Ryan, Rebecca, and (mostly) Lydia Happenings

Catch Up Time

2011-01-16T16:19:00.000-08:00

We now have church at 9:00, so I have decided that I will update this blog each Sunday with my extra time in the afternoon. I want this blog to serve as a digital scrapbook, since I don't do any real scrapbooking, but if I want that, I better spend some time with it.

So I'm going to spend the next few weeks catching up from September until now.

In the fall, we...

celebrated Caroline's half birthday with a traditional half donut,

had a fun visit from Cousin Luci and family,

including Grandma Diamond,

played some interesting dress up games,

and spent lots of time in the beautiful mountains.

The End. Next week I'll talk about Halloween. Man, I'm behind.

Happy Autumn!

2010-09-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

We had a great time celebrating the first day of autumn last week.

Lydia and I went for a walk around Silver Lake, a most beauteous place. (There really is a lake. This picture just doesn't show it.)

Luckily, I hadn't cleaned out the car in a while and there was a sweater in there for Lydia because it was about 20 degrees colder in the mountains than it was at our house. I, on the other hand, got to run around the lake in flip flops and short sleeves because there was nothing warm for me in the car. I wasn't the only one who forgot something warm to wear, though. One kid was wearing a bathrobe. Who carries around a bathrobe in their car?

Lydia now has strep throat and when I look back at these pictures of dazed eyes, I wonder if she may have been starting to get sick that day. Poor girl.

Happy autumn!

Summer Vacation

2010-08-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

Our foreign exchange student from Germany has arrived! We're having a fabulous time. You can read about it on my other blog, www.thrilledbythethought.com

For here and now, I'm going to catch up on summertime.

We got back from a fabulous trip to Lake Almanor in California with Ryan's family. There was fun all around.

There was time for fairy dancing on the lawn,

snuggling with Daddy/Uncle Ryan,

swimming in the warm lake (it's actually blue, but looks brown here),

dressing up,

eating popcorn and watching movies with cousins,

lounging in the hammock with cousins (they started out loving it but were all screaming bloody murder by the time I got there with the camera.),

and stealing all of cousin Luci's stuffed animals for some snuggle time.

Then it was off to Tracy for a short weekend with my family. We spent an entire day in the pool with cousins. And Lydia learned that she needs to keep a close eye on her food when Great Grandpa Middleton is around. (a lesson I, myself, learned at about her age.)

Oh how we love...

2010-07-16T15:15:00.000-07:00

...messy summer days!

Happy 4th!

2010-07-06T14:27:00.001-07:00

Ok. I don't even deserve to have this blog anymore. It is receiving no attention from me, poor thing. Too much has happened in the past 2 months to sum up here, so I'm just going to skip it and start with July.

Our Independence Day was a blast. We got to ride on a float, go to a festival and get VIP seating at the Sugar House fireworks. All in all, a very satisfying, American day.

Happy birthday America!

In other news, we are having a foreign exchange student from Germany come live with us. She will be here next month. We adore her to pieces already and can't wait to meet her in person.

I will try to update more often than every two months, but if you feel like it, you can always come check out my other blog, www.thrilledbythethought.com. It gets more attention than this poor, pathetic red headed stepchild blog right here.

California Trip Part 2

2010-05-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

We left Lydia with willing (I think) grandparents for a night and wandered down to Monterey to celebrate our 5th anniversary.

We explored downtown Monterey, turning corners to find gardens and meandering through historical buildings we didn't know existed.

We spent some lovely time on the beach, but found that the sun does not set on the horizon there, much to our dismay. Monterey's ocean is a bay, not the end of the world, so the sun sets over a hill dotted with obscenely large houses. Not very romantic.

We walked a couple miles through the canning, fishing and shopping districts.

And we got up close and personal with some seals or sea lions (I don't know the difference) on a glass bottom boat tour. We aren't sure what the purpose of the glass bottom was. We didn't see anything through the glass except seaweed. Did you know you can also see seaweed on the beach? We're really happy we paid to see it through a murky glass bottom boat.

This seal/sea lion had just battled two other seal/sea lions and gained the title of "King (or Queen) of the Buoy" for a moment.

Trip to California Part 1

2010-04-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous time in California 2 weeks ago. The trip began like this:

But quickly turned into this:

These were Lydia's very first rides. We thought she would get nervous, so Ryan went with her on the first ride (what a good sport- he barely fit). She didn't need him at all, so we set her free on a few others. She was a natural!

Happy Anniversary

2010-03-18T01:12:00.000-07:00

I posted this on my other blog, www.thrilledbythethought.com as well. Sorry if you already read it. But this blog is sort of a "record the family history for posterity" blog, so I think this post fits here as well.

The courtship, engagement and marriage of my husband and me would be an awfully boring movie. Our courtship was uneventful as far as Hollywood standards go. You could not create a romantic comedy, a heroic tale, or even a Disney movie out of what we had.

We didn’t hate each other at first and suddenly realize that we were actually meant to be together forever, with that realization culminating in an airport run.

He didn’t have to go away to war or come rescue me from some awful predicament.

There was no break up period, in which we realized how much we missed each other, thereby propelling us back into each other's arms.

There wasn’t even an evil stepmother to contend with.

We simply met, fell in love and got married 6 months later. Yes, 6 months later. There were no arguments, strifes, awkward situations, mistrust, jealousy, doubts or anything of the sort.

The first 2 or 3 years of our marriage were much the same. We lived in pure, obnoxious, make out in public bliss.

A child and the expenses and lifestyle change that came with her certainly gave us our fair share of challenges and real world experiences. But you know what? 5 years later, I am still as giddy as a school girl when I see my sweetheart. I still snuggle up to him, hold his hand in public, kiss him whenever I darn well feel like it, cherish our date nights, miss him like crazy while he is at work, and look forward to spending forever with him.

Happy 5 Years, Ryan.

Pigtails

2010-03-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

Somehow, Lydia got it in her head that her pigtails are not safe outside. Maybe we made a silly comment sometime on a windy day about how the wind will blow us away. We don't really know. But for several weeks, Lydia held on to a fear that her pigtails would blow away if we were out of doors. At first it was cute. Then, her fear began turning into hysterics if she couldn't get her hands up to protect her precious pigtails fast enough.

I needed to take pictures of her for an article I was writing, but most of the pictures were unusable because she would not let go of those pigtails!

Oh well. Even if her weird obsession ruined my article pictures, at least they make for a good story to laugh about.

2010-03-01T16:48:00.000-08:00

I lost my camera disk. And found it again. And was so happy to find this picture of Lydia driving a fire truck last December.

2010-02-16T13:56:00.000-08:00

This balloon might possibly be the love of Lydia's life.

Happy Birthday

2010-02-14T21:02:00.001-08:00

Ryan's mom's birthday is this week. And my little brother Darren's 21st birthday is also this week! Since Ryan's mom is in California and Darren is in Ohio (for only 1 more month!), we did some of our own celebrating in their honor. We love to celebrate. Happy birthday Grandma Diamond and Uncka Dennen!

Sugar House

2010-02-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

I had to do some work in Sugar House, our favorite little community in Salt Lake City. So I decided to make a day of it and take the fam.

