Tuesday, February 22, 2011

NEW CAR!




After 2 years of test driving and researching (yeah, we like to prolong the inevitable), we finally bit the bullet and bought a new car - a 2011 Ford Flex SE. Originally we were leaning towards a higher end model, but after making a list of Must Haves and Nice to Haves we realized our only Must Have was space, so we went with a bare bones model and LOVE it. And it came with Sync Voice Activated Communications and Entertainment System, so we'll have to read up on that and hook everything up. Basically we'll be able to say "play Led Zeppelin" or "call home" and it'll do it for us. Yay!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Cell phone pic montage

Friday we went to the playground to take advantage of the early spring weather and we got there just in time...I almost didn't find a parking spot.






She's saying "cheeeeeeese!"






Tom had his last ham radio class on Saturday, so we spent the day in our pjs. Stas figured out how to carry her drum set around her neck and played some music for me.



Then she lined up her favorite animals on her bed for storytime.



And then insisted that they all go night night together.



Sunday we had brunch plans with Rob and Kristen and their 1 year old daughter, Alexandra. While we were waiting for daddy to get dressed Stasa decided to "potty" fully clothed.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Enjoying the weather (and some cookies)

It was so beautiful last night when Tom and Stasa got home so we decided to let her run around outside in the common area, only we didn't make it past our neighbor's old swingset and slide. The neighbors recently moved out so we let her play on it for a bit. I don't think that swingset has been used for years, but it looks sparkling clean now that all of the dirt is on the seat and knees of Stasa's pants. Since it's supposed to be another gorgeous day today I think I'll take her to the big playground after daycare. 


Sorry the pictures are a bit dark and grainy, but the sun was already setting by the time I decided to take some pictures.









Once it got dark we came in to relax while Tom grilled our dinner. 
"More juice!"






And since she ate all of her dinner, she got some cookies for dessert.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Uh oh 'rees!

As we were driving by some fallen trees, Stasa looked worried and said "Uh oh, 'rees! Get up! Get up, 'rees! Good girl, 'rees!" 


I couldn't help but laugh - she's so compassionate toward all trees, er, I mean, 'rees.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Happy belated Valentine's Day!

Tom signed up for a free Ham Radio class with his dad, so he was gone most of the day on Saturday (and will be gone again this coming Saturday). While he was out Stasa and I took a trip to the mall for some play time in the play place. I've learned that if you go right before the mall opens there are only a handful of other little kids there - it's the perfect time for her to play. Only this time she ended up getting punched (luckily not too hard) for "looking at" another kid. Or at least that was his reasoning. His mom put him in a time-out for all of 2 seconds. 


Almost every time we go to the play place we run into our friends Pradeep and Maureen and their 2 kids. This time was no exception. So Stas and I had lunch with them and then rode the carousel in the food court. She's been begging to ride it for months and I finally caved. Halfway through the ride she was begging to get down so I don't see more carousel rides in our future.


The best part of Saturday play place time? It wears her out and she takes the longest nap. After nap we played around and she insisted that I "cheese" for her.






And yes she picked out her own outfit.



Sunday we ran errands and then went out for an early Valentine's Day dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Stasa entertained herself while we waited to be seated by sitting next to a random little girl and drooling over all of the cheesecakes in the display case. Needless to say she was ready for dessert by the time we were seated and was thrilled when we ordered cake at the end of the meal. 


And of course she dressed appropriately for the occasion.






After dinner we felt like we needed to walk off some of the calories we'd just inhaled so we walked over to the mall for one of my favorite passtime - mall-walking. And that's when I got suckered into finally riding the mall train with Stasa. She loves that train more than anything else and will happily watch it chug around the mall for hours. I swear she can hear it a mile away. The whole time we were on the train (all 10 minutes) she happily exclaimed "CHOO-CHOO!" and waved to everyone walking by. Happy as a clam. And she didn't even get upset when the ride was over; just waved good-bye to the choo-choo and went on her way.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Picture overload!

Princess Stasa and all of her jewels





Goofball

Ready to feed all of her animals

Look what daddy taught her

General Stasa

Music hour

And yes, she picks out her own outfits.

I drew a person on the chalkboard wall and Stasa took a piece of chalk and colored between his legs saying POO POO!

ESCAPE!





32 Weeks

31 Weeks

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

BABY POOL!

Things I'm tempted to make

Every now and then I come across some really adorable little girl's clothes, but I never buy them because I refuse to spend more than $2 or $3 on a single item of clothing for Stasa. BUT I should try to figure out the pattern and make my own adorable clothes for her. 


Here a few things I've found recently that I just love.











Who cries over poop?

We've been slowly introducing the potty to Stasa and we ask her all of the time if she wants to sit on it - sometimes she does, but a lot of times she just wants it nearby and will carry it from room to room. The past weekend she managed to poop on it twice. We clapped and cheered and gave her some jelly beans. She cried. She wanted to pick up her poop and really didn't like me dumping it in the toilet. She did get more excited when we let her flush the toilet and say bye bye to it. 

Now she's got some sort of complex about pooping in her diaper. It's obvious when she's going and I'll ask her if she needs to go potty and she says no. If instead of asking I just say "let's go potty" and put her on it, she freaks out. But then she cries the minute she's done pooping in her diaper and sadly brings me a diaper and wipe. While she's laying there crying, she's saying "poo poo potty." So the whole time I'm changing her I'm reassuring her that it's okay to poop in her diaper and maybe next time she'll go on the potty. 

It would be much more convenient for me to really focus on potty training while I'm on maternity leave, but I don't want to discourage her interest either. She's also extremely interested in her "poo poo book" that Uncle Pete got her (Everyone Poops). I'm thinking maybe I should find a few more potty training books for her. Perhaps a trip to the library is due. Any book suggestions?

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The cute things

I've been having a rough time lately and feeling like a bit of a failure as a parent. It's probably just a combination of exhaustion and pregnancy hormones, but I lost all of my patience with Stasa this weekend. The straw that broke mama's back was her throwing my cell phone in the tub full of bathwater. And of course I get upset and mad at her and then get mad at myself for being mad at her. It's an awful cycle of guilt. So yesterday I took a mental health day and slept most of the afternoon. 


I feel much better today and am focusing on the cute things Stasa does. Because as trying as she can be, she's such a good kid most of the time. And a funny one, too.


The cute things:
1. Playing and running around at the mall Play Place and pausing to hug the little "babies" teetering next to her
2. Laying in bed after storytime and giving us Eskimo kisses
3. Laying all of her stuffed animals on their backs in the play room for nap time and telling us to "shhh!"
4. "Helping" me put laundry in the washer and dryer and dragging the clean basket out to the living room
5. Cooking her play food and serving us breakfast in bed on Saturday morning 
6. Dressing up with Daddy in a tutu, heels, hat, and purse
7. Feeding Baby Merks her play food through my belly button
8. Pulling all of the diaper wipes out to clean her Woof Woof after nap time
9. Walking her baby doll in the play stroller at the mall
10. Laughing hysterically when Tom farts and exclaiming "It's FUNNY!"

Thursday, February 3, 2011

SNOW!

Tom and I both ended up working from home the day after the snowstorm and eventually ventured out to clear off our cars and shovel the driveway and to take Stas out for some snow play. She LOVES LOVES LOVES snow. Loves eating it, throwing it, kicking it, laying in it, everything about it. And she's pretty fast when walking through it, too.


All bundled up and ready to play



Resting while Daddy shovels (Mommy was supervising):



Running away:



Snow is so tasty:



Helping Mommy build a snowman:



Uh oh!