As an independent, toddler bed sleeping, three-year-old we have found naps to not be a certainty. Somehow, when you mix the carseat and mid-afternoon, we get our naps in.

I love to watch the girls play. Julia was having so much fun just pulling things out of her baskets and inspecting each one. She would study them and touch them. When she was done contemplating each one she would go back for another one.

You can’t really tell from this photo, but there are fish on her dress. Fish is her new favorite word. When ever she sees fish she points at them or waves her hands in the air saying ‘ish, ish, ish’. Fun, fun, fun!!

I’m enjoying the little bit of curl her hair still has. I don’t expect her curl to last past the first haircut. It is a sweet little girl thing she has right now.

The girls have been taking swim lessons. Emily is in her own level I class and Julia and I are taking a “Mommy and Tot” class together. I was fortunate and they are teaching the two classes at the same time so we all can participate.

Emily has been doing really well. Previous to this class she would swim with water wings, so this class has been a lot of getting used to how her body feels in the water without a flotation device. She has been very willing to try new things. With the help of her teacher and a buoy she swam the length of the pool and back, she has swum under the lane divider, she will bob her face in and out of the water, and she is having a lot of fun. I asked Emily what her favorite thing to do in the pool is and she said to hold the side of the pool with her hands and feet.

Once Julia gets used to the temperature of the water she is having a good time with Mommy. We sing songs, bob in and out of the water, practice holding to the edge of the pool, throw and swim to balls, put our face into the water, and get dunked once each lesson. She hasn’t gotten fearful of the water yet and is enjoying all the water. One of her favorite things to do is to look for Emily in the next lane. This past week she actually saw Emily kicking her feet while swimming and Julia imitated the kick motion. Her other favorite thing to do in the pool is to throw and fetch a ball.

We are hoping to have a lot of opportunities to practice what we are learning this summer in the pool!

Emily is fascinated by the game of hopscotch, even though she is not quite coordinated enough to play it herself. We have been practicing hopping on one foot. It is kind of tricky. The other morning she had me draw the hopscotch squares out on her board and we had her barn friends play at it for a while.

Emily is modeling the correct way to wear a headband in this photo. Ashley made her a personalized headband, and to Emily’s delight, she proceeded to wear it as a crown on her head. Then later she was wearing it as a belt on her waist. I’m not sure how a headband could be a toy, but it is a favorite at the house for now.

A run in a garden is perfect . . . what freedom. The fun of the a carefree spirit.

This is a classic Mommy perspective – someone asking to be picked up. There can be so many messages in these sweet arms: “I want a hug”, “help me”, “make it right”, “save me”, “I want you”, “sister did me wrong”, and sometimes “I just want your view on the world”. Mommy’s answer: “Yes honey, I will pick you up”.