Sunny Days, Sweepin' the Clouds Away

We kept ourselves busy this weekend and had a really good time. Saturday afternoon we got a special visit from Cape Grandma and Grandpa for a few hours, so we went to lunch and Teagan made sure to properly entertain them before she went down for her nap and they headed back to Cape. After her nap we had an Elmo-themed birthday party to attend for her friend Nora. Teagan's latest obsession is Elmo, so as we were driving down the street toward their house, she spotted the balloons and started yelling "Melmo! Melmo!" The party was a lot of fun, and all of the kids got to decorate their own little pumpkins outside on the driveway, which was a very fun and very messy activity.
When finished with their pumpkins, they headed inside covered in various splotches of blue, red, yellow and green to sing happy birthday and partake in some bright red Elmo cupcakes. After the cupcakes, it was funny to see a bunch of little toddlers running around with red dye smeared all over their mouths. They looked like little mini Ronald McDonalds...or Draculas, take your pick! Sunday we took an unplanned trip to the zoo to take advantage of the gorgeous weather. It was fun to see Teagan actually watching and getting excited about some of the animals. She seemed to especially enjoy watching the monkeys and the penguins. I'll close this with a few pictures of the zoo and a mini video of Teagan watching her new friend "Melmo".

Victorious Secret

That's the name of the new softball team that Rog and I joined. Last night was our first game, a double header. One game started at 9:15 and the second game started at 10:15. Ouch. This is a sad thing to say, but I got more exercise last night than I have in months, and I am hurting today. Having used muscles that we don't normally use, Rog and I have both been limping around the house. I bent down this morning and wasn't sure I'd be able to get back up. The good news is that we actually won one of the games! And of course we had a lot of fun, which is the important part.
In other news, Teagan seems to be getting her 2 year molars in. This past week and a half her nose and mouth have been like fountains. I think we're averaging about 3-4 shirt changes per day. Of course she won't wear a bib anymore, she just pulls it off, so we have our work cut out for us trying to keep her dry. I hope it passes soon.
Her new favorite phrases are "dopit" (stop it) and "mere" (come here, which she says as she grabs our hands and pulls). She has also started figuring out how best to get what and/or where she wants. We have a kitchen cabinet that is mostly dedicated to Teagan's food and dishes. She likes to look inside and pull stuff out, but it's out of her reach. If I'm standing in the kitchen, she'll come up and gently push me toward her cabinet. Then she'll tug on my pants to swivel me around so that I'm facing the cabinet, and hold her arms up for me to pick her up. She did this yesterday with the light switch, too. It really makes me laugh.
Last weekend we went to a parade. I was really excited that it didn't rain because I knew that Teagan would enjoy it more this year than last. She loved waving to people, catching candy so she could put it in the bag, and dancing to the music. I think she had a pretty good time.

Butterfly Kisses

This weekend we took advantage of the beautiful weather by taking a trip to Faust Park. We took this same trip about a year ago, (see first picture), but Teagan was able to enjoy it a bit more this time around.
First, we hit the carousel. Teagan got to ride it twice, once with Daddy and once with Mommy. Before it started up the first time, she was getting a little anxious and nervous. She kept trying to squirm off of Rog's lap. But once the music started up and the horses started moving, her eyes widened and her face lit up. I know I looked like a crazy person on the sidelines taking a picture and waving like a maniac each time they came around, but hey, I got some decent pictures. After the carousel we walked out to a nearby playground. I think we probably could have saved gas money and admission fees because this is the part that Teagan liked the best. She LOVES playgrounds. And not the little kid ones, but the tall big kid ones, as my mom found out for herself one day. So we spent a good amount of time mostly chasing Teagan around the playground and trying to keep her from running into others' legs (stationary or swinging), falling through any holes, or somersaulting down any slides. When Rog and I decided that we were worn out, we dragged her (kicking and screaming) from the playground and into the Butterfly House. It was getting close to naptime, so she did mellow out a bit while we were inside. We had forgotten that they simulate a tropical setting, so it was rather hot and uncomfortable inside, but we saw some beautiful butterflies, and Teagan was very good about looking and not trying to touch. Overall, it was a fun day. When we walked out, Teagan's hair had curled significantly due to the humidity inside. (See below!)