Mini roommate reunion

Sara, one of my college roommates, and her family came and spent the night with us Tuesday night. They were in town for the week and we were excited to get to see them for a bit. 

These two were fast friends, though Audrey's hugs kept Campbell a bit on edge. Smothered with love, poor thing:

 Good to visit with old friends!

Pool time

Emily and the kids came over and we took them to the pool for the first time this season (hopefully of many!). We all had fun and it was actually relaxing. That's probably due to the fact that these two never left the steps. Audrey was mesmerized by the "bath", so much so that she kept the sunglasses and hat on the entire time. Amazing. Caleb and Alexa just sunbathed on lounge chairs across the pool from us and I got no pictures of them. They swam some too.

Girls in their matching floaties:

Mommies in their matching hats:

My bathing beauty.

Gotta start early

 Such a good helper I have!

Lunch on Papa and Gigi's porch

 We had lunch on Mother's Day at my mom's house, and then I left my camera behind, so I'm just now blogging about it. Of course I got a total of 5 pictures anyway, and none of my mother. Sorry, mom. :( We did have a nice time with everyone and it was fun to watch the kids eat. It CRACKS me up to see my tiny little Audrey struggling to even eat at the little people's table. Owen has no trouble, but Audrey's head barely pokes over the top of the table.

Sibling love; we do look alike!

Aquarium

We took a trip downtown to the aquarium on Saturday. Barbara came with us and it was a really fun excursion getting to see Audrey's reaction to all the fish and animals. They have a dolphin show going on right now that she LOVED. It was pretty amazing, and I'm fairly meh about fish and aquariums.

What is THAT??

Checking out the otters:

 The Beluga whales are my favorites:

 Audrey liked the penguins:

 Sting rays:

Proof that I was there too:

 Enough with the picture taking:

 Deepo:

New glasses

Complete with afternoon washout face. Enjoy!

50 books that changed my life

I recently read a magazine article which claimed to have a list of the 50 most life-changing books. I read though the list, mostly underwhelmed by the choices. In fact, I'd only read 5-6 on their list, none of which changed my life in any way.

So it got me to thinking, what would I consider to be my 50 life changing books? Since I was 11 years old, I've kept a list of all the books I've ever read (except for about 6 years when I didn't write them down and kick myself for it to this day). I looked at the list and saw many rereads and many that came back to me with sharp clarity, unlike how I typically don't remember what I've read 10 minutes after I've finished a book!

So I made a list of my top 50 books; I'm including ones that touched me in some way, shape, or form. Whether because they were enlightening, encouraging, or simply because they evoke the same feelings as a heart-to-heart with my best friend, these are the books that have changed my life; the ones I could read 100 times and not be sick of them.

Except for #1, these are in no particular order.

1) The Bible
2) Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
3) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
4) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
5) Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
6) Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
7) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
8) East of Eden by John Steinbeck
9) Trusting God by Jerry Bridges
10) Adopted for Life by Russell Moore
11) Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban
12) Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
13) The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
14) Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
15) Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
16) Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
17) Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
18) The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper
19) The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
20) The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
21) Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
22) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
23) Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
24) 11/22/63 by Stephen King
25) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
26) Rebecca by Daphne duMaurier
27) Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
28) Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
29) The Help by Kathryn Stockett
30) Pretense by Lori Wick
31) Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
32) Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
33) Chosen By God by R.C. Sproul
34) A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter
35) Beauty by Robin McKinley
36) All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
37) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
38) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
39) Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
40) Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
41) The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
42) Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
43) The Once and Future King by T.H. White
44) The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
45) Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
46) On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman
47) Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
48) Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
49) Holes by Louis Sachar
50) Wait Til Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

Summer is here!

 It's finally warm enough to get into some water activities! Not that I'm complaining about the weather. This has been the mildest spring that I can remember and I have loved not being hot as early. But we've hit the 80s this week and the 10 day forecast promises more of the same.

I got a new pool for Audrey to play in - she calls it a bath - and she seemed to have a lot of fun. Notice the nice clean water she's stomping in - by the time she was done it was a brown grassy mess. Blegh. But she enjoyed herself and that's all that matters on a warm afternoon waiting for Daddy to get home from a business trip.

 And then when she was done, she chilled out and ate a bubble wand.

Audrey and the boys

She is going to have her pick of handsome gentlemen one day!!

A very happy Mother's Day

 For me and for all the mothers we know and love.

Fat lip

My poor girl did a face plant at the playground and busted her lip. It looks worse today than it did yesterday but she doesn't seem to mind.

