Mommy and Me Time

Let's face it, most days are "Mommy and Me" days; but the past few days, we have gone into activity overdrive to make up for Monday stuck inside with a stomach bug. Mommy is pretty warn out today, but it was so worth it!

The weather has been perfect (making our inside sick day even harder to bear), so my goal for Tuesday was to spend as much time outside as possible.

We spent the morning running around the backyard, playing with balls, looking at birds, and laughing at Banks. We ate lunch outside and, after nap time and a snack, we painted outside! I cut the ends off of a celery stalk and a potato to use as stencils; I put her in an old t-shirt, gave her the stencils, brush, and a plate of paint; and I let her do her thing!

Wednesday, we headed to iJump to play with some friends. She had never been in any kind of bouncy house, so I wasn't sure how it would go. But, this girl loves to hop and jump around the house and jumping is pretty much her signature dance move, so I had high hopes. Well, she loved it! She was a bit apprehensive about some things (she will not, under any circumstances, crawl through a tunnel), but overall, she had a blast jumping and running around with Sara and Lyla. Her favorite thing there? The ball pit - just a bigger version of what we have in our living room!

Thursday, we started our day as usual with Kindermusik. I needed to run an errand afterward, so we made a lunch stop first at Edgar's. I got her the usual grilled cheese, but she actually ate most of my chicken instead (big day!); and no trip to Edgar's is complete without a treat. She picked a skeleton cookie. Yummmm!

We planned to go to the McWane Center that evening for an opening of their new Clifford, the Big Red Dog exhibit, so our friend Sara came over to play before we all headed that way.

Then, it was time for Clifford! The girls ran wild in the exhibit. It was a lot of fun and a nice change up to our usual low key evenings.

Whew. It's been a fun week! I'm so lucky to get to spend my days playing with this little angel.

Soaking It Up

Y'all, toddlers are so much fun. If you haven't played with a toddler lately, I suggest you find one asap (preferably one that belongs to your family or friends because talking to random kids on the playground is frowned upon). 

I absolutely love this stage. C is ten days shy of 16 months and every day is a new adventure. She is a tiny little sponge, soaking up everything she sees and hears, copying my every move. 

This morning, we played follow-the-leader, marching around the room together, spinning, clapping, rocking, touching our toes, patting our bellies. We sang Ring Around the Rosie and she laughed every time we fell down.  I'm not sure there is anything cuter in the entire world than watching a miniature version of Husband and me dance around the room.

Marching

Entertainment is key to running off some of that endless toddler energy, so we spent the afternoon exploring Aldridge Botanical Gardens. I'm so thankful to live in a city so full of activities - especially those that are free. If you haven't taken advantage of this beautiful public garden in Hoover, you're missing out. 

We were able to stroll through the shaded gardens, looking at hydrangeas, daisies, and lillies, watching squirrels scurry through the leaves and bees buzzing around the summer blooms. I pulled C in a covered wagon, the perfect gift from her Nana and Big Daddy, and she leaned out to touch flowers as we passed by, each a different color and texture, a new scent.

A boat house sits on a small pond within the gardens. As we approached the pond, Catherine clapped with glee as she saw a flock of geese swimming nearby. 

We parked the wagon and went inside the boat house. We peered over the railing and saw tons of turtles and fish swimming among the geese. We walked along the edge of the pond, watching a mother goose and her fuzzy goslings, and picking up pine cones and sticks along the way.

Then we ended our day with bubbles, which Catherine attempted to share with a giant bunny statue.

Some days I can't believe this is my life - soaking up every minute while watching her soak up the world.