tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62573801690991155642024-03-05T04:49:49.812-06:00Adventures of PaigeStories about our kids in ChicagoBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-46765866802843250432010-06-15T21:16:00.008-05:002010-06-17T12:13:49.294-05:00Month full of adventureAnd it's only June 15th!<br /><br />After a long dry spell, I'm returning to the blog. I had to find a place to post the videos we took of Paige's end-of-the-year school performance. This is precious footage you won't want to miss!<br /><br />The class sang "We Are the Dinosaurs" (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb2QZVFY1L4">video1</a>), "Twinkle Twinkle Traffic Light" and "Skinamarinkeedink" (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJB9V_w5Q3Y">video2</a>). After the performance, we all got to eat ice cream!<br /><br />Paige loved pre-school this year. She will be going back to the same school three mornings a week in the Fall.<br /><br />Summer adventures have already begun! We traveled to Florida for our nephew's high school graduation & had a good visit with Steve's extended family. Paige and Adam were highly entertained by Chow Chow the cat at Grandma Joy's & Jaja's house (where we stayed). We visited the beach, the pool, and the Mote Marine Aquarium.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qPb16ttfZT4eLtXt3hl_eWb8c3BGpcYzm9mmANgzTd3ACqrycJP-F9EQuIRQ74uoBea_92JABf_FtPp-35kUKYDFvU3vkhP20FGsyM0wEjbStvUITs4MWTZitdm3zRASJbX8GC8LonA/s1600/SSPX0047.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qPb16ttfZT4eLtXt3hl_eWb8c3BGpcYzm9mmANgzTd3ACqrycJP-F9EQuIRQ74uoBea_92JABf_FtPp-35kUKYDFvU3vkhP20FGsyM0wEjbStvUITs4MWTZitdm3zRASJbX8GC8LonA/s320/SSPX0047.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483790819247125106" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Paige and Adam at Mote</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQgFBP7biS67RqZtaP8baeCU5IzVxiJGBeRMcaZ2RzEK0Wi6fLkjWMq_ZzOZxtKQJP-pnvqRvQfGzhkN_fnzSzxAQny2CYGziHRaAbQP6vxQPq4s4rb2kCDPlYSo37u_vWBBYkhSwjhw/s1600/IMG_1063.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQgFBP7biS67RqZtaP8baeCU5IzVxiJGBeRMcaZ2RzEK0Wi6fLkjWMq_ZzOZxtKQJP-pnvqRvQfGzhkN_fnzSzxAQny2CYGziHRaAbQP6vxQPq4s4rb2kCDPlYSo37u_vWBBYkhSwjhw/s320/IMG_1063.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483790813339959154" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Steve holding Paige and Adam, with nephews CC and JJ</span><br /><br />Living in Chicago, we are blessed with so many rich cultural institutions. The kids went with their nanny to the Museum of Science and Industry during the museum's annual free week. They enjoyed the hands-on kids activities & the model trains. I took Paige to a children's concert in Evanston, where we warmed up with the choir and won recognition for our audience participation as ducks on "I bought me a cat." <br /><br />The kids and I visited the Chicago Botanic Garden while the roses were in full bloom! The smell was heavenly. The kids enjoyed watching the ducks, chipmunks, and birds. I enjoyed letting them run without worry. We all liked the intricate outdoor model railroad exhibit - complete with Thomas the Tank Engine!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9d0ZzfdEWGoBqS7zuxz0yMUWu9ThDQ8cTqMIzQn4t4fyuafSA6Uy0CC3eFLbH4ZW1DuKhM0C7r45WrfYKvnD9xCmYcF_2USl5QhPPk4ksnJ8JixkzCBDHnq69tQJV1ea1IuwxI_tEndc/s1600/SSPX0050.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9d0ZzfdEWGoBqS7zuxz0yMUWu9ThDQ8cTqMIzQn4t4fyuafSA6Uy0CC3eFLbH4ZW1DuKhM0C7r45WrfYKvnD9xCmYcF_2USl5QhPPk4ksnJ8JixkzCBDHnq69tQJV1ea1IuwxI_tEndc/s320/SSPX0050.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483791672518901042" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kids at the Botanic Garden</span>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-87826333885341655872009-08-26T14:02:00.004-05:002009-08-26T14:50:17.771-05:00Summer day with momNow that I'm working four days a week, I really treasure my weekday off with the kids. Sometimes we end up grocery shopping and getting other errands done, but usually we have some fun! Yesterday was a good example: 9:30 am - Walk to the farmer's market in our neighborhood. Purchase sweet corn, blueberries, sausage, and a blueberry muffin. 10:00 - Stop in "the square" to eat the muffin and run around. 10:30- arrive home. Pack our lunches, load the stroller into the car, and head out for the zoo! Noon - 2:00 - Fun at the zoo. We visited the Farm at the Zoo first: cows, ponies, piglets, chickens, newly-hatched chicks. Paige got to pet the goats. We ate our picnic lunch here. Next stop: the carousel. Paige rode a giraffe all by herself, and Adam and I waved to her each time she came around. We spent some time visiting the monkeys and gorillas before calling it a day. Both kids fell sound asleep in the car on the ride home. Paige slept till almost 5:00! I took Adam with me to Target (still had to fit in one errand), while Paige slept at home (Steve was working from home, so she wasn't left alone). 5:15 pm - All 4 of us went to the park to watch Steve's softball team play in their semi-final game. Our friends were there with kids the same age as Paige and Adam. Paige and her pal dug around in the dirt and managed to get handfuls of it into her hair. Adam and Sabrina tried crawling off the blanket and eating leaves. 7:30 pm - Kids and I arrived home and started the bath and bedtime routine. It was a full, fun day -- the kind you'd like to have a whole summer full of, if only work and mundane tasks didn't get in the way!<br /><br />Earlier this month, we visited our Ohio relatives:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFvfelDsT0pgaIr9zhbmIsPM7CWkqaCRjsL9dG_swrX3YHbR6I-Vmoopzzg8PQ77ASz8WuKzKjxvFgg0GiiyayTavXwEpofgU1WlQBBO5BpQimZXUCdj_Fy5_LC3G2GHnPWiIzyTMnos/s1600-h/IMG_5483.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFvfelDsT0pgaIr9zhbmIsPM7CWkqaCRjsL9dG_swrX3YHbR6I-Vmoopzzg8PQ77ASz8WuKzKjxvFgg0GiiyayTavXwEpofgU1WlQBBO5BpQimZXUCdj_Fy5_LC3G2GHnPWiIzyTMnos/s320/IMG_5483.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374361743532749602" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Blake, Cole, Payton, Adam, and Paige</b></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oJCRi5dycTv-V4Tv2_D8Xw7527mgzX3OyGDCUyFnfHp7hU6_11sO0UbvK02WyDcpJiErTn-dRc4dXY_5mWrp_V-GJ4l7Ccc0FhKqJiLe7dZgMtgWWrR7r-X0-6b8cBPrhH07jn5pznA/s1600-h/Kids-Karen-Joe.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oJCRi5dycTv-V4Tv2_D8Xw7527mgzX3OyGDCUyFnfHp7hU6_11sO0UbvK02WyDcpJiErTn-dRc4dXY_5mWrp_V-GJ4l7Ccc0FhKqJiLe7dZgMtgWWrR7r-X0-6b8cBPrhH07jn5pznA/s320/Kids-Karen-Joe.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374361365606717426" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Adam and Paige with Pop-pop and Grandma Karen</b></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYDjQMYPNI9E8cp3mpB3t_-6DJb_3NHfqSW10cV35YfAmFia3etxRsUAPXjrEwiqpLls6x5cmFf5bcSdDNVQRuRcrmMTp2RCAyku0qzvvaMs3UIO1ogi0NCJQ-BIedreU_2409W_DbNM/s1600-h/kids-Sara-dave.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYDjQMYPNI9E8cp3mpB3t_-6DJb_3NHfqSW10cV35YfAmFia3etxRsUAPXjrEwiqpLls6x5cmFf5bcSdDNVQRuRcrmMTp2RCAyku0qzvvaMs3UIO1ogi0NCJQ-BIedreU_2409W_DbNM/s320/kids-Sara-dave.