Little Miss Liberty

Beautiful girl, beautiful day

We celebrated the fourth with a morning parade in Excelsior! After a blue star cookie for breakfast at a fun pastry shop (daddy is a softy), we rolled over to the Kiddie Parade start.  I completely forgot about bringing candy to throw, but don't worry, I *embarrassingly* picked up some suckers off the street for Peyton and daddy.    

The parade ended at a rock 'n roll family concert. And Peyton rocked, her move-of-the-day was jumping up and down like a silly kid who just ate a blue star cookie and tootsie pop. : )

Oh mama

Miss Saint Louis Park

Rain or shine

Lil' Mary Poppins

Peyton had a couple of special visitors that drove all the way up from Houston to visit her! Her cousins Carly and Layla came to play beebees and tea party and music time with Peyton.  It has been rainy and pouring every weekend lately but we tried to duck out for a quick walk around the lakes.  The walk didn't last long because a monsoon hit hard!!! The only person that escaped the downpour was Peyton thanks to her stroller "hat". 

Unexpectedly the seas parted on Sunday and we were able to go strawberry picking on a perfectly sunny day! The place we went was nuts: 25 traffic 'cops', limited your berry picking area to a 4 ft radius, people with orange vests watching your every move/step.  Peyton really went to town and picked lots.  I was a bit afraid that I'd be beaten with a stick as we left because my child had strawberry juice dripping down her shirt. 

Beautiful day 

Very proud of herself

Melt in your mouth

Roughin' it

Before shot

This weekend we hope to avoid the impending thunder storms as we trek out to Ham Lake for Olive's birthday party!  I'm imagining honey baked hams as buoys. 

We finally arrive after Jon gets off work waaaay late and we make a very needed Target pit stop for Benadryl due to Peyton's massive swollen bug bite cheek.  Candy bingo was a hit and our table scored major prizes and no we didn't cheat even though that's what fellow campers were thinkin. Peyton selected M&Ms as her candy BINGO prize then BINGO x 6: sucker, necklace, sucker, necklace, ball, and ball!  

Peyton had a blast ribbon dancing, burying stuff in dirt, and running around with her glow in the dark jewelry. Sleep not such a blast ; )

Next morning DOWNPOUR!  It was super fun while it lasted!

A few nites later I asked Peyton what songs she'd like to sing while we rock before bed: Happy birthday to Olive, then again Happy Birthday Mike, then Kelly, then Sam, Bill (who's Sam and Bill?!?), Nana, Kristin, Papa, Sam ?!?, Hudson, Bill?!?, Cardiff, Baby Henry, Grandma... Grand total of 14 birthday songs. Ha. And she kept on singin' Happy Birthday in the crib! 

Prize table

Who's birthday is it Pey?

Happy Daddy's Day!!

English Breakfast

Peyton started Daddy's day off by sneaking upstairs three separate occasions each time with a different special art project and exclaiming "Happy Daaaadddddy's Day!" Jon thought it was soooo cute. The first art piece was a pink pig, the second a colorful sponge painting, the third a bumblebee.  

Next the duo sipped tee and ate banana muffin (made by Peyton) while singing various Elmo songs.  After we swept daddy away on a walk to the park (our usual twice daily ritual). They had an amazing time bouncing on the bumblebee and swinging reeeeeal high! Back to work for another evening shift : (  Thanks for spending the morning with us and "Happy Daaaadddddy's Day!"

Kinnie walk

How old are you? 2!!!

Bike ride!!

Peyton turns 2 today! Peyton favorite thing to do is go on bike rides. She will sit in the dark garage in her Burley carrier until daddy gives in. A couple of nights ago while rocking her to sleep, we talked about her dreams... she mumbled, "bike ride... daddy bike ride... helmet... daddy helmet... Peyton helmet... buckle... Teetee walk."

Well Peyton's dreams came true! And I'm pretty sure she loved the helmet from Aunt Kristin "TiTi"more than the bike- hey whatever has a buckle. Today was full of galloping dance parties, a fabulous afternoon ladies to lunch at American Girl Bistro- Jon has been dying to go!, a carousel ride, and trying on trying on Prada and Fendi sample shoes in Nordstroms while Nana was looking for much less fancy footwear. Fun day for our little lady!  

Happy birthday Sweetgirl!

Can't smile now... must look at food options

Peyton selects the bear

Flower child

Serious gardener

Peyton and Mama had quality girl time this weekend while Dada was out of town at a conference in Vancouver.  On Sunday, we decided to go to a May Day parade which ended up being a bust- more about social activism than cute candy fun floats- ahh Minneapolis. 

A little gardening was just the trick to turn our day around. Peyton requested yellow and purple flowers for her pot and we picked them out quickly while she ran around the garden center eyeing every off-limit ladder in sight.  Peyton was hands on with placing her flowers, packing dirt, and watering her new plants- and getting soaked in the process.  Peyton selected a dry Elmo t-shirt to change into and went back outside to enjoy the beautiful sunny day.

Whenever we hang out in our front yard, Peyton finds it hilarious to beeline it over to a section of our 89 year-old neighbor Sherwood's yard where he's trying to grow new grass. She races over to the patch of yard to see if she can stand on the soil before Mommy can catch her. It's a guaranteed way to get Mama attention!

Must pack some dirt 

I didn't make it to Sherwood's soil AND fake crying about it... goofball

Bunny hop

Hidden treasure

Is it weird to celebrate the Christ's resurrection on Good Friday?  Today mama and dada leave for Europe and we couldn't miss Miss Peyton's first real attempt at an Easter egg hunt. 

Peyton started her hunt walking around aimlessly.  Soon she discovered that if she picked up an egg, she'd illicit claps, ooohs, and ahhhs from the peanut gallery (Nana, Papa, and Grandma).  I got a kick out of watching her gallop directly over an egg because she was so focused on another egg she had spotted. 

And when she found out they were full of bunny cookies and crackers, forget it!, she wanted to have her hunt set up again and again and again!  We will miss our funny sweet girl!!

Family hug! "huuuuuug" 

Vroom vroom, now give me the Reeses Pieces carrot

PS: Her feet really aren't that big. Mama just bought huge shoes on accident