Play Dates

This summer has been every bit as busy as it has been fun. Every week we have play dates, and let me tell you - they have been a blast for the kids and a blessing for the moms. Here's a look at some of our fun.

Meeting buddies Josie & Charlotte (and their mommies) at The Red Canoe in Baltimore. A super place for babies & moms to have fun and yummy treats.

Braving the neighborhood playground with 2 rambunctious 1 year olds. Josie & Audra are partners in crime/play (and wood-chip eating).

A special Perkasie playdate when we  got together with the E & Ez, Charlotte B., & Ava D. What a good time! 

July 4th

We had a very laid back July 4th. Our neighbor was gracious enough to invite the neighborhood to their family beach house . We had great food, wonderful weather and lots of fun. Audra even showed off her new skill (a few days old at that point) of walking.

I totally caved...

and bought Audra a 2-piece bathing suit. What can I say, I'm a sucker for that sweet, tubby, tummy. And seriously, she's the cutest.

Long Overdue

Well, it seems as though summer has brought a lot more activity than anticipated. Here is a VERY short sampling.

We wash cars.

We go on walks.

We make roast marshmallows over a campfire.

We go swimming.

Stay tuned for more updates ie) AUDRA IS WALKING!

New Vehicle

The Park

Believe it or not, Audra had never been to the park before this past weekend. Our 08 summer in Baltimore was extremely hot and we spent the most of it in the cool basement alternating between feeding & napping.

We must make the playground a habit - she adores kid-watching and had a complete blast on the swings. She took some time to warm up to the slide, but was completely fearless when it came to exploring the tubes/tunnels of the playground. 

 

The playground mulch may have been the most fascinating of all :)

Getting into Trouble

Audra has begun to show us just how strong-willed she really is. This is one example of walking into a room and being very surprised by what she has done in her few seconds of unsupervised time. The cereal was on the kitchen table. I have no idea how she managed to reach up there. She looks guilty, no?

TuTuTastic

Memorial Day

We had such a blast at Uncle Matt & Aunt Tricia's house for Memorial Day. They had RockBand set up downstairs and we all had a blast. Audra sang with her Dad and had a blast "playing" drums, both the electronic and real kind.

   

I really want to...

update the blog. Maybe tomorrow?

PrettyPrettyPrincess/SillySillySchwendy

Audra with her wonderful work-day caregiver, Rhea.

Mothers Day

I am starting this post while I am exiled to our sunroom. Steve is being a secret chef and making something in the kitchen that I am not allowed to know about. He just brought in a wonderful iced coffee for me - what a guy! 

Audra has been a doll this morning, from sleeping in- to attempting to make her very own Mothers day brunch for me right before Church. In the future, I'd appreciate it if she didn't make it on the living room floor. See Below.

It's a week later and now I am finishing this post. After the lovely brunch made by Steve (mmmm Waffles & Melon), 

Bean woke up and we were off to run errands. We stopped at Lowes and bought some lovely flowers and I spent my time during nap #2 enjoying the weather and planting in the yard. 

The day was finished off with an incredibly tasty meal and a superb bottle of red wine. 

All in all, it was a superb day. The perfect combination of relaxation and productivity - filled with fine food and my loves.

Sunny Saturday

We had such a beautiful sunny Saturday today! Audra met our yard fully for the first time today and became a wild woman as you can see below....

 

After Daddy finished his yard work we headed down to the city for Ankit & Lex's housewarming party. We had a good time and Bean looked so cute in her new dress from Miss Katie. She also enjoyed her first taste of hot dog very much (upper left pic).  She signed "more" consistently to get more of the delicious dog.

All in all it was a great day, although quite tiring - she seems to like her new big girl car seat just fine. 

Craftastic

It appears as though I've become crafty. I decided to make hair barrettes/bows for Audra's 1st B-day party favors and I've been expanding on it since. Here's a sample of the things I've made in the past few days: hair things, woven headbands and earrings.

The First Birthday

I can hardly believe it, but yesterday marked one year since Audra blessed us with her appearance. I will be adding more to this post later, but for now - a quick pictorial of the day. For all pictures click here!

Here is Audra modeling one of the many hair creations I made for the girls' party favors.

Smiley Birthday Big Girl!

Even our sidewalk was decorated!

What an awesome party with awesome friends. We are so blessed!

I'm a winner!

Thanks to Caitlin for letting me know of this awesome stuff! I won 1st prize for a diaperbagwrangler giveaway - a $50 gift certificate!  I know I will definitely be getting Audra a toddler apron set for when she's bigger. I love this one with apples & pears, but there are other great fabrics & products too. Check it out!

Looking Back, Looking Forward

As we near Audra's 1st birthday celebration, I find myself getting quite sentimental about the past year. She's grown so much! She's got her own personality! She's got a real name - let me remind you that until her birth she was fondly referred to as "Bean". The painted eggs have become a bit of a family tradition and it was so exciting to add her name to the collection! These eggs are made by an amazingly talented folk artist who is a family friend.

Also, I fully admit that Audra takes a great deal after her father, but she has some of me in her too! I think that most of my looks come to the surface when she's being naughty *see picture of destroyed room* or rocking a crazy hair do *her first ponytail*!

  

Growing Girl

Audra and her new furry friend, Camden.

Audra sporting her squash barrette.

This weekend marked Audra's very first trip to the Eastern Shore. Audra was a wild child; the incredible sleeping Bean just wanted to be awake and playing (read - destroying) at Uncle Rich & Aunt Tracie's house. Audra really loved their super sweet dog, Camden. She also enjoyed all of the good food we ate, so much so that she wanted to accessorize with it.  She's a fashionista already!