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374361353363919554" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Paige and Adam in the golf cart with Grandma Sara and Grandpa D</b></p>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-66043517810256482162009-07-28T10:57:00.002-05:002009-07-28T11:20:21.410-05:00BBQs, brithdays, and moreJuly has been a busy, fun month for us! We hosted my college friends for a BBQ on July 4th. Between the four of us, we now have six kids ages 4 mos to 4 yrs, with another on the way in August (not mine!!).<br /><br />Adam had his 9-month check up. He's 29.5 inches long and weighs 18 lbs 10 oz. He talks a lot, rolls, sits, scoots, and puts everything in his mouth. He's eating a wide variety of baby and table food, and he loves feeding himself. We know when he's done because he starts throwing anything left on his tray! He likes pulling himself up to stand, but he's neither crawling nor walking yet, much to his own frustration! Soon, my son, soon... He has also started clapping and waving, and he thinks this is so funny when he is watching himself in the mirror!<br /><br />I spent four days in NYC for work earlier this month. Between Steve and our great nanny, the kids were well-cared for. I missed them terribly, although sleeping alone in a hotel room does have its advantages. Namely, the <span style="font-style:italic;">sleeping </span>part! Before I left, we took a family trip to the zoo. Paige still loves the carousel. She got to feed the cows while we were there as well. <br /><br />For my birthday last weekend, Steve took me to the Cubs game in the afternoon. That evening, we hosted a BBQ here with tons of friends and their kids. The best surprise (which I still can't believe Steve pulled off) was getting my mom to drive up for the party! I was shocked when she walked in! I gave her a big hug & immediately started crying! What a special birthday gift! The BBQ went smoothly until some rain sprinkles began to fall, of course just as the food was coming off the grill. The rain lasted only a few minutes, then the sun came back out. We were treated to a rainbow! So many blessings on this birthday & so much to be thankful for!<br /><br />A blog post wouldn't be complete without a funny anecdote, so here goes. Last weekend, Paige and I were playing in her kitchen. She pulled out a placemat that has a map of the US on one side and a map of the world on the other. She handed it to me, and we had this conversation:<br />me: Thanks for the map. Want to see where your grandparents live?<br />Paige: sure<br />me: Grandma Sara, Grandpa D, and Grandma Karen and Pop-pop live in Ohio. [I point]<br />Paige: I want to go to B-ohio! [She always puts a "b" in front of Ohio]<br />me: well we are going in a couple of weeks, and we will see Grandma Sara's new condo. It's a long drive from here. Do you remember where we live? <br />Paige: Chicago!<br />me: Yes! [I point] Do you remember where Grandma Joy and Jaja live?<br />Paige: Grandma Joy lives on the other side of the map [turns the map over] with Chow Chow [their cat].Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-76738762444295627132009-05-03T20:56:00.004-05:002009-05-03T21:08:44.389-05:00May updatePaige has gotten very creative with her imaginative play. Today, we came home from the park and I pulled out my keys to open the garage & stow the stroller. She took the keys (on a long lanyard-type thing to go around my neck) and put them on her neck. Then she asked "What's your name?" - which meant she wanted me to ask her this question. So I asked, "What's your name?" and she replied "Paige the police officer! And I have a whistle!" Then she put one of the keys in her mouth and pretended to blow on it! She helped me open the garage, then she had to go in the house and tell daddy that she was a police officer. This persona lasted about 30 minutes!<br /><br />This time last week, we were cleaning up after Adam's baptismal party. He was dunked at Holy Trinity last Sunday morning and feted here with a lunch and about 30 guests. He's six months old already, laughing, smiling, flirting, "talking," and expressing his displeasure when Paige takes away the toy he was playing with. He's still only rolling in one direction, but his core is getting stronger & he can sit up for several seconds before toppling sideways.<br /><br />Both kids had check-ups last week, and they are both growing steadily. Paige is about 36.5 inches tall and weighs 28 pounds. Adam is 28.5 inches long and weighs 17 lbs 4 oz. This means he's only 1/2 inch away from outgrowing the length limit on his carseat, so guess what we shopped for yesterday?! Actually, we decided to get a bigger seat for Paige, then switch Adam into Paige's old seat. <br /><br />Steve and I marked four years of married life last Thursday. It's gone by so quickly, and we can hardly believe how different our lives are now versus four years ago! We went out to dinner on Friday night and really enjoyed our child-free evening together. It brought back lots of memories from our dating life and early married days. Someday, we'll travel again... but for now, trips to the park, the zoo, and grandma's house(s) fill our time.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-14104121380001701312009-04-02T12:57:00.004-05:002009-04-02T13:03:40.916-05:00When I grow up, I want to be...Paige had her first "when I grow up, I want to be..." moment yesterday! I'm sure she'll have many more career changes, but her first declared profession is: dentist!<br /><br />We went to visit our friend Susanna and her new baby, Brock, yesterday. On the way home, we had this conversation:<br />Me: Next time, we'll visit when Val [dad] and Chaz [3 y.o. big brother] are there, so we can see the whole family.<br />Paige: And Chaz will be there and Val will be there.<br />Me: Right, today Chaz is at school and Val is at work.<br />Paige: And Val is working.<br />Me: Right, today he is working. Val is a dentist. He fixes people's teeth.<br />Paige: Paige wants to fix the people's teeth! When I will grow up, then I will fix the people's teeth!<br />Me: Do you want to be a dentist like Val?<br />Paige: Paige will be a dentist! Then Paige will grow up and Paige and Val will be dentistes!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-38625705208440970482009-03-17T11:17:00.003-05:002009-03-17T11:26:55.106-05:00Explaining the Resurrection to a Two Year OldPaige: Remember we went to Hannah's special program at church?<br />Me: Yes. Do you remember it too? We had a good time. [We went to see Paige's babysitter Hannah dance in a program at the Loyola U chapel, just Paige & mom. Special mother-daughter bonding.]<br />Paige: Yes. The girls were dancing in the church. And pictures in the church.<br />Me: Yes, there were paintings of Jesus in the church. [Stations of the cross paintings around the top of the chapel, which we discussed in depth while we were there.]<br />Paige: Want mama to tell you about Jesus.<br />Me: Jesus was a man who helped people. He healed them and gave them food when they were hungry. In the pictures, Jesus had to go see the King. The King thought Jesus was bad, so he told Jesus that he had to die. Some soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross with nails in his hands and feet.