Quiet Book

Lily got a quite book for her birthday!! Grandma has made them for all of the little ones for their first birthdays, and she brought Lily's down with her. Though Lily can't do everything in the book yet, she likes to un-velcro the things that velcro and unsnap the things that snap. She also likes to look at the pictures, especially the one of the kitty on the front cover.

Blocks!!

Lily got blocks for her birthday, and so far they've been great fun. She's been sharing them with Tucker, and helping Grandpa build with them....

Lily Ate Bananas!!

While Lily's generally a very good eater, there's one thing that I just can't seem to get her to eat: bananas. She likes other fruit (strawberries, watermelon, and even pineapple), but she generally won't eat bananas. However, Grandma did manage to get her to take a bite....

Wedding in Kansas

We took a trip up to Pittsburg, Kansas this weekend for my niece's wedding. The trip was short (both in miles and in time), but it was nice to be there for the wedding and to have the chance to visit with family that we hadn't seen in a few months. Also, Grandma and Grandpa (my mom and dad, Lily's grandma and grandpa) came back to Oklahoma with us. They'll be spending most of the week with us before going on to visit family in Texas. Lily hasn't gotten to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa since last Thanksgiving, so we're looking forward to a fun and exciting week!!

Babysitter!!

I have a babysitter for the summer!! Though it seems a bit strange, we've hired a babysitter to come so I can stay home and work. We have a college-age friend who has come home for the summer, and she's coming over to watch Lily for a few hours each morning so I can have some time to set aside for working on the dissertation. Though this is only week one of this arrangement, I think it's going to work out wonderfully. I've had a very productive week; I almost feel like I've accomplished more in these past four days than I have in the last half of the spring semester. It's nice to be able to lock myself away in my office without having to worry about what's going on in the rest of the house....

Reading

I think she takes after Mommy (which is good, because she looks so much like Daddy). My little angel seems to have developed a love for books. She'll go into her room and sometimes sit for up to an hour just "reading" her books. She goes through them page by page looking at the pictures and pointing to the different characters and items on the pages. I've signed her up for the library's summer reading program, and we're going to try to go to story hour this summer.

Teddy Bear Party

Lily likes to have Teddy Bear Parties in her bed. Though Rosie's certainly her favorite bear, the others are intvited as well. We checked out the book "The Teddy Bears' Picnic" at the library this past week, and that has only added to Lily's love for the Teddy Bear Parties....

Lily's Birthday

Birthday pictures were promised, so here are a few....

Opening presents

Cake and Candles

Cupcake!!

The Swimming Pool (Unfortunately, the pool will have to go back to the store. There was a hole in the top part, and it wouldn't stay inflated. Guess we'll try again on that one....)

My Poor Confused Palate

Jimmy and I went out for supper tonight, and I tried something new: a Monte Cristo. While I certainly knew what a Monte Cristo was (it's mentioned in at least one episode of Gilmore Girls and in several Disney-type movies, and it was on the menu at one of my favorite little diners before it closed down), I had never ordered one before. Anyway, my poor palate was confused by the whole experience. The sandwich was good, though my mouth wasn't sure if I was eating a ham sandwich, funnel cake, or some strange combination of the two. Though I probably won't be ordering another Monte Cristo any time in the relatively near future, it was certainly worth trying....

Happy Birthday Lily!!

Today was Lily's first birthday! YAY Lily!! We went to Applebees for supper, and Lily got her first hamburger. (Okay, she got some of the beef and bun off of my hamburger, but who's counting....) We also went shopping and picked up Lily's present -- a swimming pool and a little bathing suit. Pictures coming soon....

And a "Mommy Thought" for today: You know you're a Mommy when your Shakespearean edition of Magnetic Poetry loses its place on the refrigerator to plastic magnetic numbers and letters.

Reviving my Costuming Skills

It''s May -- time for the Renaissance Festival!! Jimmy wanted to go in costume this year, so I pulled out my sewing machine and we went pattern and fabric shopping. I had a few late nights, but I was pleased with how his costume turned out. The doublet has detachable sleeves, but I haven't made them yet. (I'll finish them, but I didn't have time to get them done before the faire.) I didn't make a costume for Lily of a new one for myself; perhaps in the next year or two. We went to the festival on Saturday and had a lot of fun. We picked up a hat for Jimmy there, and that really completed his costume.

Cash or Charge?

Lily has recently discovered the joys of credit cards....

Not Quite a Jack-in-the-Box....

There's something in the box, but it isn't Jack!! Lily and Tucker have a new favorite game....

Submarine!!

Today we toured one of the local attractions: the USS Batfish. The USS Batfish is a WWII submarine that has it's current home nearby and is open for tours. I wasn't particularly surprised by the size of the vessel or anything like that (I've seen enough WWII movies to be somewhat familiar with the inside of a submarine), but I just couldn't imagine being stuck inside of something like that with a crew of about 80 other people and being submerged under water for days or weeks at a time. While I have great respect and admiration for the men who served on that vessel, I'm sure glad that being in a submarine isn't part of my job description.

The End is in Sight....

The end of the semester, that is.... The classes that I've been teaching this semester are over, and now it's merely a matter of grading final projects and final exams and submitting grades. While I'm certainly looking forward to summer break, I don't really know where the past semester has gone....