The Activist

The other day we were rolling down the road, the same road we travel on about four times a day, and had to stop at a stoplight. Beside the stoplight are a few fast-food joints. Lillian looked out the window and asked, "What's that building there?" When I asked her to clarify which building she said, "The one with the orange roof." It was a fast-food chain that sells chicken and biscuits. Not wanting her to know the name I just said it was a place that sells greasy chicken and biscuits. After a few back and forths of "Why do they sell greasy food?" and "Why do people eat it?" Each time I told her that the food was not very healthy and we like to eat healthy foods so we can play and be happy. After trying to convince me that "Me and daddy like grease on our foods", I told her that we do not eat there. This is how Lillian summed up the conversation - "I will call them and tell them not to put grease on the foods. Will that be kind?"

Lillian's nature musings

Since the weather has been so nice lately we have been spending more time outside. These are a few of Lillian's takes on nature.

• "I don't want litter in my earth" Lillian is very quick to point out litter and wonders why litterbugs do not put their trash in the trash/recycling/compost pile.
• "Those tress wanted to look like a couch" A few trees in our backyard have grown with a bend in them and she asked me what caused the bend. I told her it was just the way those trees decided to grow.
• "The squirrels were making valentines" That is what she told Joe last night when she found this open nut shell:
• "Daddy is a magic daddy" When Lillian was recounting how she and daddy moved my compost bin and daddy put worms in the bin and made dirt
• "The ant does not want to come to the tea party for me" She was trying to have a tea party with an ant underneath her swings this afternoon and got perturbed that the ant kept hiding from her.
• "When the car stops at a light the wind stops." She likes riding with the windows down and made that observation as we were stopped at a stoplight.
  

Park Playdate

Let's see, we had snow on Monday and did not get much above freezing for to days and today, Friday, the temperature was near 70. So our standing play date was changed to Friday to take advantage of the weather and we headed to the park. It was only Lillian and one other friend Emily today.

Here they are posing for pictures:


Here they are feeding the ducks and geese:


Here they are enjoying snack time:


Here they are playing in the grass:


And here they are on time outs:


Emily was a hair puller and Lillian was very bossy and a shover today. But by the time we left the park, it was all good again:
OK - this picture was actually when we first arrived but looks much better than the sad story we were leaving the park: two mommies (one pushing a stroller with a fussy eleven week-old), two crying/whining three year-olds being dragged/held to the car and told they need to hug each other and apologize!

In like a lion

It snowed again today. The third time this year. Lillian wanted to go out in the snow during breakfast but every time I said let's get dressed she would run off and play in her room. We finally got out and she was a bit upset that daddy was not there. She kept asking me,"Why does daddy not want to play in the snow with me?" Daddy went in to work today. Lillian also wanted to make snow cream but wanted to make sure daddy got some and it was decided that we would wait for daddy to come home before we ate snow cream. Hopefully the snow will still be around.


She had fun walking around the snow and watching all the birds. We saw tons of chickadee's, robins, cardinals and a blue jay.


Lillian wanted to make a snowman but the snow was a bit hard to make into a ball but here is our attempt. Lillian liked it and as soon as the pictures were snapped she said, "Now lets crush it" and she did just that.


She wanted to play on her play set so we did that too. While she was snow swinging I asked her if she was cold. Lillian said no and I told her that my toes were getting cold. About two minutes later she started to cry and wanted off the swing. She said she was cold and wanted to take a warm bath. So we did just that, read a ton of books and ate lunch.

Moniker

Lillian has a new nickname around here:

Silly Evil Genius

No further explanation needed.

Three Year Check-Up

Lillian had her three year check-up this week. She weighs in at 30.4 lbs and is 37 inches tall. She is still plotting right along her growth curve.

At this appointment, Lillian had her vision checked, stood on the big kid scale and got her blood pressure taken with a tiny blood pressure cuff.

Third birthday party

Lillian had her third birthday party over the weekend. The theme was gumballs. Lillian's grandparents, cousins and even a couple of friends were able to join her this year. All the food had to be round to go with the gumball theme: pineapple and teriyaki meatballs, fresh mozzarella balls, grapes, blueberries, cantaloupe and watermelon balls, olives, macadamia nuts and root vegetable chips.

We had been to her cousin's second birthday party at the beginning of the month and her friend's third birthday party the weekend before so by the time Lillian's party rollearound, she was ready. Leading up to her party if you asked her what she wanted, all Lillian would say was that she wanted cake. But when she saw the presents piled up, she announced to everyone, "I want to open presents now!" We told her to go round everyone up and while she did that, her friend Lily decided to help with the unwrapping! Lillian got some really neat stuff. After the presents, it was time for cake and ice cream. I made the cake and Joe made the ice cream - bubble gum flavor.

Once all the kids had a sugar rush, it was time for the pinata. I was not going to get her a pinata but I found some on clearance and decided to try it. I am happy to report that no one was injured, other than the poor fish pinata. Lillian took a few swings at it but mostly her two older cousins handled that part. The pinata did not want to break so some cutting had to be done and then all the stuffing came out - super bouncy balls, packs of candy-coated kisses and lots and lots of confetti.

I believe a fun time was had by the children and adults alike. Happy Birthday Lillian!

Here is Lillian looking out the window as the first guests arrive:

Wearing her Super Lillian cape I made her:

Lily, Maya and cousin Cammie in the play dough:

Surrounded by all her presents:

Playing in the confetti that came out of the pinata:
Lily (Lillian's BF) with a piece of confetti on her lip:

Maya the dancing queen of the party:

Riding her tricycle:

The cake made to look like a gumball machine:
Maya, Lily, cousin Ryan and Lillian eating cake and homemade bubble gum ice cream:
Lillian getting covered with confetti with help from her cousin Connor:
Playing with presents that afternoon: