Grass Maize

I found out about this new place to take the girls from my friend Renae. There is a place in Allen that has a caboose, small wooden buildings made into a mechanic shop, bank, train station, and a grass maize in the shape of Texas. The girls enjoyed running through the maize and Makenzie enjoyed pretending to be a banker and fireman. Afterward, we enjoyed some frozen yogurt from Yogilicious. If you are looking for a new place to take your toddlers, I would recommend both stops. They are located in the new shopping development at HWY75 and Stacy Road near the Toys R Us/Babies R Us stores.

Nap or No Nap?

Lately, when I tell Makenzie it is time for her nap, she quickly insists that she is not tired (even though moments earlier she has said otherwise). I realize she is getting older and some kids stop napping around age 3, but I have determined that this child NEEDS a nap or 5:00pm around the McGilvray household can be somewhat challenging. A few weeks ago, I allowed her to rest on the couch watching her LeapFrog ABC dvd. From the kitchen, I asked her a question, and when she didn't respond, I walked over to the couch to find her asleep. I grabbed my camera to get a few shots and she just slept through the clicking and flashes going off. Thankfully, she is back to taking naps in her bed and I have a happier toddler.....which makes for a happier household!

Fountain Fun

Aaron has been wanting to take the girls to some fountains he sees at one of the dart stops on his way home from work. I was a little skeptical, given that most of the stops aren't in great areas, but I gave in and we decided to take the girls yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised at the area and the girls had a blast. Here are are few pictures from our afternoon adventure.

Duck Pond

The girls, especially Makenzie, love to visit a pond in our neighborhood where we also take our dogs to play in the water. Aaron spotted some Canadian geese earlier in the day, so we took the girls (and dogs) back there to feed them. Of course, Dakota and Montana are focused on chasing the geese for a little while, but they soon left them alone and preferred to play fetch with some plastic bottles that we took along. Aaron wanted to take some pictures of Ashlyn in a cluster of trees that she likes to play around. The funny thing is that she got stuck between the branches of a tree as Aaron was taking pictures of her. We got a good laugh although she didn't find it too amusing!

Swim Lessons

For the first time in three years, we decided to have Makenzie take swim lessons this summer. Even though she is such a fish in water, we figured it would be best to have her learn some basic survival skills in case she were to get in trouble. I am so proud of her-she is swimming a pretty long distance in the pool and is able to come up for breaths and go back under water. She loves to jump off the side, grab a toy, and then swim to the steps. She is also learning to float on her back. We also decided to start lessons with Ashlyn since she has really taken an interest in the water like her big sister. Ashlyn will just jump off the side of the pool without reservation. She is already opening her eyes under water, kicking her legs and moving her arms as she makes her movements toward her instructor. She has also learned how to grab onto the side of the pool and move along it until she reaches the steps. The girls have learned so much and I am so excited at their own excitement for the water. Thank you Michelle for your hard work with them over the past two weeks. Tomorrow is our last day and I hope to get some good pictures of the girls practicing what they have learned.

Big Sister

I cherish the moments that I see my oldest child taking on her role as big sister and helping out her baby sister. It beats hearing "No Ashlyn, that's mine" for most of the day. Ashlyn wants so badly to do everything Makenzie is doing, so Makenzie decided to give her a hand on the scooter. I managed to get a few shots before the sisterly love ended...

Playing in the rain

A couple of weeks ago, we had our first good rain in what seems like over a month. Ever since Aaron let Makenzie play in a big rain puddle outside our house, she insists on letting her out to play in the rain. As long as there is not lightning and thunder, I don't have a problem with it, so I suited Makezie up and let her go. Ashlyn decided she wasn't going to miss out on the fun, so she quickly followed suit.