A family of Olympic junkies

Audrey loves the Olympics too. Perhaps because it means the TV is on a lot more. But, we did find her trying to snowboard on her Duplo box top the other day.

I don't know what she actually was doing, but it sure does look like she is trying to snowboard. She even repeated the activity several times. And, snowboard cross had just been on TV, so clearly she was beginning her Olympic training at a young age.

Two video disclaimers
1) I am really annoying. I need to work on that.
2) She was fine after she fell, she got right up and was off.

Precious Moments

I need moments like these.

To remind my why it is worth it to miss moments like these.

Photo Credit Chris Switzer

Photo Credit Chris Switzer

Sometimes I miss derby in a painful, gut wrenching way. The sport, the people, the contact. All. Of. It. Well, maybe not the aches and pains. But the longing is real and intense.

But, I know I made the right choice because I get to put this sweet girl to bed more, and have more moments like these.

And I get to hang out with this amazing man more.

And we get to be a family more.

And that makes me really, really happy.

But that painful ache does remind me I need to get to practice to visit more often. That I have time for.

Little babies turn into little girls way before they should

I only wrote two posts in January. Fail. I resolve to do better in February.

So, here we go.

Audrey needs an update of what she is doing these days. Which is lots and lots of things.

Baby girl has become a big girl seemingly overnight. I don't even know where to begin, she has made so many leaps in the past month.

We'll start with physical progress. Audrey can run. Yep. Run. She's is deceptively fast and agile. It is a whole new ball game. She is also working on perfecting the skills of climbing and exercising zero caution. That girl has no fear, at all. This is not because we don't let natural consequences happen. She falls and bumps and bruises a lot. She just has a fearless personality. I have no idea where she got that from. Certainly not her mom or dad.

Anyway, physical advances in recent days include climbing in and out of her rocking chair. Standing in her rocking chair, we have mostly put an end to this but if no one is looking up she goes. Climbing in and out of the hidey-hole. Now that I padded it she rarely smashes her head, of course. Climbing in her toy basket. Climbing in the magazine rack. Climbing up to the slide and going down by herself at the play space. Do you see a theme here?

Audrey is also making large mental strides. We always have tried to talk to her in complete sentences and explain things. Which often gets comments about how she has no idea what we are saying anyway. I have always thought she may not, but she may. And when she does I want to be telling her what we are doing and why. Well guess what, she still doesn't say all that many words consistently, but she understands many, many words and sentences.

If one of us says "Audrey let's go change your diaper" she runs to her bedroom door and starts banging. If she picks up Shasta's toy and you tell her "Audrey, give Shasta her toy" she walks over and offers the toy to Shasta. If she is kneeling in her chair and you say "Audrey, turn around and sit on your bottom" she does. Well, at least most of the time. If she doesn't I say "Do you need help?" and then she almost always sits down. Point being, she understands A LOT more words than she can say.

So, parents out there keep talking to your littles. They understand more than you think and one day they will start responding with words or actions.