Bath Time!

MiniM.E.'s favorite time of day is bath time.  I really enjoy bath time as well because usually by 7:30 in the evening she's pretty cranky and has just about had it with books, toys and playtime.  She would probably stay in the bath all night if I let her.

Between the bubbles, the washcloths, the squirting toys, and best of all, the toothbrush, bath time is pretty exciting.  And splashing water all over the kitchen so she can watch Mommy clean it up is probably the best part of all.

When I turn on the water at the end of the bath, you'd think I'd presented MiniM.E. with a pink sparkly pony that feeds babies puffs on command.  That's how excited she is about playing with the running water.... Maybe I exaggerate... but she really likes it.

Especially now that she figured this out.

Happy Natal Equinox!

Yesterday was MiniM.E.'s natal equinox.  It was a pretty exciting day for her.  So I bought her a cake.  Let's be honest.  I bought me a cake.  Any excuse to eat cake...

I wanted to have the store write "Happy Natal Equinox" on the cake, but as it was, the decorations were far from fabulous and I wasn't going to risk them ruining my $13 cake.  (Really? $13 for a CAKE? I could make 13 cakes for $13.  The price you pay for convenience... and tasty frosting)  So I bought some pink gel icing.  NOT the easiest thing to write on a cake with, but it did the job.

I was pretty upset because as it turns out, she wasn't even feeling well and seemed to have a tummy ache.  I didn't want to mess with whatever stomach bug she might have by feeding it sugar, so she didn't even get to eat any Natal Equinox cake.

To make up for it, I let her drive the car.  Seems like a fair trade off.

A Morning at the Track

This morning we woke up early to do something I've wanted to do since we moved here last summer.

Let me first clarify that I did not want to wake up early, though with a nine month old, I rarely sleep past 7.  Today we had to be up to leave by 7.  Usually, that wouldn't be a problem.  But, of course, in typically baby form, come 6:15, MiniM.E. was still fast asleep.  6:30, still out cold.  By 6:40 I had to wake her up.  In the morning anything: a sniffle, a cough, running the water, a bird outside... will wake her up- from a dead sleep to wide-awake-sitting.  This morning it seemed like NOTHING would rouse her.  I felt so bad dragging her out of bed, but it was definitely worth it.

We got in the car (begrudgingly with a look that said "but Mommy, this is my playtime!") and drove to the race track.

Last summer during racing season, which is only 7 weeks long, we made it to the track twice to watch the races.  Unfortunately, the races aren't very exciting unless you're betting hundreds of dollars.  Which we don't have.  So we bet change.  Literal change.  Like $.50.  In all fairness, I was pretty pregnant at the time, but when I think back, I'm still not sure that baking in the August sun while sitting on hard wooden benches atop a sea of scorching blacktop waiting for 30 minutes to see horses run past for all of 5 seconds of a one or two minute race sounds like a good time.

Which is why this morning was so awesome.

We parked NEXT TO THE TRACK.  A big step up from parking across the street down a few blocks (though again, my memory of the distance from the car to the track might be a bit jaded by the fact that I was waddling on ankles the size of grapefruits).  Met up with our friends, walked to the Clubhouse past a bunch of horses and had a BUFFET BREAKFAST (my favorite meal of the day served "all-you-can-eat" style? yes please!) while watching the horses warm up on the track.  It was awesome.  There were horses walking and trotting and all-out-sprinting.  Continuously.

MiniM.E. LOVED it.  Our breakfast was full of pointing and squeals of excitement (apologies to the table next to us).

I also thought it was pretty awesome to eat and watch the horses.  Though between rescuing the silverware and placemats, cutting up fruit, collecting fallen bits of food and making sure MiniM.E. didn't fall through a leg-hole in the high chair as she twisted every which way- all the while trying to shovel food into my mouth, I didn't get to see much of the horses.

Good thing there was a free tour after breakfast featuring lots of up-close-and-personal time with more horses.  (But not TOO close, because apparently those things can kick!)  MiniM.E. and BabyA. took a siesta while we walked through the Backstretch.

I was a little disappointed MiniM.E. didn't get to see more horses close up, but it probably made the tour more enjoyable for everyone else.

Both babies woke up just as we got on the tram back to the front of the track.

We even got our $10 parking fee back for leaving by 10(:25)!  We'll definitely be going to the track for breakfast again!

NH: The Weekend

Friday we practiced clapping

 climbing

 and crawling.

 We played with a plant

 And the flowers it lost.

 And we hung out with the cat.

Did I mention my kid is an expert speck of dirt finder?  She LOVES my kitchen floor...

A plane? Bird? Cloud? Nope... probably a ghost or something...

And went swimming.  And took naps.  And ate food.  And went shopping.  But those things aren't glamourous enough for photos.

I lied.  Shopping with a baby is always photo-worthy.

Yes, I bought the book.  For the record, it is an Indestructible.  Best invention ever.  Which, I should have thought of so I could be a millionaire.  However, I didn't, so I'm not.  Sad face.

And then Daddy came to meet us.  MiniM.E. was very excited.  Well, she didn't actually say that, but she kicked her legs a bunch.  And then we had to put her to bed because it was late.  Oh well.

Fortunately, we had Saturday to play in the pool with Daddy.

And go to the Concord Market Days.  Which was an ok outing, but seriously USA, get on the street festival bandwagon.  A street festival (a la Dresden) must have A. bratwurst stands (or at least some tasty greasy food), B. beer, beer and more beer, and C. beer.  Did I mention a street festival should have beer?  Eh, its ok.  I've learned over the past year to lower my expectations of street festivals.  We don't have cute wooden figurines, or cold fish sandwiches, or little huts in which to sell goods...

After the market days we played in the pool some more, had a BBQ, relaxed on the deck, and enjoyed being taken care of by my parents (thanks guys!).

PS: above photos were taken by my sister.  I am petitioning for her to leave her job and come live here to be my permanent photographer.  No, I lied.  Though that would be awesome.  But she should probably be a photographer, right??

I forgot to mention we put the cat in the baby swing.

We couldn't leave Sunday without swimming some more... and as MiniM.E. went down for her second nap of the day, we left.

It was so nice to relax for a week by a pool while having my mom make me food and do my laundry... and have two or three other people fuss with MiniM.E. a bit.

Now it's back to the grind... (because playing with toys, sitting out in a kiddie pool and taking walks are such taxing activities...)

NH: Day 3

Today we spent the afternoon with MiniM.E.'s "boyfriend" H and his mom C.

MiniM.E. was excited to see H, and they played together inside for a while

 but I think she was even more excited to spend the day in the pool.  So was I.  And so were H and C.  So we were all happy campers.

Nothing beats being swung around

except maybe being thrown!

Baby surfer!

I couldn't get enough of the adorable babies in the pool... but alas, MiniM.E. needed a nap...

Afterwards we enjoyed the cool evening out on the deck.

Sunscreen: the new hair gel

Then we played for a bit inside... and might have dressed up H in a dress... because what mom doesn't need that blackmail for her son later in life?

"Look everyone I'm standing!"

"Aw, wait a minute, what's this you put me in?  A DRESS?!?"

As you can see, H really wore MiniM.E. out...