15 months old

Audrey is 15 months old
and turning into such a curious and cuddly little toddler.

A few notes...

She loves to say "uh oh". Not usually because she dropped something or has fallen down but because she has a piece of cottage cheese stuck to her finger or something equally as random.

She also loves to wave good-bye and good night. We read this Dora bedtime book that has the word goodnight in it about 15 times and she waves that many times as we make our way to the end of the story.

Walking is old news. She's running now!

She's also climbing. When Natalie is coloring, painting or playing with play-doh, Audrey climbs onto the dining room table to get in on the action. So much for Natalie's one safe place for messy stuff.

She takes her dirty diapers to the trash can. She also takes other non-trash things to the trash can so we give it a quick glance before we take it out!

She loves to hold her arms out in front of her (parallel to the ground and palms up) to let me know she wants to be picked up.

She's in love with Scarlet. And Scarlet actually enjoys the attention.

She gets a real kick out of turning off the TV when Natalie is watching something!

And she is such a snuggler!! If anyone is lying down on the couch, bed or floor, she is right there!

Pure delight. She's just ransacked her sister's bag of treasures!

We sure do love you, missy!

Thanks, Auntie Kristen, for the pictures. She's not an easy subject...I mean, she's cuter than cute but the girl doesn't like to cooperate with the camera! These pictures turned out better than her one year studio pictures. I just wish I'd trimmed her bangs a bit beforehand!

Just plane funny

We just returned from a wonderful week in Michigan (more on that later!) and I had to share a few plane funnies before I forget.

First, the girls are amazing travelers. Natalie walks through the airport with her pink and green monogrammed wheelie carry-on and her purse-onal item like she owns the place and then sits in her window seat on the plane like such a big girl (I think this is her 11th or 12th flight!). Audrey's a bit more of a challenge to contain in our aisle once we board but she, too, loves to strut her stuff at the airport before and after the flight.

Natalie, the mature little traveler.

Audrey, the flying monkey.

She looks like a miniature Hollywood star!

Audrey is way too big for the Baby Bjorn but it was the only option I had for keeping her close in the airport. I had no idea how ridiculous we looked. She looks like a kindergartner strapped to my front!

Okay...now for the funnies. On our way to Michigan, Natalie was looking through the airplane safety booklet and saw the illustration of the plane making a water landing. Her eyes lit up, she smiled a big smile and she asked,

"Do we really get to land in the water and play on those floaty toys?"

She was pumped at the thought of flying some of the way and then jumping in the water and finishing the journey to Nana's by life raft. I explained that a water landing was hopefully not in the cards for us and would sort of be considered an (almost) worst case scenario. Still, she was disappointed.

As we were making our decent into Michigan, Natalie could apparently feel it. She started shouting excitedly,

"We're going down, Mommy! We're going down!"

Again, rain-on-the-parade mommy had to explain that we try to refrain from shouting that phrase on the airplane as someone waking up from a nap in a neighboring aisle might start to panic.

To think, I used to buy a magazine and a latte prior to boarding a long flight!

The Dentist

I took the girls to the dentist last week. Natalie has had a few exams but this was her first cleaning. This was Audrey's first visit ever even though the girl has been collecting teeth for quite some time now.

Natalie did great. Maybe it was the movie star sunglasses she got to wear to keep the exam light tolerable. Maybe it was the promise of a Snow White sticker and a Princess and the Frog toothbrush. Maybe the girl just knows the value of shiny teeth. Whatever the motivation, she cooperated like a dream.

Then there was Audrey. She ran in circles around the dental office during Natalie's exam. She tried with all her might to unplug the cord in the floor outlet under the exam chair. And she was bound and determined to open every cabinet door and drawer she could find. Mercy. When it was her turn to open wide, she would have none of it. She screamed. She flailed about dramatically. The dentist took all of 45 seconds to count her teeth and give a good report but to those of us in the room, it was an eternity.




Glad we're not due back for 6 more months. I'm not sure I could take it any sooner.

Memory

We (Corey, Natalie and I) are a bit addicted to playing Memory. Not just any Memory. My Little Pony Memory. Oh, yeah! 54 cards picturing ponies with names like Sweet Summertime, Pinkie Pie and Butterscotch. But there really isn't anything sweet and innocent about this game once it gets rolling. It's every dad, mom and 4 year old for him/herself. Corey and I give it all we've got but it is rare that we beat Natalie. She racks up pairs faster than we can count them and does so with a smirk that's mildly unnerving. And while she's collecting her pile of matching cards, she actually says things like, "I'm going to clean up this board" and "this game is all mine!"

