Nap time

Usually naptime is a pretty routine thing.  Lately it has been a little different.  It used to be fun- we would read a few stories and Chloe would get into bed and we would sing a bedtime song.  Next everyone (lamby, elmo and chloe) get tucked in kissed and then I close the door.  That was nice, but now all of the sudden Chloe does NOT want a nap- even though these days she needs one more than ever.

 The other day Chloe didn't want to go down.  I let her know that it was time to rest and Mommy was going to close the door.  She screamed for a few minutes then I heard her start playing........  She was talking and laughing and playing for 30 minutes, then an hour, then two hours....Man she really wasn't tired so I decided that she at least had fulfilled some recharge time requirement (more like I had some recharge time!) and went in to get her.  This is what I saw when I opened the door.  Um crazy!!!!  Her room is always always always clean, even when I go in after naps.  Holy cow there were books and clothes everywhere,  she was naked from the waist down, her potty was on top of her little table, her blanket was stuffed into a garbage can on top of her bookshelf, extra blankets were strewn about the room, her drawers were open and the only saving grace is that she was super happy with herself.  Also I didn't leave any crayons or markers in her room.

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw this.  It was kind of what I expected to happen every time after we switched her to a big girl bed and can go about her room freely.  One room trashing in a few months isn't too bad!  It did take a lot of clean up effort though!

fun in the sun

 After work last night we packed up and had a picnic dinner at Lake Hood!  Chloe loves to watch the float planes take off, and talks about it all the time so we try to make it out there as much as we can!  It was gorgeous yesterday- 75 and sunny, so we were off!  

There are lots of other things to do at the lake too!  Like swinging!  They also have a porto-potty there that for some reason Chloe ALWAYS wants to use.  Ugh it is so gross, but she takes off running toward it when she sees it like it is an ice cream truck or something!  No pics of that as we have to chase her down before she tries to go in by herself.  Good thing I remembered the anti-bacterial wipes!

 Splashing in the lake.

 Building a sand castle with an adorable little boy.  He was probably 6 or 7, and Chloe just loved him.

 And of course watching the planes take off and land!

After our fun in the sun (and sand and water) we let Chloe have part of a chocolate chip cookie on the car ride home.  This was the outcome.  She is telling us she wants a brownie in this picture.  Sorry- I think that is enough chocolate for one night!

 Part of the fun of getting dirty is bath time to clean up!  Chloe is showing me her "helmet".  This little girl is hilarious!  Her imagination is really developing, and she is just entering the pretend play stage.  so cute!

Every stage is more and more fun.  Although I do have to point out that Chloe is entering the terrible twos.......oh yes even this adorable little girl has her days!  I wouldn't say that part of this stage is "more and more fun", but for the most part we are having a blast!

Lost and Found

All of this baby prep does have some advantages!  I get to find all sort of lost treasures in the rooms I am cleaning out!  I am on to the office now, as the baby room is nearly complete.  This has been by far the worst room to re-organize and de-clutter.  I found this photo from the first time we went to the museum here in Anchorage this January.  We went to the Andy Warhol exhibit and this photobooth was part of the installation.  Beleive it or not, this is one of our few family photos!   

It makes me excited for all of the fun family photos of 4 we have in our future.  As always- we must start taking more pictures!

4th of July!

Oh how nice it is to have a 3 day weekend!  I had time to clean the house, and even pick some flowers.  (These were actually welcome home flowers for Andrew)  He was out of town for a week in DC for work, and we are SO GLAD to have him back! 

Chloe couldn't wait for him to take her on a bike ride!  You may remember that we got her this bike seat for her birthday.  She absolutely LOVES it!  It is pretty awesome for us too!  She is safe and secure AND happy which is a combo that doesn't really go together that often :)

Here's a side view :)

Sunday we went to the Girdwood Forest Fair.  It is like an arts fair with lots of live music, and even more hippies.  It is pretty much awesome.  Chloe really liked the music- dancing to the music, and playing with hula hoops while listening to the music.  Catching a theme?  Chloe loves live music!    On the way out we stopped at the super playground, where Chloe spent all her time in the sandbox, digging with shovels, dump trucks and excavators.  She loves her trucks!

On a mission to get the excavator from another little boy.  Mission unsuccessful :( 

After the forest fair we drove down to Whittier and went out on the boat.  It was great weather, and nobody (talking about me) got sea sick.  I took my traditional dramamine.....but this time somehow thought it was chewable, and let me tell you- if the package doesn't say chewable, don't chew it!  Yuck!  It was fast acting though!  Chloe gets her sea legs from her Dad, so it was all good times for her.  

We spent some time inside too.  Here is Chloe checking on the baby :)  She even kisses my belly sometimes,  I think she is going to be such a sweet big sister!  

 This time our boating adventure took us to surprise cove, where Andrew heard that people had been catching halibut.  Andrew and Jim decided to give fishing a go, and Chloe helped too.  Donna and I read magazines, and I took pictures and entertained Chloe (when she wasn't busy fishing that is).  The fishing must have been really good the week before because all of the halibut were already caught :)  Jim did catch some sort of fish, but it was just a baby and got to go back with its family.  They had a few nibbles, but no keepers.  

We all had a good time anyway.  Shockingly, Chloe was in great spirits all day, even though she didn't nap---at all!!  When I tried to take her down to nap, she said "no -be on boat!!!"  I guess the stateroom looked too much like a bedroom and not enough like a boat.  She was not sleepy, and there was no convincing her she was on a boat, without seeing out the big windows.  She stayed in good spirits the whole entire day, so we really really really lucked out!

 She did fall asleep immediately (within maybe 4 minutes) of getting in the car.  For those of you familiar with Whittier, we weren't even in the tunnel yet and she was already out cold!  Crazy!  And you would think that falling asleep at 7:30 in the car might mess with bedtime when we got home- you would be wrong!  She went right to bed again there too!  Wow, what a weekend!