She loves to wear her daddy's stinky cap!

She's an enigma...loves her dangle earrings...and her daddy's baseball cap! So that's one angle with Wendy, the other is that lately, she grabs something, like a green square toy, and tells me emphatically, "This is a green square, Mommeeee, this is NOT a yellow triangle!"

Wendy and Ava at their Daddys' Softball Game!

This is the little girl who lives across the street, and now they get to play together as their pops play ball together!

Two Pretty Doll-Players

Hayden is the only other lil' girl we know who likes to play "momma" to her dollies. The two of them were so cute feeding their babies ba-bas!

Wendy's 2 Year Check Up

Have y'all seen Waiting for Gufman?

So, so, so funny.

My little girl got these clip-on earrings at her birthday party. After the crowd left, I offered to put them on her in front of my friend, Julie, who said, "Watch her take them off right away," as normal toddlers do, right? I clipped them on, held her up to see herself in the mirror, and she then proceeded to walk around the house extremely carefully so as not to allow one of those dangles to fall to the floor. She is my lil' miss priss! She didn't even smile, because I think she was afraid it would cause one to snap off. She would occasionally tap a finger on one to make sure it was still there. Awwwww!

Wendy Lynn Turns Two

Reflecting on the past two years of her life...


I gotta admit it--I chose Care Bears for her cake cuz I thought they were oh-so-cute when I was growing up! She actually blew out her candle!

This is the moon bounce that Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Tiffany and Uncle Chris paid for...THANK YOU!!!

Her loot...

Making sure her new toy has good reception.
"Oh boy! Just what I always WANTED!"




---Goodie bags for the boys and girls~~~"garden girl" sunglasses, Pooh Bear or Tinker Bell crayons, stretchy heart-dudes, lolly pops, candy bracelets, bouncy athletic balls, etc. I had a ball putting them together too.

Coco Etc.

Before we left for Houston, Miss Girlfriend asked for make-up. She growled and insisted. Ah, a glimpse of my daughter as a young lady....(Please don't grow up too fast.)

Back to the more recent past, Wendy and I had a ball in La Vernia with his family. They threw a marvelous party for her complete with a darling cake made by Tiffany. She actually made decorated cookies on sticks as they do with cookie bouquets! They popped up out of dirt cake, which is one of my favorite guilty pleasures because it's made with whipped cream, butter, vanilla pudding, confectioners sugar, and oreo cookies. Yeah, it's good. James' dad looks great. He's got color in his cheeks and it's just such a blessing that he's doing well with his new heart. His mom is doing well too now, recovering from her hip surgery. Tiffany and Chris are a darling newly wed couple, and their business is doing very well. They enjoyed playing with Wendy. Wendy's sweet great grandmother Alma enjoyed her too, even though Wendy accidentally closed a door on her poor fingers!!! My last evening was spent with my best friend from A&M, Nicole. She picked me up and we went to Coco Chocolate Lounge and Bistro in San Antonio. Hello. Such a girl's Heaven! We sat in a red velvet tufted thrown booth, sipped martinis and "wine flights," and devoured breaded brie, candied raspberries and toasted peanuts. The owner is a Frenchman, and below is his "business card." Girls, if ever in San Antonio, go to Coco. Seriously.

It's a pen.

Houston Trip

"We've...had the time of our lives!"
It's been a fantastic trip so far for the two of us gals, although we miss James a bunch. I didn't bring my camera, so these were taken by my dad. I won't be able to take pics of my trip to La Vernia (we head that way tomorrow), but I'll be sure to journal about it once I return home to Vancouver. Okay, so these days here in Houston have been all about reuniting with family and friends. First, I ADORE my new niece, Mary Ellen! She's amazingly cuddly and pretty as pie! I am in love. She curled up on my chest, the way I wish Wendy would have. I hope I get a cuddly one someday. Wendy's spent quality time with her great grandmother, Ruth, Aunt Karen (who MADE that fab. birthday cake for her!), Uncle Dan, Aunt Missy, Silly Uncle Walker, Aunt Stephanie, Uncle Sean and all of the cousins including "boy scouts" Devon, Wesley and Victor, Shepherd, Eva Rose, Maggie, Ike, Hattie, oh, and cousin Luke too, whose birthday party we'll attend this evening! So, Wendy's birthday party here was oh so fun. Sweet Katie gifted the gal with oodles of fun clothes! Wendy and the kids all ran around with water guns, Strawberry Shortcake sunglasses and candy necklaces. We adults ate gobs of pizza, cake, etc. Lots of catching up and lots of leisure. We girls were up to other things as well, like play dates with cousin Hattie, I went to the Outback Steakhouse with Katie, got to watch her take glorious baby pics of Mary Ellen, etc, etc, etc. I am gonna miss everyone here. That is certain....Boo hoooooo!

