Yard Sale

Today is Summer's 1st yard sale.  I actually haven't been to one in a while, so it will be interesting to say the least.  I hope I am not too bored, but I made sure I would have plenty to do by suggesting a cookout after the yard sale.  So, I went and bought a whole bunch of food which I am about to pack up and take over there.  Summer and Clint are still in the bed, so I have to go get them up too.  I hope Summer can handle it out in the front yard, by the street and be a good girl and stay close to Mommy.  If not, I will have to send her inside to her daddy where he will, no doubt, be planted in front of the TV.  And that's all right with me.  I am just glad to be getting him off of our couch.  :)  I gotta go get the family ready to go.  Why is it always my job to do that?  Hmmmm.  Oh well I guess I signed up for it.  I really don't mind, it is just funny how it works.

Kisses

I think I gave Summer at least 200 kisses today.  We had an awesome day together that started with her waking up.  "MOMMY!"  Then her usual guessing as to whether or not Daddy is in the bed or on the couch (where he slept a lot after his surgery).  I carried her out to the living room, her snuggling me and hiding her eyes from the light.  "Turn the light off," she says.  I tell her it is just the sunlight and I can't cut it off.  She gradually peaks out as her eyes get used to the light (her room is pitch black).  Then I turn on cartoons for her and give her a pop-tart.  A little while later, I am ready to eat so she decides to eat cereal with me.  She had her frosted strawberry mini-wheats and I had my kashi.  She actually drank some of the milk from her bowl today before she even had a bite of cereal.  I am not sure who she saw do that, but there must have been someone.  She does like to drink soup out of a bowl sometimes and I think her daddy taught her that.  I taught her to use a straw when she does it at restaurants, so I guess I get a little credit for that too.  After that, we played a little and then got dressed to go to the playground.  She did a lot of climbing today, being the little monkey she is.  She swung on the swings too and almost got clobbered by a big kid swinging.  She doesn't always watch where she is going -- imagine that!  This morning she was wanting to eat her spaghetti out on the balcony, so we were headed out the door and she tripped over the bump on the way out.  She scraped her knee and also landed on her hands, but she wasn't sure whether or not she should cry or not.  So she just stood there looking at me.  She ended up in my arms, smothered in kisses.  They always make everything better.  :) 

After the playground, we went to lunch at Fridays and shared the Bruschetta Chicken Pasta which we both love.  She sat beside me in a chair - no high chair or booster seat.  And, she only got up ONCE during the entire meal!!!  She is getting so big.  I just can't believe how fast kids grow up.  Next thing you know, she won't even want to go to a restaurant with me...LOL.  So, since she was a good girl, she got to choose between going to the aquarium and playing in the water in front of the aquarium.  Guess what she chose.................................the water, of course.  She loves playing in it.  She wanted me to go in with her, so I did.  She was all smiles.  It is so amazing at how the littlest things can bring so much joy. 

When she started sucking her thumb, I decided to pack up and stroll back up to the condo.  I was wanting to take a nap and she needed one, so we both laid down in the bed.  She kept talking and saying stuff like, "Let me do it first".  I assume she was talking about going to sleep, so I would open my eyes and say, "Okay.  You do it first." And, she would close her eyes.  Then I would.  Two seconds later she was saying something else.  It really was cute so it was hard for me when I finallly had to put her in her bed so we could get some rest.  But before that happened, I kissed her head over and over.  I kissed her arms.  She would snuggle up to me so sweet, acting like she was going to go to sleep only to snap me out of my sleep a few seconds later with a few words.  Like I said, it was very hard for me to make her leave the bed, but I had to do it or else she would've kept at it for the next 20 minutes. 

She really is so adorable.  The people at lunch sitting at the table across from us were getting a giggle watching her eat.  She kept dropping noodles and they were on her chin....can you say MESSY FACE?  She would try to pick them up and eat them...off the table too they noticed.  LOL  I think I actually her them mention that specifically.  They told me she had the cuteness of at least 10 kids so I don't think they were too offended by it.  :)

After her nap, I was getting ready to go to work.  "Don't go workout Mommy," she said.  Over and over again.  I had to go though.  But, I brought her home a cheeseburger (which she wanted to pick the cheese off of - and not so she could eat it) for dinner so she was all good.  She also wanted to eat some of my chili and salad so of course I shared with her.  It seems like she wants to be just like me.  I just hope that I can live up to everything I want to be for her.  And then some.

Mommy's little helper

Summer loves to help me make stuff in the kitchen.  If I am cooking, she wants to sit on the counter and watch.  She especially likes to make cakes with me.  She pours the ingredients into the bowl for me.  She likes to stick her finger down in the dry cake mix and lick it while she is waiting on me to give her the rest of the ingredients.  It is cute...except for the mess, but that is not even that bad.  After we get it all mixed up, she wants the beaters.  She knows that is the good stuff.  I think she enjoys the spatula more than the beaters though because they are kind of hard to lick with her little tongue.  Her face is really messy by the time she is done licking, as you can see.  I do love baking with her.  It makes me so happy to see her dirty face, knowing she is loving every minute of it.  We have also made pancakes and scones together which she thinks the batter will taste good, but she soon finds out it doesn't.  LOL  Hopefully she will learn to cook as she grows up and will be able to make more than a sandwich or macaroni and cheese when she is a teenager.  Who knows...maybe she will cook for Clint and I in a few years....

