Who, What, When, Where, Why Wednesday

Kelly over at Happily Ever Mock is having me on her Who, What, When, Where, Why Wednesday today! 

Go on over to her blog to check it out. It includes a story that I don't think (?) I've ever shared about how my back is broken.

4th of July

Fourth of July is always the epitome of summer for me. 

We started by taking Olivia and baby for some donuts.

Then we headed straight to the pool. Our pool does live music, food trucks, photo booths and games all day on the 4th. At one point we were in the big pool and Olivia was asking to get out. I thought she wanted to jump in, so I put her up on the side. She ran directly toward the center of the concrete (where are the chairs are turned toward) and started dancing like crazy, breaking it down, getting so low she fell a few times. This girl had a blast. And definitely worked off the extra sugar from the donuts.

She found a 6 month old that she was dyyyying to have. She wanted to hold her and I had to keep saying "no you can't touch other babies." "that baby isn't ours." "you can't have her." She was in TEARS. This girl is dying for a real live baby, and she's ready to steal one at the pool. Hide yo kids. 

After a not-long enough nap, we spent the rest of the day outside where Olivia enjoyed her first sparklers and was scared to death of those popper things that Dan loves. We ate our body weight in watermelon, grilled out, and, made smores. 

I love when the 4th falls on a weekend - and this year it was just perfect!

Olivia and the Babies

Have you read this book?

It's one of Olivia's favorites. And it has quickly become her life.

I can think about cereal right now, Ian. I've decided I'm going to be a mommy and I've got a lot to do.

Source / Order Book

You guys remember the doll that Dan's grandfather gave Olivia? She's obsessed. She calls it 'baby' (its one of the 15 words she knows). Baby must do everything with us.

I've never seen her so sad as when we ask her to say goodbye to baby before she leaves for school. Its not her mad temper tantrum cry. Her bottom lip sticks out and she's just so sad to leave her best friend behind.

When she wakes up in the morning, the first thing she says is "baby?"

She says hi to baby. Literally. She says, "Hi to baby" as she waves.

Baby came with us to get donuts on the 4th.

Baby watches Elmo with us.

I told Olivia we needed to go to target. She rush around the house. Found a Vera Bradley lunch box, shoved a lovie, her sippy cup and some stickers inside. Threw it over her shoulder. Put baby in the stroller and headed outside.

Baby gets thirsty.

Baby goes to whole foods.

Baby gets so many hugs and kisses.

Olivia shares her breakfast with baby.

Baby's mouth has to be cleaned too. Baby needs to wash her hands when Olivia does. I now have two children.

I'm putting Olivia in the car at Target and then folding up the doll stroller to throw in the trunk. 

Everyone thinks baby is real. I had a lady ask me how far apart they were. I think she was more concerned with why I was letting a toddler push a 6 month old in a doll stroller.

It really is sweet that she cares for this baby so much. She's going to be the best mommy one day.

Charleston

A few weekends ago we went to Charleston for one of my best friends bachelorette parties. So. Much. Fun. I absolutely love Charleston. Nine of the girls had never been there before, and I think they fell in love.

The weekend started with glittered champagne bottles. Obvi.

We ate a lot. This crab and shrimp salad from Pearlz was the best thing I've ever had. Maybe a slight exaggeration. But, a Pearlz is opening up near us. Hopefully it has the same menu!

We boated to a tiki hut where we spent most of Saturday doing hydrofly, pattleboarding, laying out. 

And some gymnastics.

I stole these two pictures from our group text (hence the blurry) but cannot for the life of me remember who's phone they were from to give credit. I guess technical credit goes to the strangers who agreed to take our picture.

I can't wait for her wedding in just 2 months!!

18 Months of Olivia

This is delayed, as she is 20 months now, but I don't want to forget all of these little things. 

