Toddler Time

It was our turn to host the toddler group for our MOMS club. Evie and I made orange -sour cream muffins and a fruit salad. We had lots of toddler and mommies at our house. It was so fun! Our kids got into everything. Evie is the only girl in this group but she can hold her own just fine. Sometimes I forget that she is the only girl until someone reminded me this morning. It does not bother her at all and it's pretty funny to see the little boys playing with her dolls and teapot. She kissed most everyone at our house even some of the moms. Evie loves kissing!

   Evie was a little lonely when everyone left before lunch. She grabbed my hand and wanted to play with me. I'll choose playing over cleaning the kitchen any day so off we went  to build towers and put the baby dolls down for their nap. She was worn out from her morning of fun and went right to sleep.

   Nap time was spent changing my phone number to a local number. It was so nice not to have to lug Evie to the Verizon store but it took more than a hour and then the phone did not even work. I had to call back to get it programmed. I sent out an email to everyone with my new number.

   Evie and I went to the park to play. She found another little friend to kiss and had fun going down the slide. We came home to play for a little bit and then headed back outside. Evie is happiest outside for sure.

    Evie was eating dinner when Carl got home. She said some of her new words for him. My favorite is she calls me Mommy now instead of Mama. I LOVE it!!! The novelty will wear off but it's just wonderful right now. Carl gave Evie a shower. Yes, she takes showers to save on time and thinks it's so much fun. AS soon as she walks in the bathroom, she points to the shower and says shower. It's still a two person job but it works out really well.  Evie has no fear of water and loves to sit on the floor of the shower arranging the bottles of shampoo.

A Case of the Mondays

We had a rough start to our day. Evie slept really late this afternoon. She woke up after 4:30. I hope she's not getting sick. Nothing too exciting happening around here.

Weekend Wrap-up

It was another busy weekend which has left us more tired than refreshed. That's just life with a 19 month old. Evie woke up bright and early at 6:30 on Saturday. She saves her early mornings for the weekends lately. Carl did a few things in the yard and then we went out for a bit. We had breakfast at Chick fil A and then went to the Franklin Farmer's Market. I LOVE the Farmer's Market. All of the fresh produce, the old men playing in their band, the rows of baked goods and the festive atmosphere. Carl was looking for green peanuts and they were fresh out. He settled for some silver queen corn and we got the peanuts at Publix. Not quite the same but Evie does not know the difference.We went for a long walk and watched a little of the soccer invitational complete with bounce houses and a Cinnabon stand. Soccer is big in Brentwood!

   Evie was not happy about nap time but finally went down. I think she's ready to go down a little later and it has just taken me a bit to get the message. She finally went to sleep and Carl put together the bench in our kitchen. I had a welcome home party for my friend Carol so it was a good excuse to make some guacamole. Evie was still sleeping when I left. It was good to see all the girls and eat some yummy cake. Carol was surprised! We had told her it was a baby shower for another friend of ours so she came with a baby present for Amy.

    Carl and I had tried to get a babysitter. Our babysitter has a boyfriend and as Lindsay said, "that's the kiss of death." Our thoughts exactly. Carl grilled some pork and we watched a little football. I fell asleep on the couch! Typical Saturday night at the nest.

     Evie slept late this morning and we had a chance to read the paper. We headed to church and Evie was the only kid in the nursery. Not sure what the deal is around here but the nurseries never have anyone in it.

   We came home for nap time and then went to the zoo to see the flamingos. Although, the monkeys were defnitnely the star of the show today. They were jumping from limb to limb and making all kinds of noise. Everyone was hanging out at the monkey exhibit which gave us a chance to scout out the flamingoes. Evie loves those funny pink birds. Did you know that flamingos are born gray? They turn pink from eating shrimp. It started raining while we were at the zoo so we cut our trip short. That's the beauty of a membership, rain is not a big deal because we have already gotten more than our moneys worth out of the membership. I have a feeling we will go back soon to see the pretty pink birds. Evie had fun pointing out the airplane and petting the baby goats. 

     We just tried to keep up with Evie the rest of the day! Hope you had a fun weekend.

