Egg Huntress

We tried Easter egg hunting last year. It didn't work so well. She could pick up the egg and put it in her basket, but she would take it right back out again and move on to the next doing the same thing over again.

To make up for last year we gave her two hunts this year. One was a practice run at Gigi and Papa's house and the other was on Easter day. Without any explaining other than telling her that while she napped the Easter Bunny came and hid some eggs she was ready to go. We gave her a basket and set her loose.

"Mama, the eats-er dunny hide eggs!" She's got her "hunt face" on.


She kept saying, "Dere's anutter one!".


That bunny had some sneaky hiding places, but they were no match for Riley.


Hugging her "friend" Mary after she found an egg on her.


Eating some of her stash.


She's very serious. Notice the chocolate snack in her right hand while reaching for her next egg with her left.


Showing me the goods.

Riley at 2 years and 3 months

Riley, you are 27 months old! You are one busy little lady and still growing like a weed. You're about 37 lbs., over 3 ft tall, wearing 3T clothes and size 8 shoes.

Now that you're 2, you've become Miss Independent. You can still be persuaded to take help, but you mostly prefer to do things yourself. You love to help with just about anything, especially cooking, but even throwing trash into the trash can. You can climb into your carseat, brush your teeth, put on your shoes, and blow your nose among other things. You are also potty trained and have been wearing your "big girl unders" for about a month now.


You have a LOT to say and when you are awake there is rarely a quiet moment. You love to comment on everything you see and you almost always demand a willing participant to listen and respond. If I'm on the phone you want to talk too. You've got a lot of thoughts and opinions already which will probably mean trouble for your Daddy and I in the future. You've become particularly good at telling us your feelings and you'll often tell us that "I sad" (complete with head down on arms) or "I mad" (with a grr voice and crossed arms). You even say "I happy" a lot too in a very high voice that we just love. You tell us "I yuv you" and "night night" and sometimes if I tell you that I love you, you'll give me a complete "I yuv you too, Mama". Your manners still rock and you use please, thank you, welcome, sorry, bless you, and excuse me almost everyday.


You're still an outdoors girl and you prefer to be outside if you can. But pretty much you're just an on the go girl. From almost the moment you wake up each day you ask me "Ready go Mama?". So we go, a lot, to the "liberry", Target, the park, open play areas, and the gym to "play with the kids". We go swimming too when we can and you love it. You've learned to float on your back, blow bubbles, and with a lifejacket on you can swim short distances by yourself. You read books now too and you love using my card to check out books from the library. You'll sit and read the parts you can remember by yourself. You're still big into coloring, but you also really enjoy painting and we use the paint set you got from your bestie for your birthday a lot. You're also starting to understand the concept of friends more and you get very excited when we get together with them.


Riley, you are full of life and definitely one of a kind. There is never a dull moment with you and all the world is your stage. You sing a lot, bits and parts of all the songs you know and even some you don't, quite loudly, quite off key, but also majorly adorably. Last week you were singing and dancing in the kitchen and all of a sudden you did a bow and said "Thank you, thanks everybuddy" and waited for our applause. I think you definitely have a flair for the arts, but at the same time you love playing sports, riding your bike and scootering around the neighborhood. I can't wait to see what the next few years bring in terms of your interests and skills.


You're just about to become a big sister and I can't wait to see you in that role! I know that you'll love your little brother and teach him everything you know. You are my most favorite girl in the world and we love you so much.


All photos courtesy of Appleseed Photography. For awesome photos of your own kids, click here.

Friends

I am very lucky to have some good friends here. I'm hoping that as Riley continues to grow she'll become good friends with their kids. I think it's already happening. :)

Home, Sweet, Home

We've lived here for five years now and in five years we've lived in 5 different places. We knew a couple years ago that we'd like to settle down, but wanting to and being able to were different things. The area we live in is wonderful. It's very family friendly, the schools are excellent, and it's close to awesome educational and cultural activities. Not to mention we've made some great friends here. But the area we live in is also very expensive, almost prohibitively so for two teachers. Until last year when we discovered that with some extra paperwork we could afford a home here. And not just any home, a brand new home in our ideal neighborhood. So this January we signed some papers and let ourselves begin to believe that our dream of owning a home here might come true.

The foundation is poured. You can't tell from the photo, but when it's finished from the back of the house we'll have awesome, unobstructed views of the Blue Ridge mountains.


The frame is built.


Beginning to look like a house.


We're supposed to close in June so we've got a very exciting spring happening here with a new baby and a new house. We had to make some sacrifices this year, but it's turned out for the best and we are very thankful.

