New blue butterfly shoes!

So I haven't blogged in a week due to being gone to Iowa. Yes my parents do have the internet, but I have no patience for the dial-up connection they are stuck with out in the country.

One of the many adventures Leah and I had on our trip to her grandparent's house was a day of garage sale shopping. Leah was a trooper most of the morning until it got hot and she didn't understand why the playsets in people's yards were NOT for her to play on.

We didn't purchase much but at the last sale of the morning we found a special treasure just for Leah - NEW SHOES! Who knew that my little girl would instantly become a fashionista when she laid eyes on the baby blue sandals with butterflies on the toes? For the purchase price of a dollar we couldn't pass them up even though there is no way they will fit on her feet past the end of this summer. Leah got them on and walked right off the lawn to the car in her fancy new shoes.

Well, as we know, all women love new shoes but Leah has brought that love to a new level. Since the purchase they are the only shoes she will wear. She wants them on pretty much as soon as she wakes up in the morning and would like to wear them to nap as well. Her pink tennies and comfy crocs just aren't cutting it anymore. This morning I noticed that she had tucked two baby dolls and her two blue sandals into bed. I guess they make good toys when they aren't on her feet!

Now to add one more interesting detail to the tale of the new butterfly shoes. When I was four or five I developed a similar obession over new shoes. . . . they were blue too!

Tip toe through the Tulips

So these pictures are from back in May when Leah and I went up to my hometown to attend Tulip Time. There's nothing like three days of tulips, crowds & good dutch food. Having grown up in Pella, I know all the tricks and secrets, like which food stand has the best funnel cake, where the cleanest porta potties are, and which side streets are best for parking. It's really an indescribable experience as it is quite different from most festivals. I have fond memories of marching through the streets in my wooden shoes. I had fun sharing the festival with Leah and hope she can appreciate the one quarter dutch blood she has running through her veins!

Oh and if you ever decide to attend I recommend trying the poffertjes or any of these other tasty treats.

And yes, Leah is wearing an authentic dutch costume. I'm not sure what province it is suppose to be from though, either Friesland or Gronigen. No one really cares as long as the kids look cute!

Father's Day

Well our father's day wasn't too exciting as Paul couldn't decide what he wanted to do. We went shopping for new ties for him and out for lunch. We ALL took a nap in the afternoon and watched the "oh so exciting" coverage of the U.S. Open Golf Tournament on TV. For once it really was exciting with it coming down to the last hole to force a playoff between Rocco Mediate & Tiger Woods.

I can't speak for him but I'd guess that the highlights of Paul's day were:

- A frenchtoast breakfast in bed with Leah.
- Leah saying "please come to playground with me please Dada" while at lunch.
- Leah actually snuggling and watching golf & Family Guy with him on TV.

Crazy that on his next father's day there will be TWO little people needing space on Paul's lap! Considering that as a young man, Paul did not even consider fatherhood as a future for himself he makes a great Daddy!

a shitty day

So I guess yesterday was just a shitty day for Leah. . . .

We were both due for a bath or shower before going out for dinner last night so I ran a nice hot bubble bath for the two of us. Yes, I still bathe with my two year old and no, it is not relaxing. We got in and soaked and I came out smelling like Japanese Cherry Blossoms. I let Leah stay in the tub and "swim" for a bit while I got dressed. She was having a great time and started ripping loud farts in the tub and announcing "I tooted mama!" Now, I should have considered the farts a warning because about three farts later Leah gambled and lost. Yup, poo in the tub. The farts weren't funny anymore. The time I had to spend disinfecting the tub wasn't funny either.

When Paul got home and asked Leah what she did today she did say strawberry picking, had doughnuts, or played at Carter's house she announced the news of her poo in the tub. Guess it was memorable for her!

hmmm two posts about poop in a row. Hope I don't scare people away.

So Scared She Shit Her Pants!

