The kids played in the puddles on the tennis court and ran around in the rain. I don’t know if you can tell how soaked Bailey is. She had started to dry a little by this point. Everyone left early and we stayed to play. She had the playground to herself which made it really easy to watch her and deal with Taylor at the same time.

Definitely a cute spot I would go back to again to meet up with a friend for coffee and snacks. Although not too often- their cupcakes were SO good but I felt like I needed fat burner pills after stuffing myself that day!

Just wanted to share a few pictures I took last week when they came over. You know it’s a good friend when your kid can wear her jammies for a playdate…

The only thing that bugs me about having playdates here is our furniture. We ended up getting more of a modern furniture style and so the coffee tables and end tables had sharp metal/glass corners. They are all packed away downstairs and so there’s nowhere to set a drink etc in our living room now. But someday our kids will be grown and we will have real furniture and I will probably wish for the days when we had little kids…

We went to Gymboree to do some shopping (also way too crowded but I got some really cute stuff) and then to Barnes and Noble. I just love buying books for Bailey and looking at books. I didn’t even get anything today though. We just hung out in the kids area and let the girls play at the train table. The cutest thing happened when we were leaving. I commented to Emily that I needed to find a bathroom. Bailey heard me and immediately walked up to some random 12 year old boy and said, “Excuse me, Boy. Where is the bathroom?” I was so surprised that she would approach a stranger to ask for directions. I was also so proud of her that she took the initiative to ask someone for help. And how sweet of her to want to help me. It was just such a good mommy moment.

Bailey also did a pretty good job of staying next to me in the mall. I brought her stroller, but really I just used it to carry the diaper bag and our purchases and my chai latte. We had lunch at Chick Fil-A, my favorite place to eat with a kid. They gave us plastic placemats that have adhesive to put on the table, wipes, extra napkins, and then we traded in Bailey’s toy for an ice cream.

The girls had so much fun eating ice cream together. They interact so much with each other now and really talk to each other. I’m glad they’re friends too, because then Emily and I get to spend time together!

I am not telling you where she learned this pouty face…

But then once we got to Ella’s house she was all smiles. On the way there, she kept saying “I want to see Babytrice” instead of Beatrice. It took her a while to figure that one out.

I loved holding Beatrice. She was so sweet and snuggly and soft. It made me get more excited for our baby to be here in a few months. And Emily looked like she was doing great with both of the girls. Seriously, she had even baked cookies.

The girls were happy to see each other, I think, and they really played well together. They held hands and pretended to go to the grocery store. So sweet!

And Baby Beatrice got some love and kisses from Bailey too. Some of which she liked-

And then she had enough!

Bailey ended up falling asleep just a few minutes before we got home. Thanks, Emily and Ella, for a fun day!

I wish I had taken some pics this morning at the playdate. Instead I am going to share some from the park last week. We went on Thurdsay and thought it was going to be warm but the only word for that day was “blustery.” But the girls (Mackenzie, Bailey, and Addison) had lots of fun together anyway. We went to a park that we hadn’t been to before- it’s only about five minutes from our house! So I am excited to have a new park to go to this spring/summer. I can’t believe I haven’t taken B there before because I remember going there a lot as a kid. In fact, my fourth b-day party was there!

Here is Bailey when she was watching the ducks swim in the pond. Not that I would trust her alone near a pond EVER, but I was surprised that she didn’t try to go closer. She is finally developing that “don’t walk off the edge” sense of danger. Sometimes. Thank God. She loved watching them and yelling Quack Quack!

Bailey and Mackenzie sat on this ledge for a while. Of course I couldn’t get them to both look at the camera at once- that would be too much to ask.  I also very rarely dress Bailey in jeans and a t-shirt. I like her to have on things that match. Not like the same pattern pants and shirt but coordinating pieces. So this was definitely a park outfit for her but I like to see her in playclothes sometimes. Now I am going to have to hide this shirt because she wants to wear it every day! It’s her “flurfly shirt.”

She was so worn out when we got home. She asked for her guys (which is what she calls her blanket, bear, and lovey ensemble) and then curled up on them on the floor. She NEVER does this- she’s never still. Normally after I put her in bed she jumps like a pogo stick for about ten minutes before settling down! So I had to grab the camera. I even offered her Fritos but she was too tired to reach over and pick them up. I wish I was too tired for snacks more often!

And as far as what I have been doing… I have had a productive weekend/beginning of the week. I got to spend some good quality time with my friend Faith on Friday night. On Saturday I worked on my eBay listings (I am selling a bunch of stuff for my friend Jen and also trying to clear out some space in my office). We worked on straightening up the house. And the really cool, rock your socks off thing that I did: I FILED OUR TAXES. Yup, they are done. And have also been approved already. Thank you for giving us all our money back, IR$. I wish you hadn’t borrowed it to begin with.