Stanislaw, Spencer, or, well...

We're getting down to the wire and I hate to say we still don't have a name for our son. A couple weeks ago while in PB kids I became so engrossed in a baby naming book that two people on the staff asked if I wanted to get comfortable in the rockers at the back. Sadly, I left no closer to a name than I started.

Some new suggestions have made their way in though, such as Stanislaw - a TG family name; and Spencer - don't ask me where my parents got that one from.

Nameless though he may be, he does already have one lovely little nickname that I've been fighting against since it was first mentioned. I'm fighting it because I hate the movie that it came from. However, I am being overruled and the name is being spread and I'm afraid that it's going to stick.

While I stilly fondly refer to him as Baby Boy, the rest of my household calls him McLovin. If you're in the dark you can google it and become enlightened.

Anyway, while the name search continues so does this baby's growth. I had my last ultrasound a week and a 1/2 ago. Good news is that he turned down in the last month! Extra good news is I'm having a c-section because this baby is a linebacker. The poor tech whom I just adore kept "hmming" as she took the standard measurements. Femur - 39 weeks 6 days. Head - 40 weeks 2 days. Crown-Rump Length - 39 weeks 7 days. All this adding up to an estimated weight of 7 lbs. 7 oz. at 36.5 weeks. Given that he will have had about 2.5 more weeks of growth before he's delivered I'm guessing a 9 lber.

Here's a pic of me and baby boy. Less than a week to go!

Daddy's Girl: Then and Now

Then: 6 months old, checking out tire sales.


Now: 2 years old, reading up on spring planting suggestions.

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

How does your garden grow?

With a water can drink.


And a song we think.


And a nap on the patio.

Easter at the Cherry Blossoms

The cherry blossoms were early this year. Make that like two weeks early. Which means that we missed our chance to make it a 3 year tradition of seeing them with our besties. Even Aunt Tata knew that was a big deal

But, we've never been to see them with TG and so when the chance came up to see the blossoms on the last day of the festival AND celebrate Easter with a delicious picnic at the tidal basin we jumped at it.

We left early to try and beat most of the heavy traffic and got there early enough to snag not only a perfect parking spot, but an awesome picnic location with views of the blossoms, the water, the Jefferson Memorial and the Monument. We spent 4 hours there and they went by in a flash. TG and I were able to relax and eat while we watched Riley run and play. The weather was perfect and we couldn't have planned a more beautiful day.

Our little family of 3 and one to be.


Me and my most favorite girl.


TG and our little monkey.


Playing in the Tulip Library.


Another family photo op.


Enjoying the sunshine.


Barefoot and fancy free.


I hope you all had a Happy Easter with your families!

Dye Diva

Easter was a wonderful holiday for us this year! Last year we didn't get into too many of the traditions with Riley because she was still a bit young, but this year we went whole hog and had a blast. One of my favorite Easter activities is dying eggs and I was able to control myself in Target (keeping in mind that she's only 2) and purchase only the simple dye cups for $1.50. Add to that a white crayon and some stickers we already had and a Dye Diva was born.

Her supplies.


Getting her dye on.


She quickly abandoned the metal scoop designed to keep your hands dye free and favored the "Slam your egg into the cup and crack it" method.


Her finished product.


Her dyed hands that she kept referring to as "monsta hands".

Then and Now: The Zoo

Almost a year ago we took Riley on her first trip to the zoo. She had a blast and loved seeing all the animals. This spring we were able to take her back and took the opportunity to meet up with a dear friend of mine who lives in the area. Since she's a year older we figured she would enjoy the chance to run free and would like to see the animals again. Well, we were 50% right. She ran like the wind, but as for the animals...

Then, monkeys were a hit.


Now, monkeys are still interesting enough to stop running.


Then, no lions in sight and had to settle for the waterfall in the exhibit.


Now, lots of lions but would rather be running.


Then, totally mesmerized by the giraffes.


Now, could not be bothered to stop her sprinting to even look at the giraffes.


Then, absolutely screamed with terror at the metalsmith animals and refused at all costs to pose with any of them which would explain the lack of "then photo".

Now, very willingly climbed on this turtle for a photo op and instead screamed like a banshee when we tried to remove her.


Then, enamored with the train.


Now, still enamored with the train, but due to her year of growth and my expanding belly there wasn't room for all three of us on the train seat.

Our Guitar Hero

In true rock form she:

has back up singers
is wearing a vintage tee without any pants
is sporting wild rocker hair
and is singing a totally rocking tune...

Any guesses?

Riley on Guitar 2 from Lindsay Vinson on Vimeo.