Dear Santa, Please don't be mad!

Her Auntie Hootie will probably say this is only a sign of things to come. I say "things" are already coming and quite rapidly at that!

We were at the mall last week and Campbell spotted Santa sitting all alone in the middle of the mall. No lines, no kids, no waiting. What luck!!! We made our approach- she was walking beside me holding my hand. As we got closer and closer to the North Pole her expression went blanker and blanker.
(Sidebar: When she wants to, this child has a stone face like no other on the planet!)
Santa stands up to take a break and walks towards us. She immediately begins back pedaling and shaking her head no, no, no. I really am not all that keen on the mall-Santa-experience anyway, (although our guy did have a beautiful real and very Santa-ish home grown white beard), so I picked her up and we waved to him from a far. I told her we could just shoot him a quick email when we got home.

Well.... I may have forgotten to mention her lack of interest in Santa to her teacher. Did I mention that Santa stopped by school last Friday? I hope he did not take their encounter too personally. Even so, I did a little extra shopping for Campbell- just in case. You never can be too careful!

Merry Christmas
From Campbell's House

Happy Belated, Peggy!

As they say, better late than never.
In the summer between fourth and fifth grade my family moved to Pleasanton. Thank goodness I was too naive to be nervous about leaving all my friends behind and having to start fresh.
My Meemaw was doing everything she could to make things easy and she introduced me to a really pretty girl at Sunday school. Her name was Peggy. Oh how I wish the camera in my head could translate those images. We were skinny and lanky and bushy-eyebrowed and... fast friends! We were great allies and partners in crime. She is the type of friend every girl needs: she will tell you when your hair looks good, if you shouldn't wear that color lipstick, and most importantly she loves to laugh. She really is a beautiful person!
Happy Birthday, Peggy!

I've got a zillion more where these came from... (These are 8th grade and up.)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Whew! And, check mark!

I did it. Not sure why I did it... but I did!

The Rock-n-Roll Marathon & Half Marathon in San Antonio was Sunday. I ran the Half Marathon with roughly 29,000 of my closest friends. What an experience!

13.1 miles.
2 hours 33 minutes 21 seconds

It was so moving to see all the families and friends out in the chilly elements supporting thier own. A couple of times, I was moved to tears. Around mile 7 a guy surprised his sweety with a home-grown tshirt that said, Run Honey Run! She was so excited to see him that she ran onto the sidewalk and lept into his arms... Later I heard her say, "I didn't even think he knew I was running today!"

My beautiful, wonderful family and dear friends came out and braved the frigid air to cheer me on, too. I cannot truly put into words how much the clapping and waving and encouraging cheers meant to me at mile 8! And even more so at mile 13!! Just seeing thier smiling faces gave me an extra jolt of energy! Boy did I need it for that last .1, too!

Whew!
Thanks for all the support and love!
Rock On!

Mom, I got this!

Campbell started at her new school on Monday. I was totally stressed out over it... to the point that I even considered taking a week of half days at work just to ease her into it.
Until compared to her cousin Opal, Campbell is a pretty great kid! Okay even when compared to Opal she is great. Opal's easy going nature makes Miss Independence seem uncooperative at times. Oh yeah- she is very uncooperative at times.

Monday morning I thought I was going to throw up I was so nervous. I dressed her cute, but not super cute because I didn't want the other kids to be intimidated by her extreme cuteness. =) Of course, I am kidding... a little. Okay, not so much.

Anyway, with a major pink bow prominently placed on her precious head we made our way to Primrose School. I was pleased that she was not the first to arrive (that always intensifies my guilt). I introduced her to her new classmates: Sofia, Reagan (girl), Chen Chen (boy), Parker (boy), Thaylon (boy), CJ (boy), and Ainsley- with an "s" and not to be confused with Opal. Campbell took some time to take everyone in and then looked up at me like, "Mom, I've got this." So, I bent down, we kissed (complete with an audible smack from her), and she waved goodbye.

