"We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo. How about you?"

The zoo song has been stuck in my head for over a week! Avry's mom called me to see if we could get the girls together and we decided to head to the zoo. It was a little cool, but the kids didn't seem to care. Avry's little brother Ashton is a super laid back 6 month old. The girls had a blast!

Think these 2 were happy to see each other?





We went into the Larikeet Adventure for the first time. Larikeets are Australian parrots and for $1 you can buy a little cup of sugar water. The larikeets will drink it right out of your hand:



I gave Olivia her cup and she promptly dumped it on the ground. Luckily, sweet Avry was willing to share!



They loved all the animals, but the polar bears were by far the favorite of the day. One kept coming up to them at the window, then walking back into the cave. Avry and Olivia would stand at the window until he went back in the cave, then run to see the other polar bear that was laying in the sun. This isn't the best video, but it shows their enthusiasm (and Avry's disgust when he goes back into the cave):



We had a great time and renewed our membership! Olivia is free until she turns 3 and she was really into it and aware of the animals this time. I for see many zoo trips! Plus, she was in heaven with Avry there.

Yesterday was rec rewards at gymnastics. Rec Rewards are for students who aren't competing yet, to acknowledge their dedication (ha!) and improvement. Waiting her turn with her little class:



With her instructor:



She is so proud of her ribbon!



I have to say, she has come a long way in gymnastics. It was all I could do to keep her focused and on task when we first started. Now, I hardly have to redirect her. She has one more session in the Mommy and Me class, then will move up to the 3 year old class (without Mommy, sniff) the end of June.

Her hair has been a sore spot for the last few weeks. It was fairly long and tangled VERY easily. She absolutely HATES having her hair brushed, washed, fixed in general. It was starting to look stringy, so to save us both some pain, she got a haircut. This is a kind of before shot before we went to dinner Friday night:



And here it is now:





I contemplated cutting it myself, but after Michael had me attempt his haircut last weekend (with disastrous results), I decided to take her to a professional. I hope this will end the hair drama!

Her new favorite thing? Bubble baths!!





Have a good week!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Michael's birthday was actually Monday, but I'm just now getting around to blogging! The best part about Daddy's birthday for Olivia? Getting to open his presents:



And blow out his candles:



Ha!

This past weekend was a little cool, but gorgeous, so we decided to load up the bicycles and trailer and head over to Chatfield State Park. It's about 10 minutes from our house and has a small lake and lots of trails for biking/walking. I decided to pull the trailer, which made for a little slower ride, but Olivia didn't seem to mind. She was bundled up in the bike trailer with her blankie, bunny, pink baby, apple juice, and assorted snacks. We stopped at a picnic area after a few miles to let her run around and she chased a flock of geese all over the place. She couldn't understand why they wouldn't let her touch them! I wish you could hear her better in this video- she chased the geese long enough for them to decide to fly off. When they all flew away around her, she turned around and said: "I'm scared of geese!"



We left the picnic area and headed to the beach area of the lake a few miles away. Why the beach area when it was only in the low 50's? To nurture Michael's newest hobby: metal detecting. Back off ladies, he's taken. :) He's been dying to try this thing out. He (and Olivia)strolled up and down the (incredibly small) beach and discovered- wait for it- at least 20 bottle caps. Oh, and a penny. Olivia loooooooved playing in the sand. My pictures aren't the best, since I only had our little video camera that happens to take pictures, but you get the idea.







We played outside one warm afternoon this week with our neighborhood friends. Olivia is finally old enough to (kind of) keep up with them. It was so funny, at some point during the entire hour and a half we were outside, every single child fell or got hit with something. Olivia skinned her knee and the little drama queen cried on my shoulder for a good 15 minutes. She finally started playing again, only to remember her injury a few minutes later and say: "My owie, my owie," with a little sniffle. She made a beeline to Michael when he got home to show off her scratch. Funny girl. Look at these cute kids. They lined up like this all by themselves (well, I had to stage Olivia, but the rest of them did!). See all those smiles? Think they get their pictures taken pretty often?! :)







She's starting to want to pick out her own clothes, which I let her do when we're not really going anywhere. This was her ensemble Friday afternoon:



Pajama shirt, pettiskirt, headband, and knee socks. Riiiiight.

One more video of her and Rohen riding his train at daycare:



Have a good week!

There's a First Time for Everything...

Olivia is currently on her first ever round of antibiotics. Even her pediatrician was surprised that she had never had them. We are pretty sure RSV ran its course through the daycare! None of the older kids (who have probably already been exposed) were sick. The younger kids were pitiful! She was feeling better, but the double ear infection (from drainage-ew) was what put her on antibiotics. 2 trips to the doctor in one week! Nothing that a blue cupcake couldn't fix:



Funny, RSV are what the Synagis shots were for the first flu season after she was born. Glad she's had it and it's out of the way!

She loves her "Cooties." Not that she understands the concept of the game, but she loves making the little bugs have different legs. She takes it very seriously:





Still working on the "_____________ hurt my feelings," phrase. She and her friend Renya were talking about going to the doctor today (side note- if you have the chance to listen to a whole conversation between 2 year olds, do it. It's hysterical!) and she told her she went to the doctor "'cause Daddy hit me." I don't know why it's always Daddy!

Hope you're having a good week!