This week really flew by. We’ve been walking like crazy! My sweet friend Ms. Lauren met us for a little exercise and real estate talk last Wednesday, which was so good for the body, mind, and spirit. As an added bonus, we stopped to gaze at a few of my “dream homes” around the neighborhood. It was warm enough for a visit to the park and Georgia and Charlie loved spending time together, as usual!

Also this week I hit one of my favorite consignment sales of the year, Best Brands Resale, in Wheaton. Always an adventure (the first time I went Charlie was only 6ish months old and I had her in a front carrier because there wasn’t enough room for strollers!) — this sale never disappoints. I scored a pristine Oilily dress and cardigan set for $25 (I’m sure it retailed for at least 8x that much) among some other goodies so I was really pumped. I also managed to get some me time in this weekend so I could do some dreaded jeans shopping and buy a few new summery things. You probably wouldn’t believe me, but I truly don’t have much of a spring/summer wardrobe. I spent the last two summers being pregnant or coming down from pregnancy and girlfriend needed some new duds! Ella is holding her head up so much better these days and really loving hanging out anywhere her big sister is. It’s so much fun for me to watch them interact, even at this young age. This week we will probably have more of the same, providing the weather cooperates — trips to the park, walks, another round of Aquababies at my gym (have I mentioned Charlie’s taking another swimming class?) and beginning the great purge. In order to “lighten our load” (so to speak) for the future, I have to start going through all the clutter. Do I really need that asymmetrical neon green and black striped dress I wore to my 25th birthday party?

Have I mentioned how fun Charlie is these days? I mean, she is closer to 3 now than she is 2, and I do think the terrible two’s are beginning to diminish (even a little)…but the stuff that comes out of her mouth…and the FACES. And the ATTITUDE. From all the seasoned moms I know, 3 is a tough one. But after the exhaustion of the 2’s, I’m actually excited for the next phase.

It’s a wonderful thing that she can now tell us what she wants (even if she doesn’t always say it in the nicest way) and Vann and I are just loving the little personality that is emerging in her. I’ve always thought she was a little quirky, and I love that about her. Here are some updates on Charlie:

-She loves her baby sister…loves helping Mommy with Baby Ella and loves making her laugh.

-She’s quite the dance connoisseur. She can really shake her groove thang.

-She is truly happiest when she’s outside. It’s really a good thing that I have another girl to dress because I wonder if my days of dressing Charlie how I want are coming to an end. She would play in the dirt and splash around in puddles all day if I let her.

-She’s such a little tomboy, happiest when she’s playing with trains and trucks. Good thing I didn’t buy her that American Girl “Bitty Baby” for Christmas last year…

-She’s obsessed with penguins (although we all know that) and carries four of them around pretty much everywhere she goes.

-She’s a little lover…loves giving hugs and giggles every time she sees one of her little buddies.

-She runs everywhere, on her tip-toes. Funny how she didn’t walk until she was almost 18 months old and we were SO worried about it…and now you can’t get the girl to slow down.

A friend of mine compared her to the character Ramona Quimby from those Beverly Cleary books we all read when we were kids…and when I googled Ramona I came across this picture:

Great, right? See the resemblance? I think this description of Ramona from Wikipedia is kinda perfect: Ramona is a rambunctious girl who is misunderstood by others. She wants to grow up quickly and hates being called a baby. Ramona is a very imaginative child. Often her imagination and her pretend games lead to embarrassing situations. To Ramona, all these situations are logical but most of the adults in Ramona’s life do not understand her behavior. One such occasion is when Ramona pretends to be a fireman and goes to school with her pajamas on under her clothes. She begins to overheat and eventually is forced to tell her teacher. Ramona frequently copies what she sees on television or what other people around her are doing, such as attempting to look like a girl in a commercial but ending up with her hair tangled with burrs. Ramona has the appearance of being a very happy-go-lucky, independent and brave child but is actually much more sensitive than she appears.

To say that today was a gorgeous day would be a huge understatement.

With nothing planned, first thing this morning Charlie and I ran down to the corner cafe in our pj’s (literally) to grab croissants and coffee. After Ella got up from her first nap we loaded up in the double and walked. And when I mean walked, we walked. I bought a pedometer a couple weeks ago to start keeping track of my distance and the amount of steps I’m taking and we clocked in at right around 17, 000 steps by 3 pm. That’s almost 7 miles!! We would fast-walk it for awhile and then stop at a park and let our very brave toddler slide down the big slide and then we’d get back in the stroller and walk some more.

We had lunch and did a little shopping along the way. After we got home we sat out on our front stoop and watched the neighbors pass by while Charlie ran back and forth, pointing out airplanes and scoring Smarties (for posing for pics, of course). As the air grew a little cool, we came inside for baths and a little R & R to rest our tired muscles.

It was a picture-perfect day; one of those days that makes you love the city and the ability to walk everywhere, whether it be for an ice cream cone, a baby gift for a friend, or arugula for some homemade pizza (which Vann is making tonight, by the way). It’s these kinds of days that we will miss terribly when we are not living in the concrete jungle anymore.

And, those 17,000 steps DO justify the chocolate croissants I had this morning…a little splurge for a job well done. I might even be (almost) ready to go buy myself a new pair of jeans.

Almost.

Ella’s first time in the Exersaucer. Yay, something new to occupy her little mind! Please excuse the very dusty TV behind her…yeah, no one’s ever given me an award for keeping a super clean house. I’m really good at other things, though, like eBaying and ordering sushi.

On a sunnier day in Oilily…

Baby Lulu from Aunt M’Emily…

He is Risen!! After an awesome service this morning at church, we joined some of our Chicago “family” afterwards for brunch and an egg hunt for the little ones. There are seriously so many pictures from the day (that’s what happens when you bring your fancy camera with you) that it’s hard to choose the best ones. Here are some of Charlie in her more “casual” clothes, Matilda Jane, of course…