What???? No drama??? No screaming, "Mommy don't leave me!"?

What a big girl! I am so glad it going so well and so bummed that she is growing up so fast. I guess it was bound to happen!

Woooo hoooo!

Campbell Solana has agreed to teetee in the potty!!! Wooo hooo!

I decided to offer Big Girl panties to Her Majesty yesterday morning. She has refused them on many occasions... yesterday, however, she decided that she and Mr Moreno (her bear) would both be wearing a pair. Sometimes Mr Moreno wears a hat, sometimes a tshirt, sometimes one sock (never two). He normally is only allowed to wear the chosen item for a couple of minutes. Yesterday, they both put on their Big Girl panties like it was an every day affair.

I set the timer on the microwave for one hour.

When the timer sounded we headed to the bathroom- big fight. No teetee.

I set the time for another hour.

When the timer sounded we headed back to the bathroom. No fight this time, but also no teetee.

Lunch.

Third try: A few minutes on the potty. Up she comes. No teetee. She heads for the door, pauses, and.... yep. Teetees on the floor. I scoop her up and put her on the potty, but of course, she is all done.

Diaper. Nap. Diaper change into panties. Now we take Mr Moreno into the bathroom and sit him on the potty. He wouldn't teetee, either.

We went on about decorating the house for Halloween. About an hour later she darts off down the hall into her room and comes back dragging Mr Moreno saying, "TTTTTTT!"

Ok, we take Mr Moreno and put him on the potty.

And then, lo and behold she wants to sit on the potty herself. She sits- nothing. Up she comes. Then back down..... TEE TEE in the potty!!!!

The royal throne played a royal tune and I almost shed a royal tear. Alan even happened to be peaking around the corner to witness the royal event. What proud parents!

What a great way to start the week! Hope your week is full of fun surprises, too!

Peace out from Cedar Park!

Love, Campbell's Mom

Sticks and Stones

Let me start by saying that it was raining in Austin, Texas this morning. While that doesn't mean much more than water falling from the sky to the rest of the human race, in Austin it ALWAYS equals a MAJOR traffic catastrophe. And not because of accidents... nope. Perhaps it is the tree-huggers in on-going awe of the phenom or maybe it is too many nervous nellies out on the streets. Whatever the case may be, any amount of precipitation grinds traffic to nearly a halt every time. So, a typical 30 minute commute to the pediatrician's office took a grueling 105 minutes today. You can imagine the attitude I was getting from the backseat...

We finally arrived along with all the other tardy mothers. As soon as I got settled into my seat in the "Well Children's area" of the waiting room I noticed that her Highness was in distress. That is to say, working on a "project." That is just great. Just then, they call our name.
Decision time: Head for the lobby restroom and let another family in front of us while I change a diaper? Not today. I opted for acting oblivious to the stench permeating from the precious little girl perched upon my hip.

As soon as we enter the exam room the nurse catches a whiff and says, "I'll give you girls some privacy." I chuckle. Campbell concentrates on the task at hand...

Finally Dr. Dan joins us. He goes through his battery of questions and he finishes up with:

Dr Dan: How many words does she say?
Me: Umm, quite a few.
Dr Dan: 10?
Me: Oh yes.
Dr Dan: 15-20?
Me: Yeah, (it is Texas, you can answer with yeah) Probably somewhere in that range.
Dr Dan: Silence (he writes something in her chart)

~Then his office manager appears and says he has an urgent phone call. He excuses himself while I sit and ponder how many words she really does say. 20 was a total guess. I decide to quiz her and count.~

Mommy, Daddy, PaPa, Grita, Dio, Nana, Deedee, Haylie, Beck, grass, water, trees, birds, more, milk, bear, cookie, Elvis, Miko, cat, lion, bear, NeeNee, elbow, knee, head, toes, diaper, her friends' names at school (Brooke, Kendal, Zachary, Reece, Morgan, Victoria, Miss Irene), books, car, trucks, bath, duck, quack...

