we're back from an absolutely awesome trip to seaside. it's so refreshing to be able to say that after the nightmare of a vacation we had last september when the girls were 3 / 23 months [you remember the blog post...] whew! this trip really could not have gone more smoothly- both girls loved the beach, the town, the family, the entire experience. & this was the first time in a long time that i wasn't anxious to get back home at the end of a trip!
last saturday was spent packing & hanging out with friends in celebration of the kentucky derby. it was definitely a nice distraction from my anxiety surrounding how much stuff i needed to get in the suitcase between all of us & the early early flight the following morning :)
lucy, emily & molly- these girls are the sweetest together between dance class & playdates
eloise & gretchen- less than 2 weeks apart :)
eloise & eloise :) [the other] eloise's mom, sarah, & i met a couple months after i'd had my eloise. the girls are one year apart [may of 2013 & may of 2014] & sarah's eloise will actually be in the same graduating class as lucy when the girls start grade school at holy trinity in 3 [sniff] years :) sarah's the mastermind behind the ballet shoes eloise wears everyday- she designs them & has them made in a multitude of colors
katie & me with our girls- hers are just 18 months apart :)
onto the beach- & a tremendous amount of photos :)
the girls did so well on the flights. other than eloise's "talking" which is LOUD & OFTEN... we really can't complain :)
we hit the beach within an hour of getting to the beach house- swimsuits strewn all over the rooms :)
eloise was in heaven. she loved the sand & water on her skin-
& despite how much the sand freaked lucy out last fall, she acted like an old pro when her feet hit the sand last sunday. she knew just what to do at the seashore :)
building castles & dams with uncle brian & tasman-
aunt chalon, lucy, tasman & meme-
lucy spent the week learning more about superheroes than most other 2 year old girls can claim knowledge of. tasman is the ultimate superman fanatic-
porch sitting & sister secrets
sunday evening sunset- these 2 are the best of friends <3
so proud to share "big kid bunk beds" & it was more successful than we could have hoped for! they fell out of the beds one time each throughout the course of the entire week... not bad for a 2 & 3 year old :)
ice cream suits & way too much fun dressing these cute little booties in coordinating swimwear!
by the last day, eloise was entertaining herself for hours at a time in this little splash pool we set up on the sand. she would put sand into the pool & buckets, pour in onto her legs, splash with the shovels, taste the saltwater... you name it. she is a total beach babe.
lucy had some brushing up to do on her swim skills. a couple days in, she was back to the little mermaid that she was last summer. but it took a couple of screaming fits to get there :) her swim instructor for the summer [my OT friend, laura] will thank us for getting her over that initial hump... :)
eloise's first time in the water! she loved it- although we always seemed to hit the pool right about nap time
my minis in minnie-
family night watching the spectacular sunset
& strawberry day :)
both girls took awesome naps on the beach- i couldn't be more pleased with how they slept during the trip! eloise slept about 730-6 most nights & took great naps most days. i was pretty nervous that sleep would be completely derailed! so grateful we were able to keep good sleep hygiene going for all of us :)
my little mommy-
red, white & blue!
& finally a similarly-timed smile :) waiting for dinner at great southern- the best
jon & i got the girls down to sleep this night, then went out for shaved ice [toasted coconut for me!] before walking on the beach & seeing more stars than i've ever seen before
all of us :)
lemonade in her tummy, sand in her toes, breeze in her hair-
our last night jon grilled up some hawaiian burgers & meanwhile lucy managed to fall & get her first fat lip... always something, no? :)
& this morning for mother's day, jon let me sleep in, cooked french toast [& cleaned the kitchen!], then took lu to buy blooms for our planters. it's been such a nice, relaxing day. i am forever grateful to jon for making my motherhood dreams come true, & for our beautiful girls who are my greatest gifts <3
happy mother's day to all moms, those wishing to be moms & those missing their moms :)
xoxo,
-ivy