Potty training in the 21st century

 Audrey enjoys all the comforts of technology while learning how to use the potty:

 This time she even got to put her feet up (excuse the milk dribble on her shirt - she'd just had cereal)!

Privacy please, Mommy!

Audrey is really doing quite well in the potty training department. She has almost no pee accidents and in the last 4 days, only 1 poop accident! She is now asking to go and getting herself on the potty. She has to be reminded occasionally, but for the most part, she's got it down. She only uses the little potty, much to my chagrin (cleaning it is not fun and catching her before she tries to clean it out is even harder!), but at least she is doing it on her own initiative!

Play doh

 Audrey saw the Playdoh on the shelf and wanted to try it out, so I gave her some yellow. Then she wanted the green, then purple, then blue. She mostly just moved it around the tray and squished it a bit (and tasted it several times when she thought I wasn't looking). Whatever - it's non-toxic. The funniest, though, was that she kept kissing it and saying "night night, baby!" Who knows what this girl is thinking?

Weekend pics

 We went up to see Granddad and Dede so we could help Deb's grandson Drew celebrate his 3rd birthday. He is obsessed with John Deere and got this fun tractor. Audrey and Drew formed a tentative alliance for the day (Drew was a little afraid of her at Christmas) and enjoyed playing together. And Dede got to keep BOTH of them for an hour or so while all the parents went shopping. We all thought she was crazy for offering to keep two potty training kids, but she seemed to have survived AND had fun!!

 Everyone

Grandparents with Drew and Audrey

I am 21 months old!

  So I missed this update on the 28th. I did think about it, but it doesn't feel much like a milestone and we've been so busy that I just didn't think about it. So poor Audrey had to endure getting her picture made complete with ear infection (we went to the dr this morning) and no pants from the waist down. This was the best I got - hardly smiling.

 And pretty close to misery in this one:

Here's what she's up to:

• Can finally reach counters and is almost at doorknobs. I'm seriously dreading the next couple of months until I can train her to not open doors or pull things off counters and/or move things further back. We've been so used to our shorty that it's been easy to overlook items on the counter. But seeing her walk around with a steak knife is enough to give anyone a heart attack, so we're moving on up to childproofing the next level of our house!
• Talks constantly. She knows what she wants when she wants it and lets us know about it. She has a few full sentences as well. Her vocabulary is well over 100 words now.
• She can sing parts of "Twinkle Twinkle", the "ABC" song, "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" (complete with motions), the "Wise Man", "You are my Sunshine" - she calls it "Happy", and the "Doxology", to name a few. Knows the first three catechism questions. She can also count to three, but starts at 2 (we'll say "one" and she'll answer with "two, three"). If there are two of something, she will say "two _____ (shoes, pacis, whatever)" but Nick thinks that's a fluke. Whatever. She's a genius.
• She is mostly good-natured and happy, though of course she has her moments and throws a fantastic tantrum. She gets over them very quickly, though, even when we don't give in to what she wants. Two, here we come!
• Potty training (post to come on that): I will definitely not consider her trained, but we're getting there. She has very few pee accidents (probably just 1 in the last week or so), but poop continues to be a struggle. I'm sure it will come, but I can safely say that I hate potty training and will be very glad when she is reliable.
• The paci is going to be relegated to the bed and car as soon as we're past this illness. She doesn't need it but does love it, and I'm fine with it in the bed, but am tired of her talking around it. So once she's well, out it comes.
• She is getting close to dressing herself with some help (shorts especially), and also eats at the table now. She is getting better with a fork and spoon but still prefers her fingers.
• Gives THE BEST kisses and hugs and asks for them when she's feeling cuddly or when she's just gotten into trouble or gotten hurt. This one knows her audience, that's for sure! After she falls, "Kiss?.....All better!"
• Loves to take walks, be outside, play with water, bubbles, baby dolls, books, and various other toys. Has zero patience for anything that requires you to sit down and build or put together.
• Knows family and friends by their pictures and says their names whenever she sees them. 
• Is constantly busy and active and does not stop except for sleeping. 
• Sleeps from 1-3ish during the day and from 7:30-8 overnight. Well, she goes to bed at 7:30 - a lot of times she's up there playing in her crib until 9, but she's happy about it, so we leave her to it.
• Still not the best eater. Breakfast she loves, but she picks at lunch and dinner. She's still puny at 21 lbs 8 oz (5th percentile), but it's no wonder with all that running around. She is healthy and thriving (except for the current ear infection, that is).

There's probably more, but I'm late as it is so I'll go ahead and post. I probably will remember the next one since she'll be two (!!). Where has the time gone?