~Dr Dan returns~

Me: I was counting, and I think she knows well over 40 words
Dr Dan: Ok
Me: Do you need to write that down?
Dr Dan: (Smiling and shaking his head) On average and for her age she should be saying 5-10 words. So, she is well above average.
Me: (Silence- smiling)
Dr Dan: Do you want me to write that down?
Me: (Laughing) I think it is note worthy, don't you?

He is a really neat doctor. We are so glad we found him!

PS- We both cried during and after her shots. And, I think she has just about perfected her dirty look, too. Just ask Nurse Kim...

Bzzzz and Baaaah

I love Halloween! I always have. I was lucky enough to marry a man who isn't afraid to dress up for Halloween. More importantly, he is willing to go for the big laugh. Oh how I hope Campbell loves Halloween like I do.
Last year, for her first embarrassing costume, she was an adorable zebra. Complete with a giant bow- just to be sure everyone knew she was a SHE zebra. This year, her highness, refuses to wear any sort of head gear. Headband? No. Hat? Absolutely not. What is a Halloween-Loving-Mother to do? Well, I'll tell you. When she is accustomed to wearing bows everyday, you disassemble the headband and glue antennas to clippies. Whah la.


Heather and I took them to Picture People this weekend for a little "prima" picture. Easier said than done. I was sweating like a pig after about 5 minutes of chasing, begging, pleading, and threatening Campbell to stand or sit close to Ainzely. Whew. Somehow we go a couple of cute pics. Needless to say, I had a margarita at lunch. A well deserved margarita, I might add. Opal (Ainzley) makes the cutest goat I have ever seen. She was a much better sport about wearing the hot felt costume and beard than my little bumble bee was about wearing the itchy dress.

In the spirit of things I thought I'd also give you a taste of Hallweens past... this year's costume is still under wraps, of course. Check out some of our best work.

Trolls on top of pencils & a Mummy, of course

Oompa Loompas

Willy Wonka (Old School Gene Wilder Style... don't you just love the curls?)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (with Flat Stanley)

Pink Panther and InspectHer Clouseau

Until next time,
Bzzzz and Bahhhh from Cedar Park!
Love,
Campbell's Mom

Campbell's House proper

Like most pregnant women, I tortured my husband with my obsession over the perfect name for our baby. In addition to torturing him with the constant bombardment of "What do you think about this name?" game, I also tortured the rest of my family by keeping all the contenders a secret.

So a few months after she was born we were down in Pleasanton and my dad says, "You know, if you take this precious baby girl and Heather's dog and put them together you get a great, big, black, kick ass football player!.... Did y'all plan that?"

Ever heard of Earl Campbell??

Did I mention that Heather's weinie dog is named Earlene? Oh yes, a la Earl Campbell and his famouse sausage! She even wears a sparkly UT collar- too cute!

THIS

Plus THIS
EQUALS THIS??

So we took Grita to Campbell's House (proper) this weekend. She had never been to a UT football game. We had a great time! A big Shout Out and Thank You to Mr. Faulkner for his continued generosity for game day tickets, too!

Campbell did not join us, neither did Earlene. However we did stop by Earl's statue... maybe some day soon will take the two namesakes down to the stadium for a photo op.

Hook 'Em Horns!

34 is starting off great

What a lovely day and week it has been. Happy Birthday, indeed!

I couldn't be more thankful for all the wonderful people in my life. I had scores of birthday wishes from friends and family. Beautiful flowers, yummy cake, lunches filled with laughter and friends, very thoughtful gifts from Campbell & Alan, and a weekend of fun to look forward to with my peeps.

Thanks for the love and for being part of my crazy, silly, wonderful life!

