It's Been A While...

and we've been busy.  Having a toddler in the summertime means spending the majority of our time outside.  And since we're not inside playing and I can't just fold a load of laundry real quick while playing tea party or straighten the kitchen while MiniM.E. is in the rice bin (added to the fact that we've been bringing a lot of the outside inside with us), my nap time is most often spent doing chores rather than working on blog posts.

And last week we spent the week in NH (but more on that in another post).

Here's what we were up to before last Monday...

Playground at 7:30am.  Awesome...

Prepping the kiddie pool before playgroup:

Backyard with friends:

Baby O. stopped by for a while before Saratoga's Family Night:

More early morning playground on a Sunday:

And MiniMonkey took his first swim in the pool:

 

The Baby Ducks are Out!

I think I'm much more excited than MiniM.E. about the appearance of ducklings at Congress Park, but she likes to go and play in the fountain and ride the sidewalk curb like a pony and seems generally happy while walking through the park, so I don't feel too bad indulging in my duckling-addiction.

Yay! Baby Ducks!! Aren't they cute??!?!?

In actuality, MiniM.E. isn't really into the baby ducks at all.  They don't eat cheerios and they're really skittish.  So this is what she's been up to at Congress Park instead.

jumping on the curb....

sitting on the curb... 

and sticking her head in the fountain.  (Who thought this fountain in a park was a good idea?  Obviously not a parent with a young child!)

In other news, it was a rainy couple days at the end of last week and then a rainy weekend.  Here's what we did inside:

indoor train at the Aviation Mall 

painting.  everything.  

Fortunately the weather cleared up for a Memorial Day BBQ on Monday.

MiniM.E. as the welcoming committee

examining the lawn

don't even ask

minutes later the bowl was tipped over and she was on the floor

all the babies loved the beer bottles.  who needs toys??

We've been to the Spa State Park a lot recently because I'm trying to run again in an effort to walk without jiggling everywhere.  MiniM.E. isn't really a fan of the jogging stroller, but I've been adding in activities at the park she really likes.

walking to the playground

playing in the spring

more spring 

watching the geyser

In the photos above with MiniM.E. playing in the spring (which, if you didn't know, produces fantastic water which you can bottle for FREE!) she seems content to wash her hands and a few rocks, wonderfully listening to her mother's request to be careful and not step IN the running water.

Then today this happened.

And we had to walk back to the car in just a diaper.  Note to self: bring a change of clothes.

Toddler Quotes

While watching the cat pull at his claws:

"Yellow cat eating her toes"

Singing the alphabet:

"A, B, C, D, D, D, F"

After being given a lemon:

"Lemon tastes SPICY!"

After we bought her a chocolate graham cracker at Starbucks (the whole way home):

"Where'd you buy that? At the coffee store!"

At Victoria's Secret:

"Daddy go away, Molly shopping!"

First Swim of the Season

Of all things, MiniM.E. is not timid.  She's usually up for just about anything, be it a giant slide, a climbing wall, or a big-kid toy.  Evidence here and here.

So it wasn't surprising that she was more than willing (in fact, insistent) upon jumping into a freezing cold lake.

What began as an innocent hike at Moreau State Park turned into the first (skinny-dipping) swim of the season! (Though as soon as MiniM.E. saw the lake when we arrived she immediately said "get in!" so I shouldn't have been surprised that we did, indeed, end up in the lake.)

contemplating how to get into the lake without Mommy noticing

testing the water, toes first

making herself comfortable

wading (which led to a full on up-to-the-neck sit-down)

 And after swimming in the lake, she'd caught the bug and we had friends over to swim in the kiddie pools.