Pumpkin painting!

Toddler and knives to carve pumpkins? No
Toddler and stickers/paint to paint pumpkins? Yes

The artist giggles as she surveys her raw material

Mommy goes crazy with stickers

Let the painting begin!

Daddy helps out

Daddy's Clown Pumpkin

Finished products

California Dreaming

We just got back from a week in California. We figured it would be more fun, and less stressful, to go in the fall as opposed to the holiday rush. The weather was just about perfect, and we had a relaxing time.

S had LOTS of activities for the plane

She hit the pool as soon as we got to LA

J and I each took a day off to visit new places. J went to the Reagan Library with my dad, and I met an old friend at Manzanar. She's an internet friend I've been waiting years to meet in person. If you're not familiar with Manzanar, I highly encourage you to learn more.

When we got back, Little Miss was learning to be a pool cleaner

She was spoiled rotten while out with her grandparents. The waistaff at the restaurant put cartoons on the TV, and gave her unlimited apple juice and ice cream. Score!

On the way home, we stopped in LA for a day to see my brother and his family. They treated us to pizza in the park. Needless to say, S loved hers.

She also loved her cousin. They are only 6 months apart, and it was fun to see them together.

S took advantage of her wheeled luggage while zooming around LAX

Before we knew it, we were home again and back in our bed. Thanks Nana, Tapa, Paul, Trina, Desmond, Felix, and Ananda for a wonderful trip. We hope to do it again real soon!

Notice anything different?

For me, not for S ;)

And a bonus pic of the kid. In her football dress. Because it's Sunday

 

Road trip!

There was a quiet weekend staring us in the face, and J suggested we go somewhere. We LOVE Keene and Harrisville, NH. So J found a cute boutique hotel, and we threw S in the car and headed out.

Our hotel (the Lane Hotel, for those interested ;) was great. Huge room, very comfortable, free breakfast and parking, heart of town. What more could we ask for? We found a yarn store for me, a kids' consignment sale (got a deal on a princess castle for S), and had a nice lunch.

Then we headed home on the scenic route.

S ready to hit the Harrisville General Store. She was a star

Playing at the Children's Center playground

The obligatory sandbox shot

Daddy posed for a portrait

Mommy took pictures of waterfalls

It was a really nice weekend break. We hope to go back again for my birthday. Squee!

An open letter to American Airlines

This rant is based on a post on my national Adoption board. It seems that one of our members has a friend who recently adopted a child in another state. When she and her husband checked in at American Airlines, they had a car seat and a stroller for their new baby. And the adoption paperwork showing they were going to pick her up. This couple, who had already spent thousands of dollars in adoption fees, and countless hours to complete the adoption process, were charged $100 to check their baby items. Because they didn't have a baby with them. They showed their paperwork, and spoke to a manger, and were still charged. Because they didn't have their child with them yet. Yet there was no charge when they returned with their child.

Really? Are you going to make it that much harder for adoptive parents? Are you really that worried that people are going to "cheat the system" by lugging baby gear to the airport san kids and hoping for a free ride for the gear?

And your response to my complaint on your website? 5 paragraphs basically saying, "We got your complaint, didn't read it, and we listen to our customers."

I already avoid your airline like the plague due to crappy flying experiences. This is just the icing on the cake.

Knitting!

I've also been doing a bit of knitting here and there ;)

So now I get to start something new

Preschool!

It's time for S to have some more structure in her life. And for momma to have a little break now and then. Because she's wonderful and all, but parenting a 2-year-old is HARD.

So we found a great preschool minutes from our house. Brand spanking new, cameras in each classroom, cook on staff to feed the little ones, fabulous teachers, everything we could want.

We waited until our big California trip was over, and we got some potty training under our belts, but Monday was The Day!

So far it's just 2 half-days a week, but S LOVES it! And her teachers love her. They are blown away by her language skills and sentence structures, and said she's talking more like a 3-year-old than a 2-year-old. She cried when she left the first day, she loved it so much. She is having a blast.