A wedding, a trip to Houston, and a fluke

The Fluke:
I absolutely KNOW that it was a fluke, but I swear to Jimminey Cricket that this is true!
I bought a precious pink potty for Campbell in anticipation of the inevitable potty training... well, I get home from Target, take the royal throne out of the box (it plays a royal tune when you tinkle, by the way) and place it in the bathroom. Nosey Rosey can't wait to see what it is all about. I sit her on the potty, sit myself on the big girl potty for some encouragement... and lo and behold her potty starts to play music!!! Are you kidding me??? Then, it starts to play music again!!! what??? I make a huge production over the affair, stand her up, prepared to dab off approximately two drops of tinkle from her bottom and then I see it. Swear. Poop!!!! First crack out of the box and my little princess pooped in the potty!!! I couldn't have been prouder. Of course as soon as she saw the poop she burst into tears. Kind of scary, I suppose.

My trip to H-town:
Maybe Houston has just gotten a bad wrap. I went to hang out with my Aunt Sandy for week number 5 of her radiation therapy. (If you don't know her story you should pop over to her Caring Bridge- link on the right.) I have to be honest, I did not know what to expect. I tried to be ready for anything. Turns out, what I needed to prepare for most of all was eating at great restaurants. We had a splendid time. We shopped, we ate, we chatted, we even worked out once. All in all it was a success. Back here on the home front, Alan and Campbell fared just fine without me, too. In fact, I don't think she missed me one tiny bit. Alan swears that she didn't throw one single fit the entire time i was away. Well, when we reunited she made up for lost time... which brings me to

A wedding:
Let me start by saying, that it is a good thing that she is so cute. I knew I was in for a long day/night when I took her for a haircut on Saturday morning. You've seen her head of hair. This was not the child's first hair cut. Not even her second or third... Lordy, Lordy, Lordy.
The very nice stylist named Deedee calls our name.
I put Campbell in the chair alone- business as usual... nope. She arched her back and let out a blood curdling shriek. Now, I have the entire salon staring at me. Her Grita promptly grabbed her purse and high-tailed it out the door. Her father who was also waiting for a haircut tried to act like he didn't know us... head in a magazine... not today, mister.
Alan reluctantly claims us and I force her to sit in his lap. Brief moment of silence. Then Deedee must put the cape around her neck. Not so fast, Deedee... Blood curdling shriek #2. I take the cape and wrap it around Campbell's neck all the while glaring at her, and insisting that she stop screaming. At this point, my sister Heather who is also waiting for a haircut begins to look afraid. All eyes are still on us... ugh!
I figure we could try distracting her highness so that Deedee can at least trim the bangs. Big crocodile tears streaming down her cheeks. Dayce and I are trying everything in the book- singing, I spy, books, toys, etc. Then it hits me. A plug would be quite handy about now.
Me: Heather, give me Opal's pacifier!
Heather: (Terrified eyes and under her breath through gritted teeth) Reneeeeee...? I only have the one Opal currently has in her mouth.
Me: (For all the salon to hear) I don't care! Your baby is being quiet and mine is not. Please give me the passy.
Campbell: (More shrieking) Muh muh muh! Translation= Passy, please
Heather: (Unplugging her baby and plugging mine up) Nice.
Silence.
Bangs trimmed quite nicely.
Big tip for Deedee.

With that in mind, think about the following: an outdoor wedding on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. Now add in Opal, stairs, mosquitos, and only one passy.
I could give you the blow by blow but it might be more fun if you make up your own story. I can assure you that you will not be far off. Like I said, it is a good thing she is cute!

Stairs

Cute sisters with bad kids!


More stairs

Grita trying to save her!

The only thing missing from this family photo is the 3 glasses of red
wine it took to get Mommy smiling!

Labor Day Cookie Monster

Labor Day was pretty mellow at Campbell's House. We got up early and as I was putting her toast (ok, Poptart... ugh) in the toaster she saw the mixer and started saying, "Taste, taste, taste!"
What a great idea! We scarfed down our very nutritious carb, sugar, and fat (no trans fat) loaded breakfast and made some good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies.

