Q - 1 Year

We did it!! Baby Quinn is now officially toddler Quinn! Although who are we kidding?! She has been a toddler for almost a month now with her crazy walking skills! The Q had a good day today, complete with a birthday party at day care and a mini-party at home with us and Auntie Tracey, Nate, and Ben. We had one of her favorite dinners and headed to the park to play. Awesomeness!

At one year old, here are her latest tricks:

• Walking. Everywhere. All the time. Really - not walking. Running. New favorite pastime for both girls is to chase each other around the loop of our dining room/living room. 
• Talking. Lots of chatter and real words. Favorite words are "cup" (death to anyone who has a cup if Quinn doesn't), "shoe," and "woof." She also is learning to follow directions. You can tell her to go get her shoes in the morning, call her to come brush her teeth, and ask her to get a book.
• Breaking up with mom. We've been on a nursing break-up path for a while. I was clinging to the relationship (despite the FIVE teeth) for bedtime. But she has decided she is a big girl and is done with me. We still have about two weeks of milk in the freezer, so she drinks that mostly and we supplement with whole milk. The switch is in process.
• Trying to put things together / getting frustrated when things don't bend to her will. She's discovered the shape sorter and LOVES it. Until the circle won't fit through the triangle hole. Then it's the dumbest toy ever. She also walks around the upstairs sobbing because the picnic plates aren't fitting together. She's exploring her world and figuring it out.
• Chasing balls. Another sports fan on our hands. She loves to chase, throw, and roll her (or Yogi's) balls.
• Loving on Yogi. She adores him! She loves to feed him from her tray (sigh ...) or sit in the yard with him and find him sticks. 

She got her very own baby and stroller from
mom, dad, and Buggy

Wordless Wednesday: Joy

It's Like Riding a Bike

Fiona got an awesome trike for Christmas. Her feet didn't reach the pedals yet, but she was in love. We spend the rest of the winter pushing her around the basement on it. Mike tried to show her how to steer it and as she grew we would have her work the pedals (for the parts of the rotation she could reach).

When spring came, the trike moved outside. We thought she would love it, but it just seemed to frustrate her that she couldn't ride it ... as she watched the neighbor kids zoom by on two wheels. It came out periodically, but without much success. Until Friday ...

After our family bike ride, we were going to play in the yard for a few minutes before going in. I asked Mike to grab her trike and just let her try again. Feet met pedals and she was off. Seriously - it was like she had been doing it forever. She steered, she pedaled, she giggled. It was pure bike riding happiness!

Don't call the authorities. We didn't expect her to ride.

The helmet went on RIGHT after this!!

See! Helmet!

When the Superhero Thing Doesn't Work Out ...

On Tuesday, we got a note and pictures from daycare with the subject "We found a butterfly."

Fiona told me all about it when they got home. They were on their walk and spotted a butterfly "with orange wings. and with black wings." (read: painted lady butterfly) There was a garbage truck coming and "we rescued it. Otherwise, it be smooshed." She told me how the biggest kid J gently picked up the butterfly and carried it home. The story ended with "we were superheroes!" - said with as much excitement as her 2-year-old being has.

I also learned all about the "salty water" (sugar water) that they mixed up for their new pet. And how it was "yucky for me. I like regular water. but the butterfly really likes it." It was one of the longest conversations we've had about a daycare event. So fun!

Today, we got a note and a picture from daycare ... with the subject "Butterfly Funeral."

Sometimes those superhero gigs just don't work out.

Important Things to Learn

We're all about ensuring the girls know the important things in life. "Nice words" and "listening ears" are high on that list. Here are some of the other important things we've been working on ...

Walking (!) [disclaimer: it's hard to get a video of her. she stops walking as soon as you try!]

Muppets [I taught Fiona the "mah na mah na" song - and she loves the YouTube video from the Muppet Show]

Shoveling [Fiona was teaching Quinn. It was so cute!]