Every Girl Loves a New Pair of Shoes

   Especially when her little man gets a pair {sort of} like hers too!

 Mommy and baby Toms.

    Connor has outgrown almost all of his shoes. The only ones that fit him are his sandals {which Aaron hates because they make his feet smell not so nice} and water shoes. I bought him a brand new pair of Stride Rite sneakers before we moved, but they were packed in our stuff and by the time they got here they were too small. I have been wanting to get him a pair of Tom's because they slide on so easily and are just plain adorable, but wasn't sure what size to order him. When a friend told me they had some for little boys at the PX, I knew I had to check them out. They had a few colors, but my favorite were the tan ones. Luckily they had his size... 7! I can't believe how big his feet are! He has plenty of room for his feet to grow, so hopefully they will last a while. Once I picked out his shoes, I went to look for me. I have been wanting a pair of black flats and they had some in the same brand as Connor's. So I happily put them in my basket :) We got lucky shoe shopping today!

Nobody Likes Giving a Dog a Bath

    Well you may, but I don't! Since we have a dog that's terrified of water, it's a chore that we like to put off until it's absolutely necessary. Kylie hasn't had a bath since we moved to Italy, so that means she was way overdue! We used to get her groomed monthly at a doggy spa, but unfortunately that's changed since we've moved.  Now, we are on our own and today was the day. Why today? Just look at her paws...

They turned green from walking through wet/freshly cut grass.

Connor: Fifteen Month Check-Up

    Right after Aaron and I jumped out of the tower at GI Jane Day, we rushed right across the street to the clinic for Connor's 15 month check-up. It was Connor's first time being seen at this clinic since we moved to Italy. I like the clinic here a lot more. It is much newer and there was a really fun area for Connor to play in. The rooms were also a lot bigger and had cute themes. However, I like his old nurse and pediatrician more. They seemed more talkative and interactive with Connor. 

GI Jane Day

    Today we had GI Jane for Aaron's work. We were asked to bring either a side dish or dessert, so I chose to make homemade red velvet cupcakes last night.

 So many ingredients.

Block City

    While Aaron was away in the field, Connor and I played with his blocks... A LOT! I thought it was funny that he loved to knock over anything that was stacked. And wouldn't just gently knock it over, he would swat at it until every last block was on the ground. He would play rough like a grown boy! I told Aaron about it, and he thought it was funny too. He told me I should build him a big city of blocks and let him go to town knocking them all over. I am not very imaginative when it comes to block stacking, so I told him I would just wait for him ;) So tonight after dinner, he kept his promise and built Connor his city.

 Creating the city.

You Wake Him, You Take Him!

   For the past week it has just been Connor and me at home. Aaron was away in the field, but came home late last night. I missed him a ton and couldn't wait to see him! I kept Connor awake so that he could see his daddy before he went to sleep too. We played and watched Oz the Great and Powerful to kill time before he came home. 

 He was acting silly before the movie.

Another Trip to Ikea

    I had another successful trip to Ikea today! One of my friends and I somehow fit all of our stuff in one basket (it was overflowing) and then got it all into my car. I didn't find everything that was on my list, but I got a few extra things... like a small table and chairs for Connor.

Playful

    I love that Connor still naps twice a day. He's a totally different toddler when he misses his naps. He fell asleep on me for a few minutes this morning, then took a 2 hour nap.

     After he woke up from his morning nap, around 10:30, he was in a very playful mood! We played with blocks in his room until he got bored. He loved dumping them all out on the floor. Anytime I tried to build something, he would knock it over. It became a fun game for him :)

Connor's Play Date

    Connor had a play date at our house with his friend Noah today. It was his first time coming over here, so Connor was really excited to share his toys with him. They played just about all day, and had so much fun! Connor took a nap break in the middle, but woke up in a good mood and played some more. Plus, the mom's had some good adult conversation! One of their favorite things to do was put the mega blocks in their mouths and just follow each other around the room.

First Trip To Nove

  **I say this is my first time because I see many visits to Nove in the three years we are supposed to be here.**

    Nove is a small town in northern Italy that is famous for its many ceramic shops. I had heard about it from a friend before we even moved to Italy, so when I found out it was less than 20 miles from our house, I was pretty excited! One of my girlfriends wanted to make a trip out there today, so I told her I wanted to tag along. We made sure to leave by 10 in the morning so our shopping didn't interfere with reposo (the afternoon break that most stores close for in Italy). 

Connor: Fifteen Months Old

*What you eat: You have been eating really well lately. I have been cooking a lot more, and you seem to really like what I make. You love chicken, cookies, bananas, and sauce (usually ketchup) to dip your food into. Sometimes when you are hungry you help yourself to food in the pantry. Other times you move your high chair closer to the table and stand by it until I sit you in it. When your food is hot, you copy me and blow on it to cool it down. You drink from a sippy cup all day, and at night you have a bedtime bottle... always followed by brushing your teeth. 

*Size clothes: 18-24 months and size 5 1/2 wide - 6 wide shoes. You like wearing your shoes even when we aren't going anywhere. Sometimes you bring them to us so we can put them on you.

Your water shoes are your favorite.

Our First 4th of July in Italy

    Happy 4th of July ya'll! We celebrated yesterday by going to the 4th of July festival on base. Before heading over there, we stopped by our friends house. We weren't sure how busy it was going to be, so we followed each other.

 Of course we had to snap a few family pics before leaving!

Playing With Markers

   Since I am home with Connor during the week and he is getting a little older, I thought it would be a good idea to start doing crafts with him during the day. With that on my mind, I was able to find a few things for him when I went shopping today. I bought washable markers, easy to hold crayons, a tablet, and a smock. I would also like to make him some edible finger paints once I find a recipe.