Father's Day Workshop

Miller the builder and his handyman dad attended their first Home Depot kids workshop in honor of Father's Day. Can't think of a better activity for a daddy/son date. The workshop coached them on how to build a mini wooden toolbox. Miller got suited up in his official orange apron and got to use a real "daddy hammer" for the first time.

That was the highlight of the workshop for him...using real tools instead of plastic toy tools. Although, getting one on one special attention from your dad ranks pretty high up there too!
They definitely worked as a good construction team..Miller took directions beautifully and Landon was super patient with his apprentice:)

Hitting the nail on the head takes intense concentration. Miller wanted to get it just right. Just like his dad, he wants things perfect the first time around.
Decoration time with stickers took a lot of thought and planning too.

With an official pin for his new work apron and a certificate of completion, this handyboy was ready to test out the riding lawn mowers. Happy Father's Day to our playful dad who is the best man & father for our family. You mean the world to us!

june happenings

We've settled into our summer routine. I must admit, I get nervous whenever our schedule changes up a bit. Sleeping later and getting out of a fixed preschool routine has been refreshing. That's what summer is all about...some much needed downtime sprinkled with lots of fun! Of course Miller's been thrilled with our morning mommy and me tutor time. Just because school is out of session doesn't mean he gets a complete break from learning. Oh the joy of having a mommy for a teacher;)

We've been able to meet up with friends and be more intentional about making plans. Between Miller's weekly swim lessons and music classes with Eliza Kate, we settled nicely into our new routine. It's so nice to spend our late evenings playing together in the backyard. Neighborhood playdates, lazy pool fun, playing at the park in the early morning, catching lightning bugs (poor Miller squashed his) and long after dinner walks have made for a fun start to summer.

Speaking of walking....
We've been perfecting Eliza Kate's walking this month. At first she didn't want her precious toes to touch anything but carpet. Grass and sand were not acceptable for our little diva's feet.
I must add that EK is obsessed with these play accessory beads. Once she figured out how to put them on, she's been quite fancy around the house.

The Cibula's hosted a fun backyard picnic the first week of June. It was a great time of play and catching up. Eliza Kate stayed close to the pirate water table to cool off. On hot June days, there is really no other place to be. Big brother got lost in Jack's playscape.


We met some of our friends at Champion Kids gym to run around in the cool air conditioning. With two jumpys, a foam pit, and gym equipment the kiddos were more than entertained. I love their toddler area. Somehow, I'm taking more pictures of EK these days. I remind myself that Miller was the sole obsession of my lens for 3 whole years. It's EK's turn for the limelight.

Ahh, there's my special guy. Besides perfecting his golden brown tan, he's been enjoying our weekly summer field trips. He asks me each morning with anticipation, "What are we going to do today mommy?" Once he knows what to expect, he's much more relaxed. The Thrasher fam joined us at the East Roswell Park splash park. What a joy to watch Miller splash and play in all the sprinklers. He was having a BIG time.


It didn't take our girly too long to warm up to the idea of sprinklers. In no time, she was waddling her way through the fountains with her elbows out bracing for a fall. Her happy squeals were over the top.



She marched up and down and through the various mushrooms and faucets.
Time stand still...this was a thrill for me to watch.

The park was not as populated as the Riverside fountains, so the kids were able to have more freedom to roam. I could easily spot them as we picked a great day with fewer crowds. I don't think the word has gotten out about this second Roswell park yet.

Acting like a true toddler now. She has firm opinions on where she wants to go! Miss Independent for sure.

The whole gang drying off before our picnic. Newborn sister Reese was chilling in the shade & under her hat. Mandy is a super star mom for coming along with a newborn in tow.Three cheers for summer. Looking forward to more fun outings together before our fall routine!

walking missy

Woo Hoo! Eliza Kate is upwardly mobile and weeble wobbling her way through life these days. The whole process of first steps the week before our beach trip to walking in between Landon and I...evolved to full on walking at 13 months . What an absolute joy to experience. Her delayed crawling stage made me mentally prepare for a possible late walker. Little missy threw us all for a loop when she made up her mind that she was going to walk. It really proves to me that each child is on their own development time table. You depend on your first child as your developmental guide and appropriate timeline. But, you can't always use their path to carve the way for the second. Learning this lesson early!

In the early stages on the game, she wanted to grasp onto our pointer finger to steady her unbalanced frame. Poppy loved parading the little miss up and down the hallway. She surely worked the runway with her high stepping model swag. The marching steps of a first time walker and just too precious to watch. Each step is intentional, thought out and takes intense concentration.

In just two short weeks, Eliza Kate was stepping out and walking on her own. Grandmama likes it when EK walks up to her with arms open wide to be picked up. Now that she's upwardly mobile she's really exercising her independence. She thinks she can do all things by herself.

The squeaker shoes were a huge hit in motivating our girl to step on out. It encouraged her to put weight on her heels as she tends to lean forward when walking. Learning pivots and quick turn arounds has kept big brother on his toes. She can now make a fast exit after stealing one of his prized possessions. Fully confident, we're squeaking our way through June.

spaghetti night

Eliza Kate's new food favorite is spaghetti. On these nights I strip her down to her diaper & bow to enjoy her pasta meal. Oh the mess! Sauce, noodles and a scattering of lima beans make for a fun smearing mess on her tray. Sauce and noodles made their way unto her belly, in between fingers, in the nose... even her diaper. These are the nights that I give her a quick shake off in her chair and it's straight to the bath for my marinara stained cutey. The floor clean up shift happens after they're both in bed. I can only handle the drama of spaghetti night every so often.

Let's not forget an equally messy big brother. Miller's a big fan of spaghetti. He goes shirtless on spaghetti night. At least he's learned to keep the pasta contained on his plate and not the floor. He goes straight to wash his hands and face after dinner. He's learned to walk to the bathroom with his hands in fists as to not accidentally touch the couch on the way. Gotta love that! We've got him trained around here.