Duck and turtle hunting

Today we walked over to a playground so the girls could get their swinging and sliding in. A duck and a swan came over and Casey did NOT like them on the playground. Aaron did his best to shoo them back to the pond. Even though she didn't like them on the playground she wanted to watch them at the pond.

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When we got in the car to come home, Casey fell asleep in under sixty seconds and slept almost the whole way back.

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It was a great weekend. It's going to be hard to plan something as fun for when they come to visit us. But we will try our best.

How cute are these girls?

After naptime we went to the pool and the girls had a blast. Casey wanted to bounce around in the pool and she even wanted to go under the waterfall in the last picture. Little girl likes to party.

Bicycle powered carousel

In Davis, the bike capital of the world, they have a little merry-go-round that is powered by a man riding a bike! I should have taken a picture of that part, it was really cool. Casey was a little disappointed when someone had already taken the dog, but she went on the cow next to the dog and waved at her fans as she always does.

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The second time around she rode with Hayley (check out the four shoes in the third pictures, cracks me up) and Hayley didn't like it, so they guy stopped the ride and let her off. Then Casey reached her arm out and called to her buddy DogDog, so the assistant handed him to her as she came around and her world was right again.

Cinderella Cinderella

Casey keeps telling us she's a grownup and we're "just a baby." So we figured it's time for her to do her share of the cleaning and cooking. It could also be Daddy's new get tough attitude that's getting her to do more work around the house.

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We're going to buy her a spray bottle. It kept her busy for a long time!

Driving up to Davis

Friday night we headed up to Davis to visit Heather, Aaron, and Hayley for the weekend. We all took turns driving.

More vanilla

Casey and I met Ellie and her parents for Thursday night at the Farmers' Market. Her first ice cream cone ended up on the ground and she cried. Who wouldn't? She got a second one, vanilla again. I always get her lots of tastes of different flavors and she likes them all but then asks for vanilla.

Add this to the list of things I never thought I'd do

This morning the trash man came to empty our trash just as I was buckling Casey into her carseat, so I quickly pulled her out and we ran down the driveway to see him. She thinks it's Mr. Gilly, from her DVD of the book Trashy Town. She said, "Mr. Gilly come and take my trash?" "Yes." "Good boy, Mr. Gilly!" Then she wanted to see him more so I took a different route to work so we could stalk him for a bit. Very exciting morning.

Big Bird

We finally got Eric a Big Bird over the weekend so he'd have someone to travel with. This Big Bird has magnets in his hands and feet and Casey can make a bracelet or an anklet out of him. Actually it looks more like one of those home detention ankle things because of the size. This morning Eric was getting ready to go and Casey was holding her little Big Bird and trying to make the hands or feet stick together, without any luck. So she decided that she and Eric would trade.
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He came home last week with a little penguin he got at a conference. We couldn't tell if Casey was calling him Birdie or Buddy, so he goes by Birdie Buddy, which sounds like Boody Boody. She didn't want Eric to take him this time.
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Eric headed off today with little Big Bird and Casey headed off with Big Bird and DogDog.

Casey and Katie

Casey went over to Marie's house on Sunday night while we went out to dinner. She came home with a Minnie Mouse outfit over her pajamas and was disappointed when she couldn't sleep in it. Monday night Casey and I went over and Eric got a night to himself. The girls played on the slide and in the boat sandbox (third pic). Casey loves to drive the boat. I ordered her a steering wheel for her carseat and I can't wait until it arrives. I've been looking for one for about a year and a half. Ok, I haven't looked THAT hard because I don't really shop, but I've had my eye out. I told her it was coming and she's VERY excited. She asks about it every day. I hope it comes soon.

Elephant seals

Our friends Howard and Amanda were in town over the weekend. Casey got her scarf and running shoes on and we went down to Ano Nuevo to see the elephant seals. Casey's favorite part was probably that she had company in the back seat. Casey, Amanda, and I covered Casey's feet (and Eric and Howard) with stickers. She liked the hike out there and the elephant seals (you can see them in the background of the third picture), but then she got really tired and fell asleep and I had to carry her a mile and a half back.

First scooter ride

Last night we went to my friend Kathy's house since both of the daddies are out of town. For some reason Casey was afraid of their two super sweet and friendly beagles. It was strange. She was a little cranky but Courtney managed to get her to come out of her shell by running around outside with her and helping her to try the scooter. And of course, the swing. Casey was flying in that swing.

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Casey is wearing her size 18 month capri pants. I can't believe they still fit! They just cover her knees now and they used to be down to the ground.

Hot hot hot

Last weekend it was so ridiculously hot here. We went to visit Brynn so the girls could run around in the sprinkler. Casey's never done that before since we don't have much of a yard. She LOVED it. Huge smile the whole time we were there. And for some reason, carrying Brynn's rake around made it even more fun. Afterwards the girls went inside to do some cooking. They had a great time.

Dinner guests

Last week we had some friends come over for dinner. Eric and Casey cleaned up the back yard so that we could eat outside. Eric also hid all of Casey's toys and the place looked clean for ten minutes. Time for a toy purge.

