Summer Fun

The top picture is Melanie with Aya & Grace, and the bottom is with Ellie.  All four girls had a great time on Tuesday night at West Park.  They were all dripping wet from the splash park, and making each other laugh nonstop.  It has been so fun to see all four grow in their interactions with each other in the year and a half they've been friends.  It's very bittersweet to see Aya move out of the neighborhood, they close on their house in August to move more centrally-located between her parents' jobs. 

Melanie's Weekend

Melanie has quite the life.  This weekend, she had a lot of one-on-one time with her Mommy and Daddy.  She ate at three different restaurants, had her friends over to play (Grace and Ellie on Friday night), went to the farmers market and playground on Saturday, saw Gigi & Poppy and played at Molly's during the day on Saturday and then went to the Flying Toasters concert Saturday night.

Sunday she got to go to her first Indianapolis Indians game with her Daddy, went to the park with Grace and Aya, and enjoyed some neighborhood bottlerockets.

Joey, for his part, got to play at Uncle Randy's house, got a solo trip to the park, got to hang out with Poppy for a couple of hours (during which he slept most of the time!), watched bottle rockets, ate at one restaurant, and slept and ate a LOT.

14 Months Old

For the first time in nearly 40 months, the Worzala house is bottle-free!  About a week before his 14-month birthday, Joey eliminated the last of his bottle feedings (his bedtime bottle), and is doing great.  He still loves to drink his (whole) milk, but does it out of a cup at all times now.

I think he's going through a growth phase right now, as he's been eating like a champ, and sleeping like one.  For instance, on Friday night, he slept 14 hours straight.  After he was up a little over an hour, he slept in the car most of the way to Frankfort, and then slept for over an hour while visiting with Poppy.  That night, he had a "normal" 12-hour sleep night, along with his two long daytime naps.  Crazy kid.  As far as eating, the kid could live on fruits alone if we let him.  Blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and mandarin oranges are among his favorite.  He also loves pizza, and really just about anything we give him.  Loves "snacks" just like his sister and his Uncle Randy.

He's wearing size four diapers, size 12-month clothes, laughs a lot, still sucks his left thumb and ALWAYS has his "binky bear" (so dubbed by Melanie) with him.  Always.  He has seven teeth.  He really wishes he could keep up with his sister better, but he's trying!  He doesn't have any words yet, but is finally waving hello and bye-bye, likes to clap, give high-fives, and laugh.  Did I mention the laughter?  :)  He gives kisses, too.  At least to Mommy.  

Happy Father's Day!

My dad was fishing in Wisconsin over Father's Day weekend - but we got to spend a lot of time with the Worzalas to celebrate!  I am lucky to have such wonderful fathers in my life for myself, my kids, and my nieces & nephew!  Happy Father's Day!

Weekend Shenanigans

In addition to spending much of the weekend with Randy, Cory, and the rest of the Worzalas, Bells, and Howes, Melanie & I also made a trip to the Children's Museum.  We met up with Laura, her friend Chuck, and his kids, and if I can get pictures downloaded from my phone, they will definitely make this blog.  Melanie was a pro at the museum; it just amazes me every time we go there that she does more and more.  It's fun to watch.  On the way home, we were going to stop at Chipotle.  I told her that I knew she would fall asleep, so I asked her what she wanted me to do.  She said "Mommy, I am going to fall asleep.  When we get to chip-ip-olays, i want you to wake me up, because I'm hungry."  So, I obliged.  When I woke her up, I gave her two choices - we can eat here "at the table," or we can get the food and go home, because Gigi is at our house.  Her choice?  "I want to eat here, and then go home and see Gigi."  Okay then.

Sunday was spent largely indoors, given the sporadic rain and wet grass.  The best part of the day was the "family nap" when both the kids fell asleep and Mom & Dad also got a nap.  Happy Father's Day :)  The kids were a little stir-crazy being kept inside - but it was definitely broken up by bike rides, time on the porch, etc.  Melanie and I went to Sunday School, too.  She's been doing great at going since mid-March; she's only missed two weeks!