• She calls trash, "tush."
• I asked her to say "grandma" the other day and she said "gay-ma-ma." Sure. 
• For peekaboo, she calls it "Peepeeboo." 
• We taught her to shake her head no awhile ago and it was really helpful. To teach her yes I put my hand on her head to push it nodding up and down. Now when I say "yes or no?" If its a yes, Olivia puts one hand on her head and shoves her face forward and backward, instead of nodding. Makes us crack up. Looks ridiculous, but we know what she means.
• Olivia throws her hands in the air and waves them whenever one of her favorite songs comes on - like 'this is my jam.' When she did that to a Led Zeppelin song, I don't think Dan has ever been more proud of her. 
• She says bubble, ball, bird, dog, duck, mom, dad, Koda, all done, more, water, milk, paci, Elmo, peekaboo, boo, trash, shoes, bow, baby, yum, no, purple, blue.
• Her favorite (pink) shoes she calls "purple shoes." Clearly, we're still working on colors.
• She still loves being outside, despite the 100 degree heat. Her water table and the pool are lifesavers.
• She loves pointing mama and dada out in pictures and then pointing to us in real life.
• She's a dancing queen. She can spend half an hour with music just dancing around. Always on beat (with Dan's lack of rhythm we we're worried.) She's teaching me new dance moves every day. 
• She loves pointing out babies, even the ones that are her age.
• Slides are a huge favorite, and she will never pass up a playground.
• She has to have her toenails painted and complains when they are chipped. Once painted she keeps pointing to them going "Ooooooo!" 
• She is so type-a. She can't have messy hands. If she sees something on the floor (paper, food) it has to immediately go in the trash can. We've been known to pick up trash in Target and take it to a trashcan. If something doesn't go somewhere in the house she'll stress and want to put it back in it's spot. I LOVE HER! :)
• She loves an adventure, pillow fights with her daddy on the sofa, and things that go high and go fast. 
• She loves blowing bubbles herself.
• When things are hot she blows and when things are cold she tucks both her arms into her chest and shivers.
• She is the greatest gift we have ever been given, and she gets more and more fun with every day that passes.

Bossy

More Cake pop?

When we ask her to "smile" - its too cute to correct her.

Dan told her they needed to leave for daycare. She rushed around the house to get her phone, keys, and her lovies. All packed.

I use two coolers with water for my workouts and then Olivia plays with the water. Dan - remember when our grass was green?

Olivia's first ice cream cone - which she refused to share.

In order to make it through grocery shopping, I gave her a cookie larger than her head.

Memorial Day Weekend Louisville KY

One of my best friends got married in Louisville over Memorial Day weekend. Excluding the 16 hours in the car, we had a blast.

We left late Friday night, around 9 pm. Olivia passed out in the car quickly and we we're off. Around 1 am, I decided it would be a smart decision to stop. We wouldn't get to the next town until 3 am and by that point I knew Dan would want to keep going to get to Louisville by 5 am. If we did that, Olivia would have had a full night sleep and we wouldn't have even gotten a 1 hour nap - she'd be ready to party.

The first place we stop is full - something was in town - so I started calling around. Found a Comfort Inn for 180 a night. It can't be that bad for that price. OH it was. We paid and got all of our stuff and walked into our gross motel - not as bad as the Polynesian (which we stayed in twice in college and was ranked top 10 dirtiest hotels in America). 

I cleaned the toilet before we used it, Olivia only got in her pack and play or was held, she never touched a thing and Dan and I stripped the comforter off the bed and slept a couple hours in our clothes on top of the sheets. We left as fast as we could.

On the way into Louisville, I was driving and figured it was time for some bourbon, so we stopped at Buffalo Trace, which was a blast. They do free tours and tastings and it had such a cool vibe to it. 

We ended up turning the whole weekend into a bourbon tasting, trying different types at the rehearsal dinner and other bars, the wedding had 8 delicious bourbons, and Dan took Olivia to Bulleit while the bridesmaids we're getting ready.

I got no pictures of the bride and groom, we had a couple failed attempts at some family photos, and then Olivia broke it down on the dance floor. She had a blast, learned the moves to 'jump on it' and then started twerking and break dancing on the floor. Where she gets this stuff, I have no clue!!

Such a fun weekend. If it weren't 8 hours away, we'd be back in a heartbeat to finish up the bourbon trail.