Father's Day

Father's Day was this past Sunday, and while Daddy spent the morning relaxing on the golf course, Mom and I spent time together in the kitchen preparing him a big feast! My favorite part of the food preparation was making the cake!!! Since I am a big girl now, Mom let me help. After we put all the different ingredients in the bowl she sat me on the counter and let me stir!!!





The cake batter got thicker the longer I stirred, and I realized that it was quite fun to play with.

When I thought Mom wasn't looking I went in for a taste, she caught me mid-lick but let me continue.

After I tasted the batter I was hooked and wanted more. Mom told me that we had to save some for the actual cake, so I would have to wait until it was poured into the pan. Once that was done she let me lick the bowl and spatula- boy was it yummy!






When Dad came home we feasted on filet kabobs from the grill, and Daddy was sure happy! Finally, after dinner was done, we were able to show Dad the cake we had made for him. Mom let me put a candle on it, and I sang Dad the Happy Father's Day song I made up (it is just like the Birthday song). We even let dad make a wish and blow out the candle.




After we blew out the candle Mom let Dad and I eat cake with our fingers- boy did we have fun!

I am sure that Dad enjoyed his special Father's Day. I am lucky to have such a great Dad!

Later on in the week Mom and I went to the Zoo. To my surprise I discovered that they had a carousel! I was SO excited- who knew they had carousels in Ohio!!!

Mom let me take a couple rides on the carousel, and now I can't wait to go back.

The first time we went to the Zoo (last week) Mom had a difficult time carrying me when I refused to walk, so we solved our problem by buying a new wagon!!! I love riding in the wagon like the big kids.

Because it was a HOT day at the zoo (93 degrees) Mom let me take off my shirt and stroll around in my tutu, it made me feel a LOT better. After a couple of hours of being pulled around I decided that I wanted to help Mommy so I pulled the wagon for her for a while. I am such a big helper!

Before we left the Zoo for the day I got to play on the obstacles. This one was my favorite, and as you can tell by the smile on my face I wasn't having any fun at all...

We are discovering more and more fun things to do in Ohio every day, and I am really enjoying my new home. This coming week Mom and I fly to San Diego to see all my family and friends in California! We have so much planned to do, and I am SO excited!!! Check back soon to hear about all the fun...

Fun in Ohio!!!

We have been in Ohio for 2 weeks now, and have finally settled in to or new home. The first week was a little rough- we were living out of a hotel waiting for the moving truck to bring our stuff from California. During that time Mom and I spent our days cleaning up the house, touring this new city, and playing in my new back yard with Jax (yes, he made it here safe and sound).

Jax and I had a party to celebrate our arrival at our new house in Ohio and Jax couldn't have been happier that the family was together again.

Our house is just outside of Columbus in a town called Dublin. It is not that different from California aside from the fact that there are no mountains, and everything is green (thanks to all the rain). The town we live in is really nice and pretty, and anything we could ever want is within a 5 mile drive from our house. Grocery Stores, restaraunts, shopping centers- there is even a zoo and water park less than 5 minutes away!

To celebrate our first weekend in Ohio the family had a picnic at a local park and I got to roam around in the flowers.

I told you Ohio was beautiful...

We had an awesome day, and I sure enjoyed being outdoors in the sunlight.

By the end of our first week the moving truck showed up with our stuff and we moved into the house. Unpacking was a tedious task and I am glad that my only job was playing nicely and staying out of trouble (which I managed to do for the most part).

The first thing that Mom and Dad unpacked and set up was my highchair- this allowed me to resume my feedings without constant help. As you can see I have gotten really good at using a fork and, as of recently, have been allowed to use a butter knife to practice cutting.

I have the most fun cutting up my eggs at breakfast!!!

I have decided that breakfast is my FAVORITE meal of the day, not just because I LOVE eating eggs, but because I have discovered all sorts of yummy foods that I am able to feed myself. Check me out as I eat my own bowl of cereal, WITHOUT HELP, for the first time:

Mom was so nervous as she watched each bite leave the bowl and head for my mouth- she was sure that there was going to be a disaster, but I showed her!!!

My new "thing" when I eat is to stack foods on one another. Mom thinks its really weird, but Grandma Judy got me hooked on eating "eggs on bread", so now I HAVE to combine items together. I have eaten some things that most individuals would find unsatisfying together, but it makes eating WAY more fun. For example I like broccoli on beans (baked), peas on pasta, cottage cheese on berries, peanut butter on bananas, and the most odd; oranges on applesauce. Here I am stacking bread on bread (the only way I will eat it plain).

Because I have proven to be good at feeding myself Mom often leaves me unattended to eat snacks during the day. Sometimes she regrets her decisions...

It took about a week to set up, but check out how cool my back yard is. I have a trampoline, a swing set with sandbox, a playhouse, and a cube slide!!!

There is always something fun to do!

The best part of my backyard is the fact that it is fenced in completely! Mom lets me have my freedom to run around by myself in the backyard and explore. I am learning to use my imagination and have learned lots of fun new games to play.