We wandered through Hidden Hollow, a little nature reserve with a river, trees, dirt and everything smack dab in the middle of a shopping center. It's a great walk. It's much better in the springtime when there are leaves on the trees, but Lydia was so excited for a semi-warm day with sunshine and Daddy that she didn't mind the lack of foliage.

We grabbed a little booklet about Salt Lake City businesses while we were there and Lydia walked up and down the street like this. It took a really really really long time to get anywhere.

Lydia and I pretended to be models.

The sunglasses never came off and that stick travelled home with us.

A successful day. Oh, and I got my work done too.

What a mess...

2010-01-20T12:18:00.000-08:00

But at least they didn't find the scissors.

Dressing Up

2010-01-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

We were invited to a princess dress up party at a fancy spa. Little girls ran around trying on princess dresses and jewelry, then pranced along the catwalk and watched themselves in the TV.

Lydia was more interested in the tea set, play cupcakes and child size chairs. She finally consented to dress up a little bit, and this is what she chose.

Really? Of all the things she could have chosen?

I admire her individuality, but I'm not so sure about her fashion sense.

Fun in the Snow

2009-12-30T16:17:00.000-08:00

I did it. I braved the ridiculous cold and took Lydia out for some fun in the snow. All by myself. She loved it and didn't want to go inside, but her California-girl momma felt that 20 minutes was enough time in freezing temperatures. Maybe her more warm blooded daddy can take her out for a more decent amount of time.

The Dress

2009-12-27T14:28:00.000-08:00

Lydia received this dress from her Grandma Brown as a birthday present.

We immediately tried it on. It didn't fit across her back. I was devastated (because it really is the cutest dress ever), but my smart momma had sent a gift receipt along with the dress.

The very next day, Ryan headed out to our closest mall to exchange the dress for a bigger size at JCPenney, only to find that there was no JCPenney at that mall (even though we were both positive there was). He was then sent on a wild goose chase by google text for the next hour or so.

He finally found a JCPenney, only to find that they did not have the dress!

I called every JCPenney within driving distance (and there are a lot!). Not one of them had the dress. Meanwhile, my mom drove to 2 JCPenneys in California and was unable to find the dress.

I checked the internet. Sold out.

So finally, I decided to just exchange the dress for something else. I found a few items at the store, took Lydia into the dressing room and began trying on. A thought came to me: try the polka dot dress on her one more time.

Feeling silly, I did. As I put it over her head, I realized the bow could be untied, something I hadn't noticed before. Once I untied the bow, the dress slipped easily over her head, and adjusted just fine to her little body.

It fit perfect.

She'll be wearing this dress every day until she outgrows it. Just to make the effort of 3 people in 2 states worth it!

2009-12-24T06:59:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you open up the dresser drawers of a 2 year old and tell her it's time to get dressed. Beanie, gloves, nightgown, striped pants that are 2 sizes too small and Christmas socks.

2 Year Old Picture with Mono

2009-12-11T12:00:00.001-08:00

We had a fun little photo shoot this morning. It's our plan to take a picture of Lydia at each birthday (a few days late this year) with her favorite stuffed animal, Mono (pronounced Moe-no) the Monkey, made by our friend Jonathan. Mono is Monkey in Spanish.

I got the idea from a magazine somewhere. The article suggested taking a picture of your child in the same chair each year to watch how they grow. I thought it would be cuter to see how Lydia (and Mono) age together. So far, he is still intact- all limbs, eyes and ears accounted for.

She's getting much better at holding still for pictures. It helped that she got to hold her little buddy. She was eager to have him be in the pictures with her.

Even though she's getting better at staying in one place, we still had some hiccups.

After hearing the click of my camera, she would say "Awwww....cute picture," then run to see the picture on my screen.

Here is one of many results of her vanity.

Some more "cheese" poses

And here she is with Mono last year. She was so wiggly that Ryan had to hold her still and keep Mono in his hand.

Evolution of a Photo Shoot

2009-12-08T14:01:00.000-08:00

Our friend, Emily, made Lydia the cutest apron for her birthday. Lydia loves wearing it, so I made a big deal out of taking her picture in it, hoping she would get excited and pose. She was eager to pose (for once), and went to the wall smiling and saying "Cheeeeeese." I was so excited!

But before I could get my slow camera to respond, she had already thought up a new idea. Instead of ME taking HER picture, she would reverse that and take my picture with her camera!

I reminded her of the cool pockets in the apron, which got her camera out of her face for a second.

Then, she thought that maybe sitting down would be a better idea. Sure, why not? Anything for a chance at a good picture.

Got it!

Tiny disclaimer: I didn't tie the strings on the apron tight enough. It fits much better when I do. I know Emily will worry. So don't worry, Emily. =)

Happy Early Second Birthday!

2009-11-30T06:06:00.000-08:00

This little girl had her birthday party (a week early)!

(Pictured doing the Hokie Pokie)

The theme was circles (a shape she became obsessed with throughout this second year of her life).

The little guests all made a craft- they decorated paper circle balloon boquets with glitter.

Most of the treats were circles, but that's a tough one. We also had some non-circular items on the table.

The birthday cake- circles. She was so excited to blow out her candles. She loves the song, "Happy Birthday," and sings it regularly- normally inserting a cousin's name into the song. On the day of her party, we tried to put her down for a nap. It didn't happen because she was too excited. She kept singing, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY PARTY TO YOU!" at the top of her lungs. So when everyone started singing the song to HER...oh boy, was she excited.

When she opened her presents, all her guests crowded around her, trying to shove their present into her lap (or, more accurately, trying to OPEN their present in her lap). This little birthday girl quickly figured out what to do.

2009-11-20T16:30:00.001-08:00

If you want to read some stellar local news (and who doesn't), go to http://www.mysugarhousejournal.com/. Why am I telling you this? Hint: Read the name of the writer who wrote the articles on the front page!

Little Kitty Liddie

2009-11-16T07:57:00.001-08:00

We went to a festival at the library where there was face painting. Lydia waited in line so very patiently while child after child and parent after parent cut in front of us (Ok, maybe it was only one child and one parent with a child- but still...).

She was very excited to be painted like a kitty.

An Introduction to Cinderella

2009-11-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

While I have many Disney princess movies, Lydia hasn't really been exposed to them yet.

My wonderful nieces definitely come from a "Princess House." So when I babysat them the other day, I thought it would be the perfect time to introduce Lydia to Cinderella.

As soon as I mentioned that princess' name, Lydia's cousins began jumping up and down with excitement. Lydia followed suit, jumping and shouting, "Cin-rella Cin-rella."

We all clambered downstairs to the TV room while Abby sweetly held Lydia's hand, asking all the way, "Lydia, who is your favorite princess?"

Little Cameron started asking the question too. They both gave her ideas. "Is it Jasmine? Or Cinderella? Or Belle?"

Lydia had no clue what they were talking about and the questions kept coming, so I had to explain, "Lydia doesn't really know about princesses."

Abby and Cameron looked at me with very confused eyes.

The introduction to Cinderella ended up lasting only about 10 minutes into the movie. By that time, Lydia and Cameron were wandering around, finding toys to play with.

But for those 10 minutes, I had three sweet and very attentive girls to cuddle with.