<br />Paige: That hurt Jesus<br />Me: Yes, that hurt Jesus. But he was not afraid to die. After he died, then he came back to see his friends as a spirit. A spirit is like a ghost. [We have read stories w/ ghosts]<br />Paige: Then Jesus was a scary ghost.<br />Me: Well, he wasn't a scary ghost. His friends were glad to see him when he came back after he died. His friends were not scared.<br />Paige: Then that was the end of Jesus.<br />Me: Not really. Jesus still visits his friends to help them and remind them to help other people.<br />Paige [with emphasis]: But that was the end of Jesus, mama!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-36999078091245646862009-03-17T11:07:00.002-05:002009-03-17T11:17:39.358-05:00New BarrettesA few days ago, Paige picked out some new barrettes with little shapes/animals on them. So far, she really likes the ones with birds, rabbits, and poodle dogs. When we brought them home the first day, she wanted two on each side of her head. I put them in, then set her up on the changing table to look at herself in the mirror hanging there. She smiled at herself, then had this conversation with herself, while trying to touch her own head in the mirror:<br /><br />"Hi me! You have pretty hair me! Mommy, see Paige's new barrettes! It's hard to touch me hair. Me hair is in the mirror. Hi me!"<br /><br />It was definitely one of those moments when you want to double over laughing, but she was so serious!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-63733271044064384042009-03-05T10:07:00.002-06:002009-03-05T10:22:13.540-06:00Hint of SpringYesterday the temp broke above 40* and we took full advantage! We hit the library first, where more books about Curious George and Thomas the Tank Engine found their way home with us. Paige handed the checker my library card, and the lady handed it back with a sticker that said "I used my library card today!" Paige proudly wore the sticker till about half-way through music class, when she transferred it to my shirt instead.<br /><br />After music class, we came home for a nap and lunch, then off to the <a href="http://www.lpzoo.org/index.php">Lincoln Park Zoo</a>! We were disappointed that the carousel was closed for the day, but the gorillas and chimpanzees provided lots of entertainment. We also really enjoyed watching the playful seals. From the underwater viewing area, Paige said "I wish I can hold this big seal!" She loved watching them swim right up to the glass, then whoosh away again. We hit the zoo at just the right time: it was not crowded at all, and we got a parking spot very close to the entrance, which made the trip much easier on mom. When we got home, dad (AKA gourmet Steve) had a delicious dinner of chicken parmesan and noodles waiting for us. YUM!<br /><br />I noticed that I forgot to post Adam's stats after his last check-up. He weighed 15 lbs 3 oz and was 27 inches long. His weight is in the 50th percentile for his age, but his height is off the chart. He is the height of the average 7-month old boy! The Dr even measured twice because she thought the first measurement must be wrong. Overall, he is very healthy! <br /><br />Adam still hasn't rolled over yet. Yesterday I really thought he would make it that last 25%, since he rolls from his back to his side, then tilts his upper body so his face is planted on the floor. He just needs to kick his legs over, and he'll be mastering this new skill. Any moment now! In the meantime, he has mastered the flirty smile, which he loves to flash when we're out shopping. He also "talks" a lot, most likely trying to keep up with Paige. He "eats" bananas or rice cereal about once/day, although not much of it stays down. He's still nursing on average seven times/day, and based on his growth rate, I'm sure he's getting enough!<br /><br />The new nanny took both kids to the park this morning, with temps pushing 50* today. We are all so glad that spring is right around the corner!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-12266520579380143552009-02-16T21:47:00.002-06:002009-02-16T21:52:27.536-06:00BananasAdam ate his first solid food today: bananas! He seemed to like them OK while eating them, but about 10 minutes later, most of it came back up. Oh well. We will try again tomorrow. Hard to believe he is four months old already. He has a check up on Wed. so I'll post his stats after our visit to the pediatrician.<br /><br />As for Paige, well, she & the new nanny made all kinds of animals out of play-doh today. They made a whole family of turtles (daddy turtle, Paige turtle, and mommy turtle). Paige insisted that each turtle needed to have a belly button! Paige also wanted to "help" with the dishes tonight. Currently, this involves puring water from one cup into another and spilling most of it on the counter. I am hopeful that someday soon, it will mean actual HELP with the dishes, which never seem to stop piling up.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-24963168480366383462009-02-12T20:36:00.004-06:002009-02-12T20:59:17.641-06:00New Year's ResolutionWrite on the blog more often! Oops, well, let's call this a winter resolution... <br /><br />Paige is two, going on 13. She is alternately testing her independence and clinging to me. She is also becoming quite a talkative girl! She recalls events (and meals!) from months ago. Today she told me how she ate corn on the cob with our neighbors & their little girl last Fall (we saw them out in the yard after not seeing them for over a month during the last cold spell). Last week, she recounted how she rode the green tractor at the zoo (this also happened last Fall, with grandma & Pop-pop). We visited the zoo again last weekend on an unseasonably warm day, and Paige directed us to all her favorite things: the monkeys, the lions, the carousel, the red barn, and the green tractor! She would be so happy to go to the zoo every day.<br /><br />Paige is adjusting really well to our new nanny, Allie. Allie is very creative, always singing new songs and coming up with new craft ideas. Today they made a ladybug out of paper plates and a snowman out of pre-packaged sugar cookie dough. They baked the snowman for consumption at a later date. Overall, I think the kids are adjusting to me being back at work better than I am!<br /><br />I'm taking both kids to a new music class called <a href="http://www.musictogetheroflincolnsquare.com/">Music Together</a>. This class focuses more on music education, teaching rhythms, pitch intervals, and exposing kids to a wider range of instruments & all types of music. Our class last fall was more entertainment-based (although also fun!). The highlight of the Music Together class for Paige is that her friend Theo is also in the class. She gets SO excited to go to music class with Theo!<br /><br />Adam is smiling all the time. He has started to babble more, although he's no match for his chatterbox sister. He's getting stronger every day. He can roll to the side, but not quite all the way over yet... any day now... He had his first cold last week, so he hasn't been sleeping well (and neither have I). But he's on the mend, generally back to his usual easy-going self. He loves watching his sister and at times yearns to hop out of his bouncy seat and follow her! Soon enough, he will be mobile, and then we'll have a whole new set of challenges. But also new joys. Here are a few recent photos.