Maybe I haven't made them in a while, or maybe it was just more fun making them with my new little assistant. Fun stuff! Thanks for a fun Labor Day, Campbell! I love you!



PS- I know sitting on the counter top isn't the safest place... but it really is the best seat in the kitchen!

Whatever.

In our family there is really no such thing as, "whatever." That is to say, someone always- and I do mean always has a smart remark to make about the short comings of others... all in good fun, of course.
Obviously, he hacked into my blog to teach me a lesson.
Lesson rejected- ha.
So there.
And thank you for the PC magic, Campbell' s Dad.
xoxo

PS- I changed my password.

I wish Renee knew about computers

Test to see if Renee was right that the computer was not working right. If you are reading this she is sadly mistaken....again.

Take 2 aspirin and call me in the morning

Oh if it were only that simple when it comes to computers! Somehow we became infected with some spyware!! So, Alan has spent the last week or so quarantining files and updating our virus protection. I am sure I am secretly getting blamed for the virus but all I really do is read the blogs and shop every now and again. Anyway, finally, I have been granted permission to venture out once again to the world wide web. No one is probably reading blogs this month anyway with kids getting ready to head back to school. And then there is the Olympics... is blogging an Olympic sport yet? Everything else is.

I feel like there is so much to report that I don't even know where to begin, but here is a little sampling:

Opal came to visit.
Heather and I went to the spa to cash in our Mother's Day gift certificates. We had a great time and were very pampered and thus relaxed. That is, until the bill came. As Heather says, "this is not a secure line" therefore I cannot elaborate.

Dayce marched in her first High School band parade. She did GREAT! And, yes, I got a little misty eyed in spite of the 90 percent humidity and 150 degree South Texas heat. (Blonde girl on the trombone)


As for the Princess of Cedar Park, she is turning into quite the little girl. She has just about mastered walking. I still refer to it as the Monster Mash, because it is still a little Frankenstein-ish. That is: Precious Frankenstein with pigtails!

And she has started chattering. At this point we still don't understand much more than the basics: No, Mommy, Daddy, No, Music, Elvis, No, Help, Up, No, Side (outside), No, etc.
Oh, and she learned to say, "No." However, she has also learned to nod her head "Yes." Very over exaggerated and pretty stinking cute!

Peace Out from Cedar Park!
- Campbell's Mom

Strike one!

It was bound to happen.

Miko, is the longest member of our family unit (Alan, notwithstanding...)

Miko is a large, black, fat cat that came to live with Heather and me about 10 years ago. He immediately took over our small apartment. He would sit perched on the back of the sofa waiting for his next victim. One time you could walk past him and scratch him on the head. The next time, if the mood struck him, he might swipe you with one of his bear claws. Kind of funny the first, second, even third time... especially if it wasn't you that he got.

Over time, he has mellowed. OK, I may have spanked that little trick out of him. As he has gotten older, he has gotten grouchier. Meows constantly. Is VERY picky about food. Can't be bothered to drink out of a standing bowl of water!!! Oh, no! We had to purchase the $50 fountain style bowl for this cat. (Everyone at Campbell's house is a tiny bit spoiled.)

So, before Campbell arrived last year, I had a lengthy family meeting with all the pets. I laid down the law: There are three of you (Miko, Lucy (cat), and Elvis (Basset). That means you get 3 chances- total. Not three a piece. You need to work together! Any of you screw up and it counts against you all. Could be peeing on the floor, could be sleeping in Campbell's bed, could be waking her up- you get the idea. 3 strikes and you are all moving OUTSIDE. Permanently.
Lucy, quickly decided the pressure was too much to take and ran away from home. Very sad. He was a cool cat! The other two decided to give it a go.

Fast forward 16 months...
Dum dum dum dum....

Campbell is sitting on the floor playing by herself with her xylophone. Miko saunters over and lays down at her feet. She starts to pet him gently. And then out of the blue, he took a swipe at her! Campbell must have cat-like reflexes because he only got her on the hand.