Sassy Skirt

Evie and I had a fun morning at the park with Jacob and Kristin. It has been such a beautiful week. We love this weather and have been taking advantage of it. Evie found a little friend at the park and within minutes of meeting her tried to inspect her bellybutton and kiss her lips. What a funny girl!


We went to Sara's house for a Kelly's Kids home show. Evie picked out the giraffe romper. It's so adorable and will match her Raffi. Evie loved hanging out with the other kids there and had part of her lunch there. She ate a pb&j and some raisins. Evie almost never will eat a pb&j at home but had no problem scarfing it down this morning. Maybe she takes after her Daddy. Carl always says that his Aunt Anne made the best pb&j and he just loved eating lunch at her house in Charleston. Carl and I both had moms that always bought crunchy peanut butter. Now, we have smooth peanut butter in our pantry so Evie will grow up and think that crunchy peanut butter is the best.


Evie napped for 3.5 hours! I got so much done and had a chance for a little break. She woke up pretty cranky because she slept too long but she would have been cranky if I had gotten her up too. Evie loves her sleep and needs it in order to be in a pleasant mood.


Evie chose her own snack of chocolate pudding with a side of strawberries. That perked her right up but required a wardrobe change before we went to an outside shopping center to enjoy the weather. We came home and put our groceries away before going outside again. Evie would play outside all day if I let her. Doesn't she look so adorable in her skirt? I am not sure why but she's never had a skirt. She loves it because it has dots on it and of course in her world that means it is covered in balls.


Carl came home in time for a quick wagon ride before dinner and now he is mowing the grass. Evie is in bed and I am enjoying some quiet time. Happy Friday! We are so excited about the weekend. It's our first weekend with all three of us at home in three weeks.

Busy Day

Evie and I had a busy day! Our house is on the corner and it also happens to be the school bus stop which we love. It will be even more convenient when Evie goes to school. The kids play in the yard across the street while they wait for the bus and the parents stand in front of our house. Evie thinks this is just the best time of the day. She peeks under the blinds and jumps around to try to catch a glimpse of the big kids. She LOVES big kids and even tried to join a group of  Daisy Scouts that we saw at the park yesterday. I think she's still a little too young but she screamed when they screamed, ran over the bridge with them and even got some water out of the fountain. It's so funny to watch her try to interact with these kids and even more amusing to see how they interact with her. Some kids ignore her as best as they can and others want to play. Evie will be a Daisy before I know it!

We met Maura and Abby for breakfast at Mimi's and then walked around to a few stores. We had such a good time and it's so hard to believe that our days of us and two kids are coming to an end soon. Soon, Maura will have two tiny babies and Abby accompanying her everywhere.  Evie finally got some new pj's that she has desperately needed for some time.They were even on sale and are super cute too. Carl thinks they look way too big but I am sure they will shrink.

   Evie napped and I worked on painting the coffee table. Painting my kitchen table sparked some redecorating around here. Then, I did some meal planning for next week and tried to figure out a few things around the house. Naptime is either my most productive time of the day or my least productive depending on what tasks I decide to accomplish.

   Evie and Jacob slept through their park play date for the second day in a row. We decided to go in the morning since we know they will be awake then.

     My allergies are really bothering me which seems impossible but my throat sure is sore. Evie is not bothered by her allergies in the least but neither was I until about a year ago. We played outside and she pointed out the airplanes. Carl told me that the airplane fly over our house when the winds are coming from the north and sometimes they are far enough down that we can get a really good look at them. Evie really likes that a lot.

   Best news of the day is that I won a free pass to the Otter Creek Consignment sale and get in early before it opens to the public tomorrow. I am so excited since it's quite a streak of luck for me to win something. Cross your fingers that I find some good stuff tonight.

Wordless Wednesday!

Well, one word: WILD!

Waffles Galore

Evie and I had a leisurely morning at home. We laid in bed reading books under the cover. It's amazing that she sits still for books so I just keep reading. Evie had a few minutes of quiet time in her room while I got ready for the day. She likes hanging out in her crib with all of her books and her music playing. It teaches her to entertain herself too.

   We went to Mary and Devin's house to celebrate National Waffle Day. It was so fun and we had so many toppings to choose from. They had every topping you can imagine! The kids and moms loved this activity. Evie had peaches and syrup. I had syrup and caramelized pineapple. YUMMY! We had a great time chatting with everyone and Evie loved all the new toys. It was so neat to go to this house because we actually looked at it last fall. Houses always look way different once there is furniture in there.