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8g1OA33Xt_9YfpmS6_aSh3yZNgKi8qw_NGZtogNdD6VaD1WeVxI2TxNeWvIpadEDbTQBgkkAXfGjSibfL0PUyXyncHMprlBCQBfj3x1e6-C9omHE4s-4A6qb2DR8rZqspSOaif2jhkw/s1600-h/IMG_5485.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8g1OA33Xt_9YfpmS6_aSh3yZNgKi8qw_NGZtogNdD6VaD1WeVxI2TxNeWvIpadEDbTQBgkkAXfGjSibfL0PUyXyncHMprlBCQBfj3x1e6-C9omHE4s-4A6qb2DR8rZqspSOaif2jhkw/s320/IMG_5485.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302110076264039314" /></a><br /><p align=center>Paige and Adam, Feb 1, 2009</p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNtxblO0rJcgjQsTo_iv7kmAQGPrbNzUscX5sNr5_Ro9LQbxpHPS_uqtzF_Lo4dmbj3qMETPlYDTwEmEsb6dMK9lTd_JAN8JuihDHyXUF-NCSRyP79fHKLoUa3sgmZX6oy9MJlva4FYo/s1600-h/DSC02397.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNtxblO0rJcgjQsTo_iv7kmAQGPrbNzUscX5sNr5_Ro9LQbxpHPS_uqtzF_Lo4dmbj3qMETPlYDTwEmEsb6dMK9lTd_JAN8JuihDHyXUF-NCSRyP79fHKLoUa3sgmZX6oy9MJlva4FYo/s320/DSC02397.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302110535996566994" /></a><br /><p align=center>Family Photo, Dec 30, 2008</p>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-56818784936570009222008-12-17T11:35:00.007-06:002008-12-17T11:59:30.775-06:00Let it snow!Well, we have been very busy around here, as you may have guessed due to the lack of blog posts! Paige's little brother, Adam Joseph, entered the world on Thurs Oct 16th at 8 lbs 8 oz and 20.5 inches long. He is growing so fast! I can't believe we marked his two-month birthday yesterday!<br /><br />We had visits from all the grandparents after Adam's birth. We're so happy they got to meet him, and so grateful for their help with all the daily chores of life (like cooking, dishes, and laundry!), which I took a hiatus from while nursing Adam every 2- 3 hours, and sleeping in one-hour intervals. Ugh. Fortunately, he is eating a little less often, so I now have time to fix the occasional meal (hot dogs and macaroni and cheese counts as "cooking", right?!).<br /><br />Adam started smiling about two weeks ago. He now has a couple of "happy times" every day, when he likes to stare at the nearest human face, smile, and coo. As sleep-deprived parents, we are eating this up! It is so exciting to have him interacting with us!<br /><br />During our blog silence, we also celebrated Paige's second birthday. Photos below. Paige has caught on to the gift tradition & is now eagerly looking forward to Christmas! Among her favorite birthday gifts were the magic-writer doodle tablet (think etch-a-sketch, but with a magnetic pen) and her refrigerator alphabet letters ("L, L says LLLL! Every letter makes a sound and L says LLLL!"). She likes to play letters first thing in the morning while I'm fixing breakfast. Some days, that first cup of coffee can't come soon enough! On a positive note, she memorized the alphabet song after having this new toy only two days. She can now sing her ABC's even if she doesn't know what they all mean yet.<br /><br />The title of this post refers to the six inches or so of snow we've gotten in the past 24 hours. Paige loves playing in the snow, although she dislikes wearing mittens. This causes a problem, so we limit our snow time to short stretches.<br /><br />Paige continues to make us laugh on a daily basis. Her latest trick is to say how much she LOVES everything. "Paige LOVES Elmo!" "Paige LOVES Play-Doh!" "Paige LOVES baby Adam!" Of course, that always make us smile!<br /><br />She is also still imitating much of what we say and do. The other day, I was cleaning the bathroom while Paige watched. The next morning, we had this conversation:<br />Paige: Paige need the big brush.<br />Mom: What big brush?<br />Paige: Paige need the big brush.<br />Mom: What do you need the big brush for?<br />Paige: To clean the toilet! Paige wanna clean the toilet!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAZB4WoNieGt7wuzb2hAAWDHF_0DXr7HCVc_4h1eyM35xOZIZKdnE5szOM0VnOguIZFg2ndlrJZ61YWhenxZk8w4GtENAbVExf03ttmm-SUaIBYm83RhEuEL1KFBkyRVbYIqUPSHtM5k/s1600-h/Paige-kitchen1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAZB4WoNieGt7wuzb2hAAWDHF_0DXr7HCVc_4h1eyM35xOZIZKdnE5szOM0VnOguIZFg2ndlrJZ61YWhenxZk8w4GtENAbVExf03ttmm-SUaIBYm83RhEuEL1KFBkyRVbYIqUPSHtM5k/s320/Paige-kitchen1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280816867774483826" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Paige got a kitchen for her birthday</b></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlOnG-9lmO9wl-n_CUpr5r7tViibldAqIqppG9RYq_Gci1GVjhNCHycvpAQ-97KsF8dIJ0RvTnbpfUYiTe_ExIN76_6xW-9ASfkZqxEkOMP3-sb3llHrYvBXw3Sv_B0NG9MD-_evjHpw/s1600-h/Paige-cake2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlOnG-9lmO9wl-n_CUpr5r7tViibldAqIqppG9RYq_Gci1GVjhNCHycvpAQ-97KsF8dIJ0RvTnbpfUYiTe_ExIN76_6xW-9ASfkZqxEkOMP3-sb3llHrYvBXw3Sv_B0NG9MD-_evjHpw/s320/Paige-cake2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280816866127337074" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Paige loved her birthday cake</b></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwea60v44QLbPUF6OY0cMO3JUtUBE0rH4zTdS3EDxzjBR39neEN2SQBax0wbruY1jsce-TSDyO_cr5k6bk9k2bMJAvOdGbBRbv6aG3wzkj4TqsTpQ6yY9844wPrNP96ve5EXiYv2GQ95w/s1600-h/family1-112308.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwea60v44QLbPUF6OY0cMO3JUtUBE0rH4zTdS3EDxzjBR39neEN2SQBax0wbruY1jsce-TSDyO_cr5k6bk9k2bMJAvOdGbBRbv6aG3wzkj4TqsTpQ6yY9844wPrNP96ve5EXiYv2GQ95w/s320/family1-112308.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280816859409990866" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Family of Four</b></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSjXgFjjXSd2CZ8fg0kjexJ05o29esOLMWg3HzCK6MtNT4qs4OpKVv8zqkD90gprkl07_ITLjwaLjpM-cu1sIDIXMRAwZVPr9i6YSCctXMixt5aEnoEyY7ySmOf5UcruKTazfqMArZ0c/s1600-h/IMG_5188.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSjXgFjjXSd2CZ8fg0kjexJ05o29esOLMWg3HzCK6MtNT4qs4OpKVv8zqkD90gprkl07_ITLjwaLjpM-cu1sIDIXMRAwZVPr9i6YSCctXMixt5aEnoEyY7ySmOf5UcruKTazfqMArZ0c/s320/IMG_5188.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280818044936933378" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Adam dressed as a cat on Halloween</b></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifp32NLlp6w7i83VNU3cTnTY8Ttfb7PV_8XFF9wjYv1PenPjz_z4e7BqnZG46YTXZlun49iVbcOmQKUkDBA3xgSE7MUz0Gp7R6NaCBhkLiBIFMpetB6aj6CW_Qv8Nc9tXgdQ_xpjHJTEs/s1600-h/IMG_5191.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifp32NLlp6w7i83VNU3cTnTY8Ttfb7PV_8XFF9wjYv1PenPjz_z4e7BqnZG46YTXZlun49iVbcOmQKUkDBA3xgSE7MUz0Gp7R6NaCBhkLiBIFMpetB6aj6CW_Qv8Nc9tXgdQ_xpjHJTEs/s320/IMG_5191.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280818039125609202" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Paige as a duck and Adam's first Halloween</b></p>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-25284457337543223342008-10-06T14:24:00.004-05:002008-10-06T14:31:35.272-05:00On Books & ReadingI'll have to stretch just a little to make this post about Paige (see promo below).