While daddy's away....

...girls try on shoes!! Ryan's away for the night and Kate seems to be taking it as a cue to indulge her girly side. I found her pulling shoes out of my closet and trying them on (herself and her stuffed cat). Perhaps she'll have some girl in her after all!!

I sleepin'

Kate loves, loves to pretend she's sleeping. Ironic, coming from the girl who doesn't nap! All day long, she finds pillows, blankets (or, obviously, the floor) and says, "I sleepin'", "cat sleepin'", "Hick sleepin'" and on and on.... She likes to direct me to sleep as well, showing me where and then telling me "momma sleep." This WOULD be about the perfect game on days mommy is tired, but as soon as I'm down she wants me back up to "sleep" somewhere else. I still like the momentary rest, although I highly doubt the cat appreciates the game as much!

Hmmm...what HAVE we been doing??

Early-Spring cleaning....

Well, somehow the last few days have gone by and I'm not sure where they went! Here's a brief recap of our seemingly-busy-yet-uneventful lives of late:

1. Last week, we went to visit a daycare that I've heard good things about from a friend. I'm thinking of taking Kate there a couple hours a week so that she can really get used to being around other kids, without me. To my surprise, she took to the place right away. I was still there, of course, but at least she wasn't clinging to me. She played for awhile and told me "no" when it was time to leave. Good signs, I think. We're going to try it again together a few more times and then let her have at it on her own. Fingers crossed.

2. Kate LOVES Starbucks. Or, at least, she loves the lady there who gave her a balloon. I took her with me to meet a friend, and was hoping to get to talk to her at least a bit. Thanks to the balloon and the new all-fruit, squeezable puree things they sell, Kate sat for an hour and half without making a peep. People were commenting on how well-behaved she was. I just smiled and hoped she wasn't about to prove them wrong!

3. I think Kate definitely has the competitive gene. Why, you ask? Well, in the bath, she has taken to grabbing a duck and a boat and saying "Duck, boat...racing!!" She'll even declare a winner. Yes, she's our child, for sure.

4. It was SO nice out on Saturday that Kate got to ride her bike outside. Of course, all she really wanted to do was go as fast as possible down the driveway. But, what a luxury to get to play outside and not be freezing. Ryan even had the lawnmower out and I smelled a barbecue. Is this really January?? I'll take it.

And that's about all I can think of for now. Not much, but we're looking for a bit more excitement this week. :)

Spring-like weather makes us very happy!!

To whatever/whomever we owe these amazing, warm temperatures, THANK YOU! It's been in the mid-50s the past few days which, in the middle of winter, feels like absolutely tropical. It was so nice today that we went to the park, something we haven't done in a few months. Kate had a ball running around and going down the slide a bazillion times. It was funny to see how much she's grown since the last time we were there; she couldn't stand up in all the tunnels she used to run through! After we played for awhile, we watched some people play tennis and Kate was enthralled. Her little head went back and forth, back and forth, intently watching the ball. Good news for Ryan and I as we plan to put her in tennis lessons as soon as she's old enough!

Bye bye, Ga Ga!

We just said goodbye to Grandma Connie and we are SO sad to see her go. We had a fantastic week, though, and it was wonderful to watch Kate bonding with her grandma. Kate and Grandma did lots of cooking together, and by that I mean that Grandma cooked and Kate tried her best to undo it! She was quite accomplised at throwing mushrooms around like balls. It's a wonder Grandma got any cooking done at all but, she did, and we all enjoyed having a chef for a week! We spent lots of time in the gymnastics room, where Kate showed off all her tricks, and also took lots of walks to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather. The sunshine is back today, so Kate and I will be heading out in just a bit. We're already looking forward to the next grandparent trip!

Kate's new hat & scarf!

Thank you, LeiAnn, for knitting Kate her fabulous scarf and hat! She was definitely in need of a new hat, and she's never had a scarf before. Perfect for chilly Northwest weather!! Aside from wearing her latest accessories, Kate has been having a fabulous time with Grandma Connie. Ryan and I got back from Seattle yesterday. We had a great weekend away, and Kate looked at me when we got back as if to say "go away, Grandma spoils me MUCH better than you! If he hadn't had to work today, Ryan and I just might have taken another day away! We had a really fun time being "grown ups" and commented on what a luxury it was to have a dinner which we could finish in a leisurely fashion while having an actual conversation!! More on our activities with GaGa later....

Rain, rain....

I don't care if you go away!! With the dig pit and the gymnastics room, our wintry, rainy days are passing by with ease! Yes, we went to the "nack" room again yesterday and, as usual, had it all to ourselves. Kate has already been asking to go again this morning, but I think we'll save it for later in the week when Grandma Connie is visiting. Ga Ga is coming tomorrow and we can't wait! I think Kate misses all her grandmas and grandpas because whenever she sees a middle-aged man or woman anywhere, she says "Gumpa" or "Ga Ga." She's trying very hard to conjure them up. More than a few fake Gumpas in town have thought it's pretty sweet to be confused for one. Living near Sequim (retirement haven), Kate does not lack for Gumpa and Ga Ga "sightings." But, tomorrow, she'll get at least one of the real thing. And so will mommy and daddy! As for right now, Kate is making a Hansel and Gretel-like path of diapers all over the upstairs. She definitely thwarts all my efforts at keeping the house clean!