Strawberry picking.. a catch up post.

7.31.12

This is definitely a catch-up post... as we went strawberry picking back in May.

Yikes. But yes, I have some catching up to do on my 25 {more like 28} things to do with E before she turns Two. And seeing as how she turns two in November... I better get on it!

2. Go to the strawberry farm in the spring

It was a nice day. Very windy. My mother in law came to visit so she was able to join us, which is always nice. 

Unfortunately the strawberries were nearing the end of the season so we literally picked the very last ones. 

They were undoubtedly very good. Small. Unexpectedly small. 

And we totally picked more than we should have. Like way more. Like 5 pounds worth.

And? We ended up throwing away probably 3 pounds of it...

But. It was about the experience. And a experience we got.

After we filled our basket with red delicious goodness we stopped by the little shop where we made sure to pick up the homemade berry pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

It was probably the best part of the day :)

It was nice, however, I think Elliana will have much more fun next year. I think she was into it for 

about .5 seconds and then the endless amounts of fields totally caught her attention and all she wanted to do was roam around. Which? Who's to blame her. She is just a year and a half old.

Needless to say it is a tradition that our little family has started and we plan to continue. This is the same little farm that we go to in the fall to pick raspberries {and plan to do it again this fall}. So we are so looking forward to continuing these two traditions and watching how Elliana changes throughout the years.

Up next: Family vacation, beach, apple orchard, family portraits, picnic, and more!

*Today is the last day of the month! Which means last day to use my introductory promo code for Advertising. Get 25% all packages using code july4th. Just a reminder the showcase AD is now available {top ad on the page}. Check out the details here.

We survived. Both Elli and I. And we swam like dolphins.

Today was the first day of swim lessons. And yet another thing to mark off our 25 things to do before E turns two list. However, there were other milestones at hand here. Milestones on the mama side. Ones that I accomplished. So lets begin with this morning.

We woke up late. Later than usual. College Becky would say this was early. Mom Becky says its late.

I started to hear Elliana at 830, but she was just babbling away and talking to herself, or the stuffed animals, or perhaps the wall? Regardless, we didn't go get her until 9. And the only reason we even did was because we knew that we had lessons at 10:30. Usually though, she lets you know when she's ready.

So we did our usual morning routine. Got Elliana ready.  Let the dog out. Ate breakfast. Elliana that is...since mama and papa never get a chance to eat when we are trying to run out the door. And then it was time for mama to get ready.

Okay, dilemma here.

I went into my bathing suit drawer. The one that had all bikinis and one one piece in there. Mind you, the one piece that I did own was from Victorias Secret with a slit down the middle of the tummy and the top only covered the essentials. A.K.A. the sides of my breasts (that I don't have) were out there for all to see. Naturally, this suit was out of the picture.

So now, I had to choose which bikini would work best.  And as a disclaimer... I had every intention of going out last week to pick up a one piece. Just so I could fit it.... but I completely forgot. And well, life is a little hectic. Needless to say, I didn't pick one up. I don't think I have ever even owned a one piece. Besides when I was 5... and when I was 15 due to swim lessons in high school.

But why waste time talking about what I don't own... and lets talk about what I do.

Option A. The ones that tied. You know, the stringy ones. The ones that the boys would try to sneakily walk by and try to pull at the string so that it would fall off and embarrass you in front of everyone? I hope I'm not the only one here. Yup. Those. I have a lot of those.

So I thought about it and realized well... E would want to pull at the strings too... and that? Well that would not be a very good first impression.

Option B.  Color. Do you go with like a black or white one, or do you go with my bright green or yellow, or hurt your eyes orange?

Okay. For one, I'm not tan enough for the colors. And two, I don't want to stand out even more.

Finally, after testing out a few, I chose the white strapless one, with no strings. Why strapless? Because Elliana likes to pull at things when I am holding on to her... and she would totally pull my straps to the side and WA-LA there goes mommy boobies for the whole pool to see.

It was the most anti-sexy Victoria's Secret suit I own. And believe me....that's not saying much.