<br />Paige is currently requesting the following to be read to her (over & over again):<br />Ten Apples Up on Top (Dr. Seuss)<br />Just In Case You Ever Wonder (Max Lucado) - note Paige calls this book "God"<br />Any of the Sweet Pickles books (Jacquelyn Reinach and Richard Hefter)<br />Whistle for Willie (Ezra Jack Keats) <br /><br /><br />Promo for Open Books:<br />Are your bookshelves bursting at the seams? Do you have books you'd like to donate to a good cause? Open Books is making it easier than ever for gently used books to benefit others by presenting The Great American Book Driveā¢. Let us find your used books a new home! A large percent of the profits from their sale will fund reading programs in the local Chicago community. It's about literacy, not landfill.<br />Sunday, October 26<br />10 am - 4 pm<br />213 W. Institute Place<br />Chicago, IL 60610<br /><a href="http://open-books.org/gabd/index.php">Open Books Link</a>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-19277670630214043632008-09-01T20:48:00.005-05:002008-09-01T20:57:00.431-05:00Grandma & Jaja's visitCan't believe I didn't post about our visit from Grandma Joy & Grandpa Joe! Here are some highlights in pictures.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2YF8TTBEunPhEhmHDYy92eBaDyLDrvBn9dzsm3epuq88W2q2gk9wSqPvc4draDNTGnDMmpPNL39bLJXV7SbdNK5FhbfLsYs_-aLi_CjxTSC_EzB6yVt5pymuRspIvF8Yh-fp7OUTnVE/s1600-h/cream-puff08.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2YF8TTBEunPhEhmHDYy92eBaDyLDrvBn9dzsm3epuq88W2q2gk9wSqPvc4draDNTGnDMmpPNL39bLJXV7SbdNK5FhbfLsYs_-aLi_CjxTSC_EzB6yVt5pymuRspIvF8Yh-fp7OUTnVE/s320/cream-puff08.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241236477861214002" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Cream Puff at the Wisc St Fair</b></p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNf53OLlAnVVEzEwuvQDj2hgJ5FPsjQiYA7fK0juHeriZoZSslkSU_m58Le4bdp8bDJKk70wZgDwlPHNh7oxrsW6ZiMYJajP9i9m6yMy0o1ssdEGWl40w7JJsgst4n3USr80rLJaLO7NQ/s1600-h/cow-faces2008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNf53OLlAnVVEzEwuvQDj2hgJ5FPsjQiYA7fK0juHeriZoZSslkSU_m58Le4bdp8bDJKk70wZgDwlPHNh7oxrsW6ZiMYJajP9i9m6yMy0o1ssdEGWl40w7JJsgst4n3USr80rLJaLO7NQ/s320/cow-faces2008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241236481296910322" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Posing as Cows at the Wisc St Fair</b></p><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrhafUneqalYGa0S4k_OEJmJZkweojTBEe18l3EGsfs-Yh9sRSV4QQylOyFLq3_S3MK5_4oL7vDJ_L2B6nNkPs7mclmmzT7NwzH-hPvx-KXzwCrSdWJvBjwtN8d7VA01mfLdW_pgC1Uw/s1600-h/Joy-Joe-family-Aug08.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrhafUneqalYGa0S4k_OEJmJZkweojTBEe18l3EGsfs-Yh9sRSV4QQylOyFLq3_S3MK5_4oL7vDJ_L2B6nNkPs7mclmmzT7NwzH-hPvx-KXzwCrSdWJvBjwtN8d7VA01mfLdW_pgC1Uw/s320/Joy-Joe-family-Aug08.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241236485073537714" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Paige with mom, dad, grandma, and jaja</b></p><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW98BdamgtS7BESsDhydUjxAhkaF83INAlRkHF2MKOSy7UdgUMxAgrVn20X6PqFhtpHfXMazqSrLR0z8sDS0O2KDvF3PorfDpfIfCNCQpDkGeRefMsL65xRMTXHHVXHzgAAcgI3iy9YSE/s1600-h/Paige-Allison.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW98BdamgtS7BESsDhydUjxAhkaF83INAlRkHF2MKOSy7UdgUMxAgrVn20X6PqFhtpHfXMazqSrLR0z8sDS0O2KDvF3PorfDpfIfCNCQpDkGeRefMsL65xRMTXHHVXHzgAAcgI3iy9YSE/s320/Paige-Allison.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241236489037745698" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Paige with second cousin & new best bud Allison</b></p>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-2777481919399359292008-09-01T20:31:00.003-05:002008-09-01T20:36:10.140-05:00Bathroom bonanzaIf you are not a parent, you may want to skip this post-- it will be graphic!<br /><br />Paige got her own potty at the beginning of the summer and began using it occasionally when prompted back in June. Then we remodeled our bathroom, and this threw her off for a while while the bathroom was under construction. Lately she has been trying again, with prompting. Today she went in her potty FOUR TIMES!! Three pees and a poop! I am SO PROUD!! Granted, it was only the poop where she told me she had to go. For the others, I just took off her pants & sat her on the potty at logical times (after nap, after dinner, etc). And she did the rest. She might be somewhat motivated by the new foaming Elmo soap that Dad bought her recently. She now LOVES to wash her hands with it. And I did reward her with watching a few episodes of Thomas and Friends tonight... We will have to think of alternate rewards besides TV, since there is a limit to that!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-7844877790165862482008-08-07T21:00:00.003-05:002008-08-07T21:09:01.130-05:00Zoo and SneezesPaige and her new nanny, Rose, went to the zoo yesterday. Paige came back chattering about monkeys, zebras, snakes, goats and more. The weather was great and they had so much fun! Paige found the bus ride to the zoo just about as exciting as the zoo itself. However, on the bus ride home, she fell asleep.<br /><br />When I came back from my doctor's appointment this afternoon, I had a band-aid on my arm where I had a blood sample taken. Paige is fascinated with band-aids and immediately spotted mine. She reached for it and tried to pull it off, but I said "No, mama has a boo boo. I need to keep the band-aid on." Paige said "boo boo" several times, then bent her little head down and kissed my arm! Talk about melting my heart!<br /><br />Tonight while I was fixing Paige a bedtime snack (of Cheerios and milk- what else?!), I sneezed. Her little voice said "bless you!" I was so surprised, I almost forgot to say "thank you!" Then she proceeded to repeat back to me "sneeze, bless you, thank you" several times to be sure I understood the sequence of events. She often signs "thank you" at the same time as she says it, for added effect. She is absorbing more every day - and not just words, but also their meaning. She is starting to make connections from books to real life, and from one situation to another. What a miracle and a joy to watch!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-25946128996223490762008-07-23T20:30:00.007-05:002008-07-23T20:44:49.568-05:00July Summer FunOur valiant efforts at blogging have dropped from weekly to monthly, but we hope that's still better than never! Over July 4th weekend, we hosted Uncle Mike, Aunt Molly and Paige's cousins. We took them on the El train for the first time, showed off our local parks, and hosted a great July 4th BBQ. Paige attended two birthday parties that weekend as well!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ENH07CNV5j1YfYKelMuQxXXXMWyAEhLi7_DDsqZPkyztHLTOD8vtm7G5UZlTvotFZ7JdvHmJlWUW9KbbGkjmRvNGmixp73jOADTxA8R5TahR89d2nouWNOC6MNyc6CPlf4zQxXPDbRg/s1600-h/IMG_4895.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ENH07CNV5j1YfYKelMuQxXXXMWyAEhLi7_DDsqZPkyztHLTOD8vtm7G5UZlTvotFZ7JdvHmJlWUW9KbbGkjmRvNGmixp73jOADTxA8R5TahR89d2nouWNOC6MNyc6CPlf4zQxXPDbRg/s320/IMG_4895.