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Casey and Ed entertained each other. "Mommy, what dat boy's name?" "That's Ed." "I want Ed!"

The search continues

We met Katie and Marie at the farmers' market last night. Casey was very excited to see them and insisted on bringing Teddy DogDog (at least he got to get out of the house after losing out on the trip to Philly), DogDog, and Tigger. You can see in the picture two of the guys are wearing the preemie diapers I bought for her. They were on our doorstep (I order from diapers.com) on the day we returned from Santa Barbara and she was almost hyperventilating she was so excited to put them on all the guys. She got right to work, turning the couch into an assembly line diaper changing station while Eric and I unloaded the car.

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We ran into so many people at the farmers' market. Casey literally almost ran into Anais. I told her to look up and see who was standing an inch from her.

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We ate Indian food and of course tons of fruit. Casey got a balloon "animal" and she didn't pick a dog! It was a giant "heart on a stick" and guess who got to carry it all around? But I was excited that she chose something other than a dog.

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While we were there she had to go to the bathroom so we stopped in a chilren's bookstore. They had some stuffed animals there and I picked a few cute ones and asked which one we should get for Daddy. She wanted them for herself and said that Daddy is getting Big Bird. We left empty-handed. I was going to get one online but then I thought maybe she should pick it out.

Teddy DogDog

I guess there is a commercial where a man goes on a business trip and takes one of his kid's stuffed animals and takes pictures of it wherever he goes. (I wouldn't know, since we have Tivo and I don't watch commercials.) Some of our friends just did this and we thought it was really clever, and Eric had to leave for a business trip on Tuesday morning, so Monday night Eric and Casey deliberated and negotiated and came up with a decision: Teddy DogDog would travel with Daddy.

We woke her up on Tuesday morning so she could say goodbye and she started crying, "I neeeeed Teddy DogDoooog!" She also needs Tigger, Eeyore, Bugga Bugga, DogDog (of course), and all of her other guys, even the ones she doesn't play with. Poor Daddy had to go all by himself. She said he should get his own guys! Heheh. Well, Fathers' Day is coming up. She wants to get him either Big Bird or a little bird.

It's the little things

Eric and I took the day off today. Eric made French toast with the best cinnamon bread ever from the farmers' market. Then we went to Half Moon Bay to check out the seals and the tide pools, go for a little hike, and have a picnic. There was no one else there so we sang at the top of our lungs. She is always telling us to sing a new song, and we're out of ideas, so if you know of any kid songs let us know.
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She knows the whole alphabet song now. For a long time it was ABBBBBB, next me me me me me me. Then she got up to G for a while and now she can get through the whole alphabet. She is very serious about her singing. I will get it on video soon, but we have a new camera that we bought in DC (lost the old one) and I don't like it. She can also count to 12 now, if you don't mind skipping 4.
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When we got back we watched Eric get a haircut. No joke. We were going to head over to the kids' bookstore, but she just wanted to sit in one of the other chairs and watch. Then the woman gave Casey a tootsie pop and I thought we'd never get out of there. (She liked the pop but not the tootsie.) We finally made it to the book store and she picked out some stickers and a book, but really she just wanted to get out of there so she could have her lolly back. Then we went to the grocery store and she was thrilled when Eric pushed her and DogDog around in one of the carts that has the double car with two steering wheels. She had a great weekend.

Breakfast in bed

Here are Casey and DogDog eating Mothers' Day breakfast in bed (first breakfast) before we headed to town to get brunch.

The couch in the truck

We went down to Santa Barbara with Susan, Steve, and Ava (we could see smoke from the fires and the helicopters and lots of fire engines, but were at a safe distance) so that Susan and I could run a half marathon. We stayed in a trailer (you can see it in the background in the second picture) and Casey couldn't have been happier. She kept telling us she didn't want to go home. The first picture shows Eric's head grazing the top.
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We were sitting with our feet in the pool the first night we got there, and she said she wanted to go on the couch in the truck. Eric figured out that she meant the trailer and we went back and she was just in heaven. It's like living in one little room that has the bedroom, the kitchen, the living room, and even the bathroom. No one could leave her sight and everything was just her size.

More nastics cass

Eric took Friday off so we could have a long weekend in Santa Barbara and he got to join us at gymnastics before we left. Casey is walking with a beanbag on her head in the first picture. They did lots of different things with the beanbag -- spin with it, drop it and pick it up, throw it and go get it. Then she got to hang from the bar, which she's getting better at and she even wanted to do it last night at the park. In the last picture she's bear walking on two balance beams and then she has to pat the little blocks as she passes them. Fun class. They fit a lot into 40 minutes.

Farmers' market

The farmers' market finally opened up for the year. Casey's favorite purchases were an orange balloon dog (big surprise) and kettle corn. They have the best Indian food wraps there. We waited in a long line to get some but it was worth it! I guess everyone was waiting all winter for one.

I'm making you a book

Casey just told me she's making me a book. She colored the first page and said, "There's Daddy on the plane!" and scribbled the next page and said, "There's Daddy on the bus!" Then she did the next page and said, "There's Daddy, home with us!"

Hurry home, Daddy!