~Polar Bear Fun~

We finally took a day off during this wonderful weathered summer and went to the Zoo. Our friends Ako and Tim met us there with their daughter Aila and Ako's mom was in from Japan. We had not met her before and it was great to finally meet her. The five of us met up with the couple (and their kids) from the New Age Foto Family Session we did the day before. They were a referral from Ako. We were so happy that the session worked out because they were only in town for a few days from New Mexico. Actually right after the Zoo, they left Columbus. Ako and Gina (the mom) went to Capital together, years ago. Ryan and Gina have two little ones; a three year old boy named Xavier and a little 18 month old named Seina. They are precious! We had so much fun playing with them, while photographing. X was glued to Tommy the entire two hours. I'm actually not sure if he even knew that I was there. S was all about dancing to get claps and giving hugs. I got a couple of hug! Tommy, well Tommy got a LOT of hugs from her. At the Zoo, it was just the same. “Look Tommy”, “Hold my hand Tommy!” “Animals Tommy”. Too cute. S stayed in her stroller and Aila was so independent while we were there. I think each of us only held her for about 5 minutes before she wanted to go explore on her own. She was so cute in the Petting Zoo Area we spent at least 10 minutes trying to point out animals, etc and she just wanted to do her own thing. Too Funny. The pix from the actual session are coming soon!




We were really excited about the Zoo this summer because the new Polar Bear Exhibit. The Columbus Zoo hasn't had them back since 1994! Wow was it worth it to visit. If you have not been yet, Go! While we were there, there were two Polar Bears. They were acting like 450 lb puppies playing but, of course, in the water. It was amazing to watch. I know that we were all in front of the glass for at least 15 minutes. One of the two was playing right in front of the panel of glass that we were standing. He was tossing and retrieving a, foot in diameter, plastic ball. I wish we had taken some video.


The rest of the pix from the day at the Zoo include the Petting Zoo, a group shot and a new favorite pic of Aila. She's leaning against the glass and she had been looking at a big brown bear. She looked back at us like, "I know what that is in there, I just forget what it's called." :)










After the Zoo for "Date Day" (cause night wouldn't work, lol) we went to The Wine Bar on 23. Tommy had the French onion soup and I had the Cheese Board. So Yummy! Of course we had some wine too. All whites for me, mostly reds for him! It was great to sit outside and relax after walking all day. Can't wait to go back for a third time, it's a great little place!

~Grasshoppers Galore~

Little Grasshoppers all taking over my garden. I guess it's ok. They have not ruined anything. Everywhere I look, there's another one. This lil guy is on the Green Pepper plant. It's our first time with them. Check out what else is growing!
My lil marigold in it's birdcage case!
I started tomatoes this year, from a seed. I am quite pleased. It's almost 3 and a 1/2 feet tall and producing little tomatoes (on their way) all over the plant!! We are not going to know what to do with all of them.
The first Strawberry of the Season, it was yummy! lol.

My first time with Banana Bell Peppers. They are getting so big but they're not ready to pic yet!
Tommy and I got green and red peppers this year. We have never grown them before but buy them from Meijer all the time so figured this year, was the year to try. So far, so good!
This is one of my little jalapeno pepper plants. I have three little ones, producing little minis and one large one that's taking over the bucket.

Hello Mini

My jalapeno peppers are getting really big. I have never grown them before and so happy that I have. Spicy Sloppy Joes are in the works soon. I send daddy home with one to try the other day and he said it was the hottest ever! He said two of the five bites of it were so hot that my eyes were watering. Oh goodness, I'm kind of scared to try them.
Our basil is acting crazy this summer. One day it looks like it's going to die and the next it looks great. It's been repeating this all summer long. Either way, today it looked great!
This is kind of funny. You've heard about the Cilantro, over taking the whole bucket it's in. Well now some leaves from it have fallen off and replanted themselves. I know have a second stock of it growing, anyone need any cilantro, you let me know.
Yet another Grasshopper on one of my plants, red pepper to be exact. I was surprised that they didn't hop away while I was "up in their faces" with my lil camera. Hopefully the peppers and tomatoes will be ready to eat soon. :)

~Locker Soccer~

Two weeks ago Jill signed me up to take her girls to Locker Soccer. It was a camp for both of them that they could do together in the 5 year old class. Grandma passed (in Michigan) on Monday morning. Tommy and I were there and my dad was sweet enough take his mornings to cover for me and take the girls in the beginning of the week. It helped me and Jill out so very very much. I was so thankful to daddy! The camp was for Monday - Friday. I don't have pix from Monday and Tuesday but starting with Wednesday below, oh, there are some stories to tell. :)

WEDNESDAY the girls did really well for how hot it was. Each morning they had a "meeting" with all of the age groups. They head coach told them the "theme of the day", that the theme would be the next day, went over the basic rules for everyone and they put in their votes as a group each morning to see who would win "Bed Head of the Day". Brooke was a very good listing, Audrey... well! There was one point in time where Audrey just sat there and stared at Brooke's soccer ball. lol. I kept saying, "Audrey listen to the couch!" and she would just stair. Someone was tired and hot.
Every morning they did their stretches, ran a few laps and such. Audrey was a little behind the other girls and her coach went back and caught up to her and ran to the finish line with her. Of course she didn't want me to run with her but once he showed up she had the biggest grin on her face. The 5 year old's were all cheering for her. It was so cute.