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226388837221571378" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Paige with cousin Payton</b></p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnh8HChOuLugCfCnUgHJ8xiKs56Q_D16hCoAIDxCOE0_Uuly6t3ico6LcZ4RlX3Uai07M6uNmAUPh203jkFDPLStDqGzzST4zJTuKy1qXW5bA1Uq3ne3Qu-U-l3AobLj0HVkFMVlXBWt4/s1600-h/IMG_4901.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnh8HChOuLugCfCnUgHJ8xiKs56Q_D16hCoAIDxCOE0_Uuly6t3ico6LcZ4RlX3Uai07M6uNmAUPh203jkFDPLStDqGzzST4zJTuKy1qXW5bA1Uq3ne3Qu-U-l3AobLj0HVkFMVlXBWt4/s320/IMG_4901.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226388841573509730" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>July 4th BBQ</b></p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlGd-8fCj68yuDd_YzzD0V1AkjPYJomuQg1tUYaowC-Te1sKufT5jSgqnaN-GXgpmVF9ujgKplwRliQjiD4fTEAV0XHlyuxt9THufZyl7IaUPvydAJEpvQkIGx6biviYsoIP6tQx8igQ/s1600-h/Kids-washerbox.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlGd-8fCj68yuDd_YzzD0V1AkjPYJomuQg1tUYaowC-Te1sKufT5jSgqnaN-GXgpmVF9ujgKplwRliQjiD4fTEAV0XHlyuxt9THufZyl7IaUPvydAJEpvQkIGx6biviYsoIP6tQx8igQ/s320/Kids-washerbox.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226388844571562962" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Kids at the BBQ</b></p><br /><br />On the second July weekend, we all drove up to the north suburbs for a family picnic on Steve's side, where Paige rode on a tire swing for the first time. She had a blast playing with the "big girls" and great-aunt Sharon's house. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDC_VBb1zXirCmERnPEL1liQ_3QXStAZSCcD-Hw493WHHHQL4k-wXPb-IUvF4E9L05LaPY_z5e9HSpYnaA8bk_hzPts-DLkfofHNsCl5xKFYnKWfGxbFMMLBmBY5bYZHmZpq-gCAvED8/s1600-h/IMG_4945.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDC_VBb1zXirCmERnPEL1liQ_3QXStAZSCcD-Hw493WHHHQL4k-wXPb-IUvF4E9L05LaPY_z5e9HSpYnaA8bk_hzPts-DLkfofHNsCl5xKFYnKWfGxbFMMLBmBY5bYZHmZpq-gCAvED8/s320/IMG_4945.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226389437202579970" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>On the tire swing</b></p><br /><br />Then we hosted Grandma Karen & Grandpa Joe (AKA Pop-pop) for a 5-day visit, during which Paige kept them playing at the park & walking with the stroller & bike as much as possible. We had HOT weather, but a very fun visit!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5GagtdEMlmci7DAo9hLsCkzels5G_C6uaYeF5l-ulX6t33io8u-KjYBN_H_OcJM-uNBhT-lfEs-YW8IHeWABvYzfCEnDA5WUHmXr8a8D9BR5agNdiSj2r5wv5h6QKLGjxqwALHsrvVg/s1600-h/IMG_4954.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5GagtdEMlmci7DAo9hLsCkzels5G_C6uaYeF5l-ulX6t33io8u-KjYBN_H_OcJM-uNBhT-lfEs-YW8IHeWABvYzfCEnDA5WUHmXr8a8D9BR5agNdiSj2r5wv5h6QKLGjxqwALHsrvVg/s320/IMG_4954.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226389694632346354" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>With Grandma and Pop-pop</b></p>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-20792087326776316472008-06-19T21:39:00.005-05:002008-06-19T21:49:50.550-05:00June Summer FunWe've set up the sprinkler a few times in the back yard, although Paige prefers a bucket of water with some scoops to play with instead. ice cubes are also very popular on hot days, just to hold & watch them melt in her hand. Here she is in the sprinkler.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKM52Fu7iFAOXda_NuU7eFvoCodefe1RUH1lfdc3fF8TzpgmJX7EIijuSvYoo3e2RN9aPuV1ZOY1I5VEKD8X5YOSt4keQiMet3F4G4PusTExanzSuKc7kNM8w5pwhE6js6PHq_e92bhdo/s1600-h/IMG_4782.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKM52Fu7iFAOXda_NuU7eFvoCodefe1RUH1lfdc3fF8TzpgmJX7EIijuSvYoo3e2RN9aPuV1ZOY1I5VEKD8X5YOSt4keQiMet3F4G4PusTExanzSuKc7kNM8w5pwhE6js6PHq_e92bhdo/s320/IMG_4782.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213788192009413938" /></a><br /><br />Paige loves to have playmates these days. Here she is hanging out with Loren (12 months younger).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnq0EGnV_TWgkLx5SJmTBr0PnkZLD7q92ubM8Ngf38SiSLVr3MCAVm4spnysYd1I-U-IIiIRoA3SqSYpIgNwO-luiqe0kLwXbLjXUIzoItQEF-fo-LxlVSsvJfNXEeyMAlBaPxMy6Af8/s1600-h/IMG_4791.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnq0EGnV_TWgkLx5SJmTBr0PnkZLD7q92ubM8Ngf38SiSLVr3MCAVm4spnysYd1I-U-IIiIRoA3SqSYpIgNwO-luiqe0kLwXbLjXUIzoItQEF-fo-LxlVSsvJfNXEeyMAlBaPxMy6Af8/s320/IMG_4791.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213788477973968226" /></a><br /><br /><br />And finally, a doll story for Grandma. Grandma sent Paige home from Ohio with a box full of dolls that were mine when I was younger (see photo below). Paige has enjoyed playing with them. Lately she is starting to "care" for them more too. This morning, she put a doll in her stroller, then gave the doll her sippee cup & said "drink drink." Tonight when I was putting her to bed, she said, "baby baby" so we had to hold a baby doll in the rocking chair with us while singing our bedtime songs. Paige picked up the doll & held her face close, so I thought she was going to kiss the doll. But instead, Paige rubbed her nose on the doll's nose for an Eskimo kiss! Then she handed me the doll & said "night night" so we put the doll to "sleep" on the bookshelf. Very sweet.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUm8_VSCZR-b8hZc-U6uXmdnt7bmTJpWkhajSt3HOgeaol61Pv3PvITBz_wAXUUx-9_KheVTCWgiBUbHpNvXunl1IQHNib-LF3HkMktifB5FHP2qRiYccEJ6uDgyYUzhfAm82EhfJNFg/s1600-h/IMG_4709.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUm8_VSCZR-b8hZc-U6uXmdnt7bmTJpWkhajSt3HOgeaol61Pv3PvITBz_wAXUUx-9_KheVTCWgiBUbHpNvXunl1IQHNib-LF3HkMktifB5FHP2qRiYccEJ6uDgyYUzhfAm82EhfJNFg/s320/IMG_4709.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213790092001752146" /></a>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-70387870655192639632008-06-19T21:33:00.004-05:002008-06-19T22:02:57.911-05:00May wrap upOh dear, I've done it again! Let May slip by without posting all that happened! We went to Ohio to see the grandparents. Paige got a new bike. We went to a pirate birthday party, <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-448178706494093111&hl=en" target="_blank">where Paige had fun dancing!</a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVbshPzjKsQgYiocWw7fOuQhTCeAkj2clSgId7e0NkHBAbP2fM7f3SjcYWi0axB3-CnyCzZJn2g0Qv5U6ZjOTxGABPMkby0ymaYM0HOUugUvvc7mDQDNZ5LbsMTySRIIuPn88V3Zr2z4/s1600-h/DSC02004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVbshPzjKsQgYiocWw7fOuQhTCeAkj2clSgId7e0NkHBAbP2fM7f3SjcYWi0axB3-CnyCzZJn2g0Qv5U6ZjOTxGABPMkby0ymaYM0HOUugUvvc7mDQDNZ5LbsMTySRIIuPn88V3Zr2z4/s320/DSC02004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213786959176992674" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrGDzuqVxpJf_EZiyW4eU40YSYuHCqqd63-ki1V6PaUtW16TjuOyZYHuy8xigigW9Tbm5ElDZ7Nrnw3HFc7d4GMbb5P1KkoK484A97f7CfrWNCpp3wQOhhXofj1nDHDQIPCMrT8EfgUM/s1600-h/IMG_4728.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrGDzuqVxpJf_EZiyW4eU40YSYuHCqqd63-ki1V6PaUtW16TjuOyZYHuy8xigigW9Tbm5ElDZ7Nrnw3HFc7d4GMbb5P1KkoK484A97f7CfrWNCpp3wQOhhXofj1nDHDQIPCMrT8EfgUM/s320/IMG_4728.