Silly girls!

Just doing what we can to entertain ourselves, Mom!

Cara turns TWO!

Here I am still trying to catch up on blogging. If I would spend half as much time on my own blog as I do reading other people's I would be posting for the future! Cara turned TWO YEARS OLD on June 17th.

She celebrated with her friends at daycare on Thursday, June 16th (the girls still go to Lynn's one day a week in the summer so I can go out to lunch with friends and nap...um I mean catch up on cleaning, laundry and the lawn). I was up until the wee hours of the morning so she could take these cupcakes. Her mom sure does love her!
Friday, June 17th we went to the Como Zoo for the day. Entrance into the Como Zoo...$10, two unlimited ride wrist bands...$37.90, two sodas...$10, parking ticket upon arriving back at the car...$57, great day celebrating Cara's second birthday...PRICELESS!

Brynn LOVES the frog jumper, however, on every first drop down her face looks like this.

On the second drop it looks like this!

The girls each were able to test drive many cars with their unlimited ride wrist bands.

Brynn tried the swings again this year and still giggled the whole time.

After riding until two little hearts were content we stopped in the shade to have a picnic lunch and drink our $10 sodas.

Although Cara looks just like her dad she has her mom's blood...always cold. We ended up pulling the picnic blanket out to cover up her legs because the birthday girl was "told."

Another attempt at getting a good picture of the Asleson girls...we'll keep trying.

One tuckered out birthday girl!

Blowing out TWO candles!

I should go into cake decorating...

The "big open room" serves a great location for the kids' table.

Cara loved when everyone sang her "Happy Birthday."

We were lucky enough to have the Eckhoffs spend the night with us.

Two of the four lovebirds having breakfast together Sunday morning.

Since Auntie Key, Henry, Jenny Paul, and Claire Bear couldn't make Cara's party we decided to throw another one the following week. She is a pro at blowing out candles now!

And eating frosting off the cake:)

The birthday party crew.

It looks like they really like each other...Claire does love Cara, but Cara has a hard time showing her love to anyone other than her mom.

Auntie Key brought some party balloons that the kids thoroughly enjoyed.

Apparently only Henry was having fun at Cara's party!

Cutie, Homemade Pizzas, Dad's 2nd Birthday, and Dancing

Such a big girl! Cara's pee stream seems to be a little bit like a little boys...no matter how we have her sit it shoots straight up and out the toilet. If you're not careful your shirt, pants, and feet will bet wet. Thankfully, Cara gives us a little heads up, "Watch out..." before she shoots it out at us.
We did a little shopping at the Medford Outlet and Brynn thought she better get these two hats for Cara and her to wear in Florida. Unfortunately they did not make the cut in the suitcase, but they sure are fun to wear around the house.
Homemade pizza. Yummy!

I am pretty sure more cheese was eaten than was placed on the pizza, but that is half the fun of making our own pizzas!

The girls had a little dance party while the pizzas were cooking. ALWAYS entertaining :)

Since Darren's birthday was the day we left for Florida I didn't really feel like we celebrated it like we usually do. Because he has class two nights a week the girls and I were able surprise hime with a cake.

I agree that the batter is way better than the cake itself!

There's nothing wrong with licking a little batter off the counter, right?

Swimming and POTTY

Brynn had her last session of swimming lessons (until September) the first week in June. Darren usually takes her so I am always amazed on how much she has improved when, for some reason or another, I take her. She is quite the little fish!

She can even swim to the bottom of the pool, find a diving stick, and make her way back up again. We are so proud of her!!

To make a special day even more special Cara peed on the potty for the first time after Brynn's lesson!! We decided (three weeks before her second birthday) that it was time to get her trained while she was still in the care of the expert, our daycare Lynn. The first week of June on a Monday Cara started and had accidents all day as well as the following day. Tuesday Brynn had swimming and I had to take her so I made sure to put a diaper on Cara before we left for swimming. By the time swimming was over it has been about an hour and a half since she had last tried to go on the potty, she has lots to drink at the pool, and she ws still dry so I just knew she HAD to go. It took over a half hour sitting on this potty, singing songs, counting, and much reassuring and convincing her that it was okay to go pee on the potty and then she FINALLY did. Man, were we all (Brynn, Cara and I) so excited. Potty training hasn't been quite as easy with Cara as it was with Brynn (but nothing with Cara seems to be so it really isn't much of a surprise), but I honestly can't complain at all. She has had very few accidents and is willing to go sit on the potty almost any time I ask her to-which is quite often (about every 40 minutes) since I am a little paranoid of her having an accident. However, this last week (July 20th) she has been going longer stretches (1 1/2hours) and will often tell me when she has to go before I even ask her! Not that it is a great thing since we have had more nights that we have gotten up with Cara than haven't, but she even wakes up in the middle of the night to go potty (but will go right back to sleep) and will more often than not wake up dry in the morning! I really was ready for a battle potty training her, but it has been no where near that! We are so proud of you, Cara Bean! You are growing up way to fast!