Halloween

2009-11-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

Our Little Red Riding Hood had a great Halloween. We attended so many different Halloween events that she was an old pro at this whole Halloween thing by the end of the week. Her costume became a second skin. And it has the stains and tears to prove it.

Trick-or-treating was a blast for Lydia. She started out a little wary, but caught on to the whole idea VERY fast. She had no problem with knocking on doors, looking cute, and getting a fistful of candy.

On Halloween morning, we started the day off by eating gourmet donuts at a cute new donut shop.

Here, too, she caught on very quickly.

We also attended a trick-or-treat at our church.

Ryan and I got into the spirit too. We dressed up as each other. Can't even tell, huh? Our costumes were THAT good.

Stickers

2009-11-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

My mom sent Lydia some stickers. In less than 5 minutes, this is what happened. All Lydia's doing.

Thanks, Grandma! She loved them!

My Ladybug

2009-10-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Lydia's costume from last year still fits her. Since we still don't know what she's going to be this year, I've been putting last year's ladybug outfit on her for fun. She loves it!

Say Cheese!

2009-10-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

We're working on the whole smiling for the camera thing.

Lydia loves to say "cheese," but she still hasn't figured out how to look at the camera while saying so.

She IS getting pretty good at keeping her body towards the camera. That's something, at least.

And every now and then, we are finally lucky enough to get a smile and a face at the camera.

It's Cold

2009-10-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

We headed up to the mountains this past week to view some some leaf color changeage, but were greeted by this.

Snow. In October. The BEGINNING of October, mind you.

We did see some pretty colors through our frosted eyelashes.

And we certainly did enjoy our walk alongside the creek.

But it pained me to dress my child so...

...when only a week ago, we were traipsing through the mountains feeling quite comfortable in simple long sleeve t-shirts.

And instead of watching her innocently play with leaves as I did last week, I had to fear the dangers of frostbite as she played with snow. (Yes, dramatics awards go to ME).

Oh cursed cold weather.

Deaf Festival and Snow Pants

2009-09-29T01:40:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed our Saturday. We went to the deaf and hearing impaired festival so Ryan could practice his sign language. He did get to sign with one or two people, and decided he wants to take some more classes.

Lydia got her face painted for the first time. She has been obsessed with balloons lately (beee-yooons), and loved having balloons on her face. She kept finding any excuse to look at her reflection in the mirror, oven door, car door, anywhere.

She did a little carnival gaming.

And then we purchased her birthday present- snow overalls. It makes me cold just looking at it. Is it really going to get cold enough to wear something like this?

2009-09-28T01:37:00.000-07:00

What to do on a Sunday evening when there is still an hour left before bedtime?

Make a tent, of course.

Close the blinds, turn out the lights, and turn on the flashlight!

Turn somersaults while Daddy reads stories.

And after those 5 minutes are up...well, that's all I have. The next 55 minutes are going to be difficult.

2009-09-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

Lydia and I took a walk in the mountains today. There was lots to be excited about.

All the rocks to climb and climb and climb

The open space to run and run and run

The leaves to collect and carry as treasures

The discovery of a back pocket

The wonderful fall weather!

Happy Autumn!

2009-09-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

We love fall for the perfect weather, the changing leaves, the approaching holidays, and the comfort food.

Today is the official first day of fall. So, since we are who we are, we're celebrating! (any excuse for a celebration!)

We're wearing fall colors, spending time outside without either roasting or wearing 10 layers, feeding ducks, and cooking chili in the crockpot. Oh, and I also must mention the donuts and apple cider that awaits our mouths for dessert.

What a perfect day!

Peek-a-boo

2009-09-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

I love how kids love to play peek-a-boo. It's so funny to hear their laughs as you question out loud, "Where's Lydia? Wheeeeerrrreeeee did she go????" And then to see their ecstatically happy faces popping out at you when they finally decide to reveal themselves- it's priceless isn't it?

2009-09-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

We had another great (albeit incredibly short) visit to California this weekend. Lydia and her cousin Zack truly are two peas in a pod.

More pictures to come once I get life organized again!

Fountains and Lampposts

2009-09-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

Last week, Lydia and I spent a day in downtown Salt Lake, visiting an art gallery. The train is free in certain areas downtown, so once we were done at the gallery, we hopped aboard and road to The Gateway, an outdoor mall with a fountain area.

Whenever we go to fountains or other splash parks, Lydia starts out very enthusiastic.

Once she gets her first spray, however, she becomes skeptical.

She then spends her time sticking her hands in safe puddles or small streams of water. Very often, those hands then go into her mouth where she deposits disgusting recycled water. Oh my.

These fountains are a little bit more hardcore than most fountains Lydia has been to. You can't see the spray in any of the pictures, but it comes out pretty strong. She got tired of it pretty quick.

And wandered off to cuddle and flirt with a lamppost.

2009-08-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

Lydia and I happened to be sitting right next to each other while Ryan had the camera out. Perfect, I thought! We were both wearing dresses, Lydia was sitting still for a minute- it would be a great mother/daughter picture.

By the time Ryan had the camera on, the moment was lost. Here is the evolution (or backwards evolution?) of Lydia's attention span for cameras.

Starting to run away.

Ran away and Mommy picked her back up

Just about gone

Sigh. Will she ever sit still for a picture?

Dressing Up

2009-08-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

Ok People. We have officially become dorky parents. We knew we would achieve that title eventually, and some may already say we've been the leaders of the Dorky Parents Club for a while. But until this activity, I hadn't put myself in that club yet.

Even so, I will do this sort of thing again and again. I'm re-living the childhood that a house full of teenage boys prevented me from having: Playing dress-up and pretend as a family.

For our Family Home Evening on Monday, we taught the story of Noah's Ark to Lydia. Then, we dressed up in period costume-Lydia with a headscarf and Mommy and Daddy in bathrobes. (Watch for our "Best Costume" nomination in the next Oscars.)

We built a boat,

and gathered the animals.

We brought enough food for 40 days and nights (or 4 minutes) and had a little picnic.

After we had a good snack, we made sure the animals were eating too. It was hard work!

Thanksgiving Point

2009-08-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

Against better judgment, we went to the children's gardens at Thanksgiving Point on the Hottest Day Ever. Because of the heat, we didn't stay too long, but we did enjoy ourselves while we were there.

The gardens have fun shaded areas sectioned off where kids can play with instruments, build with blocks, climb, and perform on stages.

Lydia, lover of music, had a blast with this instrument.

It was even more fun to play a duet with Daddy.

We were able to go into the big gardens for a minute to see this waterfall. I think I've heard that it's the biggest human-made waterfall in North America. To tell you the truth, I expected more. There were bigger parts than what are shown in this picture, but still. Not as impressive as it's claim.

Back in the children's garden, they had a fun lighthouse where kids could play. Ryan enjoyed climbing up to the second story.

And then, of course, Lydia wanted her turn.

The grounds were really beautiful, even though we were all melting under the hot sun.

We were really grateful for the Noah's Ark water feature. We didn't realize this was here, so we didn't bring a swimsuit for Lydia. Fortunately, she didn't mind!

High Heels

2009-08-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

Lydia's obsession with shoes started well over a year ago. In the beginning, she desperately wanted to walk in Mommy's high heels, but needed help.

Recently, she embarked upon her first solo high-heeling walk.

