Leaf Pile

While over at Mike and Rachel's on a Saturday afternoon, Quinn and I took advantage of the fantastic turn the weather had taken and made a leaf pile for her to play in. It gives me such joy to see the sheer happiness in her face as she throws those leaves up in the air! That girl is so photogenic I can't even stand it.

Gotta make a big pile!

You better watch it, Mom!

I'm letting you off this time...

But now you're done for!!!

...and I am just so happy!

Good Times with Good Friends

A quick update on the happenings in the life of a Four Year Old...

After a rockin' birthday, several members of our gang met at the Friendly's in Edgewater (which actually fell on Kirch's birthday) so Quinn got to hang out with her 4 Foot Posse. We enjoyed dinner and dessert (how can you NOT have dessert when you go to Friendly's?) and some good company.

After fighting a wicked 24 hour stomach bug last week - which she was brilliant at, by the way, Quinn and I got invited to the circus in Downtown DC yesterday. It was a blast - and we hung out in a suite with the same group of friends (essentially) and enjoyed the tightrope walkers, the tiger tamer, clowns and acrobats from the comforts of our own private space!

This kid is going to become accustomed to the posh life!

Our Birthday Girl

I took the day off on Tuesday to spend it with my big 4-year-old! Kirch was able to meet us for several hours in between lessons, so Quinn was overjoyed.

She asked to get her ears pierced for her birthday. I was a little worried, but I had mine pierced when I was about 5, so what's one year earlier? And let me tell you, she handled it better than I did when I got mine done! And, better than I did, when I was watching her get hers done! She was so brave, not a tear. Now, from the look on her face in this video, I do believe that she wanted to cry at one point, but she wanted the earrings more, so she sucked it up and put on her bravest face! I, on the other hand, was shaking trying to hold the camera, while also trying to hold back tears!



After we finished and she showed us all her beautiful new earrings, we headed to Dave and Buster's for some midway fun. We had a great time playing ski ball, air hockey and a hundred other games, trying to win tickets so Quinn could turn them in and shop at the end of the excursion. We had lunch there, and she opened her gifts. The girl always makes out! She's developing a very stylish spring wardrobe!

Once we left Dave and Buster's, Kirch headed back to work and Quinn and I headed to Target for just one more small gift (I can't resist!). We headed home after that and she just couldn't wait to put on the new little tutu that Poppy and Manka sent her! Never mind that it was beautiful out and I offered to take her to the park, NO NO! She was ALL about that tutu!

For dinner, I made us a salad that we shared. Now I love to put grapes in my salad, along with your typical cheeses, croutons, turkey or chicken, etc. Well, all she noticed were those grapes! "Mommy, I LOVE this grape salad!" Need I say that I was so proud of her all over again for "loving" salad? I must say, I attribute her love of fruits and veggies to the fact that I made all of her baby food from fresh and frozen fruits and veggies when she was an infant! Boy, a little extra work in the beginning does pay off in the long run!

After we finished our salad and watched a couple of song numbers from the movie "Chicago," I put my sleepy daughter to bed, new earrings and all!

A Touch of Spring Fever

The weather broke last weekend just enough for Quinn and I to get to the park for a bit. She was definitely the smart one, putting on her snow boots, while i wore old leather mules that took a beating in the snow and water. Although the cold didn't seem to affect her, I was freezing!

Anyway, she enjoyed herself until she fell off a balance beam into a huge puddle, soaking her hands and her leg. All this JUST after she proclaimed, "I didn't even fall at all, Mommy!" Well, I know it's horrible, but i was cracking up (under my breath as best I could) while she stood up, embarrassed and sniffing from the cold water. I asked her if she wanted to head home and she sternly told me NO. We lasted another 15 minutes or so before it started RAINING! Oh, did I mention we walked about a 1/2 mile to the park? We boogied our bottoms toward home, all the while, me feeling like World's Worst Mom for not putting a hat on my kid's head, and her exclaiming, "Wow, this wind is really cold!"

When we got into the house, we had some hot chocolate to warm us up, and talked about the great adventure we had squeezed in before Mother Nature took over!

Suck it up, Mom - I'm having a blast!

My beautiful little model

I'm balancing really well!

Ugh, I can't get over holding my breath while she climbs the monkey bars!

A Quinn-ism

Last night, while I was getting Quinn ready for bed, she asked to do a "fruit hunt," which basically means to take turns listing all the fruits we can think of. So we're going about our business:

Me: "Apple"
Quinn: "Orange"
Me: "Blueberry"
Quinn: "Strawberry"
Me: "Boysenberry"
Quinn: "Ha Ha, Boysenberry... Girlsenberry!"

She was SO proud of herself when I busted out laughing! She thought she was just the funniest thing out there, and of course to me, she is! That girl always keeps us on our toes!

The Meaning Behind the Words

Our un-affectionately nick-named neighbors are dubbed the Thundering Herd. I've never heard people so loud in my entire life, and I've lived in condo/apartment settings in the past. On top of their running and thumping throughout their condo above us, they are also making home improvements on their floors (maybe their soundproofing? One can only hope...)

Anyway, on Saturday, Quinn and I were sitting at the dining room table eating lunch and forgive me for starting this inappropriate conversation, but it is just too funny not to post. The neighbors were doing some serious drilling and there was one particularly loud noise of something being screwed securely into place. The following short, but hilarious, conversation ensued...

Loud Noise
Me: "Quinn, did you just foof? (our word for passing gas)"
Quinn (and I kid you not, with her finger point toward our ceiling: "No Mommy, the neighbors are screwing upstairs!"

Need I even say more?

Neverending Snow

We've spent considerable time out in the "Snowstorm of 2010." We introduced Quinn to sledding this winter, which has been a blast with all this snow. We created a "luge" in our backyard - this video was taken after our first dump, when the weather was actually calm. Just SO funny!



We are now into our third day of being off work. It's snowing like crazy outside! This snow is breaking records all over the place. Quinn doesn't care anything about that, she's just enjoying being out in this Winter Wonderland!