At first, we cut her a few breaks. She'd pout when we picked her favorite cards...even get a little teary...so, we'd hand them over to her thinking she'd benefit from the pair in the end. Well, no more!! Favorites, schmavorites! We need every card we can get our hands on to even come close to her final count.



First, we blamed our inability to beat Natalie on the fact that we played at night before bed when Corey and I were fried. So, we started playing around lunch time to boost our chances. She still beat us. I play with her first thing in the morning. Still can't beat her. Then Auntie Ashley played her...and, naturally, fell victim to her theatrics about the favorite card business and handed a pair over at the first sight of a pouty lip. Well, by the end of the game, Ashley took her gifted match back and still lost.

I'm definitely the worst at this game but Corey loses to her plenty, too, and often only beats her by one matched set. I'm actually nervous to introduce her to Monopoly. It's going to be brutal!

Natalie-isms

As she was painting a sun in one of her pictures:

N: I made the sun orange, Mom, because it's actually orange and not yellow.
Me: Is that right?
N: Yup. Do you know why it's orange?
Me: No, why?
N: Because it's actually fire. A big, burning, ring of fire. I guess that's what that guy is singing about in that song. The sun.

(gotta love a 4 year old Johnny Cash fan!)


As we were getting ready to head to Tahoe:

N: I'm going to catch crabs on the beach at Tahoe
Me: Actually, there aren't any crabs on the beach at Lake Tahoe. There are only crawdads and they are in the water.
N: Have you ever even been to Tahoe, Mom? I'm going to ask Daddy.

When asked to take her plate to the sink after dinner:

N: (HUGE sigh) Why do I have to do EVERYTHING around here??

Oh, this kid.

Breakfast is served

We dragged ourselves out of bed last Saturday morning to find Audrey in her booster seat at the table (courtesy of Natalie's muscle and determination) eating cereal lovingly poured onto her tray by her big sis. They had been up playing for a while in our bedroom as we caught a few more minutes of pillow time (I know, I know, parents of the year, aren't we?). For the record, we were not asleep...just sleepy. However, we were apparently sleepy enough not to notice when they ditched us and headed to the kitchen.

Natalie had decided to take charge of breakfast in our absence. She was quite proud of herself. We were proud of her, too. And a little embarrassed of our sleepy selves. Well, a lot embarrassed. But still proud.

Tahoe Trip

What a great vacation we had in Tahoe. For two weeks we had sandy feet, lazy mornings, picnic lunches at the beach, lake view dinners on the deck, time with old friends and doting grandparents, chilly mornings, and "vacation" cereal (Natalie's term for the sugary cereal I never buy at home!). It was awesome.

It didn't take Natalie long to get into vacation mode!

And Audrey, either, for that matter! During one visit to the beach, Audrey helped herself to a neighbor's lounge chair when we very inconveniently started packing up our things to leave before she was ready to go.

One of our favorite days was a hike down to Emerald Bay and a hike up to Eagle Falls.
We put the baby backpack to use on this trip!!

Another favorite day was meeting up with our friends, Kelly and Micah and their kids, Owen and Adler, at Sand Harbor. You've gotta love a beach where they serve ice cream!

Natalie and Owen

Adler and Audrey

And then we had our cousin time. Emma and Natalie play really well together and it's so cute to watch them pick right up where they left off last time they saw each other! We also got to see cousins Reese and June one night...so sweet to see all these girls playing together!




We also had a great visit with my grandparents and the girls had a good time playing with their Aunt Karen and cousin, John.

These. Two. Do. Not. Age.

They're as adorable as ever.

Corey and Natalie went kayaking...

and bouldering...

And on every single beach, mountaintop, waterfall, watercraft or bouldering adventure, Natalie carried her handbag. This special accessory was a gift from our good friends, Doug and Donna. They gave it to her on the first day of our trip, she promptly filled it with treasures and never put it down. It was at her bedside by night, the breakfast table each morning and at the side of the tub when we forced her into the bath. Consequently, what was once an ivory colored purse is now brown and a bit on the dusty side, and it will forever be a reminder of this trip!

There were so many other great days when I never grabbed the camera or couldn't find it! So, those days will just have to live in my memory...scary thought!

Grandma Lala and Papa Rod joined us the last week and Aunt Ashley came the last few days. Thanks for helping to make it such a great trip!

Until next year, Tahoe! We miss you!