Dog Park

On the way.

Among the Dogs....

Florida in June

Belatedly, here are some photos from our mini-break in Ft. Lauderdale last month. The other cutie in the photos is her Pingjiang, Hunan China mate, Charlie. Acee loves ya, Charlie!

It took three days but by the end of the last day the girls were chasing each other, hugging, rolling on the floor and screaming with glee. Very cute. The first few days they eyed each other cautiously, assessing the likelihood that the other would steal their yogos/cheerios/golds (goldfish).

Grace loved to chase birds on the beach, wiggle her toes in the sand and endlessly shovel into her bucket at the water's edge. She didn't mind the surf but each day I took her into the water, she fell asleep on my shoulder. Vacations are so relaxing!

We saw a double rainbow over the ocean and another one the next week, when we were back home! That's a lot of good luck!

Grace was all eyes and ears as we entered the butterfly/bird sanctuary. She was in awe, and then just a little unnerved when lorikeets and parakeets began landing on her daddy's head and shoulders and back and arms -- as he was holding her in his other arm. (That would be the arm with the watch that Grace very intentionally dropped into the toilet at the hotel. So far, our first and only drain-stoppage effort. Calling on rainbow luck to protect us against future episodes.)

The whole trip was extra special because it started on Father's Day, and Daddy and Grace ventured into the water together on this first Father's Day together. (Nevermind the pic where she is screaming...she was mainly complaining about the lack of appropriate swimwear, soon rectified.)

She was a fantastic traveler, waving to everyone in the airport and on the airplane. Our only regret was giving her uncut juice on one of the legs of the airplane ride -- we had a VERY busy and LOUD child for an hour of encapsulated joy.

New words: Baibow, O (ocean), Beh (beach), something like Butterfly and, of course, Airplane!

Can't wait for our next beach trip. Bucket and shovel standing by.

First Fourth

Also, first ear infection. Also close of first week of preschool. A big week, all in all.

Here she is, enjoying refreshments during the neighborhood parade (watermelon). Watering the lawn (image is blurry as she first watered mommy and the camera). Dining on strawberries, blueberries, corn on the cob. Ah, summer!

Will write more soon.

Belated Thanks and Packing Peanuts

My wonderful Aunt "B" (name withheld to protect the midwesterner) carefully bundled up and sent her mother's rocking chair for Grace. Since Gramma died almost two years ago and never got to see our darling girl, I was really touched that at least they will have shared the same seat. I wonder what Gramma looked like at Grace's age, pushing away at those armrests to get the best back and forth momentum as Grace now does? Here's a pic of Grace in case one day our daughter's granddaughter wants to look up her blog and see for herself.... Thanks, dear Aunt B and Uncle D, who helped get the package off to UPS. Not a scratch on it!

back, front, side

It's hard to shoot this girl from the front --she's constantly on the move.

Now that she is 17 months, life is hers for the taking. She is busy with sandboxes and parties, playing and entertaining. She loves blowing bubbles, spotting birds and airplanes, pointing to her eyes, ears and nose. She sings, she blows bubbles in her milk. We visited the aquarium and she loved the large balls being bounced by dolphins. What she thought of the dolphins, I do not know.

Here are a few pics. More to come and some stories, later.