Us...

Who let the dogs out?

A picture's worth a MILLION words!

These are the days of our lives...

Swimming Lessons

Loua...our little fairy princess...

Our little bug is turning into a tiny butterfly, before our eyes growing dark hair (again) and that diva-like attitude she was destined to have. I recall Grandpa saying that with a birth story like hers, Lola was bound to be a Take Charge Girl, Who Knew What She Wanted; and by golly truer words have never been spoken. Miss Lola can throw a tiny little tantrum at the drop of a hat, and as most precious baby girls do, always gets her way. The lyric "Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets" has about ten times more meaning with the entrance of Lola Rosalie Shea into the world. And talk about smitten--I haven't seen anyone as in love with someone else, as Lola's Daddy is with her! In 15 years, we're in for some major tribulation.

Not to be out done by her overachieving older brother, Lola Lou has hit some pretty wicked milestones herself. If we had carpet, she'd be all over the place...as it is with wood floors, she crawls to where she needs to be on the area rugs and then sits and waits for someone to beck to her call after that...which isn't long. Her favorite food is still squash, although she is currently a big fan of anything the rest of us are eating! Poor girl still isn't sporting anything on her grill, but a second cousin on the McC side didn't sprout teeth until he was 18 months, so we're being patient! In the meantime Lola Rose has become quite the gummer.

If ever there were a teeny tiny princess who adored her big brother, it is Lola and Jack. She watches him, taking in everything he does with joy and anticipation. Now they have reached the stage of true interaction with one another; he can really make her laugh, and she can really make him laugh! First and foremost, she loves Jack. This is something that I pray every day remains true; the bond between siblings is colossal...I certainly know that to be the case. Anything that belongs to Jack is the best toy to offer Lola, and any time he is gone her eyes are scanning the house for his presence!

This summer we discovered that we have another child with fins...Lola has enjoyed her trips to the pool just as much as Jackie! She looks stunning in her brown and pink polka-dotted bikini, and is always the best dressed little woman at the pool!

These days, Lola is saying "Mama" and "Dada" with quite a lot of emphasis for someone who doesn't know the meaning of the words! She is still quite a jibber jabberer, certainly giving another talker amongst us a run for his money!

Jack, our handsome little drink of water

This summer, Jack's had no shortage of things to do & people to play with! He has really turned into a 'big boy' lately...and for one of the first times with him I'm beginning to get that "This is going by too fast" feeling! Over the past few months Jack has embarked on many new adventures, and will eagerly share his experiences with anyone willing to listen! He started the summer off with soccer camp (and unfortunately we don't have pictures to show for it! We've included a few at-home soccer shots...hope they suffice!). Shortly after soccer camp, swimming lessons began and our little shark found his heart in the clear blue waters of Marty pool! I wouldn't be surprised if Jack winds up being a tenacious competitor for a swim team at some point in his life. He was originally enrolled in one session of lessons (two weeks), but enjoyed them so much that we enrolled him for another two! Of course (cough cough--she says in a unbiased way), Jack was the delight of the life guards mornings & did a really great job! (Okay, I guess it's to that point in life for me...I'm actually bragging about my son's mini-achievements! I'm not sure how I feel about this!) At any rate he culminated in a much sought-after graduation from Preschool Lessons, and next summer will be able to start off with the big kids! Seriously, he now 'swims' in the bathtub every night...which is becoming less and less feasible because of his constant growth upwards.

Jack's next adventure will be 'school'! In September he will be starting Preschool at Hillcrest Covenant Church in Prairie Village; he will go twice a week (Tuesday and Wednesday) from 9:30-2:30! Ben is especially going to reap the benefits of this "Jack being away from home" business, as I will be at work. Not that I'm sulking. Jack was hesitant when the idea was first presented, but he's actually very excited now! I still foresee some rough mornings, because he's never been away from us, but I know that soon he will be flourishing and making new friends! We went to the Disney Store this weekend and got him a Power Ranger's lunchbox; he's very excited to take his lunch! He's also interested in the prospect of someone else's toys, & full access to them. I'm sure that it will be a bittersweet transition for the lot of us, but I know that it will be a wonderful opportunity for Jack to grow and for Ben to get some much-deserved free time. He will have Lola, but that's drastically different than the incessant conversation Jack so enthusiastically tenders.

Always a man on a mission, Jack is recently coming off the two cerebral highs: Discovery Channel's Shark Week, and the X-Games. My heart palpitates just a bit when I think of my nearly 4-year old's two occupational goals are--to be a shark bite victim rescuer, and to win a gold medal for Moto-X Freestyle at the X-Games. Sheesh. While I can feel the gray hairs growing on my head, I can actually see them on Ben's head. And that makes me nervous for both of us.