a re-cap of week one

Today is the first day in over a month that we have nothing planned.  It feels wonderful!
I'm still getting caught up from our vacation, but our crazy post-trip week is over.  We've had dental visits, doctor visits, a day trip to San Diego, a baby shower, dog grooming, and Brian and I celebrated our 10th anniversary.  Whew! It's no wonder the girls slept until 9am today. :)

Don't worry, I won't bombard you with 700 photos from our trip but I would love to share my favorites from our first week.  We had a lot of "firsts" for the girls and made tons of memories.  They saw deer, caught fireflies (we don't have lightning bugs in CA), among other things.

We started our trip in Tennessee visiting Brian's parents and brother and sister in law (and niece and nephews).

The girls playing on Pop Pop's tow truck

The girls got to ride on the four-wheelers with their "big cousins" for the first time (and LOVED it!)

At the Discovery Center

Bailey with cousin Ethan (I love his reflection in the pool!)

Bailey amazed at the air tunnel at the Discovery center

The girls in front of Aunt Kimber's incredible hydrangeas

The girls with MomMom and PopPop at Cracker Barrel (another first)!

 After leaving Brian's family in southwest Tennessee, we went in to Nashville to see my aunt and uncle. Aunt Sharon took us to the Nashville Zoo.

 From Nashville, we left and went to our friends' house in Indianapolis.  On my birthday.  My wonderful friend Rachel made delicious brownie cupcakes (and a host of other yummy food all weekend).  Then we went to the Indy Zoo.

The girls got to pet a shark....

And act like monkeys...

Then we got to play with fireworks (something we are not allowed to do in our city). Brian showed the girls how to light five sparklers at a time.  

After we spent time with our friends in Indy, we moved on to Sheboygan, WI.  

But that starts our second week.....

Our country tis of thee...

We have been frequenting the library this summer and I'm always amazed at the books the girls pick out.

Bailey seems to pick whatever is at her eye level on the 'put back' shelf.  Reagan has cruised through 30 chapter books this summer, and Skylar.....well she has decided she loves the United States.  All of them.  She wants to learn about each state, what it's like to live there (and what language they speak...which really cracked me up).

We've checked out every kid atlas about the US that the library owns. And renewed them.  Twice.  She and Reagan will sit on the couch and pour over the atlases and talk about what it would be like to visit each state.  They talk about which state is their favorite (Reagan likes Kentucky because it has a lot of horses on the page.  She about flipped out when I told her that her aunt and uncle live there! Her other favorite is Virginia because it's where she was born....and it had horses on the page).

I thought it was a great opportunity to teach them about the names of each state.  So, this summer we've been learning this song.  It was my favorite in fourth grade and the girls have already learned quite a bit of it!!
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!! (remember to scroll down and mute my playlist so you can hear the song).