Wordless Wednesday - My Gym

Kringleville Bakery

A few weeks ago, Evie and I attended a cookie decorating event at Kringleville Bakery.

The decorating was fun! The bakery ladies gave us a plain cookie and tons of icing. I love decorating cookies, but hate the icing clean up, so this was perfect! Evie wanted a snowman, so together we piped a cute little blue snowman with a red hat. Because it hadn't snowed here yet, (and there was green icing readily available,) we piped a little grass underneath our snowman.

Then came the sprinkles! Evie smashed so many jimmies and sprinkles onto this cookie that you couldn't even tell there had ever been a snowman! In fact, both GaGa and Chris thought it was a Christmas tree when they saw it later! But Evie had fun and so did I.

Somehow I must have erased the pictures from my camera, but my friend Lisa just emailed me this photo. (That's her beautiful Hailey in the red shirt!) What a sweet memory of a sweet afternoon!

The Circus is Coming to Town!

The Greatest Show on Earth is coming to St. Louis! And we are going to see it!

I know I went to the circus as a child, but I don't have a clear memory of the Big Top. I only vaguely remember some kind of glow-in-the-dark toy I got. But I'd like Evie to experience the magic of the circus. I can already imagine the acrobats and elephants and clowns.

So when I heard Ringling Bros. and Barnam & Bailey is bringing their show to St. Louis in November, I decided to purchase tickets. Grandpa will be in town, too, so we'll make it a family affair! I hope this is the start of a new tradition!

I wish I had known a year ago about the Baby's First Circus program. If I had, this very special "first" for Evie would be FREE! But I do know about a discount code (MCC - pass this on!) that gives you a 20% discount on tickets for the following shows:

Indianapolis, IN - Sept. 4-7, 2008
Kansas City, MO - Sept. 10-14, 2008
Grand Rapids, MI - Sept. 18-21, 2008
Denver, CO - Oct. 2-13, 2008
Boston, MA - Oct. 8-13, 2008
Cleveland, OH - Oct. 24 - Nov. 2
Chicago, IL - Nov. 6 - 30, 2008
St. Louis, MO - Nov. 6-9, 2008
Auburn Hills, MI - Nov. 12 - 16, 2008
Highland Heights, KY - Feb 27 - Mar. 1, 2009
Cincinnati, OH - Mar. 4 - 8, 2008

Stay tuned in November - I'm sure we'll have a story and lots of pictures!

Bye Bye, Summertime!

We spent the afternoon at The Bucket Pool.

Today was the last day our pool was open. We've spent several days each week at the pool since Memorial Day, and it's become part of the story of our summer.

I was struck, of course, by how much Evie has grown in a few short months. First of all, she's several inches taller than she was at the end of May. She can stand in parts of the water that used to be too deep for her. Even her hair is different - if I spray sunscreen on her shoulders, it gets in the hair curling past the nape of her neck. It's grown so long!

At the beginning of summer, we spent most of our time in the Spray Pool. It is ultra-shallow and Evie had tons of fun playing in the fountains and bubblers. She filled up cups of water and dumped them on my feet. She had little toy boats and fish and watering cans that kept her busy.

But she's outgrown the "Baby Pool." Now we head right to the regular kid pool. She L-O-V-E-S playing in the big pool with Daddy. Evie splashes and jumps and "swims" on her noodle. She couldn't do any of these things (except the splashing) when we first came to the pool.

As things were winding down this afternoon, The Girls showed up at the pool. It was a perfect way to end the day. Evie played with them, and I couldn't help but think how lucky we all are. A man kept shouting "Life is good!" to his little son. I wanted to yell back "Yes, it is!"

We took one last ride on the Lazy River. My dare-devil daughter loves going under the waterfalls, so we went around a couple of times. Each time we went under a bridge, we sang out "Nine dogs on a moonlit night - Aoooooooo!" And Evie was finally able to touch the waterfall spilling out from under the water slides. She's been dying to do that all summer.

Bye bye, Baby Pool. Bye bye, Lazy River. Bye bye, Bucket Pool.

Bye bye, Summertime. Bye bye, Baby Evie. Next year when we come back you'll be a real girl. But remember, you'll always be my baby.

