Natural History Museum

Last weekend I decided I am so over the winter weather already.

I don't know when I've ever felt so impatient for spring to get here. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I have two kids and have already exhausted all indoor play options. There aren't many places to go when your kids (and you!) are all stir crazy and itching to leave the house. I can only handle the mall playground once a week and while I could manage Chick Fil A everyday of the week sadly my waistline cannot.

All this to say that last weekend I put my foot down and declared to TG that I was not going to spend all day Sunday cooped up in the house with our beloved (wild animal) children. Once he talked me off my ledge we decided to go to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.

Even though we've lived here for several years now, I haven't been to the Smithsonian since I was a kid. I have to say that I was really impressed. Sure, most of the exhibits were way over Riley's head, but she loved it. Of course the animals, dinosaurs and insects were a big hit, but her favorite section was the human skeleton exhibit. Okay, so I was a bit weirded out when she ran over and laid herself down on a floor image of a skeleton in a coffin, but if she's not afraid no reason to make her. On the way out of there she was begging us for a bag of bones like the ones she was reassembling onto a printout of a human skeleton on a floor mat. Santa, better get to work on a forensic science lab kit for someone next year.

Little man was just taking everything in.


Checking out the giant preserved squid. Yech.


What TG would look like as a neanderthal. Hahahaha.


TG, Cam and...a BEAR! (and a flash)


Riley absolutely refused to have any photos of herself taken that day, but she happily played photographer. I wanted to take a picture of her pretending to be eaten by the T-rex, but had to settle for her pic of a T-rex instead.


P.S. Did I mention that the Hope Diamond is currently on display there? Can you say da-rooooool. It was gorgeous.

Seen and Heard

SEEN:

My 3 year old who just looks older everyday!


Yet another attempt at that elusive smiling sibs photo.


My 9 month old and his grrr face.


HEARD:

Riley is laying in her bed in the middle of the day.
Me: What are you doing bug?
Riley: Takin a wax.
Me: A what?
Riley: Takin a wax. See?
She puts her hands up behind her head and crosses her legs.
Me: Oh, you're relaxing?
Riley: Dat's what I told ya!

Matt is pretending to be asleep on the floor.
Me: Uh oh. You have to wake up Daddy!
Riley: Wakeeeey, wakeeey.
Riley: It not workin!
Me: Make more noise!
Riley: SOUND! SOUND! SOUND! SOUND!

Getting Riley into her jammies before bedtime.
Riley: Oh Mom. Gives me a hug!
Riley: I wubs you Mom.
Me: I love you too Riley girl.
Riley: I gonna miss you.
Me: Where am I going?
Riley: I gonna miss you when you go to Harris Peter.

Looking at some of my old college photos during dinner.
TG: Do you know who is in that picture?
Riley studies it for a few seconds.
Riley: It's you! And Mommy!
TG: That's right.
Riley: You's snuggling Mommy!
Riley: Ohhhh.
Hangs her head and makes her sad face.
Riley: I wish I could snuggle Mommy. Hey Mom! You wanna snuggle on da couch wit me? I can gets a pill-whoa and a ba-wanket and we's can snuggle.

Her Birthday Extravaganza

Riley's 3rd birth-day was more like, Riley's 3rd birth-week.

Her actual birthday fell on a Monday so to celebrate we went with our birthday bestie to the Baltimore Aquarium. Even though I took us on a small-ish detour (because I'm a dope who ALWAYS does that on 495) ahem...we made it safely to the Inner Harbor. We all had such a good time together visiting all the exhibits, going to the dolphin show and picking out a birthday treat from the gift shop. It was the perfect way to spend her big day!

Later at home we sang, made a wish and had cake...or a cupcake from the play kitchen. "Cocalate cake with cocalate icing" just as the princess requested...several times in the weeks prior. That apple doesn't fall far from the tree. :)



YUM!



