Fool Me Once . . .

Try as I might, I can't get Becca to walk on her own.  I *thought* we had a break-thru this afternoon; she and I walked the whole length of the hallway, each holding onto one of her little Elmo's hands.  I let go at the end and she took one step before noticing and dropping to her knees.  Then we did it again in the living room.  I cheered, then called Rich.  Unfortunately he was busy working and didn't pick up.  So I called my mom.  We talked for a few quick minutes and then I tried to get Becca to walk with me again.  

No dice.  Now she won't even look at her Elmo, choosing instead to break into hysterics and flop onto the floor when I pick him up.  She does not appreciate me trying to sneak one by her.

Fishies

We spent Sunday morning at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden.  For some unfathomable reason the ticketing window is outside, so we stood out in this wind tunnel for 25 or so minutes while Becca alternated between pointing out all the babies in line and exclaiming "all done!"  At least we got an annual pass, so next time we can go straight to the door.

 
 

Inside was better.  Overall we had a really good time (though I wouldn't recommend the food) and plan on going back next weekend.  Here are my favorite pictures of the day:

A funny note about the touch tanks---Becca was pretty squirmy when I was holding her at the sting ray tank and managed to get a shoe in, but the best/worst was when she squeezed a little shark so tightly that it started swimming with it's head out of the water and the people around started talking about how "friendly" it was.  Fortunately Rich was holding the head when she grabbed on to it's tail end.  (And yes, I know that was a run-on sentence, but Becca's been teething--new molars--and I'm too tired to fix it.)

Play Mat

Monday I caught the crafting bug, and dragged the little one to JoAnn's after our usual Target (diapers, wipes) adventure.  I'd seen these play mats on Etsy which I thought were adorable, but not $60 adorable.  And I knew I'd seen a tutorial for something similar online (it's just a circle that cinches up).  The Fat Quarters were on sale for a buck each, so I bought a couple and a little ribbon.  I cut out the circles that night (I forgot we had pizza pans the right size and made a rather lousy template first) and Becca had fun playing with the little lake and mud puddle I'd also cut.  

Tuesday morning I sewed it together during Becca's nap.  I still haven't had time to make the trees, but otherwise it's done.  Unfortunately, Rebecca's appetite (everything's back in her mouth again this week) for the ribbons had rushed me through that section a little too quickly, and I'd bought a self-adhesive one by mistake, so I am temporarily using kite string to tie it up, but otherwise I thought it looked pretty good (cost:$4 and change).  I was happy.

Rebecca was not.  She woke up teething (I finally saw a molar popping through this morning) and was feverish and cranky.  And she was furious that the lake was now sewn in place.  Nothing like a little gratitude.  Still, I hope that when she's a little less of a crank monster she'll enjoy it.

 

Happy Valentine's!! (And the Week in Review)

Becca's SUPER excited about the card her dad picked out.  And her mom was equally thrilled with the delicious dinner he cooked and the nap she took while he started it.  That's right--I napped, and it was great.  Throw in the Jagielky's chocolates (my favorite) and some flowers for the monkey and me, and you have a pretty perfect day. 

In other news, with the outside temperature in constant flux, we've been looking for new ways to stay busy indoors and out.  Some are more productive than others.

Wednesday was so perfect that, even though *I* wasn't feeling so hot, we HAD to spend a little time outdoors.  After a little swing time and a visit to the neighbor's dog (more on the dog obsession later) we sat on a blanket and enjoyed the mostly unfrozen lake.  Becca really likes the ducks, and was sad to see them move on (although her screaming more than likely caused it).  

 

Here she is, washing up that night.  

And this is my favorite picture of the week:  the last kitchen bath (for now).  The bathroom looks sooooooo much better!  I'll need to put in pictures of it, but trust me, you won't be as impressed as I am (we still have a mustard-colored toilet).  After using the cramped little shower in the master bath (leg shaving is tricky) and scrubbing the kitchen sink every night for Rebecca's bath it's a spa in there.  So fancy.

Quick Note

Becca has this charming little ear-piercing scream she uses whenever she wants to get your attention, especially if you happen to be an eighty-year-old woman shopping for groceries.  She screams until they look at her, then grins and waves ecstatically.  I'm afraid she's going to kill one of them if it doesn't stop soon.  

Milestone?

Rich sent Rebecca to "fetch" the remote for him last night.  She did, and he declared it the "first productive thing she's ever done."  I figured that was some sort of milestone.  I reminded him she helps pick up her toys; he feels that partially cleaning up a mess you yourself made doesn't really count as "productive" to those around you.  I guess retrieving the remote constitutes a contribution to the greater good.

Our Weather's Been a Bit Sporadic Lately

Last Tuesday we took Rebecca on her first sledding adventure.  What our backyard lacks in terrain we made up for in manpower, and Becca had a great time in the ssss-no.

She even enjoyed her first cup of hot(ish) chocolate, but I think she was mostly interested in the marshmallows.

By Sunday all the snow was gone, and we had a nice trip to the park with Grandmom Ellie.  

Another great week.

We Have Officially Become "Those People"

You know, the kind who open up the cookies/snacks before they make it to the check-out line, just to make it a (relatively) quiet trip through the check-out line.