. He's testing out his monkey backpack (with a very long tail for a leash) on the Fourth of July before we head to the aquarium with Cecil's grandmother and aunt.

Helen thinks her backpack is awesome!

Helen is so cool in her shades

We fit all 7 of us in the Mighty Blue Minivan!

Grandmother and Ella - we are not sure who is trying to keep track of who

This was the day Alex started saying "turtle" and "whoa". Here's Alex and Ella checking out the fish.

Alex is showing me the fish. How cute are they lined up with their backpacks on??

Grandmother and Ella check out the fish

Daddy and Helen

We are not sure which was more fun - seeing the fish or running around the aquarium dragging an adult.

Mommy and Helen

Helen being coy

Back home Alex found Grandmother's gardening hat

Helen having a meltdown over some perceived injustice

At the Cauley reunion, Helen was a charmer

Alex loved climbing up onto anything and everything. He loved getting to play with lots of other little boys too.

Hi Mom!

The Cauleys

Alex looks on enviously at his cousins' video games

After a trip to the lake with our cousins, Helen got swimmers ear. Here I am with her on the couch trying to get her to lay on her side while I put drops in her ears. The only way to accomplish this is to put on Mickey Mouse or Little Einsteins. Whenever I would say, "Helen, time for your eardrops" she would put her head to the side and put her finger in her ear. Alex and Ella would go plop themselves in front of the TV because they knew it meant they got to watch Mickey too.

Ella picked up the Pottery Barn catalog and sat back in the chair to browse through it.

Sweet Alex

Happy Helen (seriously, how adorable is she??)

Ella and Helen - growing up much too fast and getting way too big

Ella enjoying her yogurt

Alex loves his yogurt too

Helen is always the neatest with her food

Daddy and Helen reading the Sunday paper

Helen trying to put her sandals on (she already successfully put her own hat on)

Before heading to the pool, Ella found my running shoes and thought she would try them on. She just has a little bit of growing to do.

Ella at her last swim lesson - she graduated!

Helen showing her stellar float

Happy Helen in the car

Mr. Blue Eyes

No denying these kids have blue eyes - Precious Ella (I'm not sure why she is not wearing any clothes but I'm sure this is a great story there)

Our new choo choo wagon on the way home from the pool

Summer Fun

Before heading to the beach, we like to hydrate with our water bottles

Daddy pulls us in the wagon

After the beach, we rinse off in the shower outside with Daddy (here with Helen - don't worry, Helen is the only one who is naked outside)

For some reason Ella loves wearing her hat when she's inside - just not when she is out in the sun

Alex is too cool with his shades on

Helen hams it up for the camera

Ella is trying go incognito in her shades

A rare moment of mommy being on the other side of the camera

Ella likes to sit in the big chair like mommy and flip through her books

Helen relaxing with a book on the stairs (until Ella came along)

Naked babies eating - everyone was wet from playing outside in the pool so we stripped down to diapers before coming inside

Everyone is doing great! They are getting so big and so much smarter. Now that they can understand what we are saying, we have to start spelling things like "food" "beach" and "eat." Scary. They are talking more now too. Even Alex is getting better although we are still going to speech therapy twice a week. In his first session, he did not make a sound. In his second session, we got "more" "down" and "bye" from him. It's a start.

They are finally finished with swim lessons. It is so much more relaxing going to the pool with them now knowing that when they get in over their heads, I have a second or two while they flip on their back to float to get to them. It is amazing to see how one will go too far off the step and before I can even reach the kid, he or she is on his or her back floating. Helen is our star floater. She has a great float and will even laugh at you while she is laying there. So we love going to the pool and the beach.

We decided to start them in "school" in the mornings in the fall. I think they are really going to love being in a new environment and learning new things. It is going to be harder on me than it is on them. I'm gearing up for it now to be able to leave them their every day :(

1 and a half years old!

We are so big now that we don't have to use our trays - we can eat at the big table!

Alex is not shy with his 1/2 year birthday cupcake

Helen is so sweet - she is offering to share some of her cupcake with mommy

Ella wants to wrap up her cupcake in her mat and save it for later

Daddy reading to his girls

Mommy decided that this seating arrangement made it easier to reach everyone. The added bonus is that now everyone is within reach and can trade food.

Last weekend we went up to Georgia to visit Cecil's grandmother - we got this beach ball at the store and let them play in the yard. Ella is not shy about checking it out.

Alex and Grandmother check out the yard and the new toys

Ella tries to pick it up but it proves to be a little too heavy even for her

Helen just likes to push her wagon and stay outside the range of the spraying water

April and Ella play with the bubbles

Helen with her wagon again

Now Helen decided she wants to try to catch the water in her shovel and Alex is trying to catch it in his bucket

Ella is checking things out in the grass

After church on Sunday, we tried to get a family picture