She opened her presents with glee. We got her a kid's digital camera and she proceeded to take almost 300 pictures in less than 24 hours. Some of them were pretty artistic and I had no idea it would be such a big hit! Tata wrapped her gifts in Steelers paper - AWESOME!



She LOVED her singing Ariel doll.



Tuesday we went to Chuck E. Cheese. I somehow forgot that it was a Teacher Workday. It was crrrrr-azy town there. Then the store's credit card machines go down and mothers who aren't used to spending the entire day with their kids slowly start to lose it when they are told they can't get the rat's house pizza or tokens unless they have cash. Luckily I was raised on the "you catch more flies with honey" mantra and just by being polite (after witnessing 3 major Gucci Mom meltdowns) I was able to score free tokens. YES! However, my short lived MOY status was quickly revoked when Riley threw an epic tantrum because I said it was time to go. It was so loud and out of control in there I couldn't get her to stop until I got right by her ear and told her that screaming was going to wake up the rat and he was going to come out. Not one of my proudest moments, but sometimes you have to do what works.

That night God smiled on her/me and gave us enough snow to get TG out of work for 3 days! Granted we spent most of those days watching the 24 hour stomach bug work it's way through our household, but I consider it a birthday blessing that 1) I didn't have to weather that storm of child pukes alone. I'm one of those wimpy people that don't do throw up well at all. 2) That mine was more like a horrible 1 hour bug. 3)My mother arrived just before TG and I took the big dive. I will never be able to thank her enough for not getting on the first flight back out of here when less than 1 hour after her arrival things went...south.

Luckily we all bounced back for Riley's joint birthday bestie party on Saturday. Gammy, Gigi, Papa, Aunt Natalie and Uncle Justin all came to celebrate her big day. This is the second year we've shared a party with our bestie at a local kid's gym. WE LOVE IT - no set up, just enjoying ourselves during the party and the best part no clean up! Thanks for being the photographer Gammy!

Her awesome cake.


Tiny bubbles.


Loving all the attention!


Rollercoaster ride! She's an old fan of this.


WHEEEE! The plane zipline was the big hit.


Swinging with Char.


Her royal birthday princess walking the runway amid applause, to take her seat on her throne.


We were all exhausted at the end of the week, but it was worth it for our big 3 year old.


Whew. Although I feel like 3 is going to be the year that gives me a run for my money (seriously terrible twos is misnamed), I can't wait to spend another year laughing with her and watching her grow.

I love you Riley Boo!

So Big!

How big is Camden?



He's...SO BIG!



That he actually topples over.



Whoopsie baby.

9 Months

Our little Cam man hit the big 9 month mark almost a week ago.



Broken record warning:
I can hardly believe it.

Spring is just around the corner (especially if you believe the hog in Punxsutawney) and he will be 1. I always say that somedays it seems like forever, but overall it's a blink of an eye from sweet newborn baby lump to walking, talking toddler.



Cam is making quite sure that the last few months of his first year are BUSY. He's right on track developmentally and he's started doing some of my favorite baby things in the last month like saying Mama, waving hi and bye, clapping his hands, eating more solids, feeding himself and smacking his lips when he's hungry or thirsty.

Cam might be slightly ahead in terms of his movement though. He's become a proficient crawler, loves climbing the stairs, cruising all over the house, pulling up on EVERYTHING, and standing alone for a moment or two. He's officially been gated in now and since this picture was taken we've had to gate off the stairs going up as well.



I think Cam loves going "bye bye" most of all, but when we're home he spends his time diligently following his beloved sister to and fro playing with all range of toys, but usually whatever she has just discarded. He just wants to be wherever she is and do whatever she is doing. Cam's usually awake before her in the morning and when I walk out of his room with him in my arms the first thing he does is lean towards Riley's bedroom door. It is so much fun for me to watch them interact and grow together.


It always amuses me when he's home and she's not though. Cam will immediately beeline for the things that she does not like to let him play with. Like her dress up stuff, her Toy Story dolls and her art supplies. It is as if Camden knows that these are somewhat off limits in her presence and he wants to play with them while he can.



