Last week, Andrew’s sister and her two kiddos came to visit for a week! It was busy, but we loved all the special “cousin time” we got with both Nora and Hampton, as well as the Tatlow boys.
We stopped by Andrew’s parents’ house to welcome them, and Maelle and Nora started playing together immediately. They are only a few months apart in age and already fast friends! It was baby Hampton’s first visit to East Aurora, and Maelle was excited to hold her newest cousin.
Maelle also started swim lessons last week! She is already a water baby, and it’s been fun for me to get some guidance on how to help her with skills in the pool. So far, she’s been kicking, reaching, blowing bubbles and even jumping to me from the wall. She’ll be swimming in no time!
Abigail was excited to try our newest ice cream shop, Rosie’s, on this visit to town. She’s had to go dairy-free while nursing Hampton, and Rosie’s has some great options. We think their homemade cinnamon waffle cones are THE BEST.
Don’t miss Maelle sneaking a lick of Andrew’s cone in the photo! Ha!
We also spent lots of time at the pool together, usually in the late afternoon after naps.
That weekend, Marvin drove up to meet his family and the boys took the girls to breakfast while I joined Abigail at her pedicure.
They ate breakfast at a local diner, visited Vidler’s, Toy Loft and Fowler’s Chocolates before meeting us on Main Street. That evening, we hosted our annual 3rd of July party. Unfortunately, our little town hadn’t arranged for fireworks in time, but they’ve announced we’ll have some for Labor Day. Guess we’ll have to throw another party, huh?!
I spent the evening playing host and shooing kids away from the chips and ice water, but I did catch this sweet moment.
Maelle, Nora and Emmett enjoyed playing ON the cornhole boards, which basically prevented anyone from actually playing. Thankfully, it was a beautiful, 70-something degree day and no one was too hot or too cold.
In last month’s nutrition column, I wrote about my pie-in-the-sky, ‘dietitian-approved’ menu for my July 3rd party. Well, I did it! We grilled chicken, I made a kale salad, and my in-law’s brought watermelon. Friends brought ‘approved’ popsicles (i.e. fruit juice without artificial colors or flavors, ideally light in color to prevent stains) and I even made a flag cake!
Everyone with kiddos left early, but Andrew’s parents and the Nyes got to enjoy some time on the patio furniture chatting while we started cleaning up and got Maelle to bed.
The upside of East Aurora’s tradition of celebrating a day early is that you actually get to RELAX on the 4th! We did just that, visiting the pool twice in one day and spending time together on the patio during Maelle’s nap. Andrew got a nap, too.
How do you celebrate the 4th of July?
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