Sunday, July 17, 2011

A month???

Wow, I can't believe it's been a month since I've updated. It doesn't feel like that long.

Your first trip to Lagoon with the Gough's.

We've had trips to the zoo with the Lafeen's.
Dinner at aunt Jodi's. (and Trevors). Our one an only family dinner there, since they have sold their house and are moving to (gulp) Utah county for the next 2-4 years. You loved playing in the sprinklers and on the neighbors slide. And the sparklers were new to you this year too.

Fishing trips with Grandpa Lafeen and Dad. I was surprised how well you did, sitting in a boat for 4 hours. But, you guys caught a lot of fish, or 'sea monsters' as you called them. (Catfish). I'm really not sure where the term sea monster came from, I'm guessing from Curious George?? At the end of the that trip you came home with a new and fun toy too.
We've had trips to the Air Force Museum with Grandma Hardcastle, and trip ON trains (Trax) to SEE trains (at the Union Station in Ogden) with Grandpa Hardcastle.
We've gone to the children's museum and swimming with Kathy (no pictures on that one).

It hasn't been all fun and games though. You had croup a couple of weeks ago, but got on a couple days of steroids which seemed to clear it up almost immediately. You woke up in the middle of the night, and I thought you were trying to throw up. It was such a loud, weird sound. But, then I heard the 'barking seal' cough I've heard so much about. I've thought a few times that you might have croup, by hearing you cough, but I new immediately what it was. I had no idea that a cough that sounds like a barking seal could ACTUALLY sound so much like a barking seal. You slept in our bed that night so we could hear your breathing. We've only done that one other time, when we were camping, and I don't think you or I got a lot of sleep, but your dad at least did.

We've had many days without our dad, and we have a few more before the end of the summer. You've learned how to say your dad's in Chicago and Michigan. This week we'll work on Washington D.C., and we'll end next month with Rhode Island. Between dad's 'real' job at Oracle and the Navy you've had a lot of mom time this summer.

You seem to come up with new things and cute things every day. Which thankfully, is balancing out some of the tougher times of being a toddler. I won't lie kid, this potty training thing is not easy. You seem to do really, really well... and then we have a day (or a week) where you really struggle. Basically, you just haven't been able to figure out that you need to tell someone when you have to go to the bathroom. So, it's just me guessing and getting you to go consistently -and coming and finding you when you're hiding.

This weekend you stayed at Grandma and Grandpa Hardcastle's while your dad and I had a date day (Lagoon and a movie) and went to church with them. While you were in the bath Grandma gave you the soap and you responded, "Thank you. You are a good grandma". You're still super happy when you wake up in the morning, take naps nearly
every day, and still go to bed pretty easily.

You love being outside, you'd stay out there all day if I'd let you. In fact, if we haven't gone 'someplace fun' for the day, you beg to go somewhere in the white car. You're definitely a 2 year old and we have our moments, but we sure love you! And, you D
O make life fun and interesting.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Big Brother

A few shots of you and your little sister in the last couple of weeks...

Not your typical garden

Your dad is gone quite a bit this summer, between Navy stuff and Oracle. The first few days he left us Grandma and Grandpa Hardcastle felt sorry for us and took us to a Children's garden at Thanksgiving point.

You had a great time playing with grandma and grandpa and all of the cool stuff they had there.


In other news... we ditched the pull-ups (except for naps and bedtime) and you're doing great!!! I'd say when you're just with me, you're about 85% potty-trained, with dad, it's closer to 50/50, but on your own -we'd be lucky to hit 10%. We're not quite to the point that you'll tell me when you have to go (maybe I could quit asking so often) and you still hide when... you need some privacy to do your business. But, lucky for me, I almost always notice and we make it to the bathroom on time! Progress!!!!

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Day out with Thomas



We bought tickets to ride the REAL Thomas the Train up in Heber City this weekend. I was super excited and thought you would be too. And you were, but you didn't get a great nap and the next day you came down with a cold, which probably explains the couple of little meltdowns you had.

I've been using it as a reinforcement/reward for potty training, so you've known it's been coming for a while.

Your reaction when you first saw the Thomas engine was awesome, and you loved the actual train ride.

You were okay when we saw the Sir Topham Hatt, and played with the train tables. Too many kids and far too few trains in that area though!

You also enjoyed your first cotton candy!

It was a fun day and you're still talking about it, which is a lot of fun for me and dad.

Reading

I've really been into taking video's lately. Here are Hyrum's two favorite books to read before bed. One is Opposites (the video cut off a little early) and But not the Hippopotomus.

Opposites from Melanie Lafeen on Vimeo.



But not the Hippopotamus from Melanie Lafeen on Vimeo.