Strollin' Along

Being around other moms with Meredith in tow has been a little challenging lately due to her new obsession: strollers. When she's near one, she is driven to push it. Doesn't matter if it's a real stroller or a toy. Doesn't matter if it's empty or occupied. She'll push the sto-so right out of the room, much to my horror when the owner is watching!

Enter MomMom: When she last visited, she brought Meredith her very own sto-so! The little pink pram is a big hit. Everyone and everything Meredith touches gets to take a ride: NeeNee, Elmo, baby dolls, bracelets, the telephone, milk, and even Meredith. Only, she's a bit big for her little stroller. She tries to squeeze her sweet self into that plastic toy as it creaks and groans under her weight. Her thighs look painfully squished, but there she sits, satisfied on her own little perch.

Catalog Shopper

While Meredith ate dinner one evening, I took the hands-free opportunity to sift through some catalogs that were stacked in our mail pile. (By "pile" I mean "mountain" the size of which could shame Everest.) As soon as I turned the first page, Meredith wanted to see the book. Not one to deny a budding reader, I passed her the catalog.
It happened to be a circular for BuyBuyBaby and included several toddler-enticing pictures.

Meredith identified the crib, spoons, duck, stroller, etc., all the while terrifying me with what appeared to be an inherent talent for catalog shopping. At least she found the coupons!

Sunday Drive

This past weekend, Frank joined me on a long country drive. His mother is selling a house in Orange, VA and asked me to take some pictures for a brochure. On a beautiful Autumn day, a nice drive away from the rat-race and into the mountains seemed just the thing we all needed. So, following church, Frank, Meredith, and I climbed into our car and headed south. About an hour into the trip, Frank spotted Jammin' Jo's BBQ (shack) on the side of Route 29. Just about that time, Meredith started her broken-record-style exclamation: Weee! Weee!? Weee? Weee?? Weee?!? Seems Jammin' Jo also sells playground equipment.



After a very tasty lunch, Frank declared, "Life is too short for bad BBQ." Looks like Jammin' Jo's might be a regular stop along this route. Fortunately, we don't think Meredith will mind!



When we arrived in Orange, I took care of business while Frank and his sidekick walked along the tree-lined streets. If you've never been to Orange, simply imagine any idyllic American small town: darling shops, friendly people, American flags, historic homes, and, apparently, a very dirty playground.

Items to note:

• patent leather mary-janes
• white knee socks
• new twirling dress
• band-aide
• halo

Oh, to be Ritzie!

Each night, just before heading off to sleep, I sneak into Meredith's room to tuck her in and give her one last kiss goodnight. However, since she doesn't sleep with blankets (still using her SIDS-prevention sleep sack) and since her crib is low, there isn't much tucking or kissing. Instead, I breathe my love to her and stand in awe of God's goodness. And, yes, I usually leave her room misty-eyed, impatiently awaiting our next moments together. (No wonder I don't sleep well!)

Sometimes, when I enter her room, her sweetness takes my breath away and I insist Frank joins me. He complies and probably sleeps better for it, ending his bedtime routine by seeing his baby girl dream.

What I found tonight made me run for the camera. I was so jealous of Ritzie, a recent gift from MomMom. Don't you just want, for one moment, to be Ritzie?? Sweet dreams!




(This one was taken 2 nights ago. I couldn't resist her then, either, cuddled sweetly with Ritzie, Teddy, and NeeNee.)

Mainly Music

Meredith and I went to our first music class together today: Mainly Music, held at McLean Bible Church (uber thanks to Valerie for recommending it!). It's a great concept with tons of kids and their moms (some dads, grandparents, caregivers): sing for 20-30 minutes, eat a snack, then play with mountains of toys while the mommies have time to socialize. What fun! Meredith seemed to have a good time, but she exhibits personality traits I don't understand. Or, maybe her traits are so familiar to my own, I don't recognize them in another person (hmmm). She's somewhat independent, exploring on her own, as long as she knows her mommy is nearby. She played alone during toy time, but I think that's typical for her age. When we first sat down (or rather, tried to sit), she bounced up, walked straight to the front of the room, climbed onto the stage, and kept a steady eye on the group. That is, until the leader asked us to please keep our children off the stage (head hung low, I slinked forward to retrieve my daughter). She and I repeated that "game" at least 10 more times. When the leader began singing, Meredith immediately backed onto my lap and sat, transfixed, through most of the music. For a kid that loves singing, dancing, and twirling as much as Meredith does, this was unusual behavior. Once she was more comfortable, she headed back to the front where she twirled and laughed to her heart's content! I imagine she will develop some social graces after a few weeks. In the meantime, her little friend Emily ("Enly!") will be joining our class. Typically, when Meredith sees Emily at Fe's, she runs to share a hug. I can't wait to see the girls' reactions when they find one another at Mainly Music!

