Watch and learn

What's the best way to enjoy peanut butter?  Straight from the jar on a spoon, just like Daddy eats it!

On the floor

Laine loves her time with Daddy!

Easter egg playdate

We got invited this afternoon to join Laine's good friend Evan for some post-Easter egg dyeing.  Laine helped out a little but mostly enjoyed making a mess and eating snacks.

Here are the finished products.

And some laughing and noisemaking made a perfect end to the afternoon.

Coloring or Organizing?

This morning I got out the crayons for Laine to draw some pictures.  Aside from reminding her not to eat the crayons several times, she did a great job being creative.  Before too long though she decided it was more fun to put the crayons back in the box, nice and neat.  You tell me: nature or nurture?

Afternoon playtime

Here's a glimpse of our afternoon:

Reasoning with a one-year-old

Last night we had a minor victory around our dinner table. Laine is a picky eater in that she will eat most things but only if she is in the mood. Sometimes she likes something, but other times she decides she will have nothing to do with it. Thankfully there are about 3 things that she always likes: raisins, cranberries, and tortilla chips. These are a treat to her! So last night we got her to eat her dinner (the same thing we were eating) by giving her small pieces of tortilla chips after eat bite. This was the first time she understood the concept of rewards, and it was really fun to see her figure out how she could get another piece of chip. Call it what you will, but at least she is eating with us and expanding the tastes that hit her sophisticated palette.

Spring cycling

Spring is supposed to be here, but the weather continues to surprise us.  We woke up Easter morning to a light snowfall!  Once the weather gets a little warmer I'm looking forward to getting back out on the bike.  Cycling is my favorite way to exercise, mostly because it doesn't feel like exercise to me.  I get lost in the pleasure of it - taking in my surroundings at a faster pace than walking.  Laine comes along with me sometimes, especially when I go to Forest Park or Creve Coeur Park.  They both have great trails that help me avoid car traffic.  I'm already looking forward to the day that Laine can ride a bike and join me on the road instead of behind me in the trailer.

Finally made a blog!

I finally broke down and created a blog. I tend to be a little slow to join the world of trends, and this follows that pattern. Hope you like it, and hope I stick with it!