The truth

Other weekend fun

Grandpa Brian has a two (read four) person hottub. A good substitute until the lake warms up.

Maya took Lu for a stroll in the garage and on the patio. Lucy was a very happy camper. Maya's mom was a nervous wreck...it was a little too close to the hill for her. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that I wasn't super worried about it.

A walk before the long car ride home.

Hats off to you! Hope your week is a great one!

Come here doggie...

Poor Snicks. A grandbaby in the house = much less time in Brian's lap AND a small person trying to eat your face.

Going in for the smooch.

Justin is sooo funny!

We went to Alexandria over Memorial Day weekend. The Mages were there too, including Justin who was home for a bit from the wild west. Lucy thought he was pretty awesome.

Erickson Petting Zoo

Really. That's what it was called. After taking a bit to warm up to the chicken, goats, baby bunnies and llamas. The miniature ponies were a hit. Lu was in awe of the bunnies if a little timid in petting them. Was startled/scared by a llama sneeze. Not sure we'll go running back to visit but it was a fun bunch of firsts.

Always read the comics first

Lu takes after her mother. Comics first. She got all this around herself in an astonishingly short time.

They make an epi-pen Jr?

The food allergy adventure (I will spare you the vomit and hive images...)

Stay tuned for future tales of our young star and her interaction with the world of food.

Subi Subi Do!

source

We said goodbye to the oldsmobile and hello to a new to us outback. Hurrah! We're part of the subaru family again. This is exactly what ours looks like (although this photo was swiped from the internet). It's been around the block but I'm sure has great stories to tell. So nice to have two cars that are in good shape again!

Making a purple stew

I gave Lu a bucket and spoon to play with and she started adding ingredients right away. Just a few things she had around. I think it's probably going to be a stew or ratatouie of some kind. I don't imagine the shoe will break down all that much. Maybe it's like a bayleaf. I don't know. I haven't used shoes before. The bird though will probably give it a really sophisticated finish.

Iron Chef Bobby Flay - watch your back. This kid's got mad skills.

Mother daughter weekend

Lucy and I were flying solo this weekend. Ry was in San Francisco celebrating Scott's soon to be marriedness by running to the sea and trying not to get arrested. We had some naps (yes, both of us - sleeping at night was not her strong suit this weekend), went on walks, visited with friends, yelled at dogs, skyped with friends in other countries, and practiced standing up...I'm pretty good at it but Lucy is still working out the details. Her favorite place to stand these days is either next to the laundry basket or in front of a window. Her window ledges are the prefect height for her to put herself up to standing. And the bonus is that you never know what you'll see out the window.  Wow. She's getting so big. And she'll raise her arms over her head to tell you so.

In honor of Mother's Day...

Gross things first

Now that Lucy can wiggle and roll wherever she wants to go - it's interesting to just sit back and watch what she's drawn to. Time and time again it's the one thing in the room that is either disgusting, potentially dangerous or someone's cell phone. Today she made a bee line for Ryan's crocs and started filling them with toys. Yes, that's exactly where I'd want to put my most precious things. Gross kid. Gross.

Outside time!

The neighbor kids came over today to ask if we'd pay them to help rake leaves. Sure. Especially when their rate is $3...total. They were saving up to buy a lizard but in classic kid fashion their awesome plan had one small flaw. No one had signed off on them actually getting a lizard. You can totally see how this conversation went. Kid: Hey Mom, can we get a lizard? Mom: If you can find $15, sure. (In her head thinking, "where would a 5 and 8 yr old get $15? It will never happen.") Kid: Sweet! We're getting a lizard! Let's go sucker the neighbors into a giving us a few bucks.

They were actually very helpful. And clever. They were not fooled by Ryan's attempt to get them to help us with the entire project for....$10! They knew what they needed (exactly $3 once they got to us) and that's all the work they were interested in doing.

Lucy loved watching them work. Once they went home to try and make lizard ownership sound more attractive to Mom and Dad, Lu got futzy. Apparently we're not as interesting to observe in action.

NOTE: We learned about the flaw in Operation Lizard after the fact. Lucas came back to tell us that his Mom had refused to let them keep a lizard in the house. And Dad had refused to let them keep a lizard in the garage. They're smart kids. I'm sure they'll find a loop hole soon.

Before things start growing...stay tuned for an amazing transformation over the next few weeks. I love this part of our house. It's so fun to watch things spring up and bloom.

Stroller rides really take it out of a girl.