Visit from Papa

So I didn't really try to get Claire to call my dad "Papa" but I guess it's easier to say and it's just so darn cute coming out in her little voice. So "Papa" came to visit for his annual Laughlin River Run trip, bringing with him his Harley, which Claire called a "cycle." She had to see it every time we went outside.

We had a lot of fun with my dad - it's nice to have him all to ourselves once a year, though I fear the days of his week-long trips down here might be coming to an end. He didn't tell us that, but I get the feeling he might not come every year. I didn't get a great picture with the cycle - here's the best I have.


We went to eat at Town Square, played in the park area and Papa got Claire two balloons to play with, Bob and Minnie. She loved them and they kept her busy for quite a while. Claire also got to experience the water portion of the park - I didn't have my camera, but water shoots out of the ground from a grid of holes, at random. Claire was the littlest one there, and the other kids were pretty rowdy so she stayed on the edge of the action - just got wet a few times.



We also made the customary trip to Bass Pro Shops where Claire refused to get up out of a child-size camping chair, so of course Papa bought it, along with a matching sleeping bag. We are all set for camping this summer!




All in all it was a great visit. We ate too much, stayed up too late, and spoiled Claire too much. She hasn't fully recovered :)

It feels like Summer to me...

When you don't have a backyard...

... you improvise with fun things for kids to play with like this cool water and sand play table for Claire that we put on our front porch. So far she likes to drink the water and dump out the sand, but I figure getting dirty is all part of the fun. It did entertain her for about 45 minutes at a time, so I think she likes it.

Dreams Coming True

Just watch it - it will make you feel good :)
Britain's Got Talent

More Easter - Hunting for Eggs

Some more pics that we gathered from the family and finally off of our own camera of the Easter Egg Hunt and dying Easter eggs at the Hillers. Betty makes Easter really fun - our Easter baskets (Claire gets one, and Matt and I have one to share) are hidden all over the house so we have to search for those first. Then there are several rounds of hunting for Easter eggs, and one egg per round is the 'special egg'. We got the special egg one round and we got $20! Woo hoo! that's my kind of Easter egg hunt! We also did some egg decorating - Claire did color some, but then tried to eat the shell on one that had broken. All in all, a very fun day. We still have a ton of Easter candy. Chocolate is normally gone in a few days in our house, but when I'm pregnant chocolate isn't my go to treat like it usually is. Maybe that's a good thing...

Happy Easter!

Easter Morning

Easter Morning - with the first Easter basket where Claire is old enough to know something special is going on. I got her mostly books and an Elmo movie, a few things of candy thrown in which of course, in true Easter tradition, she wanted to eat for breakfast.

Uncle Nick's B-day

Matt's brother Nick came into town for his birthday and Easter weekend. He lives in Reno right now and is the only sibling out of five kids to live outside Las Vegas. We got together on Saturday for breakfast and presents. Side note: you might think it was a costume party from these pictures... the eye patch was part of a pirate gift bag and cousin Evie brought the Princess hat which Claire actually left on for a little while. Usually hats don't last more than 30 seconds.

Just Some Recent Cuteness

I finally had a day with no work and no meetings - so nice to just enjoy the family and hang out. I even had 30 whole minutes at the library by myself - lovely! Claire was being so cute and making the funniest faces yesterday, which of course I couldn't catch with the camera. She has this pouty face down pat! Such a faker. Here are some other random things of late.

Claire asks to sit on the toilet all the time now - I think it's a ploy to get out of doing something like take a bath or a nap, but I have to try every time she asks because I know the one time I don't she will really have to go.


Random Wednesday night visit to Town Square for some Claim Jumper (I never want to cook these days) and some fun on the playground.


Claire likes to sit with her dad and watch basketball, or her new Baby Can Read videos. I get a little jealous of all that cuddle time :)


She wants to do everything herself and just like the adults do - so eating this apple whole instead of in baby slices was quite the feat.