Happy Mother's Day!

It was a gorgeous weekend here and we enjoyed it to the fullest.  We had a wonderful Mother's Day spent at the park, with family, and then going to the first "Music in the Park" of the summer.  Nina loved dancing, running, seeing bugs, and play ring-around-the-rosies with Grandma.  

Talking to Grandpa & Great-Grandpa ------   Jumping with Grandma

Como music - now and then (early June 2011)

Rock climbing at the park

Saturday we went to the Mill City Farmers Market.  There was more dancing, music, food, kids, and plenty of sites to see.

Sunshine! -----  Dancing as Anton Chekhov looks on

Outside and inside Mill City Ruins

Stone Arch Bridge

Dandelions

Spring has brought all kinds of new fun for Nina.  Lately, she likes to pick dandelions and blow their seeds into the wind.  She'll pick the yellow "flowers" and share them, too.   She liked running among all the dandelions around Como.  She even got to see some ducks and watched someone catch a huge fish.  The Naks are excited for music in the park to return this weekend!

Today, on our walk, she loved seeing all the wildlife and got down on her stomach to say 'hi' to an ant.  She then said she wanted to hug the ant. ;)  She had a little chat with the cat across the street, picked a few more flowers, and then called it a night while watching Nemo.  

Saying "hi" to the ant  --------   Talking to Cookie

Hide and Seek

Nina has been playing more and more games lately.  She really enjoys them, especially Hide and Seek at daycare.  She recently got a Finding Nemo version of Memory and thinks the pictures are great entertainment.  She also wore pigtails for an entire day last week, thanks to Barb's coaxing.  She still talks a lot about her "two pig nails," despite being hesitant to wear them again.    

We had another fun weekend of socializing.  Nina played outside with Lucy, Everett, and Lexi at Everett's third birthday party.  They especially liked chasing ducks.  We ended the weekend by visiting UST's newest building.  Photos of Tommie the mascot always got a laugh from Nina. 

Nina is 22 months old today, which is unbelievable.  She's such a lovely girl.  Soon, she'll be two and we'll have two!

April's almost over?!

It's been a busy month and next month appears even more jam-packed.  Nina continues to love running around whether she's at the zoo, park, or church.  She's a pretty good listener and turning into quite the toddler.  Her new thing is trying to sing along to songs on our iPod.  

Leaping across furniture   --------   This was not posed

Watch her go!

It's been an Active April and Nina shows no signs of slowing down.

Nee-Naaa!

We may have turned a corner.  Just as Grandpa Rod was ready to take bets, Nina said her name correctly most of today, even chanting it at the baseball game!  She has had a few other funny verbal moments this week.  Whenever Dada turns on the Twins game in the car, Nina claps and shouts, "Go Fwins!"  Also, she has stepped up her peace-giving game by now shaking hands and saying, "Peace with you."  At church on Sunday, she heard Jesus' name and turned to us to say, "silly Jesus" with a big smile.  Lastly, we've been a little concerned as to whether or not she would inherit allergies, but we at least don't need to worry about manners.  She is very good about saying 'bless you' and is now covering her mouth when she sneezes.  

Wearing her "frown" (crown)    --------    Everyone is hard at work

Visiting Annie, Adam, and Gus

More from the Easter "ecc" hunt

Easter 2012

It was a wonderful Easter spent with family in Nebraska.  Nina was a great passenger and talked, played, sang, and slept both there and back.  Despite the late nights, she kept a great attitude and loved visiting Nana and Papa.  The Easter Egg hunt was a blast, but after all the practice, Nina was over picking up eggs and mostly enjoyed running around.  She didn't want to sit with the Easter Bunny, but who could blame her?  

Nina's new favorite bedtime activity is naming everyone she knows and asking if they are also going "night, night."  She also jokes about wanting to watch Nemo.  She will ask over and over, "Meno, mama?" and laugh when we say no.  When she gets desperate, she'll ask her stuffed animals too, "Meno, bun-bun?"  

Learning about solitaire   --------   Easter basket hat

Excited for Baseball      -----------      Already depressed by the Twins