We did another staycation this year for July 4th (the 3rd-the 5th, to be more specific), and it was fun, though different from last year. Last year, we stayed at the M Resort, had a gigantic, awesome room, had delicious room service..overall, had a blast. This year, we stayed at the Aliante...and it's definitely no M. We were surprised when we showed up and it was WAY smaller than we expected. Though we ran into a few snags with the room (like the water taking 500 years to heat up..seriously, it was terrible every time we went to shower), we were able to enjoy a nice swim in the pool a few times. The kids LOVED the pool, they swam until they were exhausted. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of them in the pool, because I forgot my camera/phone every time we headed down to the pool.The kids both got to go to the movies for the very first time while we were on vacation!
The kids had a rough time this year with sleep, so in return, none of us slept well. Mike was ready both nights to take Daniel home when it was 10 and the kid still wasn't asleep (Daniel usually goes down at 8:30, so this was WAY later than he's used to), plus, he was crying most of the time because he wanted to play, which made it all the more frustrating. But, despite it all, we really did have fun together. We decided if we do this again next year, though, we're definitely staying at the M again!
Diana is still doing dance class and she LOVES IT! All week, every week, she talks about dance class and how excited she is to go to dance class. It's so cute! She also does very well in class..it's definitely taken her a while to get to this point, but at the age she is, I expect it. But, as she gets better, I see her confidence and self-esteem grow. It also helps that her teacher is awesome, patient, and the best dance teacher ever. Diana loves Ms Renee (her teacher), and is always so excited to see her. I'm glad we put her in this dance class...this teacher is seriously phenomenal and it's been awesome to see how much Diana has learned and grown while taking Ms Renee's class. Diana had a mini-recital at the end of July, and had asked Mike several times to come. The problem: he works until 3, and Diana's class starts at 2...plus, Mike's coworker had been out for a couple weeks prior because of severe diverticulitis (it got severely infected and he spent several days in the hospital..they're doing surgery on it soon), so I tried to explain to Diana that daddy wouldn't be able to make it. We got to class the day of her recital, and her first words were, "Where's Daddy?" as she scanned the room for him. I explained he wasn't coming because of work. I've never seen her more sincerely heartbroken. She sadly went off to start class, and during warm-ups, as I'm wrestling with Daniel, I hear Diana scream "DADDY!!!!", and I look up to see Mike walking into the room! He had taken off early just to come watch her dance. It absolutely made her day and I know it will be something she'll remember forever.
(Diana in her dance recital outfit..she danced to "Part of Your World" from "The Little Mermaid")
Daniel is climbing on everything..and I mean that..EVERYTHING. I can't keep him off of or out of anything! It's been a bit exhausting, to be honest. Diana was always a curious explorer, but NOTHING like Daniel. He's very much a boy. He's a mover, and unless one of the very few movies he loves is on, that boy is go-go-going! But, he does love to play with Diana. He likes to follow her around, mimic her, chase her until one or both of them gets hurt, wrestle with her, play with her toys...anything she's doing, he has to be involved, and she loves it just as much as he does. They're great pals and play really well together, despite the occasional fight. Dance class is a hard time for Daniel and I, because Daniel REALLY wants to get down and dance (or more so, run around as fast as he can), and I have to keep him near so he doesn't trip someone or get in the way, so we spend the class with him hitting me and screaming, and/or me standing and holding him and dancing around with him to try to distract him. Again, he's a mover, and asking him to be still is like trying to hold down the wind. But, despite his wiggliness, he's very lovey and cuddly..and I love that about him. Actually, both kids are very lovey. It's sweet, I enjoy that, though I know that, sadly, it won't last forever.
Diana is still doing her ABCMouse.com and is still learning SO MUCH. It's awesome to see her recognize numbers and letters and even some sight words. It's crazy to see how much they can know at such a young age.
Daniel is doing better with his communication. He does a mix of sign language and speaking to us. He loves to wave and say "hi" and "bye" to everyone he sees...he's very social. He can say "All done", "Cracker", "NaNa" (that's when he wants to eat..he calls everything nana...except crackers...which he calls crackers), "Dada", "DiDi", "MaMa", "Milk", "bed", and he said "Popcorn" once. I know there are other things he can say, but it's hard to think of them on the spot. The signs he likes to do most are "Please", "All Done", "Water" and "More". He also likes to sign along with us when we sing certain primary songs, like "Popcorn Popping:" and "Wise Man, Foolish Man".Diana loves to sing and dance (obviously), and loves the spotlight..until you start to film her, then she gets silly and shy and won't perform anymore. It's fun to hear her sing and watch her dance, though, and see her true personality shine. She's so sweet and smart, and she's growing so fast, it's crazy. She likes to be the big sister in charge and boss Daniel around, or help him out, or do things for us, and I like to see her confidence when she does those things, though sometimes we have to guide her when she gets a bit out of control and gets to rough or demanding with Daniel.
So, that's been our July in a nutshell! We'll see you back here for the August post!
