Since today is, essentially, the last day of my summer, I thought I would do a quick-ish post of what we've been up to since vacation. But, I just loaded the picutres in the wrong order, so let's throw chronology out the window. Shall we?
We were slacker Moms before vacation and hadn't bothered to set up the little backyard pool that we bought for Parker....in May. We finally got around to it and I'm really glad we did because she thinks it is so fun!
Parker has also been finally spending some time at home. She has always loved the cats, but her love seems to grow deeper everyday. She is getting much better at "gentle pets" but Kitty Finn still wants nothing to do with her. P will spend long periods of time chasing her. Luckily, Kitty Maxx is more tolerant. Below, Parker shows her adoration for the cat, who is sitting, out of sight, on the chair.
P has also developed a serious love of kitchen utensils. Fine by me. They're plastic and they keep her out of trouble (which she is sooo good at getting into these days) when I'm cleaning up her food messes. (Which is an entirely different post!)
This picture was taken at Amy and Ben's house when our friends Krysten, Adam and Sadie were in town. I post it only because when we were visiting Alicia' family in June, Parker's 2nd cousin, Reece (about a month younger than Parker) carried a plastic chicken leg wherever she went. We thought it was hilarious. Yeah....that's what I get for laughing!
Speaking of our visit with the Smiths, below is really the only picture I was able to get of both Sadie and Parker. I think it's funny because they are giving each other a major staredown. It's like there saying, "Wait a minute! I'm used to being the only cute baby. Who are you????" We loved visiting and one of the best parts of the visit was that Sadie apparently taught Parker how to crawl. P had been sort of trying for a couple days prior, but hadn't really gotten anywhere. The day Sadie left, Parker began crawling - often even that same one foot, one leg, tripod crawl that Sadie does! Too funny!
So, I guess that's it. The end of summer. Tomorrow the in-laws come. They leave Sunday, but my mom and sister come to watch Parker when I go back to school on Monday. Aunt Lauren will still be on vacation (lucky) until Tuesday. I'm extremely nervous about this new job, so you may all have to listen to some ramblings that aren't about Parker. Okay, that's it. I'm out.
Side view.....
Parker has always liked music. Maybe not in the lullaby sort of way that my mom would like, but in more of the beat-box, percussion-y sort of way. Lately, she has been pretty into the piano. She will sit and turn the pages of the music like she is actually reading them. It's funny. Below may be the only sitting down shot of my daughter without an obnoxious amount of diaper hanging out.
I think this picture is too cute because she is staring so intently at the music. We start Kindermusik in a few weeks. I'm hoping she will like it because it might just make me vomit a little. (I've always been a bit - ok a lot a bit - of a music snob so this teacher better know her stuff!) We will see. 
