Beach Baby - Padre Trip #3

Alice's 3rd trip to Padre was the most fun for her yet.  When she was 9 months old....she couldn't really enjoy it.  When she was 18 months old, it was cold and windy, so not alot of beach time.  This year, at 27 months...with beautiful weather, she had a blast.

We arrived early evening on Sunday.  After a 6 hour car ride, we were all tired, but Alice was great on the car trip down.  She really is a great traveler.  We settled in for the evening, had dinner and watched DVD's.  Alice went to sleep and slept better than usual.

The next morning we got up and lazed around the condo for a while.  At some point we piled in the car and went to McDonalds for breakfast.  After breakfast we decided to take Alice down to the beach. 

We tried to put her swimsuit on her, but she would have none of it.  She wanted to wear her blue dress and was not going to be dissuaded, so we relented and headed down to the water. 

 She was tentative about the sand at first, but within minutes, she was running around and heading for the water. 

Alice ran up and back with the surf, she stomped and squeeled with delight, she kicked over sandcastles, ran after birds, collected and tossed seashells into the water. 

It was so much fun to watch her.  We repeated this every morning we spend in Padre.  Mornings were spent on the beach and afternoons were spent lazing in the condo.  

Tuesday evening we decided to venture out of the condo and went to Pier 19.  We decided to try and eat dinner there since it was outside and not crowded, so Alice could run around if she wanted to. 

Alice sat in mamma's lap and ate cheese sticks and then took fried shrimp out of my hand and proceeded to eat several bites...including the tail! 

It was one of our more enjoyable dinners out with Alice in current memory.
We headed back to Austin Wednesday afternoon, knowing Patra's twins could be born any day and hoped to get some time at home before heading to Dallas for their birth (which btw happened the next week on May 4th)

This is my favorite picure from the trip.  Her exuberant joy is so apparent!

Alice's BIG weekend

This weekend Aunt Sissy brought cousin Juliette to visit Alice.  This was the first time Alice has been old enough to really play with her cousin.  Juliette is just over 2 years older than Alice, and Alice thought she was the coolest. 

The two girls played great together.  Juliette was gracious in understanding that Alice was younger and giving in to her two year old demands.  Alice was good in letting Juliette play with her toys without saying "mine" to everything.

Aunt Sissy brough Alice the play kitchen Joci and Jules have loved for several years.  Now Alice has her "New Kitchen".  The first night, the two girls plays together in her room with "the New Kitchen" for several hours.  Juliette showed Alice how everything worked.  After they played themselves out in the "New Kitchen" the girls retired to the TV room and watched several episodes of Max and Ruby laying together on the blow-up bed. 

Alice kept telling Daddy to "go-way daddy"....she was hanging out with her big cousin Jules, and didn't want us hovering.  Bed time was very late for the two girls.  Alice finally agreed to go to her bed around 10:00.
The next morning we went for the Bickel tradition of driving around eating donut holes and coffee.  We happened past a couple garage sales, and I picked up a couple of toys for Alice and some for Patra's boys.  Around 11:00 we headed downtown.  Our original plan was to go ride the Zilker Park Train, but there was an event going on and crowds and parking conspired against us.  Instead we took the girls to the Parmer Event Center Park. 

They have a spiral hill and water park/fountain.  Alice absolutely LOVED the fountains.  She ran around and got wet and splashed in the shallow pools.  Of course, some strange little boy started following her around (this often happens, especially at McDonalds Playlands).  Jules got to ride her scooter down the spiral hill, and also got a bit wet.

Alice continued to mimic her big cousin throughout the day.  They ate pizza for dinner, played in the yard and watched shows together.  Aunt Sissy and Jules left Sunday after breakfast, but their influence lives on....Alice now wants to be pushed "really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really high" on the swing like Juliette was always saying ;-)

Toddler Monday at the Childrens Museum

Since today is Columbus Day and Alice's school was closed for a teacher work day, I took Alice to the Austin Childrens Museum for "Baby Bloomers".  From 9-12 they are open for kids 3 and under.  My friend Sylvia brought her daughter Maddie along too. 

We first stopped at Mom's office - to park since it is right across the street from the Museum.  I took her up to the office to show her off and attend a quick meeting.  Alice was charming ;-) and told everyone BYEBYE in an outdoor voice when we left.

During Toddler Time, the Museum volunteers had story time (which was not interesting to Alice) and Sing-a-long - which Alice loved and participated - in a way I had never seen before.  She laughed, clapped and joined in on the hand signals during the songs for "Wheels on the Bus", "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "If Your Happy and You Know it".

After we left the Museum, we headed back towards home. It was quickly approaching nap time. We stopped at Taco Cabanna for lunch. Alice and I shared chicken nachos. Then it was off to the the house for nap time.

It was a great morning.

Labor Day Weekend Fun

Just some pics of Alice having fun this weekend.

Alice likes to imitate mom's driving

Who knew a milk jug could be so fun???

One day after school

Alice had a fun day with mom and dad after school yesterday. The weather was not too hot (meaning it was just tolerable) so we all went outside for a while after dinner and to water the yard.
Alice decided that watering the yard looked fun and wanted to help. She did a fabulous job watering the grass and her clothes. Water is always fun and getting wet just means you don't feel so hot. Hmmm, now I'm thirsty....

Dad showed Alice how to drink from the hose. It took her a while to understand the concept of bending over so the water doesn't just douse your clothes, but she was wet anyways, so who cares!

Later, we went to the back yard for more playtime....sandbox, car rides, chalk art, sliding. Alice took some time to site down and have a drink every once in a while.

By the time it was definately time to go in for a bath, it was already after 8:00. She had stubbed both of her toes bloody, and had skinned her elbow, but she really could care less. She never cried about them or complained that they hurt. She's a super trooper!

