Hot Hot Heat

It has been a bit warmer than usual up here and we have been doing all we can to keep the little one cool and comfortable. She has been enjoying the constantly running fans and earlier morning walks.

Tomorrow she has a special surprise...her favorite activity, library group, was canceled for most of the summer. Tomorrow we are going to a different library so she can sing and dance during story time. She LOVES books and music.

The photos are a variety today. Vampire baby is the result of baby tasting her first tomato sauce. The picture of a wet haired baby is the result of one her new games in which I sprnkle water on her head and she runs away, then returns for more.

The final, and some would say most important, is a picture of Peter's first all day smoked pork. It was quite tasty and tender. The smoke ring on this delicious cut was most impressive. He may not cook often, but when he does he is very good at it.

Zoo

Anais had her first visit to the zoo last Friday. She seemed more interested with other people than the animals. She enjoyed the goats and the fish and was thrilled to ride the carousel. She is increasing her use of the word "Weeeeeeee" to include any movement she finds acceptable.

In other news, Big Brother has started, this makes me quite happy. It is another guilty pleasure that I enjoy. Peter and I have also been watching the Copa America on Univision. The USA is out of the competition, but Argentina and Mexico look like they may make it to the finals.

Baby Stuntdevil

Well, our daughter has officially decided she wants to be on Jackass when she grows up. (That's a show on MTV ... trust me, there are people in my family who need to know). She has taken to eating anything that she can pick up. She climbs off the furniture and attempts to jump off with no warning, and she no longer waits for help when climbing up or down stairs. Alas, she did catch me off guard and she fell down a few of our concrete steps outside. She is fine, a few bumps and scratches. Thankfully, she seems to know how to fall quite gracefully.

Even though she is quite rough around the edges at the moment, she very sweetly now says please and thank you with regularity. She is quite fond of mylar balloons, or ba oons as she says, and likes to carry one around the house saying, "weeeeeeee."

Happy Birthday Dad!!

Happy birthday to my father! We all love you very much.

In other news, we all went to Tacoma to recreate Peter and my very first date. Granted it didn't all go exactly the same way, but Peter was very sweet remembering little details from a day very long ago. Yes mom, I know....he is a good man and I am lucky to have him.

Famous Brewers

Keep a look out for the highly popular Federal Way newspaper. Peter was interviewed and is to be quoted in an article soon.

First Anniversary

Well, we made it to a year! We are celebrating with a fondue dinner. Peter was very sweet and insisted it was the entire family's anniversary and the baby will be dining with us. This Friday we are going to Tacoma to recreate our first date. We have a very good life.

Here are a few pics of the little princess.

Dont want no more of the trading game

Lately the baby has been enchanted by the concept of trading. It all started when mom, no doubt tired of having different pieces of toys spread throughout the house, went through and put together various collections of toys. The bath toys were put into a mesh bag (bath toys including stacking cups, frog sponges, rubber duckies of multiple sizes, etc). The baby found the mesh bag irresistible as you can see and hold the items through the mesh, but they wouldn't come out of the zippered top. She'd bring the big bag over and throw it up into our lap. Then she'd be allowed to remove an item or two as long as she had something to trade back in.

She'd contemplate the open bag and reach in to grab as many things as she could with one hand (like one of the coin-operated crane games). Eventually, toys not belonging in the bath bag were brought over in an attempt to trade (including Tucker's toys). The trading cycle got shorter and shorter, until the purpose wasn't to find something to play with, but to trade over and over. While simple in concept, it thrilled her to no end.

All good things, however, come to an end. In this case, the end has been reached as she can now open the mesh bag zipper on her own. We'll see if the notion of trading extends beyond the magical bag.