Back to the Park

So, today we went back to the park. Not the same one as yesterday. This park is at the end of our neighborhood. It's not nearly as cool, but it worked.

After a few minutes of playing on the playground, AC saw this contraption. It was a small cage sitting in the middle of an open field. Weird. She hightailed it over to see what was inside.
This little banner was hanging on the outside, AND....
this little guy was perching atop a hole inside. A teeny, tiny burrowing owl. AC was mesmerized. After a few minutes of conversing with the owl, she said, "Bye, bye" and walked back to the slides!
And finally, when it was time to leave, she protested by trying to drag her car off. I eventually got her strapped into the car and we headed home. She was not a happy girl.
When Daddy got home, we went downtown to fill out more forms for property taxes. AC gave no less than her best as she smiled and waved and talked to EVERY single person we passed. What a sweet girl I have! We think we have all this tax stuff sorted out. Finally. Happy Monday, everyone!

At the Park

Yesterday afternoon we got invited to a BBQ with some of Daddy's work friends. We didn't get home until about 10 pm. We all had a really good time. It was nice to be out of the house! AC had a great time and even made a few new friends. For a child that is never around other kids, she sure makes fast friends. This morning we made it to church and were only 10 minutes late. Not good enough, but a big improvement from last week. And because it was such a nice day, we went to the park this afternoon. This particular park is only about 1 mile from our house and is awesome. It has a walking/biking track which crosses over water in several spots. There is a horse stable and arena. There are also tons of slides and water sprinklers, and swings, and all other playgrounds things. Here are lots of pictures from our day.

The playground area

Area for horses.

Horse stables which were empty today.

One of the few ponds at the park.

Just taking it all in.

"Let's go, guys! I'm soooo excited!!"

A little intimidated by the bigger kids.

Trying to climb up the steps.

So much to do and see!

Walking to the horse stables with Daddy.

She was so disappointed that all the "Ride, Ride, Rides" were gone!

Having so much fun on the rocking tiger!

"I don't know about this, Daddy."

Kisses for the turtle.

We had so much fun that she and I are going back tomorrow! We hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Long Day

It's been a long one, folks. No pictures today. Sorry. In case you're wondering, here is a brief summary of our day.

1) EARLY trip to the DMV...4 hours later I had a new driver's license and a very restless girl.

2) AC ate more peas for lunch but that was about it. She fed the rest of her food to G.

3) Nap time was a total bust. And that never ever happens. She might have slept for 45 minutes.

4) We ran to Publix to get bananas, coffee creamer, and water. AC was really good while we were there.

5) She spent the rest of the afternoon mooing like a cow, putting lotion on her Barbie's face, looking at her new favorite book, and other fun things.

6) Daddy is working late. AC didn't want to go to bed. I think she is used to seeing her Daddy before bed. She cried herself to sleep in less than 1 minute.

7) I've got oneheckofamessy house to clean.

Woohoo for tomorrow being Saturday!

Playing Outside

It was beautiful here today. The high temperature was 72. This is my idea of perfect. What better way to spend the day than outside! I don't have many pictures because it is impossible, and stupid, for me to carry my huge camera around while trying to keep my toddler out of the lake and street. But here ya go...

She loves her Dino Stride-n-Ride! She actually scooted around on it this morning for a bit. Then she realized she could do this. I lost count of the number of times I had to make her get down. Standing on a rolling toy + a dancing toddler = probable serious injuries. And we couldn't take that risk. I couldn't leave the house today because I didn't want to miss the UPS man who was bringing a certified copy of my birth certificate so that I can go back to the DMV tomorrow and hopefully get a driver's license. So a trip to the ER was out of the question!

"Why can't I stand on it, Mama?!?!?!?"

Here's a little update on the ant situation. They are dwindling, much slower than I would like, but dwindling all the same. Here is the trap one week ago.

Here is the trap today. Lots and lots of dead ants!

In other news: AC actually ate peas at lunch. Willingly. I almost couldn't believe it and made her open her mouth so that I could see them in there. She only ate about 5, but hey, I'll take it. Maybe tomorrow she will eat 6 and then 7 and then 8. You get the picture!

Growing Girl

AC had her 18 month check-up this morning. She is growing and developing right on track! She weighs 27 lbs. and is 33.5 inches long. This puts her in the 85th percentile for weight and the 90th percentile for height. The first thing Dr. Fang said when she entered the room was "Wow! She's big!" Yes, I know and so does my back. Dr. Fang also thinks that she is developing a few common allergies. Nothing serious, but just enough to cause red eyes and a small rash around her nostrils. She said that she will most likely grow out of it. The appointment was concluded with a shot. Today she got the Hib vaccine (which prevents meningitis, pneumonia, epiglottitis (a severe throat infection), and other serious infections caused by a type of bacteria called Haemophilus influenzae type b). I'm proud to say that no tears were shed!

"These grape flavored sticks are yummy!"

