Children's Museum

We took a family trip to the Children's Museum of Acadiana this week. Caroline is getting old enough to really like to play around other kids, and she really loved this place. I can't tell you how many times she looked at us and smiled, like she couldn't believe how much fun it all was.

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Cooking in the "restaurant":

Driving the "ambulance". They actually have a "hollowed out" full size ambulance there. It'll be a while before she's driving...as you can see she isn't even sure where to sit!

Shopping in the grocery store. Look at how cute the little cart was. This was right up her alley. Notice the little "list" she's holding. 'Ya think she's seen mommy do that one or a hundred times?? She also loved the cash registers!


Bubble land. This was, by far, her favorite part. I think she could have stayed there forever. She just kept on making bubbles and waving that little wand around. It must be popular, because they actually post their bubble "recipe" online here.

In this area, you could stand and raise a circular tube around you that would encase you in a giant bubble. Caroline wasn't all about standing still and letting that happen, but her daddy had some fun with it.

After the museum, we took a walk to check out the fountains at Parc Sans Souci. Caroline had a blast watching the watter and even getting a little wet. It was, though, approaching both lunch time and nap time, and we had to get the show on the road. Anyone in the vicinity of downtown on Friday at lunch time might have heard what happened shortly after the following photo was snapped.

Not pictured: Kevin carrying one kicking, screaming, hitting toddler back to the truck.

Swimming and Working

In an effort to continue celebrating summer, we broke out the "kiddie pool" and let Caroline have her first water frolick of the summer. She put on her "big girl" swimsuit, courtesy of Aunt Kathy, and went to town.


Because the pool probably reminded her of mom's oasis, the excitement didn't last long. However, soon Caroline realized that taking the water OUT of the pool could be pretty fun. And she did. Cup by cup. She's a pro-transferrer (remember the sand box)?
So, I'm just sitting around snapping pictures and just enjoying watching Caroline play. According to Kevin, I do not do this enough. I, instead, start to do this and that outside and pretty soon I forget I'm even watching Caroline and become intent on getting things done. So, I'm determined that I'm going to just sit on this day. It was that determination that led me to the idea that I could actually get Caroline to pour the water *into* the plants that desperately needed to be watered.
You will notice in the picture, Kevin is totally enjoying the moment. In fact, I told him he was in the background of the shot, so he wanted you all to see "his guns". Hope you enjoy that show! She was doing a GREAT job. Watering all the dead plants that I haven't had time to deal with lately. And then she became my hero. She, with one little smile, one little pull of her daddy's hand, one little blink of her eyes, got her daddy up and working with her. She was in heaven. A woman with a mission, and a man to help.

And that is how I enjoyed just sitting and being in "the moment" today. And got my plants watered as a bonus!

Mommy Time

So while Caroline and daddy were playing on the floor, I wrote a little message to her:

She took it and immediately started working on a return message to me:

With a face like this, I could hardly wait to see what she was making me...

::THE FINISHED PRODUCT::

Make of it what you will, but I read all sorts of loving things into it! And I'm keeping it to show her during the "terrible teens"!

Daddy Time

Things finally are beginning to calm down. On the night I took these, I realized how long it had been since we had all gotten on the floor to play at night. I know this is one of Caroline's favorite things. I couldn't resist getting some shots of her and her daddy.