Evenings by the Pool

As a family we try to go to the pool once a week sometime when we don't have anything else to do. Instead of scheduled swim lessons for Lizzy it's a lot easier and less stressful for us not to commit to any specific time or day and just teach her to swim ourselves when we have the time. This week Lizzy is swimming by kicking while we hold her up and blowing bubbles in the water!

Art in the Park

The park across the street from us has lots of events and festivities like weekly concerts on Friday evenings, movie showings outside at the park, car shows, Christmas celebrations, 4th of July celebrations, Easter egg hunts, and other various events throughout the year. This weekend was Art in the Park. It was a beautiful day so we went to check it out.

Granny

Lizzy's great granny and Mike's maternal granny passed earlier this week. Although I didn't know granny very well I had the pleasure of meeting her a few times and Lizzy got to meet her for the 1st time this past Christmas. She was blessed to live a long life.

Death is nothing else but going home to God, the bond of love will be unbroken for all eternity. - Mother Teresa

Christmas 2010

A Birthday Story for Lizzy

A popular tradition in the Waldorf philosophy is the telling of a birthday story for children. A basic birthday story can be found in the book Beyond the Rainbow Bridge, by Barbara J. Patterson and Pamela Bradley. You can adapt this story to tell specifically about your child (children love to hear stories about themselves!). What I did was adapt a birthday story for Lizzy and made the book through shutterfly. It was fairly simple to make and I feel it will be a special part of Lizzy's birthdays to come.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Birthday Preview

Lizzy will be turning two in 2 short weeks! Last year Lizzy had a big 1st birthday party but this year we are doing a small party with only close friends and family. I feel that at Lizzy’s age it’s best to do something fun with people she loves on her special day. We’ve planned a luau pool party with a hula girl theme.

Later that evening we plan to do a more intimate family celebration at home. We will read Lizzy her birth story, last year’s birthday letter, and this year’s birthday letter. Blow out the candles on her birthday ring, have some cake, and open gifts.

Birthday Table

Lizzy's Birthday Ring

I can’t wait for my little girl’s special day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Feliz Día de la Madre a mi madre - la mejor madre que conozco. Gracias por darnos todo su amor. Siempre he sabido que tenía una gran mamá, pero ahora que soy una madre yo sé que usted es verdaderamente extraordinaria. Yo soy la clase de madre que soy hoy en día, por que usted fue mi maestra. Gracias por su paciencia, la valentía, el apoyo, energía y amor infinito a lo largo de los años y años por venir. Te quiero siempre y para siempre!


Happy Mother's Day to my mom - the best mother I know. Thank you for giving us your all everyday and beyond. I've always known I had a great mom but now that I am a mother myself I know how truly extraordinary you are. I am the kind of mother I am today because you were my teacher. Thank you for your patience, courage, support, energy, and endless love throughout the years and years to come. I love you always and forever!

Watercolor Painting

Chuck E Cheese Night

Swings!

Weekend fun

Lizzy's 1st ice cream cone

Mowing the lawn

Mowing the lawn is fun when it's a bubble lawn mower! Lizzy is obsessed with bubbles right now.

Royal Wedding Tea Party

Lizzy had her 1st tea party today watching the royal wedding (the replay). We set up her little table in the front of the TV for her to enjoy raspberry tea, cucumber sandwiches, ham sandwiches, and mini brownies. She loved it, and even Bella joined in on the fun.

Tossed Salad

As I mentioned in my previous posts Lizzy likes to help in the kitchen...today she helped by making tossed salad.

Toddler Lunch Ideas

Lizzy is at school today and when she goes to school I have to make her lunch. Some schools and daycares serve lunch but this one doesn't and although it's not as convenient it is much healthier. The school requires you to pack a veggie, fruit, protein, and dairy plus 2 snacks. I like to use bento box style lunch kits, the one pictured is Dr. Sears nibble tray which we use pretty often. I find that toddlers like to have a variety of things to try and graze on. The tray also comes with an attachment for dips which is great because Lizzy loves loves and loves to dip her food in a variety of dips.

In the Kitchen...

Once we all are home together after work we start dinner and Lizzy wants to be in the kitchen too. Today we let her wash her "dishes". She did a great job!

Happy Easter!

Lizzy on Easter morning

First Pool Day

Lizzy has been begging to go swimming in the pool after seeing kids swimming in the apartment pool starting a few weeks ago. Lizzy will say "pool, pool, swimming swimming, water water" then she will pretend she is swimming on the floor. So...today we finally took her to the pool for her first pool day of the year.

Lizzy sat in her float and after a while we took her out and let her play on the steps in the pool. She learned to kick in the water and just get comfortable again. Lizzy follows directions a lot better this year. This time she was hesitant to go near the water fountains which she loved to play with last year. For some reason Lizzy got scared and worried when Mike would swim under the water, I guess she couldn't see him or didn't know what happened to him. It's interesting to see how she is much more observant and cautious of things now. Lizzy had so much fun on her first pool day of the year that she didn't want to leave but, we will be back.

Easter Egg Hunt Bounty

Lizzy came home from school with a basket full of easter eggs, they had an egg hunt at school. All the eggs were taped shut so we sat down and opened them one by one. Lizzy got lots of stickers, fruit snacks, and candy. Later she sung a song about the easter bunny and did a little dance, she must have learned that at school.