August Catch-Up

More from the Michigan trip, bubble-palooza, part II.
John makes awesome bubbles.
So does Sophia.
And Chelsey.
Here are some pics from when Helen opened up presents from Aunt Naomi and family and Aunt Sarah and family - it was a clothes and sticker extravaganza!! (note stickers on Helen's new shirt).
One thrown in from last night actually - silly goose throwing herself on the couch.
Modeling Aunt Naomi's new outfit - she loves the elephant!
This one was taken on her birthday proper, before we left for the day. In this picture, she is officially 2 years old!

Sandbox

It's shaping up to be an interesting week thanks to a sandbox, a tongue and a red, plastic shovel. Helen had a nice, big lick of her sandbox shovel caked with wet sand and various other detritus at the local park Monday evening which I think is the culprit of a lovely night of vomiting Tuesday and diarrhea filled Wednesday. Mom always said - listen to that gut level, but Helen wanted to play in the sand SO BAD and it had been SO LONG since we had played in the sand... ! I'm a sucker and a softy, but no more (when it comes to sand). Here's hoping this experience will prepare her stomach and intestines for a tour of a far off distant land someday.

Anyway... she's loads better now. Keeping down liquids and food so far and developing a per-chant for long rides in the country before bedtime (we've done this 2 nights in a row) and I rather like it (she has a strong aversion to home at bedtime, made more keen by her upset tummy - "no home, mommy" is often repeated and now with heartfelt tears). It's really pretty around here with hills and curves and lots and lots of big trees. If you were here, I would show you one of them I stumbled on last night - it's gorgeous, enormous and absolutely perfect.

Birthday Girl

We celebrated Helen's birthday over the weekend. Can't believe she's already 2 years old as of tomorrow... time flies when you're having fun! Almost exactly 2 years ago to the hour, I woke up with contractions and that was the beginning of the beginning! Who knew she would end up with ringlets, a deep and zany laugh and a deep and abiding love of "crackies" (cookies/crackers) and Elmo.
H and the F cousins.