Vacation, all I ever wanted...

Vacation, got to get away.

Alexis, this year's vacations seems to have been a BIG hit with you!

You loved swimming in the ocean with mom and dad by your side:

You were very excited to visit Horeshoe Bay Beach - and float around in your little pink boat:

You had a ball playing in the sand right at the edge of the water - 

filling your bucket and making sandcastles with us:

You smiled and giggled galore during our afternoons at the pool:

You followed our lead and learned just how wonderful frozen drinks at the beach can be:

(ready for your first virgin daquiri)

And you even NAPPED at the beach (twice) which we still cannot believe:

You loved exploring the hotel and making new friends:

Flirting with the trolley driver 

(who did a pretty darn great performance of "Wheels on the Bus" for you - 

turning on the windshield wipers, beeping his horn 

and opening the door as we drove up the hill)

"Cocktails" on the balcony at sunset

Fairmont has the BEST brunches, don't you agree?

Exploring the croquet field

Dinner on our last night of vacation

Enjoying ice cream and the piano player - and making friends at the hotel lounge

(Ironically, your mom did the exact same thing 

at the exact same hotel about 25 years ago!)

Yes, it's fair to say you loved Bermuda. 

And you know what? Daddy and I did too!

Bermuda, Bahama, Come on Pretty Mama

Well, Alexis did great on her very first plane ride.
Maybe because we talked it up so much.
Or maybe it was because we lucked out, and she got her own seat.
Or maybe she was just as excited to see the pretty, clear blue water as we were.
Most likely though, it had something to do with lollipops and a borrowed dvd player.
Whatever the reason, it was the perfect start to a wonderful family vacation in Bermuda.

Away we go!

Sick Day

That's what we are dealing with here today. Instead of taking advantage of Alexis's nap time and posting photos from our recent vacation, I might just crawl back into bed myself.

This little lady came down with a fever and a very runny nose while we were at the pool with friends yesterday. Didn't seem to bother her in the least while she was splishing and splashing, but by bedtime, it was a very different story.

She slept from 8 til 9:30 pm, and that was her longest stretch ALL NIGHT LONG. She whimpered and moaned and groaned and screamed for "mama, mama" for hours on end. We spent the night bringing her back and forth from her room to our bed. As soon as she spotted Vic or I, she greeted us with the cutest "hi" you'll ever hear. But as for sleep, we all got very little.

So bear with us, we're a little bit slow today...and hoping the worst is now behind us.

Speaking of "behind", look how long her hair is getting, and she still has those curls!

21 Months!

Creeping closer to 2, big girl!

Here are a few things we love about you this month:

-You now say "I love you" to us, which sounds more like "lah lu".
-I taught you "Happy Birthday" before a friend's party the other day,
and now your favorite saying is "Happy DAY" with all the emphasis on day.
-Uh oh has been replaced by "oops".
-You are getting much better at saying your name. It went from "e" to "lesi...
preschool, here you come.
-Following in your mom's tradition of making lists, you now love to do roll call,
telling us exactly who is in the room, in the car, at home, etc. and often throwing in a few favorites like Nanny, Granpa, Matt, Cece and Unka.
(Sorry Wendy and Kate, but your names remain too hard right now!)
-You are beginning to string a few words together to make little sentences -
Mama shoes, more grapes please, etc.
-You have begun counting when we prompt you. 1, 2, 3
and then you often add in "go" or "jump" at the end.
-You are also starting to learn your colors and your A, B, Cs
(both your parents and Sesame Street must get credit here).
-You point out your pink shoes, your blue bucket, your white bow, red Elmo, a yellow balloon.
-When we ask you to point out A, B, C, D, and for some reason, O, you always get them right.
And you surprise us each day with a new one.
-You love to stand in between us and hold our hands while you walk.
First you take daddy's hand, and then you take mine before we can begin moving.
-You have started to memorize your favorite books. You come running up to us saying
"Brown Bear, Brown Bear...At me".
-You still love music. When I play your cds in the car, you begin singing the next song before it starts playing, and you apparently know the Train song "Hey Soul Sister" because you belted out the Hey intro yesterday.
-You give the best hugs, and imitating us, you now say "Awww" whenever you hug someone or something.
-Quite simply, you make us smile.

Happy 21 Months, Alexis Rose!