Weeks ago I decided that going to a pick your own strawberry farm would be a fun activity for our local playgroup. It seems that many others agreed as several mom / kid pairs RSVP that they would be there. I was looking foward to some sweet juicy berries myself!

Alas, this morning we woke up to gray clouds and a radar report that looked ominious. I rang my friend Jen to see if she still wanted to pick a few before the rains came. SHe did, so we drove over there and enjoyed our 15 minutes or so of picking. Leah and her son Carter sampled several in the field and had fun running up and down the rows. ( Well, Leah sort of sampled. She mostly picked them out of my box, ate one bite & threw them on the ground. ) Soon the rains came and we got kicked out of the field by the staff and headed to the shed to pay for our berries. I'm not sure what we were thinking being out in an open field with a storm comign anyway. While standing there waiting the kids started running down the hill just as a HUGE clap of thunder sounded. Leah screamed in horror and came running back. Carter screamed too, I think because LEah screamed, and came running as well. So there I stood holding two 30+lb toddlers in the rain trying to pay for the handful of berries I had picked. We paid and headed to the car and as I went to lift Leah into her car seat she said "I'm POOPY!" So yeah I guess the thunder scared the shit out of her!

Stolen Photo

So I nabbed this photo from my friend Vicki's blog. I really really really need to get a new cord for mine. I don't know why I have been procrastinating on getting one. (Maybe so I don't have to pass on a belly pic!) Anyway, it's of Leah and her buddy Adam playing at Adam's on Tuesday.

The two of them are a pair of little goobers. They get along well MOST of the time. They have been hanging out at least once a week for the past year. Thier newest thing is hitting eachother . . . . for fun. Well at least it's fun until someone gets hurt. Usually Adam since Leah is bigger than he is!

It's just nice that we have been here in MO long enough for Leah to have made some really good friends. She asks about them all the time, is thrilled when they come over to play and tells me she misses them if it's been awhile since she's seen them. She's also full of hugs and kisses for all her friends whether they want them or not! Paul calls her a stalker. I just hope her caring spirit continues as she grows!

Leah's 2nd Movie

So this morning was Leah's 2nd trip to the movies. She slept through her first when Paul and I took her as a tiny baby.

The flick was Nickelodean movie called Barnyard. http://www.barnyardmovie.com/ Now really who cares about the movie, it was all about the experience. We met Leah's good buddy Adam and his mom Vicki. there. It was the first of free summer movies. So here are the highlights:

- 2 year olds are really cute while trying to sit in movie theater seats. They aren't heavy enough to hold the seat down so they are stuck with thier little legs pointing in the air.
- popcorn and drinks make the movies better
- it's hard to find pacifiers, shoes, toys, etc in a dark theater when you drop them.
- 2 year olds can't sit still for more than about 10 minutes.
- it's more fun to sit backwards, sideways, bouncing, rocking, over, under in the movie seat than on it.
- 2 year olds still need thier mommies for the scarey parts. In this case the cyotes!
- pregnant mommas may have to leave the theater for bathroom breaks
- Leah provided great commentary on the movie. "uh oh what happened?" and "it's a cow" were heard several times.
- somehow Leah still managed to tire her self out at the movie and demanded a nap when we got home.

Oh the excitement! Next month we plan to see Bee Movie http://www.beemovie.com/

First Post

So I tried to start a blog long ago when I was pregnant with Leah but just didn't have enough to say at the time to keep up with it. HOPEFULLY I'll do better this time around. Leah is doing so many hilarious things these days that I feel like I need a place to document them. I have a feeling that her little brother will be just as interesting!

As for the title, it was the title of a journal of mine in the past on a differnt site. Leah had dropped a blueberry in my coffee. That statement reminds me of the randomness that comes with being a parent. The randomness of your schedule, sleep, where you find toys, food, the pacifier and the moments that melt your heart. Leah is really good and throwing out a random "I love you" these days. We sure love her too.

Oh and bear with me. My crazy child sucked on the end of my camera cord a while back so I have very current photos of her. Need to get on ordering a new cord ASAP.