Growing Up (Or Maybe Not)

Riley's latest deep thought:

"I'm a big girl. I not a baby. I not need my ninos (pacifiers) anymore. [Long, thoughtful pause.....] Zelf need ninos. Zelf a baby!"

Vicarious living is for big girls, right?

It's Cold Out, Y'all!

As Riley and I headed out for a walk yesterday, I asked her to put her coat on.

Her answer? "I not need a coat. It's sunny outside!"

Never mind that it was 48 degrees out. Around here, no rain means beautiful weather.

Which means just one thing: after two years in Portland, our Texas-born is officially Oregon-bred.

Easter Weekend: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good:
Three Easter egg hunts!


The bad:
The slacker mom forgot to bring a basket to two of the three hunts.


The ugly:

• The candy binge-fest (and subsequent tantrum-fest).
• The slacker mom became mean mom and threw out the remaining candy. (I'm not a total party pooper: I re-filled the eggs with pretzels and raisins...)

The Great Motivator

Riley and I grocery shopped last night. Instead of strapping her into her stroller, I let her walk the three blocks to the store. I braced myself for the worst: dawdling, darting off, and general mischievousness.

She surprised me, though. She was a perfect angel, especially on the walk home.

When I praised her, she replied enthusiastically, "We hurry home to eat ice cream!"

Observant child knows my groceries well. (And guess what I rewarded her with...)

Fun for the whole family! (?)

Colored dye and breakable eggs. Hmm. Who decided dyeing Easter eggs was a kid-friendly activity?

We had fun anyhow. At least when we weren't shielding the dye from Riley's reach.