    Evie woke up on the wrong side of the crib from her nap. She was very clingy so we sat on the couch and cuddled together. Short naps make for LONG afternoons so we headed to Harris Teeter. I am so proud of myself because we spent $14 but saved $17. That's the best that I have ever done and that was just buying VIC. Coupons were not used at all. Melissa, you got me hooked on the deals.

   Evie played outside and then we went for a long walk to the park once Carl got home. We love this weather and are enjoying having the chance to be outside so much.

Breakfast with Friends

Evie and I have such a fantastic day! She's been extra sweet and so fun. We met some friends at Merridee's for breakfast. I was not too impressed with my sausage biscuit but Evie loved her banana bread. It was so good to see Carol and Cassidy after their extended trip to Houston. All the girls have grown so much. Cecilla was like a little mother to Cassidy and Sophia was just happy playing with her snack trap. Sophia and Evie both have the same owl bib that Sarah Denley sent to Evie.  We looked for that bib in every Target but could not locate it so SD saved the day. We had not seen Cassidy and Carol in two months. Evie loved being out with everyone and was perfectly content in her highchairfor 90 minutes. I let her down to see Cassidy and she promptly kissed her on the mouth. Pretty cute. Evie and I met another little girl who has an Ipop. We thought Evie was the only girl with an Ipop but apparently there are more Ipops out there. My Dad said he might start working on a patent on his name. Might be a good idea because we certainly do not want it to become overused.

    Evie and I did a little cleaning of the kitchen. It's amazing how much mess one little girl can make.Evie was so helpful scrubbing the baseboards just like Mama. She went right to sleep after all that hard work which gave me a chance to really scrub down the kitchen.

    After nap, we went outside to enjoy the gorgeous day.It felt so cool with the temperature  merely 90 degrees. We hung out in the hammock and shared a snack together. Evie ran and ran outside.

    Carl got home and we all went for a walk for the first time in a long time since it's been so hot. Our kitchen was so clean that Carl thought Evie should eat outside so now our patio is covered in macaroni and cheese but that's better than the kitchen floor.

  Hope the temperatures are dropping and you are having a chance to enjoy the last few weeks of summer.

Daddy's Back

Evie must have overheard me telling everyone how wild she has been lately because she sat in her glider and read books for almost 30 minutea. Be sure to notice that every single book has been removed from the bookshelf by a certain 19 month old. Then, she entertained herself beautifully in the bathroom while I vacuumed the upstairs. Evie is still not so sure about the vacuum and it's one chore that is accomplised without any help.

Evie sat still so long that I was not sure if it was really my little girl.  Sure enough, she had a slight fever but was fine after her nap. Evie has climbed into the window sill, sat on top of her little house, thrown balls down the stairs, foraged food from the pantry, and explored every nook and cranny of our home. She's definitely a toddler these days - a very strong willed toddler who happens to be super cute and extra sweet. It's been one long weekend but Carl got back this afternoon! Not sure who was more excited to see him. Evie yelled HI as soon he opened the door, then she played a few minutes and then ran to give him some kisses. She likes to play hard to get with her Daddy.

   It was time for a break for this Mama so I headed out for a bit. Evie was kissing me through the storm door as I drove away which made it kind of hard to leave. My first stop was TJ Maxx and then Borders. I did not buy a thing but it was so nice not  to lug a stroller around or a 25 pound bundle of joy throughout the store. It felt great to sit and read magazines without any interripptions. I also made a list of some books that looked enticing  to add to my list at the library. Bookstores do a much better job marketing their books than libraries.

   On the way home, I ran into Home Depot and Publix. Oh my goodness, grocery stores at 5:00 on a Sunday afternoon are CRAZY! Not the best time to go if you are just running in quickly to get a few things. My little break did wonders for my attitude. I feel refreshed and ready for the week.

    Evie and Carl were playing outside when I got home. Carl had noticed where a car did a little turn around in our yard over the weekend. I heard it happen but it was in the middle of the night so I figured there was not much that I could do. Thank goodness, they turned around before hitting our house! Sweet Evie is asleep and Carl is mowing the grass. It's time to get dinner ready for us and prepare for the week ahead. Hope you had a great weekend!