Kindermusik

Earlier this week, Evie and I attended a Kindermusik class that was held as a benefit for the St. Louis Symphony. Since my daughter is quite the music lover, we had a blast!

When we arrived, there was a table full of musical instruments. We played with triangles, various percussion instruments, and shakers of all sorts. Then the real fun began!

We sang a cute welcome song, and Evie demonstrated her dancing to the class. We sang Wheels on the Bus, and I learned a few verses I didn't know before. The class made a "train" around the room, and danced to the song. Evie loved it. Every once in awhile, she got the cutest look on her face.

The instructors got out these little eggs that made a shooshing noise when you shook them. We performed the I Can Wiggle finger play, shaking our eggs, and freezing them at the appropriate part. It took a few rounds, but Evie completely understood what we were doing, and followed along.

We also played with scarves, as you can see in the pictures above. We used them to learn about opposites - waving them slowly to the music, and then quickly, waving them low and then high. Evie also got a kick out of just putting the scarf over her face and playing peek-a-boo!

All too soon, the class was over. It was a great morning of movement and music. I hope it contributes to a life-long love of music for Evie!

I Can Wiggle
I can wiggle my fingers. (Wiggle fingers)
I can wiggle my toes. (Wiggle toes)
I can wiggle my shoulders. (Wiggles shoulders)
I can wiggle my nose. (Wiggle nose)

I can stop my wiggles,
1 -- 2 -- 3 -- (Whisper)
And be as still as still can be. (Freeze)

You can also substitute other body parts like head, cheeks, elbows, or knees.

A Terrible Tantrum

I hope I never judge another parent when I see their child throw a fit. You see, Evie had the tantrum to end all tantrums today. In front of GaGa and the kids. And Aunt Rachel. And a few hundred other people at the Magic House.

The day began innocently enough. We found the last parking spot available and headed in. First we played in the Baby and Me section on the baby gym, in the play kitchen, and in the little toddler boat. Evie was having so much fun!

Then we made our way into the Little Bit of Magic exhibit. I mean, WOW! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful place for children in St. Louis. Evie was entranced by a row of lights and switches of every variety. She must have stood there for 20 minutes, just turning the lights on and off. On and off. On and off.

Then we spotted a little secret mouse house. Evie opened the door, and we saw a mouse picnic, complete with cheese and 7-Up! She actually laid on the ground so she could see better!

Oh, and there was a kid-sized spiral staircase. I squeezed up after her, and there was a giant slide on top. So we spent the next 20 minutes going down and up the slide. (I have to admit, I slid down twice myself.)

And there was the sand box. We have a sand table at home, so you wouldn't think it would be that interesting, right? WRONG! This little hands-on activity caused the tantrum. Evie played and played and played until Aunt Rachel came to get us. Instant and very loud wailing.

Now, Evie has had tantrums before. But generally I can distract her with lip gloss or a drink or, God forbid, candy. Nothing worked. Evie was crying so loudly, flailing about, and pointing back to the sand exhibit. I tried looking in her eyes and speaking to her in a soothing voice. I tried pointing out other exhibits we passed. She was choking and drooling from crying so hard! She cried in the elevator and out the door. She was so sad looking, pointing back and begging "More, more, more!"

When we reached the parking lot, she noticed construction equipment and all the "diggers." That calmed her down a bit. It took a bottle of water, all to herself, to fully get her back to normal.

Evie already has a great love for the Magic House, and we didn't even see most of it. We really had a wonderful time. I hated to leave, too, but I was able to hold it together better than Evie! There is so much more to see and I have a feeling we'll be spending lots of time there in the future. I'm adding a Membership to her Christmas list!

Newest Member of the Sushi Club

Chris had to attend Traffic Court this afternoon, so he took the day off with us. We were starving for sushi and decided to visit Nippon Tei, our favorite restaurant. We took along Evie's sushi play set and sushi book to keep her busy before the food came.

Evie has been to Nippon Tei many times before. But she's never had sushi, only mashed rice and avocado. Today we introduced her to this magnificent cuisine, and let me tell you, she is a big fan.

