Heat, Horses and Chickens

This here Tuesday sure is hot! After school I helped Mommy make our signature quiche, played blocks, ran around, had dinner and then put my foot down. What did I want? A walk of course!.

Where to? Mommy didn't want to drive into town, so we voted to head over to the neighbors to see the horses and chickens. This is a definite perk to living in the country with extremely nice neighbors.

After our nice walk home we did bath time and then we read Curious George and the Dump Truck three times. Yay!

Whew- Afternoon In The Park With Samantha

Mommy picked me up from school- yes, she's normally the picker upperer. We headed to the library to practice our quiet voices. Mommy won hands down. Oh, well. Then we took our trusty stroller to the park and hung out on the swings and slides. It was a blast! Then we headed to the tennis courts where I discovered Mommy is not perfect. Can you believe she doesn't carry a tennis ball around just for me to play with?? I was a bit peeved and settled for chasing my shadow. Fun, but not the same.

Then we headed back to our car and stopped for ice cream to celebrate my going pee pee in the potty in the potty twice in one day yesterday. Yay! Then it was a quick detour to the firehouse to say night night to the fire trucks and ambulance before going home for Daddy time. He's going to be home for awhile and I'm totally digging it!

My Boyfriend's Back!

On this beautiful Sunday morning, I decided it was high time to learn to become self-sufficient. A girl can't live on bread alone. Bring on the toast!

Hmm, toasters are trickier than I thought. I really have to get each slice of bread into the toaster slots? Next time, drive-thru!
I ran around all morning and was sure surprised when the door bell rang and my infanthood sweetheart was at my door. Sweet, cute Henry is all grown up! He just moved and is now closer than ever. Mommy ran into his parents a few days ago and they arranged this surprise playdate.

We hung out inside for awhile so Henry could quality check all my recent toys. And then it was off to the bouncy house. Gosh, I sure love this bouncy house!

Henry wasn't so sure about this slide.

I wasn't so sure about the camera in my face.
After a bit we headed back inside for sustenance. And Mommy was so thrilled with seeing this special reunion that the camera never made it back in her pocket. She got about 50 pictures just like this one below.
Finally I told her to get a life and call someone else to bother.
Hmm, why aren't they answering? Good thing I know how to phone and shop. I'm a queen multi-tasker!
Hello, Henry's Mommy? Can you please take that camera away from Mommy? Thanks!
What? The living room is too far away and you like all these pictures of us, cuties? Cuties? Seriously, we're two now. Aren't there more grown up words to describe our cuteness?
We headed back outside for magic paint time and boy, was that fun. Elmo was there to cheer us on and we took are artistic direction seriously.
Until Henry dumped the magic paint on the driveway and we both realized that magic paint is way more fun outside the dish than inside.
Inside our bellies, that is! We had a staring/laughing/drinking contest. Wish the pictures did this memory justice!
Yes, that is magic paint drool on my chin.
And, yes, I couldn't stop giggling for quite some time.
We realized that we could magic paint the plants and we'd get magic paint refills. So we wore a path on the brick walk and went through gallons of magic paint.
Then the Mommies got tired of our growing mess and whipped off our pants and shuffled us back inside where we began a half-naked, cowgirl, tea party parade. We had such an amazing time! Before you knew it nap time had arrived and we sadly parted ways and I headed up for a wonderfully long sleep.
I woke up so refreshed that we snuck in one last trip to the summer swim club. Gosh, I'm sure going to miss rockin' this pink bathing suit!
Splash, splash!
I even learned how to walk down the stairs by myself. Daddy was my trusty spotter. Love you, Daddy!
After an amazing swim we headed back home to the swing set. I was a bit sleepy so I grabbed my blankie and caught some zzzzz's.
And posed just for you!

Family Time

Mommy's always about family time and family photo shoots. We headed to our stand-by. Main Street, of course!

Daddy and I sat on the bench, happily looking out at the lake. Until Mommy busted into our bonding time and blocked our view with her darned camera.

I reacted as all toddlers do. I squirmed something fierce.

Off to continue our walk.
We hereby interrupt our walk to jump off a step.
Jump, jump!
Again, Daddy, again!
This rocks!

Barney Bound

Daddy was still out on another business trip of sorts. Don't know where he is? Well, neither do I! This morning I woke up and wanted to hear his voice. His live voice, but calling him was fruitless because the phone kept going right to voicemail. Think I'm being too technical? I have lots of practice listening to his voice through his work voicemail.

This morning, I left him my very first message ever. It went something like this, "miss you, love you, call me". I hang up and say, "again". Repeat and that was my Daddy fix before school.

After school was quality time with Mommy and a splashin' bath full of water fun. I'm totally into opening and closing the 'door', which is really a shower curtain decorated with a world map. When it's closed I can splash to my heart's content without getting a talkin' too.