Hey, I can dream can't I?

Here are a few videos for you to enjoy...

Jumping on bed

Happy Mother's Day

Eating Cake Mix

Silly Girl

 

Birthday Recap

Summer's second birthday was celebrated on several days.  On her actual birthday, we got up and she opened her gifts from me and Clint.  It was the rest of the rooms for her doll house.  She really loved them and played with those for a few hours.  Later that afternoon my mom and Tre came over and we went to let her play in the water in front of the aquarium.  She had a really good time.  Here is a video from that.

Playing on birthday

We tried to talk Clint into going out for a birthday dinner, but we ended up just cooking a frozen pizza for dinner.  She opened her present from Nona and Nono that evening which was Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls.  The next day I took her for her 2 year pics and then we met up with Clint and his parents for a celebratory lunch at Olive Garden.  It was nice even though Clint left to go sit in the car before we even got our food.  Summer pigged out on salad and ate a little lasagne and chicken parmigiana when they brought the meal.  She is such a good eater.

Her actual birthday party was not until the following Saturday.  We went to a place called Buddy Bear where they have inflatable slides and playgrounds.  The kids all had a good time for the most part.  My best friend's little girl was a little scared of the equipment though so she did not join in on the fun.  When it came time to eat cake and open presents, Summer was ready.  She got a tricycle from my mom which she (and the other kids) loved.  They fought over it.  Finally we ended up putting three of them on it.  LOL  She also got her first pair of skates, a few outfits, golf clubs, disney princess castle megablocks, a magnadoodle, and some art stuff.  I can't remember what else.  Everyone had fun.  My step kids (ages 18 & 22) even had a blast on the inflatable toys.  They were the last to leave with me and Summer.

The day was tiring, but she still wanted to play with her gifts when we got home.  It sure was nice to have so many friends and family to spend the day with.  We sure are lucky to have them all in our lives.

"I growin' up"

Spoken by the voice of a two year old.

Summer has been learning a lot lately.  She knows her whole name now.  She is singing lots of songs too.  It is so cute to hear her.  Sometimes she wants me to sing with her, sometimes not.  She definitely lets me know though...LOL.  Some of her favorite songs are "Row, row, row your boat", "The Wheels on the Bus", and "Did you ever see a lassie?"  She likes to do "Ring around the rosies" too.  We did that yesterday in the pool and she didn't want to stop, but I was getting dizzy.  :)  She started Playgym again this month and we sing songs in there and that is where she learned "Ring around the rosies."  I really like going there and so does she.  It gives her a chance to interact with other two year olds, although I think she would prefer to play with me.  LOL  She also gets to be creative and do an art project which gives me a lot of keepsakes to cherish.  I try to let her do her own thing on the art, but it is sometimes hard for me to step back and just let her do it her way.  I am working on that.  It is after all, her art project, not mine. 

I gotta run, but I'll try to get birthday pics up later.

Two Years Old

Today is Summer's 2nd birthday.  She has been sung to many times today.  First by me, then by her Daddy.  My mom, dad, brother, granny, and Tre all sang too.  By the time she got the fourth call, she was a little burnt out.  She missed a call from her sister Amanda so maybe I will have her call her back when she wakes up from her nap, which of course she did not want to take.  She has been protesting lately, but when she sees I am not budging, she usually does not put up a fight. 

 

She has been testing me a lot lately.  I guess that is part of the terrible twos.  You know, THE LOOK.  There is also this thing called a TANTRUM.  I am sure if you ever had a two year old, you would understand what I am talking about.  The loud refusal/protesting, the tears, the rolling around on the floor...  Been there done that.  And I am over it.  I just hope she is too and soon.  So far, I have been strong and I think she respects that.  Still, doesn't stop her from throwing them though.  Darn.

 

Saturday is Summer's birthday party at Buddy Bear, and I hope Clint is feeling better by then.  Right now we can't even hardly get him out of the house much less anywhere more than a block or two away.  I REALLY hope he feels like going to her birthday party on Saturday.  I will be way bummed if he is not.  I was wanting to go out for dinner somewhere today for a small celebration, but I really doubt Clint will feel like it.  He only walks around once or twice a day, besides going to the bed/couch and bathroom.  I am getting a little frustrated with his recovery, but Summer is doing a good job of keeping me entertained/busy.  I take her to go get her picture taken later today or this week.  It depends on what she feels like after she wakes up. 

 

She opened her presents from us today.  The furniture/sister/dog for her dollhouse Santa brought her for Christmas.  She loves it and has played with it off and on all day.  Of course, she wants me to play with her.  And I am happy too.