June

June was a busy month for the Howards. We started off with a couple of playdates with Christi's friends from South Lakes HS who all had babies within a few months of each other!
We first got together with a grill-out at Rachel's and the food and company were quite enjoyable. We of course had to get the kids lined up for the group shot even though little Teagan slept through it all. :)

The lineup: Ella, Claire, Ethan, Teagan...I think Ethan enjoyed all the ladies!

Class of 1995 and 2026

Later that week when Kyndra and Hayden came in town, everyone came over to brave the

blackout at the Howard house. The playdate was all talk of the little ones and lots of chaos.

Ella and Claire playing footsies.

The lineup again: Ella, Claire, Ethan, Hayden & Teagan...before

The lineup...after the fall! The audio says it all.

Claire played hard this month. She's sitting up pretty well and getting more balance everyday. She's pretty dexterous with her hands and VERY strong. Toward the end of the month she was getting up on all 4s and rocking and even starting to scoot! Her favorite things are feet (hers and others), making raspberry sounds, and putting things in her mouth. She also loves other babies. The teacher at school even said she's been kissing on the younger boys in the class. Lookout!

Are you trying to say something Claire? I know..you are getting too big for the playmat.

Jumping is so exhausting!

Claire at 5 months. These pics are getting hard to take, she won't sit in her chair anymore. She's on the go (and a bit drooly)!

In June Aunt Elise, Uncle Leo, and cousin Tristan came to visit so that Leo could finally meet Claire. The weekend was hot but lots of fun. We stayed cool indoors by watching Tristan and uncle Jon perfect their Guitar Hero skillz. Claire is quite the groupie!

We celebrated Jon's first Father's Day with another trek to Glen Echo Park. Jon loves the creek and natural setting and Claire loves the carousel. Afterwards we had lunch and beers at the Irish Inn. That night Claire sported her new bib and gave daddy his new flip flops with "beverage opener" in the sole. Getting geared up for our cruise!

The next weekend Claire got her share of fine dining experiences. We celebrated a belated Father's day with Papa and Grandma at Tuscarora Mill in Leesburg. I can't believe how well Claire behaved. She was all smiles and made friends with people at other tables.

We also took Granny out for dinner at Chez Francois to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary. Luckily we weren't the only ones in the restaurant with an infant. Our waiter was great and very accomodating. Claire did pretty well but got sleepy toward the end of such a long meal. I still can't get over how much she has done already at only 5 months!

At the end of June we took Claire for her six month doctor's appointment. We wanted to get her shots before we hit the high seas the next week. She weighed in at 16 lbs 15 oz and 26 inches long. She was 75% for height and weight, but 95% for head circumference. That's one big noggin! She loves to play (um..destroy) the paper bench covers and looked so cute while we waited for the doctor.

To celebrate their 40th birthdays Jon and his pals Dave, Doug, Andy and Marcus took a "Mancation" to the Grand Canyon and Vegas at the end of June. They had a great time hiking the canyon but I think Jon was definitely feeling his years after that. I'm just glad there wasn't a need for a helicopter rescue! They rounded out the week with a night on the town in Vegas, but who knows how that was. As they say...what happens in Vegas...is kept from the wife! :) Just kidding. Sedona, the canyon, and the Hoover dam were all beautiful and amazing. Pics to come...