After bath I hopped into pjs (it's a bit of a cold spell here these days) and jumped onto the couch for prime Barney watching mode.

Can you see my sunglasses and my bankie all snuggled around me?
I was super happy and if Mommy had a better camera, this picture would be even cuter than it already is. Hint, hint!

Sous Chef

We made mushroom quiche after school today. We do this at least once a week and the other time Mommy makes the quiche while I'm in school. I'm a mushroom quiche-aholic. Seriously, I need a twelve step program to kick this habit. Don't believe me? Check out my stinky, mushroom filled diapers and you'll quiet your tongue and plug your nose, trust me.

Why can't I help with all the quiche making adventures? Well, I'm a super picky sous chef and take my quality control very seriously. I'm always taking the mushrooms out of the pan and putting them back on the cutting board for Mommy to cut into smaller pieces. When we both get frustrated, then I swipe all the mushrooms out of the pan and all over the floor. That's about the same time that I'm asked to go find a toy to play with. No worries, only family eats the quiches that I help with.

The toys I found today? My kiddie piano. I'm practicing for the real deal, which will be placed right where the light behind me is at the moment.

I'm super serious about practicing.
And equally dedicated to fighting for the right to go pantless....
Hey, you're lucky I have a top on!
Where else do you play with your crayons? Sometimes they want to take a nap, too.

As A Daisy?

Of course we ran to the library after school since Daddy headed out for another business trip. Turns out I've gotten the literary bug pretty bad and can't get enough of this building that is quiet both before and after I'm there, but never quite so when I am there!

Today was all about quiet reading time, as in just me. I ran all around the library and settled on an amazing read- Car and driver. I went through the entire magazines countless times and discovered that I'm a car girl and my favorite is totally the beaut we call aston martin.

When it was time to go? Yeppers, that didn't go to well. Mommy said I got a little too fresh for her when I responded with a nope. She asked why and I replied with, "Cuz I said so."

Mommy didn't like that much and told me that 'cuz' is never a reason for a two year old to do or not do something. I know that- why do you think I added "I said so"? Silly Mommy!

Dressed To The Nines

AH's dear friend Evelyn had been saving her special toys for her granddaughter. When she realized grandsons were the only cards in the deck she went a scoutin' for an honorary granddaughter. I applied and was accepted! I received the cutest cooking set in the mail and promised to send Miss Evelyn pictures of me cooking. I even dug out my only Lily dress for the photo shoot. Why did I get all dressed up? You see, I play with the cooking set all the time but I'm normally not fit for public viewing. My hair is out to there or I'm not wearing clothing or my diaper is sagging. It's totally not easy being a toddler.

Anyhoo- I was super excited to take these pictures and got my smile face on. I am a cutie, aren't I?

Here I am sipping my special tea. I can tell I'm going to be somethin' fierce in the kitchen. As soon as I can reach the counters myself!
Yummy!
What great food I make. Just need a little taste to make sure there isn't too much or too little of well, anything in it.
Nope. I made it just perfect. And these cups make excellent musical instruments.
If only Mommy's camera was angled differently this would have been an amazing shot!
Thanks a million Miss Evelyn! I'll send more pictures with the dollies as soon as I can find a way to get decent again.

Cousins

I had a great morning with Mommy and Daddy and after a restful nap I woke up and found that my cousin had come in to town all the way from California just to try on my sunglasses. Well worth the trip, right? I agree!

Share my swing set? Well, this is going to take some time. I mean I just woke up and all. You kinda threw this one out of left field.
Hmm, maybe it won't be so bad if Uncle Craig pushes me really high on the swing.
And I can get high fives from Mommy.
Cousin Lauren loved the slider and I hung out on the swing. See how easy sharing can be!

And then I snuck in a ride myself. Happy Samantha!
The visit went by way too fast. Come back really soon, okay?

Besties

I know the Friday night posts are getting boring and all, but I really do love my evenings with Emmy. Call me a fuddy duddy for having a ritual at the ripe age of 25 months, but it's really a blast. I start looking forward to Friday night fun and ask for Emmy all week long.

Here's our Hallmark moment on the way from pizza to the firehouse.

Wish I could show you pictures of us riding the fire truck and ambulance- two of my favorite things- but the parents seem to forget the camera on the few occasions that the fire house is open on a Friday night. Trust me- it's the things two year old's dreams are made of. Riding in the driver's seat of a fire truck is my ultimate fun thing to do these days.

After the fire house and a quick diaper change we head back into town for ice cream and a water break. It sure is a hot summer! Emmy's focused on getting water in her belly while I wonder how much water will spill through the bench slats after cascading off my leg. Maybe I'm a scientist in the making.
Oh, Mom. How dare you imply my ice cream is all gone.
I'll just grab yours then!
The best part of the week? I learned how to jump. For real. No joke. A real, clear the ground jump. It's been a long time coming and I'm going to jump all I can. Bring on the Band-Aids!