Too Nice to Be Inside!

It's really hard to sit inside at a computer when the weather is so beautiful.  Must enjoy it before it gets too hot!!  Though I'm pretty sure with MiniM.E.'s love of playgrounds, I'll be getting my fair share of vitamin D this summer!

I'll make my posts short and sweet- lots of photos, little text... and we can all get back outside sooner!

What we've been up to this week:

We went out to dinner with our neighbors and their daughter, Baby E. and had a great time.  Here's MiniM.E. waiting for our table at the bar.

I made a 1st Birthday cake for a friend.  MiniM.E. helped decorate (her own cake).

more went in the mouth than on the cake...

the party cake 

the smash cake

 The playground we walk to finally got a (70-year old, rusty) baby swing!  Yay!

The Horse Show is here this week and next.  We went to check it out.  We even got to pet a horse.

more interested in the tree bark than the horses 

playing in the dirt (instead of watching horses)

sorting grapes (instead of watching horses...)

The Farmer's Market is outside again!  Elmo came too!

We visited MiniM.E.'s favorite playground, the Yellow Triangle one...

love this photo.  must make wood photo transfer...

And we hung out in the grass at the Spa Park (for 15 minutes before MiniM.E. wanted to go home).

beautiful!

A Bike Ride and Polos

Yesterday we had a fantastic day of outdoor activities.

We took MiniM.E. on her first bike ride.  Well, bike trailer ride for her.

A while back some of our friends were trying to convince us to get MiniM.E. a trailer, but we held off since they're expensive and I didn't think she was quite ready.

We were lucky to find a Burley bike trailer on Craigslist in GREAT condition for a reasonable price and decided it was time to test it out.

If you are ever in the market for a bike trailer, dish out the extra dough and get a Burley.  Of all the ones I've seen, it seems to have the nicest kid-cabin and seat (if your child wants, they can sit upright).  Most we looked at seemed kind of cheap and had "hammock-like" seats that forced the child to recline. This one also has space for helmet (which we will be purchasing if we decide to take MiniM.E. on real roads).

Are you SERIOUS?

...I guess this is alright...

At first, MiniM.E. didn't seem so sure about it.  We tested it in the neighborhood to see if she could even make it around the block without throwing a fit.  After 4 loops around, she actually seemed to be enjoying herself, so we packed her, the trailer and our bikes in (and on) the car, along with half our house (food, drinks, toys, extra clothes, sunscreen, bug spray, hats, etc.) and drove to the Zim Trail to check it out.

It was awesome.  MiniM.E. lasted about 20 minutes out.  We turned around, took a lunch break, and headed back to the park where we started.

Walking with Daddy

Swinging at the park

That evening we went to a polo game (match?).  I though MiniM.E. was most appropriately dressed in her polo shirt.  Unfortunately, it was ridiculously hot and we were sitting on the grass with no shade.  At all.  To be honest, the first four Chukkers (seriously, where they come up with these things I can't even imagine) I couldn't see the horses because the sun was in my eyes and I was trying desperately to keep my baby in the shade because she was fussy from being hot but didn't know it.  Fortunately, I brought distractions.

Distraction 1: washcloth.

Distraction 2: chip clip.

After the third Chukker all the spectators were invited to go out on the field and stomp the divots.  MiniM.E. seemed to really enjoy that part.

That's a lot of people stomping!

 AND, we got to pet a horse.  Which was awesome.  Until the horse turned its head and ran right into MiniM.E.  I hope she's not scarred for life...

By the fifth Chukker we could actually watch the play.  Turns out it was pretty cool.  And we didn't even get hit by a ball or trampled by a horse.  I'd call it a success.

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!