Potty Time

Clare has been potty trained for a little over a month, 

and she's been doing very well.  Yeah!

She had no idea that we were watching her 

as she helped one of her stuffed animals go potty.

 And wash his paws.

I think she's got it down, and she can help us train any pets that we might have someday.  Okay, anyone who knows me knows that will never happen...not the part about Clare helping 

but the part about having pets.

While She was "Sleeping"

I knew Clare was up to something during her "nap" today.

I heard a lot of banging and clanking around, but she wasn't saying anything or asking for me to go get her.  Since we had a busy morning, we both needed the quiet time.  I just let her go...knowing that I would find some surprise when nap time was over.

She decided to empty all of her crates.

 At least she organized them by color, right?

 Here are some of the contents...

 ...and here are some more.

I didn't realize, until after taking pictures, that there were several other treasures under the sheets.

This was after we put everything back in place.

 She did end up falling asleep (I think), 

but I hope this doesn't become a daily routine.

The Treasure

We spent Saturday morning at high end yard sales with some of our friends who have an inside scoop on when the fancy neighborhoods are doing fall/spring cleaning.  In addition to some terrific new shelves for Clare's room, an Elmo Halloween bucket for our Elmo-obsessed daughter, a book, two cups of lemonade, and a set of paints,
we also found this:

By "we," you all know that I mean "Phil."

I don't know how he spots these things.
I see a table full of junk, and he sees a TORCH!  A treasure!  A must-have!  A boy toy!  A guaranteed smile!  

For the asking price of $1, I wasn't about to rob him of such joy!  :)

Why Does My House Smell Like Garlic???

 Answer: 

I foolishly thought that I could take a five minute shower by myself.

 She was so proud of herself...

until she realized that Mama wasn't too happy.

 Hmmm...which spice should I add to the mix?

Is it just coincidence that the bottle in her left hand is called 

"Slap Your Mama!"

 The marshmallows, to her right, was her true prize.  Since she is OBSESSED with marshmallows (calling them "Marsha-Marshos") and asks for them SEVERAL times a day, I know that's what she was after.  I wonder how they tasted with the garlic and steak seasoning?!

Who knows what I would have found had my shower been ten minutes?

YIKES!

Eating Around the World

 Phil and I enjoyed a mini-getaway last week.

 He was fortunate enough to get a free pair of tickets to Disney, but we had to use them before the end of the year.  Since my parents were in town, we decided to head to Epcot without a stroller or a 2-year-old.

We ate dinner at Joe's Crab Shack on Tuesday evening, 

and Phil "Got Crabs."

We slept in (which means 7:30 AM for us) on Wednesday morning, and then we made our way to Epcot.  I had to take the picture of my ball next to the big ball.

Instead of "drinking around the world," we snacked around the world.

Perfect idea for a pregnant lady!

We started with pastries in France.

Then we traveled to Morocco and Japan 

where we experimented with rice candy and wasabi treats.

We enjoyed soft pretzels (with just a touch of salt) and soda in America.

 CHOCOLATE in Germany!

 We had to eat it before it melted...of course!!!

 China's treat was egg rolls and pot stickers.

 Clearly, my belly was full by the time we made it to Norway.

It was a GREAT day!!!

Twins

For the last three days, we've had "twins" in the house.

Clare and I happened to dress alike...

with blue stripes and brown shorts.

Then Phil and I were both clad in red stripes.

This was at Kobe Steakhouse last night...

wish I had pictures of the feast we devoured!

Today, my dad and Clare wore the exact same color shirt.

Despite the size of my ever-growing belly...

I know there's only one in there.

10th (or maybe 11th) Annual Brother's Trip

 Phil and his brothers go on a trip every summer.

They take turns planning the adventure, and they always do something fun and unique (like visiting a bomb squad team in northern Michigan).

The wives aren't privy to the details of the trip...

...and we're usually okay with that!

This year was Marquette and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan,

and they enjoyed swimming in Lake Superior....

...as well as hiking through different areas.

STUDS!

The boys were trying to remember all of the past trips, 

and this is what Phil could recall:

2000 - Canoe Trip

2001 - Pictured Rocks

2002 - Musky Fishing

2003 - Vermont and New Hampshire

2004 - Canada

2005 - Maine

2006 - Williamsburg, VA (white water rafting)

2007 - Salmon Fishing in Northern Michigan

2008 - Flying with Brian (local adventures)

2009 - Range Practice, 4-wheeling, and other "BOY stuff" in MI

2010 - Marquette and Bomb Squad

A Walk in the Park

These pictures are from last month...when we were in Michigan.

The 3.5 of us went for a little walk through some of the trails in northern Michigan, and we enjoyed being outside without the Florida heat and humidity.

We enjoyed the view as well as some time as a family.

"Don't worry, Dad.  I've got this!"

"Okay, I might need some help on the way back up."

All smiles before climbing back up to the top.

2-year-old Pictures

Phil's brother, Brian, took some pictures of Clare for her second birthday!!!  We love them!!! Here's a glimpse: