Playgrounds and Chocolate...Life is Good.

Okay, the first time I took Kate to the park near our house, she wanted nothing to do with it. The bark on the ground gave her the heebie-jeebies, and the whole experience seemed to be overwhelming...particulary the swings. She did not want me to let go of her (or visa versa). Well 3 months later, she's a new woman. I mean, this is a girl who walks on grass, for heaven's sake.

A few days ago, we met Colton and his 2nd grade class at the park a couple blocks from our house, for a picnic. After all the kids left, Kate and I were the only ones in the entire park...and it's a big park! I put her in the swing, and no height seemed to frighten her. At one point, she closes her eyes and leans her head waaay back...swing, swing, swing...and lets go with her hands, her arms straight out to the side.

She looked so free...I wanted to be her at that moment, feel what she was feeling...the warm, almost-summer breeze, and the swing rocking, rocking with a quiet squeak as it went back and forth. I think it's safe to say, she likes the swing.




Kate is definitely a candidate for sunscreen. When we were in China, if anyone commented on her being pretty, it was always in relation to her very light skin. To the Chinese, the paler the skin, the more beautiful. Someone told her she had skin as pale as a moonbeam. I thought that was lovely.














Kate said, "Hi Mama" when I took this picture...not very clearly, but I understood her.

















You're pretty little when your head doesn't even touch the bottom of the swing!






















higher, HIGHER!







WOOOOHOOOOOO...No hands!












I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here..chocolate chip cookies at the bay, licking the brownie mix spatula at home...yes,
life is good. :)

Kevin's work party

Kevin had a work party down at the bay Saturday. Thank goodness I ran back upstairs to grab sweaters and sweatshirts, because it was very breezy down there. Well, there were hot dogs and lemonade and potato salad, but Kate discovered the chocolate chip cookies. They looked home-made and were very yummy. Kate agreed.










It's funny how even on a breezy day, if you put a chocolate chip cookie on the cement picnic table, it's warm enough to melt the chips.








Baby wipe, please?





This picture was from today (Monday) Kate is a bit under the weather, with a mild fever. She's been very clingy and grumpy, and didn't eat well at all this morning. At lunch however, she ate pretty, well, then promptly fell asleep, with a piece of bagel in her hand. I couldn't resist taking her picture, before getting her down.

I wiped her off and scooped her up and she looked up at me just for a moment, and closed her eyes again. I don't get to hold her asleep very often. (She is only able to sleep in her crib. If I hold her, she will just stay awake!) I relished looking down at her sleeping face, all nuzzled against me.

Kate at Home

I couldn't decide which of these pictures to take out, so they're all here...Kate 3 wks. post surgery, at home in the backyard, and gettin' comfortable in her new high chair. Until we go back on a regular diet, there's not a whole lotta eatin' goin' on in that chair, but she did seem to be enjoying some soft scrambled eggs. :)




I love, love, love this picture...her little pink sweater, her hair, the gentle look on her face.







Oooohh! I just wanna kiss that face!







What is this?? LOL!









I look at this picture and I can see her Chinese mother, her father, and even her grandparents looking back at me. I truly wish I had some way to let them know she was well, and loved.






Little cutie baby.









I think this is when I feel "bonded" to her the most, when she smiles at me like this.