We started out with wakame salad, and Evie didn't hesitate to dig right in. She was determined to use chopsticks, and refused all help we offered. I was amazed at her dexterity. She used one chopstick to scoop up a few strands of seaweed at a time, and managed to slurp them into her mouth. She did allow a spoon for the white rice, which she gobbled up like a starving child. She probably was starving, too, because for every bite of rice that made it to her mouth there was another that fell to the floor.

Then I made a mistake. Our meals came with miso soup and a big, flat spoon with high sides. That kind of spoon should be easy for a baby to use, right? WRONG! She kept tilting the spoon back and the soup dribbled down her hand. And she refused to let me help. The worst part was once she had a taste for the soup, she wanted more. Frustrating, huh? You love the food, but can't get the utensil to work so you can eat it. There was whining and a little crying, and then a lot of crying when I took it away.

I distracted her with the rice again, and it kept her occupied until the sushi came. A LOT of sushi... We are regular patrons at Nippon Tei so the chef sent double of some items, on the house. Double the egg tamago, double the spicy tuna hand rolls, and double the California rolls. We also had vegetable tempura, which added to the gluttony.

Evie loved the egg tamago - she shoveled it into her mouth like nothing I've seen. I swear, her fist was so full of egg that I couldn't believe it fit into her mouth! She ate and ate and ate! She ate egg tamago. She ate avocado roll. She ate green beans and asparagus that she dipped into the sauce that came with the tempura. She couldn't get enough of the tempura sauce! She licked it from the veggies, dipped her chopsticks in, and finally stuck her fingers in it. She even let me feed it to her from the dreaded miso soup spoon!

Chris and I finished eating long before Evie's tummy pooched out and made her stop feasting. Two women a few tables over laughed and said "I hope you know this is a Kodak moment." Yes, yes we do.

P.S. Chris' tickets were dismissed. We only have to pay court costs. He came home and said "I fought the law, and I won!"

Babies and Kids

There are times in your life when a realization hits you full force. One day years ago, I was shopping on my lunch break for something to wear on a date with Chris. Out of nowhere, I just thought "I'm a real grown-up! Here I am, getting ready for a date with the man I'm going to marry." It was a terrific moment, but I still remember how struck I was by this realization.

This happened to me yesterday with Evie. We met our friends Jackie, George, and Henry for lunch at Chick-fil-A. After we ate, we headed to the kid's play area. It's really perfect for an indoor restaurant because it has a special section for babies. You can push buttons and animals make sounds and talk to you. You can "drive" with fake steering wheels and push wooden cars along a track on the wall. But after we were there a few minutes, Evie was more focused on what the big kids were doing.

In the big kid section, there's a great big spiral staircase that leads to a labyrinth of overhead tunnels. They wind around and one part eventually leads to a slide. Evie started up the stairs. The steps are a challenge for her since she is still pretty short. She pulled and climbed her way up a couple stairs, and I kept waiting for her to turn around and come back down. Up, up, up she went until she was at the top! I couldn't believe it! I was sure once she reached the tunnels she would make her way back, but she continued to surprise me. She let out a little squeal of excitement and disappeared into the tunnels.

What should I do? My mind told me she was certainly too little to be up there on her own. I frantically tried to catch a glimpse of her. Okay, I saw her little head through a window. There she was again looking out of another section. I lost my view of her, but I heard another kid say "Excuse me, Baby." I thought she must be okay since I hadn't heard a cry for help, but I still wanted to see her. Oh, there she was again, zipping by! I heard the pitter-patter of her quick footsteps. Then I heard her laugh and a second later, I couldn't see her. I sent George up to look for her, and he reported that she was fine. I began to settle down. I finally sat on the bench with the rest of the parents and waited.

I've known for awhile that Evie is a mix of baby and kid. For a long time, though, she was mostly baby and just a little bit of kid. Sitting on that bench, it suddenly hit me. Now Evie is mostly kid and just a little bit of baby. I was so surprised by this realization! She is a walking, talking, playing-on-the-big-kid-toys KID! Her hair is growing longer and her feet are growing bigger. She is getting taller and smarter and faster.

