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Kivrin tickling the new baby (34 weeks pregnant)
Mountain lion at the zoo who kept licking the glass and basically trying to eat Kivrin, but luckily she thought it was great!
Kivrin watching a bird at the rainforest exhibit at the zoo.
Kivrin riding on Daddy’s shoulders at the zoo
Kivrin trying out her new hula skirt outfit from Gramma Mary
Kivrin wore her pretty new 4th of July dress to church on Sunday — a present from Grandma Sandy!
After some troubles trying to go down the slide in her church dress before church on Sunday morning, we took a second trip to the park after church with pants and a tucked-in shirt (a present from Uncle Jim!) with much more sliding success. In fact, Kivrin could climb all the way up the big slide and go down by herself, leaving the three adults to just stand around and cheer her on!
After we let Kivrin watch the last 10 minutes of the World Cup game with us on the television, she was a VERY enthusiastic soccer player at the park the next day. As long as no one kicked the ball away from her. And she seemed to like to pick up the ball and run away from us holding it in a manner more appropriate to football…or possibly keep-away….
Kivrin and Papa were playing babies together — but apparently Kivrin decided that Papa should take a nap too!
We enjoyed a delicious dinner and dip in the swimming pool at Pat’s house — Kivrin is even sporting her new swimsuit (a gift from Pat!). She liked splashing everyone else, but didn’t like when she would get splashed herself.
Kivrin showed Nana the correct way to line up all of the babies in a row and cover them with blankets.
Kivrin happily dancing in Papa’s truck. After this, she talked Papa into sitting in the truck with her. Then Mama. Then Dada. Much to the neighbors’ amusement, soon all four of us were sitting together in the back of the truck, hanging out in the shady driveway!
After a very full day of playing and visiting family on the 4th and only a 30 minute nap, we didn’t think Kivrin would be able to stay awake in the car seat long enough to get to any fireworks displays after dark, so we simulated our own display using the PBS fireworks instead!
Gramma Mary knows what toddlers like– We met up with Kivrin’s Gramma at the mall on Monday, and Kivrin was overjoyed! Kivrin woke up from a short nap to discover a dream world of fun all around her– A carousel! A train! Escalators! A pet store! Mac and cheese for lunch! We had a fabulous visit and then we got on the road back to Topeka and had a relatively uneventful drive.
We met Dan’s parents over at the Kansas City Zoo for a fun (hot!) morning of animal watching together. Although we brought the stroller along, it mainly served to hold our “stuff” while we all took turns carrying Kivrin so that she could see the animals.
Grandma carried Kivrin through the bird aviary, and they saw birds flying around them and also swimming in the water.
Grandpa and Kivrin and Mama looked in the water for turtles and fish and ducks.
Kivrin and Grandma watching the giraffes and zebras in the Africa exhibit where we also stopped for a snack!
Kivrin loved to run around this small hut in the Africa exhibit. It was a little bit cooler than outside, but mostly I think she liked running in circles and seeing her daddy play peekaboo through the window.
A lizard was sticking out his tongue at Kivrin, so she started sticking out her tongue back at the lizard–they carried on quite a conversation that way!
Mama pushing Kivrin in the stroller across the bumpy wooded bridge.This was just before Kivrin dumped that water bottle out into her lap, neccesitating the removal of her soaking wet pants for the last bit of our zoo visit!
Kivrin and Dada rode the carousel together on the way out of the zoo. She loved it so much that she fussed when we only let her ride it one time! Whether animals are real or statues, moving or sleeping, toys or wild, Kivrin likes them all.
Kivrin learned at school about ponytails and barrettes and now sometimes wants to play with such lovely pretties at home as well. For about 2 minutes. Then she wants them out of her hair again. She also likes when everyone else (mama, dada, cat, doll, etc.) decorates their hair too.
There was also a video, but it didn’t end well. The Big Kitty will withstand an amazingly long time period of being covered by a baby blanket. When he reaches his limit though, parental intervention is required. Also, whenever Kivrin sees this cat now, she says “No Bite” very firmly and shakes her finger at him authoritatively. Perhaps all of these things are related…
THANK YOU to Aunt Leigh Anne and Cousin Colin for hosting us for a super-awesome visit!
See all (150 so far!) vacation pics here on flickr.
Kivrin was a WONDERFUL airplane passenger — both our flight to Milwaukee and our flight home again were planned around a noon-ish naptime, and she fell asleep just after takeoff on the way there and just before takeoff on the way home, sleeping in our laps/arms the entire flights both times!
Snuggling on the couch — so much for Lissa’s nap! First Colin joined me for a nice cozy snuggled, then Kivrin decided to jump onboard and Dan played referee at the end of the couch to keep everyone safe…
Kivrin and Mama walking at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center.
Dan and Kivrin pouring sand through a funnel in the toddler area at the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum.
Luckily, Kivrin was appeased by leaning down to touch the water of Lake Michigan and didn’t try to go into the water. She definintely liked the “big” water though!
This is one of the happy moments in the shared baths that were characterized by many (valid) complaints from Colin that Kivrin was “splashing him” and “splashing water in his eyes” and “not stopping splashing him.” The louder he complained, the more vigorously she seemed to splash with delight!