Grandparents' Day 2008

Hooray for Grandparents!

My parents (a.k.a. MomMom and Boppa) came to visit this weekend. What a blessing to have them here, if only for a short time. They drove through the remnants of Hurricane Hannah on Friday evening and headed straight to their hotel. (They often stay at the Ritz in Tysons since our house is no larger than a postage stamp and no one wants to share a pull-out sofa. Not to mention the convenient (?) proximity to Tyson's Galleria.) My dad arrived at our house early Saturday morning, much to Meredith's delight. Here was the Boppa she had been requesting since we last saw him in late July. And, he was wearing his Hokie shirt: Oko Oko! I I I! (Hokie Hokie Hi!)

The boys (Frank and Dad) jumped in the HokieVan and headed to Blacksburg for the Tech/Furman game. Meredith and I met MomMom at the Ritz before the mall stores opened. We grabbed coffee from Starbucks and found a gift for Meredith at the hotel gift shop: a pink (of course) teddy bear/blanket we quickly named "Ritzie." Interlude: shop, shop, shop. Everywhere we went, Meredith insisted on holding MomMom's hand, from the comfort of her stroller, pausing occasionally for extra kisses.

For lunch, Mom and I took Meredith to the Ritz, thinking they could comfortably accommodate our toddler. [We noticed a few other groups of moms and young girls, enjoying quiet little tea parties. So sweet! I can't wait to bring Meredith back -- maybe when she stops tossing her lunch overboard.]

Lunch with Meredith was, well, lunch in a restaurant with a toddler. You've seen it, maybe you've even been there yourself. It's not pretty. But, I suppose there's no way for children to learn manners in public if they aren't exposed. To steady our nerves, our server recommended a wonderful Chardonnay, which we thoroughly enjoyed, until the bill arrived ($22.50 per glass!). We ordered yummy-sounding sandwiches for the grown-ups and macaroni-and-cheese (mee-ree!) for Meredith. Turns out, the mac-n-cheese was homemade and deeee-lish! Meredith didn't want to miss a bite.

On Sunday, Mom and Dad joined us for church. My mom has a lot of friends in our church, whom she met when she attended and later led our Ladies' Retreat. They were so glad to see her! My dad has even reconnected with a couple of old Navy buddies tucked away in our congregation. Frank and the Men's Group hosted our annual Celebration Sunday, serving hot dogs, chili, and wonderful fellowship after the service. Having my parents present for the festivities was a real joy. They headed out of town during Meredith's afternoon nap. Sure enough, as soon as she awoke, she begged for more Boppa and MomMom! Frank and I both agree with her. We can't wait for another visit!!

Happy Grandparents' Day, Mom and Dad. Our lives are richer because of you!

Weeee!

Like all children, our Meredith loves, loves, loves the park. Loves it. And who wouldn't? Plenty of space to run, interesting surfaces to climb, and soft surfaces in case of a fall. Her first love was the slide, upon which she always pronounces "Weee!" Now when she wants to go to the park, which is pretty much all the time, she asks for Weee over and over and over. She knows where the park is on the way home. When we drive close, such as on the way to/from the grocery store or church or the library or anywhere beyond our own street, she starts: Weee? Weee? Weee? Sometimes she gets right to it, first thing in the morning: Weee? Frank, maintaining his position as the best Daddy ever, complies to her requests, even before breakfast. They head out in jeans, usually a pajama tee-shirt, and tennies -- walking up the hill to the park.

This weekend, after a disappointing Hokie season opener, we lifted our spirits with a trip to the park, along with our friends Mett and Melissa. With all those extra arms to catch Meredith, I was free to capture her joy on camera.

As you would expect with Meredith, she has to push the envelope a little, further proving that she doesn't even have a healthy sense of fear. She's one determined gal!