Back to our regular programming....

We just returned from two great weeks at Tahoe and we're slowly getting back into our groove. Lots of Lake pics to come, but in the meantime, here are a few cute ones!

Belly Button

Audrey loves her belly button these days. She finds it. She grabs it. She stretches it as far as it will stretch. And she giggles the whole time. It makes me cringe. I cannot stand having my belly button touched. But I'm happy that she loves this little part of her body. I just don't really like to watch her love it.



Other Audrey notes:

-At her 1 year appointment she was 19 lbs. 14 oz. (3 pounds smaller than Natalie at this age!) and 30 inches long. That puts her in the 25th percentile for weight which I find shocking given the folds in her thighs.

-She has a bit of a foot fetish. Actually, it's more about toes, really. She loves to tickle toes. She really surprised Papa Rod one day when she found his toes while he read the paper. She tickles Natalie's while we play games at the table and she'll find mine when I'm cooking. It's fine when it stays in the family but that's not always the case. The other day at the library she found another mom's toes too irresistible and I quickly had to swoop in and distract the little toe tickler when the lady jumped and hooted in surprise. I think I need to get this girl some flip flops so she can tickle her own toes!

- She loves turning off the TV when Natalie is watching a video.

- She loves to walk around with my cell phone and "talk". She even pauses regularly during these one sided conversations and then says what I think might be "bye" before she hands me the phone. The other day I found my phone in the bottom of her toy basket.

- She loves to deposit trash (or just random things, for that matter) into the trash can. She especially loves taking her dirty diaper to the trash can in the bathroom. I hardly get a fresh diaper on her before she's off to dispose of the dirty one.

She's a sweetie, this little Audrey of ours!

Say what?

Natalie came to me with a quivering lip and tears in her eyes the other day. She wanted to know why (sniff) her hair wasn't (sniff, sniff) brown like mine and Audrey's (sniff).

What? Are we fickle humans EVER happy with what we've got?

I had to smile. How many blondes have shed tears over wanting to be brunette? Audrey and I must make it look very glamorous! Actually, I think it was just a teary, lip quivery kind of emotional morning because by bath time she was happily combing her blonde locks while admiring herself in the mirror.

But I will show her this blog post when she comes to me at 16 missing her blonde hair (provided it ever darkens...it may not...which means I have the weakest genes on earth!) and begging me to pay for highlights!

Audrey loves to get into the doll stroller these days.

And Natalie loves pushing her around the house in it so it works for everyone. Notice Natalie admiring Audrey's chestnut hair!! Or maybe she's pulling it. Hard to tell.

I'm just waiting for the day Audrey comes to me and asks (sniff, sniff) why she can't be blonde like Natalie!

Our little yogini

Natalie has become quite the little yoga lover. She did yoga quite a bit at preschool this past year in PE and she loves joining Grandma Lala in her morning yoga routine when we're visiting each other. She gets my yoga mat out of the closet any chance she gets and does her poses. Her favorite is the tree pose...the kid has amazing balance.


Yesterday, Auntie Ashley took Natalie to a yoga class just for kids and they had a blast. As an added bonus, it was the instructor's birthday so the studio staff surprised her at the end of the class with a very large and very scrumptious looking gluten-free chocolate cake. She, of course, shared her cake with her little yogis so I'm pretty sure Natalie now thinks all yoga classes end with chocolate cake.


Thanks, Ash, for sharing that experience with her!

Roomies

The conversation went something like this:

N: I wish Audrey didn't sleep in my room.
Me: It's her room, too.
N: Well, I wish she had a different room.
Me: We're fresh out of rooms, kiddo. If we had an extra room we'd give it to her, but we don't so you'll have to share.
N: How about we make a room for her outside?
Me: What happens when it's too hot or too cold or windy or rainy?
N: Well, she can come inside then.
Me: So, you think sleeping in a room outside is okay?
N: Yes.
Me: Then why don't we make you a room outside?
N: Because I already have a bedroom!


This is precisely the type of behavior that Natalie is hoping to avoid once Audrey's outdoor room is installed. Little sister used to just storm the castle through the drawbridge door. Now she just scales the castle walls. Much more effective for princess snatching. Big sister goes ballistic when this happens...especially when I stop to take pictures before I remove the intruder.