After wandering around in the airport and spending $16.00 on a glamorized breakfast burrito and a cup of coffee, we found ourselves on a flight without a hitch. After the initial shock and uncertainty of making a flight, everything turned out OK. Stander-bys who were watching the story unfold said, "You're so brave to wait this all out with a baby!" Little did they know that it was really much easier than going home to watch 3 kids instead of the one quietly snoozing on my shoulder! I even made it up to the wedding in time for a quick shower while family fought over who got to watch little Alex first.
Alessandro was also an angel during the 9-hour drive down from my dad's to Sunriver, where our annual reunion awaited this year. His learning to use a bottle and pacifier helped tremendously, too. The girls drove up with their dad and my cousin's teenaged kid, who also endured a 10-hour ride up from the south. This week-long vacation proved how quickly these little girls can grow up. Firstly, they slept in "big-girl" bed - twin beds instead of pack and plays or cribs. This was a big step, especially for Ava, who now wanted to sleep with the door open so she could see more light. Secondly, the girls went the whole week without diapers (except when they were sleeping) or an accident!! Also, Ava sealed the transition by finally going poop on the potty - an accomplishment only master by Bettina before now. Before the trip, we always knew when Ava had to poop as that was the only time she requested a diaper. "One day," I would tell her as I put on her diaper, "you will be a big girl and go poop on the potty as well. It's much cleaner and you will find you like it better." Sure enough, that day came just as we were waiting for Aunt Linda to cut her hair. "I have to go poop, Mommy!" she said. "Well, we're not at our house, so I don't have any diapers here. What do you want to do?" Before I'd finished talking, she was on her way to the pee pee chair to fulfill my prophesy. "I went poop on the potty and I liked it!"
Another milestone is Bettina's mastery of riding her bicycle with training wheels!! Those familiar with Sunriver Resort know its famous and many bike trails. Everyone brings their bikes and rides around the resort. With some persistence and determination, and being coached by second-cousins and her Daddy, Bettina has mastered - and enjoys - riding her princess bicycle. I'd catch her running out the door with her princess helmet saying, "Can I go ride my bike now, Mom?"
This is the only arena where the girls didn't make huge strides -- still just holding on the wall in the pool (well, they're confident in the baby pool) instead of outright swimming.
We took a two-hour ride down the Deschutes River with Ainsley and Patrick. They got the tandem kayak while we took the canoe with the girls riding in the middle. The girls went with us in the canoe last year, they just didn't like it and cried most of the time. This year, they rather enjoyed the trip and, other than the water fight that mommy and daddy had with each other (which inevitable splashed the two of them pretty good), in their own words, "I'm having fun in the big boat!"
The whole family - or at least our branch of it - snuggled together for a picture.
