Jumpin'

With the weather still being quite chilly and having cabin fever for the last 6 weeks or so, we decided to mix it up with our playgroup. We have been mostly going over to each others houses which is great, but as we all know, it still means being stuck inside. We were technically still inside at Jumpin' but there was so much room for the kids to run free and bounce and climb...it was great, just what they needed. There were lots of blow up toys and then there was a designated toddler's area just for kids 3 and under with "outdoor" like toys and such and even a toddler sized bouncy house. Like usual Lilly was hesitant at first and it took her some time to warm up, but once she did she had a blast. She didn't really care for any of the bouncy toys except for the slide...which we probably went down 3 dozen times. I was okay with her only liking the slide since it would have been hard for me to take her through most of the other ones. I did go down the slide quite a few times, which I got scolded for once I got home, but it was fun!

Towards the end Lilly was confident enough to climb up the slide all by herself and slide down!

Lilly and Naia going for a ride on one of the toys in the toddler area

I loved how Lilly would scream and laugh at the bottom of the slide...every time! I think she had fun.

More playtime in the toddler area

Stacey took Lilly down quite a few times for me so I didn't have to keep climbing up there. Lilly would run around trying to keep up with Lauren and she would call out to Lauren, but Lilly just wasn't ready for some of the bouncy toys Lauren was going on. Which is okay because they had fun anyways! :-)

CSU vs BYU

We had yet to attend a sporting event of CSU. Don't ask me why since it's right around the corner, but we did finally get up the gumption to go to one. Ziff had asked if he and a friend could go to the game after he got out of class and I happily said sure, knowing his love for basketball and his need for a break from studying, but it turned out that his buddy's wife wanted to go to the game too, and so then it turned into a night out for everyone. Needless to say I was stoked! I love to tag along and they are good friends of ours so I knew we were in for a fun night.

Lilly of course lovin' on the purse...can't keep her from accessorizing :-)

Cam the Ram. Lilly thought he was great...at a distance. When he came up to our seats she froze and was not so much about him anymore.

Laurie taught Lilly to say "go Rams go!" So cute! She did watch and cheer for the first half, but by the second half she was more interested in walking around and looking at the noise meter.

We had a great night and it was such a great change of pace. Lilly was really quiet at first not sure what to make of it all, but then she warmed up to the idea of it all. She enjoyed most of the game and especially the dancers. She had fun and kept Laurie busy. Hopefully we can go to another game soon.

Dress- up

It tickles me pink to watch as Lilly blossoms into a little girl. She is losing her baby like features and mannerisms and she even has a few freckles now. As she has gotten older she has loved playing with my shoes and can even walk in my heels now. She loves wearing dresses and having her hair pretty. She will reach up and touch her hair and ask us if it is okay (in her own way of course) and she is always trying to show daddy her outfits and pretties for his approval. She loves to play with jewelry too. Luckily I have some of my mom's jewelry which I used to play with when I was little that she now is able to have fun with. One of the other fun bonuses of that is that my mom's ears weren't pierced, so she has a lot of clip on earrings that are very costume-y. I did get rid of some of them merely because back when I first got her jewelry I figured I would never wear them so why keep them, but at least I had sense enough to keep some stuff. It is so fun to watch her enjoy the things that I cherished and still cherish. A piece of my mom will always be with us. I think however I need to round up some more costume like jewelry for her, she isn't a fan of the fake mardi gras necklaces, she'll wear them, but she knows they aren't the "real" thing. I have a feeling we are going to have alot more fun dress up days ahead of us and I can't wait!!!

L-O-V-E

Valentine's day was really special this year. I have made it a goal of mine to teach Lilly how special love is and just how much she is loved. And she is just at that age where things are beginning to click. We had the delight of hosting a special V-day party for our playgroup friends. It was so much fun and I had a lot of fun getting ready for it. After Lilly went to bed I decorated the house with pink and white streamers, Elmo valentines balloons, a valentines banner, and red lace hearts. When Lilly woke up the next morning she was so excited. She ran from each decorated area to the next pointing and "oo-ing and ah-ing" It warmed my heart. On Valentines day itself Lilly had a wicked cold so we kept her home from church in order to prevent spreading it (i mean like the green boogie sneezing kind of cold) But we opened some gifts had a great breakfast, watched her new Barney dvd, and ate candy. What a great day!

Lilly having some chocolate for breakfast (and she was playing with her new sesame street toys)

All the girls in her play group (Lilly, Claudia, Lauren, Anya, Lexi, and Naia)

Bubble time!!!

2 Elmo balloons $8.00, admiration of the balloons...priceless

Taking a minute out of playtime to pose for a candid mommy daughter shot

Big girl!

Testing it out..."this one is just right"

Last weekend we found a great deal on a toddler bed we just couldn't pass up. So we bought it with the anticipation she wouldn't be sleeping in it till summer time, but today Ziff said he thought she might be ready earlier than that, so while he was at work, Lilly and I set up her new bed. We still need to put a mattress cover and sheets on, but Lilly at least gets the idea of her big girl bed and I think she is pretty excited. We'll see how it goes...I don't know if we are quite ready to really let her sleep in it at night yet, mostly because I know that there may be quite a few escape attempts...given the history of nieces and nephews and kids babysat at nighttime. But we shall see. Fingers crossed she transitions well.

Pink rubbers

Lilly strikes again...

She is always looking for new ways to make us laugh and this morning was no exception. Both Ziff and I were cracking up and she was thoroughly pleased with herself. What a great way to start our morning!

Chillin'

I love the look on her face...apparently she found something good.

Pointing to the cheese...and saying "oooo"

(below: sitting down so I can't close the door)

Such the independent girl she is, Lilly has decided that she needs to be the one to take things out of the refrigerator, not us. Part of her extreme desire I think stems from the fact that she loves to be a helper. She sets the table, clears the table, wipes it down, picks up her toys, puts the laundry into the washer and then into the dryer, and even has started helping put groceries away. It is so refreshing to see that her personality stems that way naturally, I foresee it saving us a lot of battles in the future. It cracks me up how serious she gets when she is looking in the fridge. She needs to see all her options, but in part I think she is being a funny serious because if I ask her to close it, she averts her eyes and gets a big grin on her face. It's pretty cute if I do say so myself.

A day in my shoes

As Lilly gets older, more and more I find her little girl coming out. She has always been fascinated by shoes, but lately she is really into wearing them. She loves to put them on and walking around giggling. She has attempted my heels, but has been unsuccessful in walking in them, so flats are her choice for now :-) But cute all the same. She also love to wear my necklaces and have her hair done pretty. It is so much fun having a little princess.