Easter (a little late)

As I was looking through posts and pictures, I realized I didn't post about Easter! I certainly can't miss that. It was the first "real" Easter for us- as in we dyed eggs, watched Easter cartoons on TV, and had an egg hunt outside. SO much fun. Frannie loved dying the eggs and did a darn good job for a two year old. She didn't catch on to the hunt at first but she got the hang of it after awhile. So much that the Easter bunny had to hide the eggs that she found - like Round Two. And of course best of all, she LOVED the Easter candy. Well, who doesn't. I had to hide my Cabury eggs so I didn't have to share. :)

Summer!

Yahoo! Another school year complete-now on to having fun. I'm so excited about this summer because 1-Frannie is just so much more into things and independent (to a point) that we are going to have lots to do and 2-she will be going to school 2-3 days a week so I will have some me time. I already have a mental list of all the things I need to get done.

Since the last post, we've been pretty busy with trips to Hayward, a visit to Grandma Joy's, and a camping trip to the Porcupine  Mts. The camping trip was awesome. Even the three hour drive went smoothly. We backpacked in a mile or so to a little camping cabin that Frannie called "The Tiny House"-which indeed it was very small, but fine for the amount of time we were in it. We were close to the lake so we walked there before dinner and again right away in the morning. Lots of spring flowers blooming and the best was NO BUGS. Heavenly.

We just returned from a visit with Ben and Alan in Hayward. Frannie loves them but acts shy and kinda coy around them. So funny to see her being loud and busy and then switch to on my lap and silent. But she always wanted to be in sight of them and watched Booboo in the kitchen while I picked up fish fry. 

She is basically potty trained at school but home is hit or miss. She is constantly singing and is developing her bossy side by the day. Today was "Momma sit down. Right Now!" Makes me think I may be a bit bossy myself..... She also has this occasional stutter right now. She'll get caught up on the "I, I, I....."as she's trying to come up with the correct words to make her sentence. I love her more every day.

Mother's Day

Cutest story from Mother's Day.....

A little background, Frannie had been bringing me stuff from school all that week so I knew they were talking lots about Mother's Day. This included a bag with a painted wooden bird in it which when I took it out of her backpack she says "Mine!" And I say "Ummm no that bag clearly says MOM on it"...but she opens it anyway and when she sees the bird, her eyes open wide and she says "My bird!" And I say "Ahhhh I think you made that for me for Mother's Day"....and she takes it and says "No. My bird," and off she went.

So the day arrives and after a yummy breakfast and great coffee, she says "Pee coming!" and we run into the bathroom. As she's sitting on the potty she looks at me and with no prompting or anything says, "Happy Mother's Day Momma". I died right there. So. Frickin.Cute.

Fun

Yikes- a month since the last post. Well after she got over being sick (from the last post) we had a solid three weeks of fun and then WHAM she was sick again. This one out of the blue and ended up being a double ear infection and possible pneumonia. It was scary going to the quick clinic only to have them say we needed to go to urgent care because her oxygen was low. Thankfully she's a trooper and is great at taking medicine so with a week of staying home and resting, she's back to her old spunky self. 

Actually, she's better than ever. We are having SO much fun right now. She talks up a storm, sings, dances, and always wants to be doing something. She loves the playground, throwing balls and rocks, digging in the dirt (this weekend she discovered worms and now each night since we have to go out and dig up some dirt to find a worm to examine), and is developing a great sense of humor.

She is also very close to being potty trained. She's better at it at school than home, but she has undies now and she loves wearing them. 

We had her spring "conference" last Friday and they said she knows all her colors, loves music and Spanish class, really gets into art and has great fine motor skills, and loves loves books.

The whining/crying over people in her space is improving so that's good news. She certainly tries the fake whiny cry at home and every now and then she digs in her heels with NO! But for the most part she's really very good and shows lots of love. We end each day with our nighttime routine of singing some songs and then saying "good night, love you, see you in the morning". Hearing her say that makes me smile no matter what...it's so stinking cute in her little cartoon voice.

Two

Dear Frannie,

You are now two. As I'm sure I will say in every year to come- this year was even better than the last and I can't believe how fast it went. You've gotten so big...24 pounds and 34 inches tall. And you are cuter by the minute. Now that you can talk (and sing) your personality is starting to really shine through. You are so full of life and spunk. Constantly on the move and always asking, "What's that?" You keep us on our toes and amaze us daily. Your smile is so genuine and pure and full of joy and I love to make you laugh. Caring and sensitive, you worry and are sad when anyone is crying and as of recently, you also are showing your stubborn, strong willed side. I've always said I wanted you to become a strong, independent woman- and you are on your way. You are the light if my life and anytime I think of the not so great stuff that may be happening, I remind myself how unbelievably lucky we are to have you. Thinking of you makes my day brighter. I love you!

Happy birthday......

Spring Break

This year's spring break happens to fall the week of Frannie turning two. Never too early to start celebrating the birth "week" rather than day. And it also just so happened that this week was also actually spring-like in regards to the weather. SO NICE OUT. Others may say this sounds crazy, but any temp over 30 feels balmy here right now and it's been in the 50's several days which is pert-near hot.

We have been outside daily building a snowman (which has already melted), walking and splashing in puddles, playing on the playground, sledding, and visiting the "farm" in Hayward. Frannie has figured out she loves eating snow, she can climb the stairs of the tall twisty slide by herself, she demands underdogs on the swing, and she likes going fast on the sled (but does not like snow in her face). 

Two of my favorite comments of the day were....

1- When we were at dads putting up the hoop greenhouse, Frannie wanted to go into the garden. When we got in (the beds still have some snow on them), she asked "Eat?" because the last time we were in there we could pick something and eat it. She walked over to the blueberry bushes and was so perplexed (and ticked) that there wasn't food there just waiting for her. So she settled for eating some snow off the bed where the carrots used to be.

2- There was a ladybug (Asian beetle) on the floor at dads which Frannie immediately shrieked Yucky! and stayed away from. Once I touched it and said it was ok, she got right down by it and gently nudged it along. It was walking away from her so she got her face down right next to it on the floor and whispered, "Turn around". Priceless.

What a great week it has been. We celebrated with Meme and Boppa and tomorrow Grandma Joy comes to go to the zoo. Sunday we celebrate with friends at the playground with cupcakes. 

A recap of that and my ode to Frannie at 2 to come shortly.....

Music

"Bass. Bass. No treble" This is what Frannie was repeating over and over this morning on our way to school. I asked if she was singing the "All about that bass" song. "Yeah". So I played it on my phone twice til we got to school.

She turns on the radio and dances around the house and loves holding our hands for Ring around the rosy and then we all fall down. And tonight she took out her keyboard and turned on a beat and started "playing" piano. She has even started playing her harmonica which is hilarious. 

After I put her to bed each night she'll sing something along with her talking...twinkle twinkle little star is the current favorite.