Look-a-likes

Daddy's of daughters often get to do things they said they never would. Putting on a Hannah Montana wig ranked pretty low on Donald's list of fun, but anything for his little girl, right? For any skeptic left out there, this is photographic proof Donald cloned himself with Coco. I think the cheap wig balances the scale all while showcasing Donald's more feminine (and silly) side.

Uncle Dave is home!

World's Greatest Uncles...Dave & Cory!

Wow - what a wonderful surprise we had Sunday morning! Uncle Dave traveled all night to see us. Considering he hasn't been home in nearly 2 years, this is terribly exciting. Strangely enough, it doesn't seem as if he's been away more than a week or so. That's what family is though...always there and always your real "home." Selfishly, I'm happy for Coco to learn that Mommy really isn't crazy and that the 'Uncle Dave' I've been telling her about is a real person. She is usually quite trepidatious when it comes to new people, but she seems to know Uncle Dave is special. She's taken him in and now even ignores him at will just like the rest of us!

Shushu we love you!

Coco has a dear friend named Lucy whom she lovingly calls Shushu. Lucy is 9 months older and extremely tolerant of her appointed nickname. One day, I heard Coco calling for Shushu and rather than ignoring her, Lucy replies, "Shushu's right here!" They absolutely crack me up when they're together. Like most toddlers, their relationship could be described as sometimes volatile. One minute a hug, the next maybe a tear. The last photo is probably a sign of things to come. As is often quoted, 2 heads are better than 1 and while it's true in problem-solving it's also true in trouble-finding. I watched them for at least 2 minutes playing with a cup of ice and the coke machine. To whomever is next to purchase a soda from this machine, watch out for the big splash when your drink lands!

Build-A- Bear was a Bust

We "first-time Moms" often have to learn things the hard way and our poor first children are the guinea pigs. I wasn't sure Coco was really old enough to appreciate a $30 hand-selected, personally stuffed and stitched teddy bear, but I was naive enough to risk it. We went to Build-A-Bear with my sister and her children Saturday...what an adventure. Just when I think my little angel is a "big girl," she reminds me that she really is still just a baby (in the grand scheme). If the limp bears weren't enough to freak her out, the stuffing machine and strange little guy sewing it up sent her over the edge. As you can see from a couple of the pics, there were some smiles among the tears, even though they had nothing to do with the bear I made. We did survive the journey and came home with a precious princess teddy bear to forever commemorate the day. I think I will always look at that bear and be reminded to cherish whatever stage of life she is in and, however hard it may be, never push her to be bigger than she really is.

Here We Go

I've finally decided to do a personal blog. Until recently, I've been so consumed with the freckled frog, it's move and it's blog, I have put creating one for our family on the back burner. Honestly, a real part of my motivation is that I can turn every 5 minute post into a replacement for a 30 minute scrapbook page and absolve myself of the guilt that I don't really like to scrapbook. Aren't all good mothers riddled with self-inflicted guilt of some sort? At any rate, I'm excited to get this blog put together and look forward to sharing our simple life with my nearest and dearest.