Almost 3

In less than one month, Audrey will turn 3.  I ask myself daily where the time went.  I ask myself daily if I'm getting enough pictures or taking enough video of her at this lovely little age.  I ask myself daily when she'll sleep through the night.  This little munchkin captures the heart of every person she meets.  She has her tantrum moments, but for the most part she's a happy, smiling, energetic little love bomb.  Always up for a "huggle snuggle" (as she calls it) and making a new friend, this kid is one awesome little person.

Her current "fayvohwits":

Eating quiche, butter and jejo (sunbutter and jelly sandwiches), graham nackers (graham crackers), cutie oranges, and pizza (toppings only), making mud, taking her clothes off (nothing new here...still loves being naked), painting, riding her twicycle, having a play date, watering the outside plants, snuggling in our bed, watching Caillou episodes and Tinkerbell movies, running full speed in circles on the lawn at Natalie's school, wearing loungewear while we're at home (we call them her "daytime jammies"),  'wimming lethons (swimming lessons), playing pwinthess (princess), driving her own baby cart at Trader Joe's (my bruised ankles aren't crazy about this one) and heading directly to the thamples (samples) where the staff continues to feed her until I show up because she keeps saying please and thank you and she's so darn hard to say no to, doing things "all by mythelf", putting on glip glop (lip gloss), cuddling Scarlet, drawing with any kind of permanent marker she shouldn't be using, FaceTiming anyone who will FaceTime her, picking flowers, shouting hello repeatedly at pedestrians while we're in the car at a stop light, playing hide and thseek (hide and seek) and saying "that's alicious (delicious)!", "I agwee (agree)!" and "but, you thaid tho! (but, you said so!)"


Her current not-so-"fayvohwits": 

Spiders, ants, dogs, bathing, getting her hair brushed, loud noises of any kind,  men with beards, going to Target, her big girl bed (she's back to sleeping in a crib. her pack n'play, actually, because the crib has been turned into a toddler bed. mercy), staying still so we can get a non-blurry picture of her, and avocados.

 naked

 half naked

 

"What are you doing, Audrey?"

"Washing my feetsies!"

"Where are your underwear?"

"I don't know."

 

 Dressing herself

Wearing my lipstick.

 

Whenever it's quiet and we realize Audrey is not visible, we all panic and run to find her because it's usually never a good sign.  Actually, we usually send Natalie. 

She's always willing and highly motivated because her stuff is usually the target.

We love this little chin dimpled dumpling so much!

Soccer!

Natalie started soccer this spring and is really loving it.  She plays with her best friend, Alexis, so that makes it even better.  I spend a lot of the practice time running after Audrey on the neighboring field so I miss most of the action, but it's still a lot of fun to be out in the gorgeous weather one afternoon a week.  Corey was even able to join us one week and is the reason we have any pictures at all!

 

Of course, every soccer star needs a loyal cheering section.

We Camped!

We camped with kids.  This was a big deal for me.  I struggled to camp when we were just a couple.  So, it was with a little doubt, a lot of anxiety and a tremendous amount of fear that I embarked on a camping trip with two young kiddos.  But it turned out to be a totally great experience, albeit a bit of a chilly one.

We went with another family we've met here with kids the same ages! It made it oodles more fun for all of us and made the prep work a little easier, too. We loved our new tent and had fun dusting off and rehabilitating the old stuff we hadn't used in ages (since our Tahoe days, really, and that was almost 10 years ago!). Our camping lantern actually still had river goo from the flood we lived through in Asheville. That was 2004, for crying out loud! So, we were long overdue for a camping trip.

The only thing that was a little disastrous were our sleeping mats. We bought a new queen air bed that I was so excited to use. Well, we knew before bed when it was already having trouble holding air that it could never hold Corey plus me. So, we settled on Audrey plus me and figured it would be ok. Well, ok it was not. I woke up a few hours later with Audrey snuggled tight next to me and both of us engulfed in a deflating air mattress. To help you visualize, the bed had taken the shape of a giant taco and Audrey and I were the meat!! We were basically on the ground in the center of the bed while both sides extended up high on either side. A little terrifying to wake up to...I felt like I was being swallowed alive!

Audrey, on the other hand, was having the best night of her life, snuggled next to her momma for 9 straight hours. She loved every minute and slept through all this bed bedlam. Well, I finally opened the valve to let the remaining air out and a giant whoosh of cold air filled an already very chilled tent. Corey wasn't sleeping any better on an old backpacking mat with numerous slow leaks. And we were both freezing. But the kids slept through it all! So, while they woke up rested and refreshed, we became more zombie like by the hour! Night two was a little better as far as comfort but much colder as a pretty major wind and rain storm passed through the state park. Another sleepless night for Corey and me but the kids had no trouble at all snoozing through all the howling wind and pounding rain!

But our waking hours were great. We ate well, played well and really enjoyed the whole experience. Audrey was ready to come home on day 3 (as was I, really) but Natalie begged to stay another night or two. She was in heaven. 

This hammock was the best decision ever. 

The family we camped with brought it and put it up the

first hour we were all there and I don't think

it spent a minute without a kid (or 3 kids) in it

 until it came down the day we left.

 Sydney and Audrey

Kira, Audrey's bestest little friend. 

Wish I had a picture of them together.

 Little smiley pants.

 Sydney and  Natalie catching tadpoles.

 Natalie playing with her river "mushy muck".

 We were at Del Valle Regional Park outside of Livermore

and this reservoir had a pretty cool beach.

 

It was just really chilly and windy when we were there so

we didn't spend much time at the water but it would be great during the summer months.

 Cole and Natalie

 We brought the little Dora portable potty so that Audrey didn't have to make it all the way to the bathroom during the night.  Well, she had no interest in it at night.  She wanted to use it in the light of day in front of everyone, our camping companions and anyone else who would watch.  Mercy.

We have another trip to the coast scheduled for mid-June. Stay tuned!

Quick Trip to Reno

After Easter, Grandma Lala and I took the girls for a quick 24 hour trip to Reno to visit GGPa and GGMa.  We all wanted to see them but we also had a full week of stuff going on in California so we figured a little time was better than not getting there at all.  And, in all honesty, with a very busy 6 year old and an even busier almost-three year old, we tend to wear out even the most welcoming welcome sort of quickly. 

GGPa and GGMa are, as usual, doing great and refusing to age.  I love that the girls are making memories in their house and yard just like I did as a kid.  That's got to be pretty rare...great grandparents that still play outside in the back yard with you and have a basket of crayons and a coloring book on the coffee table (it is the same basket of crayons I used to use over there 30 years ago!).

 Yes, that's right...Grandpa is wearing a tuxedo. 

 He had a Knights of Columbus event to attend

that afternoon and the girls loved seeing him in his full regalia!

Grandma Lala with the Knight of the family!

Beyond cute.

Aunt Ashley Visit

Before Easter, Auntie Ashley came to visit for a few days.  It was so nice having her around our dinner table again!  She came over for dinner at least a few days a week when we all lived in Phoenix, so that's been something I've missed a lot since being in California.  We didn't do anything exciting during her stay...she just lived our crazy life for a few days and hopefully went home missing us as much as she did when she arrived.  We loved having her here and miss her very much!

 How is it that all the Aunties can do better braids than I can???

And, curiously, there's no complaining or whining

by the braidee during the braiding process when I'm not involved.

We love you, Ash!