Getting over it

Friday morning, Phoebe and I decided to head to the Children's Museum - since it was back to being cold outside, the parks would have to wait another week. We had a repairman coming to look at our fridge anywhere from 1:00 - 5:00 (it'd been randomly freezing things for months) so our time was limited. Here Phoebe is making the most of it:

And here's our almost-two-year old beginning to show her love for dress up. It was a lazy Saturday morning and she wanted my robe. How cute is she?

In other random news, first let me say I wouldn't recommend going to the Children's Museum alone with a toddler when you're feeling under the weather. All those ramps to the next floor are exhausting enough without a head cold! I did try to see my family doctor Friday (he was on spring break) and then tried Ryan's family doctor (but he wasn't admitting new patients till mid-April) - I finally went to Minute Clinic Sunday afternoon - officially I have a sinus infection. STILL. I'm now on an inhaler and a 10-day run of antibiotics and just now starting to feel "normal" again.

And of course now that I can sleep again, it seems Phoebe has begun a new habit of singing and counting and playing in her bed for 30-120 minutes before going to sleep. Monday she was up till 10, Tuesday 9:30 and tonight it was a blessed 8:30 when the noises finally settled down upstairs. Not sure if it's the daylight savings thing still or just a phase. We spent all our time outdoors tonight (since it got up to 77 today!!!) in hopes she'd tucker herself out - it seems to have worked somewhat. We're almost done with her antibiotics for her ear infections so we're praying for a healthy Easter as Uncle Steve comes to visit!

Boooo

I ended up going home sick around 3:00 today - I think all the drainage from my cold the last few days ended up in my stomach which made me throw up the yummy clementine I ate earlier this morning. Needless to say, I was not very productive at my desk and since I pretty much sound like a man and cough like a seal, no one wanted me there either! Ryan took Phoebe to the pediatrician this afternoon since she woke up four times last night. Our suspicions were confirmed - she has a bad ear infection in her left ear and one starting in her right. This would explain why our girl has been a bit fussier than usual and not sleeping as well either. It makes me wonder if she started this while we were out in PA... They put her on a stronger antibiotic and will make sure things are a-ok at her two year appointment next month. Pray that Ryan doesn't get this nasty cold and that Phoebe and I will both be on the mend soon!

Welcome Spring!

Friday, Phoebe and I took advantage of the 60+ degree weather we were experiencing and hit a park. She's getting over a cold, I officially got it Friday night but that didn't stop us from having lots of fun and outside, as well! As soon as her wagon hit the sidewalk, she was out and off toward the...

...you guessed it - swings! She's been talking about swings as soon as the sun started shining again! She braved the big kid swings a few times (trust me, we went back to the swings too many times to count!) but felt more comfortable in the baby swings. Who can blame her - no worries when you swing this way!

She played on the tractor which was specifically designed for the under-5 crowd - had a hard time sharing the steering wheel with the other kiddos (there were kids EVERYWHERE!) but we managed to share most of the time.

There's a hill you climb to then take the steps and then the ladder to the big-kid slides. I kid you not, I think we climbed the hill, steps and ladder about 25 times - we both slept great that night!

Although there wasn't any sand at this park, that didn't stop Phoebe - mulch can be just as much fun!

And our last stop at the park was to feed the ducks. It was a struggle to leave but we'll be back!

Yeah Spring - we're so glad you're here!

Pure Joy in Pennsylvania

Our little girl got in one last free plane ride before she turns two to visit her Auntie Kate in Pennsylvania. Friday morning, YiaYia, Phoebe and I hopped on a plane and flew into Harrisburg and spent a long weekend, just the girls. The students at Messiah didn't have to officially leave their dorms for Spring Break till Saturday at noon, so Auntie was on duty till then. We hung around the dorm till everyone cleared out but Phoebe was able to entertain herself - YiaYia and all the college boys got lots of her attention!





On Saturday after the students left for the week, we headed to Lancaster to hit the outlet malls. It was gray and rainy so not ideal shopping weather, but we managed to find a few good deals and stopped at an Amish buffet on the way home. Auntie Kate and Phoebe are now fans of bread pudding, so it was well worth the drive!



On Sunday, another gray and rainy day, we made a few stops - the first at Bass Pro in honor of our fishing enthusiast. The only purchases made here were an embarrassing $12 spent on circus peanuts and cinnamon bears. The Rousopoulos girls have a sweet tooth and I think Phoebe has inherited it...

After Bass Pro, we headed to the sweet town of Hershey. We took the tour and learned more than we can remember about how chocolate is made.

Phoebe was entertained because there were singing cows and we were on moving cars.



After the moving chocolate tour, we got to shop through enough giant-sized chocolate bars and amazing cookies to make any kid happy. Phoebe even got to be a "factory worker" and make her own Hershey kisses gift box. I'm not sure she completely understood what was going on, but she loved spending time with Auntie Kate AND eating chocolate!



After Hershey, we headed back toward Grantham. This scene was all too familiar for Auntie and me from the front of the car this past weekend...

We had dinner at some place called Friendly's - a restaurant where every meal ends with ice cream - why the heck do we not have these in Indiana!? Phoebe ate her meal like a champ and then managed to finish off an entire strawberry sundae (her love of ice cream she definitely inherited from her mama!).

This could explain why she was a crazy child after her bath. Between all the fun (?) lounge furniture and endless running room - we thought for sure she would wear herself out.

