Happy 33rd Birthday, Jim!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Quick Visit from Nonna
Three cheers for a visit from Nonna! Nonna! Nonna!
Mom G. drove down for 3 nights/2 days last week - great fun! We had beautiful weather (70s/80s) for a couple of fun outings. On Thursday the three ladies wandered around campus and had a picnic lunch at the student center.
Jim was working and we stopped by his office for a visit later in the afternoon. Gemma charmed all of his co-workers with her shy ways and then got straight to work crunching data on the computer.
Of course Nonna helped out by making some scrumptious bran muffins for breakfast on Friday.
And she brought balloons and decorations for an early birthday celebration for Jim and Gemma! (Jim is Aug 26 and Gemma is Sep 1. It was good to have a warm-up for Gemma...since we can hardly believe she will be 1 in a short time!)
One of Gemma's very special 1st birthday gifts from Nonna & Granddad is a pewter cup engraved with 'Gemma Taylor' and her birthdate. Naturally, G. had to try it out right away. Doesn't she look like she is ready for tea?
Since Jim is off on Fridays this summer, we took another picnic lunch and went out to Lake Lemon (about 10 mi. north of town). As soon as Gemma saw the water, she started pointing and talking and wanted to run right in - but this being our first time there, we didn't realize what the swim area was like and hadn't brought our suits. Next time. Dad and Gem did stick their toes in, though.
A little after-lunch exercise (Gemma's new favorite activity).
This photo is for all you Hawkins...Gemma eating chicken kabouli for the first time. Actually, gobbling it down would be a better description. See that clean bowl? (with some spoon-help from Nonna)
And birthday dessert by Jim: chocolate almond tart. Yummmm. (Don't worry, folks. Jim's official birthday dinner & dessert, prepared by Jul, is still to come. Wait, is he really turning 33 this year?!)
On a final note, we discovered that 'Nonna' is a superb grandma name. Very easy to say and Gemma had several very close attempts. Thank you for coming, Nonna! Nonna! Nonna!
Mom G. drove down for 3 nights/2 days last week - great fun! We had beautiful weather (70s/80s) for a couple of fun outings. On Thursday the three ladies wandered around campus and had a picnic lunch at the student center.
Jim was working and we stopped by his office for a visit later in the afternoon. Gemma charmed all of his co-workers with her shy ways and then got straight to work crunching data on the computer.
Of course Nonna helped out by making some scrumptious bran muffins for breakfast on Friday.
And she brought balloons and decorations for an early birthday celebration for Jim and Gemma! (Jim is Aug 26 and Gemma is Sep 1. It was good to have a warm-up for Gemma...since we can hardly believe she will be 1 in a short time!)
One of Gemma's very special 1st birthday gifts from Nonna & Granddad is a pewter cup engraved with 'Gemma Taylor' and her birthdate. Naturally, G. had to try it out right away. Doesn't she look like she is ready for tea?
Since Jim is off on Fridays this summer, we took another picnic lunch and went out to Lake Lemon (about 10 mi. north of town). As soon as Gemma saw the water, she started pointing and talking and wanted to run right in - but this being our first time there, we didn't realize what the swim area was like and hadn't brought our suits. Next time. Dad and Gem did stick their toes in, though.
A little after-lunch exercise (Gemma's new favorite activity).
This photo is for all you Hawkins...Gemma eating chicken kabouli for the first time. Actually, gobbling it down would be a better description. See that clean bowl? (with some spoon-help from Nonna)
And birthday dessert by Jim: chocolate almond tart. Yummmm. (Don't worry, folks. Jim's official birthday dinner & dessert, prepared by Jul, is still to come. Wait, is he really turning 33 this year?!)
On a final note, we discovered that 'Nonna' is a superb grandma name. Very easy to say and Gemma had several very close attempts. Thank you for coming, Nonna! Nonna! Nonna!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Action shots with her bike
Gemma loves to get in some playtime (in the parking lot...) after dinner. Once we clean up the dishes and say, "Gemma, are you ready to go play with your bike?" She makes excited noises and races to the backdoor and slams her hands on the window, then looks up expectantly.
Meanwhile I (Jul) grab a handful of pretzel M&Ms (I just discovered these for the first time) and we head out to the back. Ah the aspects of the day that make life enjoyable.
Gemma has fallen in love with pushing. Everything. Her bike, the stroller, the grocery cart, chairs, boxes. She is getting very good. (Yes, it is hot, but she still has to wear leg warmers to protect her knees. We learned the hard way on that one.)
