Just some words.

Brandon hasn't been traveling nearly as much, which in turn has made my one-woman band bed time routine extinct and has allowed me the opportunity to sit back and enjoy the difference between baths given by yours truly and baths given by the dad.  In case you're wondering, they're quick.  Like, military style.  There's no messing around when daddy has the washcloth in hand, but get Kennedy out of the tub and he turns into an act straight from the circus.  Entertaining a rebellious slippery fish out of water who has developed a distaste for lotion and jammies is no small feat, but it seems daddy has found his calling.
 

She's getting more teeth.  The only difference is now she can tell me that there's a "boo boo" in her mouth.  And she's not shy when it comes to telling me she needs medication to ease the toothache.  Although, sometimes I believe she's feigning mouth pain just to get a taste of the grape-flavored syrup that's only to be administered every four hours.

Yesterday, I asked Kennedy what she wanted for breakfast.  "Mac and cheese" said my bed-headed girl.  We had a bagel instead.

The other day Kennedy grabbed my chin and pulled my face directly in front of hers and said, "Mommy happy?"  After I laughed, gave her a big hug and replied back that I, indeed, was so very happy, she shouted, "Happy, happy, happy!"

Meet our new neighbors.  I think there was a little confusion with the property line, though.  They took up residency in our courtyard, and I've been stalking them ever since the first egg hatched.  Mother bird was wise in picking our tiny pencil tree to set up shop in as I'm a lover of all things baby.  Although, I'm not certain she knew I'd haul one of our bar stools over to the window where her nest is perched less than an arm's length away and then lug my own baby up on the stool with me and get all National Geographic on her and try explaining how regurgitation works.  She probably also didn't know that this haul and lug science class would be one of our daily doings.

Not to fret mama bird, I come in peace.  Just to prove that, I've been keeping an obnoxiously curious four-legged foe preoccupied with other hobbies so as to keep baby bird maulings off the rap sheet.
 

I often forget about Kennedy's middle name and then out of nowhere it speaks to me.

Darling...

Summer is here.  Or maybe it's coming.  I guess it depends on the region you live in.  Today, it feels like it's here, but I just talked to my mom and she was under a blanket and talked of a heater clicking on the other morning.
 

We had an impromptu visit to the zoo yesterday.  Out of the blue and close to lunch time, followed by nap time -- let's just say the wrong time, Brandon says, "Let's go to the zoo."  I cocked my head to the side, scrunched my nose and rolled up the right side of my upper lip.  He could see the answer coming before I said it.  But he was persistent in true Brandon style, and I dragged my feet the entire time I got ready to go to the zoo.

You know, sometimes I'm really glad he doesn't listen to me when I say no.  We didn't even see that many animals due to the amount of people and the sun beating down on us, but it was a nice change of scenery and the zoo's ice tea rocks.

We're headed to Denver soon.  Kennedy in her own seat on the flights there and back.  Our first trip where we had to buy her a seat.  Soon, Sweet Tomatoes will be charging me for her to graze on their salad bar.  She's starting to cost more, yes indeedy, but that just means she growing, getting older and still blessing our lives.  And that, my friends,  is my definition of priceless.

Life in April.

Disney Princesses on Ice:

Four words.  Don't go through Ticketmaster.  Ticketmaster alluded us to some kind of "silver package" deal with a showing at 3:30.  Sounds all fine and dandy if there had, in fact, been a 3:30 showing.  Apparently, there was a goof in their system and we bought tickets for a show that didn't exist but didn't know that until we showed up at will-call.  Fast forward three hours and thirty minutes and they found us seats at the 5:30 show.   Six hours and $165 later, we were the proud owners of a Cinderella doll, had consumed a bag of cotton candy and a bowl of ice cream, had blisters from hiking around the downtown area and gray hairs from trying to entertain a two year old who had skipped nap time.  We left feeling more like we'd spent the day in a mosh pit instead of just having spent two hours watching satin encrusted princesses spin their way into a triple lutz  all while singing to their respective prince.  Yes, it was a magical day. 

Innocent faces:

Don't let them fool you.

 

Mere seconds after the above picture was taken, she let herself in via the sliding screen door and then with every ounce of muscle in her left bicep, she began to shut the glass one. 

On her picture-taking mother, no less.

This was the last photo taken before I had to intervene.  She's a sly fox, this one.  Did I mention she knows how to lock this particular door once shut?

Two:

We're still working on it, but at least we've got a head start for when the fifth birthday rolls around.

Id-nee:

Also known as Sydney.  Kennedy's first bestie.  She wakes up talking about her and goes to bed talking about her.  Syd's birthday was a couple weeks ago and occasionally Kennedy will break out in song. "Happy day, happy day, Id-nee" which sounds more like "Hap-eee gay, hap-eee gay, Id-nee."

Note: If Kennedy sits on you, that means she likes you.

Easter:


We cometh,

 we eateth,

we hunteth,

we jumpeth,

we putteth,

we loveth,

and we waiteth. 

For Baby Stull to be born, that is. 

~~ Mama Stull with her bun in the oven, waiting to put buns in the oven. ~~  

Lycra and H20

The first threads of Lycra were pulled from the left side of the closet where other seasonal gear such as raincoats and furry vests are housed.  Dora Swimmers left over from last year were dusted off and placed on little buns.  Sunblock was applied and water shoes were in tow.  Graham crackers and my big floppy hat were a last minute grab as I was pulled out the back door by a certain water lover.

She spent the majority of the time scouring the ground for bugs but wouldn't let me turn off the sprinkler after ten minutes had elapsed and no sprinkler run-throughs had taken place.  She was quite content just having it on as some outdoor white noise.

And then there was the introduction of the pool.  Despite what I would classify as frigid Titanic water, Kennedy submerges herself like she's a hippo and the pool is but a warm watering hole deep in the African jungle.  

Even Marley was treading water like it was just yesterday that she had last jumped in paws first.

I caught Kennedy talking on her cell phone the other day and stopped to ask who she was talking to.  Her response, "Nonnie."  I can only assume she was summoning Nonnie back for another round of "dangle the bait in front of the Marley-gator."

I'm not quite ready to rush into the heat just yet, but the sneak peeks of what's to come have brought more smiles than furrowed brows and slowly it's preparing me for the mercury rising.