Virginia Summer Wild Flowers

We've been harvesting handfuls of these tiny delights from all over our neighborhood. Eva's favorite outdoor activity is "picka flowers." As you can see, she's got her bouquet for her room and Mummzie has her's for the sill. I love how wild our yard is, I think I'd like to keep it this way. Be gone Round Up! You have no place here!

My sprout grows...

 

As my Sprout grows, she's become much more independent. She hardly likes to be touched half the time due to wanting to try everything on her own. From perfecting her ice cream cone skills to road testing all Mummzie's shoes, it's always "Eba DO IT!" While I'm glad for the switch, she's now not nearly as fearful of her world, her free-spirited ways do bring out the "Eva Diva." Just today, Daddy and I were taking turns encouraging her to finish a last bite of banana, but Eva wasn't interested in her fruit. It must have been too much for her to have both of us telling her to "munch-munch," for she let out a primal yell, closed her eyes, and threw her head back like she was asleep. This method of "shutting out the world" (seen here ) is a favorite diversion from obedience, and unfortunately for this learning young mother, it makes me laugh every time! Which is SO not helpful when one little eye peeks open to see if her "trainer" has given up on The Great Last Bite of Food Battle. Ah, well, I'll learn, and I hope she will too somewhere in there.

Eva Quote of the week...

Helping Daddy get his morning cup a' Joe. Mmm, fresh ground beans.

After going pee pee on the potty for the first time, Mummzie showed Eva her "good work" and congratulated her. "Hooray! You did a good job, Girly! Look, look in the potty and see!"

Eva looked and gasped, "Oh! Eva made coffee!"

I guess the coffeemaker she watches every morning "tinkles" too.

2!

Eva turned 2 on Thursday. We didn't make a big deal out of it, but all her friends did! We did start the day with a dozen balloons and presents before breakfast tho...

Yay! First purse!

And Blues Clues "pack-pack."

Her purse came with a little group of Sesame Street buddies.

Then Ms. Patti arrived with a bag full of party!

(You'll note she (Patti) didn't even make it to the door before she was greeted...hence the outdoor party.)

Love you, Ms. Patti!

Then, it was a party at the Delages (like always) when we went over for babysitting.

But this time there were presents!

E liked her gifts.

But the best part was all the cards from buddies!

"See, it says, 'Eva love Faith.' right dere."

Mommy did make her girl a "cakie." (cake cookie)

Most were delighted with it...

...others thot it was so-so....

...none of it lasted long!

My girl is a blessed girl. Hapi birthday, Eva!

Garden (digging) Party

Planning our garden...

"This spot looks good."

Diggin' the plot out. (that's not our boat)

The crew... what is Eva doing?

Workin' hard!

She loved "Diggin wit Daddy. So hard!"

"Gettin' sweddy!"

Cuatro De Mayo! (a Campbell family tradition)

As some of you closer to us are aware, we Campbells are known for enjoying the celebrations of (or making up) obscure holidays; there was National Waffle Day, National Pancake Day, National Canned Food Month (all legit!), all deserving of proper observation, as is...

Celebrating Cuatro de Mayo has been a family tradition since we've been a family. (See previous years here 2008, 2009. ) As you can see, each year it has only gotten bigger, so this year's Cuatro couldn't fail to do so! The fiesta began shortly after sunup with a steaming plate of Huevos Rancheros (Salsa Eggs, gag.). Soon after followed a lunch out at Chili's and then later a spicy supper of cheesey nachos. Throughout the glorious day we rolled a lot of our "r"s and sang the Mexican hat song... and prayed in Spanish over our comida. (just kidding on that last one, but maybe next year...)

Arriba.

Chica, Senor, y Senora Campbell

Chipotle Chicken Nachos... oh yeah.

Delicioso!

Yay nachos! Yay Mexico!

Ole'!

Yay, videos!

This one is from January... she looks so little only a couple months ago!

This one is longer and may be only interesting if you're a hard core Eva fan. (like Grandmama)

Yard Salin'

We're preppin' for our spring yard sale (May 8th) these days. I've been collecting, sorting, and pricing things into boxes. Eva, as you'll see below, has been doing what we like to call "help-dering." (helping + hindering) And it looks like her little hiney is going to be a good bargain...

Easter Chickie

Easter means spring is here, white is now appropriate, candy can be found in the back yard, Christ is risen (!), and for me when I was a child..... BEAUTIFUL DRESS! Easter Sunday for 8 year old Emily meant you learned and talked about Jesus in your white gloves and lace hat that you hoped everyone had noted the moment you came in the front door of the church. (Seriously, every little girl I knew was thinking the same thing... I'm sure of it.) I'm looking forward to continuing this tradition of fun and femininity, hopefully with less vanity, with my daughter(s) as she/they grow. Hopefully, God in His graciousness will enable Eva to listen better than I did to what we teach her about Easter Sunday and the glorious Gospel we're celebrating... in the meantime, while God, we trust, is at work, she'll enjoy feeling "b-you-full."

I call this one "Mimi's Baby Doll"

Don't she look it?

Roaming in the Mr. Wayne's yard... dress was a gift from Miss Patti (Thank you!!)

Miss Maggie's flowers (we visit them daily)

"Sniffin' shmell goods."

She looks SO like her Mimi here! So beautiful.

This is her saying "cheese" face.

...so we tried "vitamin" (her gummy treat at breakfast) and we got a tiny grin.

She was taking this 'looking beautiful' thing a little too seriously.

The leaves make it look like it was cold out... but it wasn't.

"Dis one no shmell good. No like it. All done?"

Thank you, Laina.

One good grin,

one scream,

and we were done.

This is her faking sleeping so she doesn't have to do anything else I tell her to. I think she got that from Daddy.

(Wink. Love you, Baby.)