Mary Ellen is the Newest Star!

Mary Ellen was born to my brother, Sean, and his beautiful wife, Stephanie, a few days ago, and she is so precious and so lovely, and I just can't wait to hold her in my own arms when Wendy and I go home to see my family in two days! As soon as our friend, Katie, shoots her debut modeling session, I'm gonna get me a picture for our celebrity wall (below). I still needs pics of some of my girlfriends' kiddos, but I've quite a collection already! Wendy knows all of these little critters by name and loves them each. I am so glad I finally figured out how to post this picture of Mary Ellen onto my blogspot from the e-mail I'd received. I had to try different ways, but here she is!

Early School Lessons

Today Wendy drew a "W" and then proudly announced, "double U!" She knows most of her alphabet (not in order, not the song except "abcd"), but she knows most of the letters. She also knows star, heart, and triangle for sure. What kills me though is that girlfriend's actually got a sense of direction, and it's clear that she does, and I SO do not! We were driving to IHOP, but it's close to Cafe Sip N' Play, so she said, "Going to Sip N' PLAY!" So, we did of course take her. Then, while walking on the OTHER side of our neighborhood, we were even with my girlfriend, Lisa's, house, and Wendy insisted, "Go to Lisa's HOUSE!" The houses in our hood all kind of look the same, so it just amazes me that she is aware of particulars spacially. She must get that from my father and James' father, who both have excellent senses of direction. My dad was a navigator for the Navy, so I guessed it skipped my generation and nabbed the Woo Loo. Yoo HOO! It was so funny. While reading to her on the couch, we had her soft pink blanky on our laps, and she goes, "I'm so cozy!"

Above is Wendy's "W." It was the first thing she drew, then she scribbled around it.

Katie is awesome.

Katie did it again. She broke her own record of making the world's dang-darn cutest invitations! This is Wendy's for her 2nd birthday party!

Ribbon Tree

I made this, not long ago, for Wendy's Big-Girl Room. Her colors will be pink and green, as you can see. When I was a little girl growing up in Japan, my mom took me to a warehouse where they were selling Chinese rugs. She and I selected one for my room. It was in my room for 20 plus years. Never had been professionally cleaned. So, James took it to Ateah (sp?) Brothers, and we discovered that the flowers are a lovely vibrant pink and green, so we got bedding at IKEA, a toddler bed yet to be assembled, and will paint the walls green. The wall display will be a surprise. I'll post pictures of it when it's done.

Some days are more exciting than others!

Just catching up, here are some fun shots from Wendy's neighbor-friend, Ava's, 2nd birthday party (she's the one in the dress), and yesterday's Mommy and Wendy trip to OMSI (museum with fabulous kid-play areas). Some days are just more exciting than others!~~~~~~~~In this first shot, Rowan and Ava were arguing over who would push Wendy, but Wendy didn't care cuz she was being pushed!
We have a lot of neighbors with kids around Wendy's age, so we hope for a good fun turnout at Wendy's party this year.
See, I'm not lying!
There are three children in this swimming pool of balls. Can you find them?

Wendy playing at the water activity stations.
Wendy making a "rhino" with playdough.

I got me a wild one!

When I ask Wendy to smile for the camera, this is what she does. Silly girl.

We have a doll-player.

Yuppers, we do indeed have a doll-player. She loves to set up her "dolly dolls" and gather up play food and bowls with spoons, and watch them picnic. She also loves to wrap them in blankets, or napkins (at restaurants), and put them down for naps. But lately, her number one thing to do with her dolly dolls is put them in time out and make them say they're sorry. Funny girl. She's growing up so fast. She's talking well, in full sentences. She's using words appropriately, words I didn't even know she knows! Daddy asked her if she wanted to go with him to the park last night, and of course she did, so he told her to get her shoes. She runs into the kitchen looking for them, returns without them and says to me, "Where are my shoes? I need my shoes!" She found Pooh's red shirt in our toy basket, so she brought it over to me and said, "I found Pooh Bear's shirt in basket!" If she doesn't like something she tastes, she spits it out (lovely) and says, "I don't LIKE it! Green bean bye bye!" and hands it to me along with the "yucky messies" she rubs off her face and wipes on my hand. She's getting hard to manage though. These last 4 days she's been whiney. Will not wait in lines well, cries, screams and has zero patience. Ugh, wears me out! But she's more loving and huggy too. So, I guess it's an ever-surprising evolution. We love her so.

"Wendy's First Love"

Yes, she really, truly does love Daddy this much.

This series was snapped at our favorite Portland Thai restaurant last night.