A few minutes later, she came barreling down the slide with a huge smile plastered on her face. She ran to me, laughing, for a hug. Then she climbed right back up those stairs for another turn in the big kid tunnels, not even giving a second glance to the baby section.

Cuddles Louise

Yesterday, Evie and I spent the morning at Build a Bear. I hadn't been there since I made a bear for my nephew Jake when he was born. I have to admit that at the time, I wasn't interested in MAKING the bear. I just wanted something cute, and I could record a personal message in the bear, so there I was. I didn't get the whole bear-making "thing."

Turns out, bear-making is a great mommy-daughter activity! First, you choose your bear. This sounds easier than it really is. They have all kinds of bears, but they have other characters like bunnies and dogs and cats and elephants and TURTLES. Good God, I never knew how many turtles there were in this world until Evie. Of course she wanted the turtle. I am SICK TO DEATH of turtles. What happens when she grows out of this phase and no longer wants these creatures? (Can you picture the garage sale sign? "GIANT one-family garage sale. Biggest selection of used turtles in the Midwest.) So I didn't let her get it.

Now, I write that with a bit of guilt. I went in thinking I would let her do all the choosing. But I just couldn't leave with another turtle, so I offered a few suggestions of my own. She said "No," to a few, but then she hugged the Read Teddy. We have a winner!

Next we made our way to a big machine full of bear stuffing. A Worker Bear (I made that up, I don't know her title,) hooked our bear up to the machine and stuffed it. She gave it to Evie for a hug to make sure it was "just right." Before she sewed up the back, we pressed a button and all these little stuffed hearts fluttered up like confetti. Evie chose a heart, kissed it, and stuffed it in the bear. What next? Yep, "More!" This special bear is very loving, having THREE hearts and all!

Now that our bear was whole, we took her to the spa, where Evie had a great time brushing her. A long, great time. Then we were on to the fun part - clothes shopping for our bear! You would not believe the outfits to choose from. Evie could not have cared less about the clothes - she went for the shoes! The flip-flops made her whine and I was afraid the little pink clogs would fall off and get lost. We ended up with a pair of pink ballet flats that we both liked, and a pink bubble dress that matched. The dress is soft, which is good when Evie cuddles up with the bear.

Speaking of cuddles, we had to name the bear. Of course, Evie can't choose a name, but I picked Cuddles because I think Evie will be able to pronounce it soon. And Louise just seems to go with Cuddles, right? We put Cuddles Louise on the birth certificate. I'm not kidding, our bear has a birth certificate. (I wonder how we get her a Social Security Number?) Her height (17 inches) and weight (10 ounces) also went on the certificate. Cuddles is also registered in the Find-A-Bear tracking system, in case she's lost. This is one high-tech teddy bear!

That was it! We paid, and left with Cuddles Louise (and a special brush for her fur) in a Cub Condo Carrying Case. Evie loves Cuddles, and our dog Murphy just wants to eat her. Sibling rivalry?

Grant's Farm

Yesterday we visited Grant's Farm with our friends Nicki, Carter, and Sabrina.

Grant's Farm is the ancestral home of the Busch family. It's a beautiful wildlife park that is home to over 1,000 animals. It's also the site of "Hardscrabble," a farm and cabin established by Ulysses S. Grant, our 18th President. That's all for today's history lesson.

The day began with a tram ride through the Deer Park. We saw deer (of course,) buffalo, elk, and even sheep. We also passed by a few lakes and spotted beautiful Japanese Koi. The entire time, Evie would see an animal, and become frustrated when it was out of sight. She kept shouting "More!" She was especially attached to an elk walking close to the tram. She blew it kisses as we drove away!

When I was a child, we visited Grant's Farm and I remember feeding the pygmy goats. I was excited for Evie to do the same. We purchased little bottles of goat formula, and Nicki asked "Should we feed the goats from in the pen, or from outside?" I thought of the goats Evie had brushed at the zoo, and confidently said "Let's go inside. Evie's not afraid of goats."

Let me tell you, these pygmy goats are FOR SURE not related to the gentle zoo goats.

