Olivia's First Trip To Keeneland

We took Olivia for her first official trip to Keeneland on Sunday. It was Military Appreciation Day, so the family, including Uncle Rusty, met at Keeneland to bet on the ponies. Unfortunately the weather was atrocious, but it did not dampen our spirits! Olivia was so excited about the "horsies." She loved watching them race - I don't think she cared who won, as long as they ran as hard as they could. I couldn't keep her away and she kept me in stitches the entire time. I think she may have our blood in her after all. That is particularly true since we left poorer than we came - not surprising. Hope you enjoy the video!

No words...

More Easter 2009 Pictures

Doesn't everyone eat their Fruit Loops with 2 spoons?

Checking out the loot!

Olivia's Easter Basket

Easter Bunny Ears

Mom and Dad took a picture of Olivia in her Easter Bunny ears. I couldn't resist - I had to post it!

How Are You?

Mommy (just returned home from work)....

Olivia: Hi Mommy.

Mommy (exhausted and on autopilot): Hi Olivia, how are you?

Olivia: Fine Mommy. How are you?

Mommy (chuckling because this is the first time she has gotten an answer to the autopilot question from the munchkin): I am fine Olivia. Thank you for asking.

Olivia: Welcome Mommy. Love you.

(Hug.)

Awww. Just melts your heart. She is just growing up too fast.

Easter 2009

Smelling the tulips and daffodils (or what is left of them...)
You can tell from her basket that she has had some practice...
Grammie is "helping" because the eggs contained money. We are on to you Grammie!
Drawing on the concrete and practicing our colors...
Uncle Rusty and Memaw watching everyone hunt eggs!
Oh, the contrast. Olivia in her Easter dress and Mommy in her casual clothes...
Olivia just loved running around in her dress through the grass.
I thought this was very picturesque.
We had a wonderful Easter Sunday this past week. Uncle Rusty was supposed to fly in from Korea on Friday, but his flight was delayed. That in turn delayed our trip to Somerset. So Saturday morning Jeremy and I decided to take Olivia to see the Easter Bunny at Fayette Mall. She was so excited - she chanted "Easter Bunny!" or "Aster Beanie" (apparently her Uncle Chris's rendition of Easter Bunny when he was a small tike) all the way to the mall. She walked up to the Easter Bunny like a big girl, holding our hands and barely containing her excitement. We were so lucky - the line was only one family deep. Jeremy and I were crossing our fingers. The big moment came - Olivia's turn was up and she looked the Easter Bunny in the eyes (or knees) and said "no." She then looked at me, said "up" and "no, no." She absolutely refused to get into the Easter Bunny's lap, even if I sat with her. Oh well. Not surprised. But she did get a pair of bunny ears to wear around the mall, which she did with great pride screaming "Easter Bunny" for the rest of our trip. I wish I had a picture, but she tore the ears off before we made it home. She even reportedly told her Nana and Papaw that she took a picture with the Easter Bunny - I may have to have a talk with her about little fibs...

Uncle Rusty finally made it to Lexington on Saturday afternoon. Olivia was so excited to meet him at the airport with balloons! She was even more excited that he brought her a "Rusty-Dog" from Korea (a stuffed animal). It is her new favorite toy!

We were able to spend a gorgeous Easter Sunday together as a family. Unfortunately, I am embarrassed to report that for the first time in 30 years, I did not attend church. I am certain I am going to burn for that one. But seriously, who schedules only one Mass at 9:00 on Easter Sunday for the only Catholic Church within a 100 mile radius? Apparently someone who doesn't have a two year old that stayed up until 9:30 Saturday night after a day of excitement without a nap and a reluctant husband to push out the door. I am hoping God will forgive me (even if I admit that there was laziness on my part involved). Even though Jeremy and I didn't wear our church clothes, we made sure Olivia had a chance to twirl in her Easter dress. She looked adorable. She was a champ at hunting Easter eggs (something we have been working on for a couple of days with practice hunts around the house - I will try anything to keep her occupied). She also had a great time playing with her cousins Grayson and Jack. The bubbles and chalk were a big hit! Tanner and Cooper were a little too small to participate, but at least Olivia was distracted enough to let me hold the babies occasionally!

The Cousins

Olivia is not so good at sharing - particularly

when it comes to Winnie the Pooh...

But she will let bygones be bygones and be nice enough to give a

good night kiss to "Baby Coopie"...

Even though I know deep down she would

love to push him out of the limelight...

I don't think I can even convince her that he is...

Absolutely adorable - how could you not love this face?

Whose Child is This?

Not mine. Surely she is not my child. I think she gets this from her daddy...

Spring Awakening

There is nothing more precious than taking time to smell the roses (or daffodils)!

