Our Easter "Weekend"

I guess you could say our "Easter weekend" really started the weekend before Easter on Palm Sunday. The weather was great, the company amazing, and the park beautiful. Well, okay, the park left a few things to be desired. Set in "the big city," it was a bit dirty. But it's the great outdoors--there's supposed to be dirt! What were we doing in "the city," you ask? Our friends Richard and Sarah took us on a surprise road trip to this place: Galco's Soda Pop Stop! Over 500 different kinds of soda pop--many that can't be found anywhere else in the country! In this picture, I've got a botanically brewed Fentiman's Curiosity Cola with a good ginger taste. Sarah's enjoying a lavender soda and both the guys have fancy root beers. (And yes, as you can see, Evelyn enjoyed her "drink" too much to join us for the photo!)

 

After lunch, Craig got down and dirty with Little Bird. They tried the swings at the playground, but what can I say--they were too far away from Mama to suit her taste!

 My sister and her husband joined us for Easter weekend, proper. Their first night in town, we took them to the nearby dog beach.

 It was pretty overcast, but made for a nice sunset. Once you got upwind of the sea lion carcass, that is.

 

Saturday was Evelyn's first ever swim lesson! I wish I could find her suit in my size! I also wish she would have enjoyed her class more. She didn't like getting water in her face and ears--which was unexpected because she likes splashing bath and sea water.

 

 Swim class (which she did NOT like) was followed by her first ever trip to the aquarium (which she DID like). It took her awhile to get over her fear, but once she realized the big scary fishes were locked behind impenetrable glass, she warmed right up to them!

  

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this would be the big scary fish that freaked her out by making eye contact. I was a little creeped out myself!

At the sea lion observation area. Thankfully, they were all alive! They liked swimming right past Evelyn put were too quick for the camera.

 Sea horses.

 And of course, a shot from Easter morning. We went to the sunrise service, which also meant we got stuck in a rain shower! But an Easter basket with a brand new baby doll was waiting for Evelyn when we got home. I think it made up for getting her face wet at the swim class.

Playmates

Every new stage that Evelyn hits is my "favorite." People say that "it goes too fast," and they're I get what they're saying--it does go really fast. But I tend to think it goes at just the right pace. Things change just before I get bored and just after I start looking for the next thing.

This current phase is, of course, the best. She's been crawling for a solid two months now, standing (with assistance) for about one month, and has been taking tentative steps (with assistance) for almost as long as she's been standing. Actually, she can stand without holding onto anything as long as she doesn't realize she's standing without holding onto anything. If she's got a toy in her hands, she's fine, but drop that toy and down she tumbles as well!

Perhaps because of her mobility, Evelyn also just loves to see friends. A small group meets in our home every Wednesday night and our social little butterfly just flits from person to person and baby to baby all night with one big grin on her face. Along with this mobile friendliness has come increased attempts at communication. She and her old pal Liam were gabbering it up just last week as we walked along the beach. As my friend Rachel said, they sounded like an "animal call and response" session!

Well, all of this has finally reached its pinnacle. Last night, Evelyn combined her increased mobility and language skills to locate our dog, Penny, crawl towards Penny, and SAY "Penny? Penny? Penny?"

Whoop whoop! That's right, ladies and gentlemen--her first definite, beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt word! Sure, she's done the "mama mama" thing. And she's done the "dada dada" thing. We even think she may have once said "nana nana" to a banana (not to her actual Nana, sorry!). But this blows all that out of the water. This morning, when Evelyn saw Penny in bed with us, she did the whole thing all over again. Penny is loving all the attention--so much so that she doesn't even mind the pokes, pushes, and pinches Evelyn heaps on her. Every time I think Penny's had enough, she comes right back to Evelyn for more.