We pushed our way into the pen, past about ten goats trying to get OUT of the pen. (First clue.) Immediately, goats started jumping up on their hind legs, pawing at us with their hooves. (Second clue - why was I still in the pen at this point?) I was frightened! I swooped Evie into my arms. It was mayhem! More goats jumped up on us, their little hooves digging into my legs. Evie lost a shoe, and then the other. She dropped the bottle. Another goat started eating the hem of my skirt! I wasn't quite sure what to do - we were surrounded! Luckily, a guardian angel picked up the shoes and the bottle for me, and I ran as fast as I could from those goats! I was so relieved to get us out!

So we fed the goats from OUTSIDE the pen. The goats were greedily sticking their heads out, waiting for a bottle. Evie wasn't too sure of what to do. She would put the bottle by their mouths, but as soon as one began drinking, she would pull it away. I ended up "helping" her, as she whined because she wanted to do it herself. Guess what she said when the bottle was empty? Yep, "More!" We fed one more bottle to those tiny, ferocious goats. I swear those things are going to show up in my nightmares soon. They are THAT scary. Funny, I don't seem to remember that from my childhood visits. But Evie didn't seem to notice they were man-eating wild animals either, and really enjoyed feeding them breakfast.

There was much more to see after the goats. We got an up-close look at guinea pigs in their pen and tried to feed a few ducks. They were apathetic to the dried corn we threw towards them, like "Really? That's the best you can do? Been there, done that, no thanks." The ducks didn't move an inch. We spent a long time looking at giant tortoises that had to be at least 100 years old. We saw elephants and a parrot who talked and whistled.

AND THEN THERE IT WAS... A row of sprinklers mounted on poles, spraying a fine mist like a tunnel. Nicki, Sabrina, and Carter were far in front of us, since Evie insisted on walking by herself, no hand-holding, thank you very much. Evie and I walked through once. She came out with little drops of water clinging to her hair, like dew on a spider web. She ran squealing back to the other side. She ran through again, back to me. I tried to grab her, but she was off again, back through the mist. I called her. She dropped her sippy cup and ran to me. Argh! A nice man ran across and brought me the cup. As I tucked it into the diaper bag, Evie ran to the other side again. This time I went after her. I grabbed her and crossed again. When we made it to the other side, I noticed she had lost a shoe halfway across. I yelled "You have got to be kidding!" I think the nice man who had brought me the cup knew I was at my breaking point. He ran across, and tossed the shoe back at me. THANK YOU, NICE MAN! Evie and I were both soaking wet by now, although it felt good in the heat. I zipped away from those sprinklers, carrying a protesting Evie.

We eventually made it to the Clydesdale Stables and the beautiful Bauernhof courtyard for lunch. Lunch was nice, but I was so tired I didn't even try a complimentary Anheuser-Busch beer. It was hot and it was naptime, so we caught the next tram to the exit. We made a quick stop in the gift shop for a plush baby goat and yet another turtle. (The baby goat has made it into the bedtime entourage, too.)

Evie had a great time. For at least ten minutes, she waved "buh-buh" to the farm and her new animal friends. And I drove her far away from the man-eating pygmy goats.

Mmmm... Doughnuts...

If yesterday was lazy, today more than made up for it!

GaGa, Nick & Chris, and Baby Julianna picked us up this morning for a day of fun! First, we visited Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. If you've never been inside, (and this was a first for me,) it's a pretty cool place. The entire doughnut-making operation is on display behind a big glass window. You see the dough being extruded into a hot oil "river." The doughnuts float along, and are flipped midway through so both sides cook evenly. They move from the oil to a conveyor belt, and under a curtain of icing. They come out glazed to perfection, and ride the conveyor belt a little longer to cool. Of course we had to sample some of the doughnuts - a warm original glazed Krispy Kreme is heaven on earth!

Happy from our doughnut binge, we headed to Suson Farm. We watched as a horse had his hoofs trimmed, caught the end of a cow-milking demonstration, saw new baby pigs, watched a peacock preening for a turkey, and looked at every imaginable kind of miniature horse. Evie liked the animals, but the highlight of her visit was pushing Julianna's stroller!