So we finally headed out and made it to the lesson. The teacher was all chipper and said "You look like you are ready to SWIMMM!."  Ohhhh boy, yes I am. Yes I am. ....... Crazy.

I had to finally get undressed. At the beach? I would have stripped down, no problem. At this place? Children's swim lessons... you know... didn't get me as excited to take my clothes off. More reasons than one.

No problem, that didn't last very long. Because before I knew it, we were in the water... splish splashing around.. singing the itsy bitsy spider ......  and row row row your boat.

At first? Elliana was holding on to me for dear life? By the end? Girlfriend wanted to swim on her own.

And when we got her out? Ohhh nooo... she screamed at the top of her lungs. She wanted back in, and she wanted it right now.

So by the end, not only did I survive my swim lesson in a bikini, but Elliana, more importantly, survived her first swim lesson with flying colors.

I think we have a water baby on our hands.

Yes, Elliana swims with a bow on her head.

And a proud mama.
In a bikini.

Messy clothes. Paint in my hair. And paint on my porch. That's our definition of fun.

You know when you have an itch and it just bothers you until you get it? You know the itch. And I'm not talking about the one that you want to scratch. Although, I get those often too. But instead, I'm talking about the kind of itch that makes you want to do something about it. And you want to do that one something right now. Yes. That itch.

I get it a lot. In various aspects of my life.
And one of those itches includes doing certain activities with my daughter. Like finger paint.

Partly due to the fact that I have things I want to make sure she doesn't miss out on.
Partly due to the fact that I want to be a fun, hip, cool mama.

I want my daughter to remember her childhood. Remember being outdoors. Remember how her skin was sun-kissed from being outside so much. The neighbors that she will know by name. The kids down the street that she grew up with. The scrapes on her knees... some possibly permanent like the ones her own mama has on her legs.

And the activities that she did. The things she learned. And the messes she made.
The dirty hands. Her feet so dark it would be a sin to not bathe her right away. Clothes that go straight to the washer as soon as we walk through the door.

She may be only 16 months old... but her mind is constantly thinking. On overdrive storing all this new information in her little brain. Finding the right place to place that information... does it go on the right... or does it go on the left.

Regardless of where it goes... just knowing that it is going somewhere in the back of her head. Knowing that I am brightening my daughter's day... one paint color at a time.

I am fully aware that at this age... she won't remember any of this. But that is why I take these pictures... capture each and every detail... to show her how much fun she had as a child.. even during the years that she can't remember.

And there are a lot of things about this day that I want to remember. For her and for myself.

I love how I searched and searched for the perfect "finger paint recipe," when in reality...
                                      it's just that... finger paint.

I love how you would look at the brush with paint on it with the biggest smirk on your face. Proud? Surprised? Confused? Whatever it was...you seemed happy.

I love how you wanted to paint the ground more than the actual paper I laid out for you.

I love the way you would sit. Not exactly sit. Not exactly stand. It look so uncomfortable... yet you stayed that way for the majority of the time.

I love the way you weren't afraid to get your pretty little outfit dirty. The way you're all girl, yet so carefree in this world. So much like your own mama.

Which, I still giggle about the fact that knowing we were going to paint, I still managed to dress you in a cute little get-up with a matching hair bow. I did however leave the shoes at home.

I love the way I had to work to get you interested in the painting, as all you wanted at the beginning was to go swing.

But then once we started? You never wanted to stop.

I love the way you would cheeeeese from ear to ear when you saw your piece of "Art." You would giggle non-stop at yourself. And I just wished in that moment that you could just talk to me. I can only imagine what was going through your head.

I love the way you would try to taste the paint, and then make that classic "Ewww" face. And 10 minutes later? You would try again.

As if it would taste any differently with time passing....

I loved the way that I had no care in the world about the mess you were making. On our front porch of all places. Why not the driveway? Well for one, I didn't want you to be distracted... especially with the swing in view.

And two? Pictures. It comes down to the pictures.

I love the way you would stop what you were doing when the cars would drive by and track them as they rolled away. Never leaving your eyes off them.

