Coming up on the big 2...

I can't believe...this time last year, I was still making Annie baby food, and we were wondering if she would EVER walk, or if she would EVER talk....

At 23 months, Annie is off to a busy start this summer.  She LOVES going to the park and thinks nothing of climbing up nearly any stair or ladder and heading for the biggest slide she can find.  She usually narrates the entire visit with "Annie big slide!"  "Go go go!"  "Yay Annie!" "Annie swing" --  and an always social, "Hi Kids!" to anyone shorter than Mom & Dad.

Her vocabulary and speech picked up around 18 months, but lately it has just exploded!  Some of the things she's started saying to me regularly:

"Need hug"  "Pick up Annie"

"Scratch back"

(not her, no, she wants you to turn around, and she'll scratch YOUR back...pretty sweet deal.)

"No Milk" and "No Cheese" and "No Ice Cream"

(music to my ears...she really is paying attention!)

"Sorbet is good"

"Avie (cousin Ava) & Annie drink same"

(meaning they both drink formula vs. milk)

"Great Grammy sleeping there"

(with the loss of so many great grandma's this year, came many cemetery trips...now whenever Annie sees a cemetery, she tells me that's where Great Grammy is sleeping.)

"Peas, bike ride! Bike Ride!"

(we have a new bike trailer and have been going out almost every day on our bikes, Annie LOVES it)

"Peas, cook!, Peas see!" -

Annie loves cooking, and wants to be up on the counter to watch whatever is going on in the kitchen.

"Thank you Grammy, Thank you Bonnie" -

Annie remembers who gives her things.  If she's playing with a book that Aunt Bonnie gave her, she'll say "thank you bonnie" while she picks it up...or if she sees a picture of herself eating cake that Grandma made for her, she'll say "thank you Grammy"  Such manners! (and memory!)

"Peas, roses"

(means she wants to play ring-around-the-rosey)

"Read a boogame"

(read a book to me)

"peas, Signingtimdotcom"

(she says it really fast, but that's "Signing Time dot com" ;) She's wants to watch Signing Time)  (Can we get a little commercial credit please?)

*peas = please

She's also started singing little bits and pieces from songs she knows and has been doing a lot of dancing :)  We actually have conversations now, and she's no longer just pointing out things she recognizes, but telling me what she wants to do, or how she feels.  It's incredible, incredibly fun! :)

Happy Father's Day

Annie & the greatest Daddy ever!
We love you!

Happy Birthday Ava & Grandma's Auction

We've had a busy week/weekend! Ava's big 1st birthday party was Saturday -- Annie had a blast playing with cousins and slopping around in sand, water, cupcakes and the like. Nothing more fun than a hot summer day getting messy and being a kid....Annie certainly did all of it! I would have made Great Grandma Fitz proud with my calm demeanor as Annie covered herself in water and sand, and then proceeded to eat cupcakes and rice krispies wither her sweaty sandy hands...and, Gram, you were right, she loved it, and she lived -- what a great day.

Kelly, Ava & Maddy

Kelly & Ava

Annie & a Happy Cupcake face!

A & A sharing cake

This weekend we also attended the estate sale that was used to auction off all of Annie's Great Grandma's things since her passing this winter.  I was not prepared for how difficult that would be.  Seeing the things that were familiar to us in her home, the games we played, the pots I remembered her making spaghetti in, the cookie pans used for her delicious chocolate chip cookies (squares are the best!), boxes of cards - with slips of score cards still with her handwriting, the aggravation game that I had written my name on, her sewing table, chair and box, the one she used to make me pajamas, halloween costumes, doll clothes and perfect care bears...all of which were held in the air - and then most of which was hauled off by strangers for a dollar here and there.  Luckily we managed to come away with her piano, I'm anxious to get the last picture of Great Grandma and Annie sitting at that piano into a frame, and on top of Grandma's piano, in it's new home.  I love knowing that Annie will see that picture, and sit at that piano...and know, that at one time, she and her Great Grandmother were together on that very same piano bench.  I learned a few things with this experience, one, we need to attend more auctions, what a great way to get fabulous things for next to nothing and two, no more family auctions for me.  Aside from being able to come away with some of Grandma's things - it'll be awhile before I can shake the sound of the auctioneers voice, the sight of all of her things up for grabs, and the empty house and yard when it was all said and done.  A life time of belongings and memories gone in one summer afternoon -- to whomever outbid me on the aggravation game with my name on it...I hope you love it as much as I did!  (Same goes to whomever outbid me on the cookie sheets, croquet set, and monopoly game - boo!)

