michigan in may

millie and i went home to michigan for mother's day... it ended up being a lovely weekend away! olivia and millie did a little bit of bonding at john ball park zoo (which i'm pretty sure is still home to the same animals that were there when i was her age!).  

getting to ride in the wagon was super cool...  millie spends a lot of time when we're at the park trying to climb in random wagons that don't belong to us. to actually be invited to sit in one and ride around was pretty exciting!  

 the petting zoo was a hit... lots of little goats to chase around!

 old man john ball sits in the same place that he has for decades. it's amazing to me that school playgrounds aren't allowed to have swings and merry-go-rounds because of safety concerns, and this guy (slippery as ever and surrounded by concrete!) still sits and invites kids to climb!

mother's day was absolutely beautiful - all sunsine and clear skies. 

we had a really special afternoon together.

aunt jaren taught millie to say please (what a great mother's day gift!)... she of course wouldn't say it to me, but it was a start!

the green grass and big rocks were beckoning the girls to come outside and play.

we are so blessed.

does this mean that the blog needs a new name?!

does this excuse the fact that it's been four months since my last post?

needless to say, we've been a little preoccupied around here lately! summer has gone by so fast - our little girl is a full fledged toddler. we've officially entered the world of mischief and limit-testing (i've been taking lots of deep breaths these last few weeks!).

millie is now sleeping in a "big girl bed" in her new bedroom...

 all things hot pink in her old nursery have been replaced with little man colors. we're trying to prepare her to be a big sister, but she has no idea what a little brother actually is. i know that there will be loads of new challenges and changes, but we're thrilled about this little boy joining our family. 

 i'm determined to not stop recording our adventures, although i'm realizing that they might be a little fewer and farther between (i'm shooting for better than a four month average!) i'm going to do my best to bring ya'll up to speed... bear with me!

beep, beep!

we've got fourteen years and eight months before we have to worry about millie getting behind the wheel of a car...  i'm guessing by looking at these pictures that she won't be satisfied with taking public transportation for the rest of her life!

easter

i was especially looking forward to easter this year. i think it was partly because it fell so late on the calendar-  we were definitely in need of a little resurrection cheer in our house. april was busy. cold.rainy.blah. 

i realize that millie is too young to comprehend what's going on, but it was so fun to put together an easter basket for her. jason thinks i'm silly, but i don't see anything wrong with starting traditions early! 

getting out the door on sunday mornings is always a challenge because of the service time vs. nap time... of course easter morning was especially difficult. cranky pants was not interested in wearing tights and a pretty dress or in having her picture taken outside by the tulips and daffodils. this is the best that i could manage before we were twenty minutes late for church...(at least you can see her easter dress!) 

some friends came over for brunch... it was a really lovely afternoon. millie took a nice LONG afternoon nap and woke up ready to see what this easter business was all about.

i filled her bucket with little people toys and a book from poppa and amma... 

...but she only had eyes for the candy!

 christina and brian helped hide the eggs in the backyard for millie and maura to find. with a little help, she did a pretty good job collecting them. maura has years of experience... she was a good teacher!

yay for spring! yay for eggs! yay for easter! yay for resurrection!

millie & friends...

we've been having "playdates" since millie was just a few months old. (it was really just an excuse for me to hang out with friends and their babies... usually she napped through the whole thing!) in the last few months the tables have definitely turned - our outings now consist of more playing and a lot less adult chatting!  i'm so grateful to have friends with kids who are around the same age as millie. with all of the cold and rainy days that we've had in chicago this month, these mornings with friends have been a lifesaver... for both of us!

 this picture is a perfect example of what i mean... restless and grumpy from another morning stuck inside the house. she was erasing videos off of the flip camera - definitely time for a change of scenery! 

we have a brand new playroom that just opened up in our neighborhood... it's great! we try to get there when they open the doors - the untouched playroom is our oyster! 

aunt carrie and blake came to meet us for the morning. 

our friendship has been such a treat - a perfect example of how kids can become a common denominator for a relationship. millie and i enjoy spending time with her and blake so much!  

they were a cute little pair in green!  

another bonus of the playroom: millie is straight up exhausted by the time we leave! a three hour nap usually ensues soon after we walk in the door... awesome. 

millie's friend olive turned three... it was her first 'big girl' birthday party. she was definitely clueless about what was going on, but she liked watching all of the little girls running around! the bouncy house was definitely a highlight of the afternoon. 

          

 the little mermaid made a guest appearance at the party... millie wasn't sure what to think of this beautiful red headed creature! (her cousin olivia would have been thrilled to meet the sea princess in person!)

 olive is a couple of years older than millie (she still calls her "baby millie"), but i hope that they'll grow to be good friends as they grow up. 

the age difference between these two is almost exactly how far apart millie and her new little brother or sister will be (baby caref II is arriving this november if you haven't already heard!)...  it gives me hope that they'll be playmates one day!

 

pretty sweet, huh?