Our Little Helper

Hadley likes to help with all the chores around the house which is sweet, but can also get a little tricky when the point of doing chores is straightening up and cleaning the place. If we get the vacuum out, begin to unload the dishwasher, or begin the laundry, Hadley comes running saying, "I do it myself."

When I start folding the laundry I can usually satisfy Hadley's need to "fold" the clothes by giving her all her old burp cloths along with our kitchen towels. However, a couple of days ago she went into her room and decided she was ready to fold her clothes (that were already folded and put away). Here's what happened....

And here is Hadley singing and dancing to a song she's made up this week. It's always good to do chores while singing and dancing.

Hey Boy! Hey Girl! Are you?

One of the fun things about being a mom is watching Hadley develop her personality through the experiences she has and the friends she makes. From the moment she was born, I knew she wasn't what you'd call, "a meek child." Hadley is bold. She likes to get out and do stuff, and she loves to meet people. This is evident in our trips to the library and the park as well as when she's around her toddler friends. However, I didn't know how she would react to hanging out with "big kids."

This weekend, we had the special treat of visiting with the Dornbos family. Todd and Rhonda, along with their children, Elisa and Seth spent the weekend with us and while it is always fun to see them, Hadley was out of her mind with joy at having the chance to play with Elisa and Seth. She needed to do everything they did. If they sat at the table, she would sit at the table.

If they were coloring, she would color. (I am usually the official "marker opener" for Hadley, but Hadley passed the baton on to Elisa this weekend.) Seth taught her how to slide down her big triangle head first, a trick that Hadley is very happy she can accomplish. And on our trips around town Elisa wanted to ride with Hadley - something Hadley just loved.

It was very important to Hadley that Elisa and Seth hold her hand as much as possible. She would run up to them, extend her hand and say, "and, and" and they obliged. Here they are walking around the Mall this past weekend.

Along with making new friends, Hadley got her first glimpse of the White House.

She also took a look at the World War II Memorial. She was impressed, I'm sure, but mostly because of all the water that looked quite appropriate for splashing in (that is why she is in the stroller in these pictures).

I do believe that the highlight of the weekend for Hadley was swimming in the pool at the hotel the Dornbos' stayed in.

The pictures don't do it justice. When it was time to go home, Hadley threw quite a fit screaming, "Boy! Girl! Pool!" the whole way home. The names Seth and Elisa seemed to be difficult for Hadley to say, so she called them Boy and Girl. Throughout the weekend we'd hear, "Boy! Girl! Are you?" (That's Hadley's way of asking, "Where are you?")

When our visit came to an end Monday night, Hadley was very sad to see her friends go. We were sad too, as it always seems we pick up right where we left off with Todd and Rhonda. And while it's sad to see good friends go, as I watched Hadley learning how to play with the big kids, I was reminded of the friends I had that kept me company and I'm excited for Hadley and the people that will put a smile on her face.

Our Trip to Chicago

It's been a week since we came back from Chicago, but it's taken awhile for me to get around to posting some pictures of our trip. We had a great time and Hadley has been asking for her Grandma and Grandpa Lewis and her Uncle Geoff ever since we came back. Geoff gave her an Elmo doll and a penguin toy and everytime she plays with them she says, "Thank you, Uncle Geoff!" Elmo has replaced her baby in her toy shopping cart. She takes him "shopping" with her and the baby is no longer allowed in the cart. Elmo is the superstar.

Speaking of Uncle Geoff, Hadley loved the cut out photo of him that is just about her height. She took him around all over the house when while we were there. Here she is dancing with him.

"Hey, Uncle Geoff! I heard you like the song, "I totally miss you." Let's see if I can find it..."

Hadley also had a good time playing in the pool in the backyard.

I'm not sure if you can tell from these pictures, but Hadley has on an Elmo swimsuit. We're a little obsessed with Elmo these days.

We also took a trip to Millenium Park where there is a huge area to splash around in and an enormous "bean" that Hadley loved looking at.

July 4

Here's Hadley in her July 4th attire hanging out with Daddy. We went to the parade in Takoma Park for July 4 after eating breakfast in downtown Silver Spring with some friends.

While they waited for the parade to start, Hadley and her buddy drew on the sidewalk with chalk.





They also discussed who they would vote for in November.

And it's always nice to take time to smell (and pick) the flowers.

Once the parade started, Hadley was mesmerized. She loved watching all the cars and floats go by, but her favorite parts included anything with music and/or dancing. Here she is enjoying the steel drum band.