The really cool thing about my new swing set is that there are 4 swings- 2 baby swings, and 2 big kid swings. Usually Mom and Dad have to push me in the baby sings, but here the big kid swings are low enough to the ground that I am able to get on them all by myself. Mom has tried to teach me how to "pump" my legs and use momentum to push myself, but so far I need her help to get moving.

Recently Mom has taken a new fascination with reading. I guess she found some books she really likes (Auntie Stephanie knows which books I am talking about) because, when she can, she is always reading. We have a really neat deck in the back yard where Mom sits and reads her books, and I love it because I am able to roam around the yard and play. Most afternoons we sit on the deck and enjoy our lunch. Because the weather has been incredibly warm and sunny (not to mention HUMID) I am able to wear only my diaper.


The backyard rule is that I must have shoes on when leaving the deck area, so I usually grab my favorite rain boots to wear. Some fashion statement huh?

Unfortunately for Mom, I don't keep my clothes on too long. Sometimes, if she is in the middle of a good part in her book, I am able to streak through the yard. Once she hears my laughter and looks up the fun is over.

I have to admit, I was a little concerned when we arrived in town, I wasn't sure they would have all the cool things that they did in California, like parks, kids clubs, or friends, but to my surprise they DID!! Mom even took me to Chuck E Cheese one afternoon- I couldn't believe that Chucky came all the way to Ohio!


As promised, once we had everything unpacked, Mom took me to the pet store to buy a Dorothy (fish). I had been wanting one ever since I started watching Elmo, and was so excited that I was finally going to get one of my own. After minutes of contemplation I chose a blue fish whom I named Bingo. When we got him home we set up his bowl with some pretty rocks and Mom helped me feed him. I think he is really going to like it here, and I make sure to visit him as often as I can.

The other day, while Mom was cleaning, Bingo and I were hanging out in the living room when I decided that he looked a little hungry. I looked around for his food, grateful that Mom had placed it on a shelf that I could reach. I gave him a decent amount of food and ran into the kitchen enthusiastic and eager to tell Mom what I had done.

"Mom Riley feed Bingo" I exclaimed with a big smile on my face. Mom took the fish food from my hand and congratulated me- that was, until she realized that I had figured out how to open the food and had ACTUALLY fed him. When it registered, she ran over to Bingo and with a shocked look on her face exclaimed "Riley what did you do?" to which I replied, again, "Mom Riley feed Bingo."

She immediately picked up Bingo in his tank and took him to the kitchen. Before she cleaned his tank she decided to take some pictures to help us remember the incident in the future (I guess there was something funny about it). If you look closely you will see that the first inch of his tank is full of food pellets. I thought he deserved a big snack, but apparently it was a little too much...

Last weekend Dad came home from the hardware store with a gift for Mom. He bought her a lounge chair so that she could sit and read her books comfortably. Too bad for Mom I have taken a liking to lounging...

I think the chair has officially become mine.

Mom and I are really enjoying our new home, and our new city. We miss our family and friends, but are settling in well and have taken quite a liking to Ohio. Most days we take care of errands and chores in the morning, and after my nap in the afternoon, spend the rest of the day playing in the yard together. Singing has become one of the favorite pastimes, and Mom makes up silly songs for me to sing- we practice EVERY day. Here is the musical debut of my very own song written by Mom and produced by Riley- The single is available for purchase if anyone is interested...

Our new house has a really neat basement which we turned into Daddy's man cave. Down there we put the big screen TV with Rock Band, and Dad and I spend MANY hours together playing Master of Puppets- check us out.

Because I LOVE to rock out, Mom and Dad thought that it was important that I learned how to properly do the symbol. My little fingers are getting more agile every day and I am almost able to do it...

I sure have one proud Daddy!

Speaking of Daddy, he seems a LOT happier at his job here in Ohio, and has more time to spend at home with Mommy and me. We are really glad to she him happy and can't wait to spoil him this upcoming Father's day. Aren't Daddies the best!!!!!

Finally!!!!!!

After a month of Internet issues, Dad FINALLY fixed the problem with Mom's computer and now I am able to post pictures from the past month!!! Prepare yourselves for the long blog ahead...


The week after we returned from Miss Heather's wedding Mom and I began preparing for our big move. Sorting and packing weren't much fun, so mom promised that each afternoon, when I woke from my nap, we would have some fun time.

Lucky for me she came through on her promise. Each afternoon Mom had something planned for us to do. We spent as much time with our family and friends at our favorite places as possible! As our final week approached, Mom and I reminisced about all the fun times we had living in San Diego. I had grown up SO much over the past 6 months, and had experienced many new and incredible things, but NOTHING compared to the time I was able to spend with my family; that is something I will ALWAYS remember.

One of the neat things I learned how to do was jump on the trampoline ALL BY MYSELF, check it out, I can get like 3 feet of air...

We took a trip to the beach for the weekend to say our goodbyes to Grandma Judy before we left. The first thing we did when we arrived was hang out at my favorite park on the beach. I impressed Grandma Judy by showing her how strong I have become by hanging on the bar above the slide. Soon I will be able to do a pullup...