Soggy Saturday

We have a streaker on our hands. Evie was running around her crib about 7:00 this morning without her pj's. Once she saw me, it was time to strip the diaper off too. She sure was proud of herself. Evie and I got in some good playtime this morning around 7:15. That's the best time to head outside so we took our juice outside and started the day on the patio. Evie wanted to make some blueberry muffins for breakfast so she helped put the liners in the pan and stir the batter. She's such a big helper!

   We went to a cool down class at The Music Playhouse this morning. It was pretty fun but it was a workout for the parents. We pretended to fly, we skipped, hopped and danced with our kiddos. Add a 25 pound weight and that's a workout. Evie was quite interested in the doorknob and kept going over to check it out.

    We went outside again, played in her little cardboard house and cleaned up her room a little before nap. Then we both went down for a nice long nap. It's just what we needed.

   Dark clouds filled the sky so we quickly went to Target and the library. There's a really cool owl at the library that talks to you when you walk in the tunnel. Evie kept going in and out of the tunnel to hear the owls message. Evie loved the huge rain drops plopping on the windshield.  It rained most of the afternoon so we played inside. Evie painted, played with play dough, read stacks of books and made lots of messes. 

   Thank goodness she is tucked into bed now! Now, it's time for me to get the house back together.

TGIF

We finally made it to Friday after the longest week ever!  Evie and I went to Let it Shine with our Housewife Group. It was fun to see how much more Evie liked it today than she did in May. She jumped on the trampoline, played in the block pit, chased the huge balls and hung out at the water fountain. Of course, my child is at an indoor playground and she chooses to play in the water fountain. She loves the "wa wa" and was thoroughly entertained. Evie was so happy to see her friend Paige. They had a good time together. After Let it Shine, we went to Costco with Jacob and Kristin. The kiddos looked so cute sitting next to each other in the double cart. They did really well while I learned the ropes of shopping at Costco. Everything is so BIG but it's also a lot cheaper. You can get three times as much hummus for only a few extra dollars. We eat a lot of hummus around here so that's worth buying in bulk. I cannot wait to go scope it out some more! Evie discovered that Jacob has ears today. She was so fascinated by this so then they both starting looking at our ears. Evie then planted a few kisses on Jacob. We are going to have to work on being a little more reserved with our kissing. Kristin thought it was cute but some moms would not agree. Kissing is much better than hitting so it works for me.

    Evie was so wound up when we got home. It took a little work to get her down for her nap but she was out for more than three hours. Our new kitchen chairs arrived today so I spent naptime getting them out of the boxes and discarding the excessive packing materials.

   Evie and I went out to run a few errands including a trip to Harris Teeter. I saved 74% using coupons and buying VIC items. That's a lot for me! I am sure that money will promptly be spent on something else.

   Evie and I made a little house with the box from the chairs. We had a great time hanging out in the box with her baby dolls and Raffi. She thought it was so much fun so that will be a repeat on our agenda for tomorrow.

   We ate dinner and Evie had her first cup of chocolate pudding. It was a HUGE hit. Pudding was everywhere even between our toes. It is relatively cool here today so we headed outside for a bit. Notice that Evie took her purse just in case she needed her keys or lipstick while in the backyard. She is such a handful but she sure makes me laugh with her silly antics. It's almost a full moon and Evie was mesmerized by the moon. She thought it was a ball and kept pointing at it while shouting ball. I taught her the word moon tonight. Evie is such a little sponge soaking up everything she is exposed to. It's amazing to watch her change so quickly. She has defintely figurted out what she wants and works really hard to get it. Choosing books for bedtime is a process as she searches for just the one that she wants which is usually the same book that we read before bathtime. Evie has her favorites and that's what she wants to hear.

   Happy Friday to everyone!

Tired Thursday

Is is still Thursday? It's been such a long day. Evie was up at 3:00 for the first time in months and I am exhausted! She has worn me out today. It's a good thing she's so cute.