Happy Retirement Week Grammy Fitz!

This is the last week of Grandma F's loooooong teaching career - and Annie can't WAIT for her to be around more!  Congratulations on a great career....and welcome to more days with us Grammy!  This dandelion is for you, dust off your hiking shoes! ;)  We love you!!

Thumbs up! aaaand thumb down to two recent product inquiries.

"Meatheads" (http://www.meatheadsburgers.com/) 
THUMBS UP!


I inquired about their products and their safety for Annie and received the following PROMPT response:

Robyn,


I will be happy to tell you what we use with our fries as well as any other item we have on our menu.. When it comes to our fries, the only items that come into contact with them would be water, which we use to soak them in after cutting. We only use 100% canola oil to blanch as well as cook our fries, and then we use either fry salt, or Cajun seasoning. If a customer wants, we can also do a no salt option. As far as our burgers are concerned, the milk is listed there for the cheese. Our burgers are 100 percent Angus beef, and we season them with kosher salt. The bun we use is a potato bun made specifically for us, and there is no dairy in the bun as well. However, if you prefer to take no chances at all, I have several customers with allergy or dietary needs, that do no bun. We would cook the burger and place it on lettuce. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask. Thanks for asking.


Eric

Needless to say, Annie had her first drive thru french fries after a traumatic doctor appointment recently...a true American delicacy.  And I gotta say, these fries rock...as does their honesty regarding dietary issues.

"Earth's Best"  (http://www.earthsbest.com/products/product/2392320603) THUMBS DOWN! 

Sadly, after finding a promising product, with Cookie Monster on it no less, we were given loosey goosey info.  I was very disappointed in the response to my question asking where the "natural flavors" were derived from in this product.  Here was their response:

Dear Ms. Meek,



Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding our Homestyle Mini Waffles. We strive to maintain the highest quality products and appreciate your patronage.

Several of our products are enhanced with natural flavors. These are concentrated substances of some of the same ingredients used in our products. The Hain Celestial Group does not add mono-sodium glutamate (MSG) to any of our natural flavors. If you have allergies or sensitivities to certain ingredients, we recommend you avoid all products with added flavorings.


If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-434-4246, Monday through Friday from 7AM - 5PM Mountain Time.


Sincerely,
Sarah
Consumer Relations Representative
Ref # 2249128

Mother's Day Weekend 2011

What a busy mother's day weekend!  We started it off at Starved Rock for the big Grant's Wish fundraiser, and then spent a busy day with Grandma Meek & Grandma Fitzpatrick on Sunday.  What a gorgeous day!  It was so nice to spend time with family.  We made a special trip over to Great Grandma's future memorial garden, where Jeremy started to lay out the bed lines and we checked out what sort of soil we'd be dealing with.  It was such a perfect time to be there, beautiful, sunny day, and the crabapples near the cemetery were in full bloom - such an ideal setting!  I was also able to get over to her yard and get a few of her perennials that she'd been after me to take for years.  It was SUCH a fabulous feeling to get home last night with the iris, phlox, and columbine, and tuck them into our garden knowing they were grandma's, and now they're mine...and they just keep on bloomin!  So symbolic!  I love you Grandmas, I love you Mom, and I love being Mommy :)  Happy Mother's Day!




My Mother's Day present :)



Annabelle and her Grammys

Mother's Day Cupcakes!

Annie & Grammy M across from Great Grandma's Memorial Garden site

Annie getting to work on her Great Grammy's Garden

In the future memorial garden

Annie passing time at the poker run honking Grammy's horn

Grant's Wish Poker Run site

21 months old...this is the first french fry to pass my baby's lips...she spit it out.

Mother's Day flowers from my fabulous family!  <3

The super cute chair we'll never buy :p

No need to teach flirting....

Annie goes out to celebrate Cinco de Mayo...there were two little boys in our section (younger of course)...one at her 9 o'clock and one at her 7 o'clock...she worked both....

Happy May and Hiking Weather!

Real SPRING!



In between waterings Annie would say "muuuah (kiss) grow baby fowers (flowers) grow!"





Gardening is a full time job.



Annie at the zoo.



Our Easter

 Annie's little hairs after a 4 wheeler ride, blowing in the wind

 Grampy M, Annie, Grampy F & Great Grampy B

 Hunting for eggs

 Annie & the cat

 Grampy M, Grammy M, Katie & Annie taking a ride.

I'll do it myself!

Egg hunt

Annie & Grammy M

Annie & Grammy F