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213786964288476242" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3H_qPsva9cP49X1gKlOebrwazTXj50IGIX4RFNWcXDi0T4hf33vks-t6Tj6pZ4OMBrj7yT4RJw4vMkNzodZM3-IE7FHAAOMYqo2mbParr6GQGdcf-AiXhTPDTWI8lLr6MfOrqthPrXU/s1600-h/bike-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3H_qPsva9cP49X1gKlOebrwazTXj50IGIX4RFNWcXDi0T4hf33vks-t6Tj6pZ4OMBrj7yT4RJw4vMkNzodZM3-IE7FHAAOMYqo2mbParr6GQGdcf-AiXhTPDTWI8lLr6MfOrqthPrXU/s320/bike-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213793795528517986" /></a>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-88332925616550828042008-05-27T22:06:00.003-05:002008-05-27T22:15:21.279-05:00Zoo VisitI took Paige to the zoo last weekend with another mom & her son, who is 3 months older than Paige. What a blast! She is finally old enough to enjoy watching the animals & imitating their many noises. She especially enjoyed the petting zoo. You can bet we will be visiting the zoo again soon!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbbLlPinOF2K0iymrTTisk6xNGNu5g1vAPyc7Tga8DOg0baNAJtQtWO59Yug0zYpDwbuyoIffOPsOncIIYx1BMt9qPV6Nlhu7hArlL0INwVXJwUTFuoy47UxleuFmpbG60gZon4QQpkY/s1600-h/IMG_4673.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbbLlPinOF2K0iymrTTisk6xNGNu5g1vAPyc7Tga8DOg0baNAJtQtWO59Yug0zYpDwbuyoIffOPsOncIIYx1BMt9qPV6Nlhu7hArlL0INwVXJwUTFuoy47UxleuFmpbG60gZon4QQpkY/s320/IMG_4673.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205261663406354402" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LICIQE6jt2PsofcMpFW_5RaaEsXgKtO5OnBrpD8NK-RbOpWS18RGIvCPk9_tWQZHEb2ClHAfQAuixJ0_1UgmmUzlgJ5jhhp_2xmpu8kMQ9ynWqAQigfYV9LhewadNi0nrY0q88UNKOA/s1600-h/IMG_4680.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LICIQE6jt2PsofcMpFW_5RaaEsXgKtO5OnBrpD8NK-RbOpWS18RGIvCPk9_tWQZHEb2ClHAfQAuixJ0_1UgmmUzlgJ5jhhp_2xmpu8kMQ9ynWqAQigfYV9LhewadNi0nrY0q88UNKOA/s320/IMG_4680.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205261671996289010" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQzS4HONvzWhypYagz3JvWuOIv61Nioaf5JqW55vPobHGAW67YSSCB01HiNX_jd1W6zcyY7LMC5oGzQSAQ_8pibe7yzg34xgVk0ZZck6M22KU4I-iX5Pvt5NNGrrw4xaZjm-9YwbNXi4/s1600-h/IMG_4663.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQzS4HONvzWhypYagz3JvWuOIv61Nioaf5JqW55vPobHGAW67YSSCB01HiNX_jd1W6zcyY7LMC5oGzQSAQ_8pibe7yzg34xgVk0ZZck6M22KU4I-iX5Pvt5NNGrrw4xaZjm-9YwbNXi4/s320/IMG_4663.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205261676291256322" /></a>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-68711815005889906042008-05-19T10:46:00.003-05:002008-05-19T10:49:31.438-05:00Dirt!Paige helped mom plant flowers in every available pot last Friday. We had beautiful weather. With good help like this, we may have to get more pots & more flowers!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykgDg0C2vzc-dIuJZqPvZ3syph7E2kgiIC0_G3WmXRsPiyeVpOrW5Sev1kRS6OAeoT2yFQoLbxZwDxYKthb0HTDZRBqo1Ioiq9FaLsuKled2nRFNP5dnChIPfBB1q2QpnIQ9-QWZlMK4/s1600-h/Photo_051608_002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykgDg0C2vzc-dIuJZqPvZ3syph7E2kgiIC0_G3WmXRsPiyeVpOrW5Sev1kRS6OAeoT2yFQoLbxZwDxYKthb0HTDZRBqo1Ioiq9FaLsuKled2nRFNP5dnChIPfBB1q2QpnIQ9-QWZlMK4/s320/Photo_051608_002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202116323987100530" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Digging in the dirt!</b></p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5r0SrD_FzLc0uw24Bgb7CyVetRXCOQQzg_dpmqc3nv09W4CI-BaSe5TP79CKprCUAB3hPaYflZv-ZQguNCQ-fCf4gyf5cc1DCn2pozERYrkq4UlqSoJbb93IU3afbii6XuQ8gFFLe5M/s1600-h/Photo_051608_003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5r0SrD_FzLc0uw24Bgb7CyVetRXCOQQzg_dpmqc3nv09W4CI-BaSe5TP79CKprCUAB3hPaYflZv-ZQguNCQ-fCf4gyf5cc1DCn2pozERYrkq4UlqSoJbb93IU3afbii6XuQ8gFFLe5M/s320/Photo_051608_003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202116332577035138" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Wearing one of dad's old t-shirts to keep clean. Ha ha.</b></p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOX01k-1oXzjosKhMhyy3PYh78KPiloJAqneOqUBdjjDc83t4WGhAoisNXV9axPFhxEm7vOi-dVB8bVoBo_l7TDRPOc9lFJmujstr4ryn4kBLnuanPwRGopm4sKM2eRiWGmsA6vzHXVig/s1600-h/Photo_051608_004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOX01k-1oXzjosKhMhyy3PYh78KPiloJAqneOqUBdjjDc83t4WGhAoisNXV9axPFhxEm7vOi-dVB8bVoBo_l7TDRPOc9lFJmujstr4ryn4kBLnuanPwRGopm4sKM2eRiWGmsA6vzHXVig/s320/Photo_051608_004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202116336872002450" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Mama's helper</b></p>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-74657843276431386052008-05-08T13:00:00.006-05:002008-05-08T13:21:28.948-05:00What happened to AprilYou know, the month between March (last post) and May (current date)?! We knew it would be busy before it even began...<br /><br />On April 1, Beth returned from a long weekend trip to Las Vegas with a friend (and no baby!) for some fun in the sun. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAMlh3H3j9SqxUGs9j4N8o6L9DeIJ9jJoivzyvNlHgCXeaTmY5DVvL21GUSppiUD1OxgjY9puemJzhwWrroyp4QS7iAGh4lF4ARee1hdOMEaFfT-Ls_97ZflEtF5SxnfaJN0lsdocXN4/s1600-h/IMG_4612.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAMlh3H3j9SqxUGs9j4N8o6L9DeIJ9jJoivzyvNlHgCXeaTmY5DVvL21GUSppiUD1OxgjY9puemJzhwWrroyp4QS7iAGh4lF4ARee1hdOMEaFfT-Ls_97ZflEtF5SxnfaJN0lsdocXN4/s320/IMG_4612.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198069301866736498" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>In front of a fountain at The Wynn</b></P><br /><br />Two weeks later, Grandma Sara and Grandpa D arrived to help care for Paige while Beth flew to NY for business. The grandparents left just before the stomach flu struck our household for the second time in two months. Paige & Beth got it bad; Steve got it just enough to feel queasy. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_f0GPDc-gr5PtCwWeWphkg_6z25XuVnOC4mrnlbw8RejT4UGwVxmxXcdu-RqpkoOXdY53NoW-zXtdVZscqQeVL5LXoX4NkQbVaouu5vtZb3lPdWFuftW5AzfUFeNt4CGdJZZhQq4Pjd0/s1600-h/family-DSC01760.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_f0GPDc-gr5PtCwWeWphkg_6z25XuVnOC4mrnlbw8RejT4UGwVxmxXcdu-RqpkoOXdY53NoW-zXtdVZscqQeVL5LXoX4NkQbVaouu5vtZb3lPdWFuftW5AzfUFeNt4CGdJZZhQq4Pjd0/s320/family-DSC01760.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198072600401619890" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Our family before the stomach flu. Photo credit: Grandpa D.</b></P><br /><br />Days later, Steve packed his suitcase for a 6-day training session in Orlando, leaving Beth on single-mom duty and still recovering from the flu. We slept a lot that week.<br /><br />On April 23, Paige & Beth flew down to FL as well to meet up with Steve & visit with his parents, brother, sis-in-law, & nephew. We had fantastic weather & a really fun visit with the family. Paige loved chasing their cat. For days after we got home, we heard "meow meow" all over our house (even though we do not have a cat).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQlPhuooi5GiD5DNCRXMKp_e3ixoryQXdslGaxwNJCD5jADFzSSvaE09CypWwjoSJrpqP7nbk2RquritQeRgUfK73ock3XJTXNp96fLj0cq4Kmh09zOgw3RjsryfTx0ZbX2U7rD14ygQ/s1600-h/IMG_4656.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQlPhuooi5GiD5DNCRXMKp_e3ixoryQXdslGaxwNJCD5jADFzSSvaE09CypWwjoSJrpqP7nbk2RquritQeRgUfK73ock3XJTXNp96fLj0cq4Kmh09zOgw3RjsryfTx0ZbX2U7rD14ygQ/s320/IMG_4656.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198070285414247298" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Family portrait</b></P><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FtHpzDpiqkIGguL0OKiswEPEjZX9gWXktvuxB0gSYjTwGlbs9BwWH47m0s3rFj3qfpT-n1IPaz5_hzdrIIcMZF4nWwPjTuqBs2g3Z12APryDL7PdfJ8fwryReg_jCTkrjddHGl7AOJE/s1600-h/IMG_4647.