Fun Times at the Zoo

We had a blast at the zoo last weekend! We tried to go on Saturday, but when we finally made it there after Lucy's nap we were informed that it closed in a half hour. So take two was on Sunday and it ended up being a beautiful sunny day in Baltimore. We pretty much spent the whole day trying to get Lucy to keep her sunglasses on (she is not a big fan). Although she did enjoy the petting zoo where she was able to make friends with a goat.

The giraffes are my favorite exhibit at the zoo. They are such regal creatures. Lucy was much more interested in the otters. As you can see from the previous blog entry, she has been talking about the otters all week. And when I say "talking," I mean she has just been saying "otter" over and over when prompted.

Here Lucy is doing "So Big!"

Talking and Dancing

An update on some of her new and funny words:
1. Bottle; pronounced "bottoh bottoh bottoh"
2. Sippy; pronounced "sippy sippy sippy"
3. No; pronounced "nu nu nu." Note: way too popular.
4. Bear; pronounced "beeeeoh." Note: very Minnesota.
5. "Puppy" for grandpa; "titi" for aunt kristin; "gammy" for grammy.
6. Dog; pronounced "dooooog"
7. Up; pronounced "uppy uppy uppy"
8. Otter; pronounced "ah-er". See video below.
9. Nose: pronounced "nuuuuh"
10. Cracker; pronounced "cacka"
11. Milk; pronounced "mih"
12. Book; pronounced "buuuh"
13. All Done; pronounced "ahh dahh"
14. Animal noises "meow," "quack," and "moo." See video below.
15. Bow; which she says everyday when she is trying to take the bows out of her hair




This is one of our evening rituals - the dance party after dinner. Lucy's learning how to use instruments at a music class. We make sure the windows to our house are closed during our quiet little dance party...



You will also note our typical ritual of talking too much while the video is filming.

Science Center Outing with Mom

This week Lucy and I went on a little excursion to the Maryland Science Center. Lucy had a blast! She enjoyed romping around the water bed, throwing balls around, and building foam block towers and then making them crash down. She was so explorative and engaged. She spent almost two hours in the kids room and she wasn't even sick of it when it was time to leave. It reminded me of stories I heard about when I was a kid when my parents couldn't wear me out.

One of the highlights was this water table. Lucy was holding her own around the big kids. She sure looked cute in her little poncho (although she was still soaked by the time we were finished). I couldn't believe how curious she was about the exhibits, maybe we have another budding scientist on our hands!

Who Likes Watermelon?

Mimi Comes to Town

A couple of weekends ago, my best friend Mary came to town for a visit. We had an awesome time! We went out to eat, drank mojitos, went to the beach, and hung out with Lucy. We even taught Lucy how to say "Mimi" since "Mary" is too hard for her to say at this point. I am always sad when Mary leaves.
We went out for custard at Rita's and we let Lucy have a little sample. Lucy became grouchy when we told her "no more" and she kept signing for "more," pleading for just one more bite. Like father like daughter.
Of course in true Baltimore style we had to go out for some crabs. We left Lucy home with Don and were able to have some quality girl talk without the distraction of a toddler running around.
The highlight of the weekend was when we went to Sandy Point Beach which is only about a 45 minute drive away. The beach is located right near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Lucy really enjoyed herself. She has totally out grown her fear of the sand. In fact she was so comfortable we were even able to bury her in the sand.
No matter how many sippy cups I bring for her, all she wants to drink is my water bottle.

Don and Lucy enjoyed a swim together. The weather was perfect and Lucy even took a one hour nap in her stroller on the beach. We couldn't believe it! She NEVER falls asleep in her stroller. It was such a treat to have a little time to ourselves to nap and read our books.

Birthdays

Lucy's friend, Lily, had her first birthday party recently. The food was amazing as was the incredible butterfly cake. Lily has this overstuffed kid's armchair that was a big hit. Lucy kept climbing all over it! Don't the girls look so cute sitting together in their party dresses? Don also recently celebrated his 32nd birthday. On the night of his birthday, we met some friends in the park for the final concert of the summer. We enjoyed a yummy picnic that I had packed, although by the end of the night Lucy had spilled red wine on her pants, my shorts, and Don's shirt. I guess it serves me right for bringing red wine to a picnic with a bunch of toddlers running around. I also surprised Don with a cake, which was a fun way to end the night.