First Haircut

On Friday Reese got her first haircut. After seeing the results, I am left wondering what took me so long to do it.

Reese got her haircut by mommy's hairstylist, Annie. When I told Reese on Friday morning that she was going to get a haircut and that they were going to use scissors, she was terrified. I tried explaining that it doesn't hurt to have your haircut, but I don't think she was completely sold.

We arrived at the salon a few minutes early so Reese could watch other folks getting their haircut. Once she saw the fancy chairs, hairdryers, and mirrors, she was super excited.

She got to sit on a big booster seat and wear a big brown bib for her haircut. She did an EXCELLENT job sitting still during the experience. She only flinched a few times during some of the blow drying.

After we left, she talked about the experience for the rest of the day.
We didn't do anything too dramatic to her hair--just evened it out into a bob and gave her some shorter, softer bangs. I'm thrilled with the results and love that her hair looks neater and stays out of her eyes. I think she'll be a fan of future hair cuts.

Wildflower Center

From walks around the neighborhood, Reese has learned how to identify bluebonnets. She calls them "blue-bots." Since this year's crop of wildflowers has been especially stunning, we took time on Sunday to visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Despite the chillier temperatures and the constant drizzle, the place was packed. We arrived early and spent a few hours walking along the paths and admiring all the displays as well as untamed areas.

Reese particularly liked all the pond features, and looked for turtles and fish inside each one we passed.

She also learned the word "statue" since so many interesting statues dot the grounds and displays.

Overall, Reese thoroughly enjoyed herself--and as an added bonus she completely wore herself out. (We enjoyed a 2+ hour nap when we got home!) If the wildflowers are as striking next year, we may make a repeat trip.

Easter Part Two

Since Grandma and Grandpa Righter were both feeling better (and not contagious!), they visited Reese this weekend to celebrate Easter.
They brought Reese two Easter baskets filled with bubbles, books, and stuffed animals.
As always, Reese enjoyed their visit--especially the tickle fights and upside down moments hanging on the grandparents.

Children's Museum

Last week Reese and I attended Baby Bloomers at the Austin Children's Museum. Technically, the museum is closed each Monday--except for their special toddler clientele.

This was my first visit to the museum and I think I was more excited than Reese--at least initially. After finding parking downtown (it's own mini-adventure), we walked a few blocks while checking out the "big buildings" to the museum.

I had heard stories of overcrowded visits to the museum and after our visit I can understand why. The setting was the perfect size for the small toddler crowd (pun intended), but I imagine that it can get crowded with big kids rather quickly.

Reese wasn't interested in any of the air exhibits, but had a ton of fun playing with the ball ramps as well as a display that I can only liken to a giant Light Bright.

I can't say we'll be making it a regular part of our routine, but it was a fun side trip, and I can see that the museum will have much more to offer her as she gets older.

Iowa Pictures

Reese LOVED watching the airplanes get ready at the airport.

Swimming at the hotel in Iowa

The girls with Great Grandma

Grandma Righter and Reese at Great Grandma's place

Wheelchair ride with Great Grandma

Patty cake with Great Grandma

Three of the Bonar six

The cousins/grandchildren

Easter

Wow, what a difference a year makes! Last year Easter wasn't much of a to-do around our house. This year, Reese had a hay-day!

When Reese woke up she immediately checked our her Easter basket courtesy of the Easter bunny. It had a few candy eggs as well as a pinwheel, harmonica, and mini train car. The harmonica was a hit as soon as she figured out how to blow on it, and the "choo-choo" has already covered most of the terrain in our hallway.

Once her basket was empty, Reese went on her first egg hunt. Due to morning rains, the Easter bunny hid all the eggs inside. With only a few hints, she successfully found all 16 eggs. Since we used real hard boiled eggs (which she had helped color the day before), her Easter basket was dragging on the floor by the end of the hunt, but she refused to let Mommy or Daddy help carry it. Due to the popularity of the hunt, Reese has had several repeat performances where Mommy and Daddy have hidden plastic eggs around the house for her to find. This may be the Easter activity that keeps on giving for awhile. Below is some footage from her hunt. It may be hard to understand,but as she's finding the eggs she's yelling things like, "I found 'em!" "I get it!" and "I see it!"

