I Do It or "Ahma Self"

Alice has more and more "ahma self" (translation: all by myself) moments these days. She's getting so independent! Mark and I are trying to teach all sorts of important lessons and though they aren't always in practice we know she gets it:
Alice takes babydoll Cara's hand and Cara will pet Jackson while Alice says "gentle".
Today she was fussing for pretzels so I told her I didn't understand the whining and she said, "Okay! Pretzel Please!" with a happy face.
Alice isn't a good vegetable eater. She'll try something, spit it out and say, "No kankou" (no thank you).
Baby Cara was sad on our stroller ride so Alice held her and sang Amazing Grace. What a sweet mama to her doll!

Alice's biggest baby, Sawyer, with guard dog Jackson

"Strawber-ery" Picking
There were lots of "I do it" comments throughout the farm trip.

Sawyer's getting strong and enjoying time with baby(doll) Cara.

Cousins

aunts, uncles & grandparents

I love my babies

Out & About

 Cinco de Derby:

There were four families with twelve kids under age 7 together for Mexican food and the Kentucky Derby viewing. What a treat!! Alice loved jumping with the girls on the trampoline.

  

Birds' House:

Mark and I became friends with the Nate and Anna in Boston at a Couples Without Kids function. We've come a long way--in distance and in kid count. S is older than Alice by 3 months and L is older than Sawyer by only a week. It's a delight to spend the day with them every few months to let the mamas catch up, kids play, and men do some project around the house :)

Our late Spring and Summer days will be spent around Baltimore/DC. If you're here, passing through, or want to come we'd love to see you!

Around the House at 22 months and 2 months

 Sawyer weighed in at 13lb 3oz and 25 inches at eight weeks. We've got a big healthy boy at our house! He's smiling, cooing, and even given us many 6 hour nights and a couple 8 hour nights in the last two weeks. He's noticeably quieter and less schedule-driven than Alice at the same age. He's a keeper, as our friend says.

Alice is a singing, talking, book-reading, doll-loving, outside-adventuring mess. Things are "delicious", "cute", "sad", etc, etc. She's putting sentences and ideas together well and it's amazing what she understands. She counts, puts together puzzles, "sits in sun" outside to watch school buses drive by our yard in the afternoon. She's fun and keeps me busy!