Fun day!

Such a great day today. Lu and i were escorted away on a surprise adventure by Papi (Dan). He took us to see the tulips in bloom out in Mount Vernon. No tulips - but the bright shock if the daffodils were gorgeous. Lu been fighting something for a fee days and today it hit hard. She had a fever, watery eyes, sneezing ... The works. We figured her napping in the car would be ok while we drove around the fields checking out the beauty and talking about our dreams of traveling to far off destinations. She enjoyed the ride for a while before passing out. She woke up just in time to see the fields. She loved it. We took a quick walk around in the field before she wanted to sit down in the car again. This coming from the girl who during her last two fevers could run a marathon. Completely different girl today. She napped 3 times! Poor girl. And her little sweet eyes are so red and swollen and raw from running the tears away that constantly were running down her cheeks.
Riding in the car on adventures is one of my favorite things. It has been since I was a child. We spent many weekends in the car. New towns, different meals, and I'm sure many arguements amongst the kiddos. Dan knows the way to my heart and loves to surprise me with little adventures like this. I love that it was important to me as a kid and Dan continues to make it important to us as a couple and now we are able to share that importance with Luka. We always have the best conversations. It's grounding, awe inspiring, humbling, and full of fun. I just love it.
Here's a few pictures from our day.

Our sweet babe was too tired to color her eggs so grandma Easter bunny and mama Easter bunny did the work for her. Here's to hoping she feels well enough to have a hunt in the morning. Check out these gorgeous eggs! All we had was brown eggs and we made our own dye! Super cool colors!

dancing queen

This girl has moves I've never seen before!

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Mama's day 2011

The Scene: 8 am, mama in bed, bubbly girl "checking" on a sleeping in mama.

Luka: HI MAMA! It's a mama's day!

Mama: Ya, it is. (smiling)

minutes later, papa joins the snuggling.

Papa: Luka, did you remember to tell Mama what day it is?


Luka: Yep, it's a Mamas day.

Mama: Lu, did you know there's a papa's day too, and it's coming up?

Luka: YA!! A papa's day, a mama's day, ANNNNDDD A LUKA's Day!! (with extreme excitement!)

I had a great mothers day. Breakfast, coffee, family, family, food and more family. I love my family. No [literal] pampering for me for mothers day, but my family sure is a joy and it's such a pleasure to entertain them in our home - that was the pampering I needed.

I was looking for something on the computer the other day and found this gem. I can't remember Luka being this small when we moved to this house. She's so tiny and baby like. It's crazy when you look at them and think they are so advanced, but really it's just your mama ears that understand everything your kid says.

I really miss my baby. I'm by no means saying that I am not fully enjoying my sweet, funny, talkative, assertive, and expressive toddler. I just miss my baby. Thank goodness for this digital age where we can capture nearly everything.

Love you baby Lu. Love you big girl Lu.

More No-hi-ee... please

I needed another Hawaii fix, and remembered that I had not loaded my pics from my Nikon. How can you not take a good picture with such incredible subjects. The landscape and the kid... ok so enough with the words and on with the pics. (but read on at the end)

The Curls.

This is what happens when your kid sleeps for 3 hours on the beach. They wake up dancing! Wouldn't you?!

14.5 years... still in love and hotter than we were when we met.

Canoe ride!

We're on stage at the Luau. I'm listening... Luka? Not so much. She knows her own dance.

The trip was really fantastic. You know how when you are on the plane on the way home and your exhausted and ready to be home and you feel stuffy, and stuck and tired and need to pee and need to stretch your legs...... dot dot dot, you feel like you're gonna loose it if the plane does not land NOW. Well try having all that and being 2. It's hard. And she lost it a little on the way home.

Let me set the scene: (imagine shrill screaming) "YOUR HURTING ME!!!!!!!!!" The seat belt is jammed up in her ribs but only because she's doing that little slippery move that only a child can do and the seat belt is no longer on her hips where it should be. So she unbuckles it. Over and over and over and over again. The nice stewardess comes by and offers help: "Hi Honey, the pilot needs to land the plane so you've got to put your belt on so we can land. Can you buckle up?" she said it so sweetly. "DOOOOON'T TALK TO ME! DON'T LOOK AT ME" (again screaming shrilly). I want to laugh and cry all at the same time.
I choose instead to ignore her. While I'm ignoring her, I'm suddenly thankful for the bastard last row of the airplane -don't recline - everybody's butt in your face while they wait for the toilet and shimmy around each other to make room for the beverage service cart (which is gonna take 800 years to get to us) - seats we are in. I'm thankful because there is no one behind us to watch us in our moment of toddler beauty. Dan and I look at each other and give each other the nod. It's the - we can't say anything else that will make this better so we just need to stop - nod. Then like a smack in the face I remember all the times I've spent in judgment of parents. Now, mind you I'm understanding and accepting, and don't go around hating on people. But given this situation I probably would have said some nasty mean thoughts about their parenting skills. "Oh great. Just ignore her, that's gonna help." or how about this one? "Woah, control your child". Ya, I've said those things before. I've even said them after being a parent. But who am I kidding some time's control is just gone. Some times you just lose it. Some times you have to stop feeding the beast for it to quit.

We stopped feeding the beast, and after about 5 minutes, she was quiet. And we made home safe. No one punched us, no one said anything to us, and no one even turned around to look at us in disgust.

mama, let's go to "no-hi-ee"

We've just returned from a family vacation to Hawaii. Dan's company sent him for a conference, and we tagged along to take advantage of the fact that his airfare, and room were paid for. We stayed in Waikiki at the Marriott. Lu and I had 2 days together while Dan attended his conference. We hung out at the pool & the beach both days. It was a blast. It's a struggle to figure out how to get a kid to nap and go to bed at night when there are so many exciting things to do in the pool, but we managed. We rented a car for the weekend and toured the island, stopping at a couple of truly beautiful places.

 

Diva, walking down the street with her smoothie telling me some story.

 

The best thing about going to Hawaii with such a cute little talkitive toddler, was listening to her say, Ah LOOOOOOOWWW HAH!! and calling Hawaii "No-hi-hee".

Too cute.

Her Infinate Wisdom: PART 2

From the mouth of my child as I cried in frustration:

"Mama, calm down. Calm down, mama."

From the mouth of my child as I stared at her with a spaced out 'I don't feel good' look:

"Still not feeling good, Mama? awwww, It's ok, Mama"

From the mouth of my child as we looked at each other in the mirror. (Me with Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye))

"Lemme see your eye, Mom. Yep, It's still pink, Mama."

From the mouth of my child as she described.... well we werent really sure for a few weeks: (Imagine arms spread out wide and sweeping around in slow dancer like motions)

'It's Magiloke!!"

We figured out a few weeks later, Magiloke = Magical. I wish I had never corrected her.

From the mouth of my child as she asks what you are doing:

"Papa, what are you're doing?"