October

Obviously I'm behind on blogging, as I'm posting Halloween pictures over Thanksgiving weekend. It's been a rough few months, with all of us sick at some point and Bella and me sick almost the entire season.

Boo at the Zoo

Ladybug Bella flying in the pumpkin patch


Peter Pan and Tinkerbell


Exploring a fire engine


Daddy stealing a kiss in front of the pumpkin lights


Tinkerbell Gabi and Peter Pan Daddy at the train station


Choo-choo!
Raking leaves

The first of our autumn leaves


The girls love to rake leaves with Daddy!


We thought this was a lot of leaves...


until Daddy raked 41 bags of leaves in November!
CityFest

Bella and Gabi riding a turtle statue


Girls with a giant Bob the Tomato


Sharing a smoothie


Jumping in a bouncy house
Playing at home

Bella rocking on Tigger


Peek-a-boo, Bella!


Gabi reading her sister a bedtime story

More Summer Fun

The last two posts highlighted our summer travel and many guests. These pictures outline some of the activities that comprised the rest of our summer.

Swimming


Fountains at the Athletic Club swimming pool


Enjoying the water park area after swim lessons


Catching the water


Floating with Isabella after swim lessons


Running through the water park area
Little Rock Zoo


Feeding the rainbow lorikeets


Riding the zoo carousel
Bella's 2nd Haircut


Haircuts at Pigtails and Crewcuts come with animal crackers!


Bella's new haircut


Stopping to smell the flowers
At Home


Playing in a living room tent


Annabelle dressed up in "click-clack" shoes and a hat


Little Mama rocking baby Asha


Gabi volunteered to clean the kitchen floor
Gabi attended a few summer camps at school: pirate week and superhero week and art camp, in addition to "Fun, Fabulous, and Fancy" week (pictures below).


After "glamour day" at summer camp


After "cheerleader day" at summer camp
Around Town


Trains and trees at the Wonder Place


Gabi's night out with Mommy and Daddy to see Dora Live


Bella found a leaf on our morning exploring downtown


Swinging at Veda's house


Veda and Gabi swinging together


Bella at Butler Park


Bella collecting sticks at Reservoir Park
Birthday Parties


Samantha and Gabi at Grey's birthday party


Bella riding the carousel at Grey's birthday party


Gymnastics at Ainsley's birthday party

Funny Quotes

The girls just after watching the Irish dancers at the Greek Food Fest


Gabi's crown of flowers from the Greek Food Fest
Gabi told me this story while we were riding in the car: "Before Bella was here, God had her. When I was little, we didn't have a baby sister, so God gave us Bella because we needed her." So sweet!


Crossing the bridge at Cock of the Walk


Bella with Lola and Lolo


Lola preventing Bella from diving
One day, Bella was telling me to do something that I was not going to do. She adopted a stern voice, pointed her finger at me, and said, "Un. Do. Do." She was trying to count to three like I do. It was adorable and hilarious!


Bella enjoying a drink during the Trout Fishing concert at Riverfest


Bella carrying her water bottle
(day 2 at Riverfest)


Gabi's Riverfest art
(She painted a windmill on her fan.)


Exploring downtown during Riverfest


Still happy and still at Riverfest after dark
Our family took a wonderful weekend vacation to Big Cedar Lodge. While we were there, Annabelle cut her fourth molar overnight, keeping us all up and ensuring that we returned home sleep deprived. Poor baby; I didn't even have any Tylenol for her.


Gabi riding the carousel at the zoo
On the way home from vacation, the girls had Teddy Grahams after lunch. Bella called them "cracker bears," which prompted Gabi to make a comment about Cracker Barrel (she's into intentional puns these days). Bella eats quickly and finished hers before Gabi. She then requested to have more, and Gabi kindly shared a few. Bella continued to ask for more, so I told her that Bella's crackers were all gone, and those were Gabi's crackers. Bella nodded and said, "Gabi cracker. Bella mouth" (pointing to the crackers and then to her mouth).


Gabi, Kathryn, and Anna Grace in the dressing room before their dance recital


Flowers from Lolo after Gabi's recital


Ninang, Cousin Steven, and Ninong came to watch Gabi dance on the big stage


Lolo took our family portrait outside the Robinson
Several times a day, Bella will say, "Shoes on. Open door. Go ride in the car!" She'll even bring each of us a pair of shoes when she tells us to put our shoes on. When we drive over a bump in the road or down a big hill, she exclaims, "Boom!" or "Whee!" This is much more pleasant than her infant days when she hated the car and screamed whenever I strapped her in the carseat.