Chutes and Ladders...and other fun adventures

Dave was in a golf outing on Saturday, August 4 but we all wanted to go to the St. Joe's festival together...so we packed up after dinner on Friday night and headed over.  Dave always likes to park at the library so we pulled in to the near-empty lot...but since there weren't many cars, we decided to try to get a little closer...still many free spots so we got even closer...until I said, "I have a bad feeling this festival is only on Saturday and Sunday..."

Indeed it was...but we knew our girl would be confused and, let's face it, pissed, if we'd packed up the car and gone for a short drive...back home.  We figured we'd head into the library (since we were right there!) but it had just closed so we went to a nearby park (the park where Dominic has had his birthday party the past two years).

Little Lucy was loving life!

Climbing with dad up to the big slide...

But then he let her go down by herself!

She loved it!

 Trapped!

Lucy...loving life with dad and mom! 

The next night, though, us girls actually made it to the festival!  We played a couple of games and hung out with ABC and Donna for awhile.  Lucy liked the taffy pull game the best!  We played it and got a pink lollipop but it was slippery and dropped to the ground...so we played again and got a green one!   

Cleo offered to take her on a ride and after we stood in line watching A go 'round and 'round, she seemed interested in getting on, too...but we when got closer to the actual ride, it became clear that she was not interested in riding, too...she was technically too short, per the rules, to ride anyway so she got back in the stroller and watched A&C ride together. 

One night recently, I decided to give the daddy a break when I got home from work...L and I grabbed our books to return and took off for the library.  She loves returning her books and gets pretty excited about it so the visit started off on a high note.

Soon, though, it became very clear to me (and probably the other library patrons) that Lucygirl had waaaaaay too much energy for a library visit...I couldn't even keep track of her long enough to choose a new book or two to check out which is a shame because that meant the next time she wouldn't be able to partake in her favorite library activity - dropping books in the return slot.

But I grabbed my crazy girl - who was giggling like crazy thinking it was all a part of a hilarious game - and smiled and shrugged at the staff and visitors and high-tailed it out of there...we found the park to be a much more appropriate activity for her at that time.  There were a couple of other little girls there playing and when one of them got ahead of her, Lucy would turn to me and do the sign for "my turn."  Oh boy...let's hope she really learns a lot about sharing (and taking turns!) while playing with Cooper, Dominic and Talia this school year!  Overall the girls did well together on the playground and I must say, I was proud of her for using a new sign correctly! 

See what I mean about high energy? 
I got her out of her carseat and put her down outside the car
and by the time I closed the door and turned around, she was a goner...

I had to point her in the right direction...

 

As the end of daddy and Lucy's summer together neared, I asked them to come visit me at work and go out to lunch with me one last time while they could.  Denese always wants to hold Lucy and become best friends with her but Lucy takes her sweet time warming up to people...but we had a breakthrough!  She agreed to give many of my coworkers hugs!  And when Denese had her in a hug, she talked Lucy into going with her to the break room to get some water...so they did manage a little one-on-one time alone!

Normally we go to Frisch's and Lucy gets spaghetti but this time we went to Skyline.  Daddy and Lucy tried to go to Skyline together once a week over summer break and this time they let me tag along!  Skyline is a great place to take her because once we cut up her food (she gets a hot dog on a bun with cheese on the side), she can handle the rest (which means I get to eat, too!)

She likes to wipe her own mouth...even the inside...

A few days after the high energy fiasco, Lucy and I tried the library again.  As soon as we walked in, she went straight for the book return and turned to me, shrugging her shoulders, obviously wondering where the books were for us to return.  I told her we didn't have any to return and before I was met with a meltdown (I should have just gone by myself one day to check out books for her to return!), I distracted her by asking if she wanted to find an "Alex and Leah" movie to borrow.  Lucy is seriously obsessed with her Signing Time DVDs...we have volumes one and two that Dominic's mommy gave us (and we just ordered volume 4 off of ebay!) so we checked out volume 3 (along with a couple of books) and Alex and Leah are the two main kids in the movies.  She has learned to verbally say "Alex" ("Aah!  Aah!") and to sign "Leah" so when she wants to watch, she says "Alex", signs "Leah" and points to the tv...

