{dirt}Biker Chick{s}

It's been a while since the Girl has been able to ride so this weekend we headed over the mountains.

The riding conditions were perfect and as a spectator, I especially enjoyed the sunshine.

 Love the blue skies dotted with puffy, white clouds.

 It never takes long for her to feel comfortable.  We can always tell that she's in her groove when she starts standing up on the foot pegs.

And, not to be outdone, Little Sister decided to give it a try.  Her first solo attempt.  She was quite serious.

Nostalgia

 In a way, it's pretty awesome to see your kid climbing on school playground equipment that you once did (like 25 years ago).  In another way, it's not.  Especially when you can remember what the playground equipment used to look like back in your day.  Now pieces are missing (entire sections even), bars are crooked, tire swings and steering wheels gone.  Hopefully you've aged better than the equipment has.  This school and these toys hold many dear memories but the kids that attend there now deserve better.  Come summer, demolition begins.  Out with the old, in with the new.

Stripey Sisters

Man I LOVE these Girls!

Sprinkler Fun

 We have enjoyed several days of unseasonably warm temperatures and sunshine.  Not a rain drop to be seen or felt.  So, this afternoon after swim lessons, we returned home and got the sprinkler out.

 Baby Miss was curious but cautious.  She would gingerly stick her fingers in the spray of water but for the most part she managed to stay dry, that is until the Girl decided to spray her.

 As for the big Girls, there was a lot of jumping...

and running going on.  Along with a fair amount of giggling and shrieking.

18 Months

 This lil peanut is 18 months today!  Can you believe it?!  The time has seemingly flown by.  At 1 1/2 she certainly gives us a run for our money.  She can scale the ladder on Little Sister's bunkbed with ease (not to mention plenty of other things in our house).  Just in the past few days she has turned into a parrot, repeating words that she hears us say over and over.  Today it was the word, "Hey!"  She heard me say it this morning and has probably said it hundreds of times today with the same tone, enunciation and exclamation that I used.  At bedtime, all I have to say is, "It's time for night-night," and she repeats, "Nigh-nigh," in the sweetest little voice then purses her lips into a very pronounced pucker and makes the rounds.  Insisting upon a kiss (or two) from her Dad, each of her sisters and then me.  I love it!  She has a penchant for baby dolls and kitchen whisks.  She adds so much joy and laughter to our lives.

Her stats:
23 pounds 4 ozs (60th percentile)
32 inches (60th percentile)
18 3/4 inches head circumference (82nd percentile)

In comparison, Little Sister at 18 months:
23 pounds 8 ounces
32 5/8 inches
19 inches (head circumference)

And the Girl at 18 months:
25 pounds 10 ounces
32 3/4 inches
19 inches (head circumference)

Color Run-derful

Happy Mother's Day!  To celebrate, some of my Mom friends and I woke up early and ran a colorful 5k.  My first.  Ever.  All the other gals have countless 5k's under their belts and each of them has run at least one half-marathon.  They are hardcore.  Me, not so much.  In fact, running ranks at the very bottom of my list of types of exercise.  Needless to say, it doesn't even make the 'things I like to do for fun' list.  When they asked me to participate in this event I did so solely based on the fact that it looked like fun.  And, once I agreed to do it, J registered me before I could change my mind.  So with two training runs completed in the past four weeks, I was ready as I was ever gonna be.  This was the first inaugural Color

Run in the state.  It drew 7000 participants and registration sold out in a mere four hours.

Everyone was encouraged to wear a white shirt.

and protective eyewear was recommended.  These signs alerted runners that they were about to enter one of four 'color' stations throughout the run.  Where they would be doused in a shower of colored powder.

First color up: blue.

Next: yellow.

Next:  Green.

And the perfect little volunteers (who wouldn't mind getting dirty) for helping to throw the color - kids!  This cutie was a vision in green.  Covered head-to-toe and loving it! 

Rolling in the color: totally optional!

The last color station, right before the finish was orange.

And waiting just beyond the finish line: a happy celebration of colors!

Getting ready to release another round of color.

All the colors quickly blended to become a murky haze enveloping the crowd.

When the dust settled, we emerged even more colorful.

By far the most fun time I've ever had running and probably the only way I'd do it again.  Ha!

  Color clean-up: getting the dust blown off via leaf blower clad volunteers!

'Gnaw-ty' Baby

This morning when I went to rescue shaggy baby from her crib I found her sans shirt.  She is getting quite good at shedding articles of clothing.  The other day we told her it was time for a diaper change and then walked into the front room to find her, lying on the ground, clean diaper in hand with the tabs on her dirty diaper undone patiently waiting to be changed.  Becoming quite self-sufficient, she is.  Another thing she is good at...

Gnawing on her crib.  A few small marks appeared a couple of months ago and at first I thought that the finish was just wearing

 off.  Then I noticed that it wasn't just the finish missing but that the wood appeared to be splintered in places.  Upon closer

inspection I could make out two little grooves that were spaced apart just like...two little teeth!  Since then, the existing grooves have gotten deeper and Baby Miss has gnawed her way down the length of the side rail.  With the addition of two new teeth on top (one on either side of her front teeth, discovered peeking through her gums on May 2nd) it is starting to look like a beaver has taken up residence in her crib.