2 and 2/3 Years

I just happened to realize that today is Mer's 2 and 2/3s birthday, which is not an occasion we generally recognize around here, but IS well suited to the random collection of thoughts I've got.

Milestones for 2 and 2/3s years:
* Talking that is so incessant, we're going to have to start some serious disciplining on the interruption issue. Grownups ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TALK. For this reason, I haven't had a phone conversation longer than 10 seconds in weeks.
* Lots of singing. Lots of making up songs on the spot and then asking mommy to sing along.
* The command to "talk about this" (insert topic of interest) is the one activity that does allow a grownup to speak. The command goes like this: "Mommy talk about firetrucks/houses/when grownups fall down/when I was a tiny baby/when Beth's dog ran away [9 months ago]/when I got my hair cut." Each topic command is meant to elicit a long story from me. Sometimes it is hard for mommy to rise to the challenge.
* We've got some activity going on that is beginning to resemble swimming. She wears her lifejacket in the pool and is totally content to move around on her own, with lots of kicking and arm movement. Climbing the ladder is still really the preferred pool activity.

At the Flying Fish before going to a Redbirds game. Just the kids and the moms. Their behavior was so bad, we started acting like we were nannies, not moms. We were saying things like, "Wow, I'm not working with this family again next summer. These kids are completely undisciplined."

Watching the Redbirds. Not for long, mind you.

Running on the bluff. More fun than watching baseball.

Rolling down the hill. More fun than watching baseball. Actually, this ended in tears. I was trying to show Cautious Girl how to do it, cause she was afraid. She ended up screaming. I think we shoul have tried this earlier in the game.

Zombie kids after the game. Well, after about the middle of the 5th inning.

My sweet morning refugees. Aren't they pitiful?

Happy girls.