Graduation!! (And some extra random pics)

Okay, I know this is more about me, but Mabel looked so darn cute in this dress



And this is just a nice one of me and me-ma



And, well this one has nothing to do with Mabel, but I liked it and didn't have anywhere else to post it (I thought Facebook was a bad idea), so ...



This was from Amelia's birthday party (I'm so embarrassed she wore the same dress)



This is Frances teaching Mabel yoga. It was so awesome and I have a sideways video too. Still trying to figure out how to rotate...


And, I thought photos of messes were getting old, until I saw this colossal one

Birthday!!

Well, I sure can't believe it, but she's 2!! We had a little party for her here. Just before the festivities (and immediately after her nap!) we let her see her big gift from mommy and daddy. Mabel approaches it gingerly.




And of course there was cake



Cake, cake!!

Mmmm, cake...



And presents


And if that wasn't enough, Mabel had this lollipop that helped her through all the stress of the party


And here is the video footage of the big moment

I've noticed that although I spent the first year of her life worrying that Mabel wouldn't reach developmental milestones on time, the second year has been more about preventing them. I don't want her to figure out how to take her clothes off, because that will probably lead to naked sprees through Target. I don't want her to climb too well, because that will lead to more knots on the head. I don't want her to learn how to speak correctly, because then I would lose one of the major sources of my amusement: Mabel's own special words for things and ways of saying them. My favorite of the moment is how, even though she once knew the "correct" order for numbers, she now consistently counts: one, two, three, five, six, eight, nine, ten, eleven, eight, nine, ten. She also doesn't completely understand the concept of counting so she frequently does this while looking at a book with say three bears, and moving her finger around and counting to 11. Then she'll smile proudly and exclaim "counting!" I'm sure I'll be very proud of her when she finally counts correctly and appropriately, but for now it just seems to much more fun this way.

Lots of videos of Mabel for you

Well, I'm making up for lost time here.

Mabel goofing off and just being Mabel





Eating Joe's O's and listening to Of Montreal



Playing trot trot with Aunt Andri






Ah, the terrible twos



Footage from the birthday party





This is from a party we went to with lots of kids. There was a smaller bouncing area for little kids, but Mabel insisted on going in the big one.

Lost Photos - Part 2

Okay, these weren't really lost, but on John's phone. Some more pictures from the past few months. Sorry they're kind of fuzzy.

Aunt Andri

Playing on the "rocking horse" (really a stone dog that doesn't move) with Nora
Hanging out with Amelia
Homemade 2 person go-cart - these girls are ready!
Leisure drive
Bike ride with Frances
Who did that?
The least fuzzy photo from a series of us babysitting Nora

The Lost Pictures

Finally found the old camera, so here are some pictures from the past few months:

Atlanta Snow Storm





This was from the weekend after the ice storm, when we had all been couped up for a week, and I knew I was going back to school soon. We decided we'd better have some fun. On Saturday, we went to Athens for the day. It is so amazing to see how kids can make fun out of anything. We thought getting out of town would be nice, but the most fun they had was at a parking lot:




The next day we went to The Yellow River Game Ranch. The last time Mabel had been there, she was about 6 weeks old, so it was pretty fun to see how different her reactions were this time.





Our winter trip to the Atlanta zoo

Circles




Mabel's a busy person, with too much on her plate and in her hands




More fun with plastic bags!


Mabel the football player