Summer Camp

Taylor and Ayden started nature camp today. When I signed them up for the program there was no information on where the camp was being held. I just assumed in St. Paul. It turns out that it's about 25 miles away and a school bus would pick them up everyday.

I'm sure to most people this is no big deal. For me, when I was told that I couldn't drive the girls, I had very mixed emotions. As I put them on the bus this morning and blew kisses to them I could not help but feel sad that they were leaving. I realized that this is the first time ever that I walked them to a school bus stop and watch them drive away. I have been driving both girls to day care and school for nine years so I never did the whole, putting them on the bus for the first day of kindergarten. Am I sad or what?

Anyway, here are some old pictures from when when they were small.
Taylor was day time potty trained at two. One day, when she was about two and a half, she said to me that she didn't want to wear a diaper at night anymore. Taylor was as a very mature child so I trusted that she was ready when she told me she was. This picture was taken the day after her first night without a diaper. She woke up dry. I love the expression on her face.
Taylor was about two in this picture. She was the best child ever. She never went through the terrible twos, she never threw tantrums and she was always pleasant and well behaved. She was an early talker so it just seemed like there was never a time in her life that she wasn't communicating with me.
Ayden is almost two in this picture. She was a really small child (still small now...don't let size fool you!). The outfit that she is wearing is size 6-12 months. She was a little fire ball. Lots of time outs already at this age. She had a "naughty step" that I use to set her on. I'd tell her two minutes and she would start out sitting but I would inevitably find her laying down or sitting on a different step just to defy me. We had many struggles until she learned that mommy is the boss. My will was just as strong and I was extremely persistent when disciplining my girls. Her cuteness got her no where with me.
Ayden is about 1 1/2 in this picture. I love it because she fell asleep eating. I can't remember what we were doing or why she fell asleep. I just remember she was trying so hard to eat but she kept nodding off. You think that you will never forget the details but you do : (
The girls helping me make cup cakes. To be fair both the girls had to be helping equally and simultaneously. That's what they agreed on. Ayden didn't like fire or loud noises when she was small. That's her scared face.
The benefits of helping out. Cleaning up!
This is from the days when Ayden wasn't evil to Taylor and Taylor still wanted to protect and help her little sister do everything. Ayden was 2 and Taylor was 6.

I love them so much!