The Zoo and The Egg Hunt

Sisters

(just after I snapped this, Lucy looked up and made the perfect doggie smile!) poo.

We had such a wonderful time this past weekend. It was quite hot already, but we enjoyed all of our time outside. Saturday morning we went to the zoo for a little while. Eva wore her monkeys; she loves to pretend she is a monkey. She LOVES the zoo. We have to see Nala and Simba of course. Then we got to see giraffes, and the new elephants. She even got to see the elephants play in the water! The first time this has happened at their new exhibit. Told you it was hot! In the monkey exhibit, she loves to see them, but has to keep her distance even from the glass windows. The little spider monkeys got her a bit shaken up, but only for a moment. Here she is admiring the sleeping lions.

On Sunday morning we went to church. Eva wore her bunnies and was a very good girl at Sunday school and the nursery. After her nap we got to go hunt eggs. The children from church all gathered at Homewood's Overton Park for an egg hunt. There were TONS of eggs all over the park and the hillside. Here is her before picture... Once again, no normal smiles, just really big "cheese."

Here is Eva finding an egg. How many eggs did Eva find? Oh, this was the only one. We were much more interested in the park and the leaves and the slide and the treats. Two other kids who had about twenty five eggs a piece offered her one of theirs, so we said thank you. She did not really care. Me, I was a stressed, sweaty mom, because my almost two year old was running around the playgroung trying to climb up narrow, metal ladders to the slide by herself. I had a horrible fear that we were going to fall off, hit our chin, maybe knock out a few teeth, and end the egg hunt for everyone. However, we did not. Eva had a great time and headed to the snack table, which was soooo cute and I wish I had taken a picture of the precious decorations. I plan to steal them for my next party. Here is Eva eating her cookie, or picking her sprinkles off the icing. "Cheese!"

All in all, we had a great weekend. (I think secretly Eva can read, because since my last post she has had very few melt downs at all!) Keep it up sweet girl!

23 Months!

My baby is 23 months old today. She will be 2 in one month! While I'd like to say I can't believe it, I can. She is truly a two year old and I will not mask the fact that she acts like it. I am going to purchase the book "The Storng willed Child," unless someone wants to let me borrow it, and relinquish my anxiety that no other child can be this way, right? I know this is just a phase of our lives and I know other mothers struggle with strong willed children, and other people cry because they just can't figure out what works everytime to get their child to not push food off the table, get the carseat, put on clothes, get in the bath, put on socks, whetever it is. But, for now, we are getting by. I am exhausted each day after picking Eva up from school and tyring every trick up my sleeve to get her out of the building and into her seat. This is truly the only time it is tough to get her into the carseat, but it is a battle every time. I try to play Barney in the car, I try to give her snacks, I try to spank her with the spanking spoon, I try to let her climb in by herself, I try to bribe her (horrible I know), but nothing ever works except physical restraint and force... Whew, I am exhausted just thinking about it. I suppose it is a good thing she loves her school and playing so much that she wants to stay, but at some point she must learn to leave when it is time to leave. My daughter is smart, beautiful, funny and strong-willed. This will be a good thing in several years, I feel sure. But, how long will this last? I have heard different estimates, a few months it starts to get better, at three, but not sure which it will be for us. For now, I have to pray and learn more patience in the midst of these struggles with a strong willed child. I must learn from my mistakes, because I do not like the mommy I am when I fight and get frustrated and cry because I can't make my child do what she needs to do. Despite all of this Eva is many other wonderful things at this milestone in our lives. 23 Months

1. counting (even in her sleep)

2. spelling( Eva- e, d, a because she can't say v) dada

3. hugging and kissing

4. mimmicking my behaviors and words (even more reason to watch how I discipline)

5. wearing all size 2 clothes and a size 7.5 shoe- with room to grow

6. obsessed with sidewalk chalk

7. preferring to dump out crayons to neatly put them up, rather than color

8. trying to memorize her books instead of just the last words

9. praying for friends, family and Barney, Babybop, Dora, Boots and Swipey every night

10. eating like a bird

11. loving cake

12. loving ice cream in a cone

13. crying when she has to leave Mammama, Papa, Mimi or Pawpaw.

14. making silly faces

15. sleeping as long as we let her

16. saying "Cheese" really big instead of smiling for pictures

17. asking "What's this?" about everything

18. pretending to read the Bible anytime she sees one - only adult ones

19. wearing mix matched socks because her aunt showed them to her

20. pitching fits on the floor when she is tired

21. walking on her own around the zoo (with the elephant harness we had to buy)

22. screaming "Nala" everywhere at the zoo becuase she thinks Nala is there

23. eating french fries any chance she gets

23 things for 23 months. Next month it will just be 2 for a 2-year-old! Maybe...

I love you Eva!

warning...This is a nasty face, eating creamy pasta and bread!

Glamping!

Yes, that is right, Glamping, not camping. A couple of weekends ago, I got to go to a little town north of Atlanta with three other girls for a getaway. I found out about this new camping experience from my friend Erinn who used to live in Birmingham, but a couple of years ago moved back home to Louisianna. She was here when her little girl Georgia was born, but since she has moved back, I have had Eva and she has had twin boys, Brown and Briggs. You can see them on my blog roll at Chateau Buteau. So, I picked up the girls at the airport and we all had on our shirts that Lindsey had made for us.

(we are in our "tent" here)

She even mailed mine to me so that I could wear it on our way to Ellijay, the apple capital of Georgia where the Martyn House is located for Glamping. This is what we saw when we pulled up, and immediately we are wondering where our tents are... Yes, you stay in tents when you go glamping. But, they are built on decks and come equipped with showers, sinks, bathrooms, beds and heaters! Mine and Erinn's tent Ridgeroost, black and white striped with red accents and red inside. This is very much a tent, but I tell you, thank goodness it was fully equipped with all of our modern eminities because our first night was the roughest night anyone has ever stayed in them. We had thunderstorms, hail and high winds and rains. I did not sleep much, but that is okay because we got to rest and nap all we wanted! So, Glamping is a bit more like a bed and breakfast. Each meal was served on a precious little covered porch with draped fabric and a farm table. The meals are gourmet style, but home cooked. We even had wine and appetizer hour before dinners! This is JoAnn the lady who created Glamping and The Martyn House. Our food was amazing and all very "green"? I believe that would be what you call it. The meat was all fed organically and slaughtered very humanely... if that is possible. Anways, it was delicious and fresh.

Erinn and I at breakfast; we different linens and tablescapes every meal!

On Sunday, we traveled to Blue Ridge, just a little bit north of Ellijay, and shopped for the little ones, ate lunch and enjoyed a day that wasn't rainy!

Here we are eating our apple pies from one of the apple orchards in Ellijay (the apple capital).

Our second night the rain held off and we got to enjoy a campfire. It felt great, but we were excited to get back to our tents for a little Scategories! Woo, hoo, wild women!

This is our last morning after breakfast. This is JoAnn and Rick, the couple who run the site. They are great hosts! Fun times, and I

am so glad I got to hang out with Erinn's fun friends and see her for the first time in almost two years! Miss you!