Shoe shopping with Della

This was a quick mama-daughter date with a goal to buy new toddler size 11 shoes 

Shall I repeat it ... Age 3.5 ... shoe size 11

Shoe shopping itself wasn't very exciting 

she selected pink shoes that light up with each step

It was more fun watching Della simply be Della

I didn't know she knew what hand weights were until 

she randomly picked these up and proceeded to 'lift weights' in the middle of the store. 

She said we needed to buy them ... we didn't.

My beautiful lunch date

I asked her to pose for a picture so we could send it to Daddy

Instead she did the most perfect twirly dance

 I hope she lets me follow her around the mall for many years to come. 

Olives. Please.

This boy LOVES olives

He can eat an entire can all. by. himself.

He know just where the olive cans reside in the pantry

If you leave the pantry unlatched you will see Huck scurrying over, throwing open the door, grabbing a can of olives, bringing it to the nearest parent, holding it up while stating "olive" with the clear intent being ... I want you to open this can so I can eat olives. please.

*I"m sure he intends to say please

His mama loves olives so maybe that's where he gets it. 

For permanent memory - let us recall just how nasty a diaper full of olives is

Lets just say that Huck doesn't really chew his olives up very well. 

Carbon River Trail

Family Hike along the Carbon River Trail

April 26, 2015

*by 'Hike' we mean 'kid pace short walk with lots of distractions and snacks

Gearing Up

Excited girl with her map, backpack, and walking stick

Picture perfect & perfectly sassy 

 Wait for me!

 Before Chocolate

 After Chocolate

 Bushwhacking, trail breaking, adventure girl!

 Overcomes every obstacle in her way 

(except hunger and missed nap times)

Life on the trail 

Hurry up mom

"Tree" ... not sure which one caught his eye

He ran little loops on the trail - off the trail - on the trail - off the trail 

 

 Huck selecting the perfect rock to chew on 

 Imagine Huck saying "Flower" in his adorable learning-to-talk voice

I didn't realize until reviewing the pictures that when I'd asked her to stand next to the sign 

she had actually planted her face against the sign ... silly girl. 

 Nope, mama didn't let her cross

But we did throw rocks into the water

We didn't make it very far but distance isn't the point.

Teaching us parents to slow down and see it from their perspective is.