She did better than Mommy. Should we be worried?

Rain, Museums, and Finger Puppets

2009-08-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

It rained yesterday.

So our plans of a picnic in the mountains were dashed. Not to worry! We just looked at my never ending list of things to do, and remembered that the Utah Museum of Fine Arts is free every third Saturday!

These pictures are deceiving. It really was a rainy day. We were lucky enough to have a few minutes of sunshine.

Not only is the museum free every third Saturday, it also has a free craft for families to make!

Yesterday's craft was finger puppets. You are supposed to go through the galleries to get inspiration. Then, you make inspired finger puppets.

Lydia's inspiration lasted for the 2 seconds it took to scribble on her finger puppet. Ryan took over from there.

We never got a good picture of the finger puppet because Lydia tore it apart almost immediately. Here, you can see that it once had a hat.

May it rest in peace.

2009-08-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Lydia is obsessed with the piano. She loves the actual piano, piano books, and piano flashcards. I think we could throw away all other toys, and she wouldn't even miss them!

2009-08-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you for my new dress, Grandma Diane!

Creek Walking

2009-08-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake City just gets better and better every time I turn around. Through another blog (don't you just love blogs?!?!), I found out about this creek in Memory Grove, a downtown park. It's less than 15 minutes from our house! I hate when I discover things so close after being in a place so long.

We made up for lost time, though, and immediately went to the creek. Covered mostly in shade, it's the perfect place for some good ol' fashioned creek walking!

Lydia was like a girl on a mission. We changed her into her swimsuit, strapped her into water shoes, and she immediately took our hands to lead the way! She marched through that creek as if it was her 100th time there. It wasn't until about halfway through our journey that she realized she could sit and play in the water. What can I say? She's focused. Or oblivious. It's all in how you look at it.

We were so happy that Jill and Vince decided to join us. Lydia played tour guide to Vince for quite a little while as well.

Doesn't Jill look so stinkin cute? I want her shorts!

Playing at the Park with Cousins

2009-08-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Just some more pictures from our trip to California. One day there, we went to a really fun park with family. Lydia alternated between loving the toys and not knowing what to do with them. That could be because her mother isn't crazy about parks.

Her mother is, however, crazy about water fountains, so Lydia knew just what to do with those.

And so did her father.

Lydia and her cousin Zack became best friends right away. Zack is about 9 months older than Lydia, and they've seen each other 3 or 4 times. Even with such little introduction, they knew immediately how to cause just the right amount of trouble.

The Beach

2009-07-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

There are rules.

Whenever you go to California, you must go to the beach.

(Even though Northern California beaches are freezing, and you end up staying fully dressed for most of the day.)

You must dip your feet into the frigid water that gives you instant frostbite. (Lydia actually LOVED the water!)

You must sample the local sand with your cousin.

You must play play play with cousins you don't get to see enough.

And if you are a Brown, you must create some sort of sand monument. These are legendary. Troy will do the digging.

Lydia will play in the hole.

Even Grandpa will get involved in the efforts.

And Ryan, Grandma, and Nicole will proudly kneel by their monument- a sea crab.

But a sea crab is not enough. You must build another creature. A baby elephant, perhaps?

When can we come back?

Lake Almanor

2009-07-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a fun-filled trip to California. First stop: Lake Almanor with Ryan's family.

Lydia love love LOVED playing with her cousins. The babies are all a few months apart. We thought we would have tantrums this year as they tried to play together, but they surprised us all and got along pretty perfectly! Maybe we should have more faith in our children's niceness capabilities.

Lucy and Lydia loved playing with this bucket of water. Cute, right? Except that this water was used for cleaning off dirty, sandy feet. Gross children. Or maybe it's more gross that the parents let them play in the feet water, and even encouraged such play by snapping pictures?

Lydia loved story time with Grandma.

Grandma gave all the girls matching dresses, which they all wore to church. We attempted to get a super cute picture all together. Do you think we got one? NO. Do you wonder who the culprit was?

In this one, I think Lucy and Lydia were giving big cousin Ruby a kiss, something she was not too crazy about.

Again, we tried to get a cute baby picture. Again, it was foiled. Again, the foiling was because of my dear daughter.

First, she wouldn't smile.

Then, between the time it takes to lift my finger and press it down again on the camera button, she was off and running. The girl is incapable of relaxing.

Messy Days

2009-07-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

We had several pots filled with dirt and failed flower seeds sitting on our front porch. I was tired of looking at evidence of my failure as a gardener, so I decided to dump the pots out and let Lydia play in the dirt.

She was more interested in stacking the flower pots, which was a good thing. I later found out that the dirt was filled with tiny splinters, a fact I didn't discover until I swept it away with my hand, and came away with a palm that would make a porcupine jealous. I'm still tweezing splinters out of my hand today.

After Lydia lost interest in stacking pots, I decided to make things even messier. I pulled out some paintbrushes and water so Lydia could "paint" the steps, door, and walls. Why didn't I think of this earlier? This is a genius idea- one given to me by my friend Jessica. Lydia "painted" happily for more than an hour. She never does ANYTHING for more than an hour.

And just so you know, I DO Lydia's hair every day. I promise. This particular day began with the cutest pigtails you've ever seen. But after teaching a gazillion piano students, I just don't feel like re-doing it. I understand if you're horrified. But I'm not going to change.

2009-07-09T06:32:00.000-07:00

Lydia has been obsessed with huggies lately. And not the diapers. One day, she started adding -ie to everything. She wants to go for a walkie, she wants to dancie, sittie, and give huggies. We have no idea where it came from, but we're just going with it.

The "huggie" part of the obsession extends to everything, including inanimate objects. Stuffed animals, toy tractors, "bookies," and shoes all receive regular "huggies."

And apparently, kitchen towels are also deserving of loving "huggies."

Don't mind the hair. This is after lunch, aka "stick your hands in your milk, smear them in your soup, then comb your hair with your fingers."

2009-07-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

From this expression, can you guess what Lydia is looking at?

If you guessed "Daddy doing 'I'm a Little Teacup,'" well you're right.

The Zoo!

2009-07-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

We made our annual pilgrimage to the zoo this weekend, one of my absolute favorite family traditions we have established.

I'm not sure Lydia would call it one of her absolute favorite traditions, though. Last year, she was about 6 months old when we went, and she loved it. She pointed, stared, and smiled at everything.

This year, the only time she seemed excited was when we watched the pacing black bear. When the bear paced one way, it would disappear behind a rock. Lydia would question me with her hands in the air, "Go?" When the bear paced back, she would laugh hysterically. This process was repeated over and over until I walked away.

Other than that little bit of excitement, Lydia's reaction stayed pretty close to this the whole time:

Completely unimpressed.

Until we came to the big gorilla. Then, she became herself again.

Library Day

2009-07-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

We love Library Day! Lydia sat down by herself, pulled the books from our library bag, and read all on her own.

It was so fun to see her eager little hands searching for new books and thumbing through the pages.

She was truly delighted! I hope I hope I hope I'm raising a bookworm!

2009-06-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Lunchtime in the high chair is always an interesting time.

Lydia likes to help "clean" her tray, so I give her a washcloth to wipe the tray down after I've already done it. I thought it was a nice activity to keep her occupied while I run and switch the laundry or some other quick thing. After I saw her doing this though, I said no more "helping." At least no more unsupervised "helping."

