A Beautiful 4th



It's not very often that we get a sunny 4th of July. In fact, I think the general rule is that if it's nice on the 3rd and nice on the 5th, it's raining, cloudy, and/or cold on the 4th. So imagine our surprise and delight when the weather forecast held true on the 4th and we got to sit through a parade in the sun!

And it wasn't just sunny - it was warm and beautiful. While I remembered to slather the girls in sunblock, I forgot myself (really, there's no good excuse) and am still nursing a stinging burn on my left shoulder. But I refuse to complain about it because it was my first opportunity to burn since last summer. I'll take it!

We went to the Edmonds parade (the girls are loving parades right now - we walked in the Marysville parade a couple weeks ago, and are already talking up the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival parade in September). The parade itself was a little disappointing - we've definitely seen better - but the outing was fun and Marin and Silje are still talking about the candy.

We went from the parade to Mount Vernon to spend the afternoon with my parents. My mom was able to spend the afternoon sitting on the deck, still recovering from back surgery, which made us appreciate the beautiful day even more. My dad did the food shopping and prep - those of you who know him know how impressive that is! Andy grilled. I tried to even out my lop-sided burn by keeping my right shoulder in the sun more than the left. And the girls scootered, played in the playhouse, and tossed paper airplanes off the back of the deck.

A Happy 4th of July!

Waiting for the parade was half the fun.



Hey, if there aren't any firetrucks coming down the road yet, enjoy the best seat while you can!

And what did the girls do to pass the time waiting? Collect rocks, of course. (How is this still such a favorite hobby?!)

The motorcycle cops doing their formations to start the parade.

Prime seating.

Scootering around Grandma and Grandpa's driveway.

Happy July, everyone! And Happy FINALLY Summer!

Signatures

Marin and Silje have been practicing writing their names the past few months. It's a favorite task when the paper and pens come out.

Silje wants to sign all of her artistic creations. She started out needing help with the S, but now she even has that tricky e down pat!

In classic Marin-style-of-learning, she writes her name over and over and over and ... yes, the same way she learns everything: by obsessing until she's satisfied (remember when she learned to walk?). She started with the M and just kept asking "how?" until she got them all!

It's so much fun to watch these girls practicing and adding new skills to their repertoires. Marin and Silje are definitely ready for preschool in the fall (good thing, 'cause so am I!).

Ocean Shores

Andy had a conference to go to in Ocean Shores a couple weeks ago, so the girls and I met him there after his Friday meetings for a little summer mini-vacation. The forecast foretold rain and cold, but in a reversal of the usual weather-man-got-it-wrong, this time it was for the better. Friday was sunny and warm and the girls LOVED their first frolic in the ocean. (I know, pathetic - we live in WA and this is the first time Marin and Silje have seen the open sea!)

We didn't know it until Andy got down there earlier in the week that it was a big weekend in Ocean Shores - the Sand and Sawdust Festival! We saw chainsaw wood carving in progress on Friday, as well as the beginning and end of the sand-sculpting contest on Saturday. I think Andy and I were more impressed than the girls - they couldn't stop thinking of the wave running they did upon our arrival. But they totally got into bowling Saturday afternoon!

Sunglasses out! Behind them is a preview of the sand-sculpting contest to come.

Marin's face got sandier each time she tried to push her hair away.

Silje got upset about her sandy hands, while Marin was, ahem, throwing sand behind her.

Ailey was the first to brave the waves. You know, just go in a little ways, maybe splash the bottom of her pants...

Silje soon followed her...

And Ailey ended the frolic soaked sholders to toes!

Marin finally joined in ... tentatively.

After pushing her ball, Silje had plenty of time to lean back and watch before it reached the pins (that's her pink ball just rolling up to the pins). All three girls had a blast bowling. Thank goodness for the bumpers!

Some of the finished sand sculptures we saw:

Andy had his hands, arms, and shoulders full.

Behind Ailey are some of the awesome kites that were flying on the beach. We brought ours ... but forgot the string. :-(

With no big vacation plans this summer, Ocean Shores was a nice little get-away. The girls always love staying in hotels, and we're finally done lugging in the travel cribs for Marin and Silje - just three small cots now, yay! Each year gets a little easier. :-)

Haircuts: Authorized and Unauthorized

It happens to most parents, right? Tell me it happens to most parents!! That thing that my kids would never do, Silje did. And I should have know it would happen .... because she's Silje. And Silje is proving more and more often how very "spirited" she is (that's what "They" call it, right?).

She's very good with the scissors - she holds them correctly, cuts pretty nice lines, only uses them while sitting in her chair, and until a few days ago she also only used them on paper. Safe. I guess my definition of "safe" should have included more than the potential for injury, because her butchered hair would argue it was anything but safe during those few crucial moments.

So now we will spend the summer watching her locks grow back out. And since she cut them so short that people don't even notice the new-do, I'm thinking the growing out stage is going to look a lot worse than her coif does now. *sigh* Here we go.

The Bang Cut: I'd better stock up on more sunblock!



The After-Thought Cut: This part wasn't noticed until bedtime when I was pulling out her pony-tail and pulled with it a handful of her hair detached from her head, but still hanging in the pony. That's snipped hair on the lower left.

Three days later Marin got her first "official" - and Authorized - haircut at our neighbor's in-home salon. She was very still through the whole thing, which was good to see since earlier in the morning when she found out she was getting her "hair cut at Lucy's house" she was bouncing off the bed and walls squealing in excitement!

Look at that long hair! Marin's hair grows faster than any of ours - I've cut her hair probably three times more often than either Ailey's or Silje's.

Tennille gave Marin a little "twist" on top to hold back the the longer bangs she's growing out. Marin felt very stylish!

Toys R Silje

The girls and I are heading to Toys R Us to get a gift for a birthday party Ailey is going to and, in classic Higgins-girls'-style, they are all talking at once about Where are we going? and What are we doing? and I do my best to work in an answer with each question.

Of course, they can't hear my answer the first few times so it's a couple minutes before Silje hears me say "We're going to Toys R Us". And it's again a couple minutes before I hear, and then understand, what she is saying in reply.

She says "Mom, that thing you just said starts with Silje!" I'm confused - who wouldn't be, huh?! So she keeps repeating herself, that what I just said "is an S that starts with Silje", just like her name. I'm still wondering WHAT I said that starts with an S, but she is persistent and finally I get it.

Toys R eS. With an S for Silje!

At first I tried to correct her. "No, Toys R US." But she isn't having it. She insists I definitely said "Toys R S", and her excitement definitely makes me want to just agree with her.

So you should too, of course. The next time you need a toy for a birthday party, just head on over to Toys R S and think of Silje while you're there!