A busy day

Today was so much fun.  The sun was shining as if to skip spring and launch into beachy summer bliss.  Abigail and I started out in the morning with our neighbors and friends on a wagon ride to the beach, followed by the park, and lunch at a local burrito stop.  My big girl sat in the high chair eating a black bean, brown rice, and cheese kid burrito.  The sight of her little mouth opening wide to take a big bite is truly priceless.  (For some reason I love to watch toddlers eat.  Their tiny hands are so cute putting food in their mouths.  It always makes me smile.)

An example

After showing off her slide and play house to her little friend upon arriving home, we settled in for nap time, reading books and falling asleep together on the floor of her room with pillows (her new favorite thing to do).  After nap time we stopped by the park to meet up with her favorite play pal, then headed back home for another beach trip in the wagon with another sweet little girl from playgroup.  We were outside ALL day, enjoying the sun and spending time with fun people.  Now, if only I could find a way to participate in national margarita day!

On a very serious pony ride at a neighbor boy's birthday party.  She still points and says NNNNNEIGH every time we pass their house.

Another sweet neighbor boy taking Abigail in the petting zoo area

And trying (unsuccessfully) to interest her in a baby chick

Dancing

Abigail's wagon and cousins

We LOVE to have family visitors -- she talks about them for weeks afterward by pointing at them in the family photo

My beach baby

Running from waves! 

Loving her uncle 

Not afraid to get wet

Running from waves with mama

Swim class

Ma ma runs, Da da bikes

This Saturday my little one clearly learned some new things about her parents.  We went to the alumni track meet in Claremont on Saturday.  I ran a few events while Abigail and Jake cheered.  She was taken with the track, to be sure.  As the racers passed her by she would point at them and scream "Ma ma ma ma ma ma ma", like "Get out there now -- you are missing it!".  Even though she was none too pleased with the prospect of running the munchkin 50 yard-dash, she proceeded to run laps around the infield once she was free.  She had to be carried away from the long jump pit at the end of the day.

Then Sunday came and we went out to watch Jake in a closed course bicycle race.  They had a 1000 kilometer loop that they traveled for 40 minutes.  With 75 riders in the field, it was pretty cool to watch.  Before the race Abigail and I were walking to the start and she was yelling at all the cyclists, "Da da da".  Once we found him she pointed to a bike and asked for the water bottle by making the popping noise that she uses to ask for a drink.  She sat in her stroller patiently for 40 minutes listening to the finish-line music and clapping for the passing peloton.

Before this weekend she would say Ma ma when she saw the running stroller and Da da when she saw a cycling helmet.  I think both concepts have new meaning now, which makes me smile.

Transition

Abigail and I were out strolling on Monday, looking for the garbage truck (with which she is obsessed), when we passed one of our neighbors who stopped to say hello.  He noted that, "She's really made the transition".  I assume that he meant from baby to toddler (or little girl, in this case).  And she has.  She's lively, funny, running more than walking, spinning and dancing, always holding a baby, feeding shadow-puppets portions of her breakfast, taking rides in her plastic shopping cart, sleeping through the night, and expressing her opinions often and with verve.  Let me show you more:

Checking out her cousin Miles on a recent visit to Redlands

Trying to navigate the park while holding her favorite baby, swaddled, of course, she must be warm.

She makes me open this door so that she can hide behind it and wait for her baby to find her and give her a kiss

Sometimes she's too excited to wait 

But there's always a kiss 

After putting on ALL the Mardi Gras beads, she stands in front of the mirror--by her own request, of course 

Working on how one smiles for the camera

Climbing on anything and everything

Deciding first thing in the morning that her boots need wearing 

Family photo time on the iPad

She loves dirt

Smile for mommy!

She is usually very focused during play....serious face....thinking big thoughts, I assume

Abigail's Books

Yesterday I came across the picture above while catching up on my Facebook friends.  It's a stack of books that someone received as a gift for her baby shower (great gift!).  The collection contains a few that Abigail loves, but many that we've never read.  Of course, we will not ever own every child book in existence, but it made me think about what we have and would like to get, so I took inventory!

Bedroom books 

Living Room books

Books in our room (these have dwindled as she only wants to play on the bed when in our room)

Here's a list of all of Abigail's books, sorted into categories by how much she likes to read them:

Abigail’s Books

Loves (or loved)

The Very Hungry Catepillar by Eric Carle

I’ll See You in the Morning by Mike Holley and Mique Moriuchi

You Are My I Love You by Cusimano/Ichikawa

Mama How Long Will You Love Me? By Anna Piguataro

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

Knuffle Bunny Too by Mo Willems

Pinkalicious School Rules! By Victoria Kann

How Do I Love You? by Marion Dane Bauer and Caroline Jayne Church

I Love You Through and Through by Marion Dane Bauer and Caroline Jayne Church

Mommy’s Best Kisses by Margaret Anastas

The Tickle Tree by Chae Strathie and Poly Bernatene

Old Hat New Hat by Stan & Jan Berenstain

On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss

There’s A Wocket In My Pocket by Dr. Seuss

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins

How the Trollusk Got His Hat by Mercer Mayer

Herbert the Timid Dragon by Mercer Mayer

Fluffy Scruffy (a soft spot book)

A Cuddle For Little Duck by Freedman/Pedler

Guess How Much I Love You by McBratney/Jeram

Baby Giggles by Rachael Hale

Baby Colors by Rachael Hale

When the Elephant Walks by Kasza

Where is Baby’s Belly Button by Karen Katz

Who’s Your Dady? by Diane Muldrow

Where’s My Sweetie Pie? by Ed Emberley

You Are My Sunshine by Caroline Jayne Church

The More We Get Together by Caroline Jayne Church

A Little Book of Shapes (Peaceable Kingdom)

First 100 Words (bright baby)

Colors and ABC Numbers (bright baby)

Sesame Street Colors! Bath Time Bubble Book

Ocean (soft shapes foam book)

Look by Dwell Studios

Likes (or liked)

Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman

Inside Outside Upside Down by Stan & Jan Berenstain

The Big Balloon Race by Coerr/Croll

Dr. Seuss’s ABC An Amazing Alphabet Book!

