Backyard Camping

Sara has been asking and asking to go camping, but now that it is November, we've kind of missed the warm weather window of good camping time. Plus, we don't own a tent. Not a real camping tent anyway. The only tent we have is a little child pop-up tent from IKEA. So today after much asking, and because of a somewhat warm Autumn day, I decided to take the girls "camping" in our backyard.

First we gathered the necessary supplies. Rob printed out a little checklist for her with things like a tent, sleeping bag, flashlight, compass, camera, binoculars, fishing pole, etc. We gathered as much as we could, then went outside to setup our little play tent.

Then it was time to make a "fire" out of sticks and a few branches of red leaves from one of the bushes in our yard.

And what do you do at a campfire? Roast marshmallows of course!

After filling up on marshmallows it was time for some nature exploration.

Then back to the campsite for more fun climbing on the log and chairs...

more "sleeping" in the tent...

and eating more marshmallows!

I think the girls liked it. Now we will have to take them real camping sometime! Anyone have a tent we can borrow?!

July 2013

More catch-up from this summer. 

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Ava making cute copy-cat sounds while eating some pineapple Chobani; the only flavor of greek yogurt I can tolerate, and by tolerate I mean it's actually good! I've tried pretty much all the other flavors and they all have a weird aftertaste that I can't stand. But not pineapple! It's yummy. Ava thinks so too!

Ava splashing in a tiny sprinkler. -- Remember this is in July during the heat of the summer. Thinking of splashing in the sprinklers now sounds like child abuse (it's so cold already!). I'm holding out for a few more in-the-70's days. Please October? Pretty please?!




The girls ready for a walk in the new-to-us double stroller that Rob's cousin's wife let us have. (Thanks Lori!)

4th of July Fireworks: Ava waiting for the show to start

Sara waiting for the show to start (also my first, and so far only Instagram video)




This next one is entitled, "Ava trying to eat fireworks" or "Ava, the firework-breathing baby"

Bedtime at our house (on a good day). Sara and Rob are reading, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems.

Also the start of Ava's nesting obsession which involves sitting in/on things. She climbed into this laundry basket all by herself!

Sara taking advantage of the door being left open "just a crack" at bedtime.

Sara at swimming lessons waiting in line to jump in from the side (she's second in line wearing the pink striped swimsuit) and doing the back float.

Next up: dressing like cows to get free food at Chick-fil-a! (except Ava who is dressed as a chicken, the little cannibal!) We already had those cute cow and chicken masks that my sister sent for Sara's birthday earlier in the year. Sara had fun painting the black spots on her shirt. The spots on my apron are from black duct-tape! And Rob's get-up is from free printables on Chick-fil-a's website. 

Just a cute picture of Ava and her chubby little legs:

Sara having a backyard picnic with a neighborhood friend, and a shot of her "shoulder smile" that she would give us almost every time we asked her to smile for a photo during the past few months. 

And more backyard splashing (remember, it's the middle of July in the video!)

Another shot of Sara's shoulder smile:

Ava waiting for Daddy to get home OR "How much is that baby in the window?"

And finally, Sara and I got to walk in the annual Pioneer Day Youth Parade toward the end of July. Here is Sara with her friend Isabel in their cute pioneer clothes, and a view of the float we walked with; the temple in a handcart! :)

Sara and Isabel again, plus us moms too!

Sara and me pulling the handcart, and her friends Isabel and Aida.

And the three little girls pulling the handcart:

Sara wasn't very happy about walking anymore when this photo was taken. Good thing it was only a few blocks!

Funny story: While walking in the parade, we happened to walk past one of the news crews while these three cute girls were pulling our handcart, and the newscast lady and her camera men came rushing over to us saying, "Oh look how cute!" -- She asked the girls about walking in the parade, and then she brought the microphone to me and started asking me questions about the importance of the Pioneer Day holiday and what walking in this parade meant to me. It all happened so fast! But the other moms who were with me said I gave good responses. I hope so! I tried to find my news spot on TV that night and on the internet, but no luck. I wonder if I appeared in the live broadcast of the parade. I want to see it! :) 

Sara's Book

(From July 2013)

Sara is quite the little story teller. I have several voice recordings on my phone of Sara telling stories. This time I got one on video because she made a book to go with it.





"Go To The Hospital" by Sara Hinckley

So one time there was this little girl that was thinking what she could do today, and she decided to ride her bike, but she didn't know that she wasn't very good at riding it, so she rode her bike and she fell down and broke her arm.

She was mad because she thought that her dress did it, but it didn't because it wasn't so long that it could touch the floor and into her wheel.

But then doctors came and tried to fix it. Then she got a cast and felt much more better.

She was happy, and she was so happy that she looked up at the sun and said, "I wish that I was a bird. That way I could fly right up to the sun." And she jumped off of a brick and flapped her arms and she hoped that she flied, but all she did was fall.

THE END!

June 2013

Here's some more catch-up from earlier this year.

JUNE 2013

Ava's cute little one-leg-up crawl. I think she learned to crawl this way because of the wood floors.




A Daddy swing and Ava's jumping tantrum. :)




Sara and Ava from Ava's 9-month photo shoot:

A visit from Grandpa Sterling, aka "The Grandpa who lives far away" (California -- My dad):

Ava crawling in the grass at the park with Daddy:

Sara sleeping in a fort she built all by herself after we tucked her into bed:

Sara helping mommy bake:

More fun with friends, and another mention for you, Carissa! In fact, you may recognize the princess photo since I stole it from your blog. :)

I made apple pie for Father's Day (Yum!)

Sara "mowing the field" with Daddy:

Balloons from Old Navy with some awesome giant-looking foreshortening. Sara's balloon popped on the grass not long after this photo. Chaos ensued.

And then Sara standing in front of the swamp cooler at home with Ava's balloon. See how much the stick is bent? The air blows out really fast on the "high" setting!

Ava the budding guitarist:

Sara's drawing from following the steps in her Ed Emberley drawing books (which she drew in April according to the date written on the bottom of the drawing, but I guess I didn't take this photo until June):

Bath-time sisters:

Daddy and Ava:

Is she really that heavy?!

Playing Legos:

A home-made piñata (more like a box covered with paper and drawings) for Sara's half-birthday -- If you ask her how old she is, she will reply "Four-and-a-half!"

And finally, lots of summer splashing:

So long sweet summer.