Our Friday started off with cousin snuggles in Coco and Poppy's bed. Elliott wanted to hold Penny. He's getting ready for his important role as big brother come September.
Cousin love.
Friday brought a change in the cast of characters. The Rugnettas went home. Ted and Jen came up from Buffalo and Claire, Scott, and Penelope came from NYC. Here is Aunt Jen with Penelope and Penny.
Penny taking a spin on Uncle Teddy's bike.
Poppy took Elliott out to look at the boats on the water.
I love the matching stripes.
Look at that love.
Penelope and Mike.
Penny took a turn at riding the plastic rocker. She kept her eyes peeled on Jesse's beer. We speculated about a future affinity for beer and mechanical bulls . . . her mother wasn't so fond of this promising future.
Look at me! Only one hand and no adult support!
Poppy took Elliott and Ned on a crazy boat ride - in a laundry basket.
Who knew you could have so much fun in a laundry basket?!
Banking right.
Mike, Ned, Claire, and Penelope.
Dutch briefly joined Elliott in the "boat." It was short lived.
Aunt Jen and Penny enjoying some snuggles. Or maybe Penny is gnawing on Jen's arm . . .
I meant to upload this video last week. Jesse took this when Elliott woke up from his nap in a very silly mood. Make sure you turn your volume up to hear all the giggles!
As we usually do, we packed up and headed to my family's beach house in Canada for the 4th of July. Some might find it odd that we go to another country to celebrate our country's independence day but that is all I've ever know. I took a ton of pictures over the weekend so this will take a few posts to cover it all.
The weather did not cooperate on the 4th. What do you do with five kids, four and under, on a rainy day? Well, if you're at Coco's house, you churn your own butter.
I was skeptical about this activity when my mom first mentioned it but the kids loved it. In fact, Coco had to referee the battles over who got to hold the jar and who got to turn the crank.
Ned holding and Elliott churning, with Sophia, Luca, and Coco looking on.
Dutch trying to get some of the action.
After a while, Ned said, "Coco, it's getting hard to turn." And that, my friends, is how you make butter! Given the amount of butter used in making breakfast that morning, it was a good thing the kids made more.
During lunch, I looked out of the kitchen to see my dad feeding something to Penny. She has only recently started on solid food and it's still a novel concept so I quickly asked what she was eating. "Cream of pretend soup." Hands down the cutest response and eater. She loved her pretend soup and gobbled it right up.
Elliott decided that he needs to move on from those juvenile sippy cups to stemware. Coco and I were always close by but he did very well drinking out of this glass!
We took the kids down to the dreary beach to let off some steam before lunch. Baths are a must to remove the copious amount of sand these kids bring back from the beach. Sophia and Ned - best friends.
Elliott was saying, "me too!" He wanted his picture taken too.
Three happy kids in the tub.
Elliott enjoyed a naked snack post-bath. Well, naked except for his new Crocs. Oh, those buns!
Penny and Dutch developed a special bond over the weekend. She scooted across the floor to get closer to him and eventually pet him. He responded with a love nibble that she did not appreciate. Later in the day, they traded toys. I wasn't around but someone walked in to find Penny with Dutch's rawhide and Dutch chewing on Penny's pacifier. They are starting early with sharing.
After nap, Sophia and Elliott helped Jesse and Mike install new stairs at Mabel, our guest house.
We spent last Sunday exploring Buffalo's Outer Harbor. This area has undergone impressive overhauling in the past few years that has resulted in new bikes paths and other public spaces. We went for a long walk, played at the new Wilkeson Pointe area, and then went to lunch in the Inner Harbor.
Elliott enjoying the view from his stroller.
Oh! Pretzel!
Dutch, hoping for some pretzels to fall down to the lower deck.
Getting back out to walk for a while.
Elliott looking at one of the old slips that has not been restored.
Jesse and Dutch. Looking north towards the Outer Harbor (forefront), Lake Erie (left), and the Niagara River (far out in the center). The land in the distance on the left is Canada.
My boys checking out the view.
Dutch getting out again on a new dock. I know he won't fit down there for long and I can't get enough of these pictures.
Dutch went for his first swim at the new beach at Wilkeson Pointe. He is such a natural in the water.
Elliott is taking water babies swim lessons twice a week for the next three weeks or so. We had our first lessons last week and he is getting more comfortable in the water with each lesson.
Practicing swimming.
The classes consists of singing songs and doing different activities in the water.
The windows on the bus go up and down. BIG hit with the little man.
He likes the kickboard for support.
Before our next swimming class, we did family yard work. Elliott and I picked up big rocks and trash along the side of the road while Jesse mowed the grass. Here is my little helper with the big rake and his hearing protection when we were close to the mower.
Back for more swimming classes. Love the smile.
Elliott is not all smiles all of the time but he's getting pretty comfortable.
He will kick when I ask him to. The big excitement that day was when the freight train went by on the tracks right near the pool. "Tommy choo choo!!!" According to Elliott, all trains are named Tommy. He was asking for Tommy choo choo when we went to swimming again today.
Elliott tried on Jesse's work boots. They are steel toed and too heavy for him to walk in so he just stood there and said cheese for me.
On Friday, our good friends Brendan and Danielle closed on their first house. We took over a celebratory dinner of pizza, beer, and ice cream. Knowing that we would be headed home around bedtime, we took Elliott's PJs and changed him there. In between undressing and PJs, we put his shorts on his head, which he thought was quite funny. There is history here. About eight years ago, we had a group of friends up to Canada for Labor (Labour in Canada) Day weekend. It was a wonderful weekend full of beach time, bonfires, great food, whiskey sours, and memorable games of croquet on the front lawn. None of us knew the rules to croquet so the men of the group made up their own rules. The penalty for disobeying a rule was that you had to wear your pants on your head. You can just imagine my parents' reaction when they came home to a bunch of guys on the front lawn in their boxers, with their shorts on their head. Elliott is following tradition.