I have finally grown tall enough to get on the playground equipment by myself, but Mom is concerned because I have NO fear! Mom didn't have a video to upload like I'd wanted, and unfortunately a picture does not do it justice, but my favorite thing to do is throw all of my body weight back and forth and get going really fast. Of course I love every minute of it.

Going on the swingset with Grandma Judy is always fun because she swings me MUCH higher than Mom does.

Check out my smile as I fly through the sky.

After we played around at the park we went back to Grandma Judy's house to grab a snack and change our clothes for the beach! Just as we were leaving Grandma Judy brought out a present for me. Can you believe that she gave me my very first REAL bike! Although I am still TOO small for my tricycle, I was able to sit on the big girl bike. I am eager to grow big enough to ride it one day.

After a couple hot laps around the courtyard we headed to the beach. Boy was I ecstatic; feeling the sand underneath my toes always makes me happy!!

I told Grandma that I wanted to go surfing and she laughed when I laid on my tummy.

After some short instruction I had learned to hang ten like the pros.

We decided to put my talents to the test in the water, but fear of falling took over and I decided to lie on my belly and boogie board instead. Learn to walk before you run right??? I will save surfing for when I come back to the beach in July.

I had tons of fun as Grandma pulled me through the water, and soon was intent on pulling the board around myself.

All that work made me tired, so we packed up our beach stuff and headed beach to Grandma's for a slumber party. In the morning, as promised, Grandma Judy took me back to the beach for a full day of beach fun. We built castles, dug holes, searched for shells, and shared MANY laughs.

Before the end of the day Grandma and I walked the Ocean shore to wave goodbye, and we both marveled at how beautiful it was.

Even though the water was a little chilly we jumped the waves as they came into the shore.

For our goodbye dinner we went to my favorite sushi place, where they know me as the "little girl who loves sushi." At Saska's I don't even have to place an order, they know exactly what I want- edamame and a rainbow roll.

We enjoyed our sushi dinner, but afterwards had the difficult task of saying our goodbyes. I knew that Grandma Judy and I would miss each other very much. I gave her a big hug "nice and tight" and told her that I would see her soon.

The next week Mom and I spent some time with Pa at the boat to say our goodbyes to Downtown San Diego. We took our usual tour of Seaport Village, and I got to ride on my favorite carousel- I sure hope that they have one in Ohio...

I also made sure I stopped by my favorite pirate to sing him the "yo ho" song and gave him a bump.

It was tough to say goodbye to Pa's boat, but I know that I will come back soon because there are just too many fun things I enjoy doing there to stay away for long!

One of the neatest things I got to do downtown was go to a professional baseball game. I have been watching Pa play baseball almost every week, and have developed a love for the game, so getting to see a real game in person was quiet a treat. Pa, Michelle, Mom, and I all went to see the Padres play, ironically, the Cincinnati Reds who just happen to play right down the road from where we will be living.

Even though my loyalty is to the Yankees, Mom made me a special outfit for the Padre game.

Pa got us some great seats right down by the field and we were able to see everything!!!

Watching the players was really neat, and everyone in the crowd was lots of fun. Can you believe I even caught a ball thrown into the stands???

As much fun as I had watching the game, I think I had more fun eating. The food at the ballpark all tasted awesome, but my favorite was the hot dog.

Boy are those Hebrew Nationals good!

Aside from the small bites I allowed Mom to take, I managed to eat the whole thing!!!

I really enjoyed my time at the baseball game, and singing the Ball Game Song with Pa during the 7th inning stretch is a memory I wont soon forget!!!

Dad came back to San Diego to help us get packed up, and the family went on an outing to LegoLand.

I don't know what I was more excited about, all the cool things at the park, or being with my dad again.

It was great to spend the day with the family, hanging out and being silly.

Dad and I were running through the park miss behaving, so Mom had to put us in the stocks...

Legoland had all sorts of different things to see, and I was really eager to say hi to the lego shark up close, but didn't like it when Mom tried to feed me to him...

Spending time with my family at LegoLand was lots of fun, but it was still hard to say goodbye to Dad when he had to head back to Ohio. I knew this time that I would be seeing him soon, but it was still sad that he was leaving us, and California, behind.

After the movers came and took our stuff Mom and I were left with only suitcases. There were no toys to play with, so I had to use my imagination. While Mom was busy packing up Pa's stuff I remembered how much fun I had with the boxes when we moved from Huntington, and amused myself by climbing in and out playing "where'd Riley go" for hours. Pa sure thought I was silly...

Although I was on my best behavior, there were times when everyone was too busy to keep an eye on me and I got into some trouble...

From then on Mom kept all writing utensils out of my reach (too bad for her I am growing taller by the day and can almost reach the table tops)!

Our last night in San Diego was spent at Aunt Connie's saying goodbye to the rest of my family. I am sure going to miss seeing everyone, but know that we are only a short plane flight away. I had an amazing time living with Pa and am grateful that he was so tolerant of my antics.

Our family is starting a new chapter in life and we are all excited to get settled into our new house and prepare for the new baby's arrival. Check back soon for the scoop on Ohio...