Geeky Happy Baby....

Something about these photos makes her look so geeky in such a sweet way (= She was clapping away to a song, not sure which. She is wearing her new black shoes from my Uncle Harold (=
This afternoon in the car I was praying outloud and heard Layla starting to sing the words to Jesus Loves Me using the few words of each line that she knows. It was SOOOO precious!

7th Anniversary Part Two

Dessert is the best of course, so here is our white and dark chocolate fondue! Tom surprised me with this on Sunday night but he also had dessert plans elsewhere, so this was part of the SECOND night we celebrated. SOOO yummy!!

Tom and I had a LOVELY anniversary on August 3rd and 7th (= We did fondue and dessert on the 3rd and then a great dinner on the 7th with food so beautiful we had to photograph it. Thanks Tina!

Mine was this lovely pork chop will all sorts of fanciness (= Tom had the seafood medley pictured above AND two appetizers! Since I'm not a big seafood fan we thought it was a good time for him to just order whatever he wanted without having to worry about sharing with me.... It was a great place.

First Haircut

It was finally time to cut Layla's hair (= She had a long chunk in the back that just didn't blend in anywhere. I just didn't know how to deal with that and then all her curly parts in the back so I went to Great Clips and had them do it! I was surprised at how well she sat on my lap. I think she was really fascinated by being able to watch everything in the mirror. I saved a little bit of hair so we can remember how red her hair is if it changes color soon. We don't think it will change since her eyebrows are the same color.... I had no idea how much attention redheads get, by the way! I don't know where the saying about blondes having more fun came from, because Layla ALWAYS gets comments on the hair color.

Old Friends Play Musical Chairs

We knew Mike and Ginger back in Minneapolis and Ginger was a LIFESAVER the week before we left for the US. She came over and helped mom and I pack for ages, it seemed. She also gave me some great shoes (= Finn, her oldest had somehow increased her shoe size with his arrival (= My favorite shoes when I was pregnant were from Ginger.

Anyway, true to our life stage, we met at the food court in the mall and then took our food down to the kiddie play area. We pulled a table and chairs near the thing so we felt close enough to be responsible but far enough to eat and talk. Delicate balance. Then the closed the play area for cleaning so we dragged our table and chairs to the nearby play area and kept talking. Then they re-opened the original play area and we dragged everything back over......You do what you can to have a complete conversation during these years (=

It was lovely. We wish them all the best with what they are doing and where they are serving.

7 Years!

Well we've hit the seven year mark! Hard to believe. Tom had a lovely evening planned and thankfully I was able to make it through and thoroughly enjoy it - I had been throwing up 24 hours previous to our romantic dinner, drinks, dancing and dessert. Layla had been TERRIBLY ill with some stomach thing and threw up enough to make us take her in to the dr. The next day I got sick but not NEARLY as intense, for which I am grateful.

Anyway, we had fondue, flowers at the restaurant, then drove to the Broadmoor for dessert, fancy drinks and dancing to the very slick band that plays there. Their lead guitarist has played there for 17 years!!

Anyway - it was a lovely evening (=

It had such potential....

So when I am doing my make-up in the mornings, Layla likes to brush her teeth. She sits on the bathroom counter and plays with an assortment of toothbrushes. When I do my hair she just begs to have stuff put in hers as well, but she just doesn't really have enough to keep a hold of anything! I'm already chasing her shoes, necklaces and scarves and don't feel like adding teeny tiny hair things to my hunt every evening.

She was really enjoying this hairband thing but then started to make the wierdest faces and got highly uncooperative (= Just thought you'd enjoy some terrible photos (= The funniest thing is the picture in the bottom left is actually her SMILING! That is the look she has when I ask her to smile. How sad is that. She has the cutest smile but doesn't seem to understand how to "fake" it yet (=

Family in town!

Mom comes from a family of 8 kids and we all have a good time together. Harold, Helen and cousin Charles drove in from California to stay with us for about four days. Helen is one of mom's older sisters. The second picture has Clyde, mom's older brother, and Selva his lovely wife. We've had a GOOD time together and Layla has really taken to them all (=

Girls Hanging Out...

This is Lilly - a sweet little girl just about Layla's age. We've had some fun times together!

'Hello! Hello!"

Even though we are not officially potty training her this week, she is still wanting to come to the bathroom and sort of do her business. The FUNNIEST thing that has started to happen however, is that when she poops in her diaper before she gets to the toilet, I take her diaper off and show it to her and how we are getting rid of it etc. That's not the funny part. She looks at me in all seriousness "touch? touch?" and I say no and then she leans in real close, wiggling her index finger and says "hello! hello!" Too funny. She seems completely unaffected by the SMELL of the thing which is even funnier. Of course, this is the girl who will chew garlic and onions.....

She is noticably more relaxed and happy today since we stopped the 30 min cycles to and from the bathroom. Glad she's happy.

Today we were talking with Tom on Skype and Layla was in the bed pulling the covers up to her chin and flopping back on the pillows (this is good for about 20 mins of activity!) and I had the computer turned towards her while I was talking to Tom. Soon she started to say "Out Mama. Out Mama" Waving her little hand with great purpose. I couldn't believe she was wanting to be alone with Tom on Skype to play!

She does this "Out Mama' or "Out Baba" when you put her to bed and she is done with whatever shinanegans you are doing. It is too funny to be dismissed by her!

Giving it a rest

Well we've tried a week of potty training and I think we'll give it a rest. Layla is cooperative and willing to try, but can't seem to make herself pee even though she tries (= I know she has the concept down, but it just seems like now isn't the time for some reason. Plus, mama is tired and daddy comes home in two days and then we have house guests for four days so it is time to hit the pause button (=

I spoke on a panel today at a conference. It was nice to get out of the house. The panel was about educational experiences for americans who have grown up overseas. It brought back a lot of memories (= I calculated that I've lived in the US for 17 years now! wow.

Anyway. Tom is back overseas and loving it, of course (= He's staying with our neighbors across the street and having a great time. Hopefully getting more sleep than he was getting at his other friend's house....he slept with the TV on! (they were all sleeping in the main room...guess that main room is also the common sleeping place for guys...)

He's back on Tuesday and we're excited! Layla has just started saying "dada. sad" and doing the furrowed brow action that she gets from Tom. You would never imagine an almost 2-year old could look so sad and worried! She is just too precious. Chubby Chubby still as well!