.....wuv is everywhere......

.....what I am loving about this weekend so far......or in Elsie's vocabulary, we would say,

.......what we're wuvin' bout dis weekin' so faaaar.....

.....sun hats......

.....and a smidgen of sunblock left on a sweet baby face.....

.....hot and sticky days that remind me of the sunshine state.....

......you would never know that a Texan and a Floridian created two girls that are as anti-heat as ours.....granted, we spent 4 and a half hours in the bright sun at the Seaport on Saturday, but these girls prefer the shade and lose their smiles in the extended blazing sun.....

.....and if I try real hard, I can get a smile or two, but I have to work for them.......however, there is nothing like a summery red cheeked, wet haired, sun screen smelling, balmy and breathy babe who finally cracks a grin that I have had to work for.....

......reunited friends.....

......even after 7 weeks of not seeing each other, these two girls are still the best of friends.....it's been two months since we lost our neighbors, but the little ones still remember.....

......for them it's like time hasn't passed.....just like it is with Caitlin's Mom and me......just like it is with all of my college girls......months can go by until we see one another.....and at the moment of reconnection, it's like time has stood completely still....the first words out of my mouth don't have to be how are you or can you believe this weather......they can be any thought on my mind at that moment and we just go from there.....it's raw, true friendship.....and although it's a different degree, these two year olds already have a taste of the sweetness friendship brings.....

......chalk covered buggies.....

.....Elsie has re-staked the back seat of the stroller after a month long hiatus in the front seat........she has marked her territory with the sidewalk chalk.....it's a win win.....Callie is thrilled to be back in the front.....

.....rough housing with Daddy......

.....I watch them tease, prod, smother, tickle and roll around everywhere......blond hair being tousled all about, belly deep laughing coming from pure joyful places.....and I chuckle at the differences....I get why they want to hang with Daddy so much.....even if I tried, I wouldn't have the strength or the stamina to play like that.....

.....daytime dancing.....

.......Summers here to stay, and those sweet summer girls will dance forever......it's a song that my college girls and I sing at all of our reunions....I couldn't help but think of them while I watched these two....

.....NYC and the oh so many things to do on a summer day.....

......the Seaport is full of large ships, boardwalks, ice cream shops and seaside breezes......this weekend, it was full of hundreds of kids......

......Angelena Ballerina, Sesame Street, Curious George and arts and crafts as a refuge out of the hot sun......

.......my favorite part of the pirate hat Elsie made was the globs of glue that dripped down as she wore it for the few minutes before it too was making her head too hot.....

......we shied away from oversized fish puppets....

......and met new characters that surely entertained.....the line could not move fast enough for the girls to meet their new red headed friend.....

......and all the while, the Daddy's were able to make a pitstop at their establishment of choice to catch the World Cup.....

......what a multi tasker....lovin' on your little and using your GPS to find a place to watch the game....

.....watching my first born begin to act like a first born.....

.....Mommy asked for a picture and she is my pleaser and my imperious organizer.....

......I can relate, Elsie.....I am the same way....

.....winding down a fun filled day on our snuggly, comfy, getting pretty stained and worn red couch.....

......when we first bought this red couch, prekids, mind you; we had it scotch guarded, would flip the cushions so the foam would get worn evenly, and vacuumed it weekly......now this couch only gets a cushion flipped to hide a stain from some sticky hands or spilled sippy cup....and we love it so much more now that it has the stained stories of a growing family.....

.....early morning pedicures.....

.....I'm not really sure why Elsie was up before the roosters to kick off the weekend, but we decided to use the time to beautify.....

......and then I was able to sip my coffee on the floor of my closet while Elsie dried her toes....

.....what a great way to enjoy that first hot and steamy sip of brew on the morning of an open weekend.....just she and I finishing up our beauty routine in one of the smallest crevices in our home......surreal and so satisfying..... 

......pancakes from scratch from Daddy's little chef.....

......Stefan always does breakfast on the weekends.....it's just always been his thing.....he still has his Mom's old pink rolling pin that he uses for his famous biscuits.....but this morning it was pancakes from scratch and he and Elsie bake, cook, and show their culinary flair the exact same way.....

.....they do it big, full of enthusiasm, grandiose and messy....

.....our breakfast buddies make some melt in your mouth pancakes.....

......at least Callie thought so.....she was on her second helping in an instant.....

.....summertime Sunday school dresses....

......and littles who have a zest about going to Sunday school......Elsie loitered around her teacher's personal space until Miss Erica was done having an adult conversation just so she could give her a hug goodbye.....precious....

.....and the last thing I'm wuvin' 'bout dis weekin'....

....sisterly love.....

.....this picture says it all....

....off to enjoy the end of our lazy, family filled weekend.....xoxo