Quail Day: 1 step for mankind…
and 3 in a row for our dear Quail!!!! Today, the day after her second birthday we came home to an extremely energetic bird. Monique was over for speech therapy and we remembered that the Quail hadn’t shown off her new stand up and plop down trick. So after a few rounds Monique asked if we had tried holding out her favorite-do-anything-for-a-fruitloop treat to see if she would take a few steps over to us to get it…and sure enough! She crawled for icecream and walked for fruitloops- I see a huge ice cream sundae in that girls future! Way to go Abi-quail! We’re so proud! Watch it for yourself here. Technically that’s not the actual first step. She got a set of 3 in before we got the camera recording. All the better- she did it more than once! Did I say already how proud we are!?!?!?!?
corner view: blue
Corner view is a weekly Wednesday post hosted originally hosted by Jane, currently by Theresa. A topic is given and you can see impressions; be it in photographic or poetic form from around the world. See what’s going on around the world:
jane – ian – bonnie – joyce – kim – kay – trinsch – ritva – francesca – state of bliss – cabrizette – isabelle – janis – kari – jgy – lise – cate – otli – dorte – b – sophie – mcgillicutty – sunnymama – daan – ibb – kelleyn – ninja – sammi – theresa – cherry b – juliette – shokoofeh – cole – grey lemon – lucylaine – lynn – skywriting – anna – dorit – conny – l´atelier – kamana – anne marie – rosamaría – victoria – tikjewit – juniper – annabel – andrea valerie – merel – soisses – mlle paradis – cacahuete – wander chow – barbara – emily – tally – nadine – don – flowtops – susanna – tania – dana – ingrid – tzivia – lollipop – mari – mezza
Happy Birthday dear Quail!
Our dear lil bird is TWO!!!! We celebrated over the weekend with a hoppin good time at a local bouncehouse place with a yummy sweet cake from a German bakery, pizza for all and a Dora backpack full of treatbags lovingly put together courtesy of Zuzu. Zuzu was instructed prior to the party to remember that we are the hosts and we need to make each and every child and their family feel welcome. She was a busy big sis taking her role seriously, from greeting kids as they came, to handing out the treatbags, lining up the party hats, leading the chorus of Happy Birthday and making sure there were juice boxes galore. She even managed to sneak in a good bit of bouncing and a round of air hockey with Momma. The Quail was in her prime, after she not so delicately informed us she had no intention of wearing her special Birthday Princess hat throughout the party, she settled on a brief showing post-cake. Stranger anxiety is high right now, and we were a little worried what a room full of 40 of her besties and their families might do to her little flight or fight system. But she LOVED it! She was able to hang with Lovey throughout the eating, singing and treatbagging and then moved on to the Toddler bouncecastle with ease. It was a testiment to everyone’s hard work over the last two years with her to watch her greet friends with a hug and pat, rip her chompers through cheese pizza like she’s been doing it all her life and holler when her cake wasn’t delivered to her place fast enough. She’s become a baby panda bear wrestling with her sister anytime Zuzu sits down long enough for her to scoot up on her. This being her fave of the gross motor activities has enabled her to crawl up, over and through a maze in the toddler bounce was a huge delight. There wasn’t time for presents at the party, but rest-assured party-goers- she loved each and every one of your thoughtful gifts. Her only complaint was as to why we weren’t taking 30 minute breaks between packages so that she could play with each one before her stister swiped and renamed each and everyone.
Thanks so much to everyone who helped us throughout the day- other mom’s and dad’s and their ability to sense when an extra hand or five is needed at any given moment is truly my saving grace. Happy Birthday Sweet Quail- we love you to itty-bitty bits!
Mommaday: I get by..
with a lil help from my family!*
*um yeah- those are sincere acts of domestic kindness there folks- not just playin around…of course when the chores feel like playin around it doesn’t hurt anyone!
gratitude journal: In honor of 2 years with the Quail..
