Z is for Zebra

Laine and I squeezed in one last trip to the zoo this week before our departure for Greenville. We'll miss the free zoo and especially the free carousel rides. This will be one of the many things to look forward to upon our return.

Y is for Yoyo

Laine discovered the yoyo the other day... not too sure what to do with it though.

X is for X-Men

Penny and I love movies, and one of our quirks is that we like the X-men movies.  When I first met Penny I was a little skeptical of the comic book turned movie, but I have become a huge fan of this series.  If you haven't seen them, give them a chance - you might become a new fan too!

W is for Wet Weather

Everyone gets the rainy-day blues from time to time.

V is for Voice of Truth

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." - Rev 3:20

U is for Umbrella

This is our new umbrella and one of Laine's favorite words to say.  Our last umbrella got stolen from the Vinita Park library when we were checking out books in a downpour.  Thankfully a sweet lady offered to walk us to our car so we could stay relatively dry.  I was aiming for a gender neutral color in picking out this umbrella, but Penny says I missed the mark a little.  Sorry about that Penny - hope your friends don't pick on you too much for carrying a bright green umbrella!

T is for Tissue

Only those who know me really well know that I love tissues.  I'm actually somewhat addicted to them.  As a result I keep boxes stashed all over the house for easy access.  And my favorite brand is Puffs Plus Lotion, so when a cold comes along my nose does not go raw from wiping it.  The top box here got invaded by little hands - Laine loves tissues too!

S is for Slides and Smiles

We went to Tilles Park the other day, and Laine loved it.  They have a great playground, swing set, sandbox, and even water spouts.  Here's a glimpse of her enjoyment.

R is for Reefs

I recently invested in my second pair of Reef flip-flops. After wearing a pair of Rainbows for several summers, I determined that I preferred my brown Reefs over my black Rainbows. Penny is a passionate fan of Rainbows, so I had to give them a shot. But alas, my feet like Reefs better. The best part about all of this is that I found these Reefs online for half price. Can't beat a good deal!

Q is for Q-Tips

Who came up with these brilliant things?  And how did they get their name anyway?  Read about the best-selling cotton swab here.

P is for Parks and Playgrounds

One of the things I love about St. Louis is the abundance of parks.  You can normally find at least one park within a mile or two of wherever you are in the city.  And of course playgrounds are important too now that Laine can maneuver them better.  Our newest find this week is St. Vincent Park in Pagedale.  We went there last summer to enjoy the community pool/waterpark, but this time we checked out the walking trail and playground.  It is a nice park with a great path that leads through a pretty neighborhood and right onto UMSL's campus.  It was a nice change of pace from the parks that we normally frequent.

O is for Oatmeal

One of Laine's favorite breakfast options is oatmeal.  And these days she is very adamant about feeding herself with her spoon (or her fingers).  As you can tell by the way she is holding this spoon, a lot tends to fall on her bib, the floor, the place-mat, etc.  All in all she seems to get plenty in her tummy to keep her full for the morning. 

N is for Nature

As I was out walking today I noticed all the brilliant colors of spring that are finally cutting through the chill of winter.  This purple colored tree in particular has caught my attention this year, mostly because it seems to grow in some of the most unlikely places.  I have seen it along the highways in the less than attractive areas of town and peaking out in seemingly unplanned forest landscapes.  Does anyone know what this tree is?  I don't think it is a dogwood, a pear tree, or wisteria but I could be wrong.

M is for Mac

We are a Mac family. What else is there to say about that?

L is for Library Books

Laine loves to read these days, and the library has been a great source of fresh pages to turn.  Our library is only a mile away, and it seems to have a good selection of board books, especially those with flaps and touch-and-feel sections.  As you can tell from this stack of books we are also becoming exposed to Corduroy and all his adventures.

K is for Koko

Koko is Laine's lovie or security blanket.  She originally got that name because when we first introduced her to Laine I thought that she looked a little bit like a koala.  I've since been corrected that she is a lamb, but the name stuck.  Thankfully we have two Kokos, so when one gets dirty we can pull out the other without any trauma at bedtime.

J is for John

That's right, Penny's real name is John, an oft-overlooked bit of information.  In fact, Penny reminded me of this when I asked him what I should use for my J picture!  Here he is at his morning routine: enjoying cereal, coffee, and the Word for a few minutes before leaving for school.  Laine often catches him at this point when she comes running out of her room in the morning saying, "Daddy!"

I is for Ice Cream

The other day Penny asked me what I would choose as my meal if I had to eat the same thing for dinner every day for the rest of my life.  After thinking about it quickly (and clarifying that there could be no health detriments as a result) I said it would be ice cream!  I love it any time I can enjoy it.

H is for Hand Wash

I woke up this morning to a sink full of dishes that needed to be washed by hand.  A dishwasher is one of those small conveniences of life that we are without right now.  We don't normally let the dishes pile up too much, but every now and then we just let it go until the next day.  Thankfully my wonderful husband has taken it upon himself to be the primary dish washer of the house.  Thanks Penny!

G is for Garden

Laine and I had a great time at the botanical gardens the other morning. It was our first time checking out the children's area, and she enjoyed climbing the rope bridge and going down the slides. Afterward we "stopped to smell the flowers" where Laine very gently took in all the colors (a big improvement from picking the flowers!)