Back Home Again in Indiana

Yes, it's also the title of my own blog, but I thought I would give this blog title to Randy & Cory.  They moved "home" this weekend, and we are excited to have them closer to us.  Ron & Diane got to our house Thursday night, and then headed to Randy & Cory's on Friday, to spend the rest of the weekend there helping them get settled.  We went over on Friday night and Saturday night - I have no idea how they hosted 12-25 people each night, while just closing on Friday!!  But we had a great time, and they have a great house for entertaining!  The only exhausting part was keeping track of all the kids, since the house is so big!  Melanie LOVES playing there.  Her favorite part?  (between the basement, large play room, huge back yard with swingset, etc)?  Charlie's bunk beds.  The things it takes to please a kid.
(I had to post both golf cart pictures, because I didn't get a good one showing both kids in there with Charlie, Sammie, Randy, and Jeff.  The one that shows Joey, you can somewhat make out Mel's pink shoes next to U.Randy.  A good time was had by all.)

Snuggling

Where you find one, you'll find the other.  These girls are inseparable.  As I carried Melanie to the car after about 6 hours at Gigi & Poppy's on Sunday, she was screaming and crying that she wanted a cookie.  By the time we hit Williams Road (two blocks away), she was asleep.  And stayed asleep the rest of the night. 

The Depauw shirts were courtesy of Uncle John (middle picture).  Melanie also slept with a Depauw keychain that night, wouldn't let it out of her sight.

Fun with Friends

Melanie enjoyed her friend Grace's birthday party last weekend; she did a good job of playing on all of the equipment at Traders Point Church (where she had her party).  The below picture is of her & Molly dressed alike with their hair done alike.  They are a couple of clowns.

Summer Fun

Melanie has been enjoying multiple water activities so far this summer.  She's in her bathing suit nearly every night - between going to the neighborhood pool, setting up the sprinkler/water table in the back yard, or going to West Park.  Or just putting it on and insisting to go swimming even when that's not in the plans.  She's also enjoyed Gigi & Poppy's pool twice already.  Once was this past Sunday, when it was gorgeous outside, but a bit too chilly to be in the pool.  It didn't stop her & Molly, so thankfully they have a wonderful Poppy who got in with them.  They loved jumping in incessantly; I was amazed at their fortitude!

Trader's Point Farmer's Market

We have only been to Trader's Point Creamery once - Melanie was about the age Joey is now.  At that time, we thought we'd probably wait a while before we went back.  Well, we waited awhile, but then had another baby the same age - so again, we tell ourselves, we'll probably wait a while longer.  We went on a Friday night to enjoy the Farmer's Market - Jeff & Melanie go literally every Saturday morning to the downtown Zionsville Farmer's Market, so we thought the Friday night one at TP would be fun, particularly with fresh ice cream.  It was fun, but it was hot, the kids were tired, etc.  It was nice to be outside, in any event - and Melanie cooled off with a nice lemon in the car afterward....

Doan Family Road Trip

My dad and I took a road trip to Wilmington, Ohio, which is where his grandpa (Charles "Pop" Doan) was from.  Wilmington is a place my dad had heard about his entire life, and holds a special place in his heart.  When his brother John called and asked him to explore their roots in Wilmington for about 24 hours, my dad agreed and set out, to meet up with their second cousin Susan and her husband Nial.  Susan has a particular passion for family geneology, and she showed us around the town and the family records.  It was pretty amazing to learn about Pop's (and our!) lineage in Wilmington.  For instance, Pop's grandfather, Azariah (in the framed picture above, which is on the courthouse wall), was a Civil War Colonel who also served as a state senator and judge.  Azariah lived in the white house above, where he raised his son, Joe T. Doan.  Joe then moved next door to the brown house, where he raised his son, Charles (and his two daughters - one of them being Susan's grandmother).  Charles later married Hazel, moved to Lafayette, and had their one son, Joe T. Doan - who went on to have my dad, Joe C. Doan, and my uncle, John Pierce Doan! 

It was a fun road trip with my dad, and to be able to spend time with my uncle - all while learning more about the Doan family name.  The Doans were one of the first families in Wilmington, and donated part of the land on which the courthouse now sits. 

Happy Memorial Day!

We had a fantastically lazy weekend; Jeff's was a four-day weekend, and my three-day weekend started a little early on Friday.  We didn't have ANY plans, and we capitalized on that by spending lots of time at home with the kids, just hanging out!  The picture of the plane above was one of the many fly-overs we get on race day weekend; Melanie was mesmerized!

New Pool

A lot of our lazy weekend was spent in back with the new pool.  It could be debated who this pool was purchased for, since Melanie and I ran to Target on Monday afternoon and came home to find Jeff sitting in it smoking a cigar.  It's a great size to entertain in - and comes with two cup holders!

Monday, Melanie made it to two parks (one being Coxhall Gardens, below) and the neighborhood pool, all by noon.  The backyard pool was set up later, and it was a fun day to just be outside.