Camden is still a breastfed baby, but today we made it with just a morning and evening feed. He's recently mastered the sippy and he's started to show signs of frustration with the slower flow as well as biting me as he would the sippy. I think (fingers crossed) Camden might actually be self weaning, which would be a huge relief for me. I'm sure some of you are either a) grossed out by this entire paragraph's subject matter, b) wondering what the big deal is, or c) you're my sister and it's both. Let's just say it would be easier for me emotionally if he let it go without me having to force him there.



Stats for the 9th month:
21.1 lbs - 60th percentile
29.5 inches - 87th percentile
46 cm - 71% percentile

Perfectly healthy, right on track, and vaccinated. His measurements are almost exactly the same at 9 months as his sister.

Happy 9 months Camden! We love you!

Other random bits just for my memory...

Camden is a picky eater just like his Daddy. One day he loves oatmeal the next he acts like it will poison him. He is so close to sleeping through the night again (one month post RSV coma) - he wakes up at the 11 hour mark for a feed and then goes back to sleep for at least another hour. Cam was the host monkey for our first family throw up illness last week.

She Loves To Twirl

and twirl...



and spin...



and whirl...



until she gets dizzy and falls down.

Driving With Miss Crazy

Not a bad way to spend a "warm" afternoon. As long as lil Miss Crazy was keeping her hands on the wheel and her eyes on the road.

I Wish To Go To The Moon

Riley's 3rd Birthday from Mama V on Vimeo.

The Big 3

Dear Riley,

Today you are 3.



I can't believe someone so little can be so full of life. It's hard for me to explain what exactly I mean when I say this. The best I can do is say that you are just so happy.



You are a little bit sassy too, but we're working on where and how we draw the line with that. You speak and act with emotion and you're not afraid to tell us and show us when you're sad or mad.



You have so many things on your mind. You are constantly singing and talking and making up imaginary scenarios. The other day you sat at the table for over an hour with a paintbrush, a cup of water and some watercolors pretending to make soup and singing something about honeydew. You've started asking me if I want to hear a story and you tell me the cutest story about "one day" a "wittle fish" and a "meeean sark" where the mama fish always ends up saving the little fish from being "eat, Eat, EATEN!" by the shark and they all "wiv happiwee eber afer".



You are the best big sister ever and I try to tell you that as much as I can. You love Camden so fiercely. You are always sharing with him and taking care of him like his second Mama. When he wakes up, be it from bedtime or naps you are the first one racing up to his room because "my brudder awake!". You love to drag the stool in there so you can stand and talk to him in his crib or be right by him when I'm changing him.



Even though you love dressing up in "beyewteeful pwincess dwesses", sparkly shoes, and big bows - you love being adventurous and you are so daring. You love being outside, running, falling, sledding, sliding, riding, jumping, and swinging. You live your life at full speed. I love it and fear it all at the same time.



You love to twirl and you ask me to dance with you like a princess all the time. This means I hum a princess tune and we dance, spin, and dip around and around. Sometimes you will accept Mickey as my stand in dance partner.



Yes, you still have a paci at nap and night. I just can't find the heart to take it from you. It's like asking any other mother to separate their 3 year old from their special blanket or lovie - point me in the direction of one of those mothers and then we'll talk. But for now, it's not happening. The funny thing is that you don't just suck on them, you suck one, and hold one or two others in your fingers and rub them. We always read you stories before bed. Sometimes it's books from the library, but more recently it's one of the growing collection of princess books.



You are beautiful.



Three years ago today, you and I were in the hospital together just getting to know each other. I held you all night long. The nurses couldn't persuade me to let you sleep in the little hospital bassinet by my bed, much less send you to the nursery. I loved you at first sight and just knew I could never be separated from you, at least not for long.



You constantly amaze us and you make us laugh all the time. It's been such a wonderful and happy 3 years. We love you so much baby girl. Happy, happy birthday to you!