Every Day Is A Country Song: May 2015

Hey there!

I promise you, though it's getting late (well, for all of you non-vampires), that I feel way more awake than I look in this picture.

This was Sunday morning, after Pips woke up at 5:45.

She was just getting over a few days of feeling icky - runny/stuffy nose, and all that jazz.

She went to bed Saturday night, earlier than she has in a very, very long time. Like, before the sun went down. It definitely did her some good.

We let DaDa sleep in, and after a few hours, went upstairs to wake him up.

We decided to take a spontaneous drive to Lancaster for some breakfast.

This drive never gets old. It's so peaceful.

Pips (and her big toe) were so relaxed!

We decided we'd skip breakfast, and go right for some free pie samples, followed by some homemade treats, we found at a cute, little place we always pass on our drive.

After, we drove around, sang Pippy's favorite songs for a half hour, and found a great place to park our tushes down for some grub. Because, pie and whoopie pies weren't enough for us.

We love food.

Piper thought it was extra neat-o that we grabbed a bar-like window seat at the restaurant.

And DaDa thought it was neat-o that they had a really awesome beer selection!

She loved her grilled cheese. (So did Mama and DaDa)

However, she wasn't too sure about the hummus.

After a late nap, we headed to one rockin' park, that Piper has dreamt about since her first visit,

back in October.

She loved the big, orange slide during her first visit.

But this time, it wasn't her favorite.

Our shoes (and elbows and ankles - Ouch!) got in the way!

But the swings...the swings always make Pips smile.

Especially, when a Dee Dee joins her.

Woahhhh!

A little "lemme out" #pippyvid

We ended the night with some ice cream and carousel rides.

#toughlifepippy

Memorial Day...

Pippy slept in until 9. We hung around the house, cleaned, rearranged the deck, ran out to the grocery store to get those last few items we forgot - as always. (Thanks to Steve and Pippy for fetching them!) We had family and friends over for a BBQ, and relaxed the rest of the day and night.

Thanks to Dee Dee for the pretty dress for Patriotic Pippy!

Grillmaster Steve

Naked Pippy threw her dress over the deck, and then Dee Dee threw a bucket of water on my head when I went to fetch it!

GiGi's chocolate-filled raspberries were a HIT!

Piper can party.

We read this Elmo book twenty-two handfuls of times before she went to bed.

But...eventually, Party Pippy always catches up on her Zzzs.

She slept in until after ten on Tuesday (after a rough patch of night terrors in the middle of the night).

#poorpippy

Walkin' with KiKi and Nellie. We love our play dates and new walks!

Even when we're sweating our ***** off!

I spot a teeny, tiny Pippy

Our nighttime walks melt my heart and make me laugh. Piper tells me about all of her discoveries, says "Hi" to all the woof-woofs and tweet-tweets, and says "poopy" 489 times, because mulch is "poopy," and there's a lot of mulch in our neighborhood.

#pippyvids

"I see da moon!"

Wednesday

#pippyvid

Dax and Pippy donut and park date

T25 during naptime

Readin' to "Patch Doll" during the thunderstorm

We've been cooking more than ever. I didn't think we'd last.

I admit, we are takeout junkies. Hopefully, now, ex-takeout junkies.

We are on an awesome streak right now. Yes, we definitely still go out to eat, but when we are home, we are trying our best to cook and grill!

I haven't had the fire department called on me yet.

Yet....

Thursday

A play date, and catching up with friends

She has heart-eyes for her Dee Dee!

#pippyvid

Bedtime schmedtime!

Memorial Day 2014/2015

Today...

Pippy loves her kitchens from GiGi! Last week, I made her a little play area in half of our office.

I'm typing in it right now. Cookie Monster and Elmo are watching me.

Piper loves the room. I'm so glad I finally got it together. It's a nice, lil' space for her to hang out and have fun, and I can get more stuff done upstairs, while keeping an eye on the sweet, busteroo!

Adorable outfit from Dee Dee.

Toots from Pippy.

Curls and cake pops

I can't remember the last time Twinkie snuggled with me. He must have wanted something.

He'll always be my second favorite baby.

Sorry, Twinks.

Pre-froyo date tonight...waitin' for Deeds

After froyo, a little return of the "boo" tunnel slide.

She's obsessed.

Go Deeds!

Dee Dee's new song for Pippy!