Rainy Day

Evie and I met our Brentwood MOMS group at Peekaboo Playtown for a morning of fun. We had a really good time and Evie really liked it for about an hour or so. Then, she decided that she was ready to go home for lunch. She found a baby doll that had a pacifier on a little clip around it's neck. Evie may or may not have tried to insert that pacifier into her own mouth. Then, she placed the baby in the grocery cart and happily shopped around the store. She also took a ride in a car and climbed on top of the table to get a closer look at the train table. Evie is really into climbing these days. I find her in the strangest places.

   Evie is still loving the shower as a playroom. She has created an extension activity for herself by transferring all of our bath products from the bath, to the shower and then to the counter. It makes her so happy but we can never find anything anymore. I found my hairbrush in my closet this morning. Evie certainly keeps things interesting around here.

   It was rainy afternoon so we stayed home to enjoy the pitter patter of the raindrops. Evie slept for almost 4 hours which was so nice. I did a few things around the house and made some cookies. Evie loves cookies and was ready to try one after her nap.

Evie's boo boo is much better but now she is saying "poo poo" all the time. Nice choice of words! Evie is so proud of her expanding vocabulary. Carl loves coming home to hear her new words each afternoon.

Back in the groove

Evie and I are slowly adjusting to being back home. It's always hard to get back in the swing of things with all of our junk from traveling sitting in our kitchen. We tend to travel about once a month and have perfected the art of taking the least amount of stuff possible. Evie and I came back with no clean clothes which is a pretty major accomplishment. We used to over pack but I got tired of putting it all away.  Most of the stuff has been put away and our kitchen table is now back inside. It looks pretty good and sure was cheaper than buying a new table. I ordered some new chairs last night and will post pictures once it's complete.

    Evie and I met some friends for breakfast. We had a delicious breakfast and fun with friends. Evie kept passing Jacob raisins. She loves to share her food and is her little way of showing love. Jacob was pretty impressed with the raisins so we gave him his own box. Evie and I ran into Kohl's to see if they had any summer clothes left. Everyone kept telling me how great the clothes are but I was not able to find anything for Evie. I better find something quick or she's not going to have anything to wear at the rate that she is growing.

   Evie napped and I did too! We stayed home this afternoon and played. Evie hurt her knee over the weekend and she fell again which broke the scab. There was a lot of blood and involved wardrobe changes for both of us. She was not happy about her "boo boo" and kept pointing at it while saying "boo boo" sadly. Carl felt so bad for her  and gave her lots of extra TLC. She has a band aid on her knee and thinks that is pretty cool. 

19 Months!

Dear Evie,

   Another month has passed and you just keep growing before our eyes! So much has changed in the last month, you are chattering up a storm and you learn a new word practically every day. Water is your new favorite and you say, "wa wa" and run from room to room showing me all the places that water comes from such as the bathtub, the faucet and even a glass. You still say the word pool all the time. Aunt Lollie caught on real quick that any body of water is a pool to you. That includes lakes, ponds, and puddles - they are all the same to you.

   You weigh about 25 pounds and still love to be held. That's okay, I have learned to do so much with just one hand because you will not want me to hold you forever. It's so funny because you run and play and do your thing- then you come running to find me and plop on my lap ready for some cuddle time. We are still getting lots of kisses from you complete with sound effects. Everyone thinks it's so cute and you just keep passing out the kisses.

      You sleep a lot because you are such a busy bee. Bedtime is around 7:00 and you wake up between 7:00 and 7:30. Daddy moved his alarm clock next to the bed which keeps you in dreamland for a lot longer. He misses seeing you in the morning but loves that you are getting so much sleep. Naptime is around 12:30 and you sleep for about 2.5 hours and sometimes more. Growing is hard work and you need lots of rest.

   You are always on the move. It's rare for you to sit still for more than a minute or two. You are always exploring and trying new things. Sometimes, I put you in your crib for some quiet time while I get things done around the house. You love hanging out in your crib reading and playing with your babydoll. We want you to enjoy being by yourself. It's an important skill to be able to entertain yourself and you are already quite good at it.

     You are still wearing size 4 diapers but I already have some size 5's in the house. It's about time to switch but it makes me sad because you are not really a baby anymore. You have outgrown lots of clothes lately and Mommy is having such a hard time finding some new ones for you. Fall clothes are already out even though it's still about a zillion degrees outside.

