What A Year!

As it gets closer to MiniM.E.'s birthday, I can't believe how much has happened this year. Or even the past couple months.  Or even just yesterday.

Since she turned one MiniM.E. is running and jumping and talking in sentences and singing songs and drawing pictures.  She's weaned and loves quinoa, avocado and broccoli.  She is potty trained and picks out her own outfits down to the underwear and socks EVERY DAY.  And now this:

I wasn't so sad about weaning because seriously, it was time.  I definitely wasn't sad about the potty training.  Is anybody sad?  But the toddler bed almost brought tears to my eyes.  My little baby is growing up.  AND can now ransack her room at night.  Definitely sad-worthy.  But oh so cute!

Two Weeks Until Two!!

And just as one cold is waning, I have come down with another.  My list of things to do to prepare for MiniM.E.'s 2nd birthday is quite extensive.  Yet I think I'll take a break... write a blog post, and who knows, maybe even take a quick nap!

We had a most exciting and spontaneous weekend where I dragged my still-dragging behind (who am I kidding, I was thrilled to go) to a beer festival while my mom watched MiniM.E.  Then Sunday my mom drove us to Albany Med to visit our neighbor who just had surgery, and we left from there to drive to CT to see my cousins 6-week old baby.  Sound crazy?  It was.  We didn't even get there until 4pm.  But some socializing, baby-holding, and a dinner out later, we'd had a good time meeting BabyL. and got back in the car to drive home.  It was a ton of driving (fortunately MiniM.E. slept through most of it), but a fun adventure.

aw...

Monday and Tuesday we went to our usual activities and my mom helped with MiniM.E. while I got stuff done around the house.

And today I am fighting cold #2 and MiniM.E. is a wreck, but we managed to make our first visit of the season to Sunnyside Gardens.

MiniM.E. was happy to be out of the house and really enjoyed the train ride, the pumpkin patch and the hayride.  We'll definitely be visiting again before the end of the season.

We even recreated this photo from last year:

they look just about as happy to be sharing a wagon as last year...

Cold, Cold, Go Away

Not the temperature kind, the sick kind...

MiniM.E just got over her double ear infection when a nasty cold hit.  Add in some 2-year molars and we've got a bundle of fun over here.  (Actually, she's been a pretty good sport).  Mommy, on the other hand, came down with the cold yesterday and is a hot mess.

Here's some photos from our week so far:

Congress Park

Bowman Orchards

A Busy Weekend in Saratoga: Ellm's Family Farm

To top of a great weekend, we spent Sunday afternoon at Ellm's Family Farm.  OMG. BEST. PLACE. FOR. KIDS. EVER.  We will be going back every weekend until they close. 

They had two kids roller coasters set up on a hill so kids went fast and far:

This was a two story tube slide.  We probably did it 15 times:

The MooChoo Train was too cute:

 Especially when MiniM.E. went by herself:

And of course, they had a great sandbox:

There was also a corn maze we never made it into, a zip line that MiniM.E. went on (and hung on to) the whole way down, a couple other slides, some cannons, a hayride, duck racing, tricycles and a corn box.  We were there for about 3 hours and were the last ones to leave.  MiniM.E. could have stayed all day.  So glad we found it on the opening weekend!!

A Busy Weekend in Saratoga: Malta Community Day

Last Saturday was Malta Community Day.  We thought, "Why not?"  Petting zoo, pony rides and a bounce house?  Sounded great.  I painted MiniM.E.'s face BEFORE we went since most face painters won't paint kids under three.  She was a cat.  I got so many comments I may have to start a face painting business!  It was definitely a family friendly event and we'll put it on the calendar for next year.

There was a petting zoo...

MiniM.E.'s first pony ride...

seriously? cutest thing EVER.

And MiniM.E. had a great time being her silly self.

Later we went to the Horse Expo.  Looked like it was going to offer the same types of things, but you can't have too many bounce houses or pony rides... Except when we got there, there were neither.  So MiniM.E. pet a cow and hung out in the corn box.

MiniM.E. had a good time, but I don't think we'll try this one again...

A Busy Weekend in Saratoga: The Adirondack Balloon Festival

We went to this THREE times last year (only one was successful), but we thought it was so cool that I wanted to take MiniM.E. back at least once.  She hasn't been sleeping well, so there was no way in H-E-double hockey sticks I was waking her up at 4am to drive up for the 6:30 launch, so I thought I'd take her Friday night.

With all the "success" we had last year, I should have known better, but in the spur of the moment it sounded like a good idea.  I planned on driving up right after MiniM.E.'s nap, getting there in about 45 minutes, 15 minutes before the balloons were to inflate, watch them, get back in the car and be home by 7.

Here's what happened instead.

There was a line of cars at my exit.

I took the next one.

Got lost finding the street I was supposed to take.

Turned around and drove past it AGAIN.

Finally found it with 10 minutes to get there on time.

Ran into stopped traffic.

Sat in traffic for 15 minutes with crying toddler.

Decided to turn around and go home.

Toddler screams to see balloons.

Decide to see if it's walkable.

Ask passerby who informs me it's 1.5 miles to the airport.

Park on side street and get wagon out.

Shove crying toddler into wagon and hoof it towards airport determined to get there before balloons.

Walk for 1.5 miles.  No sign of airport.  Lots of cars.

Keep walking. Toddler keeps crying. Start run walking.

Finally see flashing lights at airport entrance and feel relieved.

Realize there is another mile to walk INTO the airport.  Feel like crying too.

BUT we finally made it. 

All was good until I realized there was no way we were ever going to be able to walk back to my car in the dark.  Thank God for husbands!  

While we waited to be rescued...

Unsure if it was worth the wagon ride.

Happiest at the lawn ornaments

Unhappy when one almost hit her in the face

Intrigued by the "I'm sorry" present

Confused.  Not what she was expecting.

Happy again.  And we did get to see some balloons!!

Our attempt to find Bob once he finally got there to rescue us was about as successful as the trip in... but at least I didn't have to walk back five miles to my car!  We'll know better next year.  I hope.

Out and About

I think I may have gotten spoiled by the summertime.  MiniM.E. is pretty much done with our house and all her toys (thank goodness her birthday is only two and a half weeks away!) so we spend as much time as possible outside and at locations other than our house.  I have to take advantage of all the mild weather before it starts getting cold.  As it is, the two hours in the morning where it's below 50 and I don't feel like putting on a hat to take her outside are PRETTY LOOONNNNGGGG... 

Here's what we've been up to:

Swinging at Ben & Jerry's (no ice cream, it was too early!)

Admiring the flowers

At an "old-school" playground

"Look at me!"

Peek-a-boo

pumping!!!