Today, she amused herself (and me) by making funny faces. I couldn't capture her at just the right moment, but these shots show her silly faces pretty well. She tilted her head, pushed up her shoulders, scrunched up her face, and squeezed her eyes shut. When I pulled the camera out, she added a nice big "Cheeeeeese" to create an even better effect. The chocolate around the mouth is an added bonus to the silly face.

2009-06-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

2009-06-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

You know how a cat will blindly jump into any open box or bag?

Apparently, so will Lydia.

2009-06-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

Meet the first big plastic toy to enter our house.

It is also the first toy to elicit tears when taken away.

Lydia spends hours with it every day. That is not an exaggeration. Literally HOURS.

That means it'a a success, right?

2009-06-22T06:37:00.000-07:00

(This post is for Diane, the most awesome mother-in-law in the world. It's true- look it up.)

Diane...look who we found!!!! Don't they look thrilled to be spending time with us?

And this little monkey came to play as well.

2009-06-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

I needed to give Lydia something super fun (but not messy) to do while I did some chores around the kitchen. Since she's never painted before, I got out some paint brushes and water, and let her go to town. She had no idea she was even missing the paint, so it turned out to be the best activity for my purposes.

And I'm really glad I didn't give her paint this time because this is what she decided to do when the paint brushes got old!

2009-06-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

Lydia found her pocket.

2009-06-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

We love Grandma. Come back!

Getting Dressed

2009-06-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

Some More of This, That, and the Other

2009-06-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

Lydia loves to help me unload groceries- or just walk back and forth with a bag over her arm.

We are loving the summer rainstorms!

We Love Abby

2009-06-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

At least 100 times a day, Lydia asks for her cousin Abby. The things I hear on the baby monitor are the same each morning:
"Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy....blah blah blah....Abby Abby Abby Abby Abby." Much later, she'll start in with "Mommy Mommy Mommy Mommy."

When I go in to get her out of her crib, it's, "Daddy?" To which I respond, "No. Daddy's at work." Then, "Abby?"

When Ryan or I have time, we will answer her pleas for Abby with a peek at Abby's mommy's blog, www.inevergrewup.net, where we can be sure to find a picture of Abby.

Then, all is well.

Happy Half Birthday!

2009-06-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

It's Lydia's half birthday! Hard to believe she's existed in our world for 18 months.

This is how you celebrate a half birthday, Wright style.

A half donut.

Sing "Happy Half Birthday To You..."

Eat the half donut.

Put the pacifier back in your mouth to swish around with the masticated donut pieces.

2009-06-01T14:26:00.001-07:00

I'm posting again at www.thrilledbythethought.com. I stopped posting in February because I got bored. But now I've changed the angle of my posts (from a 90 degree to a 45 degree....just kidding....bad joke) and I'm enjoying posting again. I'm no longer bored. So go check it out and see if you get un-bored too.

Nursery

2009-05-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

The day came today. The day for Lydia to enter Nursery at church (a Sunday School/playtime for 18 month to 3 year old children). How did she get so grown up? I so looked forward to this day as a day of liberation- a chance to attend my own Sunday School (minus the baby) and actually learn.

But, like all new stages, this one is bittersweet. When I dropped her off, she didn't look back. She jumped right into playtime. When I came to pick her up, she didn't run to me because she was having so much fun. Her teacher happily reported that there were no tears and she got along well with all the other children, playing happily.

I'm ecstatic of the good report. I'm grateful that she adjusted without a problem. I'm grateful for her easy going nature. But, even so, I can't help feeling...How can she be so happy without me? Where did she learn such independence? I know this is just a tiny drop in her gigantic pool of growing-up experiences, and I have many more bittersweet moments to come, but, wow, this is hard. In a good way.

I love my grown up Liddiebug.

Summer Time

2009-05-31T12:42:00.000-07:00

Lydia is growing too fast for my liking. This is my little Liddiebug last summer. Totally unaware of her surroundings, but looking cute as a bug.

And here is that same Liddiebug this summer. Running, exploring, and experiencing a water park like a big kid.

2009-05-29T06:50:00.000-07:00

Enjoying a frozen go-gurt

New Clothes and Ridiculous Pictures

2009-05-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

I got an amazing deal at Carter's (the children's clothing store) this weekend. I spent $40 for $120 of clothes. I'm terrible at spending money (I absolutely can NOT do it), but my friend helped me navigate the sales and my fear of spending, and I came away with a boatload of much needed summer clothes for my growing Lydia.

I wanted to illustrate my post with sweet pictures of Lydia in her new clothes, but Lydia doesn't do well for pictures. How do the rest of you do it with your kids? Everyone else has amazingly posed pictures of their children, and my child...

1. notices the squirt bottle mid "Cheese" and starts to squirt her face

2. tries to grab the camera from my hands

3. somehow bumps her head and needs a kiss

4. or just starts crying because her shoes are on and we aren't leaving the house!

Don't Go Snowboarding

2009-05-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

When I was in college, there were a couple robberies near my dorm by a group of people who happened to be Polynesian. Our dorm hall had a meeting where we were informed of the robberies and told to be careful. After the meeting, to sum up, our "enlightened" RA (Resident Assistant? Is that what that stands for?) told us, "So, basically, if you see any Polynesians, stay away and be careful."

What totally NOT inappropriate advice and thought! And by "totally NOT inappropriate," I mean "completely backwards and ignorant."

I'm applying that same reasoning to our current situation. Ryan recently had shoulder surgery to repair a tear. Where did the tear come from? 10 years ago, he did a stupid stunt while snowboarding, landed on his shoulder, and never went to see a doctor. The tear has become worse over the years, and has been incredibly painful in most recent months.

Moral of the story? Well, it's obvious, isn't it? Don't go snowboarding.

Note to Self

2009-05-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Self,

The next time you and Handsome Hubby take a road trip with Darling Daughter, remember these rules you learned from your most recent trip to Moab.

1. Do not wake the sweet angel up at 5:00 am (3 1/2 hours before her normal wake up time) in order to get a head start. Apparently, she is beyond the stage where she will go right back to sleep. She will remain wide eyed and happy for the whole car ride, but she will become an absolute basket case right about lunch time.

2. Do a better job of poopy diaper duty while in the car. Unless, of course, you want to hear that piercing demonic scream coming from the little darling's impressive lungs again.

3. Kudos on packing light for the first time in your entire life. However, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING when you packed only one outfit per day for the little sweetheart? Didn't it cross your mind while you were packing sticky juices and fruits and crumbly treats that it would end up smeared across her chest and lap? Did you also not realize that Moab is a giant red sandbox in the eyes of a toddler?

4. Don't let your crying and overly exhausted child suck on her pacifier in the park on the way home. Especially if that particular pacifier is the only remaining pacifier NOT to succumb to that mysterious pacifier-black-hole in your child's 18 months of life. I promise she will stop crying as soon as she sees the park. If you do let her suck on her pacifier in the park, she will lose it. You will forget she even had one until you are back in the car. You will have to find a Wal Mart in a strange town and buy a new pacifier.

5. INSIST on a hotel with a swimming pool. An empty swimming pool does not count.

6. Do be glad you got to go. Moab is unlike any other place on earth, and completely worth any toddler issues you may face.

