For this reason alone, I love Mimi's Hideaway

Look at what they serve toddlers...cheerios, saltines, an orange slice and crayons.

So, whatcha doing?

Sammy loves it when she has pockets on her clothing.  She forgets about it and then remembers them.  Oh yeah, pockets!!  And her hands immediately go into them.  It's so cute when she does this.

Mmmmm, butter!

We all met for Auntie's birthday brunch this past weekend, and boy! does Sammy like to 'dip' food items into dipping material!  Here she had a bite of muffin and a container of butter.  Guess she liked the butter better than the muffin!

What color is?

Mother's Helper: Cheerios

While we were at Sammy's house, she insisted on doing all the cooking for the day.  And Cheerios was the house specialty.

Oh me oh my...

I went over to Sammy's house yesterday to take care of her while Mommy went to work for a couple of hours.  Sammy just felt like the floor of a taxi cab.  But she tried to play and be happy it's just that this cold bug of hers is kicking her butt.  She would climb to the top of her slide and just sit there.  And yes, she put the knit cap on her own head and wore it for about an hour, fashion plate that she is.

This face

This is the face of a sick little girl.  Sammy is coming down with 'something'....running nose, coughing, fever, diarrhea....poor little thing.  She is very very cuddly, though.

Happy Birthday, Auntie!

Ding-dong

Hey, would you buy girl scout cookies from me?  Thin Mints?  Snickerdoodles?

Apple parfait

Sammy is enjoying a little apple parfait.  But what I want you to notice are her toes.  Her Mommy does this, too!  Toe Curling, she got from her Mommy....

St Patrick's Day dinner

Of all things to forget to buy for St Patrick's day dinner...cabbage!  We had to run to the store for it.  Sammy insisted on holding it and preceded to pick pieces of the leaves off and eat them.  Good girl...eating your raw green veggies!

Spring has sprung

Sammy is showing up in her cute little spring time dresses and is absolutely adorable!

Stickers

Sammy loves her stickers!  Particularly if they are of some of her favorite characters.  The grocery store clerk always gives her stickers.  Today she received Big Bird and Cookie Monster.  Yippee.

Still practicing....

Sammy is still practicing on taking care of 'Babies'.  Here my much maligned doll, Thumbelina, is recieving Gadawful Gold Fish crackers and milk.  Oh sooo yummy.  My girlfriend walked into the kitchen, saw the doll in the seat and was scared of her.  She explained that she has kept one of her dolls from her childhood, 'Deloris', but the doll was missing a leg.  Thumbelina is missing HAIR, not a leg!  And she was afraid of Thumbelina instead of her paralegic doll?  Seriously?  Hmmph.

owie

Sammy had to show me her brand new owie she got on her walk yesterday.  I believe that this is the first skinned knee she's had.  In a long, long, long line of skinned knees to come.

(and yes, Mimi kissed it.)

She's getting sooo long!

This is the changing area I've had since Sammy was born.  When she only took up half the pad!  Now look at her.  She EXCEEDS the pad. 

Yabba Dabba Do!

Daddy calls Sammy's feet her Barney Rubble feet.  I don't think so.  They are so cute.  And plump!

Queen of all I survey

She tests the comfort of all the beds here once a week.

Dirty Diapers

Sammy is practicing on my old (very old!) Thumbelina doll she plays with.  She's getting experience to help Mommy with the new baby.  Just be careful letting her have the baby powder!

Ft. Sammy

We built a fort the other day.  Sammy was entranced that I would lay her blankets the way I did for her to crawl underneath!  My little dog, Sadie would run underneath them and Sammy would follow, laughing all the while.

Here she's pointing to me that she could actually go in there!

And believe me, it was hard trying to capture her and not her blur...

P90X

For those of you who follow the family happenings on Facebook, you may have seen Daddy's before/after photos he took of himself several months apart.  It is a video/diet/workout that has worked wonders for him.  And it is WAY too hard unless you're a Marine or Navy Seal or He Man.  Anyway, Sammy was not to be outdone.  Here she is posing for the new Jane Fonda tape cover. 

Spread out

Sammy loves to spread out her baby blankets, aka babies.  Different from those lumps you can hold that occasionally squeak, or dollies, or bumps in Mommy's tummy.  But this?  I still don't know why she likes to do this....

I am woman; hear me roar!

Only real women wear REALTEK camouflage. (a little gift from Papa because he went to the Elk Foundation convention)

Sunglasses

Sunglasses are fun to shop for.  Unless you're shopping for an almost two year old.  Then it turns into a one-armed-squirrel-herding.  She wanted to put them on herself (ME!) but she preferred the ear pieces to go below her ears.

Shoe shopping

It was time for some new shoes for Sammy.  Mommy, Sammy and I went to the mall for some retail therapy.  These little slip-on silver ones were cute, but not in her size.

These little black ones looked great so she had to them.....

and then Sammy got a hold of my camera.

Inching up

The labels on the door frame are Sammy's height every six months since birth.  We are coming up on her second birthday and the fourth label will go up on the frame.  When Daddy and Auntie were young we had a measuring door frame in our old house, too.

Antiks

This is the only cell phone I'll let Sammy play with here....

YSL

Sammy loves purses.  Any purse.  But she particularly likes this one to carry around.

In order to carry it on her shoulder, she has to hold her arm up high in the air...it's so funny to watch.

Pitturd

This show is also Sammy's favorite.  It is called Clifford, the Big Red Dog.  Clifford? Pitturd?  That's how she says Clifford.  My brain is turning to mush.

New seat

This is Sammy's new booster seat.  She no longer uses the high chair so that has been put away for Camden's use in about 8 months.  And this is her first meal in her new seat.

And she loves her blueberries and cream of wheat!

How far along are you?

Each month I take a photo of Mommy's pregnant belly for posterity.  Or a good laugh; it's a toss up.  Anyway, Sammy saw Mommy doing this and thought, "hey, me too!"

This old chair

This old rocking chair Papa bought for me when I was pregnant with Daddy.  It creaks and has some cracks in it now but Sammy loves to climb up into it.  I am the only one who uses it.  I sit and rock during happy times and during sad times.

but now Sammy uses it ...and it's always happy times.

Happy Birthday, Courtney.