I chased his fat, yet surprisingly fast, ass around the house for about 90 seconds. Snatched him from under my bed. Spanked him, scolded him and then through him out. Could be for good.
Even poor Elvis was only invited in for long enough to eat.

My house would be so much cleaner without all the shedding. Maybe I meant to say One Strike and you're out.

Campbell's car, too?

I think she is getting a little ahead of herself, if you ask me...

Picked her up from school today- I had the Tahoe nice and cool for her majesty. I also had one of her CDs ready to play: "Rhinoceros Tap." (this is one of Grita's finds, and I have to admit I find myself singing the songs long after I am at my desk at work). Anyway, the title track it pretty catchy- see for yourself (click on the link). About two bars into the song she starts saying "muh, muh, muh" and pointing to the front seat. Finally I skip to the next song. She listens to a couple of bars and starts to shake her head "no." Are you kidding me? She is barely walking and she is now weighing in on what music she wants to hear?! Hilarious! We get all the way to #13 before she found what she was after. As soon as she heard the intro her head started to bob. I knew we hit pay dirt. She knew the words and was singing right along! "Muh, muh, muh, muh"
I wanted to stop the car just to kiss her. I didn't- I didn't want to ruin her groove.

Little stinker. I thought fighting over music in the car was waaayyyy in the future.

Previous fit throwing: all forgiven, for the moment, anyway.

Sidebar: My faves are 4, 5, 6, & 9. Philadelphia Chickens is also worth buying.

xoxo,
Campbell's Mom

Third time is NOT the charm

Let me just break it down. I am a crier. Always have been. Doesn't take much to get me going, either. Seriously, it is a very large category of things that can potentially get me started. I am one of those people that cry at movies, commercials, songs, life events. I often get weepy when i see a marching band perform....?Don't ask me why. And it doesn't have to be the blues that triggers the water works. I cry when I am happy, sad, moved, super-tired can make me cry, even frustration can do it occasionally. And of course, I don't just cry for myself. I will cry with you, near you, for you, along side you.... Sometimes a story retold about someone crying will make me cry! Like I said, I am a crier.

Therefore, for the last 30ish years my mom has had to deal with me and all those tears. And she has reminded me many times over that crying or sobbing in some cases will not make your head stop hurting, your fever go down, make a stupid boyfriend treat you better, make your pregnancy go any faster, or change the circumstances life has dealt you. With that in mind, it was her voice I heard in my head yesterday afternoon when I felt my face go flush and got the knot in the back of my throat.

Four days home from vacation and this precious baby girl has now made me cry three times. Not the good "she learned how to walk" or "she finally says Mama and means it" tears... No, these tears feel more like the ones from back in Junior High when you really can't figure out why the pretty girls are so mean.

How can a 16 month old have the ability to test my nerves to the extreme already? I know she is just testing her boundaries, but seriously.... Is this part of the Secrets of Motherhood that no one tells you about so that you will actually have babies???

Full blown screaming fits on the floor, complete refusal to walk, insistence on being carried around. And then five minutes later a perfect angel when her Dad walks through the door. Truth be told, he met us in the front yard- she was in the swing, I was sitting in the grass on the brink of tears. Campbell saw him and immediately started smiling with delight. That is when I wanted to burst into tears. She has so much love to give and I don't want her to be a brat...

Through a few streaming tears I told Alan to get changed into play clothes because Mommy either needs to "go for a run or run to the bar. Something has got to give today." I am sure I confirmed what he has thought all along: Renee is crazy as a loon.

Much love,
Campbell's Mom

Honey, I'm home!

Off to Grita's

We tip toed out of Grita's house at 4:45a on Monday morning and tip toed back in at 11:00p Friday night. That was a long time to be away from Campbell, but I think I did pretty well. I only called a couple of times each day. And, I tried not to bring her up to every stranger we met... not sure how I fared on that one. Alan and I had a wonderful trip to Sarasota. Weather was great. Town was lovely. Beaches were spectacular. Anniversary #7 was a success!