Colin sends his water rocket into orbit, or at least 25 feet in the air. Kivrin liked counting down one-two-three-go, and watching the rocket, but when the spray came her way, she wanted to go inside.
Kivrin and Colin in the rocking chairs outside the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center. They are resting up BEFORE our hike down to the lake and back up again.
Dan and Colin making a strawberry rhubarb pie together in the kitchen, which we ate with fresh vanilla homemade ice cream.
While Dan and Leigh Anne explored the fabulous world of menswear together, Lissa tried to keep two kiddos happy and well behaved in a department store. Can we say “thank goodness for iphones?”
Colin gives Kivrin a high-five through the glass at his hockey skating lesson.
We also went to a kite festival down at Veteran’s Park by the lake — http://www.giftofwings.com/ and Milwaukee County Zoo and Klode Park and Richards School playgrounds, as well as spending lots of time playing at Aunt Leigh Anne and Colin’s house and in Colin’s bouncy house in the basement play room!
See all (150 so far!) vacation pics here on flickr.
And here are 62 pictures on flickr of the rest of the weekend and some from week before…I’ll blog them here in more detail if/when I get a chance!
Posing for a Mothers Day 2010 picture.
Riding the big cat. No one was sure about this, especially the cat.
Kivrin and Mama practice our party pic pose!
Kivrin recently discovered oranges in a big way!
Kivrin climbed in the basket and just barely fit!
Kivrin and Daddy have a special system for helping with the laundry…..
“These dolls are all sleeping.”
“I put the dolls to bed in a row and covered them up.”
“Mama made me baby doll diapers and wipes and I am using them!”
“Look, these dolls are all sleeping too.”
“Finally a use for my crib. My dolls and I can snuggle together inside.”
Mama and Kivrin took a wagon adventure to the local park one Saturday afternoon while Daddy was at work. Kivrin climbed through the tunnel (with a little help from Mama pushing on her feet to get her up the incline each time) and then happily played on the swings for a LONG time. Luckily for Mama, Kivrin didn’t decide to “help” pull the wagon until we were within about 2 houses from our own — that is our front sidewalk in the photo!
One morning, when we walked outside — up there–in the sky–hot air balloons!!!! Three hot air balloons were so close overhead at we could hear them firing up to stay afloat as they floated past us. Kivrin, of course, thought it was pretty wonderful.
Is there anything more interesting than cornstarch goop? Kivrin had to be convinced to touch it, but she definintely liked having Dada dribble it across her hands! And she always loves to make a mess!
Swinging at Gage Park — Dada pushed in the back, Mama pushes in the front and she goes high high high and fast fast fast!
Kivrin and Dada watch the train come into the station at the Gage Park mini-train. (We rode the train after this, but photos taken on mini-train suffer a bit from the close quarters and aren’t usually worth sharing.) Kivrin loves to talk about trains right now and to say “choo-choo” and pull an imaginary train whistle.
More pictures on flickr here
One of Kivrin’s favorite new activities is to pull on Daddy’s shoelace, and then say “uhhh-ohhh” and point to the laces and say “un-tied” and then have Mama tie Daddy’s shoe again. And then to repeat that game as often as possible. Here I caught her in action at the bowling alley, which the library rented out for the night for a staff appreciation family event.
WAYYYYYY past her bedtime, we were finally leaving the bowling alley, and suddenly they turned on the disco cyber-bowling lights and Kivrin (already in her pajamas) started her own little dance party right down on the lanes. For the record, Mama let her stay up so late because Mama was trying to watch the Cardinals tied baseball game in extra innings on the bowling alley televisions….although even Mama didn’t stay awake for the end of what turned out to be 20 innings…
Mama and Kivrin bowling a NINE by pushing the ball down the lane together!!!!!
Kivrni and Daddy enjoying the bowling alley together.
Mama and Kivrin put their secret team bowling strategy on display for the world….
More pictures on flickr here
When we couldn’t get Kivrin to just stand and pose with the daffodils, we opted instead for an action shot of “hug the tree” which she was happy to do!
The bubble supplies on the back porch are a constant source of amusement (and distraction, since we pass them going in and out of the house.) Mostly the extra wands serve as interesting and colorful toys since Kivrin hasn’t mastered actually blowing bubbles yet. She LOVES to dip a wand in the container and then blow gently on the stick end, and accidentally fling bubble solution all over Mama or Dada though, that is for sure!
Easter came early this year — like around 5 am. Luckily the Easter bunny knows where to find Kivrin when we are traveling on holidays, and also what her favorite things are — the eggs were all full of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters.
Kivrin proudly showing off her Easter dress that Nana made for her. She pranced around in it (the polkadot legwarmers were her choice) for about 30 minutes, then freaked out and wanted it off and I had to change her into her Christmas dress instead. Ahh, the fashion lives of toddlers!
Post-church, Kivrin wore her comfy clothes and played in the kitchen at Grandma and Grandpa Fogt’s house.
The weather was beautiful on Easter Sunday and Kivrin and Dada posed outside (new orange pants in this photo from the red ones above, I can’t recall now what tragedy befell the first pair.)
Kivrin liked playing kick ball with Grandpa and Grandma in their yard.
More pictures on flickr here
Kivrin Anne 
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