Bethie's Buzz: Swimming, Sewing, Pictionary, and Friends!

Dear Friends and Family,

It happened! This week Claire figured out how to really hold her breath underwater, and she has been underwater in the pool almost ever since! It's almost like she discovered a new super power. As soon as we get in the pool, under the water she goes, and up she pops telling me where she plans to swim next. We have been having tea parties under water, diving down to touch the bottom of the pool, and practicing new swim strokes. Claire is learning free-style and how to spread the water at swim class. She is having a ball!

Claire gets ready to show her swim instructor what she can do!

Here are two videos of her in action:
Stirring the water: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg9KjcWMkak
Big arms/freestyle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0_Pl3qDQKI

This week Claire also took her first sewing lessons with me. We started by sewing a line of stitches and then practicing using the seam ripper to take the stitches out. Then while going through my fabric we found some remnant princess fabric to make a pillow case for her baby dolls. She said her babies were going to squeal and scream when they saw what she made them!

Nice and slow!

Don't forget to backstitch!

Ta-da!

Putting her babies to sleep on their new pillowcase!

This weekend was a wonderfully quiet and laid back weekend! For example, Chris taught Claire the art of pistachio eating.

I swapped out toys from the TV room to the playroom and vice-versa, thereby inciting interest in long lost/buried toys. The kids were amused all morning! We also played "pictionaryesque" chalk board games where I would give Claire a letter and she had to draw a picture of something that begins with that letter. Since she made me take pictures of our drawings I will share them with you.

I got "G" and drew a giraffe. Claire got it after guessing: horse, unicorn, my little pony. Me:"Claire! The letter is G!"

Claire's letter was "S". I guessed sock, shoe, snake, and finally snow shoe (the correct answer).

Claire's letter was "Z". I guessed zipper since that was the first Z word that came to mind. Lucky guess! Claire pointed out the beautiful zipper on the girl's dress by her neck.

I got "C". Claire got it.

Claire got "A"......I needed a hint. Claire: "It has windows!" Me: "Airplane?" Claire: "Yes!"

I got "B" Claire guessed bumble bee until I put the wheels on.

Claire got "W" and drew waves.

Claire and I set some summer goals for before school starts in September and we decided it would be fun if she could write her whole name. She did great on her first try! Those "S's" are hard to write!

We also took lots of walks around the garden, weeding and admiring the day lilies. Claire has become a fan of the day lilies too and will grab my hand to show me her favorite blooms. I love so many of our day lilies, but the one that has stolen my heart this year is the Star of Bethlehem!

As Will would say, It's just so, so, so, pretty!

Yesterday we were invited to a last minute play date with one of my best buds from grad school, Jen, and her daughter Katya. Claire and Katya are just 8 days apart in age and they had so much fun playing together. They worked together on art projects, and Will joined their fun at the playground too. It was a joy to see the kids laugh and play together.