Dragon Boat Festival

The last weekend in June we attended the Dragon Boat Festival sponsored by Families with Children from China. Our "dish to pass" was a cake. This was Helaina's first experience baking a cake with Momma, and it sure was a messy one!

Licking the frosting off the spatula and the beaters is the best!

It takes twice as long to prepare a cake with a 2-year old than without!

Yummy.

We threw together Helaina's "dragon boat" a few days before the event - just a diaper box covered in some Sesame Street wrapping paper with a few ladybugs, pandas & dragons pasted on. Didn't know if she'd take part in the parade (she didn't), so I was glad we didn't get elaborate. Maybe next year she'll be more interested. They had a playground and since she loves playgrounds, she was distracted by that most of the time.

Here's her dragon boat that she didn't want anything to do with at the park.

And here's Helaina on the playground, where she would spend all of her time if we let her. It's gotten so that she knows the parking lots of all the playgrounds that we visit. When we start to pull in the parking lot and she realizes where she's going, she starts clapping her hands and kicking her feet in delight - right in her car seat!!

Our little "dragon boat" with the wind blowing in her wispy hair.

The zoo, the boat and much more...

Helaina visited the zoo for the 2nd time recently, this time for a private party that had lots of food (including popsicles and cotton candy!), fun activities and of course the animals. Helaina's favorite animal is the elephant and we were fortunate to be right up front for the elephant's performance. Helaina smiled and clapped and yelled "yah" long after other people had stopped clapping! It's fun to watch her enjoy the simple things so thoroughly.


Pretty impressive, isn't she?



Having a popsicle with Daddy on a Saturday night at the zoo - what could be better?


We went out for a boat ride a few weekends ago. No fishing yet - just cruising around. I think Helaina was wondering "Now where are those boat keys?"



Wearing Daddy's hat while having a snack in the back of the car. Boating makes you hungry.



Fun with our Dora the Explorer playdough kit. Of course we had to make playdough fingernails like I did when I was a little girl.



Helaina loves to sit at the computer and imitate what she sees us doing with it. She's got one hand on the mouse and the other on the keyboard. Looks like she knows what she's doing!



She likes to look at photos of herself on the computer - she's got about a million to choose from!

One for the record books...

Never thought I'd see the day when Joshua would be putting pigtails in his little sister's hair! I'll bet he never did either.

Close up photos of our beautiful little girl.....

We just love the close up photos of Helaina. They show how adorable her little face is with her beautiful features. This photo was taken to show one of her boo boos (Helaina and her ball versus the deck!), but I love how you can see her dainty eyelashes.


And again, the boo boo.


Pucker up for a smooch!


Concentrating on her fruit snack after splashing in her pool on a hot day.


And this is our darling pitching a fit! She wanted the camera and I wouldn't give it to her. Can you say "terrible twos"? !

Father's Day - June 15, 2008

The long-awaited event finally happened this month - Jim's very first Father's Day! We celebrated in grand style (ha) by taking Daddy to McDonalds for breakfast. Helaina had her favorite - egg mcmuffin, hash browns and chocolate milk!

Sitting next to Daddy while having breakfast - nothing better!

At home we opened some gifts - a tee-shirt with Helaina's photo on it.

A shirt for Helaina that says "Daddy's cup cake" - how true.


Took this picture at Poppa's house during the afternoon cook-out and celebration.

Some ladybug sprinkler fun with big brother Josh.

Helaina looked pretty spiffy in her new outfit from Aunt Barb and cousin Beth. She was also sporting her favorite decorated crocs! Let's just say that the shorts didn't stay white for very long.

Boo boos and half moon cookies

Boo boos are a way of life for Helaina. She is the queen of scrapes and scratches, basically because she never stops running, climbing, jumping, swinging, etc etc etc. Just as soon as her knee begins to heal from a scrape, she takes a tumble in the driveway again and re-scrapes it. Here is a picture of her boo boo knee that was just beginning to look normal until her latest fall.


Thankfully, a half moon cookie will cure just about anything.

Helaina's first boating experience.

Helaina recently had her first adventure in Daddy's boat. She wore her new pink & green life jacket, and thank goodness she enjoys wearing it. We started out slowly and I will admit that I had a death grip on her - she was pinned between Momma's legs with one of my arms around her waist and the other through the safety strap on the life jacket! As Daddy sped up a bit and the boat did "bumpys" over the water, Helaina laughed out loud - she's a speed demon just like her Daddy! She also liked standing on the shore and throwing rocks in the water.

Driving the boat with Daddy - something they both have been waiting to do for a very long time!


This time was just a ride around the lake - next time Helaina will be trying her luck with her new Dora the Explorer fishing pole!!!


Learning to tie the right kind of knots is always important!