Welcome, Alfie and Carin!

First of all, let me just say that I failed at taking pictures of Mia with her grandparents. Mission: failed. Nevertheless, we were so excited that Leigh's dad and stepmom came to visit us for the very first time! They moved to New Mexico this year and so we're hoping to see them more often now.

Mia and I went to pick them up at the airport. Let me just say this: do not take a 2-year-old to the airport. Don't do it. Ever. Two-year-olds are fast and they have no regard for "DO NOT ENTER" signs. I was terrified she'd escape and flee through security and then be tackled by the TSA. It was honestly the first time as a mother that I wished I had a leash.

But thank god - thank god! - she was distracted by the pay phone for a long time.


Then it turns out that we didn't show up at the right time, so Alfie and Carin rented a car and went to the hotel. Leigh took off a half day and we spent the afternoon visiting downtown and seeing the sights. We stopped at Alfie's favorite place: Bass Pro. Leigh and I discovered this:


Why yes that is camouflage lingerie. Classy. Then we all went to Pops, a fantastic restaurant on Route 66, for Mia's birthday dinner. She enjoyed the hot dog. I enjoyed the 10 minutes she was still.

A birthday column

I wrote a column about Mia's second birthday and it ran today. You can click here to read it. Thank you, Aunt Debbie, for taking the photo that ran with the story. Such a beautiful, sweet photo. It's one of my favorites.

The perfect gift

My dad and Nancy found the absolutely best, most hilarious birthday present for Mia ever. A vacuum. A tiny, real-life, wee baby vacuum. That really works. I uploaded this video without sound because it's crazy loud, which Mia thinks is fantastic.

Future marching band member

The karate kid!

Oh, the fair

We ventured out to the fair for one last time. I had to work, so Leigh and Mia met me out there. They walked with me while I visited different vendors and asked them how things went this year. On our way out, Leigh and I were talking about how next year Mia will want to actually ride the rides. Then we saw this: a huge, creepy monster that you walk through (I think).

Fingers crossed that it won't be back next year.

A new doll to hug

Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa, for the doll. Needless to say, Mia loves her.

A night at the zoo

Every year the zoo has a special night for members where they open in the evening and offer free rides and activities. You know we had to go to that.


We took Mia on the carousel, which she's ridden once before. This was how excited she was about it.


Not a smile. Not a smirk. Only the face of indifference. We rode around and around until the ride finally stopped. Leigh and I hopped down and then pulled Mia off with us. That's when things went awry. Apparently her face of pure joy is the same as her face of complete apathy. She cried her face off.


We had to quickly move on from the carousel and see the animals and everything else. Mia had fun playing on all the little statues.


And so did Leigh.

Straws as weapons

Mia has discovered how to use a straw to fling water. Excellent.

Sleep time

Mia woke up crying in the middle of the night, so I brought her to bed with us, a rarity for us. It was nice to snuggle.

Three years ago today

It's been a busy, fantastic three years! Our wedding was such a wonderful day. :)

Hoodie season

A cake for the Sooners

Even though we really have no emotional attachment to Florida State or the University of Oklahoma, Leigh and I enjoyed making this cake and taking it to our friends' OU-FSU watch party. The Sooners won.

Chickens and the fair

We took Mia to the fair! I think I was much more excited about this than Leigh or Mia, who pretty much sat in her stroller and leered at everything. Jill came with us, which was fun. Mia pet a chick, saw day-old piglets and enjoyed watching all the crazy people at the fair. She seemed slightly disturbed by the exotic chicken exhibit, but I think that's because the chickens kept attacking each other.

We only spent time with the agriculture exhibits and avoided the food and rides this time. (We're going back again, though, so we'll see what happens.) I wrote a column about what we learned. Click here to read it.

Tiny towers

Fore!

So one of Leigh's friends gave him a pitching wedge. Very nice of him. So Leigh puts it in the car to bring it home. Guess who finds it and turns it into a weapon of doom?

Rub-a-dub

Eat it - don't wear it

Sometimes you don't feel like eating ham for a bedtime snack. So you wear it.


Then you call Lady Gaga and give her your costume idea.

If the parents' shoes fit ...