1.being such a little concerned sweetheart about everyone in your world- if someone is sad or upset you are the first to scootch over and offer up a bear hug and plenty of sympathetic oooohhhhhs…
2. Being the feistiest lil sprite around town- no doubt you will not be bullied- you’ll swat back
3. teaching so many people about loving people as who they are
4. helping me see what others, and myself in the past see as obligation as a sweet gift- I used to think of your breathing treatments as one more thing to check off each day- now I can’t wait to snuggle you and your sis while you both cuddle up each night
5. learning to trust you and what you are telling us- you are the antonym for passive
6. your trust in us- as you seek us out when you are upset
7. you are such a smartie-smart girl- you continually amaze me as you progress from itty-bitty sweetheart baby to full-on, take the world no holds barred toddler
8. the pride I feel in the tiniest things you do
9. your ability to be soooooooo naughty- you repeatedly swipe your therapists things and hide them and then proceed to empty our cabinets into the tub and potty
10. the way you LOVE to dance with me & Daddy- you snuggle in for a slow song, bounce along to a peppy one and reach up to the sky when a song you know comes on or we suggest dancing
11. the way you holler to let us know you are up in the morning and keep at it until we are too
12. the way you race to the door at school when you hear your peeps approaching
13. the way your whole face lights up when we make you laugh- via tickles, silly games, or your jokes and teasing of us
14. your ability to communicate with your whole body- you launch on to your sister and dad as Captain Pounceypants, swipe a poor food offering off of your plate with more gusto than Marlon Brando
15. the people you have married to our lives
16. your insistence on doing things your way (which is so similar to your sisters)
17. your similarities to Zuzu- its uncanny how alike in basic make-up you are
18. how incredibly rascally you are in ways that never crossed your sisters mind
19. your determination to do everything you see everyone else doing- you’ve now jumped into the wrastlin piles at school
20. you love to be sung to- it calms you, centers you and cheers you
21. your unicorn status in a sea of horses
22. your kittenin into us
23. that you are mine- thank you dear baby
See What I Saw Saturday
let the fun begin!
corner view: valentine
The question this week was inquiring about our Valentine traditions. Well- we are still a fairly young family working its way through traditionalizing our traditions! I have to say I am sooooo inspired by all the loving families going whole-hog on their valentine celebrations! I’m sure in years to come we will be more creative. Last year we managed a pink cake but with the holiday falling on a weekday no such luck this year. The girls each had Valentine parties at their school and were excited to make out their Valentines for their classmates and friends. Our family and a few friends will also receive a grown-up valentine from the girls in all their hearty lovy-dovy cuteness.
So on Monday the girls went to their parties decked out in their Valentine clothes excitedly changed into from their Valentine jammies from the night before. When they came home- oh my goodness- the loot!!!! We did manage to hand out candy valentine’s but I missed the memo where the good mommies prepare homemade treats and treatbags for their young-uns buddies! The girls were thrilled and next year we will do better to reciprocate.
From us little heart baskets were prepared ala Easter Basket in style. The main treats were small mini-soccer sized balls from Old Navy that the girls have been bowling up and down our hall since they found them. Us grown-ups lucked out and got to have a nice Valentine’s lunch and Lovey is always so sweet in his sweet and treat gatherings and I was the happy receiver of some tulips and candy and cookies. He also received a heart basket with an odd assortment of goodies.
Corner view is a weekly Wednesday post hosted originally hosted by Jane, currently by Theresa. A topic is given and you can see impressions; be it in photographic or poetic form from around the world. See what’s going on around the world:
jane – ian – bonnie – joyce – kim – kay – trinsch – ritva – francesca – state of bliss – cabrizette – isabelle – janis – kari – jgy – lise – cate – otli – dorte – b – sophie – mcgillicutty – sunnymama – daan – ibb – kelleyn – ninja – sammi – theresa – cherry b – juliette – shokoofeh – cole – grey lemon – lucylaine – lynn – skywriting – anna – dorit – conny – l´atelier – kamana – anne marie – rosamaría – victoria – tikjewit – juniper – annabel – andrea valerie – merel – soisses – mlle paradis – cacahuete – wander chow – barbara – emily – tally – nadine – don – flowtops – susanna – tania – dana – ingrid – tzivia – lollipop – mari – mezza
Quail & Zuzu Days: The cutting edge…
Have you seen our bird? Her feathers have been trimmed- the Quail bob that she is named for remains intact though! She got her first haircut on 1/29/11. She’s had her bangs trimmed and we scavenged a few of her dark brown locks that came with her birth for posterity’s sake, but the first official cut happened 3 weeks before she turns two. When I was looking back through Zuzu’s photos to find one from her first haircut I realized that the girls were the same chronological age when we finally felt ready to do this- and I essentially and unknowingly gave them the same cut! There seems to be something weirdly biological in it I think!?
Happy Valentine’s Day!
with love...
Ordinary Afters... 