Life is FULL and GOOD

...early morning hike and exploration of Discovery Park...

...time to paint outdoors...

...a first ride on the zoo's carousel...

...a sunny opportunity to wear her "dancing dress"...

...lots of love and cuddling with the animals...

...MUSIC.. (Sophie loves to dance. I honestly think we have a dancer on our hands. Her newest obsession is to listen to music on daddy's headphones. Don't worry, grandparents, the music isn't loud!)

...the curls are coming! the curls are coming!

...treating Bucksy the bear with flowers and a stroller ride...

..."more read stories"...

...Little Lamby was the chosen one on a morning run...

...an early evening picnic at the park...

...Daddy's "biking glasses"? Check. A cookie? Check. Boats, planes, people, water, rocks and ducks all in one place?! Check. Life is definitely full and good.

Action Shots

...a brief (cell phone camera) photo gallery of some of our recent summer adventures...

Kansas City

Sophie and I flew to Kansas City this past week to visit one of my best friends, Karen, and her family. Karen and I had our hands full with three kids under the age of 2 1/2 and temperatures outside that reached over 100 degrees. It was pure madness at times, but it was special to meet Karen's children and introduce Sophie to such a dear friend of mine. THANK YOU to the entire family for welcoming us into their home.

Sophie LOVED "Baby Grace" and her squawking.

Sophie and Dylan bonded on a particularly personal level.

On one of our special adventures, we loaded all three kiddos up (scheduled between naps!) and took them to Union Station to see a model train exhibit. Sophie was in heaven because she's obsessed with anything train-related. She wouldn't keep still long enough for me to take a photo. We also took the kids to a diner where a model train drives above all the tables and delivers the food. This was THE PERFECT place for Sophie, and she has told Doug all about it-- "Train food down. Little train. Sophie hat. Sophie eat chicken nuggets. Special ad-benture."

I love this next shot.....the toddlers were exhausted after the full morning of trains!

This was the only cell phone shot that I got of all three kids. Sophie was giggling and doing summersaults, Grace was playing with her toys, and Dylan was being a helpful big brother.

Here is more evidence that Sophie loved baby Grace (yes, that is Ross from a "Friends" episode in the background. Karen and I may or may not have watched some tv and eaten lots of ice cream cake...)

Sophie loved flying on the airplane and did exceptionally well considering she sat in my lap for the 4 hour flights. I want to permanently document two funny airplane highlights, so that I never forget: #1. Often, when Doug travels for work, we tell Sophie that Daddy will wave to her from the plane. Then, when we see a plane flying over our house, Sophie and I wave up at it, imagining that Daddy is on that plane waving back. As Doug dropped us off at the airport, he told Sophie to wave out the window of the plane. Sophie constantly repeated "Sophie wave Daddy airplane" as we waited to board the plane. Then throughout both plane rides, she would knock on the window, wave, and loudly say "Wave Daddy hi. Hi Daddy!" She diligently and thoughtfully repeated this for hours to make sure Daddy saw us. #2. Due to severe thunderstorms, our flight to KC was diverted to Omaha to refuel. It was late at night, I was cranky and tired, and Sophie was squirming around. As we looked out the windows of the plane, we could see the airplane personnel refueling the plane. Seeing the men outside working on the plane, Sophie used her "big girl" voice to say, "Hello, boys." Half of the plane laughed and probably wondered where she learned to talk like that (not from me!). It lightened the mood of the passengers as they heard this little voice flirting with the boys out the window...this girl is trouble!

Overall, a great trip with a wonderful daughter and wonderful friends....

Playdates and Field Trips

Other action shots include Sophie wearing her sunglasses as we drove down to Point Defiance Zoo to meet up with friends for a special field trip.

On another weekend, the three of us went on an early morning hike to see two waterfalls. The last time that Doug and I completed this hike was 2 days before we found out that we were pregnant with little Sophie. Stink-face made an appearance on the hike because apparently Doug wasn't walking gracefully enough: "No bounce Daddy. No bounce."

Sophie also enjoyed time outside today with her friend, Maggie Mae.

We're anticipating more play dates and summer fun in the coming days!

It's All About the Accessories

This summer, the Fashion Police are out in full force. Whether you're just riding your three-wheels in the driveway, hanging out in your "cheetah jammies" or hitting the tennis courts with your mommy, you need to wear as many necklaces as possible. Sophie, our little fashionista, is well aware of these trends. This season, it is ALL about the accessories around your neck.

Yes, sometimes the beads, the noodles, and the "Happy New Year" chokers get really tangled. You may throw a tantrum, but nobody said that high fashion didn't come with high emotions.

Before stepping out in public, CLOSELY inspect yourself in a mirror. Adding a few massive bracelets also helps intimidate the diaper-bottomed girls. "Mirror mirror, on the wall...."

Here, Sophie models her best runway face. Watch for this look at all the Fall preview shows.

We just showed Sophie a photo of a toddler at the park, of all places, without any accessories. Here was her reaction:

Make sure to take good care of your jewelry. Obviously, when you're poolside, there's no need to flash and flaunt your good style. Let your water-soaked locks do the talking.

Who said that athletes don't need jewelry? We've all seen the Williams sisters sit on the sidelines to untangle their necklaces before the big match.

Finally, if you're experiencing one of those days--your mom wouldn't give you a 2nd Otter Pop, she made you drink milk at lunch, and then, she insisted on putting sunscreen on your arms--then you might not feel like donning the latest and greatest of necklaces. Put on that hippie tank top and relax in front of your new dollhouse. It's ok. Even the supermodels let their guard down every now and then.