    You are a really good eater! Most of the food ends up in your mouth these days. Your favorites are apples, cheese, hummus and blueberry muffins. We think you might have a slight allergy to citric acid because your face gets really red when you eat things with citric acid. Don't worry it goes away really fast! We both really like snack time. You love to eat raisins out of little boxes. It makes you feel like a big girl and you carry it around the house so proudly.

    One of your favorite things to do is for me to chase you especially when it's time for a diaper change or if you have somehting you are not supposed to have like a cellphone.  You think it's so hysterical that it is so hard to be mad at you. Daddy does not think you ever do anything wrong.

   You also love to hang out in the shower. It's so cute to see you imitate washing your hair and cleaning your body. Belly buttons are still your favorite body part. You love to check out other people's belly buttons. Mary and Lucy thought that was really funny!

    You miss your Daddy while he is at work and run to the door when he comes home. He takes you outside to play while I prepare your dinner. I think it's his favorite time of the day.

    Traveling is really one of your best things. You love checking out the scenery, reading your books and catching a few winks. We try to keep you on schedule and you do just fine.

    We just got back from a fun trip to She She and Poppy's house. You had so much celebrating birthdays and seeing your cousins. You stayed up late, had lots of dessert and loved pointing at the lake.

     You are quite the social butterfly. We always have lots of places to go and people to see. It makes our days interesting. We love living in Nashville and have made lots of sweet friends. One day, we hope to live closer to our families in the Carolina's but we really do like it here.

   Evie, you are so precious to us and we thank God for you every day. You have made us so happy and given everyone around you so much joy. We love watching you change into a little girl and experiencing the world through your eyes. We try really hard to enjoy each phase because they sure do not last long. It's hard to believe you are 19 months old because it seems like you have always been a part of our family. We feel so forunate to have such a beautiful, sweet, spunky, loving little girl and are so proud to be your parents!

Love Always,

Mommy and Daddy

Birthday Weekend

We had a fun weekend in the Foothills of South Carolina. Friday was spent taking Evie on her first boat ride, going to the pool and waiting for the cousins to get there. Evie enjoyed the boat for the first ten minutes or so then she was ready to change activities. She had fun at the pool and two little boys around her age. They were second children and were happily playing with their toys. Not Evie, she is up and down the stairs, in and out of the water and all over the place. She keeps us moving but naptime sure is a breeze.


   Evie was so excited to see her cousins Mary and Lucy. We went to eat the club to celebrate Tony's 70th birthday. Dinner was delicious! The girls had a grand time running around, going outside and eating dessert. We were the only ones in the gathering room so the girls could be a little more rambunctious. Evie was in heaven. Carl thinks it would be easier to have three girls than it is to just have Evie. I have a feeling the novelty would wear out if we saw them more but they just adore Evie. It's so sweet to see them all interacting together. Evie kisses them, copies them and they take care of her every need and desire. We all enjoyed watching the girls together.


      Kurt's friends came in late Friday late because we were only celebrating his birthday. Kurt turned 40 today and invited some friends for a golfing weekend. Carl plays golf to spend time with Kurt and his Dad but it's not his favorite activity. He played 18 holes and then came back after lunch. We took the girls to the pool. Evie was a lot more adventurous with her cousins in the pool. It's quite a challenge to keep my eyes on her since she is darting all over the place. Evie went down for her nap. I went with Lollie and Mary to get milkshakes at the Market. Lucy played on the porch with She She. We all decorated some cupcakes for Kurt's birthday. Mary and Lucy are so creative. It's so fun for me to get a glimpse of what our life will be like with Evie in a few years. It was pouring down rain all afternoon and we were planning to go to Turkey Ridge park for Kurt's birthday dinner. Lollie did a fantastic job getting everything together for the party. The skies cleared just in time and we headed to the park. Evie had a grand time running around, splashing in mud puddles and making smores. Hattie, the golden retriever, loved Evie since she dropped lots of yummy food. Sometimes, Evie would sneak a spoon of potato salad or ice cream to Hattie. It was so cute! Evie was exhausted from her weekend that she went right to sleep. Carl and Kurt took all the guys out on the boat.


   We woke up this morning had some breakfast, played a little and packed up for our long drive back to Tennessee. It was such a fun weekend and so special to celebrate two birthdays and a wedding anniversary all in one weekend. Evie had a fabulous weekend! Our trip back went well and Evie took a good nap. She was so happy to get out of the car and play outside with her Daddy. Happy Birthday, Tony and Kurt! Happy Anniversary, Sheila and Tony! We are so glad we were able to share in the celebration.

Made it to South Carolina!

Tennessee sure is far away from everyone! We left Nashville around 9:30 EDT and arrived around 5:00 EDT. That includes stopping for gas twice, a Chick fil A lunch and playtime at the rest stop. Evie did really well in the car. She read her books, played her flute, pointed out all the balls and ate lots of snacks. She She and Poppy were so happy to see Evie and Evie just made herself at home. She ran all over the place and had fun looking at the lake. Evie stands on the porch and points to the lake shouting pool over and over. That's close enough for me. We watched some of the video from the last few months and Evie went right to sleep. She only slept for an hour in the car so she was pretty wiped out by bedtime. I am pretty exhausted too. We are so excited to see our nieces tomorrow. Evie loves playing with the big girls! I did not get any pictures today since our day consisted of driving in the car. My blogging will be pretty sporadic because my computer does not agree with the wireless here so I am using Carl's laptop.

Shades for Supper

We had lots of errands to run this morning and we were literally sweating like pigs. Nice way to start the day. I had a return to make at Home Depot so I just carried Evie into the store. She was standing beside me so nicely and then she saw the row of sinks. Luckily, my transaction was finished because off she goes shouting "wa wa" and wanting to turn on the water in the sinks. Evie was extremely disappointed to learn that the sinks were not operational.

   We played all day with every toy she owns. It was a fun day but long. Carl went out with a friend so it was just me and Evie until a few minutes ago. I missed having some reinforcements come in at the arsenic hour. Evie kept busy reading while I prepared her dinner. She was so sweet at bedtime. It sure is nice to get so many hugs and kisses.

    I had a lot to get done after Evie went to bed. My table needed some TLC, homemade brownies needed to be baked for the weekend and our house was a disaster. Evie's toys were scattered throughout the house. She does a really great job of marking her territory.

Evie-isms

I use this blog as my journal in case you have not noticed. These are some things that I want to remember about my sweet girl!

    Evie loves her stroller and pushes it all over the house. She puts it in the bathtub, on the hearth, sometimes it even lands on the coffee table. Yesterday, she tried to carry it out the door when we were leaving for our walk. She settled with just bringing her baby doll. She also likes to empty out the kitchen cabinets so she will have new things to put in her grocery cart. I love to see her selections.

She puts lotion and soap on her little knees. It's so cute because she makes this little noise and points to her knees. Of course, she gets a little dab and then she rubs it in all by herself. It's amazing all of these things that she picks up by observation.

   Evie likes to play in the shower. She tries to squirt the shampoo into her hand and then "washes" her hair in the shower.

     She grabs every toothbrush in sight to brush her little chompers. I hope this becomes a habit!

   She finds old clothes that do not fit her and wants them on her that very minute. It's hysterical to see the combinations that she comes up with all on her own. Evie has very strong opinions about her clothing and already lets that be known. I put a dress on her this morning and it was too big. She flipped out when I took it off so that I could put another one on that fit.

    She carries her chairs all over the house and places them exactly where she wants them. Then, she carefully picks out a spot for each baby and puts the baby in the chair. She loves her baby dolls and is so gentle with them . . . most of the time.

   Evie is full of hugs and kisses. She makes the perfect sound to go with it! There's nothing better than feeling her little arms around my legs when I least expect it.

     Evie has to close every door that is open and shut off every light - this is something that will come in handy for us one day.

   She is quite particular about getting out of her crib. She likes to have the blinds opened, then she gathers up all her belongings and then she likes to be read a book. She points to her bows because she does not like to leave her room without a bow in her hair. Sometimes she even tries to put her own bow in her own hair.

   She loves Trader Joe's chocolate sandwich cookies and licks out the cream. It's not worth eating the cookie to her. Evie likes ice just like her Daddy. Goodness, I am going to have two ice crunchers on my hands.

   Evie just makes us so happy. Even the hard days and there are lots of them still make smile because she is such a special girl. I still sometimes cannot believe that she is my daughter!