Summer Days

Although the weather has been unseasonably hot, Alice loves to go outside.
All she has to do is go over to the sliding glass door, beat on it a few times, and say "GO?"

Alice and Mom making bubbles

Alice playing in her sand/water table from Grandma Didi and PopPop

Alice loves Daddy's cowboy hat

Our little Artist

Alice Loves Her Stroller

Not only does Alice love to TAKE stoller rides, but she likes to give them too.

When Alice was just learning to walk,the stroller was too light, and she needed to have something more substantial to lean her weight on.

But now that Alice has better balance control she can push around the mini doll stroller. The stroller occupant is "Chickie" - who sometimes gets thrown out, or has to share the stroller with other items Alice piles in....water bottles, pacies, sippy cups, other toys, but she reigns as the strollers' permanent resident.

"Daycare"

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Alice is so much fun....alot of work-yes....but fun.

She is so interactive now. We can play mimic games - I clap/you clap - I click my tongue / you click your tongue - I shake my head / you shake your head - I make a sound / you copy the sound.

She is very expressive with the sounds she makes. Its like she is trying to say something, but someone has taped her mouth closed. She is definately trying to communicate something, but we are too dense to understand her meaning.

She is also very mobile. She loves to stand and walk along side her blue "car" almost as much as she loves riding in it.

Alice Walks!

It is amazing how fast Alice is growing and learning.
Larry told me that a few nights ago, Alice pushed the walker and walked behind it. I thought he meant that he was holding her up and helping her. Friday night, he showed me what she can do. He placed her at the back of the walker and she began franken-walking behind the walker. I was so amazed. By the next day, we had converted the walker into a push walker and Alice was cruising like a pro.
(Sorry for the poor quality - it was taken with my phone)

The Pumpkin Patch

Patra and I took Alice to a Church Fall Festival this past Saturday in Round Rock. Although there wasn't much to really see or do (some crafts, a dunk tank and a small petting zoo) Alice loved to people watch. They also had a pumpkin patch, so we brought along Alice's dragon costume to get a few pics.

'What is this big orange thing?'

'Maybe if I taste it I can tell what it is...'

"Rawr" I'm a Dragon!

World's cutest and most ferocious Dragon.

Alice's first real vacation

We took Alice on her first official vacation this week. Mom, Dad and Baby drove 6 hours south to South Padre Island for a few days of rest and relaxation. Relaxation was pretty much all that could be done because of the rain for the first 3 days of vacation.

Dad wrote and created graphics between baby sessions, Mom napped and listened to an audio book and baby played, ate, slept, watched videos and was cute in general...all in a typical day for Alice - just in a new location and with tons of attention from Mom and Dad. We all enjoyed hanging out on the patio to watch and listen to the surf.

By day 4, the weather decided to cooperate and we got Alice out on the beach. She had fun crawling on the sand, and we had fun trying to keep her from eating it (yuck!). The most fun was mom and alice sitting in the surf and anticipating the rush of water. Alice rocked and jumped with the coming and going of the waves. She is definately not afraid of the water and getting her hands (and face) dirty.
We all had a good time just spending time together and hope to get dad back to the beach again ;-)

Labor Day Weekend

The Bickel family went to Dallas for part of the Labor Day Weekend to visit family. We spent most of Sunday over at the Miesse's new house in Flower Mound watching the cousins run about, swim, yell and love on Alice.

Monday was spent with Grandma and Grandpa Meadows and Aunt Pappa. Aunt Debbie and Jill also stopped by to say hi. Alice also went on a quick field trip to the nursing home to visit Jenny (her step-great-grandma). Below are pics from the weekend visit.

Alice at Starbucks before heading over to the Miesse's

Alice and cousin Jackson (again!)

Alice showing off for Aunt Pappa

Alice meeting Jenny (and showing the old folks

what young and cute looks like)

Supersonic

Alice is learning fast now.

At school, she now plays with the other kids. In the morning when I drop her off, I sit her down on the play mat with the other kids and leave her playing. Although I tell her bye-bye and give her a kiss, she is so involved with watching the other kids and reaching for that days tub of toys, she doesn't even know I've left. I stop at the closed door outside her room, and watch her for a second or two before leaving for work.

This past week, she has begun the "army crawl". When she decides she wants to get something that is now out of reach, she will lean over, lay down on her tummy, and start skooching across the floor. Alice is very proud of this recent accomplishment. She will raise up on her arms and beam a broad smile.

Alice can also pull up onto her knees...and with a little help - all the way up to standing.

Aahaaahaaahaahaay!

Right before I caught this picture, Alice was growling and yelling for fun. When she experiences the best of moods she has started new experiments with her voice, yelling and growling in a variety of tones but at one volume setting: loud. I've been attempting to snap a picture of her mid-yell, but when the camera comes out so does her inner camera-ham. Alice sees the camera, turns, poses, and dials the cute all the way up.

Desperately Seeking a Nap

Today we went to the pool. Since Aunt Sissy, Uncle Chris and Cousin Juliette were here....we all decided to go to the pool. Mom and Melissa went to Target and bought Alice a swimsuit with matching hat, lathered up the kiddos with sun screen, and hit the pool. Dad brought a book and the camera to document the new experience.

At first, Alice wasn't too sure about this water thing that obviously was NOT her bath...the water was colder and it was much much bigger than the tub. Plus, there were other kids running around, which in the end was fun to watch.

After a few minutes, Alice decided, the pool was fun, and began kicking and kicking in her new floatie
Mom took her around the pool leading the dragon floatie by the nose.

After a while Alice started to get tired, so we went and sat down in a lounge chair to dry off.

After drying off, we talked about how much fun the pool was and how Alice wants to come back.

When we got home, Daddy cooled off with a beer, and baby thought it looked refreshing too.