As of late

 We're still swimming here in Texas. We're getting the cool weather too in the mornings, but still getting up to the 90s during the afternoon.

 Maya loves to be up on her knees, and of course she chooses our toy from the 80s to climb on, the only toy that still has sharp edges. She's gotten a few scrapes.

 We went camping! 

 Well we didn't stay over night or anything, but we sat by a campfire with friends and had s'mores!

 Check out Amelia's face in this one, it is hilarious. 

 Amelia is so funny, she loves to roast marshmallows but once we make a s'more for her, she will have nothing to do with it. Too sticky I think. She's such a lady.

 On Saturday we went to our town's First annual Kid Fitness Day! There was a bouncy house and tons of booths with free samples.

 And lots of activities for kids. I can't wait to take them each year! 

 Amelia got her face painted. Love this grimace.

 Maya does this new thing where when she's excited or when someone new comes in the room, she straightens her arm and pushes her chin down. I think she thinks she's waving? In this picture it looks like a thumbs down, haha.

Last week Juan and I went on a double date with our friends Ryan and Kendra. We saw the Bats and went to dinner. We've seen the bats 3 times now (once in April which we found out is not Bat season, that's why it was so lame G&S, sorry). This was the best showing yet! There were thousands of bats and they formed black clouds in the sky, so crazy.

I just want to quickly write about Amelia's playgroup. I have been dropping her off once a week with a group of 4 other kids. We rotate who hosts, so I host the group once every 5 weeks. And Amelia has been doing awesome! She is the youngest and has never really been dropped off to do things without me. But she is loving it. We've been doing it for a month and just in this one month, her talking has taken off! I really think it's because she's around these older kids (the oldest is exactly 1 year older than her). They are all such good kids too, so she is only learning great things from them. I'm really excited for her. 

Just Some Pictures

Miss Maya, she melts my heart. I cannot get enough.

 Gorgeous. And this picture defines her right now. She is obsessed with outside.

 Really? Nothing cuter.

I die.

Big Chocolate Chip Cookies

Juan started a new rotation with work last week. And I do love any reason to celebrate so I decided to make him something special. Big chocolate chip cookies.

 Juan loving it.

Crisp on the outside, gooey in the middle.

Here's the recipe from mrshardingcooks.blogspot.com:

Ridiculous Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet or milk chocolate chips
kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets (don't be tempted to make them smaller, they aren't as good (texture is compromised) and trust, you will want them big). Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt or kosher salt on each cookie immediately after removing from oven. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. 

You are welcome.

Amelia is 2 1/2!!!

• Amelia loves to play Mom and will follow Maya around, making sure she doesn't get into anything.
• 
• Her favorite toys are the Snorta (game) animals and her new purple monkey Kiki. 
• 
• Her favorite food is chocolate chip cookies, spaghetti, and pancakes. Or cooKIES and panCAKES as she likes to say.
• 
• Her favorite movie is any of the Toy Story movies. But she is quickly falling in love with Aladdin and is obsessed with Princess Jasmine.
• When she is bored she asks to "Go for Walk".
• 
• She sits patiently in the stroller on my 3 mile walks twice a week, but definitely prefers to walk. She still runs from us every now and then, but not too often. And when she does, it's when we're least expecting it. She likes to keep us guessing.
• 
• When Maya is eating, she gets really upset and says, "Maya play". She likes Maya to be available to play with her at all times. 
• Tall girl.
• Amelia's favorite new word is First. I ask her to go potty, she says, "Play first". It's pretty cute, her reasoning with me. 
• She just started a playgroup where I drop her off for a few hours. I have been so impressed at how she runs right in and plays with friends, not upset at all that I'm leaving. And bonus, she's excited to see me when I pick her up and gives me big hugs and doesn't cry when it's time to leave. 
• 
• She just started insisting on saying prayers herself. She does so well with repeating back words.
• She puts her own shoes on and skirts and shorts. The skirts and shorts are usually backwards, which I find super cute. 
• 
• Potty Training update: 2 months in and she has been steady. She sits on the potty whenever I ask (I usually have to put on a timer and that will ease her into stopping play). Up until this week, she was 50% going on the potty, #1 and #2. This week she has hit a wall, and I think she goes in her diaper when I tell her I'm setting the timer to go. And then she'll sit on the potty and nothing. Little sneak! I don't know if this regression means I should stop and give her a break, or push harder and get rid of diapers so she doesn't have the opportunity to "cheat". Any thoughts?
• 
• She drinks a full sippy of milk in the morning and at night. She still lays down to drink it and likes to be on our lap, but it isn't mandatory like it once was. 
• She still pinches our skin when she's tired. And then she'll pretend she's eating whatever it is she pinched off our arm. Ha! I don't know where she got it from, only thing I can think is from watching me nibble Maya's little cheeks.
• 
• She phases in and out of knowing how to count 1 to 10 and knowing her colors. One week she will know it all and be accurate 100% of the time. The next week she'll act like it's all new. She's great with basic shapes and sorting.
• 
• I am so proud of the big girl she is becoming! She impresses us every day on how independent and helpful and obedient she is. I find myself expecting so much of her as if she's a mini adult, and I'm blown away when she meets those expectations. I want to focus more on realizing she is 2 and loving every aspect of that. Because I love my 2 year old girl.
• 

Miss Independent Maya

Maya is 7 1/2 months old and in need of an update. Maya is known by many names around here: My Guy, which then forced the nickname My Girl because I found it more appropriate, The My, My-ster, My My. 

Miss Maya likes her time alone. Each morning she takes a morning nap, and after thinking she should be up by now, I'll go look at the video monitor and see that she is just playing with her toys, popping her binky in and out of her mouth, just chillin.

She is clapping now:

She is a champ at the sippy, she even tilts it to get a drink of water when she is sitting up. No joke, Amelia just figured that out maybe by 2 years of age. Maya also drinks through a straw like a pro.

She is up on her hands and knees, rocking back and forth, ready to crawl.

She loves to play with Amelia. And from Amelia's perspective, Maya loves to destroy anything Amelia is playing with. Amelia builds a tower, Maya beelines for it and swats it down. Amelia is playing and sets up little people on the roof of the toy house, Maya has to grab at those people. It is pretty funny to watch, and I told Amelia just to play along and pretend like Maya is the giant monster coming to slobber all over the people. It's working for now, but I just hope I didn't dub Maya as playing the monster from now on in life.

Her favorite sound right now is Mamamamama. And it really feels like she is saying Mama because it is the sound she makes when she is hungry or wants to be held or is getting tired. So of course she's asking for me to help her with all those things, right?