And, we're off!

Vacation! We are on vacation this week. Yay!! We've spent this weekend part at our niece Abby's 8th birthday party and just being at home. Tomorrow we head out to Fort Davis to hike, swim, and spend a few days in weather that is a high of only 90 degrees - a cool front! (Austin has been 100 for at least the last two weeks!)

Naomi's birthday is also approaching. She will be two in just over a week. This morning she sang happy birthday to Mark and I, and then when we talked about her birthday and asked her how old she was going to be, she said "2...4" and then "2...5." She has a lot to say these days. Actually, right now she is yelling from her room "OPEN...mama, mama, mama, mama..." I think she wants to open the new package of diapers. And she is singing.

Last night at church she wanted to go to the play room, but I wasn't ready and asked her to stay with me. She kept wiggling, stood up, and announced "I'm going to play now!" And now she is asking me to come on, and play hide and seek.

Summertime Already

It is defintely into summer already - 100 degree days and we're just in June! So, we try to stay cool. Last week Naomi's friend Ada came to play and swim. Naomi thinks Ada is fabulous, and talked about her friend all the next day.

Saturday, Mark and Carolyn (Mark's mom) and Naomi and I made a trip through west Texas. After her family reunion, we stopped in Dublin, Texas where the Dr Pepper plant had its 117th anniversary! We missed the cake, but got what we really wanted -- Dr Pepper floats. (Dublin still uses real cane sugar in their mix.) Dr Pepper floats from the Dr Pepper museum is one thing I miss about Waco! Naomi was way more interested in the float than the picture.

Then we headed to Gatesville, Texas and one of the few drive-ins left in the state. We took Naomi to see Kung Fu Panda - which was pretty cool. She watched it until she fell asleep. As we were waiting for the show to start, she looked at me and said "I want popcorn." What?!? This was her first movie - (apart from Pirates of the Carribean when she was a month old) - how does she know about popcorn? Well, she does now.

It was a lovely pre-father's day trip. And Sunday, we just spent a slow day at home - with pancakes.

Keeping up with Naomi

Lately, I wish I could really capture all of what new things Naomi is doing -- but it is really all in what she is saying. In the last few weeks sentences and thoughts and ideas are exploding out of her. She repeats everything we say and do.

This last week Naomi has started singing. She'll sing to her baby dolls the song I sing to her at night. She sings the ABC's -- "now I know my abcd's". And, most recently, Jingle Bells. We've also been playing hide and seek around the house - finding being the best part, because we get to scream and get excited.