Stealing the Spotlight

Speaking of "Baby Coopie" stealing the spotlight, I had to post some new pictures of my little nephew. He is a doll and smiles the most of any baby I have ever seen. He is also quite pudgy - I almost posted a picture of the hamhock that we call his thigh, but I didn't think he would like that in about 15 or 16 years!

Growing Up

Can you believe that Olivia is almost 2?! She has grown up so fast. We have recently converted her crib to a toddler bed. There isn't much difference other than she can get out of the bed on her own. She really has done quite well with it, but I quickly realized that she was getting out of bed in the middle of the night, emptying her drawers and stringing diapers and pajamas over her room, playing with her stuffed animals (she only sleeps with a minimum of 4 each night that she INSISTS go to bed with her), and then reads her books in the dark, which is usually how I find her. Needless to say, we quickly dropped $200 on a video monitor to try to catch her in the act before allowing that to go on much longer. No need for any accidents, or the loss of any more sleep.

Olivia is also so much more vocal. As everyone told me it would, she literally learned 100 new words overnight. She speaks in full, but simple, sentences - noun, verb, and an occasionally adjective. She loves to mock what we say, so we have to be careful these days. If you know us, you know how difficult this can be. But I love hearing her talk and tell me what she wants. She is a little sponge and absorbs everything. She loves to get her jukebox that her Uncle Randy bought her for Christmas, turn it on, and twirl around the living room. But if she twirls too fast, she will turn to me and say "careful." At least she is listening! She has also absorbed our love for Wildcat Basketball (yes, even this season). Anytime any basketball game (or any game for that matter) is on the television, she pumps her arms up and down and yells "GO CATS!" She is quite the little cheerleader.

I am also continually amazed at how smart she is for her age (I know, every mother thinks this, but I can't help to be impressed). She knows her ABCs with just a few mistakes and will sing the song (well, at least every 4th letter). She can count to 5 and almost count to 10. She knows Ring Around the Rosie, Row Row Row Your Boat, Hush Little Baby, Old MacDonald, I'm A Little Teapot, Baa Baa Black Sheep, and many others (not all the words though, but she cuts in at the cutest times with a very off key voice).

Olivia is also very interested in babies right now. She carries her babies around the room singing them "Bye-O" which is my favorite lullaby. Some of you may know it as "Bye Bye Baby Bunting." She feeds the baby juice and milk (sometimes at the same time) and "burps" it by slinging the baby on her shoulder, hitting its back, and yelling "BURP!" I wish this had worked for me when she was a baby, although I think child protective services may have had something to say about it. She also loves to take them on a walk in their stroller. It is cute to watch her play a little mama. This is particularly prevalent when she hears her little cousin's name - "Baby Coopie" is her favorite subject - unless he is in the same room with her competing for attention. Then she wants nothing to do with him. I mean, how dare he steal her spotlight - as if!

Getting A Little Exercise

Wearing our pink hat and drinking some tea

No, no!

Some more recent spring days have spurred us to take a few walks to try to work off those Christmas and Valentine's Day calories. First, we have to have the proper gear. Jogging stroller - check. Juice - check. Foo-foops (aka Fruit Loops) - check. Katie and Sadie (stuffed dogs that we don't go anywhere without) - check as to Katie. Unfortunately there is no room for Sadie - she gets to go next time around. Whining - check. An official pink hat from the Cliffs (apparently if you play golf this is something special) - check. 45 minutes later - ready, set, walk!

Olivia loves walking, particularly where she gets to ride in the stroller and I do all the work. If I stop for a second, I hear "Walk, mama, walk!" from a very commanding voice. What do I do? I walk of course - I don't mess around with her. She also loves to yell at Jake and Maggie, who generally walk ahead of us with Jeremy as well. She is quite the taskmaster - everytime they use the bathroom, she tells them "no, no." If any of you own a male dog who likes to mark every blade of grass that we pass, you will appreciate how often I hear the word "no" during a 2 mile walk. I think she may grow up to be an aerobics instructor. Or a sergeant in the armed forces. Same thing, right?

The Castle In Versailles (Kentucky)

The Castle Post in Versailles, Kentucky

A view from the library

Chi-Omegas at heart (we had a few drinks

by this time in case you hadn't guessed)

We were lucky enough to be the first guests in the newly remodeled Castle Post in Versailles, Kentucky. Jeremy is on the board of the American Red Cross, as is my friend from work, Sasha, so when the opportunity arose, we jumped at it. Joey and Ellen Williams, as well as our own world traveler, Amy Wickliffe, were also able to join us. It was certainly the first, and probably the last time, that I will ever stay in a room that retails for $1,000 to $3,000 a night. Definitely an experience that I won't forget. There would be a group picture, but unfortunately, I am having computer problems tonight, so perhaps when I get that ironed out, I will edit the post - stay tuned. Enjoy!