Trust Your Judgement...

Only 15 months in to this parenting gig, I have realized that the little, nagging voice inside my mind should probably carry more weight when I'm making decisions...

 "Letting her run around naked and unpotty-trained 

is going to end up biting me in the buns."  But she is so cute and

fresh post-bath--I can't resist letting those buns run around!

"If I let her play with one pot, she will want them all! 

It won't take long before my kitchen floor is a disaster

zone."  Yet, here we are.  And it got worse than this.

"I shouldn't let her play with my shoes.  She will end

up breaking them or her ankles."  How funny, though, right?

Well, although she hasn't broken any shoes or ankles, that one came back to bite me in a new way.  She now sees my shoes as her toys, or worse yet, her own.  The other day, when she had a fit about wearing her tennis shoes, I said, "Fine.  If you don't want to wear these shoes, you don't have to.  But you need to go get new shoes."  She came back with my tennis shoes.  The fit got worse when she realized that was a no-go.

And I thought this picture was so cute.  I giggled and told her we were probably breaking a health code.  But again, she is so cute after her bath it is hard to resist...

However, as I snapped the above photo, I noticed a look on her face.  And a grunt.  And I won't go into detail about what happened next, but suffice it to say we definitely would have had several health code violations.

Nevertheless, I think we'll keep her.  Thanks for making me a mommy, Munch!

The Zoo!

We have a membership for the zoo this year, and I have a feeling we will be using it a lot!  We went for the first time two weeks ago, and Iz loved it.  (She went last year, but spent most of her time sleeping and staring at her stroller.)  We of course had to buy her some souvenirs on the way out--first official zoo trip!  Who doesn't need a ball shaped like a ladybug and a miniature ring-tailed lemur?

Getting some texting done before the trip.

She biked there with Daddy--her first long bike trip!

 We fed the goats, so it was time for some hand washing! Actually, Mommy 

fed the goats (and got bit!).  Izzie fed one goat, and then got mad 

that he stole the food from her.

She couldn't figure out this glass.  She kept trying to peek her

head around the corner to see how she could get to the penguins.

Give this girl a book and some goldfish

 crackers and she'll be good for awhile!

We went on a walk to the nearby park a few days later.  This chick knows how to relax in the wagon, that's for sure.  She had a lot of fun playing on all the equipment, too.  She's getting to be such a big girl!  (For the record, we do not require that she wear her helmet while in the wagon.  She still insists on it anytime we're outside.  Luckily, we convinced her to take it off once at the park.)

School fun!

Isabel had a walk-a-thon a few weeks ago to raise money for her school's nature center.  She worked pretty hard to raise money (actually--all she had to do was throw her envelope at a couple sets of grandparents and they threw money back at her), and as a result she earned some prizes.  We now are the proud owners of a nature explore bag, a magnifying glass, and a measuring tape.  Yes, we are that lucky.

Here are some pics from the walk-a-thon.  It was supposed to be outside so they could collect nature objects during the walk, but it was snowing (thanks, lame spring!) so they went to the gym instead.  As Bryan so nicely put it in his email (he attended as I was stuck at work with state testing), "Walking is easy.  Walking in the right direction...not so much.  No matter--she looks good doing it!"  And at pick up after school, Miss Alissa was laughing as she explained Izzie's behavior at the event.  She said all the other kids were really proud to show their parents how to walk in a straight line, and Izzie was really proud to show her Daddy how she could be EVERYWHERE.  They had the kids wear handkerchiefs on their heads...which made our little one look like a homeless house cleaner.  Cutest and sweetest one ever, of course.

(Can't you just hear hear... "Uhhh.  Can I 

clean your tub for a couple bucks?)

(This is her best friend, Harper.  She is exactly one month younger

than Iz.  One month.  We might be a size or two ahead...)

And this is a picture from just yesterday.  Izzie and sweet cousin Avery on a walk outside (on one of the few warm days we've had this spring).  We love that school!

In Loving Memory

A Million Times

A million times we've needed you,

A million times we've cried.

If love alone could have saved you,

You never would have died.

In life we loved you dearly, 

In death we love you still.

In our hearts you hold a place,

No one else will ever fill.

It broke our hearts to lose you,

But you didn't go alone.

Part of us went with you,

The day God took you home.

Our precious Grandpa D--we will treasure you in our hearts forever.

Her Own Style

Auntie and I made this blanket for Isabel while I was still 

pregnant.  She loves wearing it around her neck like a scarf.

Isabel is a big fan of sunglasses and half-clothing.

Did I mention the half-clothing?  And mismatched shoes?

The hair is still a battle. 

Izzie went on one bike ride with Daddy where she had to wear a helmet.

Now, she requires a helmet any time she is outside.  Playing with chalk,

going on a walk, riding in the swing--you can never be too safe!

Iz loves sitting in chairs.  Once she gets in them, she

points at everyone that should join her.  She had

quite the crowd going for this read-aloud.

Munch had her first incident report at school.

She was playing, tripped on a toy, and face

planted on a tree stump.  Busy girl!

Happy Easter

Finally, some Easter pics for you all!  It was a marvelous day.  Izzie had an Easter egg hunt at home in the morning after getting an Easter basket full of outside toys (and an itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, yellow polka dot bikini!).  Then it was off to church for a photo op with Caden and Avery (sorry, I don't have a good one of the three of them, but I'll steal one from Em and post it later).  After that, a nap, lunch and another Easter egg hunt at Nana and Grandpa's house with lots of family.  Finally, the last Easter egg hunt of the day and lots of playing outside at Grammy and Grandpa's with both of our great-grandpas in attendance.  Whew!  What a fun day!

Go-Wi!

Izzie's new favorite thing is going outside.  She can't get enough of it.  For the past 4 days, she has been saying her first official phrase over and over and over..."Wanna go-wi!" (Wanna go outside!).  It's precious.  Needless to say, we have spent many hours in the great outdoors as the weather has improved over the last week.  She loves it.  A picnic at the park with Daddy, a bike ride, Easter egg hunts, walks, exploring the yard,...she'll take whatever she can get.

I know someday they'll frustrate me to no end, but I love the muddy footprints in my house right now.