Saturday night, Jonathon and I went out to dinner and to see a play. So unlike us, right? But it was fun for something different. It was really just good to do anything alone with him. Since my mom has had pneumonia the free babysitting thing has become nonexistent. She was finally feeling well enough to watch her for an evening. We picked Bailey up at about 11 and brought her back home to our house, where she fell right back asleep. She’s good like that.

On Sunday night, I did grocery shopping. I printed a list from allrecipes.com (if you know me IRL you have heard me obsessing over that site). I chose five recipes I am going to make and you can just check them, and it forms a grocery list. Then I added other things we need. I got two weeks worth of grocery shopping done and I was three dollars UNDER budget! Now the only thing I can buy for two weeks is produce, so let’s hope nothing comes up. I am working hard at budgeting, though. I am ridiculous with groceries because I am a horrible, wandering shopper. I create meals as I shop, I forget things, etc etc. That is something I really want to improve now that I am cooking more.

We had a playdate at our house today. Kaitlynn and Ella came over. Bailey was so excited, she was talking about it all morning before they got here! I made brownies for the occasion and we all ate lunch together. It was nice getting to talk to the moms and just hang out. Bailey and Kaitlynn had about 8,000 scuffles over toys. I can tell they are getting closer to 2. But it was a good morning. I got a few cute pictures of Bailey but unfortunately none with her friends. I was playing with the settings on my new camera too much.

Anyway- here are some pictures from that day. I realize I have been neglecting my blog but I’ve just been busy. I miss it though.

I love going to playdates at other peoples houses, because Bailey is always so excited about their toys!

I just love this picture of Bene and Logan

Emily and Ella (check out their blog, Ella is such a cutie and an amazing talker!)

I promise to sit down later and write a real post with an update on all of us. And a peek at my new coffee machine!

I think the girls all had a great time. There was very minimal scuffling over toys. The best things about playdates? Getting to talk to the other mommies, and the kids playing with “new” toys! Someone else’s toys are always so much more exciting. I remember that from when I was a kid- even as an older kid, someone else’s Barbies or whatever were better than my own… looking back I probably had more Barbies and all that stuff but they were the same ones I looked at every day.

Getting off track, though. Kim emailed me this picture she took yesterday. The girls kept getting in the toy box. They didn’t seem to mind that half the time one of them was on top of another one. From left to right, Addison, Mackenzie, and Bailey.

Here are a few pictures from that day. There were six babies, a two year old, and a six year old. I think it worked out well despite the random group of kids and moms who didn’t all know each other. Here is Bailey in the pool with Shaloma.

Bailey really likes Pringles- not that they are the healthiest choice but I feel better about her eating those than other crunchier chips that she could choke on.

Kaitlynn, Bailey, and Adele

“Welcome to my house!”

“You can come in if you want, but then we close the door.”

“Seriously, guys, the door MUST be closed. If you don’t listen, I will just squish you in the door.”

Oh, and after the playdate? Bailey discovered that she could put her finger up her nose.

I delivered Mae’s Avon order and she gave Bailey her birthday present since they couldn’t make it to the party. Remember the really cute pink shoes with bells on them? She got them for Bailey in a bigger size! I love them so much and I had planned on cramming her squished toes into them until she turned thirteen, so she is very thankful to have some bigger ones.

Here is a shot where I actually managed to get all three of the babies. That’s Avalon on the left, crying Juna is in the middle, and Bailey is on the right.

She also got a Disney Princess cell phone. Just what every toddler diva needs, right? She’s busy texting in this picture.

Tomorrow I work at my church in the morning and hopefully I can get some stuff done around the house in the afternoon. Jonathon is planning to cut the grass. Then in the evening, we are going to take Bailey to Oberweis to have ice cream for the first time! (other than the times I smuggled her a small bite or two, don’t tell Jonathon!) We will have to bring the camera. I hope she likes it. We are still holding off on chocolate for at least a few more months, possibly another year. Normally I’m not super picky about what she eats except for obvious stuff like no honey, strawberries, or fish yet. But my mom is allergic to chocolate and I don’t want Bailey to develop an allergy to it!

Wednesday for her birthday, we are going to go get her one year pictures done. I know I am a little behind on that. Then Jonathon is meeting up with us and we are going to grab some food and take her to Gymboree. She hasn’t been there before to play so I hope she likes it! That is her little birthday surprise from us

Thursday and Friday my parents are going to help with Bailey so I can hopefully get things more ready for her big party on Saturday. We are doing a butterfly theme. I still haven’t decided what we are doing for food or anything, and I need to order the cake. I’ve got to remember to do that tomorrow. We have all the decorations and the party favors. It’s just a matter of putting things together and doing food. We can do this. Right? And we need to clean the house and set up things a little differently if it ends up being inside. And work on the garden decor in case it’s outside… that means finishing to repaint the wrought iron chairs we got, cutting the grass (Jonathon) and putting some partyish stuff outside. Pray for good weather!