Living the rough life... Trips #1 & 2

Hello everybody!!  As previously discussed, we're having extended summer around here because Hayley was born.  And a fantastic summer its turning out to be!  We have FOUR big trips planned this summer... it's tough to be a Nathlich girl!  Everybody wants to see us.

Before we get to our trips - here we are with our Dad on Father's Day.  We think he's the best Dad ever.  We don't really know any other Dads.  But he's the best ever anyway.  And boy does he look good with a lady on each arm!

Look at Abby.  She's trying to escape.  Look at me; being perfect.  That's a reoccurring theme around here these days. 

Mom wanted this posted.  It was a MAJOR accomplishment that I sat still(ish) long enough to get princess hair.  Emphasis on the ISH - which is why the braids are a little zig-zaggy.

SO: Trip #1.  Connecticut.  We went to visit Grandma and Grandpa for a long weekend when Daddy had a major golf tournament.  When he told mom he'd be working 15+ hour days the same week that Gabby- our amazing nanny - was going on vacation... Mom couldn't get us to CT fast enough.  Early one cloudy morning while I was napping, Mom and Grandpa took Abby to the beach.  They had it to themselves so Abby decided to mow the sand.

It was a little hard to push! 

Then another day in Connecticut we had a playdate with our bestest Connecticut buddies: Emma, Matthew, Johnny and Lila.  Matthew taught me how to play lacrosse.  My uncles will be SO proud. 

Lacrosse rules as I understand them:  (A) the sport is best played in a tutu.  (True for everything in life according to Abby these days).

(B) The dang stick is HEAVY: so hauling it off the ground is 99% of the battle.

(C) always play with a pink tennis ball.

Busted!  How are these for some seriously guilty faces?  Lila and I snuck a snack into her playhouse.  We totally got caught.

The tutu queens get to work in the kitchen.

Lila is the youngest at her house, and she really loves babies.  Personally, I feel she'd get over this love if she had one.  I was happy to lend her mine.

I was fine with it!  She was gentle, and careful, and she fed me!  Which my getting-bigger-by-the-second self finds to be the most important aspect of my days.

One rainy day we discovered this amazing museum for kids.  This cone shot air out so a ball would float right before your eyes!

It sorta blew my mind!

Playing with cars is NOT a violation of the Princess Code of Girly-ness IF the car is pink.  So I played with the pink car and the pink car only.

Haha!  Check me out.  There was a room in the museum that was only for non-walkers (and our shoe-less parents).  So I went in to lay around and look at the big colorful murals on the wall.  And then: from the other side of the room... I saw the Best. Sight. Ever.

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!  Abby was NOT happy about the fact that she wasn't allowed in MY special room.  Ha! Ha! Ha!  It's about time something works out this way!

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  I wasn't allowed in Hayley's room.  Bitter.  But, moving on to the next cool part of the museum.  The water tables.  With balls floating.  I think it was teaching about energy.  Lesson learning is not really important at museums.  It was awesome. 

Building with gigantic blocks that I could walk on!

Back at the water tables...

Seriously.  Just call me Monet.  Although there are downfalls to painting with water.  My masterpiece dried up before anyone could offer me millions for my original works.  And so I continue to be an unrecognized talent.

So back at home we got to go see the fireworks at our dad's golf course.  We got to play on the golf course before they started.  Correction.  Abby got to play on the golf course before they started.  I got to sit with mom and talk to people.  I gotta learn how to walk!

Girls only picture!  Turns out we both LOVED the fireworks.  The noise didn't bother us and we loved all the lights.  Abby kept signing "More" every time there was a pause in the action.

The next night (July 4th) we went with Tucker and Evan to see a military band.  Note that Abby had a tutu for this occasion too!

I got my dance party on... of course!

So then it was time for trip #2! This time we were off to FL.  It was my first plane ride!!  I was PERFECT.  As usual.  Even Abby was pretty good.  Fine, she was great.  A fluke, I'm sure.

We went to Florida to see our Great Aunt Holly get married.  Which you'd never be able to tell from our pictures of the trip.  Oops.  But mom had her hands full of us during the wedding... so if you want to see some great pictures of our whole family - go to Grandpa's pictures.  We got to see the last launch of a space shuttle right from Aunt Holly's roof!

This was our first time at the real ocean!!  (Connecticut has beach on Long Island Sound - but the real ocean has BIG waves!!!)  I played and played and played in them.  And then I napped and slept for amounts of time NEVER seen before.

Awesome!!

A nice nap on the beach.

So Grandpa taught me this game he used to play with mom and my uncles.  It's called "Jump Over the Waves and then Run back to shore before the wave gets you".  Original name, right?

We played and played and played.  And when mom and Grandpa were done playing, I insisted we play some more.  And more.  And more!  I kept signing "More Water, More Water" over and over and over.

The other great game was "Make Megan build sand piles with me".  She was a pro.

Again, we apologize to all the family that we did not get pictures of.  We were just having too much fun to remember our camera!

Our Great Aunt Leanne gave us these adorable outfits.  We tried to get a great picture of the two of us - which resulted in these hysterical shots. 

Sometimes Abby still has issues with that eye-crossing she won't wear glasses to help correct.

Abby, I'm really uncomfortable with the proximity of your hand to my face.

Oh, sure... just eat my head.

I don't believe your "caring older sister" act!  I wish my legs could walk me away!  I wish my legs could walk me away!

So we'll spend a week or two here at home and then we'll be jet-setting off to Lake Tahoe to visit our Dad's family.  We'll try to be better about USING our camera while we're there!!