Giggling with GiGi

Following a great week with Grammy in Florida

my girls were blessed to be with their GiGi

Gigi met Cutie Pie

we realized how much Cutie Face looks like me, 

how much i look like my dad, 

and how much my dad looks like GiGi 

(ie, how much Cutie Face and GiGi look alike!)

Cutie Cakes loved hugging on her GiGi

(maybe she's thanking her for her infamously indispensable blankie)

and i don't think GiGi minded the hugs 

at a spry 82

GiGi played and played with the girls

needless to say, giggles abounded

they LOVED it!

sweet

sweeter

sweetest

We love you GiGi!

1.3.12 {picture a cute}

What a great afternoon we had

visiting our GiGi!

(...more to come in a real, non-picture post...)

Betty B wannabe

My Grandma and the Cuties' GiGi (maker of the famous security blankets the girls are always seen with) is not just a knitter. Actually, knitting is a side hobby that she just happens to be good at. 

What GiGi (aka Betty B) is really spectacular at is making cakes. My Grandma is a professional cake baker! She has made all of her grandchildren's wedding cakes and countless birthday cakes for her grands as well (not to mention the thousands of cakes she's made for customers and friends!). 

The twin and I used to love to watch her decorate and she'd always let us decorate our own 8" circular cake when we visited. 

Sadly, I should have paid more attention to her lessons because now I have daughters that would like decorated cakes for birthdays and special occasions!

I know you're thinking...uhh, didn't they have  Cutie Cakes' cake made by a bakery?

Yes! BUT 2 days later, Cutie Face turned 2 and that oh-so-crucial "half". 

I signed up to bring snacks for her preschool class on the day of her half birthday. Since she's a summer baby, she won't get to celebrate her birthday in school with friends so I figured a half birthday cake would help make up for that.

the tricky part was making this cake without eggs--

one of her classmates has a severe allergy to them 

which is why this eggless cake looks...a little flat

That didn't stop Cutie Cakes from being super excited about it!

but maybe that's just excitement about the lollipops

oh and as much as i adore polka dots 

and as much as the ones on the cake looked planned...

they're really just there to make up for my sorry attempt at decorating!

clearly I could still use a few lessons from talented Grandma B!

Though not planned, Cutie Face had a present waiting for her when she returned home from school.

I review products for a natural baby goods blog and one item arrived on her half birthday--Zylie the Bear--a stuffed bear that doubles as a dress up "doll".

As Cutie Face told J later that day, she is a very lucky kid. Looks like Zylie is a lucky bear, too!

we ❤ our GiGi

We've had lots of wonderful family time this summer. We are SO grateful to have close family ties on both sides.

Future posts will portray LOTS and LOTS of pictures of family members. One family member that won't be seen by face is the Cuties' GiGi (Great Grandma). BUT she is represented in all the pictures that include blankets.

GiGi--we love you and wish we lived closer to you so that we can share life. But please know that you are remembered daily (if not hourly) because of the blankets that the Cuties tote everywhere. Your love literally wraps them up at every nap and bedtime and anytime that they are sad, the blanket comes out to comfort them. 

And even when there aren't pictures of blankets, GiGi's resemblance can be seen in Poppy's face, my face, and Cutie Face's face:

Is it me or do the three of us have the same profile?

We love you, GiGi and hope to see you soon!

FOUR day weekend!

Usually i consider it the weekend when J comes home. Since he was expected to arrive home on Friday (early afternoon!) i definitely considered this weekend 4-days long. Plus, add in the fact that the twin and her cuties came to play in our neck of the woods AND that we were able to visit with a college friend (+ her husband + SIL + her two cuties) = the weekend most definitely started on Friday!

In case you couldn't tell, we practically live in the water during the summer. It's so much more fun with cousins, though!

sure...

 

they look all calm

but, what they love to do,

is SPLASH!

She's so cute!

We let the big kids stay up until the college friends arrived...

Lil' Miss took quite a shine to Mr. Steve

Both of them ended up staying awake until 11 PM. Sadly J didn't come home until 1 AM but at least he made it home safe and sound! You'd think that late early would spell SLEEPING IN but of course not. 

On Saturday morning we were met with a Box Turtle that J affectionately named Neville/Grumps. 

Churchill wasn't too sure about him:

They might have one day made friends...

but Neville was absconded by two tweeners as they walked past our yard. Bizarre. I just hope they were nice to Grumps.

While the life as a turtle owner can be exciting (or short lived), the life as a toddler is much more exciting--especially when it is birthday party time! 

We had a grand time celebrating Miss O's birthday at the Music Room and then at a great Mexican restaurant across the street.

of course, it wouldn't have been fun without the blanket!

my favorite part was the naptime song! 

We might start instituting that in our household

After the music class, we indulged in Mexican food for tots and adults alike and then wrapped it all up with a cupcake--definitely Cutie Face's favorite part of the day!

this was the first party she attended where there was a goody bag--oo la la

By the way, Cutie Cakes still exists:

We celebrated Memorial Day a day early with Poppy's side of the family

Cutie Cakes loved being held by GiGi

and the yahooligans really liked running in & out of the mesh bug screen

On the REAL Memorial Day, I was supposed to run a 5k...

i ran down to the start just to find out it was canceled! Oh well.

I met back up with J and the Cuties and we walked to Belly

Cutie Face wasn't too sure about the day-old pack of bagels we bought

She made up for the lack of flavor by spicing things up with her antics

thankfully, they kept us all amused while we waited out a severe thunder shower

After a relaxing afternoon, 

we rounded out our 4-day weekend with a neighborhood stroll...

See you later, May! Here we come, June!

forecast calls for sprinklers

Yes, the forecast is so hot that a day with the sprinklers is a given

Those lazy days of summer started early this year.

Cutie Face took a lie-in this morning (though, to be fair, she was up for nearly 90 minutes in the pre-dawn hours, hence the extra sleep)

I think she officially slept in until 9:01!

With her finally awake, we could go eat devour bagels

the girls were kind enough to share with Mimi

 

Keys & bags entertained them while we finished our breakfast

After a brief pit stop at the playground
(the twin and i had to feed the wee ones)
 it was home to Mimi's for some sprinkler action

{please note that Lil'Miss & Cutie Face split a two-piece suit}

it helped that their fun Mimi got them pumped up 

to experience the sprinklers head on!

ever the mother, Cutie Face toted her doll baby to the sprinkler

Don't get that baby wet, Cutie Face!
 

thinking about heading into the sprinkler fun:

decision made! 

wait for it, wait for it, wait for it, RUN!!!

Romping through the sprinklers was tough work and tuckered them out before lunch

but they rallied and ate a picnic lunch on the blanket!

To top off today's wet activities, the Cuties and I pooled it once we got home, too (told you it was a scorcher!)

Who you callin' wet?

PS GiGi also met Sweet Pea and was a great help to us by entertaining (and feeding!) the little girlies