Happy Friday

People, we have had a great Friday already! This morning Cole and I attended a second birthday party for one of her friends. The party included traditions and food from both America and Argentinia. Before noon, Cole snacked on alfajores, icing, and candy from a piñata that she whacked. What a way to kick off the weekend! 

For the weekend, I want to share a bit of lighter fare: Jeffrey Bausch who was Pregnant Husband is now Daddy Newbie! I may be late to the game on this guy but I'm glad I've finally arrived. Peter and I have been laughing at his pages all week.  Also, cracking me up is Lyz, who is a funny, funny lady. She's a few weeks ahead me in her second pregnancy which makes her wildly relatable.

Georgia

Over the weekend we took a quick trip to Georgia. We left Friday afternoon and came back to Memphis on Sunday. It was our first road trip since last November. The drive went well considering Cole didn't sleep for more than 40 minutes in the car.  We had a few goals for our trip: visit family, attend a birthday party for Peter's oldest friend, Stuart, and determine whether or not another road trip will be feasible this fall.

Cole got to hang with her cousins on Saturday and Sunday. Last time we got them all together, I snapped a number of decent pictures of the group. This time, not so much. Guess you can't win 'em all! Maybe in November, when the grandchildren, who will be 3, 2, 1, and 0, are together again we will have better luck. I wouldn't hold your breath.

Cole, Peter and I went to Stuarts birthday party on Saturday night. It was so lovely. His wife, Anna, put together quite the shindig. She also asked that Peter not tell Stuart we were coming. I'd say he was really surprised! Anna nailed the details and made sure everyone was having a nice time. Cole was one of only two children at the party, but she didn't mind. In fact, she loved getting to be a tornado in their house!

It's an odd scenario to have such good friends that we rarely see. I'm grateful for technology that allows us to keep up with our distant friends and family. Cole actually gave her "Uncle" Stuart a big hug as we were leaving which was so sweet. She doesn't typically warm up to people that quickly. If only she knew how much the Days care for her...

Sunday we went to early church then let the cousins play again before we hit the road. Cole struggled in the church nursery, primarily due to the unfamiliarity. I count it such a blessing that Cole doesn't cry when we drop her off at our church nursery or school anymore! It took months for Cole to learn to trust the adults in charge in those situations.

Cole was all smiles as she took her cousins for a spin in the reclining chairs. While she explored new ways to play with the toys at her grandparents' house, she pressed through a range of emotions. Watching her learn to interact with new toys and people captivates my attention. I make an effort to hang back and let the kids work it out on there own (kind of like you would at the dog park) which leads to me frequently repeating, "Be a problem solver!"

All in all the trip was a success. We visited family, got to the party, and manged to develop a realistic expectation of what a road trip later this fall will look like. 

The Little Fish

Last week Cole and I participated in Miss Holly's Mommy & Me swim lessons. To no one's surprise, Cole loved it. Or at least most of it. Her favorite part of the lessons was going under water. She'd bob back up and ask for more. She also thought jumping in was a blast. She was a hair less keen on kicking and pretty much hated floating on her back.

During lessons, we learned that Cole still prefers to be taught by me, which is very typical for her age.  She clung tight whenever one of the teachers was near. Still, Miss Holly was a dream teacher and was able to give me great directions. I highly recommend Swimming Lessons With Holly. We'll be signing up again next summer!