I love the way you looked so deep into what you were doing. So concentrated. So at work.

I love the way you were just a kid. And I was just a mama. And in that moment? We didn't care about the mess that we made, the paint on our clothes, the things in our hair, or how absolutely crazy we looked to the people driving by.

We were enjoying ourselves... and in the end...

We have the first pieces of art to put in our art book.

I love the way we play.

2 bloggers. 2 toddlers. And a Children's Museum.

A couple of weeks ago, when Aly @ Analyze This asked me if E and I would like to go out to lunch with her and her little niece and then go to the Children's Museum, one thing pooped into my mind. The checklist. You know, my 25 {more like 28} things to do before E turns 2. Yes, that checklist.

And needless to say, I have been wanting, dying, to take E to the museum now that she has been all into exploring, discovery, and learning about all the different things around her. She's so into the exploring stage.


And any excuse to have a mama daughter date? I'll take it.

Thank you i-phone.

Aly and I met for lunch at a locally owned restaurant that had the environment suited best for two tiny little rambunctious tots. But environment is key in my mind. In fact, it was the first thing I asked her in the email when she proposed the idea of meeting up on this lovely Saturday afternoon.

Noise much? Yes, please.

We were seated close to the door with people swarmed around us waiting for their turn. Cearly, the place is hopping {my attempt at sounding cool}. I mean it only took the waiter 5 hours to get to our table. But who is counting right? Obviously not this mama who knows that every minute is oh-so-precious when you have a ticking time bomb {a toddler waiting to make a scene}.

But I had ammo here. Another toddler. Another little girl. And E?

Well she was totally buying it. She stared at this litle girl. Watched what she did. And what she did? She wanted to do too. It was by far the cutest thing I had ever seen.

So much so, I couldn't help but giggle like a little school girl.

My little precious toddler girl here was amazed that she was sitting next to another little human. Just about as amazed as I was. 

Thank you i-phone.

By the time our food came, the girls {including ourselves} were starving. We scarffed down the food. E with her PB&J sandwich with a side of fruit. And me with my tomato soup. Which by the way I had to remind myself to eat. I'm not even sure why I waste the time ordering food. I eat a fraction of it. A couple bites here and there.

I'm too busy snatching away a spoon here. Or a knife there. Or grabbing the hand before it hits the glass of water, surely ending in a shatter on the ground. Or how about the climbing out of the high chair. Good thing this one had a strap... Lord knows we have run into trouble before with the high chairs with no strap. Yes, yes, we have.

By the time lunch was over, I was just thankful dishes hadn't been thrown on the ground. Shrieks weren't heard. And everyone was still in one piece. Including myself.

As we started packing up and getting the girls ready to head out, E stood next to Maggie, and that is when it happened.

She held her arm out {I'm sure to pat her, as she does too often}. And then Maggie reached her hand out. And they held hands. And it was the cutest thing my mommy eyes laid on that day. CUTEST.THING.EVER.

So cute, that I swore I needed a picture. So we hurried out the door. I layed my bag on the ground. Scurried to get my camera out and lid off, and then we did it. We aligned the two next to the window, and proceeded to give them direction. "Okay, do it again! Hold hands."

It lasted .2 seconds. And then E was all about turning around, facing this way or that way. She was all sorts confused. So a lot of back pictures I got. But whats a mama to do? I mean really. I needed to. HAD to. Snap those pictures. It was a first in my baby's book, and I needed evidence of it. All while all the people in the restaurant peered through the window to witness a nutty old first time mama.

Me. Obviously.

Here. Let's take a closer look at that picture above. Proof. We made people's lunch that day.

But that was just the first of many more mama-must-get-out-camera experiences to come. After all, we had the childrens museum next.

And that? Well that was all sorts of insane. So much so that I'm just going to let the pictures do the talking.

The pictures are beautiful.
The day was beautiful.

But the best part?

My baby girl has a little friend. And that?

Is beautiful.


                                                                                      oh. and the fact that I checked another thing off the list. CHECK.