Feel free to sing along!

(Sorry for the shaky camera, I didn’t have it mounted and was trying to guess where she was without looking based on my hand positioning)

Dear Adeline,
Children are a constant reminder of what adults have become, and what we all used to be. You see the world, and are nice to everything in it (with the exception of ants, you like to squish those). You are polite, and courteous, saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ often. You don’t get in a rage when someone cuts you off at the slide, nor do you get angry when Chopper or Tank knock you down playing in the backyard.
Adeline, you remind me to be nice. You make me want to be a better person to people I know, and people I don’t know. You do this simply be being you. Amazing how someone who doesn’t try at all, can be so much better than those who try so hard.
Someday, you will grow up to be a great adult. Someday, you will be a leader, a founder, an explorer, an inventor and a teacher. I know this, because you are one now.
You are surrounded by people who love you and want to not only help you grow, but grow with you. The strength we see in you, you will eventually see in yourself. Your Daddy and I will be here to support every effort, and every challenge you face. No.Matter.What.
You have become so…. so…. you. I can’t put words to it.

Your vocabulary astounds us on a daily basis.
I knew we had a talker on our hands the day you came home and told me you and Daddy bought a plecostomus fish (“Mommy! Pa-cost-a-musss fiSH!”)
I knew we had a mathematician the day you counted to 10, then put up one finger, said “one” and put up another finger on the other hand and said “one”. You looked long and hard at both fingers and said “TWO!!!”. I was so proud that day!
and a scientist the day you put more than one color together and said “Look Mommy, Green!” (Even though it was purple… hey most scientists are colorblind right?)

Oh Addie, what am I going to do with you? You will be 2 in just one month. TWO! How on earth did you grow so fast? We have an exciting summer of gymnastics and play dates and trips to the zoo. Before you I know it, you will be coming home from your first day of school with pictures to hang on the fridge and macaroni necklaces.

For now, I guess I just need to accept the fact that you won’t be my little girl forever, but no matter what you will always be my daughter.

All my love,

Mommy.

My absolutely too-creative-for-her-own-good SIL put together this collage of Addie’s trip to the zoo. You can read her very creative blog here. Thanks Ali!

Addie can play!
While Jess and I were in D.C. Addie got to stay with her Grandparents. Gaummie and Grumps for the first few days, and Grandma Steph for the last. It is unwritten law that grandparents must spoil the grandchildren, I think it is safe to say Addie’s grandparents do a great job!!

Here are some highlights from Gaummie and Grumps:

Bath time the night before Daddy left

From 21 Months

Addie and Grumps playing with her tunnel in the backyard

Addie’s favorite time of day. BREAKFAST!

When Addie went to visit Grandma Steph, she had a very special surprise! Cousins Will and Walker were also visiting!

It is so weird to see her playing like a big kid

They went for a ride on Frontrunner

Played at the park

From 21 Months

Flew some kites with Uncle Ryan

And enjoyed each others company

I guess Jess and I don’t have to worry about Addie having fun while we are gone! The grandparents have it under control!!

What fun it was to have a child this Easter. Not quite like Christmas, but boy, did her face light up when she saw the living room scattered with eggs and her very own Easter Basket!

Then began the egg “hunt”…
She ran from Egg to Egg picking them up and moving them all around. None really made it into her basket, but she had a great time. I’m just glad we used plastic eggs as one of her favorite things to do with the eggs was STOMP them.

After a fun morning, we headed off to Easter Brunch with my family at Marie Callenders.

From Easter 2010

(I was bending down because I thought my brother was directly behind me…oh well!)

Later that day we were all supposed to head over to Ryan and Melissa’s house for Easter Dinner. Unfortunately, illness caught up with Jess and I that afternoon. Jess was running on only about 3 hours of sleep, and I (after a visit to the doctor) had a sinus infection, ear infection, and pinkeye…YIKES! We couldn’t risk getting little baby Zoe sick.

Fortunately, Steph saved us some yummy leftovers and we were able to have Easter Dinner on Monday.

The Saturday before Easter Jess, Gaummie and I took Addie to an Easter egg hunt at Farsnworth Farms. We were a bit worried about te cold, and if Addie would even understand what to do. The hunt proceeds went to Muscular Dystrophy so even if she didn’t, we could leave feeling good about it.

Fortunately, Addie did AMAZING! She was fascinated by the idea of it and was thrilled that her little basket held 3 eggs. The most fantastic part was that each time she bent over to pick up a new egg, the eggs already in her basket fell out… so there were always more eggs to pick up!

Despite the cold she was a trooper! She laughed and giggled at the Easter Bunny and high fived Grizby the Grizzlies Bear.

As the morning went on, she began to get a little tired.

So we headed for home so we could all take a nap, but not before one last picture and a big “Cheeeeeeesssssse” for the Camera!

I was very disappointed to wake up to 8-10 inches of snow. However, my little monkey was thrilled. She got up and looked out the window with me and started screaming “SNOW!! SNOWW! SNOOOOWWWWW! snOWing!!!” When I took her out to the car, she would put her hand into a pile of snow and pick up a bit and say Brrrr!

I knew at this point in time, it was a “snow day,” So back inside we went to get her snow boots and gear to take to Gaummie and Gumps house. We weren’t there more than 2 minutes before she was whining at the back door about playing in the snow.

When I left for work, she was still playing in the backyard…

From 20 Months

From 20 Months

From 20 Months

From 20 Months

From 20 Months

What a fun day this was! Addie had so many firsts. She learned the word “safe” and we introduced her to police officers, firemen, and EMT’s. Everyone that had a badge on, Addie would High-Five! By the end of the day, she police by sight!

Here are some highlights from the Sheriffs Office and Police Department demos.

Once again, this kid and Helicopters:

From 20 Months

After visiting with the Sheriff, she was allowed to sit on the four-wheeler. She knew what to do…

From 20 Months

She instantly became friends with Sparky the Firedog:

From 20 Months

From 20 Months

And Even became and honorary Fireman!

From 20 Months

She also had her first Bike Ride! Pink Helmet included. She did awesome and had so much fun. (I guess I know what we will be getting her for her second birthday)

From 20 Months

From 20 Months