Trader's Village

Trader's Village is a very big lot filled with vendors selling anything from sunglasses to puppies. We went one day at the end of May and were dying from the heat! It was fun to get out though and ride a few rides.

As we were walking back to the car we grabbed an icee to share and then went off to do the only sane thing outdoors...

swim!

backyard explorer

My little explorer.

One regular day in May, as fate would have it, both of my "big" girls decided to take a nap (why I didn't take a picture of them asleep is beyond me, because that way very rare). This left my baby and I to find our own entertainment.

We decided to explore the backyard.

Normally I don't let my baby freely roam in the grass, because of those pesky fire ants.

So these grassy moments were a treat.

I kept my eyes peeled for ants too.

Tasting the cuisine.

Rocks are a tried and true favorite.

Mixed reviews on the crunchy leaf though.

I'd say it was a thumbs down.

banana

This was the first time that I actually handed over the banana.

She was thrilled.

Like her sister Gwen, Maggie can bite of huge mouthfuls and work on it until it's eaten.

I don't have to worry (as much) with her choking, like I did with Layla.

Layla would take the smallest bite and gag and throw it up.

Even cheerios!

Maggie loves to eat and feeds herself quite well.

She's about 10 months old here.

Galveston

Back in May we decided to go try out the beach in Galveston, TX with our friends the Haderlies.

Wasn't too crowded, very nice weather, and warm water.

Okay, so it's not a Hawaiian or Californian beach, but it was still a huge step up from the cold, rocky shores of Washington.

Us adults didn't pack swimsuits this time, thinking it may be too windy and cold. As we got there, I think we were all wishing we would have!

The kids had a blast.

Layla was all about the water. Jumped right in. Made some new friends. We had to drag her out when it was time to go.

Gwen preferred the sand. She searched for shells, dug holes, built "castles". An occasional dip in the water here and there, but nothing too serious.

Maggie was obsessed with the sand. She had such a fascination with it. We set her down in it right away and she immediately grabbed handfuls and stuffed them into her mouth. 

Gross.

We stayed for about few hours and then decided to go explore downtown.

It was such a cute place. I wish I would have taken more pictures.

Guess we'll just have to go back!

Layla with some new friends.

Not sure if you can tell from these pictures, but Gwen had recently fallen at a local McDonald's playplace and hit her two front teeth HARD. They became super loose and changed color. Her teeth began to separate and had quite the gap for a while. Her teeth have since healed, but still remain this light gray color. 

Though she could care less, it was still a scary thing for us and I'm glad she's better.

I think that amusement park in the distance is called Pleasure Pier? Looks so fun!

Gwen started doing this...

and stayed in this postition for a long time.

Weird.

Jeramy and Hayden building their sand castle.

warmth

Yesterday we played outside while Maggie napped.

Layla chose to wear a fall dress.

We picked flowers and made wishes while tossing their petals.

I had fun playing around with editing these pictures on picmonkey.com

They match more with Layla and her whole fall theme, I thought.

It's getting real hot here though, and the humidity is killer.

I really hope we survive this summer... 

I'm genuinely worried.