Monkey!

Lucy is such a climber these days. We were at our friends' house the other day (thanks, Kate!) and Lucy was all about the stairs! We do not have any stairs in our house, so this was definitely new to her. She was a pro!

Her other favorite past time these days has been climbing on the coffee table, open dishwasher lid, diaper boxes, bumbo seat, etc. She is just all over the place!

Here is a little sample. The fish must have been very interesting that day, because she just couldn't get enough of them. When I was loading the dishwasher after lunch, I turned my back for literally ONE second, and found this. Those fish were surely petrified when they saw those chubby toddler hands going in for a  shake. Lucy couldn't have been happier about her little trick...

spotted wonder

Today Lucy went to Sarah's house to play while I went to the dermatologist. Since 2003, I have been developing weird skin discolorations on my torso and most recently, my arms. I've been to several doctors in several states, and no one has been able to come up with a definitive answer on why my entire chest, stomach, and hips are covered in big bruise-like spots. They did yet another round of "hole punch" biopsies on three different sites. I'm really hoping when I go back in two weeks to get the stitches out that they know the reason why I'm turning colors. It's so frustrating!

Lucy was at Sarah's for almost three hours by the time I got back to town. According to Sarah, she did not cry once! I was greeted with a smile and a wave and then she was off to continue playing. Considering this is like the third time we've left her with a sitter (this was the longest), she did awesome! She was pretty worn out by the time dinner rolled around. She had been on two walks totaling 5.25 miles, played with three toddlers for three hours, and did not have an afternoon nap. I am crossing my fingers that I won't see her until around 7am!

Toddlers ROCK!

It seems like in the past month Lucy has taken serious advances in everything. She is no longer just walking, she's running. Jon was gone for a couple days last week, and was so surprised when he got home to find her running to her room and back out to the living room. She is fast! We were outside playing with the neighbor boy today, and she was almost able to keep up with him. He's 19 months old and in constant motion. It is so nice to have a walking toddler now. The best part is - perfect timing for summer! Thanks, Lucy!

She is also getting much better at communication. She is mimicking voice inflection and a syllables of words. My favorite thing she says right now is "tickle, tickle, tickle!" when we play Monsters on the bed. (it's a silly game that involves saying 'I'm gonna get you!' over and over again, catching her, and tickling the daylights out of her) I really don't think there is any sweeter sound than that cute little voice saying "tickle, tickle, tickle!!!" back at you.

Jon is gone this week. He's in Cabo San Lucas enjoying the sunshine! Lucky! I am sure he will be amazed at how much she's changed over this week.

chickens

Yesterday we took Lucy to the little petting zoo up the street. They have all kinds of farm animals. Most of them are in cages, but the chickens, bunnies, and peacocks roam free. Lucy was pretty excited when she saw the chickens.

She is getting very independent now. It's kind of nice not having to hold her or have her in a stroller! She wants to walk everywhere and check everything out. Thankfully the animals are used to being fed when visitors walk in, so they are all very friendly. Even when a screeching toddler is running after them!

We are planning on a quick trip on Saturday. We are going with two 3 year olds and an 18 month old. Should be fun to see all the levels of excitement.

hair management

Lucy's hair has always been an issue with me. I wanted it to grow as fast as possible so I could put it in little pigtails or ponies. The only part that was growing was the top half, and with two cowlicks positioned on either side of her forehead, it was just hard to manage. Jon and I are not a fan of the big oversized flowery head bands that seem to be all the rage right now. I've tried various barrettes with no luck. They just would not stay in place, and they were pulling her hair out when I would take them out. OUCH!  The other night, I put Lucy to bed promptly at 7, and got to work. By the way, how in the world would this be comfortable? I debated on moving her, but decided if she was in pain, she'd move herself. Silly girl.

I had picked up some snap barrettes at Sally's awhile ago, but did not have a chance to do anything with them. I pulled them out of the closet along with some scrap fabric. I came up with a simple solution. A fabric covered barrette with rolled fabric on the underside and a few French knots. They turned out really nice and the best part is - they stay in place!!! The hardest part was waiting for her to wake up the next morning to try them out on her sweet little head.

tatting

About a month ago I was talking to my mom, and she had mentioned that she was learning to to shuttle tat. I had an immediate interest. At our very next visit, we went to Hobby Lobby (my favorite store in the world) and got the supplies. It's quite addicting! I use a needle to tat, because the shuttle just does not feel natural to me. I am totally enjoying this process, and I can't wait to get better at it!

This is a medallion I made using thread from Lisbeth. They have such high quality products. Love them! I am either going to use this for baby bootie embellishment or a hair clip for Lucy.

constant motion

Ever since Lucy started walking, she hasn't stopped. She is constantly wanting down. Today we were in the driveway watching the storm roll in (because that is what you do when you live in a town of 688 people), and she would not stay in the garage! Dispite the raindrops falling on her head, she was more than excited to travel to the end of the driveway and back.

She is still pretty wobbly and takes a lot of falls. I like how she always keeps her hands out for safety. She is so funny...

 

 Not so fast, Little one. She thinks it is hilarious to be caught and brought back to her starting point. We were in Office Max the other day, and I'm pretty sure she ran down the same aisle at least ten times.

She got a new spring jacket at Target. It's one of my favorites!

summer toes

Jon and I painted Lucy's toes this morning. It was so nice outside and if she was going to be barefoot, I wanted her to have pretty piggies. She sat pretty still, and then we read stories to give them a chance to dry. It worked out well!

This picture was taken after playing and walking through the grass, so her feet are pretty dirty. I was a little worried with how she would respond to grass, but she hasn't had a problem with it. She just loves to be outside. We had a few jail breaks this morning while the screen door was open. She made it out to the edge of the porch very quickly. She is such a speedy little toddler!