Help!

2009-05-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

I'm calling on all you experienced moms and baby-sitters to help me entertain my daughter!

Three days a week, Lydia has about an hour when she has to entertain herself while I teach piano. By that point, she's already had a snack and has colored to her heart's content. Then, comes the dreaded hour, where whining and tantrums are abundant.

At the suggestion of sis-in-law Vanessa, I set up a little reading nook on our stairs' landing.

She really likes her little area, but now the challenge is keeping her happy with enough activities!

I set up different books, toys, and stuffed animals each day. But she soon gets bored with these. I've started giving her old canisters with different things like fabric pieces, popsicle sticks, and craft pom-poms. She loves to take the items out of the canisters and put them back in.

I want to rotate her activities from day-to-day so she doesn't get bored, so I want LOTS of suggestions! What do your kids like to do when they don't have your attention?

Lydia and the Piano

2009-05-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how Lydia knows to play the pedal while playing the keys on the piano, but this is her new favorite thing. She sees a lot of piano lessons every day, and apparently, she's paying attention!

She knows the difference between a black and white key, and will play the correct one when you ask.

She is very specific about what she plays, and she changes pages multiple times in one piano session. Here, she's playing from a magazine. Can YOUR baby make music from no music at all? =)

After looking through the past few posts on my blog, I realized that Lydia never smiles for the camera because she's always wiggling away. So we've been doing some "smile practice." This is her "Cheeeeese" face.

Outdoor Festival

2009-05-11T06:42:00.000-07:00

There were two outdoor festivals going on this weekend. One was downtown, and one was in South Jordan. I chose to go to the one in South Jordan because we always go to the downtown festivals.

Wrong choice. Welcome to the stupidest outdoor festival of all time.

It was more like a mediocre flea market than a festival.

Here are the highlights: This booth had a station for kids to make crafts. That was fun for Lydia.

End of highlights.

Once we left the festival area, and wandered the grounds, we were happy we came. The grounds were very lovely. The festival was at a water conservatory park. It's a teaching garden, with displays on how to conserve water in your gardens. It was pretty- so at least we found a new place for picnics.

I just realized we didn't really take any pictures in the pretty parts. And after I just told you the park was a lovely park. So sorry.

There were TONS of tulips. Lydia loves to smell flowers, although when she smells, it's more like she's blowing her nose. My mom says she's "pollinating" the flowers. We tried to get a picture of her "smelling" the flowers, but she moves too fast. I finally got down with her, and tried to keep her steady, but that didn't work either.

You'll just have to trust me that she's cute when she smells flowers.

Visit With The Grandmas

2009-05-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

I miss my mama. We were so lucky to have my mom and grandma come visit us for Women's Conference at BYU this past weekend. Women's Conference is a HUGE conference fit into 2 days of classes with subjects about the gospel of Jesus Christ, families, marriage, parenting, personal spirituality, service, etc. It's so uplifting to be taught about such important subjects. And so wonderful to share that time with my mom...

...and grandma, aunt, sister in law, and 5 beautiful cousins who I don't get to see nearly enough.

After Women's Conference, we spent the rest of the weekend cramming as much fun as two worn out grandmas, several nap-deprived toddlers, and ever-patient parents (haha) could handle! Here are the beautiful babes at the park. I lovingly borrowed (totally stole without asking) all of these pictures from my mom.

This was NOT funny at the time, but this picture of Lydia totally biffing it is just so perfectly timed. Adalyn and Abby's reactions to Liddie-bug's fall is hilarious. And the other two babies are completely oblivious to their cousin's impending disaster.

She did, indeed, fall flat on her back, and it was rather traumatic for her Lyida-obsessed mother to witness. But luckily, Daddy was there in an instant to console her. (Do any other moms have a hard time letting dads console crying babies? I know he is perfectly capable and always does a perfect job, but it takes everything in me to not snatch her away and comfort her myself.)

Here are the grandmas with their beautiful girls. Great Grandma Middleton and Grandma Brown.

The International Peace Gardens

2009-04-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

I was browsing a "Things to Do" in Utah list and saw The International Peace Gardens on it. It's free (and I LOVE free!) so we decided to give it a visit. It's divided into sections for different countries. Salt Lake residents from those countries were in charge of building each section. We loved it!

This is Wales. A harp in the middle of a field. We're not sure what that means, but apparently, it's Welsch.

I think this was China

France

Japan. Notice the blossoms in the back! Doesn't it remind you of Mulan (even though Mulan was in China, not Japan)?

If you knew me during college, you will remember my mild obsession with Canada and all things Canadian. I had to take a picture here, even though the gardens didn't look very Canadian in my "knowledgeable" opinion!

It was kind of like a mini Epcot center without rides or excitement!

Planetarium Birthday

2009-04-13T06:38:00.000-07:00

We had an "out of this world" experience this weekend.

Ok. That was a stupid joke. Ryan's birthday is this Wednesday, so, like the cheapskate that I am, I decided to take him to the Clark Planetarium (it's free!). They have two little areas set up to look like Mars and Earth's moon.

There's also a place where you can pretend you're doing the weather on TV.

And a three story tall contraption where little balls go round and round through little rollercoasters.

The birthday boy is easy to please.

This, That, and the Other

2009-04-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

Lydia can walk down stairs now. Kind of makes this gate pointless.

Actually, the gate and our lack of shutting it is probably what aided in her new skill of walking down stairs!

Hair bows don't stay in hair very long in this house. We're working on it, but Lydia is just too curious.

I'm getting very nervous about Lydia's reach.

2009-04-04T01:58:00.000-07:00

Daddy...Have I told you lately that I love you???

Cuz I do.

2009-04-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

Baby Bed Head is the best.

2009-04-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

Lydia's obsession with piano books cracks me up. She spreads them around the living room, then chooses 1 of 3 activities to do with them:

1. Lay down and read them, (ALWAYS upside down, even if I turn it right side up for her.) while mumbling, laughing, and pointing.

2. Rearrange them in a more orderly fashion

3. Or put them up at the piano and then alternately look at the book and her hands while she plays the piano. (Don't have a picture of that, but it's hilarious.)

She loves to look at the notes and wants me to describe them to her. We talk a lot about quarter notes, rests, measures, time signatures, and more. I won't be surprised if music theory starts entering her dialogue!

2009-03-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

I know these pictures are blurry. They were taken in rapid succession as Lydia ran back and forth from the basket of piano books to the piano bench, transporting my carefully arranged and organized books to wherever she wanted.

This is her own invented daily ritual. She isn't content to look at one or two piano books at a time. She MUST pull them ALL out and spread them around the room to her liking.

My Little Climber

2009-03-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

If climbing is such a long and difficult process for a little toddler...

...then WHY is climbing the only thing my baby wants to do anymore????

California Trip Part 3

2009-03-06T16:26:00.000-08:00

Our last day in California, we went to a park in the foothills of Morgan Hill called Uvas. It was like we stepped into a rainforest. So gorgeous. I had no idea this place even existed.

Contrast that to our trip home across the Nevada desert the next day. Poor Lydia had had enough in the car, so we drove around a little Nevada town, looking for a fun place for her to play. We had to settle on a dried up cemetery. She was ecstatic. The poor thing.

