This has been a LONG, HOT summer — to say the least. Since the pool closed, we needed something new to keep us occupied. I had seen an ad for this aquarium in Grapevine and decided it was a good time to try it out — we have to make the most of Raine’s last few weeks of being two and getting in for free.

It was a blast! Since this was the first week of school, there was hardly anyone there so the kids could run around and see everything without running into anyone. Our favorite part of the aquarium was the 360* tunnel through the big tank.

Carter had a hard time walking on that glass floor, it was hilarious to watch.

The aquarium had all sorts of bubbles that the kids could climb into and see into the middle of the fish tank. Here is Raine saying ‘hi’ to a stingray.

And one of the tropical fish tanks.

Almost all of the tanks had glass down to within a couple inches of the floor so Carter didn’t need any help to see. He felt like such a big kid running from tank to tank and looking inside.

Raine loved the “petting” area. She had no fear of sticking her hand in there and touching anything the worker brought up . . . including this nasty looking little guy.

Carter wasn’t so sure at first, but after watching Raine touch sea stars, crabs, and who knows what else, he eventually worked up the courage to touch one too.

Raine is such a sweet big sister to Carter.

She helps him out and teaches him whatever she knows.

I’m not saying that she never steals his toys or gets mad at him when he touches her stuff, but at moments like this I know these two are going to grow up to be great friends. And it makes my momma-heart smile!

Raine earned a ticket to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for reading more than 25 hours in the library summer reading club, and Saturday was the big performance.

There were a lot of really neat acts. I don’t know what this one was called, but it was fun to watch these guys doing flips on these narrow, springy boards.

The tigers were fun to watch just because they are tigers.

Raine’s favorite part of the show was the elephants. All I heard through the other acts was, “Where are the elephants? When are the elephants coming?” Luckily, the elephants did not disappoint.

I really liked this trampoline act. The costumes made it look like fireworks when a whole bunch of them started jumping at the same time.

Carter was more interested in taking a nap than watching the circus — thank heavens for ear muffs!

After the show, we went back-stage to the animal open house. Raine really liked seeing the elephants one more time.

Carter enjoyed seeing them for the first time!

We celebrated Daddy’s 34th “birs-day” on Friday with a family outing to the water park (of course). I made arrangements for a friend of ours to meet us at the pool and watch the kids while Daddy and I rode the big slides — like the water roller coaster that we had been dying to ride. After that, Daddy belonged to Raine. She took him up and down the “big kid” slides for over an hour. They had so much fun.

After showers and naps, we took him to Panera Bread.

Then home to open presents.

Raine made him some crafts out of foamies — her current favorite activity.

Happy Birthday Daddy! We really love you.

Here is Raine’s rendition of “Happy Birthday!”

Aunt Sarah and Uncle Dallin are visiting us in Cowtown this weekend and we have been doing as much as possible with them despite the scorching heat. Saturday morning we headed over to the water park and rode slides until we were too tired to ride any more.

That evening we drove down to Benbrook Farms for a law school alumni picnic. Raine was so excited to ride a horse that we decided to brave the heat just so she could do it. I’ll be honest, I really didn’t think that she would actually ride one. I thought she would chicken out once we got up close. But she didn’t. As we stood in line, she kept asking which horsey was going to be hers. Then when it was her turn she walked right up to that great big horse and let me lift her onto its back. I thought for sure she would want down once it started moving, but she didn’t. And when I asked her if she was done riding after a couple rounds, she emphatically told me no.

I walked her around that arena until I was too dog-hot to stand it any more. She loved every minute of it.

Then we joined everyone else in front of the mist-fan and drank as much water as possible.

We definitely initiated Aunt Sarah and Uncle Dallin to the heat today. They sure are going to appreciate Logan when they get home. But Raine had the time of her life, so it was worth it!

Here are his stats:
Weight: 22 lb. 4 oz. = 50%-ile
Height: 31.25 in. = <90%-ile

He is still “long and lean” according to the doctor. Although, she couldn’t resist squeezing his thunder-thighs a few extra times as she examined him!

