It seems I have a bit of catching up to do. Summer has officially come to an end, but in my last post the girls were just getting ready to start their summer breaks. During one of our first weekends we spent a Saturday just around town. First stop was a small festival downtown. While walking around we noticed there were camel rides! You can't pass up the chance to ride a camel!
Next it was off to the zoo. We tend not to visit the zoo as much once it starts getting crazy hot, so we try to go as much as we can when the weather is still pleasant. A ride on the carousel and some time with the animals, made for a nice afternoon and some good sister time.
With summer break in full swing the girls were starting to spend lots of their free time with their Nana. It can be challenging for my Mom to find things to do with the girls all summer, but they managed to fill up the days. One of their first adventures involved a trip to the grocery store. My Mom gave them a calculator, a dollar amount they could spend, and allowed them to shop for snacks. Doesn't sound overly exciting, but they were thrilled to do this on their own, and they were pretty proud of themselves.
Another activity they try to do each summer is take a trip to the Botanical Gardens to see the butterflies. There is a fascinating butterfly exhibit each year that allows you to get up close and personal with the insects. Often they will land on you while you are in the exhibit and they seemed to be attracted to Cecilia. It's a must do each summer, and a learning experience as well!
By mid-June we were gearing up for one of our busiest weekends all summer...recital weekend! The girls work hard all year in their dance classes to prepare for these performances, and they couldn't be more excited. Tons of costumes changes, fancy hair-dos and makeup is what consumes two full days. Our first night of recital was a little more busy for Olivia, as Cecilia only had one dance. I am so impressed with the stage presence my girls have developed, as well as the ability to remember so many different dances. Makes me pretty darn proud!
The next night we were back at it again. This time it was a busier night for Cecilia, with 5 dances. The highlight of night two was Cecilia's bun. My girl has pretty short hair, making it near impossible to even get it into a ponytail. Well with a little gel and some fake hair, magically you have an adorable little bun! She was thrilled that her hair could look like everyone else's for once. Once again, both girls danced beautifully, bringing yet another year of dance to an end.
One of the best parts of being a part of this dance studio is the friendships. The girls have made so many special friends over the years...young and old. Each year we say goodbye to our Seniors, which is never easy. But each year they create more memories, and along the way they are creating friendships that will last a lifetime. Another recital may be in the books, but there are many more years of dancing still ahead!
With school out and all activities on hiatus, it's time for pool time! Fun in the sun with friends is what summer is all about. Cece and her friend Avery, Olivia and her friend Audrey spend as much time as they possibly can at Cherry Hill Pool each summer. No one ever gets tired of days at the pool!
Before we knew it we were at the end of June and celebrating Cecilia Jane's 7th birthday! How my little baby was suddenly 7 years old was hard for me to comprehend, but here we are! She kicked off her day with a special birthday breakfast with her favorite babysitter, Holly! It is Cece's choice on her birthday and she chose home-made donuts. One donut is never enough, so Holly made her a donut cake! That was followed by presents and fun with her little buddies. Holly always manages to spoil Cece on her birthday!
That afternoon Cece had a birthday lunch with her sister and Nana. That was immediately followed by a nap because turning 7 is exhausting! Plus, we had dinner plans at Takaoaka that night. Before heading out to dinner we took time to open a few presents at home.
Birthday dinners at Takaoaka are a tradition for the girls. I did it each year as a kid, and now Todd's Mom treats them to this special celebration twice a year! This time around it was all about Cece. She may not have the most adventerous palate, and may be pretty content with a bowl of rice, but she loves the "show" and loves the birthday song!
After dinner we headed back to Nana's for a few more presents and wrapped up the day with a birthday cupcake and some love from her puppy. Even though Cecilia's official birthday was over the celebrating was just beginning!
Cecilia's birthday wish this year was to get her ears pierced. When Olivia turned 7 we allowed her to do the same thing, so Cecilia decided she was ready as well. I made sure to be up front with her about what the whole process involved. She was very reasonable about it and decided she could handle it. As we walked into the mall that night the hesitation set in. I could see it in her face and started to think this may not happen. But she put on a brave face (sort of) and pushed through the pain. There were some tears, but within seconds of it being over a smile filled her entire face! She was beyond excited to have beautiful earrings, and was pretty proud of herself for actually going through with it.
You can't turn 7 without celebrating with your friends. Cecilia just wanted to have a small party at home with a few of her close friends. It was a hot summer day so we stayed cool with lots of water activities. We kicked things off with some slip n slide fun, and followed it up with a massive water balloon fight!
All of that running around made for some hungry girls, so we cooled things off with popsicles, ice cream sandwiches and cake pops! Next it was present time, which was probably the highlight of the party for Cecilia. She had a fun summer afternoon with her buddies and was officially ready to take on 7! I, on the other hand simply cannot believe my baby is that old!
Cecilia was not the only one enjoying her summer! Olivia and her friend Aleah continued their summer tradition of attending the Beasley summer soccer camp. They have been going to this camp together each summer for at least 5 years, and each year they have a blast! The highlight of the camp is the huge water balloon fight on the last day. They take this quite seriously, but always leave having created many more memories.
Another soccer highlight was being a part of the unveiling of the Beasley futsal courts in Fort Wayne this summer. She and some of her best soccer buddies got to be there when DaMarcus Beasley himself came into town to officially open the courts. It was a cool experience to be a part of.
Hard to believe that our summer was just getting started with having done so many fun things already! Next up...our summer trip to Myrtle Beach!
