Other randomness...

Self portrait by Lindsay

She sat here for 20 minutes with boxes and bracelets. For those of you who know my child, this is a rare occurence.

Chris is so proud.  She holds the controller and moves the analog sticks with her thumbs.

Disneyland again!

At the end of April we had some more friends come out and visit and we spent a couple more days at the Happiest Place on Earth (as long as Lindsay takes a nap).

Can't go wrong with the carousel...One of Lindsay's favorites!

I want you for the Dark Side!

Lindsay trying to break into a ride that she's not tall enough for

We're flying! No hands!

Mater's tractors...Lindsay's favorite (of the ones she can actually go on)

Never mind my expression of who knows what...Lindsay's expression tells how it really was...pure fun!

Chris from Murray (in a different costume)

Natalie on Radiator Springs Racers (We went through a lot to get her on here!)

It was a great week spent with great friends! Thanks Mikey and Christi for coming down and seeing us!

New bed for the princess

So a few weeks ago, we tried to send Lindsay to bed without her pacifier. That did not go over very well. She was angry. Very, very angry. So mad, in fact, that as we were downstairs trying to let her cry it out, we heard a thud, and then she sounded much closer to the door. When Chris went to investigate, she was definitely out of her bed (and still extremely angry.) At which point we reluctantly relinquished the pacifier, and sent her sucking sniffily to bed.  We're pretty sure that it scared her (at least a little), and didn't have any more escape attempts for a while.

Then, a couple weeks later we were at babies r us and I noticed that they had a Disney princess bed (still in the box) in the clearance section. I jokingly asked Chris how much he thought it was. So we asked...(our first mistake). It was 30% plus they were giving an extra 20% that day. So we folded, and bought the bed. We didn't have a mattress for it, so we just stuck it in the garage (we weren't in a huge hurry as she hadn't climbed out again).

Never let it be said that Lindsay is oblivious to what goes on around her. That night she climbed out of her pack n play 3 different times, plus again in the morning.  And naturally, my brilliant child left her pacifier in the bed when she climbed out. So of course she was angry about that. But to make matters worse, she wasn't falling and making thuds anymore. She had become quite ninja-esque. Since we still didn't have a mattress, we simply took the bottom mat out of the pack and play and she slept on that on the floor for a week or so, until we could get a mattress and sheets and the bed put together.

Here she is getting ready to sleep in her big girl bed. Or next to. Or on the floor in front of her door. whatever.

Easter Eggs...

Easter was a lot of fun this year, Lindsay really enjoyed putting eggs into her basket. Chris's work held an Egg Hunt which was awesome and then we hid eggs for her around the house.

Collecting from the lawn before the actual hunt started.

I loved watching her carry her basket

I'm not sure if you can tell, but she was so excited to be getting eggs that when she dropped the yellow one she missed the basket entirely.

Me and Lindsay

A shot from the actual egg hunt

The Koi pond was too much temptation...water and fish to look at.

Finding eggs in the living room on Easter

MMM...chocolate bunny!

Disney Day 2...

So in the evening of the first day we saw World of Color, which Lindsay was absolutely mesmerized by, but didn't take any pictures. After World of Color we walked through Cars Land and got some amazing shots because the area was nearly empty. I haven't sorted all of those yet, so they will have to be on a different post. 

On day two, we immediately got in line for fast passes to Radiator Springs Racers. Jack and Ed went on Grizzly River Run while we waited, so when we got our fast passes, we were wandering Cars Land and noticed that there was only a 5 minute wait for Luigi's tire ride. Lindsay was just tall enough to get on (hooray!) Watching the ride from the line it didn't look all that exciting. Just a bunch of giant tires moving slowly across the ground and kind of bumping into each other. Our expectations weren't high, but we had so much fun! We figured out how to lean just right to really pick up some speed.

Despite what it may look like we had a really great time!

After we all met back up, Chris and Lindsay and I got some breakfast while Ed, Andrea, Jack and Will headed to Disneyland catch some Injunana Jones. We met them there and while they took turns stroller passing it, Chris waited with Will and Jack and Lindsay and I climbed the treehouse over and over. I think her favorite part was the rope bridge. She wouldn't let me hold her hand and insisted on walking across by herself and pointing at the people below.  Then we took a tour on the Jungle Cruise (a classic!) Then Chris and I took Lindsay to Fantasyland and rode the carousel and Mr. Toad. Then we ate lunch and headed back to Cars Land to redeem our fast passes and catch a tractor ride with Lindsay.

No hands!

Chains were the saving grace of waiting in line

Chris from Murray (yes they both are)

Mater's tractors...Lindsay loved it!

All in all...it was a great trip!

Disneyland!!!

We finally made it back! And this time, with Lindsay in tow...(maybe she was leading the charge, it was hard to tell sometimes). We had a great time with Ed, Andrea, Jack and Will! Lindsay loved the rides, but couldn't get on the next one fast enough. She was definitely not a fan of the increased restrictions to her freedom, (being strapped in a stroller or stuck in Mom or Dad's arms) but we managed. Here's day one.


The first place we went was the Redwood challenge trail in California Adventure. We hadn't been here for several years, and it's pretty awesome. Especially for our wiggly little friend who's not afraid of anything.

Heights? Not a problem. This was the highest rope bridge and she loved looking down at the people below.

Slides? That's cool.

Again!

Look Mom! There's a river there!

Lindsay was excited to see Doug from SQUIRREL......

Then we moved on across the park and pier to Toy Story (sorry, no pictures)  and then Lindsay kept pointing at the carousel, so we gave it a try and Ed, Andrea, Jack and Will  joined us.

Getting ready to go! Jack is ready behind us!

No hands!!

Next up... Flik's fun fair! I think Lindsay really enjoyed these rides, but it was hard to tell because she was getting so tired...We left home Monday morning around 6, thinking that she would sleep in the car on the way up. I think she knew something exciting was happening because she slept not a wink (which of course makes for a very grumpy monster by mid-afternoon).

Ed, Will (still trying to figure this whole ride thing out) Andrea and Jack

We got a little smile on the chew chew train.

Update...

Thanksgiving dinner...

Snow at Sea World (it's as close as we're gonna get to real snow)

Rides at Sea World, she was a bit nervous at first, but loved it after about the second time around

Christmas tree and stockings. Notice the ornaments, definitely not worth the fight to keep the whole tree decorated.

Christmas dress

Stair decorations

Climbing, climbing, climbing

Loves the beach and the sand

But Mom! I don't care that the wave almost drowned me, let me go back!