Aquarium

B is 14 months old today, and to celebrate we went to the Children's Aquarium. Plus - it's the weekend, and now that B is getting older I've really been desiring more active family time. So we put her avocado-crusted hair up in her signature top knot and were on our way. Some friends of ours went a few weeks back and recommended it to us for being the perfect size with really cool exhibits. I can vouch that their assessment is correct and B loved seeing all the fish.

This is my favorite action shot of B and her Daddy on the way to the entrance. [As a side - the ferris wheel in the background gets me excited with anticipation of the State Fair.] After we downloaded and reviewed our pictures, K stopped on this one and proclaimed, "I look like such a Dad." I said, "I know!! I love it!!!" And I do. It makes me so proud to be married to a man who is so involved with his daughter. K looks like a dad because he IS a dad - one who gladly pushes around a bright red stroller wearing a diaper bag on his back. It doesn't get any better than that.


We saw all kinds of fish. Lionfish:



Jellyfish:


An albino alligator:


A sea horse:


A turtle:


B loved running alongside the sharks in one of the larger tanks on display, and also enjoyed watching a group of kiddos feed the sting rays. All in all it was the perfect afternoon jaunt - not an all-day field trip, but just enough time to get in some family fun. Love this girl!!!!

That Didn't Take Long...

Random

--Recently I made crock pot granola. Mmmm. I got the recipe from my Mom's group. You put oats, maple syrup or honey, and veggie oil in the crock pot and stir until oats are crispy golden brown. Then add slivered almonds, dried cranberries, etc. once it cools and serve over Danon light and fit vanilla yogurt with fresh blueberries on top. Way better alternative than a Slim Jim or Cheez-its for breakfast.
--I am so tired of balls on my shirts. Like little tiny fuzz ones near the chest / armpit area. I mean seriously, what causes these? Is it from my arm rubbing against my shirt? Is it from carrying a baby around? Am I just buying cheap shirts? Surely Ann Taylor Loft and Zara are decent quality, no? I googled "balls on shirt" to see if I could find a solution to get rid of them. Let's just say...censored!!!
--My car will be 8 years old in September. K wants to eventually get a Ford Explorer, but I'm totally holding out for a mini van. I think the practicality outweighs any un-coolness associated with driving one. How can you go wrong with a red Honda Odyssey?
--I think my favorite part about B going to Mothers Day Out is that I get to listen to the music really loud in my car when I drive around town running errands. My current favorite is the Rent soundtrack. Did you know that my blog was named after 525,600 minutes? You measure a life in seasons of love!
--And to close on a sad note, it looks as if the end is in sight for our old house. This is the current scene, which means that tomorrow (or maybe even later today) I will drive by only to find an empty lot. We know that selling to a builder was the right choice for us in the long run, but it still is sad to lose a home that held so many "firsts" for us.


Notice they took off the sea green shutters. I bet the builder is preserving them for the mansion that he's about to build since they were such a lovely color...

We took "It" out on the water

"It" being the boat. K tells me you don't name ski boats as it's bad luck. But sometimes I really wish ours had a name. Or even a gender. Regardless, this was the first time we've been out to the lake in a looooong time. So long that the gauges on the boat didn't work, which meant we couldn't wakeboard. :-(

The occasion? My bro is in town from Cali for his annual summer trip to the Big D. Here we are snappin' into our Slim Jims:


Wearing his amazing gas station sunglasses. Are those Ray Bans?


Random fun fact: K and I each have our own koozies. We typically don't bring these prized possessions out on the lake, but this trip we did. His is awful - 80's rock chicks with big hair in leather.


Mine is from Christies - in honor of many late night outings playing photo hunt when I lived just down the street in Uptown.


I love this man:


So they have concerts on the lake on Thursdays. Really the concert is on land, but boats pull up near the shore, throw out their anchors, and float to the tune of awesome cover bands.


It's great fun until the police boat comes up and tells you that you can't swim in the water. I have no idea what city ordinance they're referring to, but they sounded really professional belting out violations from their microphone over the water. Any fear instilled in me by their position of authority diminished when I noticed them smoking cigars as they lazily floated by.


Mimi and Pop came too, to celebrate my bro's birthday this week:


Loved watching the sunset as we relaxed outside. Can't beat the beauty of being out on the water...

These are the days...

-The days when I go in to check on my baby after she wakes up from a nap and one side of her diaper is undone. And she's pooped. And it's everywhere. And there's an undigested lima bean stuck to her heel.
-The days when she eats dog food off the utility room floor as I put her dirty clothes in the washing machine. And then she knocks the picture frame off the table by the couch onto the floor. And then she opens the forbidden drawers in the kitchen - the ones that give me a heart attack every time she slams them shut and her fingers are millimeters away from the closing gap.
-The days we have company and there's a maxi pad on the end table. A sample one that my baby pulled out of People magazine. One that Daddy opened and let her play with in support of her desire to explore and learn.
-The days that I step in dog doo on the way to check on my garden and nearly get dive-bombed by a mockingbird protecting the 2nd nest of babies born in our back yard.
-The days we watch Sesame Street while she stands at the coffee table and eats goldfish until Abby's Flying Fairy School comes on and she gets bored.
-The days that my baby's clothes are gray and covered with dog hair from army crawling on the floor, indicating the need for me to conduct my weekly sweep of the hardwoods.
-The days she spits out her food onto her already crusty bib and then rubs her hair and eyes with her dirty hands before knocking her milk on the floor for the 10th time.
-The days that we go swimming in her pool on the porch and she eats the water hose and a leaf, dressed in her adorable swimsuit with pigtails and all. Abby supervises as life guard while I snap photos with our camera.
-The days that we excitedly wait outside for Daddy to come home, watching cars pass by in the meantime.
-The days I can hear her sucking on her paci through the monitor as she naps, I'm sure with her arm around her "Wocket."
-The days that she lays her head on my shoulder for just a sweet minute before squirming around and trying to peek over the edge of the chair at her car seat.
-The days that she pulls up on my legs and laughs.
-The days that I wouldn't change for anything.