Wednesday was, I am sure, the hottest and most humid day of the whole summer. The camp had a sprinkler on all the time so the kids could cool off on their little 5 minute breaks. Guess who wouldn't leave the sprinkler when it came time to go back to camp? You guessed it, lil Miss Audrey. lol.

A-Dub playing with her towel, instead of soccer!

There was a game where the girls had to run back and fourth across the field without getting hit with soccer balls from the coaches (and eventually other team mates as they where illuminated) until there was only one girl left, the winner. Brooke came in second place! You go girl!
On Wednesday after Soccer we went to McDonald's (Uncle Donald's according to Brooke) and had a lot of fun. They were so hot that they had their milks and small waters in addition to the two water bottles they had at camp, NEITHER OF THEM had to pee all day. That's how dehydrated they were. I was proud of them for drinking all they did though. The pic below is so cute. I told Audrey to go get straws and she couldn't reach them. Brooke got them off the counter and put them on the floor so she could get three, then but them back. So sweet.

Tired!

THURSDAY was a good day! Audrey played soccer almost the full day, my mom came with us and it was COOL out. The girls stretched, chased bugs and played soccer! I love the one of Audrey where she's laying in the grass with her hand in her mouth. It is as cute as can be! :) I also think the last pic looks like she's trying to be a model; waiting for the ball.

These two photos totally prove Audrey's personality. She knew what she was doing when I took this photo. First she's giggling and talking to me, then my mom asks me something. As soon as my attention is away from her she makes this face. I took this shot of her and more more than 3 seconds later she made the face in the second picture. :) She was just craving for attention, I love it!

FRIDAY was water gun day. We ended up getting to Dublin over 25 mins early. Oops. It turned out all right, there was a Church Yard Sale / Bake Sale next door to the Park. We went and the first thing that the girls saw were these horses. Brooke found the cow flash light (that she has in her hands) and right away, wanted it. When we checked out with our brownie to split at snack time she handed the lady at the register the cow. I asked, "How are you going to pay for that Brooke?" She instantly ran away and put it back on the kids table. The church volunteer and I started cracking up. I was expecting her to ask me to buy it for her. Nope!

You would never guess from Friday's photos that the girls were tired, cranky and both crying on and off all day. lol.
I got the next two shots while they were both in the middle of crying by saying, "No laughing!" They were both so sad that it was a water break and not snack time.

Who Knows! LOL! Although I must say that she was doing this in the middle of the field and I could not get her to get up. Eventually the coach hollered, Audrey you're gonna have to move or your friends might run you over!

Brooke wanted to take a pic of me and A-Dub!

Brooke with her Coach!

This was taken during an "opposite game". If the coach said, "Hit" you had to catch it and if he said, "Catch" you had to hit it with your head. I didn't like the game. I don't understand the point of it either but Brooke and Audrey BOTH did really really well. At one point they were two of the last three standing in a group of two classes combined. Below, coach had just said, "Hit" while tossing it to her.

Lil Audrey waiting to hear Go!

Brooke made lots of friends at Camp.

Water Gun Fight, Here We Come! Jill sent the girls these tiny little water guns. That's what I would have done with my two little ones. Oh no, all of the other kids had super soakers!!! Brooke got a hold of an Iorn Man Super Soaker at one point and got Audrey good. A-Dub kept her little one the whole time. I love the shot below... she was making the boys surrender and they went along with it perfectly. Every two seconds you would hear, "No, don't get ME!!!" "Oh, YOU got me! You're so good!" My guess is at least two of the three boys have lil sibs!

Sneaking up to the Head Coach!

Toward the end of the day Audrey was filling up her water gun in the bucket next to the Head Coach more than she was running around.

Smoothie King sponsored the last day of Camp and brought smoothies for everyone. Brooke said she wanted Strawberry and Audrey said she wanted Grape so that's what I grabbed them. Oh my goodness. We got into the truck and Brooke tried her smoothie, she did NOT like it and started breaking down. Oh No! Audrey tried to share her Grape one with her but she wasn't having it! I said, "Brooke, give it to me!" I was afraid in all her crying that she would drop it on the floor." She handed to me and two seconds later started "scream/crying". I pulled over, got out of the car and tried to calm her down, telling her it's ok, and she needed to take some deep breaths with me. She was begging me for her smoothy back. lol. Oh my gosh. She was sad I took if from her. I said, "Baby girl, you're not gonna drink it so I sat it in the cup holder so that it wouldn't spill." She said, "I'll drink it, just give it back!" So I gave it back to her thinking yeah right, lone behold, she drank the whole thing and then fell asleep! A-Dub fell asleep too and later I had to take hers out of her hand so that she wouldn't spill it, there was a lot left in hers. Audrey woke up when I laid her down on her cot at daycare. The first thing she said to me was, "I want my smoothie!" My goodness, long day! :)


Below are some Video's from the week...