Reese got dressed in her Easter dress and hat for a visit from the Baileys and Gabriels in the afternoon. Grandma and Grandpa Bailey brought Reese an Easter basket with snacks as well as beads for stringing AND a picnic table. Daddy assembled the table and it has become activity central for Reese. She loves to sit at it and color or do other projects, and it's the perfect height for her to get in and out of by herself. Eventually, it may go outside, but we're definitely waiting out oak pollen season before making any decisions. Aunt Kate and Uncle Richard also brought Reese an Easter basket that was filled with snacks and arts and crafts supplies--including 300+ Easter stickers.

What a fun day!

Grandma and Grandpa Righter had to reschedule their Easter visit for next weekend, and I'm sure the fun will begin again when they arrive!

Growing Notes

Just a few notes/observations about Reese this month:

* Her vocabulary is out of control. Almost everyday she uses at least one new word that leaves me asking myself, "where'd she hear that one?" She hesitates with multi-syllabic words, and often cuts off the first syllable. Examples: harmonica = monica, protect = tect, umbrella = brella etc.
Strangely, she doesn't truncate multi syllabic names--she can say Catherine and Malcolm perfectly.

*Phrases: Reese is now talking in short phrases. I hesitate to call them sentences, but it's still progress. Most of them start with "I": "I got it!" "I hold you." "I see it" "I miss _____" "I love you." She is very hung up on manners, though, and always tells people thank you, your welcome, and bless you.

* Now that her vocabulary has improved I'm constantly amazed by Reese's memory. She will tell me about events that are weeks or months old when something reminds her of it. Sometimes the memories seem to come out of left field and it takes me a minute to recall why she's talking about someone or something that's not present, but I'm always amazed with her persistence and accuracy of memory.

* Reese is in love with her friend Reed. Reed is three weeks younger than Reese, but her partner in crime. We try to have play dates at least once a week because they play so well together. Often on our way to meet Reed, Reese will tell me, "I like him," or "I hug Reed." Last week it was "I kiss him." And, it's true, she does try to hug, kiss, and hold hands with Reed. Today she told me, "Reed [is] my buddy."

* Reese knows EVERY book on her bookshelf--which is quite an impressive feat if you consider how many there are. She now requests them by title (or her version of the title), and continues to want to read 5 or 6 at a time. I never thought I'd be the parent who hides books from their child, but I admit that on a few occasions I have hidden some of her LONG favorites behind others in hopes of limiting our pre-bedtime storytime to a more reasonable length of time.

*Reese has started singing songs to herself. Just don't let her catch you listening or watching her--she gets shy and clams up immediately. Her songs are mixtures of songs she knows as well as lots of scat singing noises.

New Favorite Food

Reese has gotten a little more adventurous in her eating lately. With her daytime schedule shifted later thanks to DST, she now eats later and can eat with Mommy and Daddy more regularly. (It was really hard for Daddy to make it home by 5:30 for dinner on Reese's previous schedule.) Thankfully this not only means more Daddy time before bed, but that Mommy doesn't have to cook twice each night--once to feed Reese and once to feed the parents. Reese has taken a shine to most main dishes we've served, although veggies are still touch and go most nights. Fruit, however, never fails. An interesting development is Reese's new love for sushi. Mommy and Daddy had some one day for lunch and thinking she'd hate it, we still let her try when she asked. We couldn't have missed the mark more. Reese adores sushi.

Now, before people freak out too much, let me explain that we have only let her try sushi rolls--and all the meat she's consumed has been cooked shrimp or crab. (Although we'll probably graduate to raw fish at a reputable restaurant some time if her interest keeps up.)

She loves the rice and seaweed paper, and we have to be careful to cut the roll slices in half, because she eagerly tries to shove giant pieces in her mouth. Right now, it's actually a much bigger hit than chicken nuggets or anything else. She sees it at our HEB and asks for it on almost every trip. For now, it's a slam dunk meal. If only it's weren't so expensive.