Esmé mucho

I am anticipating your first year of toddlerhood to be one of great challenges and frustrations, but also great joy and fun! You are so different than your sister! I'm sure that's clear to you by the time you read this, and I don't want to spent too much time making comparisons, but it must be said. We joke about how Cordy was a practice toddler, vs.you, the real deal! But I think we're all up for the challenge, and I can't wait to see what the year will bring!

 

I promised I would spend some time with your likes and dislikes, so here it goes.

You like food!! Eggs in the morning, orange slices "o?", crackers and cookies any old time! And berries! "B?" Are also a fave. Avocado, not so much.

 

You also love to talk, and your vocabulary has skyrocketed in the last month! You love to talk bout items of clothing, especially, "socks!" But "shoe" "pan" and "shir" are also worth mentioning. You know many sounds that the animals make, your favorites being " quack quack!" And "Meow!" You also love books, which was a surprise to us, who see you as a mover and a doer, rather than a reader, per se. But you love your books! Especially "goo!" The Mother Goose book Yaya got you, which you often ask for.

You love your sister, and love to play with her toys, especially the ones that are off limits. You have warmed up to Clover, Cordy's doll, and want to give everyone and all your animals, kisses! And love to practice your smacking noise! Mwah!

You are still nursing, and now that I am working, when I get home there is the biggest smile on your face, and it's a sweet reunion. You love (your) nini's! And will attempt to pull down the shirt of any available female.

 

Here you are at the kitchen that was your sister's. of course, you being you, you tore off the burners daddy had glued on first thing. And the faucet too, but we managed to get that back in! Daddy says maybe we should have made Shiva your middle name! (The destroyer). But you love to play at the kitchen, banging pots or food together.

Here you are digging in to your birthday cake. Yum! You went for it, just like you do when you nurse! You were a little cautious overall at your party, but we all had fun anyway.

Nowadays you are rarely so content to get on that stroller!

 

Two girls in strawberry jams.

Baby kisses.

 

Watching the ducks at Ellis Pond at 10 months.

 

Spoons!

 

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From the mouths of babes...

Mom: Booboo, where did you come from?? (sightly exhausted, after a long day of 3-year old squeals)

Boo: From South America!!

Turning Three.

When your birthday is on a Wednesday, the celebration tends to go on and on, and such was the case for Boo's birthday. Yaya visited for the two weeks surrounding the birthday, and that's always a thrill, and the family party was on the Sunday after.

We took cupcakes to Boo's preschool. she had a fun time being the birthday girl. and the pink cupcakes were the perfect touch for the birthday dinner as well. Midweek birthdays are for "Birthday Soup"--taking a tip from Little Bear, but for her party we kicked it up, and had a huge lunch, followed by the most incredible (if I do say so myself) strawberry cake--Boo's request of the day. Unfortunately, due to some health issues, Nonnie and Papa were unable to join us, but we had the wonderful company of Uncle Joe, and of course Yaya, so party-time was assured.

drinking tea w/ new birthday jungle animals.

One of many Birthday Cupcakes.

licking the icing is almost as fun as eating the cupcake!

New train table of fabulousness. (Thanks to Daddy!)

Sitting down to enjoy our lunch.

"Happy Birthday, Dear Booboo..."

This cake has 2 sticks of butter, 7 eggs, 1 package of cream cheese, and whipped cream. Oh, and loads of strawberries.

Need I say more??

Telling Yaya a secret.

Giving Uncle Joe The Eye.

New party dress from C.

The sugar is kicking in!

Uncle Joe, The Birthday Girl, and Pink Dolphin.

Uncle Joe and His New Toy, Henrietta.

One satisfied Birthday Boo.

Family portrait attempt.

One last Birthday Swing.

The Orchard

One of our favorite places to go in the fall is the Solebury Orchard, a wonderful little spot right out side of New Hope, that has an apple orchard, as well as the best cider donuts I have ever tasted. (That's really why we go!) For that and the Honeycrisp apples, the best apples on the planet.

The last time we went was a couple years ago, when Boo was a lot less mobile. It's much better this time around, but she was a bit peaked anyway, because it still is a bit of a drive, and by the time we got there, it was pretty much naptime. But nevertheless, we perservered, and got our fill of donuts, applesauce, and enough apples for a dozen pies. Yum! Pie!

Le Bateau!

We got a wonderful surprise visit from F and his famille. An old friend of mine from Paris, I've been to see him once since his emigration to Montreal, but he's never had the opportunity to visit us in Philly. Well, F is in the process of searching for a sailboat for his family, to sail on Lake Champlain near where he lives, and it just so happened that one of the boats that he was interested in lives here on the Delaware River, right over in Jersey. (What are the odds??) So we got a wonderful couple days, catching up, speaking French, (Booboo was absolutely fascinated..."where did the french people go?" She asked, more than once!) and reminiscing about old times in Gay Paree. Paradise is Tea Time, anyone?

F, M and L at Brunch.

Saying Hi to Elmo at the Chestnut Hill Street Fair.

L Reads to Boo.

Seattle!

Boo and I went West for my (ehem) 20th High School Reunion. It was wonderful to see family, catch up with great and old friends, and generally feel like, "WHAT the #$%^#@^@!! are we still doing in Philadelphia!??" But that's a question for another day.

I was so busy absorbing the love and good times, i didn't actually take a whole lot of pics. But here's some from Boo and Gpa B's trip to see the big ol' railroads. (Her current passion is Trains, so it was perfect!) and some shots of L and her brood, and the H Clan.

Playing in the Airplane at the Philly Airport.

At our stopover in Detroit.

Coolest. Fountain. Ever.

(tried to take pics, couldn't do it justice. Just trust me on this.)

Big Ol' Trains.

Boo and Grandpa B.

Taking control of the Throttle!

Boo's new career path...

Close-up of Giant Log on display.

Hanging out with The Girls.

Auntie L and her Boo.

K, Rockstar.

Goofy Girls.

Sweeties.

(Some of) the H clan.

(And welcome, E! Who's almost done baking in this pic.)

Boo and Best friend, who she doesn't leave home without, aka. Taggie.