After AC's appointment, I made my way back to the DMV. Sadly, I was unsuccessful yet again. It seems that you need 1 million documents to prove you are legal citizen before they will give you a driver's license, none of which I had. On the way home, I did a little shopping. Well, if you can call spending $8 at T.J. Maxx shopping. I have decided that I want AC to have one of those swimsuits with sleeves. She wasn't blessed with the bronzed skin gene, so she will most definitely burn this summer. The sleeves will provide a little more protection! However, this one will have to be returned. She might get a belly burn if she wears this suit! Looks like we are moving on up to 24 months sizes.
Later in the day, she and Daddy fed the ducks. She LOVES these ducks. She even says, "Duuuu, duuuu!"
Going to bed early! Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Bath Time

Our new house has glass doors on the tubs. I, personally, hate them. They are impossible to keep clean, they harbor mold and other funky stuff, and they make it is impossible to bath a baby. So, AC gets to bathe in the big tub in our bathroom. She loves it. She begs to get in. I actually found her in there one morning in her clothes trying to turn on the water. It is like a swimming pool, with bubbles, of course. She was particularly grumpy this afternoon, so we headed upstairs to the "wa-wa." Plus tomorrow she has her 18 month check-up with Dr. Fang and we want to be extra clean.

She HAD to have her new pots and spoons in the bath.
Just drinking some bubbles. She loves to eat bubbles!
Mama says, "Show me your toes!" And she does. So smart.

This is what was left after all the water drained. 2 pots, a lid to the pot, a formula cup, a nasal aspirator, a pink mug, a pair of tongs for clean bottle pieces, and the fish head that fits over the water spout. Random yet entertaining!
Wish us luck tomorrow. I think we get another shot!

Cow Socks and Noses

We had an extended weekend. Daddy took the day off to run some very important errands regarding our property taxes. This is a stressful situation, to say the least, because things are done differently in this state. Pray for us. Part of this process requires me to stop living in denial and officially become a residence in this state. In other words...get a new driver's license. So, at noon I put AC down for her nap and left to go to the closest DMV. I'll spare you the details of my trip to the DMV. All you need to know is that I walked in the door, saw at least 75 people waiting, and walked right back out. On the way home I repeated 2 things to myself. 1) I can't believe I cried about that and 2) God bless my old Kentucky home far away. Yes, I cried. You have to live here to completely understand just how different and overwhelming this place is. However, when I pulled in the driveway, I saw this funny sight on the front steps.

I instantly forgot about the DMV insanity. I guess this what you get when Daddy is in charge. No pants and cow socks. Truly awesome.
Nothing much happened the rest of the day. Daddy mowed the grass, we played with toys, I did laundry. Then it was bedtime. What I thought was a sweet moment of AC coming in for a kiss turned into something completely different....
a nose inspection. Cousin Tyler would be proud!

"Come here, Daddy. Lemme get yours!"

Mama tried to return the favor.

We were eventually able to get her to bed! Oh, and she loved her new toys! I don't have any good pictures but I'll try to get some tomorrow!

Santa's Late Visit

Most of you already know that Santa didn't bring my girl much this year. He knew we couldn't fit it all in our suitcases, so he promised to come back to see my girl about a month later. He stayed true to his promise and dropped off these goodies tonight.

Tiny little pots and pans AND a tiny little broom and mop. She loves all of these things and has spent lots of time playing with the real thing! She doesn't have a kitchen yet, but she will be ready to cook and clean when she gets one!

What kid doesn't love a xylophone? I remember this thing from when I was a kid. It makes noise so I'm sure she will bang on it all day.

Books and the FridgeFarm. We have the Fridge DJ and it was love at first sight. So, I'm hoping the FridgeFarm will also be a hit. The girl loves her horses and cows!

Stride-to-Ride Dino. She will probably ride more than stride, but I'm hoping she is able to zoom around our big patio!

And here is where Santa left it. I can't wait to see her face in the morning. I'm just so excited for her! We are still waiting for him to bring the Sand and Water Table (the Toys R Us guy said it would be a few weeks before they had any).

I realize that I may be completely disappointed by her lack of enthusiasm, especially if she would rather play with cotton balls and her sand bucket. Cotton balls. Who would have thought? They kept her entertained for nearly 20 minutes!

Other happenings today:

1) I'm so embarrassed about this that I can't believe I'm actually going to tell you. We were 30 minutes late for church this morning. 30 minutes = half the service. We are ridiculous and there is no excuse. It's 1 hour a week. We should be able to get our tails there on time. It's the least we can do for all the gifts we've been given. Next week we will make it. It's a promise.

2) AC has expanded her entertainment horizons. She is quite the fan of the Backyardigans. It's a welcome change for Mama and Daddy.

3) The ants are still swarming into the trap.

4) On the way home from church, AC clearly said, "Baby, Baby," as she tried to pluck the eyelashes off her baby. Woohoo!!! Add one more word to our tiny, but growing, list of words!!