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FtHpzDpiqkIGguL0OKiswEPEjZX9gWXktvuxB0gSYjTwGlbs9BwWH47m0s3rFj3qfpT-n1IPaz5_hzdrIIcMZF4nWwPjTuqBs2g3Z12APryDL7PdfJ8fwryReg_jCTkrjddHGl7AOJE/s320/IMG_4647.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198070289709214610" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Paige makes friends with Chow Chow the cat</b></P><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFrFDdLVxBu0UKXt3Nf7BAnqx6vsbgSzHliwNRftIVLl9bnFh7caIJ6HEHANl9QRGyKBMLYbDS4-keNWlATUySy6jLEGyGco9p0xKxURYNQd64F8uI6khK9HzvQDIGflAgfIl-EvWudQ/s1600-h/IMG_4639.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFrFDdLVxBu0UKXt3Nf7BAnqx6vsbgSzHliwNRftIVLl9bnFh7caIJ6HEHANl9QRGyKBMLYbDS4-keNWlATUySy6jLEGyGco9p0xKxURYNQd64F8uI6khK9HzvQDIGflAgfIl-EvWudQ/s320/IMG_4639.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198070294004181922" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Cousin JJ teaches Paige some rock star moves</b></P><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qPnNmxYxuoLrirkJrSpGChv2JORjJuaqsy05dVKYmhfYe1g-7LyqGL6uI7Js_F650zNs0ZoLYvlCW37So-1iKaWchJkkkXGehmu9AHhwUkdUOuO64ZxX61Z8OyAxpz3myrqW-f20OmI/s1600-h/IMG_4651.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qPnNmxYxuoLrirkJrSpGChv2JORjJuaqsy05dVKYmhfYe1g-7LyqGL6uI7Js_F650zNs0ZoLYvlCW37So-1iKaWchJkkkXGehmu9AHhwUkdUOuO64ZxX61Z8OyAxpz3myrqW-f20OmI/s320/IMG_4651.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198073021308414914" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Paige with Grandma Joy</b></P><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgindSRSjPaI8UshKFl9lqEtXibN7o_CDHmmJ4LfZN_hOfNA-96b6L0h26vlpBLHheJzOmrozgbSEBpqA__8k3w3fwfHCyzcA_e8kVaqmHQGaKFH4dUSG2Yokzo0JdbJrnHTtl4GFraES8/s1600-h/850A0060.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgindSRSjPaI8UshKFl9lqEtXibN7o_CDHmmJ4LfZN_hOfNA-96b6L0h26vlpBLHheJzOmrozgbSEBpqA__8k3w3fwfHCyzcA_e8kVaqmHQGaKFH4dUSG2Yokzo0JdbJrnHTtl4GFraES8/s320/850A0060.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198073708503182290" /></a><br /><p align="center"><b>Paige models her swimsuit</b></P>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-90966115228036807832008-03-25T21:26:00.007-05:002008-03-26T13:01:20.381-05:00EasterWe took Paige to church on Easter Sunday. It was of course crowded. The music was especially loud - trumpets & all. Church started at 10:30. Paige's usual nap time is 11:00. She STILL fell asleep at naptime, depsite the crowds and music!<br /><br />We went out for lunch later that day to celebrate Easter and Daddy's birthday. The BBQ was very tasty! Paige made friends with two little girls at a nearby table, and they danced and twirled in their Easter dresses. I <a href = "http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6508688521416024803&hl=en" target="_blank">caught it on video</a> before the battery died. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumPq4_ZIkgDKDGsqbpFTNaPjuCOtHvrX79PDqWLaPYBlOcc6fDpyNKS6b_2ZiZG_0Qh-hyj7GwtIYcWohkke16D6anrAG_Wm8xCQWfXUwsL9LxaUg1xSxqQsGu2IpAZWLbfcFdEcDxDw/s1600-h/Photo_032308_002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumPq4_ZIkgDKDGsqbpFTNaPjuCOtHvrX79PDqWLaPYBlOcc6fDpyNKS6b_2ZiZG_0Qh-hyj7GwtIYcWohkke16D6anrAG_Wm8xCQWfXUwsL9LxaUg1xSxqQsGu2IpAZWLbfcFdEcDxDw/s320/Photo_032308_002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181872109796579554" /></a><br /><br />Here's <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2849688896312574616&hl=en" target="_blank">another video</a> of Paige trying on mom's slippers.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-23908464411129449432008-02-28T19:25:00.002-06:002008-02-28T19:32:11.143-06:00Honk!Our little ham is at it again! In the bathtub tonight, she was imitating daddy by batting her eyes at him. Of course, daddy had his eyes closed to avoid getting bubbles splashed in his eyes. But watching Paige do it just cracked us both up!<br /><br />During story time (part of the bedtime routine), she pressed daddy's nose & made him say "honk!" Then she turned to mommy and pressed her nose - "honk!" again! Paige alternated between mom's nose and dad's nose about 10 times each before we all cracked up laughing! Who would have thought that honking noses could be so much fun?!<br /><br />Paige had her 15-month check up this week. In spite of ANOTHER cold, she passed with a generally clean bill of health and is meeting all her developmental milestones. Our girl weighs 23 pounds (50-75th percentile) and is 32 7/8 inches tall! (off the chart for height) There's no secret to what we feed her: just plain good food, and lots of it.<br /><br />More photos coming soon.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-43674423497252061692008-02-18T21:47:00.002-06:002008-02-18T22:00:57.178-06:00Little ValentinePaige and mom went out to a special Valentine's lunch last Thursday. She got a pancake & some of my omelet. Paige also cleaned up on the Valentine's cards! Thanks to all the grandparents for sending their love. The Minnie Mouse stickers were a big hit (and are still stuck to the back door & the toilet lid!). Here's a photo of quite possible the cutest Valentine ever (not that I'm biased...)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXWFMjk6HCPJ40HJ4Bpj2TRcpT04mzerklp-RVrEN_F1FMZUYriAdKOLYEJ2NzCzsyFUPjcBgZFWYjVI56-Vd2T8YRPAPMED7Z07RvdXFDge6lteZ9kOZmyZBX6M_4YwNrRMVWGdz4rw/s1600-h/Valentine1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXWFMjk6HCPJ40HJ4Bpj2TRcpT04mzerklp-RVrEN_F1FMZUYriAdKOLYEJ2NzCzsyFUPjcBgZFWYjVI56-Vd2T8YRPAPMED7Z07RvdXFDge6lteZ9kOZmyZBX6M_4YwNrRMVWGdz4rw/s320/Valentine1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168536280701616562" /></a>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257380169099115564.post-7534129939609696992008-02-17T21:42:00.003-06:002008-02-18T22:04:18.025-06:00Goodnight MoonThis has become one of Paige's favorite books. She often pulls it out for me to read to her. She points at the two little kittens and says "meow meow". When I read the line about "the quiet old lady whispering hush," she repeats "hush hush." <br /><br />Last night, when we got out of the car, the moon was bright and high in the sky already. Paige pointed to it and asked "dat? dat?" her way of saying she wants to know what that is. I explained that it was the moon, like in her book. We read the book again when we got ready for bed last night. I hope this is only our first chance to integrate what she learns in books with the real world!<br /><br />Gratuitous cute photo included below.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0amWdWLd9slcBGVa5A_qZYNJIvRWsMp8JSaq3X6Je2ljyzW07mx0zc736D-oBzFZCaYBlt4cXnyWSNfCjp9Ss8mkSIh56paDFdU8TEdL0ygZZQrvWvTxY_4TPzFRkPGl-PAiz3AZlyU/s1600-h/Boots-1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0amWdWLd9slcBGVa5A_qZYNJIvRWsMp8JSaq3X6Je2ljyzW07mx0zc736D-oBzFZCaYBlt4cXnyWSNfCjp9Ss8mkSIh56paDFdU8TEdL0ygZZQrvWvTxY_4TPzFRkPGl-PAiz3AZlyU/s320/Boots-1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168537208414552514" /></a>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15898305987057850257noreply@blogger.com