Sunday Jan 31, we took little missy to the Disney Playhouse Live show. I can't believe we did that sort of thing, but we record Little Einstens on the DVR and let Olivia watch the half hour shows sometimes. We all learn new things from each show so it's educational tv, as much as that is possible. So she really enjoyed seeing it live at this show. It's "illegal" to take photos of the show so here is the fuzzy out of focus contraband! Oooooo!

Here, Steve captured a beautiful winter sunset from our front deck . . . over the Puget Sound and showing the Olympic mountains in shadow.

In January Olivia made Chinese New Year dragon mask in her art class. These are the pictures teacher Alicia took. Can you find Olivia?

What a difference. Teacher Alicia also just sent some pictures she took back in September 2008. That day the kids did monkey masks. Can you find Olivia in these too?

We had a break in the rainy icky stuff so we got Olivia out riding her tricycle. Outdoors for the first time. She learned before Christmas how to pedal! It's been so exciting and I love to see the look of pride in her face.

And here is my little princess baby in her dressing gown (bath robe) and her now infamous "cheese" grin.

This is Olivia drawing at a rescheduled holiday lunch at a fancy nancy restaurant. She was such a good girl. The lunch was only for the ladies; we had to reschedule b/c of the crazy snow weather we had over the holidays.

Here are some of the pieces Olivia and I (mostly Olivia) have created in her art class.

For this turkey we traced her hands and foot to make the tail feathers and body. Gobble, gobble.

Christmas ornaments in the Christmas tree brances.

And we made this polar bear today using oil pastel crayons on black paper for the northern lights, and cotton balls on glue. Olivia is very proud of herself and she should be. She did most the work for all of these. I hope to post more later.

Olivia playing with her new sticky frogs. They are laughing and having a good time; and I am testing out the zoom on the video feature for our new camera.

And I think this camera does a pretty good job catching my little one in motion . . . constant motion.

The rainy weather is here. Puddles! (cell phone footage, sorry for quality)

Library computer play.
Princess in the bath.

Fun collecting the new fall leaves.

And a few coreopsis flowers still blooming.

Little one looking longingly at the swimming pool on vacation in Phoenix.

This was the really, really cold pool. We were able to spend most of our time at the warm pool, thank goodness.

Well, as I sit down to get online while Olivia is napping I am amazed. Today she came to me and said "No lunch today mommy. I want pajamas and milk now please." I couldn't believe that she told me so much AND that she wanted to skip lunch but most of all, I couldn't believe she admitted to wanting to nap!! Wow. Amazing. I think it is because we did her first Kindermusik class for this new session. She has a new teacher, Miss Katy, that I think will work out. Kindermusik is only as good as the teacher is engaging. Once last year we had a teacher who was not so animated and more on the quiet side and the kids lost interest. So I am relieved this teacher is so great. The class is so close to home I really wanted it to work out. On the days we are not running too late I can push Olivia in my new Bob stroller (which is my midlife crisis convertible car) or we can buzz over there in under 5 minutes by driving. I just love this town we live in. I don't want to drive anywhere else these days. Olivia doesn't get much car time at all. That has to be a good thing, right?
So back to her early nap b/c Kindermusik wore her out . . . Kindermusik wore her out! It always has. She just loves music and eats it up. It mesmerizes her. As soon as we get the CD it will be requested non stop.
Just yesterday I also signed Olivia up for 2 other classes. Now, I know what you are thinking. "Oh no, she is one of those parents. Pushing their kids and keeping them busy, busy, busy." Well, I, at first, said that might be too much. But I really think Olivia will LOVE these classes. She is so ready. And then there is the change in direction we took on her preschool. But more on that in a minute. Her classes that she will love: Doodles for tots were they get to do arts and craft projects to take home and a gymnastics class for 2 year olds. Both of these are also at the same place. In the winter time I am going to be so grateful for having somewhere fun to go in the mornings when it is icky outside. And these classes are about 45 minutes each. So I know it's not overload.
Ok, the preschool? Yeah, didn't like it one bit. We put money down (not much) to hold a spot in the summer because being that it was summer we couldn't go tour a preschool, which is the best way to pick a preschool I have been told (and am now a firm believer of). We went to the open house a week before school started and I couldn't believe the facility. Enough said. Anyways, this year I am going to do my due diligence and check out the preschools the right way. I am thinking I would like to do the co op thing, so I can be with Olivia because she is still soooooo young and little. Also most preschools don't take them until there 3 anyway. But co ops around here start at 2 years old. So maybe mid year we will try out preschool again. In the meantime it is fun classes!! yippee! I love the classes too.

Here is a video of Olivia and I baking multigrain biscuits. Btw, I love the mix we are using and highly recommend it. It's from Trader Joes and you can use it for pancakes, etc. For the biscuits no eggs where needed so I didn't have to worry about the raw egg issue like you would for cookies. I just love cooking with Olivia. I think I have more fun than anyone. Selfish me.