On another developmental note, Carter cut his first molar about a month ago and so is well on his way to having a whole mouth full of teeth.

On Friday, we celebrated Carter’s 1st birthday with friends at NRH2O water park.

“Hey, somebody stole my shirt.”

“Mmmmm, good cupcake; don’t you think George?”

Left side: Ashley, Cade (hidden), and Boston Walker; Aaron and Natalie Guerrero
Right side: Cloe Guerrero, Raine, Ophelia (hidden) and Katya Kinzler, Emma Guerrero (hidden)

Carter had lots of help opening his presents.

“Hey, blocks!”

“Hmmm, I wonder how you get these animals out of the tube?”

The official high was 107*, to say it was hot doesn’t even begin to describe it. This crayon that was left on the table shows how we felt if we were out of the water for more than a few minutes.

Carter fell asleep while DJ and Raine were at the wave pool. In order to avoid him ending up like the crayon, I packed him with half-frozen capri sun pouches and fanned him with a gift bag.

Carter’s big day started with a walk down to the playground.

But by 10:00 it was too hot to be outside so we headed home to play where it was cool.

A little teddy-bear wrestling anyone?

Next we went to Panera Bread for lunch…hey, who ate all the brownie!?!

We picked up the balloons on our way home and decorated. Carter LOVES balloons! He had to have one in each hand at all times the rest of the day.

After dinner, it was time to open presents.

Then we had cake and ice cream…mmmm!

Carter is in a fork phase right now…

…but it’s still a work in progress…

…so just use what ya’ know.

Then a little more playing before bed.

My notebook of Raine-isms is getting full again so here they are, illustrated with some projects we made from her watercolor paintings. Raine does the painting, I cut them up, she smears them with glue, then I stick them to the paper. This is what we do while Carter takes naps — since Raine has decided that she can’t sleep while it is light outside. We have so much fun!

Thursday, July 7, 2011
Raine, very matter-of-factly, as we are sitting at the table eating dinner: “Daddy, when Carter turns into a girl then he will be a big kid.”
Ummm, apparently we need to have a discussion on the permanency of gender.

Any time I tell Raine that she can’t do something right now, maybe later, she says, “I need to do it Thursday and Friday and RIGHT NOW!” It doesn’t matter what day of the week it.

Thursday, July 1, 2011
Raine: “Who wants to go swimming?”
Mommy: “I do!”
Raine: “Ok. And whobody else?”
‘Whobody’ is a staple word in her vocabulary and it makes me laugh every time.

Sunday, June 26, 2011
Raine: “Mommy we are going to the temple.” (She had just finished singing ‘I Love to See the Temple’)
Mommy: “Oh? Ok.”
Raine: “Yeah, and we will see the alligators and crocodiles, and tigers, and . . . “
Mommy: “At the temple???”
Raine:”Yeah, and they have alligators, and dinosaurs . . .”
Hmm, apparently we need to spend some time talking about the temple, too.

Sunday, June 5, 2011
Raine singing as she jumps wildly on our bed: “Momma called the doctor and the doctor said, ‘no more monkeys jumping on the bed.'”

Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Raine: “Mommy you’re a gorilla. I’m a lion.”
Mommy: “What’s Carter?”
Raine: “Carter’s a duck. And daddy is a big green frog!”
Read into it what you will, I’m not sure what to make of it.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Raine: “What’s on your cheek Mommy?”
Mommy: “I don’t know. What’s on my cheek?”
Raine: “Sprinkles. There are sprinkles on your cheek.” (Freckles)

Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Raine playing hide-and-seek with Daddy: “I’ll go hide in the closet and you count to ten.”
She is obviously missing the point of the game!
Usually when it is Raine’s turn to hide she runs off while you count and then by the time you get done she has run back and yells, “You found me!!”

Raine, pointing to the triceratops on the back of my zoo-run t-shirt: “Is that one an Aunt-Sarah-tops?”

Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Raine, yelling from the bathroom where she is sitting on the potty: “Mommy, turn the light on in here so I can see my poopy.”
There is no shortage of potty talk around here. I always find myself thinking things like, “Am I really having this conversation? Did I seriously just say that out loud? Who knew that wiping your bum could be a conversation topic? Why does she have to give a play-by-play every time I’m using the restroom — especially in public? I really hope no one else is in here.”

Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Raine was in the bathroom washing her hands and could see DJ and Carter in the mirror. Out of the blue she says, “Daddy, I really like that striped shirt on you. It’s so cute!” DJ just laughed and said thank you. It was so random.

Saturday, April 2, 2011
We were getting ready for a bike ride and Raine wanted everyone to try on their helmet. I put mine on and she said, “You look like… an angel!”

I walked into the house after getting my hair cut and Raine ran up to greet me. She stopped in the middle of the entry hall and said, “Mommy, you’ve got crazy hair!” Not really what I was going for.

Painting for Daddy’s Father’s Day card.

Seen outside the shower door
The following two events happened sometime near the beginning of the year. They illustrate how hazardous it is to take a shower when you have little ones running loose.

I was in the shower, washing my hair, when I noticed Raine dragging the garbage can over from beside the toilet. I thought, “that’s weird,” and asked her what she was doing. She didn’t answer. Then about 30 seconds later it hit me: I get out the garbage can when I am cutting hair!!! I started yelling at her to stand where I could see her and sure enough, she had the hair scissors in her hand. That was a serious disaster narrowly averted!

As I was taking a shower, I saw out of the corner of my eye something sitting on the bathmat just outside the shower door. I did a double-take as I realized it was Raine’s diaper. She had taken it off and run off somewhere in the house. I started yelling for her — fearing another “poop on the floor” incident. Eventually she answered me from the bathtub. Phew!

This year we celebrated the fourth at Lake Grapevine with the Kinzler family — PJ, Katya, and almost-two year old Ophelia. We swam in the lake, grilled some hamburgers, ate watermelon, listened to the daddies jam, and watched the fireworks over the lake. It was a good time.

Refueling after our first swim in the lake.

Daddy and Carter with a view of the lake.

While we waited for the fireworks the girls were lounging in the chairs.

The daddies were jamming.

The babies were . . . kissing! (Carter was a willing participant the first time, but he gave sweet little Ophelia the stiff-arm every time she came at him after that.)

And reading.

And snacking.

We had a fun time! The kids loved playing together and watching the fireworks. Carter was so entranced by the show that he fell asleep right in the middle of it! (Okay, so maybe he was just exhausted from all the swimming, sun, and kissing!)

We FINALLY took Daddy to the water park this weekend so he could see first-hand how much fun we have. Raine loves the water and is quite the fish. She has also become quite the dare-devil. She will go down any of the slides that she is tall enough to ride.

We started at the toddler slides.

Carter likes to ride too.

My cute water babies.

Next it was time for the “big kid” area. There are five or six twisty slides that go down the backside of that big structure and Raine and Daddy rode them all. Unfortunately, there is so much water splashing, spraying, and dumping in this area that I couldn’t get any photos of them on the slides without completely soaking the camera.

This next photo shows the whole area, including the HUGE bucket of water that periodically dumps over the structure. On the right side of the photo is an orange slide. It is the kid’s equivalent of a drop-slide.

Raine kept insisting that she wanted to ride the orange slide, despite our best efforts to talk her out of it. So we finally said “okay.” I had seen other kids about her size go down and all of them flipped when they hit the pool so I knew Raine didn’t stand a chance. I stood right next to the slide, at the bottom of the drop, so that I could pull her out. I wish I had a photo of the look on her face as she came out of the tube and dropped — sheer terror! Sure enough, when she hit the pool she flipped. I grabbed her before she could get scared and starting telling her how cool that was. She just stood there with a look of shock on her face. I asked her if she had fun and she nodded her head “yes.” Then I asked her if she wanted to do it again and she shook her head “no.” I think she believes us now that it is a scary slide!

We did a lot of swimming and wore out poor Carter. He snoozed in the stroller while Raine and Daddy floated in the wave pool.