Monterey

2009-03-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

We went to Monterey with Ryan's family. It was a perfect day for Monterey- overcast and windy. That's the only way to do a historic coastal town, in my opinion. I loved it.

Lydia's cousin Luci did great, but Lydia had the first ear infection of her life, unbeknownst to us at that time. She had a miserable day- the only times she was happy was when she was eating in the stroller or playing in the sand.

Being with Ryan's family always brings out the goofiness in Ryan. I love it. Here, he's dancing in the streets. What a nerd.

We picked up shells and rocks in this cute little nook.

Lydia loved playing in the sand, and had absolutely no fear when the tide came in.

On our way home, we took the scenic 17 mile drive, which ends at Pebble Beach. I was a little disappointed to find that Pebble Beach is not actually made of pebbles, but the rest of the drive more than made up for that misleading name. =)

I don't remember what this spot is called, but the waves all come in from different directions and violently crash into each other. I've never seen anything like it. The pictures don't capture what I'm talking about. Just take my word for it. It's cool.

San Francisco

2009-03-03T14:41:00.000-08:00

Where, oh where have we been lately? We have most definitely NOT been just sitting around.

We got to take a week off and go visit family in California. We first stayed with my parents in Tracy. My dad took a day off work and went with us to San Francisco on Tuesday for a pre-birthday celebration for moi. I haven't been to San Francisco in probably 6 or 7 years. So sad. It was a perfect, sunny, blue sky day- the kind you never get in San Francisco!

We did all the touristy things. Pier 39 and a trip to see the walruses.

I thought Lydia would go nuts over the walruses, but she had more fun watching the pigeons. Why did we bother?

This picture is somewhere along the wharf.

And, of course, we went to Ghiradelli Square. Lydia loved the fountain and tried to run in. Ryan had to speed-racer it up the steps to catch her just in time!

Ryan's brother Dave happened to be in the city that day, so we met up with him for a few minutes. He dropped his dog, Max, into the fountain, and made a lady really angry. She got all huffy, and walked her daughter away, practically shielding her daughter's eyes. Some people...

My mom took some great pictures, but lost them all. We are so sad because I didn't have my camera out very much.

Stay tuned for more posts about our fabulous trip to California.

2009-02-09T06:38:00.000-08:00

I need a baby sitter! Teaching piano is starting to feel like running a circus.

Case in Point: Lydia dumped a whole box of Chex during a lesson I was teaching. At least it all landed in one nice pile.

Then, while I was cleaning it up, she learned how fun it is to crunch Chex under feet.

Combine that curiosity with her continuing obsessive need (and noisy demands) to wear whatever she finds...

Whether it's her pajamas half-on over her clothes...

Or Daddy's suit coat...

...and I am one busy momma/piano teacher! Oh, and don't forget her fast little legs that won't let her stay in one place at one time. (Hence the blurry pictures)

She sure is a cutie, though!

Nothing's Happening, But You're Gonna Hear From Us Anyway!

2009-01-26T13:45:00.000-08:00

Again, nothing exciting is happening in our lives, but we're posting anyway!

Lydia has a serious high heel fetish. The only problem is, she hasn't figured out how to walk in high heels by herself, so one of us always has to help her!

Among Lydia's other oddities, she loves playing weird games with her dad. If he puts his hand near her, she grabs it and brings it to her face like so:

She laughs hysterically and doesn't let go!

It snowed (again). Since it happened on a Sunday when Daddy was home, Lydia actually got to play in the snow! (I don't take her out in that yucky stuff for anything!). I went out to take pictures, then hurried back inside while Ryan took Lydia for a walk around the block.

I came downstairs the other day after teaching a piano lesson, and found Lydia sitting happily with Daddy. I love catching moments like these.

And because I rarely make an appearance on this blog, here's a picture of silly me.

2009-01-19T14:28:00.000-08:00

Why is Lydia wearing layers and layers of winter clothes in the house? Is our heater broken?

No, Lydia just found a stash of her winter clothes, and brought them to me one by one, saying "Ehhh Ehhh" until I put each item of clothing on her.

It got to the point where she couldn't move her arms, but she wouldn't let me take anything off her.

Obsessions

2009-01-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

Not much has been going on around here, but I thought I'd post some recent pics anyway.

Vanessa always takes really cute pictures of herself with her girls- the kind where you just hold the camera out in front of you and take the picture yourself. So I've been trying to do that with Lydia...but it doesn't work. Here, she looks so annoyed.

And here, she thinks her momma is a humongous dork.

Lydia LOVES books, which makes me happy because it took her a while to get that way. I was sure I was going to have an illiterate child. (I'm a panicker...and also very unrealistic in my panicking.)

Maybe I should panic about the girl's obsession with herself, instead. This was taken seconds before she planted a huge, wet kiss on the mirror.

Or perhaps I should panic about her obsession with weird clothes. She loves to get dressed and will come up to me at all times of the day holding some random item of clothing, begging for me to put it on her. I always oblige, so as not to destroy her creative spirit (or maybe just because I think she looks hilarious). Sometimes she will be wearing two shirts, a bib, socks on her hands, a couple of beanies and a coat. Or sometimes she will be wearing my fashionable socks over her fashionable jammies.

I think she has the makings of a fashion designer. What do you think?

2009-01-02T15:22:00.000-08:00

It's impossible to describe how much my little girl adores her daddy, but here is a pretty good image!

Crazy Baby

2008-12-29T13:35:00.000-08:00

I have a crazy baby. I'm absolutely not surprised because, well, have you met her dad?

When we put her in the middle of her Santa presents on Christmas, she hopped from foot to foot with her hands behind her back, mumbling some sort of excited gibberish. I was hoping to get lovely photos of her delighting in her new toys, maybe even serenely glancing up at me from time to time with love in her eyes. But she just can't hold still! This is the stillest she was for any one moment on Christmas Day. I'm happy to have at least one picture where her face and body isn't a blur!

On Christmas night, she was incredibly hyper, and spent the better part of an hour marching around the house at top speed. These pictures capture the "essence" of Lydia.

And if you ever meet us in the middle of the day and wonder why my baby is a filthy mess, see Exhibit A.

She can't be stopped!

2008-12-27T10:43:00.000-08:00

Lydia was weaned a few days ago, at a year and a few weeks old. I am unbelievably proud of myself. I recognize that not all women can or should breastfeed, so don't think I'm going to spend this post bashing those who don't breastfeed their children. I just want to explain why I am proud of myself.

I never wanted to be a mother. Somewhere in my teenage years, I began to equate motherhood with a total loss of self. The creative mind would become used up on endless cooking, cleaning, bathing, diaper changing. Happiness and self esteem would be the next casualties, after loss of a mind for anything useful. Oh yes. And the body would be sacrificed as well, from pregnancy to breastfeeding.

When I found out I was pregnant with Lydia, I was initially happy. My mind had changed significantly through the years, and a baby was something both Ryan and I wanted. Soon after, however, my teenage thoughts re-entered my adult mind. I began to resent the little creature growing inside me, sapping my strength, and submitting me to an endless life in the doldrums once the "thing" was born. I decided I would give my body to this alien for 9 months since the deed was already done, but it was not getting any more from me. I was most decidedly NOT going to breast feed.