Meanwhile I (Jul) grab a handful of pretzel M&Ms (I just discovered these for the first time) and we head out to the back. Ah the aspects of the day that make life enjoyable.
Gemma has fallen in love with pushing. Everything. Her bike, the stroller, the grocery cart, chairs, boxes. She is getting very good. (Yes, it is hot, but she still has to wear leg warmers to protect her knees. We learned the hard way on that one.)
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Breakfast Outside
Breakfast has been on our back patio lately - easier to clean up and nice to be outside before the day gets too blazing.
Gemma gets bananas, strawberries, and corn chex.
Mum and Dad enjoy a yogurt parfait with Dad's homemade granola. Yum.
Gemma gets bananas, strawberries, and corn chex.
Mum and Dad enjoy a yogurt parfait with Dad's homemade granola. Yum.
Monday, August 1, 2011
New events for Gemma - 11 mo. old
Today Gemma is 11 months old! And in the last couple of weeks she has had numerous new experiences.
First: two bottom teeth!! They both appeared at the same time two weeks ago.
Second: Eating (and enjoying) Pizza! Baba ghanoush (eggplant dip)! Tabbouleh (bulgur salad)! Ratatouille! Carrots!
I'm not kidding either...she is eating more on her own, using her hands and attempting with a spoon, and she eats more and enjoys food more when we let her do so. Of course a LOT ends up on the floor, so we are learning to be more relaxed about mess. Learning.
Here she is at the end of the tabbouleh experience. She truly liked the bulgur, trust me. But recently she has started screaming when she is done with the meal and can hardly wait to be cleaned up and get back to playing. It doesn't help when Mom says, "oh this will make a cute picture," and she has to wait longer.
Third: ever since our visit to Avery & Bella, she LOVES baby dolls. This little one below gets carried around the house often, accompanied by singing and flinging and slapping of the chest.
Fourth: parking lot playtime (yes, she is being raised a suburban child, so far...), with her *new* plastic bicycle. This Fisher-Price beauty has been "up-cycled" (e.g. we rescued it from the dumpster in our complex) and is seeing daily use. It's still a little big so she gets pushed around in style - or, her preference: she pushes it.
Isn't Dad smiling nicely? Gemma was staring at a neighbor's dog. Oh well.
This cute dress is from Hawaii, originally given to Lillian by Auntie Hannah. Next in line to wear it will be baby Frey, coming in December. Another girl cousin in the Hawkins fam!!!
Lastly, she has come awfully close to saying some first words. A few days ago I am 99% positive that she said BOOK! She also says words that almost sound like: baby (pointing at Elsie's picture), ball, Dad, bird, dog, truck, and duck/quack.
First: two bottom teeth!! They both appeared at the same time two weeks ago.
Second: Eating (and enjoying) Pizza! Baba ghanoush (eggplant dip)! Tabbouleh (bulgur salad)! Ratatouille! Carrots!
I'm not kidding either...she is eating more on her own, using her hands and attempting with a spoon, and she eats more and enjoys food more when we let her do so. Of course a LOT ends up on the floor, so we are learning to be more relaxed about mess. Learning.
Here she is at the end of the tabbouleh experience. She truly liked the bulgur, trust me. But recently she has started screaming when she is done with the meal and can hardly wait to be cleaned up and get back to playing. It doesn't help when Mom says, "oh this will make a cute picture," and she has to wait longer.
Third: ever since our visit to Avery & Bella, she LOVES baby dolls. This little one below gets carried around the house often, accompanied by singing and flinging and slapping of the chest.
Fourth: parking lot playtime (yes, she is being raised a suburban child, so far...), with her *new* plastic bicycle. This Fisher-Price beauty has been "up-cycled" (e.g. we rescued it from the dumpster in our complex) and is seeing daily use. It's still a little big so she gets pushed around in style - or, her preference: she pushes it. Isn't Dad smiling nicely? Gemma was staring at a neighbor's dog. Oh well.
This cute dress is from Hawaii, originally given to Lillian by Auntie Hannah. Next in line to wear it will be baby Frey, coming in December. Another girl cousin in the Hawkins fam!!!
Lastly, she has come awfully close to saying some first words. A few days ago I am 99% positive that she said BOOK! She also says words that almost sound like: baby (pointing at Elsie's picture), ball, Dad, bird, dog, truck, and duck/quack.
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