First Fourth and other good stuff...

Between getting settled with Early Intervention, medical appointments, cleaning spills up off the floor, and the other boring stuff of daily life, we've been busy getting into enjoying the summer--even in this crazy heat!  We always do lots of fun day trips on the weekends with Baba, but I've also been brave/crazy enough to get out and about with the girls during the week.  It's funny because when R was first home, I felt like going to Market Basket was an impossible feat.  I remember calling my mother and saying, "But how DO you go grocery shopping with two kids?  I mean, really?  How did you do it?  One goes in the front and the other is in the back under all the food?  Who goes under all the food?  The one who acts out the most, or the older one?  Or is it the smaller one because she'll take up less space so I can fit more food?"  But now, after not even two months of shopping trips, I no longer get the shakes at the thought of picking up milk and eggs, and I'm even venturing out to the beach and into Chinatown with the girls on my own.

So, here's a little roundup of the past couple of weeks....

R's first day trip to Cape Cod!  We hit our favorite fried seafood joint on the Cape, Cooke's, and found out that R loves clam chowder as much as her sister!  We went to Cuffy's to get R the requisite Cape Cod hoodie, strolled Main Street in Hyannis, and then hit a few beaches where we played and had a picnic dinner.

E and Baba.  R had no interest in riding the merry-go-round so
we waved from the sidelines.

Seagull Beach, West Yarmouth.
Another of E's hug/stranglehold moves.

Veteran's Park Beach, Hyannis.

Everyone's looking at the camera!  Miracle!

Finally I "bit the bullet" and decided that I should try to lug the girls and all of their gear to the beach on my own.  We headed up to Rockport on a hot, hot day.  I almost passed out carrying a cooler, beach bag, backpack, umbrella, chair, sand toys, and Rosie down to the beach, but we made it, Emmie tagging behind carrying her water bottle.  Needless to say, I went out and bought one of those Beach Buggies the next day.

Front Beach, Rockport.

Feeding little sister a snack.

E insisted that she did not want to fall asleep on the way home.  I was like,
"Yeah, you go ahead and try to stay awake after playing for 3 hours in 90 degree heat."
And with that, I had a blessedly quiet ride home.

We were super excited to celebrate R's first Fourth of July as a US Citizen!  Last year, E loved the fireworks, so much so that we went to see them in several towns.  So we figured we'd give it a try with R on July 3rd.  For whatever reason, NEITHER of them enjoyed the fireworks this year!  E kept asking when they were going to be over, and R just hid her face.  But, we made up for it the next day by playing in the kiddie pool all day and then taking a walk along Boston Harbor and having some treats in the North End.  We skipped the traditional hot dogs and hamburgers in favor of a delicious homemade Chinese dinner--including lo mein!

"Woo hoo!  Look at us!"  All fun and games until the fireworks actually
started and everyone was miserable.

Family 4th photo!

R looks a little bit like she's trying to escape.

The North End.  Look at that little pinkie in the air.

No, they are NOT drinking espresso.   But they would
if I let them.

A hot and happy Fourth of July along Boston Harbor.