Copy Cat

She is my mini. She's been pushing the trolley cart, and helping me stir soups on a slow simmer for awhile now, but recently there's a new thing going on. She HAS to be the one to unlock the car doors when we go out into town to run errands, or find birds, or select bits of nature from the backyard to bring inside.

It's pretty endearing.
Now if only she could learn to use the potty, and enjoy having her teeth flossed we would be set.

Cristian headed out of town to check out some other stores today. That means we didn't get to eat lunch with him and that he'll be back much later tonight then usual. It's been FREEZING so we've mostly been indoors coloring, watching Where The Wild Things Are, and munching on blackberries. I'm hoping in a few minutes she'll decide a dream sounds good so I can start reading a new book I bought at a local book store.

If it gets sunny later we'll take a little walk and maybe head into town again to get some twine and rope to start my flower drying project. The next few days before our trip I want to relax, do lots of yoga, get in lots of snuggles with Violet, extra naps, and some alone time with Cristian. Getting to Australia will take a long time, and I want us to be as relaxed and happy as possible traveling over there, and to make as many happy memories as  possible with my mini.

7 Days

 I just tried home made peach salsa for the first time. I'm hooked.
I love the spiciness of the jalepeno's and chili's combined with the freshness of peaches right off the tree from my parents house. Totally delicious.

Our trip to Australia is coming up. This last week has been so stressful, trying to manage what items I need to pack up, attempting to get ahead  on our bills, wanting to deep clean the house before we leave so PERHAPS it won't be a total wreck when we get back home. All the stress has made me very impatient with both Violet and Cristian.
I've been trying to incorporate at least an hour of total solitude for myself every day to help with my stress levels. I've been taking hot baths with Epsom salts and soothing scrubs, looking up how to dry tulips, lavender,wild flowers and herbs on Pinterest (this will be one of my summer projects), going to the gym at night after Violet has gone to sleep, and carefully selecting several books to take on this trip, in case there is down time for that sort of thing.

I hope Violet enjoys this trip. In between the times we are wandering around cities, tasting local produce, skipping on beaches and dipping our toes in the ocean I have a few things to do just the two of us when we have small moments throughout the day. We will watercolor pineapples, and possibly print apple tote bags, paint our nails, glass stain suncatchers, and add items to a sensory journal I've created for her. I'm excited to share this experience with her. I am sad Cristian cannot accompany us and I will miss him dearly, but I'm looking at this trip as an opportunity to better get to know my baby girl and myself, to create some special moments between just the two of us, and to have a blast documentary this trip together for her doting daddy.

Sighs.
We will miss our main squeeze something fierce.
But it is time to nurture the wanderlust that has been steadily building since my last trip out of the country in  2009. A trip is long overdue and this opportunity came just in time to soothe my delightful and adventurous travel bug.

The sun has been shining on and off all day, teasing me and Violet. We wandered out into the backyard a few hours ago and were ambushed my glacial wind screaming out of the canyon, it was then I decided we were going to try out a new soup recipe I found on trusty Pinterest. 7 Vegetable Minestrone Soup. Speaking of which, I better get started on it.

 



Be My Valentine/Photos

 

::I would like to take just a minute to point out that Violet has been wearing a bow in her hair ALL DAY LONG and has yet to pull it out. This is a major accomplishment::

 



Violet and I are spending our Valentines Day at my job. So far we have colored, cleaned part of my parents house, played tea party (We bought her a tea set for Valentines Day and she absolutely loves it), spent time on the floor playing with some toys and Uncle Isaac, ate lunch (strawberries, cheese, eggs, and sliced up carrots), and now Isaac is napping while we watch Lilo and Stitch. This morning Cristian surprised both Violet and I with GIGANTIC supersized roses and a little love note. And we surprised HIM with a homemade Valentine card and some candies.

I love my two people so much.

I am so lucky.



::Home::

 

I love where we live, this old house has become our home and haven from such a crazy world. 

When I Forget

 

This is what happens when I bathe Violet, get her out of the bath and snuggly warm to go out and have an adventure somewhere and I FORGET to drain the tub. I turn my back for a second and this girl goes climbing into the tub fully clothed. What can you do? The girl loves her baths.

Little twerp :D

Snippets From Our Snow Day

Watercolors flowers and "kitties"

 



 

A snuggle session

 



 

Snowy days call for tasty tacos. Warm tortillas, lemon pepper chicken, spinach, beautiful radishes, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

She likes hers deconstructed.

 



 

A beautiful view.

And a freshly bathed Violet

 



A Few Videos

 

 

1. Violet in the bathtub trying to scoop up water to drink with a hair clip....

2. Violet enjoying playing with Tupperware and old egg noodles I found in the back of a cupboard.

3. Violet finding herself high-centered on the bathtub while trying to climb in (after I told her not to)

4. We took Violet to the Fun Park to play in the fun jungle gym they have there, she just wanted to dance to the music and check out all the arcade lights

Late Post (Jan 31st)

Violet is covered in pink frosting and delicately licking powdered sugar off her dainty fingers. She's had a fun afternoon spending time with her "Ma" making chocolate cupcakes, with mint neon pink frosting, and participating in Achievement Days.
I know she probably won't remember these times but I love taking pictures so she'll have photos of those experiences.

It makes me wish I remembered my grandmother a little better. I remember her being very gently and kind, she heaped tons of salt on her eggs and didn't mind us sneaking another tablespoon (or two) of Milo into our cold milk.

I remember she loved us.
Violet was her middle name ( well, one of her middle names).
I hope I can mold Violet into having similar qualities.