My obsessive need to plan every detail of my life led me to many pregnancy forums, email lists, and websites during those nine months. Somewhere around my sixth month, the emails flooding my inbox began talking about breastfeeding. I scanned them, not expecting to get anything from them. Then, I read about the miracle of breast milk. A mother's body changes the formula of the breastmilk according to the needs of the baby. In the morning, the baby gets different nutrients than at night. If the baby is sick, the mother's body knows how to adjust in order to give the appropriate nutrients for that sickness. And if the mother is sick, she passes on antibodies for that sickness to her baby through her breastmilk.

All of a sudden, my mother bear instinct kicked in for this little baby girl inside of me. I don't know why, but these articles made me realize that this child I had been resenting suddenly belonged to ME and I loved her. My baby was going to get a healthy start and I was going to provide it for her. I knew I was going to breastfeed her. I didn't think I would last very long, but I was going to at least try.

Once I made the decision, I became nervous about learning to breastfeed and worried I wouldn't be able to do it. So I prayed and read books about breastfeeding. A lot. And I was blessed with dreams and calming moments that told me I would be successful if I wanted to be.

When little Lydia was born, and they handed her to me to breastfeed her, the nurse immediately began telling me how to do it. I followed her instructions because she was hovering over me, but it just didn't feel right. After a minute, I tried it the way I instinctively knew to do. It was a success! Ryan had been on the phone with grandparents while I was doing this, and he tells me that when he turned around and saw me with Lydia, he was amazed at how natural I was.

By that point, I was not amazed. I was, however, amazed that I was not amazed. Up until her birth, I worried about my abilities to be a mother and a caretaker. But as soon as she entered my world, those fears disappeared. As soon as I saw her, I knew she was meant for me.

So now that Lydia is 1 and 3 weeks old and finally weaned, I feel I have made it. I can do this mother thing that I've been doing for 1 year and 3 weeks. And I can be good at it.

2008-12-14T14:29:00.000-08:00

I stole this from a really awesome blog, Whatever DeeDee Wants {She's Gonna Get It}

I love these kinds of lists. You can find out so many interesting things about yourself and make new goals for your life. For instance, did you know I have never been in a pillowfight or played in the mud? Those are now on the top of my Things-to-do-Before-I-Die list.

The things I have done are in Purple. You, TOO, can copy and paste and do your very own list on your very own blog!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
7 3. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
9 1. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

More Birthday Talk

2008-12-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

It's My Party, and I'll Cry if I Want to...

This was Lydia on the morning of her birthday. I couldn't get the oatmeal ready fast enough for her. Maybe because I was busy taking pictures of her crying?

I took Lydia to a really cool fish store on her birthday. It's almost as good as the actual aquarium and it doesn't cost anything- unless you get suckered into buying a fish- which I didn't! Yay for me!

If you ask Lydia what a fishie says, she'll tell you "Bub bub." Ryan got off early on her birthday, so while I was teaching piano, he took her to a local animal farm (which is also free!). She chased after the geese, making some sort of throaty sound that geese apparently make. It got dark soon, so they went to Best Buy and played Mario Kart. Lydia has a fun daddy.

One of the presents we gave to Lydia was a homemade bank. I did the letters, and Ryan did the paper. My friend Jill added the bow. Group effort! I'm terribly proud of it, not because of it's appearance, but because I recycled an applesauce jar! Ryan and I actually think it looks like a 4th grader made it. But Lydia won't know that for a while.

We had a small birthday party at our house on Sunday. Lydia got her very own cupcake. We accidentally didn't put her tray on tight enough so she accidentally pushed it off. Then, she really did cry at her party! I didn't get a picture, but just see above for a pretty close likeness.

I have a friend who is part Japanese, and she told me about this tradition the Japanese do on babies' first birthdays. They set out objects that represent different career/life paths and let the baby walk or crawl to the objects to choose one. Whatever they choose is supposed to predict their future life path.

We put a book for academics, a ball for sports, a conductor's wand for music, a paintbrush for the arts, a spatula for a culinary career, a pencil for academics (Whoops! Two academic objects), and money for wealth.

Lydia chose the ball.

We had all the other babies and kids do it after Lydia. Lydia's 15 month old cousin Liam chose the conductor's wand. Lydia's 14 month old cousin Cameron crawled right past everything and played with a big pile of shoes. We decided she's destined for a career in fashion.

2008-12-05T14:06:00.000-08:00

If you know me, you know I'm all about traditions. So I was really excited when Ryan decided he wanted to start a tradition of bringing home flowers for Lydia on her birthday, one for every year of her life. Look how handsome he is. (Can you find Rebecca in the picture?)

We want to take a picture of Lydia each year with her flowers from Daddy and with her favorite stuffed animal (which is a monkey named Mono, made by our friend Jonathan). We think it will be fun to watch her grow and also to see how Mono changes as she gets older. I'm sure he'll be missing some eyes and/or limbs by the time she's 18.

She's a very active girl, and we had a hard time getting her to stay still while holding Mono AND a flower. (We cut the stem off of the flower so she wouldn't poke her eye out in all her wiggliness).

After one solo picture, we decided Daddy needed to intervene and keep this girl still!

But even Daddy couldn't handle it.

Aaahhh. Finally a decent one. She's offering you, the viewer, her rose while Daddy is holding Mono. It will have to work! I don't think we're gonna get much better!

I Didn't Know

2008-12-04T10:18:00.000-08:00

Before you were here, there were a lot of things I didn't know.

I didn't know how I would completely fall in love with you the moment I saw you

I didn't know I would be happy to stare at you for hours

I didn't know how much I would love that you depend on me

And how quickly you would become independent- and how much I would miss that dependence.

I didn't know that a smile from you could make every bad thing in life melt away.

I didn't know how quickly you would learn to explore and how much your mind could absorb.

I didn't know that I could possibly be more in love with your dad...until I saw him love you, comfort you, play with you, sing to you, hold you, rock you, and talk to you. And I didn't know how much more I could possibly be in love with your dad until I see your face light up whenever you are with him.

I didn't know how special it is to be on the mother side of the mother/daughter bond.

I didn't know that you would make our family feel so complete.

Happy birthday, my little princess!

Three Cups of Tea

2008-12-01T16:39:00.000-08:00

Have you read the book, Three Cups of Tea? It's about a man who builds schools for kids in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It's a wonderful story of how education can truly change lives. On my site, www.thrilledbythethought.com, I'm passing the book around. Every time it gets passed to a new person, I donate $1.00 to the foundation for these schools and invite any willing people to do the same. It costs $1.00 to send a kid to school for a month. If you would like, go to my site, www.thrilledbythethought.com and read about how you can donate. Then, make sure to let me know you did, so we can keep track of how much money we raise together!

What do you think?

2008-12-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

Is Lydia's winter coat too big?

We took her out to see the downtown lights looking like this. Poor girl. Good thing it's a cute coat and she's a cute girl.

2008-11-23T17:07:00.000-08:00

We're just getting ready for the cold over here. Grandpa and Merry took Lydia coat shopping for her upcoming birthday. Lydia was clever, and snuck this cute vest into the basket too!

(By the way, the book Lydia is reading is "Uncle Tom's Cabin." She's so educated!)