Well, for once, my sister has gotten the blogging better of me. Perhaps because she's in England this week, she posted a couple times over the weekend -- with photos!
Click here to get the latest on my niece and nephew Max & Esme.
We took scores of photos this weekend, of course, but were too busy to edit and/or upload them. So I'll paint a visual picture first, then link out to a slideshow later today.
Saturday started with a relaxing breakfast at our NEW favorite bagel shop, Brooklyn Bagel in Clarendon. It's a longer drive, but the bagels are New York-authentic and boiled in-house. Greta really enjoyed her blueberry and there's a lot more activity there, so she was amused watching everyone from the kitchen staff to the patrons.
After breakfast, Carey and Greta gave me my early Father's Day present: 2 hours to go on a bike ride. I did a leisurely 20 miles from Clarendon, across Key Bridge, the length of Pennsylvania Ave. past the White House to the Capitol, then a loop around Haines Point and home via the 14th Street bridge.
Saturday afternoon the gifts just kept coming, as Carey and Greta hooked up with Allison and Jay while the Dads watched Team USA tie Italy in the World Cup on Gardner's Hi-Definition TV.
Sunday the whole family trucked out to Olney, Md., to watch my final soccer game. Unfortunately, the other team didn't have enough players for a full team, so we scrimmaged. Still, 'twas nice to run around the field in near-100 degree heat. Sunday afternoon was spent lounging by the pool, again with Gardner, Allison & Jay. Greta took a late nap, but impressed Gardner with her two-syllable pronunciation of "bottle." She also seems to have lost her fear of solo walking this weekend. Sunday evening she toddled all over the downstairs, enough to make us put up the baby gates.
That's your "Weekend at the Merrills." Pictures in 7 hours or so.
Greta can't quite say "cat" yet, but she certainly understands that his purpose in life is to comfort and entertain. We've posted previous photos of the comforting, when Greta buries her face in his fur. Now that she's up and walking, she's discovered that Jinx is also a very reliable playmate. Just shake the string and watch him dance!
For as long as I can remember, no banana was ever tossed away in the Mathews' household. When they got too brown for peel-and-eat satisfaction, they were mushed up and mixed in batter for either banana bread or banana cake. That great tradition was passed on to Greta this morning, as she and I made our first loaf of banana bread. She really enjoyed stirring the ingredients, and especially liked the warm banana bread with her lunch.
After months of slinking through the jungle on her belly and forearms, Greta now has enough upper body strength to push up on all fours and actually go somewhere. She likes to tackle stairs and she's learned, as you can see, to pull herself from our small patio into the kitchen.
Less than a minute later Greta crawled over to see for herself:
Surprisingly, she didn't get too hyped from the sugar: she crashed mere minutes after we hit the road. So we decided to detour on the way home and checked out a Subaru dealer's offerings. Greta really seemed to like Forrester. Mommy did, too. Once we got home, we headed to the playground, where our fun in the sandbox was cut short by a very stinky diaper.
Thank goodness Daddy could zip Greta home in the burley tow for a quick change! Pre-dinner play involved sidewalk chalk with neighbors Katherine (4) and Jack (2). Bath came right after dinner because of the big mess Greta made.
Then it was time to check out the view from the windowsill (we removed the futon frame and put the futon along the other wall). Greta likes looking out over the parking lot and watching the trains pass by. After a hefty 8 oz bottle, she went to sleep, and has only had a few minor coughing jags since. Fingers crossed for sweet dreams for everyone!
Greta blew chunks the night she arrived, so Aunt Sara didn't get any quality time Wed. night. But since Greta fell asleep on her playmat before dinner Thursday...
Aunt Sara was able to at least hang out with her for an hour or so after she woke up, since bedtime was delayed by 90 minutes. My sister thinks my child looks like me and is "squirmy." She was impressed by her walking agility and her precise pronounciation of the word "mommy" during dinner. We both agree it would be nice to live closer so the cousins could grow up like we did with Ryan & Karin. Someday soon, perhaps.
Greta's home from daycare today with a touch of stomach something-or-other. Vomited all her dinner last night and her 6 oz. of milk before dawn. But she seems otherwise OK and so far has kept down her cereal and banana from breakfast.
Then she noticed that the railing was the perfect height for her toothless mouth. And ta da! She discovered a new teether.
Just like that, with her golf club in one hand and a ball in the other, Greta officially became a toddler. She toddled all the way from her play mat in the living room to the kitchen. No in-between cruising along the furniture for her: yesterday she was holding our fingers, today she literally took off. Good thing we bought safety gates last weekend! Click here to see a short video of her second excursion (mommy didn't have time to grab the camera to capture the first jaunt). For her second stunt, she took off carrying just the golf club. For her final trick of the night: She walked with nothing in her hands. Go, Greta, go!