Lido Beach, Sarasota

It took roughly twenty years, but for the first time I came home from a trip to the beach withOUT a sunburn. Yes, you read correctly: Renee tanned responsibly. Seriously, not even slightly pink shoulders, no peeling nose or forehead- zilch. My lips didn't even get chapped. How depressing- I think I may actually be growing up.

As for Campbell, you'll have to pop over to Opal's blog to get the details on her vacation. But from what I can tell, she loved every minute of her trip. I am quite certain that I will never find out how much cookie dough she actually consumed or how much tea and coke she drank but at least she got her daily nap. Rumor has it that she loved the afternoon on the Slip-n-Slide and that she held court with the miniature dachshunds a couple of times....

As for now, we are all back in Cedar Park. Safe and sound.
Much love~
Campbell's Mom


P.S. I am fairly sure she didn't have shoes for a solid week as she will not keep them on now, period. Oh well, it is summer.

Slow, deep breaths

This is a new feeling for me. I have never experienced anxiety about going on vacation. I LOVE vacations! Who doesn't, right? Well, this is our first "real" vacay since Campbell was born.

One evening a few months back, we decided to cash in Alan's frequent flier miles and head to a beautiful beach somewhere. In spite of the multiple glasses of wine, I had enough sense not commit to leaving the country without Campbell... however, three glasses of red wine clouded my judgement a tiny bit when it came to how long we should stay. What started out as a long weekend, suddenly turned into a 5 day vacation.

Grita and Hooterbox couldn't be MORE delighted. I am sure they have all sorts of completely unacceptable spoilage planned! She probably won't even want to come home...

I am trying not to think about not seeing her for 5 whole days- because when I do, I start to freak out a little. Maybe Ainzley Opal will post some pictures of all the fun she and her cousin are having while I am away...

Lots of love!
Campbell's Mom

The last of the cast

Four long weeks and some super cool autographs... but good golly, Campbell is free at last!!

Monday was the big day! The nurse sawed it off, whilst Campbell screamed bloody murder. For once, no tears for Mommy. I was so excited to see that pink anchor come off!

Inside, (I should have snapped a pic) we found:

• A couple of shriveled up grains of orange rice- a la Chuy's, I am sure
• A blade of brown grass- a la Mommy. I let her play in the grass without the giant tube sock over the cast
• A small morsel of mulch from the playground at school

And that's it. I have to say, I was pretty impressed. I thought we would find all sorts of disgusting treasures down there.

Her little leg is a little skinnier than the left one, and the skin needs some serious moisturizing, but aside from that she is rocking it out.

Alan and I had hoped that she would be a Super-Baby and immediately begin walking / running as soon as the cast was removed. Sorry to disappoint, but she is not quite there yet. We still think she is a super baby!

Peace out from Cedar Park!
xoxo

If I only knew how to photo shop...

... I could have turned Campbell's chair orange and it would have been a perfect match! The age difference is off by a couple of years but the pose is spot on.

Make up your own caption

Let's hug it out



Seriously, is that Opal?

Hopscotch anyone?

Not much to report from Campbell's second Fourth of July. No fireworks. No block parties. Not even a single festive cocktail at the Codinas. Campbell was under the weather battling high temperatures and a few nights of middle-of-the-night vomiting... Needless to say, we stayed at home this holiday.

She in on the mend today and almost back to her old self, all except for the sad, watery, droopy eyes. In spite of feeling bad, I caught her being silly this afternoon. Luckily the camera was sitting on the end table beside me. Funny girl.

Pink Cast Update: Clearly the cast is far more upsetting to me than it is to her. Not only is she speed-crawling and walking on it (with assistance for balance)- today, I caught her balancing herself on the casted leg! She is a nut! One week from today and we are free at last! Good thing because the graffiti is piling up and so is the grunge!

Hopscotch?