Like Father Like Daughter Part 2

I have a feeling this post title is going to have many "parts" as Curious Miss V becomes more and more curious about karate! She absolutely loves wearing her pink size 0 karate belt around the house :) We used it to "announce" her gender and name at a karate graduation a few months before she was born.

So proud!

It's a girl!

Throwback to my last class when I was pregnant. V was at it from the start LOL

She had her first chance to take a real "class" when Dad was at the zoo a few weeks ago for kids night. Any zoo members can come in and take a quick introduction class and there are demos by the current students/demo team. 

Listening intently to Dad's instructions

She marched right up and joined the kids. I love her legs-straight-out sitting method. She does this at school too when they read a book or do flashcards. She was the youngest in the group (it was meant for 2 and older) and of course was just a step behind everyone. She sat when they all stood and vice versa. Once she figured out what everyone was doing she copied right away.

I thought we were sitting tall like black belts?!

How do you do this?

She now knows what "block" means and looks like!

She looked back to where I was sitting a few times and her grins just about melted my heart!

This is the best night ever, Mom!

Needless to say, I had a very tired and unhappy V on my hands when the class was over and it was time to go. She pulled out her pitiful voice and was whining about "more karate" all the way back to the car. She could not stop talking about it the next few days! Stay tuned for part 3...(and 4, 5, 6...)

Future Marathoner?

Running: a sport I both loathe and love. Curious Miss V is always along for the ride! We did our second annual Cream Puff 5K last week at State Fair Park. Here is the selfie from last year's as I could barely get wiggly Miss V to sit in the stroller long enough to snap one this year.

I can't walk yet Mom, so this stroller thing is fine with me!

Miss V was 11 months old and fell asleep after mile 2. Much different story this year! I waited until the last possible second to strap her in before the start and she whined and tried to stand up in the stroller for the 10 minutes we stood waiting for the start. Once we got going she just kept saying "people running!" and pointing to everyone. She was quite content with the movement and settled in. We ran through State Fair grounds and onto the race track which is waaaaay bigger than a normal track. I felt like the big figure eight would never end! It is like Las Vegas...the next turn/corner looked super close from the distance but not the case! (did I mention it was like 90% humidity and it felt like my skin was on fire the whole way?!) There were volunteers with flags pointing which way to go on the course and Miss V copied them and looked back at me saying "go this way Mama!" She was ready to get out of the stroller about mile 2 and I realllly wanted to walk but managed to muster up some endurance from the good 'ole high school cross country days and heaved across the finish line where I immediately grabbed some ice from the water cooler and held it on my arms! Miss V helped herself to water and I barely heard a peep out of her the rest of the night. She LOVES water bottles!

My water! Open!

I never get a cream puff during state fair because I think there are way more delicious choices and don't like to fill up. But, both times doing the 5k I wolfed that thing down like it was gold. Somehow so delicious after a run. Strange I know. Miss V on the other hand, she took a swipe of the powdered sugar and went back to her (my) water bottle.

Hmmm...not bad

Yum!

The funniest part of the whole night was when we were walking back to the parking lot, which took forever because of course Miss V just had to walk (again, way different from last year!). She was holding our finisher ribbon and studying it. I could see her wheels turning. Finally, she said excitedly, "LION!" because the fringe-y circle part looked like a lion's mane to her- LOL!

Stick a face in the middle and you've got a pink lion?!

I am gearing up for my first 10K in September in Peshtigo and it is a no stroller course but I think Miss V will watch all the runners from Grandma's house, much like I did as a kid every Historical Days weekend!

New Berlin Park Series: Lions Park

After a 3 week start-to-finish encounter with shingles for Mom, we just got back to our park visits today! It was a beautiful, low humidity day. We ventured a whole 2 miles (probably less) to Lions Park.  As per usual, Miss V saw the playground and marched right over and said "Oh! Cool!" We did the swings first of course.

Miss V looooves climbing stairs and these were pretty big steps for some small legs!

So determined to do it herself!

She just realized that there were other kids on the swings!

Miss V's adventurous side comes to a halt at the top of a slide. She still will not go down without me. And although it is sometimes a squish, I will take a lap rider down the slide any day :)

You don't really think I'm going to actually go down this without you mom...?

It wouldn't have been a park experience without some strange animal "rides."  I don't know what it is about these odd creatures that kids like!

Scary looking eyes! Miss V did not care!

Oh Violet! Please do not put your mouth on that OMG!

We stopped to explore a stump and the baseball diamond on the walk back to the car. Curious Miss V. was naturally curious about both!

Another picture Mom, really?!

She listened about staying on the grass! I could just picture little footprints all across the diamond...

This is what summer in Wisconsin is all about to me! Nice afternoons at the park with a curious almost 2 YEAR OLD!!!

Nostalgia Round Two

Curious Miss V, Grandma and I had the chance to go to Bay Beach this weekend! It was my first time back since I was probably in middle school. I remember Mom, Kellie and I waiting and waiting for the ferris wheel and tilt-a-whirl and Dad watching in the shade. He would take us on the bumper cars and big slide. All four of us enjoyed the train with views of Lake Michigan. V enjoyed it just as much!

Look! The train is coming! 

It did rain a little so I didn't get a ton of pics but it was cooler than anticipated which was nice and there were not many lines. As a kid I remember the lines taking forever! Miss V did the baby swing on the playground first and had a great vantage point of the train route and loved just swinging and watching and listening for the train. Once we got her to the line she was excited and ready to go. She kept saying "move! move!" as we were waiting for all passengers to load the train. A big ole grin stayed on her face the entire ride. Then we went to the kiddie rides which she loved just as much. 

Go this way boats!

Big girl

I just could not believe how grown up she looked sitting in these rides by herself. For some reason I thought I remembered that adults could sit with the kiddos but that was not the case. I strapped her in and went behind the fence and she did great. A little bit of concern/stoicism at first and with the "faster" rides, but no crying! 

Hang on!

Don't mind me...just sitting here driving this race car...

She really got the hang of the steering wheels. Miss V was not the happiest having to get off each of the rides and kept saying "more cars! more boats!" and would just march over to the next ride with that determined, arm-swinging walk of hers.

How does this bell work mom?

Both Grandma and I took her once on the carousel or the "horsies" as she called it. Pure joy riding on that one, bummed I didn't get a good pic. Miss V talked about our trip the rest of the day and told Dad all about it on video chat! Such a fun place; I'm looking forward to taking her again and doing some of the "bigger" rides!