Decatur Beach Party

We went to the Decatur Beach Party with our playgroup friends. Gabi had so much fun, she would talk about the beach party for weeks afterwards!

Gabi buried her legs in the sand.


Gabi, wearing her new sunglasses,
holds her new pinwheel in the wind.


At first, Gabi loved the "jumpies," such as this train tunnel.


After getting run over by bigger kids, however,
she became extremely scared of them, even if I went through with her.


The best part of the beach party was digging in the sand.
(Yes, it is brought to downtown and dumped on Ponce de Leon Ave.)






Gabi and Joseph at the Beach Party.


Gabi and Sam burying their legs.


Gabi and Sam burying a beach ball.


Gabi adds sand to the top of the tower.


It is funny to knock down the tower!


Gabi at the coloring booth, trying to trace her hand.


Gabi calls this hand outline a "handprint."

New Siblings and Potty Training

Our playgroup has a lot of new babies arriving. Sienna's sister (Sophia), Sam's brother (Evan), Kira's sister (Marli), and Martin's brother (Aaron) have already come. Ben's brother (Noah) is due next. We are expecting Gabi's sister (Anna) and Jonah's brother (not yet named) in early September. The next friends to become big siblings will be Ellie and Jackson.

As each mom prepares to be a new mom again, we have a Moms' Night baby shower for her. Instead of baby games, we have a pampering night (facials, pedicures, massages, or something of the like), and instead of baby presents, we all pitch in for a Target gift card. Once the new baby is born, we set up a calendar taking turns bringing dinner to the newly-expanded family every other night, which lasts for about a month. What could be better than that?

We have such a wonderful group of moms in this playgroup! I don't know what I would do without them. :) I hosted the most recent baby shower for Debbie (Martin's mom) and Kristen (Ben's mom).

Moms Night Baby Shower for Debbie and Kristen.
on the couch: Kristin L., Rebecca, Andria, Marti, and me
on the floor: Kellie, Lisa S., Debbie, Kristen D.,
Barbara, Lisa C., and Leslie Jo
The playgroup went to Olympic Park to hear a free jazz concert while we ate a picnic lunch.

Gabi loves strawberries.


Jonah, Gabi, Martin, and Kira briefly sit on the steps/seats.
Gabi has fun playing at home, too.

One of Gabi's favorite games is to pull
our shoes out of the closet and wear them.


During "quiet time" (the replacement for naptime) one day,
Gabi pulled out her old baby bath chair, placed it on her bed,
and climbed in to play with her stuffed animals.


Gabi sleeps in very funny positions sometimes!
She slid halfway off her bed in her sleep this night,
but she was fully on the bed the next time we checked on her.
Ben's birthday party at Oakhurst Park was a big hit, especially with the jumping tent.

Martin and Gabi practice jumping.


Bounce, bounce, bounce.


Gabi has a hard time getting both feet off the ground at the same time.


Gabi playing with the bubbles.


Gabi and Daddy draw on the pavilion floor with chalk.


Ben's mom cuts his birthday cake.


Ava and Gabi enjoy cake and ice cream.


Yummy!


Gabi and Martin run up and down the hill, chasing soccer balls.
We are beginning to try potty training (unsuccessfully). Rhiannen was able to potty train Ava by letting her run around the house naked. Every time Ava started to pee, she didn't like having it run down her legs, so she would stop and hold it. Rhiannen could then put her on the potty chair to finish going. That worked well for her, but not so well for us. Gabi doesn't like pee on her leg, either, but she'll just stand in place and look down and cry instead of stop peeing. Then she'll run to me for help, but if she's on the kitchen linoleum then she'll slip in the puddle and hit her head on the floor, which makes for a very traumatic event overall.

Ellie is also potty-trained, and I think perhaps Sienna is, too. Marti says it was easy because Ellie just did it all herself. Ellie's daycare and her grandma (Marti's mom kept Ellie for a week) did most of the work potty-training her. I guess that's one benefit of daycare! Unfortunately, so far, we have not been so lucky.

None of the other playgroup kids are potty trained yet, though, so we aren't behind the crowd. I guess I shouldn't expect much since I haven't been working on it very hard or often, though. On three or four separate occassions (each a week or so apart), I tried Rhiannen's naked bum method (or a similar approach, just wearing big-girl underwear). Other than that, I have tried just letting Gabi sit on the potty from time to time. She will tell me when she needs to go, but by the time I get her diaper off, it is warm and heavy and there is nothing left to go in the potty chair. (Sometimes I think she tells me she needs to go potty when she is already peeing in her diaper, so it's too late no matter how fast I am.) Gabi has peed in the potty twice, though.

I know I need to be more consistent in my efforts if I want Gabi out of diapers before Anna arrives. If we get close to my due date without a breakthrough, then I'll just wait until Anna is a month or two old and try again.

Gabi wearing Dora big-girl underwear.

Botanical Gardens

We met Martin at the Botanical Gardens for storytime one Saturday morning. After storytime, we explored the gardens.

Gabi and Martin in his wagon behind a waterfall.


Gabi slides down backwards in the play area.


Gabi and Martin with the lilypads.


What is under the lilypads, Gabi?


Can you see the frog?


Ooh! And giant tadpoles! One already has big hind legs.


Gabi found a frog statue, too.


Gabi peeks into a carnivorous pitcher plant
to see a half-digested bug floating in the water.


These pitcher plants grow in the Philippines.


Gabi with the orchids.


Gabi likes the water fountains.




Look at the giant praying mantis!


Gabi found a butterfly.
The next weekend, we took Daddy to the Botanical Gardens to see the Big Bugs and Killer Plants exhibits.

Gabi and Daddy by the Japanese garden.




This artwork is called an assassin bug.


Daddy watches Gabi make a butterfly at the craft table.


Gabi and Daddy pretending to be bugs eaten by Venus flytraps.


It's Mommy's turn to pose as a trapped bug with Gabi.


Gabi and Mommy walk along a pond wall.


Gabi and Mommy by the pond with the dragonfly art.


Gabi and Mommy in front of the giant spider in a web.


Gabi and Mommy try on butterfly wings.


Gabi and Mommy found a ladybug,
just like the ones on Gabi's skirt.


Gabi loves playing in the children's water fountain.
What a great way to cool off on a hot day!










Mommy swings Gabi through the water fountain.


Gabi and Mommy relax by the hydrangeas.
Here are some of the pretty flowers we saw at the Botanical Gardens.