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Koala Kid (a soft spot book)

Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

Just Grandma and Me by Mercer Mayer

The New Baby by Mercer Mayer (no, we’re not having a new baby)

Just Me and My Dad by Mercer Mayer

In My Den by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich

In My Flower by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich

In My Nest by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich

In My Pond by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich

In My Meadow by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich

In My Tree by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich

Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems

Fancy Nancy and the Delectable Cupcake by Jane OConnor

The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein

Not interested

Me and My Dad! By Alison Ritchie

Me and My Mom! By Alison Ritchie

Little Football (The Little Sports series from Sleeping Bear Press)

One Fish Two Fish by Dr. Seuss

Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss

Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss

Frog Goes to Dinner by Mercer Mayer

Professor Wormbog in Search for the Zipperump-a-Zoo by Mercer Mayer

When I Get Bigger by Mercer Mayer

Sleep is For Everyone by Showers/Watson

Of Thee I Sing A Letter to My Daughters by Barack Obama

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

A Light In The Attic by Shel Silverstein

What Makes it Go? What Makes it Work? What Makes it Fly? What Makes it Float? By Joe Kaufman

Sails Rails and Wings by Seymour Keit

I could say something specific about every single book on the list--why I think she enjoys the book, or doesn't, a memory that comes to mind.  A few are old books from Jake's childhood, and they are in amazing shape (I'm reluctant to tape them like I do the other books when she causes little [or big] tears while turning the pages--how did his parents keep them so nice!).      Each of the "love" books had a glory time, when it was the book to read, but only a few have been popular from infancy into toddlerhood (Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb might be her all time favorite).  Many, many, many of them were gifts.  Thank you to all who contributed to my little one's literary beginning.  It makes me smile every single time she brings me a book from across the house, insists I sit on the floor, does an about-face and sits down in my lap.  It's certainly worth all the repetition.  

I would love to hear suggestions of books you or your kids love.

The books 10 minutes after I organized them for the photo

P.S.  I'm trying to get a great picture of Abigail looking at our tree this year.  She loves it, says wow every time I turn it on, and spends a lot of time touching ornaments and lights.  I put all the zoo animals and non-breakables that I own down low, along with some bells and ribbons.  She can't get enough of the tree.  That's my girl!

Wearing daddy's hat and playing with her  belly button 

 

The start of holiday fun

This year the holidays didn't really sneak up on me.  Jake's cousins, Barry and Phyllis, made plans to come visit his father for his birthday and Thanksgiving months ago, so I knew I was going to be cooking for eight on Thanksgiving day and travelling to Riverside the next day for a celebration with my family.  Everything turned out great at both events.  It's so interesting and fun to watch Abigail experience holiday fun this year!  

She loved Jake's cousin Phyllis and generally had a good time with all the people in the house.

Here she is looking out the window before anyone arrived, wearing her little Thanksgiving outfit, which is one of the benefits of having a toddler instead of an infant--dresses are just adorable on little walking people.

In Riverside we had an open-topped bouncy house for the kids which featured a bouncy slide, lots of pillars and blown up trees to bang up against, and of course bouncy house balls which were definitely used as weapons throughout the day.  I think the adults probably enjoyed it more than the children!  I came home with burns on my elbows and knees from way too much fun.

Here Abigail is oblivious to the fact that she was in the line of fire.

Despite the multitude of things that I truly enjoy giving thanks for, I have always viewed Thanksgiving as the beginning of Christmas (my favorite time of year!).  What makes Christmas so special?  I think it's different for everyone.  I love the lights, trees, warm fires, cider, cookies, and especially the focus on family.  I love making lists of all the people I love and deciding what I can carefully wrap in a pretty box and present to them as a token of my love.  I love singing carols and carving out time to spend with friends.  I love Christmas, even though I don't really care if it's spelled with a capitol C.    I was raised in a Catholic family where we sang O Come O Come Emmanuel every evening before dinner while lighting the advent wreath.  I remember going to midnight mass on Christmas Eve and being allowed to open one gift before going to bed, since it was technically Christmas day when we returned from church, then sleeping for 4 hours and sneaking into the living room with my sister to check out the presents under the tree.  After which we would run back to bed and pretend to be asleep so that my father and grandfather could come and carry our sleepy little bodies out to all the Christmas fun.  I hope that I can build memories like these for my daughter, despite the fact that we won't be attending mass.  I hope to instill in her a love of Christmas as a time to reflect, spend time with family, enjoy the sweetness of life, help others see the good in you, and eat a lot of sugar!

My favorite part of our outdoor decorations is my liquid amber, with falling leaves, lights and ornaments--it's beautiful.

Abigail fell asleep holding these jingle bells that she found the day I took out the Christmas boxes--she's off to a good start

 The first thing that I always do to prepare for Christmas is spend one day acquiring and decorating a tree with my dad....here are some pictures from that day.  It's an extra special tradition that really captures the essence of the holiday for me--the fact that it occurs at the very beginning is a bonus, because then I get to enjoy it for the month ahead.

In full stride RUNNING down the hill the morning of tree day

Sitting on the tree tarp, ready for action

Climbing up the step stool behind me

Me and my Papa

My sweet little family

Leaning back to get a better view

This is what Abigail does when I ask her to smile at the camera...

Sending my love to all my friends and family this holiday season....with plenty of laughter and good cheer to come!