Summer passed by all too quickly this year, and I have been really awful at keeping this space updated in the past several weeks. I thought I’d do a little compilation post of photos and videos here of some of our favorite cute/humorous moments captured on camera to share… better late than never, right?
…and thus follows the photo dump of all photo dumps.
Pooltime on the porch.
“Pool boy! Another margarita, please.”
“Just kidding!” 😉
Mio’s been obsessed with TMNT lately (or as she calls them, “masked turtles”). Today she’s Raphael and Mirei’s been anointed as Leonardo. (To me, they look more matsuri-ready…)
Mio patiently waiting for lunch at Santini’s. One of those moments where she still looks like a baby to me.
Lunch out with Daddy… one of her favorite moments.
Gelato and bingsoo at Sweetberry
Sticker-happy after a visit to Trader Joes.
All it takes is a blanket to keep them giggling non-stop!
Mio in her new bed!
Mio lined up these little animal dolls around Mirei as she slept on the Boppy.
Mirei’s first playdate with Lily. Mirei’s always tagging along to playdates for big sister, so it was nice to have a playdate for Mirei for once!
Mio pretending to kick Mirei… tsk tsk. Sisters…
Not sure what is going on here, but it looks like Mio is attempting to lick Mirei’s back?!
Mirei carrying big sister’s Minion backpack… which is almost the same size as her.
Such a funny sight!
Sisters both napping, in similar positions but in different places. (Mio fell asleep where she was playing, as usual…)
Mirei making an interesting fashion statement… (she can thank Auntie Miwa)
Crawling everywhere!
Sweet Mio
Our little angel ♥
She loves to roll herself up in her blankets.
Silly girl ♥
Mirei pulling herself up to stand by the cooler.
Mio playing frisbee with Daddy and Auntie in the backyard.
Mio coming down the slide at Meadow Lane Park
Sleeping giant at the park.
Mio riding the roundabout at the park:
Mirei being held by Obaachan
7 month old Mirei
Mio painting on the porch
Caught red-handed, getting into the diapers and making a mess!
Looking a lot like Daddy!
Going to the Lee District spray park again on Labor Day.Â
with my sweet M&Ms.
Mirei with Daddy
Mio is very much into making faces in selfies lately. She looks very fierce here!
Kissy-face selfie.
Mio likes to be in a “towel burrito,” as she calls it, after bathtime.
M&M in the window.
Standing in the crib already!
Our first time going to Japanese Storytime – wish I’d known about it sooner! Mirei was actually quite the social butterfly, constantly crawling away to other babies, making new friends. Mio preferred keeping to herself and exploring all the books there.
An ecstatic Mio with her mango popsicle.
Our resident flappy-bird…
Mirei playing with a taiko toy at a birthday party.
Spending a Sunday at the park
Stay forever Sunday.
Mirei will pull herself up to standing position every opportunity she gets!
This summer, in addition to ballet class and gymnastics class, I enrolled Mio in a program called Variety Zone, in which she can sample a little bit of each of the children’s programs offered in the county. In this class, the children rotate through different programs, experiencing two days each of Preschool Picassos, Gym Jam, Magic Kitchen, Wild about the Wild and Adventures in Gardening, over the course of eight weeks (one day a week).
Here are some photos and videos I took of Mio at the classes over the past couple months.
Making glitter fireworks for 4th of July for Preschool Picassos.
Adventures in Gardening class
Planting peas, garlic, and a sunflower.
Learning about the growth cycle of apple trees in Adventures in Gardening
Shaking up the whipping cream in Magic Kitchen. I think Magic Kitchen was Mio’s favorite among the programs, because it involved eating the creations. 😉
A video of Mio shaking the whipped cream, chopping up the fruits, and eating the completed snack.
Making marshmallow spiders!
Look at that smile! (Magic Kitchen, week 2)
Making girl and boy cookies out of crumbled graham crackers, cheese, pretzels, and raisins.
Gym Jam! It was also a hit with Mio, since she loves bouncing around and being active.
Our little athlete had a great time!
The program was a really fun way for Mio to sample a variety of fun activities over the summer, and she was always excited every week to go to the class! (I think she had more fun with it than gymnastics and ballet.) I really recommend it as a nice way to keep the kids occupied, especially during the summer when they’re out of school.
A bonus video of Mio from one of her last ballet classes:
Stats: At your last doctor’s visit almost a month ago, you weighed 21 lbs 6oz, so we’re guessing that by now you are over 22 lbs! It’s hard to hold you for too long because you are so heavy, and our wrists and arms have started to hurt because of how heavy you are.
Things You’re Doing Now: You’re a pro at crawling now! You’ve gotten really fast at making your way from one end of the hall to another, moving from room to room at an alarming speed! You’ve also started pulling yourself up to a standing position with chairs, couches, shelves, anything you can get your hands on! We’ve even witnessed you attempt to cruise a little as you try to maintain your standing position as you shift your feet along. Your bottom two teeth have now fully emerged, and you have been eating your solids every day for about a month now! So far, you’ve tried baby oatmeal, butternut squash, avocado, zucchini, carrots, pears, and bananas! (Your favorite so far has interestingly been zucchini.) Your naps tend to be for shorter periods of time now (half an hour to an hour), so you’re awake for much of the day and have been keeping us busy! You love watching and chasing after your big sister, and often reach for and grab her toys, much to Mio’s chagrin. You’re constantly grabbing things you find and sticking them in your mouth, so we have to keep a close watch for any choking hazards you may get a hold of! You’re full of expression, raising your voice very loudly to express both frustration and joy, and it’s a wonder to watch you grow. We have a feeling you’ll be quite the outgoing little girl, with how much you love flashing your smile at everyone you meet and how vocal you already are!
There’s a beaded necklace my father brought back from one of his business trips to New Mexico, that Mirei likes to wear like a crossbody bag. It looks so funny, and we joke that she looks as if she is little world traveler ready to go on a vision quest.
Dan and I had the honor of attending our friend Jina’s beautiful wedding earlier this month at Morais Vineyards & Winery in Bealeton, Virginia. It was a gorgeous venue, and the couple’s attention to detail really showed through in how stunning everything looked.
Arriving at Morais Vineyards
Picture perfect couple!
A beautiful ceremony
With the happy couple!
With a couple of my dearest friends, Debbie and Hanna. ♥
It was nice to have a relaxing evening out with the hubby, too.
Congratulations to the happy couple! Thank you for inviting us to be a part of your special day, and best of luck in your new life in Korea and eventually California!
