Over the course of the last week...

...I noticed something about Emily that I hadn't before. Seemingly out of the blue, she is looking much older than Katherine. I have always thought Emily looked older than she actually is, but I really didn't notice how much older than Katherine she is starting to look, until this week.

...Julia ate like a "normal" two year old! She ate basically everything we did...steak, chicken, salad, burgers, dogs, pasta, bread, sandwiches. It was so nice to be able to put a plate of food in front of her and actually see her eat it. I think Emily ended up eating most of the yogurt we bought for Julia as a back up. Progress is such a nice thing!

...I discovered that all three of my girls tan! We went through, I think, three bottles of sunscreen (yeah, I go way overboard with the sunscreen applications...I remember all too well what a sunburn feels like from the last time we were at the beach). They all managed to tan right through the sunscreen, especially Emily, who is sporting some very defined bathing suit lines on her back. The "tanning" gene must have skipped a generation or something. Me + sun = Burn.

...we had an awards ceremony! My mother went out on Friday morning and came back with an armload of "awards" for the whole clan. Here's the list of recipients:

Jack: best baby boy (that's a given)! Award: cute baby toy

Julia: most progress this year! Award: pretty spring/fall coat, lobster shaped lollipop

Suz: trooper of the week (she was sick all week with a horrible cold/sore throat/lost voice). Award: Cape Cod t shirt

Heather: person who tried the hardest to "change." Award: pretty wicker hamper for her bedroom (she needed one)!

Emily: most daring swimmer ever (no surprise here)! Award: Cape Cod Sweatshirt, lobster shaped lollipop

Katherine: bravest girl ever (she swam, went under water, let us throw her in etc). Award: Cape Cod Sweatshirt, lobster shaped lollipop

Most Patient Person: Yup, you guessed it, me! Award: nightshirt

If my father, brother-in-law, and husband had stayed for the week, these are the awards I think they would have gotten!

Ryun: best father, best "fire starter."

John: best wing cooker, person who had the most "fun."

Dad: Funniest vacationer, best grandfather.