She likes sitting on this bench for awhile when we come back out...

Last Saturday I had a bridal shower to go to but it didn't start until 2pm and it was a beautiful day...so our little family packed up and went to the zoo (for one last hoorah before dad starts school and Lala starts full time with the sitter)!  Despite the perfect zoo weather, it wasn't too crowded and we had a lot of fun!

Lucy's favorite animal to visit still seems to be the birds but they made daddy incredibly nervous...it was pretty funny!

She's doing the sign for "bird!"

We visited with our friends the giraffes and then went back to the new Cheetah Encounter but the cats weren't out...no worries, though:

I was surprised she actually fed the goats but I am so glad she did...she seemed to really enjoy

it and it was one of the cutest things I think I've ever seen!!

Before it was time to go, we had time to find and visit the penguins, which we thought she'd like.  She did...but not as much as she loved running around inside Manatee Springs! 

By the time we left, she'd seen a lot of animals and had tons of fun so it turns out the short amount of time we had to spare was perfect!

Grandma Kathy watched Lucy for me recently for a few hours and she said they went to play "chutes and ladders"...I gave her a puzzled look and she explained to me:  There is a gazebo in Highland Heights in front of the post office.  We're not too sure of its intended purpose but there is a ramp (aka a "chute") on one side and steps (aka "ladders") on the front.  She said Lucy entertained the heck out of herself climbing the ladder and racing down the chute again and again. 
Lucy and I were out for a wagon walk last week and I remembered Grandma's story so we walked up to the gazebo...she was right...Lucy had so much fun on the Chutes and Ladders!

Wagon rides are FUN!

Climbing the ladder...

Racing down the chute... 

Absolutely loving life!

As much as she was loving life while we were there (and during the wagon ride before we got there), she sure yelled at me when it was time to go home for dinner!  She didn't want to leave!

What else has the crazy Lucygirl been up to lately?

• She has another new tooth!  I discovered it when she was leaning back, cracking up...another little chomper poking through...this one hasn't seemed to bother her - most of them haven't been too bad for her, luckily.  This one is on the top to the left (if your looking at her) of the existing four front teeth.  Total tooth count is up to 13

• She had a great summer with her daddy but he had his first day of school yesterday which means she started full days with Fawn (and Cooper!) this week!

• GranJan bought Lucy a train after she saw how much Lucy enjoyed the trains in Indianapolis at the children's museum...but apparently this one scares Lala a little bit...she is sure to maintain a very safe distance...

• She got to spend a day with Grandma Terry (and some time with Troy and Great Grandma) while mom & dad got some things done around the house (namely trying to turn the weed garden into a regular garden...)




• She's been enjoying the heck out of wagon rides lately!  Last year we went on walks every day...she loved being outside and it was a bit of exercise for me.  There came a time, though, where she was far too independent and busy to be restricted and only wanted to be down and in control of herself.  However, lately she's been very interested in wagon rides again.  A couple of weeks ago we even rolled up to Kroger to buy some milk.  A few people in the store looked at me funny for wheeling a wagon down the aisles but luckily it contained a super cute gal for them to wave to!

• It seems Lucy may know some of her colors...If I lay her blocks out in front of her, she can pick up purple and blue and red and yellow!  Of course sometimes she'll pick the wrong one but we're convinced she's messing with us...she often cracks herself up after choosing the wrong one...We have been working harder lately to help her learn them.

• NO MORE BOTTLES!  One night she asked for milk at a weird time...it was after dinner but before the bedtime routine starts (and milk is a part of the routine).  So, I gave her some milk in a cup...she ended up drinking a lot and it became her "bedtime milk" that night.  The next night, during the bedtime routine, I gave her milk in a cup and she took it, no question!  As soon as I turned "Alex and Leah" on for her (also a part of the bedtime routine), I raced back into the kitchen and packed  up the bottles!  Now they are no longer an option!  As much as I don't want my sweet baby to grow up, no more bottles is NOT something I'll be crying over!
• Mainly, she's just been working on being cute lately!