Inflatable Wonderland

This morning we got to go to a birthday party at Inflatable Wonderland in Lakeline Mall (Happy Birthday Orion!!!).

What a fun party and a great mall. They have lots of nice bouncy houses, PLUS an actual play area AND an indoor carousel. I wish our mall was this fun! Guess we'll have to head up to Cedar Park more often...

Outside

It sure did feel like summer this weekend in Austin. It was almost a little too hot, but it was a 3-day weekend and wanted to make the most of it! So, we spent a lot of time outside...

We went to the park, and to a friends house, to a water park, and played outside at our house. Aurora was pretty timid at the water park, but as soon as we were on the road home, she asked if we could go back! Luckily, splash days at daycare are coming back soon, so she'll be able to play in the sprinkler on hot days at school and at home. Here's hoping this summer isn't QUITE as hot as last.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Summer Reading

This morning during breakfast I told Aurora that we were going to the library later to see miniature horses, live music, bubbles and balloons. She got SO excited that she couldn't eat another bite. She went straight to the door and insisted it was time to go RIGHT NOW! Unfortunately, we were still in our pajamas and the summer reading kickoff party wouldn't start for 2 hours. This was a situation where a short attention span would've come in handy, but our girl stayed focused. When 10am rolled around we were ready to go, and the festivities did not disappoint.

There were all kinds of fun indoor and outdoor activities, snacks and games. Somehow, Aurora already knew how to hula-hoop. She won a book in the "book walk," and we decided to find a quiet place to try out our new read.

Then the star of the show arrived, Joe McDermott, a silly children's musician. We've actually seen him twice now, and this time we stuck around for a signed CD and a picture. Aurora wouldn't smile for the camera - she decided instead to stick her tongue out at him. He didn't seem to mind...

All in all, a very fun start to our Memorial Day weekend! Tonight we're going out on a date - dinner and a movie. Tomorrow and Monday, who knows? I guess you'll have to come back to find out.

ABC Love

This might be my favorite version of the ABC's. Ever. Seriously.

I swear we've never sung or heard it that way before!!!

Marti & Toby

Today we got to hang out with Chuck's Aunt Marti and Uncle Toby, who are driving across the country to see us, visit the AZ Wadey's, and go to a convention in Colorado Springs. This sweet Lion named Ryan has traveled with them the whole way, and they've been photographing his trip. He now belongs to Aurora, and I'm pretty sure Marti & Toby will miss him...

For some reason, Aurora just loved saying "Uncle Toby." On the way to dinner, she was singing a song that went something like this: "Uncle Toby, Aurora Wadey, little tiny baby hippopotamus" (repeat).

We went out for catfish, then headed to Amy's ice cream, where I just HAD to get Aurora and Marti into that photo booth!

We plan to get together again tomorrow evening for a walk around Lady Bird Lake and perhaps some BBQ or Tex-Mex. Should be fun! It's great having family visit.

Date Nights

These last two months have been so busy at work that all I want to do when I get home is sit on the couch and relax. Of course, that's easier said than done when you have a toddler.

We haven't had a date night in awhile, and I wasn't sure what to make of Aurora wanting to stay up later. Well, tonight Chuck came home a little early and it occurred to me... going to bed later just means we can take her along and have family date nights!!! So, that's exactly what we did.

We went to Mandola's, where they have delicious food, kids meals for only $3 that come with a drink and gelato, and of course, crayons! Here's Aurora asking daddy to draw a hyena. She was in a great mood and seemed so happy to be going out to dinner, and we really had a chance to chat and catch up without the distractions of TV and computers.

My work should be calming down now, so I'll probably try cooking a bit more again - but depending on Chuck's schedule, I'm hoping we can have family dinners and weekly family date nights from here on out.

So much fun...

Today Aurora's class had a Luau. They wore cute grass skirts and flowers and paraded down the halls, which I hear was adorable. Yesterday they all learned how to limbo... what a fun week at school!

I had a fun week as well. Yesterday we had a team meeting at a bowling alley! It included lunch and karaoke - and some great updates about the work we're doing, which is pretty phenomenal on its own.

I suppose I should mention Chuck's work too. He's been drawing comics all week! Seriously, we have fun lives.

"I'm two years old!"

Nancy will attest to the fact that Aurora is a TALKER! She sings songs, answers questions, and copies anything you say. Today we decided to go shopping after daycare and had a lovely conversation during our drive about the trees, flowers, clouds, cars, and houses out the window. I thought I'd change the subject and ask Aurora how old she was, and by the time we got home she was telling me that she was two years old, and even holding her fingers up.

Honestly, I've never even tried to get her to do this before, so I thought it was so cute! We had a good time spending my Old Navy gift card (thanks Nancy!), and Aurora loved the mannequins - especially the dog, who had a leash and a bone for her to play with.

Now that she's going to bed just a little later, we can go shopping and hang out a little longer in the evenings. Having a two year old is fun and challenging, and I look forward to every age and stage to come...

Mother's Day OFF

We had a lovely Mother's Day weekend. Sunday morning we went out to breakfast, played at the park, then went on the Austin Duck Tour.

Quack quack! Today I took a much needed and much appreciated day OFF with Nancy, while Chuck went to work and Aurora was in daycare. We did yoga, went shopping, and had a very relaxing (and healthy) lunch. Then we all had a nice dinner together. Nancy leaves tomorrow, but we've enjoyed our time together and hope she had a great trip!

All Smiles

Grandma Nancy came into town today and we have been having a great time! We went to Springhill Catfish Restaurant (a first night tradition).
Headed out for frozen yogurt.
Took a walk around the Hill Country Galleria.
And read lots of books to our happy, silly, TALKATIVE girl!
Lots more fun is on the horizon as we spend a long weekend with Grandma Nancy. Happy Mother's Day to Nancy, Ellen, Bernice, and ALL you Moms out there!

It's peanut butter jelly time

Lately the only thing Aurora wants for dinner is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Don't get me wrong, I love a good PB&J, and since she eats dinner before we do (before Chuck even gets home from work), I can't exactly say "No, you're eating what we're eating." I say "Aurora, are you ready for dinner?" and she very nicely says "Yeah, I want a jelly sandwich." I might respond with something along the lines of "Wouldn't you like some pasta? How about rice and beans?" to which she replies "No, I want a jelly sandwich." I can offer cheese, yogurt, fruit - and she'll gladly take those too. But INSISTS that they come along with a jelly sandwich.

She's also been insisting upon a later bedtime (and no, a later bedtime does not equal a later wake time). She cries if mommy isn't the one helping her brush her teeth, and forces me to come downstairs with her in the morning even when I'm not dressed yet and Chuck is. She knows exactly which book she wants read by whom and where that person should be sitting. Anything else is unacceptable.

I've been wondering how much of this is just normal 2-year old behavior, exerting independence - and how much she's learning from me! I mean, I can be kind of bossy...

The best weekends

It's become a trend that we'll have one weekend with house guests and parties, followed by a weekend with almost nothing on the agenda. I truly love both, and I particularly love when they alternate. This was a completely free weekend, which meant we hung out with friends, took naps, went shopping, played at the park, and had a good time!