We had the annual family reunion at Papa Owie's house a few weekends ago. It was a fun time, with lots of playing outside with extended family, but we were only able to stay for part of the reunion. We left that Saturday to head a wedding in Owatanna and a reception in Waseca. The bride was Dani and her mom is my Grandma Trish's very good friend. Vernie comes to visit us when Grandma Trish is in town and she and I are really good friends. We had a super fun time at the wedding and the reception.
Mom got together with her friends from work at a real nice restaurant and brought Leighton and me with her. I was my usual 2-year-old self, but Mom's friends did a great job of keeping me busy. Especially that Ms. Adrienne-she and I have a special bond. Adrienne and I did lots of talking and book reading while the other ladies oohed and aahed over Leighton.
I've been to the pool most of the warm days. We're getting our monies worth out of our season passes. Gavin and his peeps have joined us a couple times and after we swim, we all head over to the park for a picnic and to play on the equipment. It's so much fun but since it all happens during the time leading up to nap time (a.k.a. The Witching Hour of Toddlerhood), things can get a bit dicey.
I've had two sleepovers at Grandma Jan and Papa Bob's in the last couple weeks. Grandma has had the Fridays off, so I've gotten to stay at their house on Thursday night. When Leighton gets bigger and doesn't need Mommy to fee him, he can come with me for sleepovers. I love sleepovers with Grandma and Papa. We do fun things like go out to eat, go watch airplanes on Post Road, go to the Mall of America and play in the basement. It sounds simple, but their basement is one of my favorite places in the world. Must be all the toys. Some are so old that Mom said SHE played with them as a child. Wow.
Mom, Grandma Jan, Leighton and I went on an adventure to a place called Roberts, Wisconsin after one of my sleepovers. We went there to visit Mommy's bestest goodest friend, Dre. They went to college together at University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Dre has a new baby named Simon LeRoy. He was due to be born the same day as Leighton, but as we all know, Leighton was born four weeks early, and then Simon was a week late, so they're actually five weeks apart in age. Mommy was so happy to see Dre. It had been way too long-over two years! They hadn't seen each other since I was a tiny baby. THAT is what having a child can do to a friendship. But Mommy and Dre have one of those friendships that never misses a beat, and you'd never know it had been so long. Grandma Jan had a great time too-Dre is a pseudo daughter for Grandma-see, Dre lived at Grandma and Papa's house one summer during the college years. Grandma Jan thought the craziest part was watching the moms nursing their new babies. She said "You girls have come a long way since your party days!" Oh Mommy!
We went on another adventure to Somerset, Wisconsin the very next day. This time we went to Nick, Lacy and Aiden's housewarming party. (Nick is Daddy's cousin, for those not familiar.) It was so fun! And bonus! My Gavin was there because his mommy works with Nick. I played and played and played with Anna-she's Nick's niece. There was a really really really big storm that night, and Anna and I hid at the bottom of the stairs because we heard that a TOMATO might be coming towards the house and Anna told me that those can kill you! (What I'm wondering now is why Mom keeps putting them in our food if they're so dangerous...)
My cousin Meggie had a birthday last week. She turned 10 years old! Our whole family is astonished that she's already that old. We went to Outback Steakhouse (Meg's favorite place to eat steak) and they all kept saying things like "Why I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday".
Last weekend I got to go to a very fun picnic with my daycare friends. Ms. Angela and Mr. Ray host an annual event at Lake Elmo Park Reserve where families can camp if they're so inclined (we passed on that this year because of Baby Leighton) and then everybody comes for a big picnic on Saturday afternoon. It was great fun! I got to do relay races and a three-legged race and a tug of war.
This week Mom took Leighton and I to the Children's Museum. I just love that place! I could play for hours and hours and days and days. Last time Leighton slept through the whole thing, but this time, since he's getting bigger and older and more awake, he got to look around at everything. Mom realized that next time she needs to bring a baby carrier since he didn't want to be in the stroller when he was awake.
There's just a week and a half left of our fun-filled time with Mommy. She goes back to work on August 31st. I'll be heading back to daycare at Angela and Ray's. Leighton will be going to Ms. Lisa's house for five weeks, until there is a baby spot open for him at Angela and Ray's. Mom and Dad were happy to find a good daycare on short notice that would take Leighton on a temporary basis.
Well, I'd better get to posting those pictures on flickr that I told you about. I do suppose I've written enough.
TTFN Friends!
Tater and Leighton Boy
