america's next top model

A few months ago Olivia was asked to be in a children's fashion show while we were shopping at Nordstroms. (have i mentioned how we may have a slight nordstrom problem around here) Well she killed it, girlfriend owned the runway and loved every minute of it. She was only 16 months at the time but she walked down that little catwalk like she had been doing it for years.

So a couple weeks ago when i received an email asking if we were interested to have Olivia be in the spring fashion show we jumped at the chance to do it again. We headed down to the mall and picked out her outfit for the big day and charged the cameras. And just as we suspected Liv stole the show. Standing in the back waiting for her turn to walk was torture for the poor girl, she just wanted to do her thing. And do her thing she did. She did her solo strut down and back and then for the last walk through she went twice. And then stayed at the end while everyone else walked off and danced for the audience. She is just too much!

daddy's girl

There is nothing sweeter to me than watching chris and liv play together. The laughs that ensue are are always heart melting. No one can make her laugh like christopher can. In fact, she laughs so much when she's with him that whenever she sees something funny, no matter where we are, she always says "haha daddy". 

Recently Chris was in the back having a catch when my brother, and Olivia couldn't miss out on the action. She ran inside to grab her glove and was so excited to play with her daddy. I'm not sure who was more excited, Olivia that she was playing with her daddy and uncle or Chris that his little girl was playing catch with him. 

 

where do these people come from?

This week i made a rather impromptu trip to the ER. While we were there we got quite the show. Somehow i must have missed the memo that says that you must be slightly..interesting to look at.. (it took me a while to think of a nice way of saying that) to visit the er. There were a few normal looking people, but for the most part? Complete whackados.

I don't get it. Where do these people come from? 

They come in groups too, like its the cool late night hangout. ("hey what are you doing tonight? want to come hang out in the er with me while i wait for some pain pills") And they run into people they know, and that's when you hear the fun stories of why they are there. Stories like their docs won't give them any more pain pills, so they have to go to different ER's. (true story). And then there is the group that came in followed by no less than 4 county cops. While i was in the triage waiting for a nurse, my impressive eavesdropping skills helped me to learn that a shooting victim was on his way in. This group had something to do with that, but i wasn't able to find what the connection was because his public defender that came in shortly after they did, kept them all at a whisper.
Seriously? I just want a doctor to tell me my heart is good and to go home and go to bed. I wasn't aware that a trip to the er was like watching an episode of a bad reality show.
Chris and I got in the car and just looked at each other. There were no words for what we had just experienced.  I hope it's a long, long time before we have to experience that again.

i don't know where she gets it

My little girl is a little bossy pants. Though she doesn't always have the words to tell you what exactly it is she wants you to do, she makes it known. And dammit you better listen, or else the wrath of liv is felt. She has looks that could kill, always has. It's her perfectly arched eyebrows i tell ya, they get her point across real quick. And with her bossy ways, we see these looks often. I don't know where she could have developed such a personality trait. I mean really, it's not like she could have gotten it from me, right?

And because the proof is in the pictures, here is the evidence

time to hit reset

Last week was kind of a blah week around here. I was in a stank mood until the sun came out on Thursday and turned things around for me. With my mood change however, came some slightly disheartening news on the job front for Chris, and we had a mood swap. We decided we needed to hit our reset button to help us turn somethings around in these parts. And we are lucky enough to have a place that just so happens to do that for both of us. The beach house, though its not exactly ours (it's my parents and we have full access to it) is a huge blessing in our lives. It always hits just the right spot being there.
I don't know if it's the salty air or what, but being at the beach can bring a calm over me like nothing else. Whether it is summer or not it has been my happy place for years and quickly became Chris' as well.

So off we went for a quick trip, just the three of us. And it was just what we needed.

 

We headed down Friday and after a quick stop at the outlets we went and saw the fishies in the canal, played at the park downtown, and chased seagulls on the beach while trying to convince Liv the water was too cold to swim in. And liv put on a little impromptu show on the bandstand in town. We had a yummy dinner and Chris and I called it a night before 10.

And thank god we did, because it turned into a long night. At about 2:30 i heard livvy down the hall screaming, normally i would let her calm herself down but since we weren't home, i went in to calm her down. She was extra clingy so we cuddled in the bed in her room and not a half hour later she woke me up throwing up. wonderful. Needless to say it was a long 12 hours and lots of wardrobe changes for her and i by the time she was feeling better. We decided to head home that evening to let her sleep in her own crib.

And even though our weekend away turned into a one night trip, it was well deserved and much needed. And I believe it is safe to say we have already begun to make Olivia a beach girl.

it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

I've been looking forward to today since it showed up on the 10 day weather forecast. 70 and sunny was just what I needed to snap out of the funk I'd been in. And when Liv woke up asking to go outside over and over again, I  knew it was going to be as good as I'd hoped.

We were outside playing by 8. Actually scratch that, Olivia was outside playing while I sat on the deck drinking my coffee and enjoying watching my pajama and tutu clad little girl run around in the early morning sun. It was so much more enjoyable than the usual hang out inside while watching the news routine we have going. 

Then we were off to Target for a much needed grocery/ clothes that fit Olivia run. 

And then off to the park. My girl loves the park. It actually makes me feel so proud that she knows where the park is, all that the park has, and that she loves it as much as she does, it must mean we go often enough. {we are there a few times a week after all}. Like usual, Olivia had a blast and I enjoy watching her enjoying herself. 

After almost an hour and a half we headed home for lunch and for some back yard fun with daddy. When liv woke up from her afternoon nap we had some more back yard fun and then went for a long walk around the neighborhood. 

Days don't come much better than today.