A dream fulfilled, 6 months in the making:

From the time Layla understood she was getting a little sister, the ONLY thing she has desperately wanted to do with her is feed her a bottle.  Done.  :)

Last day of preschool for Layla!

Today was Layla's last day of preschool.  She really LOVED this year there and adored her teachers (below).  She'll be going back there next year too, Tuesday and Thursdays, unless by some small chance she gets into a montessori preschool near us--it would be free, but meeting more days per week, so we'll see if I'm okay with that.  It's a slim chance anyway.  

Layla and Mrs. Webber, the assistant

Layla and Mrs. Nelson, and her friend Gretta.

One reason why I love Mrs. Nelson:  I asked if I could take a picture with her and Layla, and Gretta didn't quite get what was going on and came along for the picture.  Mrs. Nelson didn't ask her to step out of the picture--she valued the little girl's feelings way above my photo shoot.  Love it.  :)  I took that picture gladly, AND didn't ask to take another one.  We will miss Mrs. Nelson!

Layla picked these flowers for me when they were outside playing.  :)  I LOVE getting flower bouquets from her.

Showing me her "fossil" and her flowers....

Her picture is above her left shoulder.  Check out her LEG!!!  Where did she learn to POSE like that???

Her picture is above her head. 

Eating a snack with some friends.  

Singing a few songs for the parents, before leaving.  

And the ARM pose!!!  Whaaaaaat??  :)  Getting her certificate.  

Big eyes.  

This little girl is Evey, Layla's BFF this year.  

As we were walking out Layla ran up to Mrs. Nelson and gave her a big hug, and I started to tear up!!  I mean, I know my body is all crazy hormonal still, but really...so sweet.  I'm so thankful this was such a great year for her.  

The inaugural pool swim of the summer:

Spray bottles in place of water guns...hey, they were handy... ;)

Finn is always the one finding "alternative uses."  Layla prefers them for keeping bugs away.

12 feet diameter!  It's a little "sloppy" looking right now, but it'll do.  :)

Spraying each other quickly becomes...

..."No, Finn!  Stop that!"

Slingin' it today:

Summer resolution #1: Salad dressings

Okay, just kidding, I have almost ZERO summer resolutions.  :)  

BUT I do want to make more of my own salad dressings, especially to go with all of the great produce we'll be getting in our CSA, and from our garden.  

Just for my own reference:  Lakes to try out this summer, with Papa:

Lake Elmo:  http://www.co.washington.mn.us/index.aspx?NID=502

Battle Creek

Carver

Tanners

Snail Lake

Square Lake

Lake Gervais

White Bear

Fort Snelling State Park: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/fort_snelling/index.html

Wraps to look into buying:

Lenny Lamb

Little Frot

Storchenwiege

Girasol

Marsupial Mama often has sales of 40% of

http://www.growingupstpete.com/CLEARANCE_s/1879.htm

Food Babe's Sunrise Green Smoothie

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Author: Food Babe

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 4 cups dark leafy greens - spinach works well
• 1 cucumber, diced
• ½ cup water
• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 apple, cored and diced
• 1 orange, peeled
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 cup ice (optional)

Instructions

1. Put dark leafy greens, cucumber, lime juice, water into a high speed blender and blend for a minute.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

Notes

Please choose all organic ingredients if possible

Source:  http://foodbabe.com/2014/06/08/sunrise-green-smoothie/

The photo-shoot aftermath:

The photo shoot lasted almost 2 whole minutes, and Layla could BARELY contain herself until it was over and she got to hold Cora.  In fact, the only way I got her to stay out of my light and the photos was if I promised her she could hold Cora AFTER it was over.  ;)

Look at how LONG my first baby is!!

She was rocking her and singing to her.  

Cora was captivated.  

Finn saying "Ssssshhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Yessssssssssssssssss.

This is a swing someone from online lent me, to see if Cora is a "swing baby."  Neither of my other two really were.  Layla used it a little bit, when she was VERY young, but Finn not at all.  For now, Cora is a fan...which means I am too.  It's so nice to have options for where to place a little one, if you can't be wearing them or holding them, right?  And with child #3, options are priceless.  :)

One month old

* Edit:  Just realized Cora was 1 month yesterday, not today (for some reason I had the 28th in my head for her monthly birthdays, but I think I got that from the fact that she was born 8 days after Finn's birthday).  Man.  I'm not off to a great start here, when it comes to memory + 3 kids.  This is going to be the norm, isn't it?  That's gonna drive me nuts.

We're baaaaaaaaaaack!  :)

Who missed the baby shots with the bear?  Come on, be honest now... ;)

The hardest part of this photo shoot?  Keeping Layla and Finn OUT of the pictures.  They were crazy.

I decided to use this chair rather than the rocker for Cora because, 1) it's easier, and 2) I sold the fancy rocker to fund my stroller, so the other gliding rocker we have doesn't have padded sides...and that's sort of crucial in the "leaning against everything" stage that Cora is in right now.  ;)  

It looks like she and Mr. Bear are having a fight...