I am getting a little closer each day to being able to do some super cute stuff with M and L's hair.  The sides are almost long enough for a fun little braid.  This is about all that can be done right now!

Yesterday we took the girls to Hannah Park.  Midway through the summer, both kids became a little timid and refused to climb on the playground equipment or go down the slides.  I think Lena has passed that stage, because she climbed on everything there.  Maddie stuck to the swings the entire time we were there...three different swings, to be exact.  As soon as she got down from one, she went on to the next and asked to swing again.  Right before we left, she decided to climb to the top of the playground, and she refused to come down- "No slide!" "No stairs!"  Chris climbed up, and brought her down the slide.  She was crying about it the whole way.  It made for some good pictures though.

Our garden is officially out of control.  Anyone who has ever grown anything probably could have told us to expect this when they saw how much we planted in such a little area.  This being our first shot at growing anything ourselves, we had really no idea what to expect.  Chris and I said from the beginning that this would be a trial year.  Well, we learned the plants I chose need at least twice as much space as we allowed them.  When we returned from vacation, the garden looked like it had been through a war.  The tomato plants were taking over everything else.  The zucchini and cucumber plants were dying.  It was just a mess!  Last night Chris pulled most of it up, so the tomatoes will have a fighting chance to produce some fruit for the rest of the season.  They must be the strongest of all the plants we had, because look at all the tomatoes I picked!  M and L eat these things like grapes, so we are set for a while.  Oh well, live and learn.  We already have a better game plan for next spring!

Our babies are two.  I can't believe it!  It just doesn't seem possible!.  I debated on whether or not they were too young for a birthday with friends.  My friend Katy's daughter Maya was born the same day as Maddie and Lena (the girls play together fairly often), so we decided to throw a party for all three of them together.  The party was at an indoor playground, and it was a perfect location.  We had a Dora the Explorer theme- to say all three girls love Dora would be an understatement.  We tried to get a family photo, but, as you can see, they just got worse as we took them.  M and L know when we want to get a shot, and they start kicking and screaming...ugh.  I have accepted that we will not have a nice family photo until our kids are grown.  Anyway, all the kids played for about an hour before we sat down to snack on PB&J sandwiches shaped like butterflies and flowers, grapes, Dora snacks, and pretzels.  Of course we had cake too!  The girls really dug in...especially Lena.  She was the messiest kid at the party by far.  Maddie got away without too much icing on her face, but only because she dropped her cake in the floor then stepped on it.  M and L were pretty worn out by the time we headed home, but they opened all of their gifts before bedtime.  They had a fantastic birthday, and they are learning to tell people they are two when asked their age now.

Second Birthday Party

Lena has been eating the legs off her animal crackers and throwing their bodies on the ground.  Should I be worried?

Maddie can unlock and open the front door...crap.

They crawled in our bed while I was making Chris's lunch, and he was getting ready for work.

I found M and L in our closet trying on my hells.  I love that Lena is wearing two different shoes.  She was also offering to help Maddie get hers on..."I help you.  I help you."

"Help, please!" Maddie said.