Children's Museum

Floating boats down the ramp

Trying hard to blow a HUGE bubble!

Camille climbing in the play area

Running down the ramp to the next fun thing!

Camille sitting like a bird in the nest!

Isabel "floating" on a lily pad!

Choosing books to look at in the quiet book nook

Last Tuesday, I went with Isabel and Josiah to the Children's Museum with my close friend Jenna and her daughter Camille (Isabel's best friend!) Many of you know that Jenna nannied for Isabel full-time for nearly a year-and-a-half, and so Isabel has had many fun experiences at the Children's Museum, but I had never been there with her before! The girls had a blast in the water area floating boats down the ramp and at the bubble table in particular. Jenna was kind enough to feed Josiah while we were there, and then he slept in his stroller when we went to the toddler play area, so I was mostly busy behind the camera trying to capture both girls in one frame (quite the task with two energetic two-year-olds!). I had semi success as you can see from the photos above! Not with both of them looking at the camera, but hey, you gotta take what you can get! If I get a good double stroller and Josiah continues to be a good napper in the stroller, maybe I will endeavor to take both kids there on my own one of these days before maternity leave is over! It was fun and there was a lot that could be seen that we didn't even get to see this time!

Swimmin' pool!

Luke turned on the outside water yesterday and just for fun, filled up the baby pool (he added a few buckets of hot water from inside and let it warm in the sun while Isabel was napping). We figured if it was too cold, she would just get out! The minute we told her there was a pool outside, she was clamoring to go in it. She kept saying "Swimsuit!" and "Swimmin' pool!" So, we decked her out in suit and sunblock, and in she went! Never once did she indicate she was cold (though we thought the air temp was a bit chilly, especially after she got herself all wet!) and she had a blast filling her pool with all her outside plastic toys one at a time. I envision many more spring and summer days by the "poolside" in our future!

Josiah's Dedication

Visiting Mommy in the hospital

As many of you know, Isabel became a big sister on January 29th, 2010. Her brother Josiah arrived into the world very unexpectedly, 8 weeks in advance of his due date. (You can visit his website here.) A hospital room is a very boring place for a two-year-old to be for any long period of time, but Mommy was going crazy without being able to see Isabel, so Daddy brought her up to see me twice on Saturday the 30th. In the middle part of the day, she went over and played with her best friend, Camille, at Jenna & Aaron's house. And as you can see, when they both came back in the afternoon to visit, both girls were having a grand old time clambering all over my bed! It was fun and refreshing to have the energy of two toddlers around me during this challenging experience of Josiah coming so early and being in the NICU. We can't wait for Isabel to be able to see Josiah. We think she is going to be a great big sister!

Little "working woman"

The other day as we were headed out the door to school, I couldn't help but pause to grab the camera and take a couple shots of Isabel. As I was gathering our things and we were waiting for the car to warm up, Isabel went into the drawer where she knows I have purses, and gathered three of them up, hung them over her arms/shoulders/neck, and headed toward the front door as if she was going to work too, just like Mommy! Completely adorable!

The sweet sound of agreement from a toddler

While I don't necessarily believe in the old adage of the "terrible twos," I do believe that the toddler years (twos, threes, AND fours) are filled with challenges that test our patience and our resolve on a daily basis. Luke and I parent a bit differently; though we both try very hard to enforce rules and limits, and not to spoil Isabel, I tend to be a little more of the "softie" and thus, she pushes me harder than she pushes him, because she knows she can (often) get away with a little more with Mommy. In some of my weakest moments, Luke has been known to ask "Who is in charge here?" So when Isabel has a moment where she does not want to do something, yet chooses not to be defiant to me and instead cooperates, it warms my heart.

Tonight before bed, after she had her jammies on and after we read story #2 of 3, Isabel clambered down from my lap because she saw a pair of socks under her crib that she felt she just had to go and pick up. What was she going to do with these socks, you might ask? Well, put them on her hands and pretend they are mittens, of course. She does this at least a handful of times each day. Isn't that what socks are for, after all? So, fearing the worst, I got down off the rocking chair, walked over to her, and very softly said "Now is not the time to play with those socks as mittens. Now is the time to read our last story before bed." She looked at me, and I could see the wheels turning in her head. What to do, what to do, she was asking herself. I swear I could almost see the word "No!" forming on her lips. However, she chose instead to take the socks off her hands, said "Here, Mommy," and handed them to me to put in the hamper. ALLELUIA! We then read our last story and off to bed she went.

Celebrate the little successes I say! It is the only thing that will get us through the most challenging days with toddlers!

Beach fun

Tuesday was the first Florida day that was warm enough for us to brave the beach! Some of you may remember last January when Isabel did NOT like the sand on her feet. She would cry and cling to one of our legs until we picked her up. We are happy to report that this time she was much braver! She didn't mind the sand at all, and was in fact covered in it by the time we left. The water was also extremely calm, with no waves whatsoever, so she was not intimidated and was happy to explore all the way up to the water's edge and even wading in!

Testing the waters...We thought it was definitely too cold to be playing in, but a few minutes after dipping her feet in, she was getting so brave that her shorts were about to get soaked, so we promptly put her in her bathing suit and figured if she got cold, she would let us know! Kids are funny that way...they will play happily in water that adults would consider frigid.

Her first "sand castle." :) She actually had the most fun ever-so-gently collapsing the castles that Daddy would build, and many times when she smooshed one, she would say in the sweetest voice, "Oh, no!" and give us a sly smile, then do it all over again!

Look very closely...it might be hard to see in this photo but there is definitely a LOT of sand mixed in with the peaches, and grits of sand stuck to the sandwich and cheese. We set out with the goal of having the beach towel be the "sand-free zone," but Isabel had no concept of that and would toddle directly from the sand onto the towel with her sandy little feet. We decided not to correct her, since she was having so much fun, and hence, the ingredient of sand got added to the picnic lunch. However, as you can see from the next photo...

...she happily ate all the cheese, most of her "sand"wich (in the most literal sense of the word), and about half the peaches, sand and all! We had a great time at the beach with her and were happy that the weather warmed up enough for us to take her there!