After a quick nap, we met Daddy at the pool. Evie is becoming such a little beach baby! She especially loves the lazy river. There is a special raft just for toddlers, with a regular opening for the parent and another opening with a closed bottom for the child. Evie is thrilled when we go under the waterfalls and the opening fills with water. She puts her head on one side, and lays back in the water. This peaceful scene lasts just a second or two before she's back to splashing Daddy!

Ballwin Days

Saturday night, we headed over to Ballwin Days with some friends.

It was a night of many "firsts" for Evie. We parked in the Target parking lot, and Evie took her first ride on a big, yellow school bus that served as a shuttle to the park. I don't think she fully grasped the school bus thing, but our friend Delyla did. She had a big, proud smile plastered on her face, like "Do you all see what I'm doing??? I'm RIDING on a SCHOOL BUS!"

I adore fair food! The caramel apples, cotton candy, kettle corn and snow cones were calling to me. "Sarah, look over here. I haven't seen you all year. Come and get me!" So, we dug right in. Chris had a corn dog and fries that he claimed he bought because Evie might want some. Evie and I had nachos, full of chili and yummy cheese. Evie is a nacho-lover! She chowed down and somehow managed to stay pretty clean in the process. Our bellies full, we headed over to the rides. (Now that I write this, was that very smart??? Full tummies and rides that shake you up???)

I always think rides at these little fairs are a bit scary. Are they maintained well? Are the operators trained and paying attention? I wasn't sure how Evie would react, but I should have know my dare-devil daughter would hold her own. We rode the carousel first. Evie had never been on one, so I watched her closely for signs of distress. She had a blast! Her hair was blowing, and she was smiling! At the end of the ride, she protested "More!" And we rode again. I believe we could have stayed there all night, but we were on to other things...

The next ride was a test of my bravery as a mother. Chris and Evie rode this ride that spins around and goes UP IN THE AIR! They chose to sit in a little dragon-thing, and buckled in. Evie was okay with the spinning, but was not a fan of the flying part. She did well, though. You could see the fear on her face, but she didn't cry!

We walked around a little more, ate kettle corn and cotton candy (thanks for sharing, Chi!) and ended the night with a train ride. Let me tell you, this train was not built for grown-ups. I squeezed in with her, but that was one LONG train ride.

It was a great first summer fair for Evie. We left for home just as the big crowds were coming in. We'll have stay late for the fireworks for another year.

Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh, My!

So we didn't really see any lions or tigers today. But we did see plenty of bears, along with tud-toes, goats, penguins, and monkeys.

Chris took the day off , and we went to the St. Louis Zoo. First, we visited the turtles. They were huge, caked with mud and their skin was so leathery they looked fake, like robot turtles. For the next twenty minutes, all the way to the Children's Zoo, all Evie could focus on were the tud-toes we left behind.

Luckily, there were goats to brush. After a whirlwind tour of the rest of the Children's Zoo, we found the goats. Evie was fascinated with the first goat she saw at the entrance. We tried to coax her away from the nice gray goat to see others, but she was loyal to the end. (Much to the dismay of Violet, the next-door goat, who could have also used some grooming.)

Evie feasted on nachos for lunch, and then we took a train ride. We visited the penguins (how is it so smelly in an ice-cold, indoor exhibit?) and spent a lot of time checking out the monkeys. I convinced Chris that Evie needed a souvenir from her first Zoo visit, and we left the gift shop with the sweetest plush turtle. Evie hugged it, kissed it, and could think of nothing else for the rest of the day. Great memories and her own personal tud-toe to boot!

More from the AEATT Channel

The All Evie, All the Time Channel

The First Week!

Drum roll... So last week was my first week home with Evie. It was everything I had hoped for! We played with Grandma, joined the Pottery Barn Kids Book Club, had lunch with friends, "painted" the driveway with water (many times,) played in the sand, fed ducks at the park, bought a pool pass, and ate a lot of Popsicles! We play with the neighborhood children till bedtime, and we are wonderfully tired at the end of each day.

I have to figure out how to post pictures from my new camera. After that, watch out! You'll be viewing the All Evie, All the Time channel.