Happy Girl

Little Bird is loving her toys now. She lays there and grabs one toy on each side and tries to get them to her mouth. She is content to do that for quite a long time (allowing the dishes to be done or dinner to be made).

She also loves to lay in her crib and gaze up the the mobile. Every morning when she wakes up we turn it on for her for a half hour before she eats. We can hear her in there cooing away at it and sometimes little shrieks of delight.

Happy 4th

Patriotic Pops

 Last night we headed down to CMAC for the Patriotic Pops RPO concert.

 
Little Bird did great and enjoyed being outside and listening to the music. 

In addition to some patriotic music there was also a mandolin concerto which was pretty neat. We snuck in a picnic dinner so we could eat while we listened.

By the 1812 Overture, Little Bird had succumbed to sleep and was in her stroller. She barely even twitched with the booming cannons at the end. She also missed out on the fireworks afterwards (spent covered in the car seat).

We tried to get some pictures of the fireworks and Caleb posted a neat stop motion from his phone camera on the photo blog. It was a fun night.

 

Pottery Festival

Saturday we decided to check out the Western New York Pottery Festival. It was a bunch of different artists and their pottery on display/for sale. They also had some demonstrations and had just opened a couple of kilns before we got there. It was very interesting to see the different techniques (like horsehair or raku). Little Bird did great in her carrier--just snuggled in for a nap.

As we walked around, it was tempting to buy something because it was so neat. But then we had to think, "What would I actually do with this besides have it sit in the china hutch?" So we just admired it. It would be really fun to learn how to use a potter's wheel. A new hobby?

Berry Cute

This year strawberry season was a little early. But last week I thought it would be fun to pick my own and make some strawberry jam. So I drove out to GroMore Farm and got busy. I picked for about 75 minutes and ended up with about 22 pounds of strawberries (about 3 of the below containers overflowing). I went a little overboard but once I got started I just kept going. I couldn't resist getting a picture of Little Bird surrounded by all the strawberries. She is definitely "berry cute."

The next day I got busy trying to use them all up. Because we only have the small freezer with our fridge, we don't have the space for freezer jam. So I borrowed the Relief Society's boiling water canner and got busy. You can't double batches (it doesn't mix correctly with the pectin) and 6 batches later I still had a whole large bowl full of  strawberries left. I had already made 37 pints of jam (in 49 jars--some were half pints), the house was hot from all the boiling water, and I was tired. So I decided to try some new recipes from the internet to use up the remaining berries.

It was a strawberry sweets buffet. By the end of the three days of canning and baking, my hands and the house smelled like strawberries. I was kind of strawberried out but we were able to share the wealth of strawberry treats with others.

strawberry syrup                          strawberry jam on bread

strawberry granita                             strawberry crumble bars

strawberry lemon bars                   strawberry lemonade muffins

Happy Father's Day

 Little Bird got crafty late last night to make some gifts for Father's Day. A custom tie with her footprints all over. Plus a very special picture. What a sweetie. She sure does love her dad. He makes her laugh. Calms her down. Reads her stories. Tickles her toes. He is a great dad. What a lucky little girl.

Two Months

 

It is hard to believe Little Bird is two months old. She is now 11 pounds 11 ounce and 23 inches. It was a little rough at the doctor appointment this time because she had to have an oral vaccine (which she kept spitting out) and two shots. But she was a trooper and did great.

She is smiling more and more. But she always knows when the camera comes out because then she stops. So we haven't been able to capture any of her big grins. Sometimes we can get a little smile though.

She is also getting so strong. She holds up her head so well and does "push ups" during tummy time. She loves to push her legs straight and stand up when she is being held. What a cutie. We love her so much.