Family Fun - Day 76

Getting ready to shop!

That's a big fish!














Yes that is cake frosting allllll over her face.


Today was the big day of the family reunion. A group got up early and went fishing. Cousins S and CG both caught good sized keeper fish that we got to eat for dinner. Another group went for the traditional shopping trip. Then this evening was the big dinner. Lobsters, corn on the cob, margaritas, and cake. Yum, yum, yummy! The evening was capped off by the obligatory round of crazy stores about my grandfather. Really, we have to write a book some day.

More Arrivals - Day 75

Running from the waves and the COLD water.



Racing around with Aunt B. Why is she wearing a swim vest? Because she wanted to! And she's two!! Got a problem with that??



The reunion continues to escalate! Today the OTHER Aunt B (henceforth to be referred to as Aunt BR) and Uncle D came. Then Uncle M and Aunt L came down. Then Cousins CL and CG showed up to! We're now all officially here. It's a small reunion this year. Some years there are a dozen more people!

Aunt B, Nana, LSP and I went to the beach this morning. Aunt B likes to collect rocks, and LSP went right along with it, bringing home a whole pail of stones. This afternoon it was fun on the porch with foam rockets. There's always something new to discover.

State of the Reunion - Day 74

Great Aunt B makes LSP giggle...

...and she brings cool toys to the reunion every year!


She put the bear in the cart, waved to everyone and announced, "Bye-bye, I'm going shopping!"

Cousin S is Shiloh's new best pal! Check it out - she's giving him a High 5!


It has begun. Every year my parents host a family reunion of my father's side of the family in August. There is always a varying number of people that come - aunts, uncles, cousins and kiddos. This year there's going to be a small number but we'll have fun. It started today with the arrival of Uncle G and Aunt B and Cousin S. LSP will be the only kiddo here this year, so she will get ALL the attention. Good thing, since she never gets any.

At dinner she was crying and fussing and I asked her if she wanted ice cream to distract her. She went right from full-on cry to happily saying, "OK!" This made everyone laugh and so she yelled, "Funny!" So everyone laughed again, so she said, "People laughing!" She loves a good audience.

Beep Beep - Day 73

Cornbread not only tastes good, it makes an excelling play-doh as well.



Tonight she asked for a "big tomato" then proceeded to eat it like an apple.

What was left of the tomato when she finished.

She was very interested today in trying to turn her wrist around the wrong way. She was very perplexed when it just would not work.


Today on the way to music class LSP asked, "Where's Daddy?" Then later she told me, "Want to see Daddy." Several times. And lo and behold - this afternoon Daddy was able to Skype with us! As soon as she heard his voice she yelled, "Daddy!!" and raced across the room and scaled my legs to get to the computer, where she proceeded to hug and kiss the screen. We miss Daddy so much!

This evening my parents had some friend over and at first LSP played shy...but not for long. Soon she was reciting her ABCs and singing her songs and running around the living room. Quite the little performer and too cute. When the guests were leaving they tooted their car horn, something LSP found, very, very interesting. She kept talking about it and wanted to "see" the horn. As she was drifting off to sleep she whispered, "Horn, beep." I bet she wakes up talking about it, too.

Better Day - Day 72

Love these ones of her with her hair blowing in the breeze!

Jump!






LSP slept until 9:00 this morning and when she woke up - like magic, a better mood. Who can figure out toddlers, anyway? We went to a local playground this afternoon where she had tons of fun. In fact, when we were headed back to the car she said, "Fun at the playground," so it's official. There are two halves, once designed for (according to the sign) 2 to 5 year olds and one for 5 and up. Where do you think my little monkey went. That's right, straight for the bigger playground. That's my girl, alright.

The mood remained better all day, even into the evening when the no-nap baby began to wind down it wasn't bad. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Cookie Monster - Day 71

She didn't eat much dinner, but she did make some lovely bologna-pickle-tomato appetizers.


Yogurt - it's good to eat, and it's a facial!


LSP was feeling a bit ornery today. Truth be told, she's been feeling ornery for the last 3 days. A phase? Who knows. She is still not napping and I think part of it is being overtired, but I can't FORCE a toddler to nap. I suppose it will all iron out, but for now she is wearing everyone down with her explosive moods. She got to go shopping with Nana today, and Nana bought her a soft pretzel, which she loves, so that was good.

When we were in Michael's today I saw a sign about a Wilton cake decorating class. Many, many moons ago I wanted to take this class, but I didn't and I have though about it many times in the years since and wished I had just done it. So I asked and turned out the first class was tonight. Nana and Grampy were nice enough to watch the ornery toddler while I went. We learned some interesting basics and then got to practice with a couple of different tips. We decorated sugar cookies and it was a lot of fun! Next week we do a whole cake already! I am very excited.

The Queen - Day 70

This is the kind of excitement that Uncle M and Aunt L generate from kids and dogs.

Got her a tunnel today at Marshall's a lot like the one she has at home. She got in it right away with her two stuffed monkeys. It's three monkeys in a tunnel!


Ice cream with Uncle M.


It was an eat-a-thon today here. For breakfast we took LSP out for pancakes and bacon, her favorite. Then later Uncle M and Aunt L came down and we drove four towns away to get Indian take-out food that was fabulous! Then, just to add insult to injury, we took LSP to Dairy Queen for dessert.

Speaking of Uncle M and Aunt L, we didn't tell LSP they were coming down, and she she saw Uncle M peeking though the front door she instantly became so excited she started jumping up and down and up and down and squealing and dancing around with a big grin on her face. She is always so excited to see them. I have to have the video camera ready next time.

LSP picked out her own outfit today, a pink and black leopard print "twirly" skirt with silver sandals. She was enamored by it, watching the skirt swirl as she walked. She was totally adorable of course and tonight at Dairy Queen just about every person in the place pointed and oohed and aahed over how cute she looked. She took it all in stride, of course. It's easy to be cool when you are the Queen of Cute.