Rainy Day Randoms

Mommy's Little Helper

I love grocery shopping, but I've always enjoyed it so much more when I'm not doing it alone. When Abby was born, I got a built in shopping partner, but we still love those weekends when Daddy comes too!

On our last shopping trip, we decided to make Abby's toddler dreams come true, by giving her her own shopping cart. It was hilarious and adorable to see her little face light up as soon as Joe brought her to get it. I could hear her coming to find me from aisles away. "MommEEEEE!" Oh, if you could just imagine her little butt wiggling behind her as pushed her cart and followed me through the aisles.

She even did much better than we had expected. We explained that I would tell her when there was something on my list for her to pick up and put in her cart, so she just followed along patiently waiting for instructions. Not sure this would have had the same success rate at Abby's age with just one parent, but with both of us it did. She felt so special and helpful. You could see it all over her face.

I think the best part might have been those moments when she was following me and then she saw something that she clearly had to have, so it made sense for her to stop and get it. It wasn't random at all.

Detour #1: We walked past the bakery and she had not forgotten that Daddy took her to that exact spot and let her pick her first muffin last time we were there.

Detour #2: She was trucking along when she saw the raisins. She didn't even look at us, she just beelined for the dried fruit picked the bag she wanted and put it right in her cart.

Detour #3: Grapes.

Detour #4: Walking through the bakery again, she saw all the cakes and just walked over to a huge cake, tried to pick it up and put it in her cart.

Detour #5: Toothbrushes. This girl knows her good dental hygiene.





I wonder how it will go next time we go grocery shopping and I try to buckle her into the big cart again...

Lots and lots of apples!

We spent Saturday morning apple picking with some good friends. Just one more reason to love fall. Ready for a flashback? This was Abby at the farm one year ago:

Growing so fast...

can't get over that sweet little face and those adorable overalls

excited to see her friends

Daddy's and their girls

buddies

loving apples

What better way to end the day then with cider and a warm donut! Yum!

An Afternoon in the Playroom

Playing with Abby all day is really so much fun. Though you have to come visit and see for yourself, I wanted to give you a glimpse into playtime these days.

Abby brought me a blanket, diapers and her babies the other day making it clear that she would like help putting the diapers on her babies. By the second baby, she was changing diapers like a pro.


Grammy bought Abby this puzzle in August. When she first started playing with it, it was really challenging for her and often frustrating. Look at the difference just one month makes.

At the end of the video, you will see what I recently added to the playroom. In 2005, I was in Eastern Europe and while in Vienna I bought this artwork from a street vendor. I loved them then without really being sure how I'd ever use them. I love them even more now. They're framed and hung on the playroom walls and every time I look at them the memories come flooding back.



And a little more silliness and toddler brilliance for you (and a totally smitten momma)...

Elmo & Bieber

This was not Abby's initial reaction to her flu shot on Wednesday, but she was all smiles when her shot was done and she got to pick a sticker!

The conversation went a little something like this:
Me: Abby, you were such a brave girl, so now you get to pick a special sticker.
Abby smiles as she looks through all of her options.
Me: C'mon Abby, pick your sticker.
Abby(picking out her sticker): A-mo (Elmo)
You see behind Elmo sat the real prize.
Abby: BEEE-Ber.
She was so excited the receptionist knew not to be strict about the one sticker limit, so Abby left the office with two. Elmo and Justin Bieber.

Sweet girl walked around all day pointing to her stickers and proudly showing them off!

Community Day

This weekend our church held its annual community day complete with Sunday's church service followed by lots of delicious food, a bounce house, popcorn, sno-cones, cotton candy and pony rides.

As you can see from this video, Abby was already excited to spend the morning in the church nursery. Really really excited. She loves playing with all of her friends. This was her on Saturday night:

So, you can imagine her surprise, after an already fun morning at church, to come outside after the service to find all kinds of fun on the lawn. After lunch, Abby bee-lined for the bounce house. You would think having never been in one that she would have hesitated a bit, but she was in there the second her shoes came off jumping around with all her little friends and waving to us.



Then, it was off to wait in line for a pony ride. We watched a few of our friends wait in line for 20 minutes only to get to the front and have their kids say "no thanks!". I thought Abby might chicken out, but the guy came over put a helmet on her (which she was really proud of) and she hopped right on the pony, loving every minute of it. She neighed the whole way home while pointing at her "I rode a pony today" sticker!

look at that riding posture!

Now to explain next week why there aren't ponies at church anymore... :)

20 months old

Abby rocking her skinny jeans

You wouldn't think one month makes a lot of difference, but I think the transition from 19 to 20 months was significant for us! Abby is the sweetest little toddler and with her sweetness comes a whole lot of sass. She also has a big sense of humor and not only cracks herself up all the time, but her parents too! Especially at all the wrong moments when we should keep a serious face and discipline her, not laugh hysterically. These days, Abby is quite the dancer and bookworm who loves being outside.

She also enjoys:

• mowing the lawn with Daddy
• bringing her backpack everywhere
• reading to us before bed after we read to her
• singing and dancing
• trying to climb in the shower with Mommy everyday
• cleaning up all her toys (Yes...REALLY!)
• testing all of our limits
• getting M&M's every time she pee- pees in the potty (not officially potty training yet, though she has shown us it's just about time to get serious and she LOVES those M&Ms)
• playing with friends
• slides
  
• the VeggieTales CD that I can't take out of the car CD player for longer than 5 minutes before she cries for it again
• Justin Bieber
  
• Barney
  
• jewelry of all kinds
• playdoh and coloring
  
• posing for the camera
• her Jesus Storybook Bible
  

Savoring this sweet time! :)

Sophie the Scarecrow

Abby and I spent an afternoon this week celebrating the arrival of fall. Fall in our first house = fall flowers and fun front stoops.

Beiber Fever!

Attention Aunt Mimi: Abby has caught Bieber Fever! (a few years too early!) Our little dancer specifically requests Justin Bieber "Baby" everyday. So...what else would this retired boy band loving dancer of a mom do but choreograph a dance just like I did 10 years ago! But, there's no mistaking who's the boss in this dance operation. Abby tells us to get in our places before the music starts. Don't even think of standing outside of that straight line! When Grandma came to visit, Abby even told her where to stand.

Here it is...the moment you have been waiting for: Abby's dancing debut!

Note: We put on the camera very subtly because the moment Abby knows she is being watched she usually freezes and/or refuses to do anything. We thought she didn't know the camera was on and she danced like no one else was in the room. You'll see at the end that really she had us all fooled. Listen closely...that's her saying CHEESE! She was very knowingly performing the whole time!

Sweet Moments

Just a glimpse at some sweet moments in our week:

Ready for some sidewalk chalk on a chilly fall morning.


But first, we stop to smell the roses...or mums!

love. love. love.

Joe came around the corner and found Abby reading to her baby.

Abby meets Damien the Dane. He just couldn't resist a picture with her when she was pointing and barking at him like that.

We love spontaneous play date mornings with friends!


Oh you know, just walking her puppy for a walk in her diaper. :)