As I was doing dishes, Rose created this nice little set-up in the pantry.  When I heard a strange brushing sound, this is what I found!  She’s never happy when she gets caught (she’s always mad at me that I caught her, like I did something to interfere with big business), and the majority of the time I’m too frustrated, tired, or panicked to take pictures, but the camera was on the counter right beside me, so you get to enjoy a lesser offense with me this time, lol!  All was super cute, contained, fine and dandy, until she brushed a can off, and it started spewing everywhere.  That’s usually how it goes with Rose… starts out innocent, turns out messy as all get out!  Worst mess this week was when Rose got a step stool out all by herself, got Noelle’s red lipstick down from their recital, colored all over two doors, front and back, and was acting like I was the one doing something wrong when I told her, “No ma’am!”  Noelle said, “Great news!  My lipstick isn’t broken!”  Lol, we’re having a blast around here!

Week before last, this was her worst offense.  Got Mike’s hand lotion from the bathroom, brought it to the protected iPad, thank God, and enjoyed cleaning it up.  She really thought she was helping out.  She’s like Amelia Badelia! 

Shake it, baby!

Personal tattoos are her middle name!  Every day we have a different tattoo!  Here she is telling Rara to come save her! 

When I take pictures, she gets awfully proud, so I can’t take pictures every time.  The ones with the most damage don’t get the pictures, because I’m usually too busy containing the mess to get a picture of what she is truly capable of!

Bless her little heart!  She looks so innocent, except her legs tell the tale!  The joys of two-year olds… although I will say, we’ve never had such destruction as we have with Rose.  Save the blast for last!

Noelle just meant to say, “Let’s just hope and pray she doesn’t get a real tattoo someday!”  but instead, she said, “Let’s hope Rose doesn’t get a real tattoo someday, God bless!”  And tapped her heart.  Ahhh… never a dull moment.  And at the exact same time, Anna Kate said she was going to use our restroom by the “cafeteria” instead of next to our kitchen.  It does feel more like a cafeteria serving up all these summer lunches, lol!

The Jenkins had us over to swim last weekend, and the girls played their little hearts out!  It was such a wonderful day with our neighbors and their sweet family!

Noelle is taking off with swimming this summer!  So excited she is our first Pond family fish!  She can swim on her back the length of the pool and anywhere and everywhere you ask!  She is so confident in the water, which is new this summer!  So excited she is enjoying the water so much and her new found freedom!

Don’t think Rose will be hidden from the limelight at all… our third little diva rocks it out and holds her own!  Go Rose!  Sydney and Noelle had fun jumping off the fountain wall together over and over again!

Lucy and Rose had fun playing together, and there go the big girls jumping as high as they can!

Ahh… the good life!  Noelle floated and floated today!  Can’t wait to start swimming lessons with Anna Kate next week!  We’ll keep ya posted on her progress.  She’s our “stair girl” so hoping it’s not too traumatic for her.  She’ll love it once she has the courage to get off the stairs and kick around a little.  Anna Kate is the center stage with so many things, but timid and shy with others.  Swimming is just not her thing, and it has always been to my advantage because I always know where she is, so keeping an eye on her is easy with 3 in the pool, but for her sake, she needs to experience the joy of swimming.  My Granny (Mary Arnett) never learned to swim, even though she tried and tried.  I want my girls to learn while they are young, so it will be easier to overcome their fear of water.  We’re excited what else the summer has in store!

Rose after the dance recital, really confused by her second encounter with a train, up close!  I would be scared of her if I were that train!

“What you focus on increases!”

Fill your hearts with a positive spirit today, as we live, move and have our being in God.

The girls had a little dance recital to finish off their spring/summer mini session!  For the last month, we haven’t been able to sit in and watch, so I haven’t seen their progress recently.  I was surprised with how much each girl has learned this go around.  They both have really strong ballet fundamentals.  Yay!  If either of them want to be dancers someday, they’ve definitely got the moves!

Noelle had such beautiful posture, technique and style!  I was so impressed with the way she picked up everything so quickly!

We didn’t have a good angle on Anna Kate for taking pictures, but she was precious and did so great!  She got a little distracted from time to time, but she retains words and positions so well.  She doesn’t miss a beat… even if she gets distracted.  She was adorable!

Noelle was feeling the flow of the music.  She was the oldest one in the class, which is right up her alley being mother hen and all, and we’re encouraging her to enjoy anything that will keep building her confidence, because each positive experience is making her stronger!

Plie, sweet girl!

Working out of fifth position…

Take a bow, Cutie Kate!  Love her little side-ways tongue when she’s concentrating… I always tell her she’s my precious angel!

You go girl!  Noelle loves to be in the spot light, and she’s good at it too!  Here are the big girls with Miss Haley.  She was a wonderful teacher!  The girls learned so much; she was happy, patient, energetic and kept the girls on track.

Anna Kate was looking at us and smiling with delight that she did a great job!

Kay Kay, Grandpapa, Aunt Sharon, Rose, Mommy, and Daddy came to cheer for Noelle and Anna Kate!  The girls are so blessed to have such wonderful people in their lives!

And then things went a little something like this (that’s my new saying).  Noelle and Anna Kate found their friends Cory and Landry in another class (Tae Kwon Do), and right after I took a quick picture in the gym, I turned around, and Rose actually got the fire extinguisher door open!  I’m just laughing out loud at how full our hands are with her!!!  It’s like that old country song that says, “Can’t live with her, but can’t live without her!”  She is one of the three best things that have ever happened to Mike and me, curious all the time or never, we gotta have her!

This activity went down every day after dance class!  She always looked forward to showing off her bicycle bar skills.  Maybe gym next?

Noelle and Anna Kate had friends after over last week after art camp.  Their favorite play date activity is still dress-up and then dance party!  I did the girls’ hair and Noelle did make-up and outfits.  The girls had a blast!

Julia/Anna Kate and Noelle/Ava

Julia was a total crack-up!  She was saying all these girlie phrases like, “Diva style!” and “Girl’s rule!”  Hilarious!  She was dressed to play the part!  I wish we could do this every day… I was exhausted after doing hair all afternoon, but it was worth every minute of seeing them sass around like little divas!  It truly does give them a little spring to their steps!

And Noelle’s no exception to playing the diva roll, lol!  After dress-up, Ava’s tummy hurt, so Noelle and Anna Kate worked up a breakfast in bed for her before we watched movies!  The girls have such sweet friends, and we are so blessed to share our lives with each one of them!

Noelle and Ava had SO MUCH FUN doing art camp together last week!  It was hard waking up so early every morning to get there on time during the first week of summer, but we car pooled and made it work, and it was amazing!  So glad the girls got to do this!  We signed up way back in March, so we were looking forward to it for a while.  Art is absolutely Noelle’s favorite thing (because she knows it’s the foundation to fashion designing, which has always been her passion)!

This little frog is straightening her crown in the mirror.  This is the coolest kid sculpture I’ve ever seen!

Each kid got to draw a different animal, and Noelle chose a bird.  Her art has already surpassed my own; I’m impressed!

Superterrestrial day!

Butterfly coaster and lizard keychain she gave mike for Father’s Day!  Thanks Amy for the awesome art camp idea!  The girls had the best time creating art together!

The girls always have a blast at open gym and story time!  Cheers to some cooler activities to kick off this hot summer!