I'm not sure if it was the time change or the ice cream, but Phoebe didn't fall asleep till 11:00 that night. I think we're all just thankful she slept in till 9:00 each morning - especially Auntie Kate!

Auntie is super close to lots of fun cities - two hours from New York, Philly, D.C. - I think Phoebe has lots of fun road trips with her Auntie lined up the next few years! We decided to brave the weather and headed to D.C. on Monday.

Our first stop, once we found a parking spot was the Museum of American History. Luckily, there was a child-friendly area and Phoebe got to burn some energy after the two-hour car ride.

It gave Auntie and me a chance to view Julia Child's kitchen - amazing how many things she stored in such tiny space. Let's just say I have much to learn in the culinary world - she had gadgets and gizmos I couldn't even imagine how to use!

We saw Dorothy's ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz and the original Kermit the Frog, but Phoebe was more interested in riding up and down the escalators. Why bring a stroller!?

After dumping more change in the meter, I met up with the girls at the Museum of Natural History where we ate a ridiculously expensive lunch and then saw lots of animals, furry creatures and sea animals. Phoebe had the most fun at this museum. They had tvs in the floor in one section and she had a blast running back and forth over them.

Our last stop was the Air and Space Museum, but they were getting ready for some big gala and Phoebe was well on her way to being past due for a nap, so we headed towards the car where she got buckled in and promptly fell asleep while we did our best to find the White House.

We thought after the long, eventful day that Phoebe would certainly crash at bed time - but oh no - YiaYia went to put her to bed at 9:00 but when she came out of the room an hour later she said she just couldn't be mad when after minutes of silence, Phoebe started singing "Jesus Loves Me." So I just got ready for bed and laid down with her - I think after about ten rounds of "The Farmer in the Dell" she finally fell asleep around 11:30. Have I mentioned how much I hate the time change!? It does horrible things to toddlers.

Of course the day we leave, the sun decided to come out. Phoebe decided she was going to hide out in Auntie's trunk and stay awhile longer.

We made it to the airport with less than 30 minutes to check in, get through security (with a toddler, two carry-ons and a stroller) and find our seats on the flight. Needless to say, it was a bit stressful but we survived, made it to Detroit and then back to Indy twenty minutes ahead of schedule - and it was still sunny!

Between all the rain, little sleep and crazy nights, Phoebe has come down with a cold. Ryan stayed home with her today - I think it was more because he missed her oh-so-much over anything else. Tonight she got to bed right before 9:00, so we're definitely making progress.

Thanks Auntie Kate and YiaYia for a fun trip and lots of great memories!

March Mayhem

As I sit here licking my fingers of leftover frosting, I'll admit, I'm glad the birthdays are now officially over. They are BAD for the diet but we had a fabulous weekend with lots of delicious food, good laughs and memories made. I have to say, Auntie Kate certainly has B-I-G shoes to fill next weekend when Mom, Phoebe and I fly to Pennsylvania to visit - Phoebe had a blast with her Uncle Steve this weekend! I think he's probably going to sleep just as well as she does tonight after all the running around they did!

On Saturday, we celebrated Uncle Steve's big 3-0! I have to say, we've enjoyed the 30s immensely, so welcome aboard Steve-o - you're going to have a great decade!

One of Uncle Steve's gifts was a variety of "mind" games - different wooden puzzles that you either can't get a part easily or put back together (at all!) - I have to say, they were an entertaining challenge for everyone at the table!

Sunday was my 32nd (I think I'm going to officially stay 32 for the next decade) and we had gorgeous weather to start out the day. Who knew after February, where we had ONE day that was considered "clear" by the weather people that March would bring multiple days of sun so early in the month! Happy birthday, indeed!

It was a bit muddy outside, so we tried out Phoebe's new butterfly boots. They're a bit big so they made walking outside even more treacherous but she has been SO anxious to be outside, we just let her play away! Here she is with what was left of the snow, getting excited about something!

We had to wait for YiaYia to get out of a training meeting before we ate so we wasted as much time as we could outdoors, chasing Kali, throwing sticks for her to fetch and watching for airplanes.

I got some cookbooks I'd requested from YiaYia and Papou. I think it's pretty funny that Dad and I are BOTH licking our lips in this shot! Yumm-o!

And let's just say, we're all hoping Phoebe keeps her cute, excited face and doesn't inherit her mama's - eek! My super, adorable, incredible husband bought me yet another pair of shoes (I think I got three pair at Christmas) and I was THRILLED! In my defense, I did take about six pair to Goodwill that I'd had forever, so I was needing new shoes.

YiaYia came home with a zhu-zhu pet for Phoebe today and got it out after gifts. Here's a shot of Papou, Phoebe and Uncle Steve enjoying, quite literally, the little things in life (note Phoebe's arm around Papou's head).

And of course because it was such a fun-filled day, a nap was delayed till the ride home at 5:30. After much running around and laughter, a bonking of the heads occurred. Tears were shed. Frozen bag of peanuts (don't ask) applied. Hugs & kisses from Uncle Steve and then we were ready to go again, good as new.

I have to say the highlight of my day came in the form of a Hallmark card from sweet Phoebes. It had the recordable voice when you opened the card and it had her saying, "Love you...love you...love you. Happy birthday!" I shed a few tears too, but they were happy ones.