#pippyvid

Okay, and now for a long, overdue post...

Back in the beginning of February (crazy, that was almost four months ago!!!),

Steve, Piper, and I took a trip to the Poconos. When Steve and I were talking about Christmas gifts last fall, we started thinking of fun places we could go as a family.

Memories are (most of the time) the greatest gifts, in my book.

So, we booked a two night stay at the Great Wolf Lodge.

I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

Basically, it's a ginormous, indoor water park. Slides galore. They have a story-time every morning, that's told by wild animals (fake ones, but you knew that). Note - I got a lump in my throat during story time.

Another note - I cried when we started walking to our room.

Steve laughed at me.

You can too.

Seriously, though, it doesn't take much to amuse me.

And let's face it...seeing Piper's face when she laid eyes on the hilarious monstrosity of water/slide/tacky/pool fun, that is the Great Wolf Lodge...

Well, that more than amused me....

The day of our trip...

Gotta pack all my Sesame Street friends!

Road trippin' in style

We're here!

I mean, they give you fuzzy wolf ears when you check in.
I'm sold.

Pippy says "WOAHHH BABY!"

She requested "boo" polish for the trip.

Also, these toes could save the world.

#pippyvid
Watch her go!

Pippy Ray Cyrus had a boogie.

(one of my favorites)

She looks all sweet and innocent, doesn't she?

Here she is at dinner. We're about to stuff our faces...

We "Cheers!"

We start to stuff our faces...

And then I'm left alone with my wine.
Because...as I was belting Pips back in her highchair after round 2 of the buffet, I not only smelled a very, stinky, familiar smell, but I saw the cause of it...
ALL over her back, pants, and my wrist.
I'm LOL right now, remembering it all.
Don't worry, I washed my entire arm with a mini bottle of Bath and Body works hand sanitizer.

Miss Pips drank too much chlorine, and her diaper didn't lie.
Steve and I looked at each other, like, "What do we do?" and laughed. Really hard.
After I told the waitress that our daughter just exploded on their highchair, we cleaned it up, and then Steve ran her upstairs (holding her out, away from him like an actual dirty diaper). He's stronger. And had I tried, it would have not been pretty.
Well, it wasn't pretty in the first place.
Okay, enough about that.

But the wine was good.
And when they came back, you bet we ate more!

The arcade. Pippy thought she was dreaming.

A pool extravaganza AND an arcade!!!

Handin' out ice cream cones...
#pippyvid

Steve is 7.

This is where Piper pressed the buttons on the safe 8,354,322 times, and messed it all up.
Steve cracked the code 581 minutes later.
Pips says, "I'm sorry, DaDa!"

She slept so well, the whole trip. Long naps in her play pen, and then she'd start the night in her play pen, and join us in the middle of the night.
(pictures like these make my heart explode. It also would be smart for Steve to pull them out when he's in trouble.)

Good morning!

There are those wild animals I told ya about.

#coffeestealer

Her first name bracelet.

#canttakeit

Yep, drinking pool water!

#pippyvid
Slidin'

I want one right now.

Just kept getting better for her...

These videos would be of our daughter shakin' it to Nicki Minaj.

Steve and I laughed so hard, we literally cried.

Yes, they were playing Nicki Minaj in the lounge. Because babies, toddlers, and children love her.

Even the animals were gettin' down.

Piper was instantly Nicki's biggest fan.

Check out her moves...

#pippyvids...

She won a green ball.

Sneakin' in a night swim!

#pippyvid

We ended our last night with pizza and a Full House marathon. It doesn't get much better than pizza and Uncle Jesse.

This picture makes me LOL whenever I see it, and is one of my favorites.

Steve took it early Sunday morning. He said Piper looks like Tina Turner.

Um...how is her hair that large?

Brushin' her teeth in the nude

Ummm...

She loved Wolfy Wolferton

The ears...The Pipster

We couldn't leave without more pool and slide time!!

Okay, these pictures may be my absolute favorite of the trip.
So annoying - I keep saying "These are my favorite!"...I know...I know...
I got that sweater at a consignment sale over a year ago. It was from the little boys section, but I didn't care. The red and the Huskies sold me. The sweater instantly reminded me of my dad.
My dad loved Huskies, and had two in his lifetime.
I know he would've loved to see Pippy The Wolf, rockin' that sweater.