Sunny Sunday

It's another beautiful spring day here in Minneapolis... 40 degrees and rainy! What the heck. When summer finally comes, it's going to be such a shock to everyone!

Fortunately, we've had a few beautifully springy days here and there. This past Sunday was absolutely gorgeous - 75 and sunny! It was the perfect day to be outside. The girls played outside almost all day, while I relaxed in the hammock.

At one point, Aaron and Maisie went to run an errand. Ella wanted to stay home and play, so she and I stayed outside, me still in the hammock. It wasn't too long before I had some company, though!

She climbed in there with me, laid back, and enjoyed swinging gently in the sun.

Well, for about a minute. Then it was time to start making silly faces for the camera!

Silly pictures were followed by her jumping off and digging in a little dirt pile. She poured water into the dirt to make mud, then made up a game that involved throwing it at me! I was still in the hammock so I tried to wrap it around myself, but she managed to get the mud in anyway. I climbed out to brush the mud off while she laughed hysterically. "I got the mud on you! It looks like poop! I get two points!!"

Then, to add insult to injury, she got in the hammock and told me I couldn't swing anymore because I had to push her.

So I pushed her for a while, until she was ready to go in for a much-needed bath.

It was a beautiful way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Urban legends

There's an urban legend that everyone eats a teaspoon, a pound, two bushels, or some other specific amount of dirt of the course of their lives. The amount varies depending on who you ask, but the idea remains the same.

Ella has been making sure that she gets her fair share of dirt.

Not a lot to say today... Ella had her first birthday, which will warrant its own post soon. It was a fun, fun party. But it's late, and I have a busy day tomorrow, so I'm going to stick to pictures.

First a new favorite picture of Ella, from a trip to the Children's Museum yesterday. Doesn't she look like a big girl?

I love it for that reason, but it also is like, wait a minute - where did my BABY go?? She's walking like crazy, and at just 12 months is already SUCH a toddler.

And this picture of Maisie is from a trip to the park today:

That, to me, is just pure joy.

Tiny Trouble's big sister is home for the summer

Ella can walk everywhere now. This means, in her mind, that she has license to examine and dismantle everything, and will start screaming at the top of her lungs if her investigation is interfered with. She can climb all the of the low-lying furniture without much difficulty, but still gets down half the time by falling off face first. But god forbid you should try to prevent her from climbing up again...she has baby rage issues. Also, forget trying to take away her bottle, even when it's completely empty. She will GET you.

Maisie is trying to find her schedule now that she's home for the summer. We're getting our rhythm, but with plenty of drama along the way. Here's some fun from earlier this week.