Winter wandering

We've been busy walking around the city of STL looking at xmas lights at the zoo and at old town St. Chuck for old time sake.

Christmas is so much more fun with a little monkey. This year she totally gets it. She asked Santa for some marbles (it's a school thing), a house and a car. Geez, I wonder what she will ask for next year?

Hanging with Aunt Sarah

Mya's favorite purple tree at the zoo

Mya and her buddies, Sophie, Ava, and the Boren cousins.

A random deer in our back yard.

Baby at 20 weeks (posted two weeks later)

Baby Hoff's most recent photo.

Mya is convinced we are going to have two babies, one boy and a girl.

I don't know how to break the news that there is only one.

I'm not sure a baby doll will be a sufficient replacement.

Funny three year olds

This morning Mya woke up and walked over to our bed and told us a story of the big bad wolf. It was unlike any story we've ever heard. Apparently the big bad wolf lives in her closet but he is not bad, he is funny and friendly. However, the big bad wolf was scared because there was a big friendly dinosaur who also came to visit her closet but Mya protected the big bad wolf from the dinosaur.

She proceeded to say they all became friends and played in her closet.

Stories like these are definitely worth blogging about.

We've noticed more and more pretend imaginary play. We also discovered Mya can be quite the joker. For a while everyone was referred to as "poopy pants." The age of three is great as long as the tantrums are cut to a minimum.

This morning I asked if it was ever going to get light outside (she wakes by 6am every morning) and she replied "In it's own time". How wise is that? Smart, cute, funny and creative. We couldn't ask for anything more from our little Monkey.

New edition to our family coming in April

Meet Baby!

We are very excited to officially announce we are expecting baby #2 in April. Mya is super pumped up about being a big sister. She is convinced she is having a baby brother and she will not hesitate to let us know she is also having a baby of her own named Kate. We will keep you posted on any updates.

Just Monkeying around

Enjoying some chocolate covered strawberries

Playing in the rain

Aren't we cool?

Summer days drifting away

The other week (sorry haven't blogged in a few), Mya attended her best school buddie's birthday party at Tower Grove park. All of her school friends were there. It was really fun to watch her interact with her friends since we never see how she socializes at school.

She spent the entire time playing with all the boys in the pool. There were four of them who were inseparable.

Here are a few cute pics of the "little duckies" all in a row.

A Day In The Sun

The other day we were invited to Mya's Great Aunt's house for a swim. As you know outdoor swimming season is almost to an end. We've spent most of the summer at the pool allowing Mya to explore the water at her own pace. She was brave enough to start going down the water slide by herself and has started to explore deeper waters (waist level) without floatation devices. Most of the time she preferred to cling to her parents as we towed her around the water.

That is until the other day. We were getting ready to embark upon deeper waters at Aunt Charlene's pool when I went to grab Mya's hands to assist her into the pool and she said, "No mommy, I can do this." She proceeded to walk down the steps into the pool and then began swimming on her own with her floaties the whole time we were there. Mya was off swimming on her own like a big girl. In fact, she swam as far away from Mommy as she could just to show off her new found independence.

Her facial expression was sheer joy with proud accomplishment. I will never forget that look on her face.

That was what I call "A day in the sun."

The funny things kids say

So the other day we were driving on Kingshighway when Mya saw a beat up and bashed car on the side of the road. She said very matter of fact, "Mommy, that car's broken. I'm going to put a BIG band aid on there and fix it."

Those words got me through a stressful week with ease.

She also told me she wanted to be a dinosaur when she grew up. Phrases like these are popping up more and more. Loving age 3!

I am now realizing I've got to study up on my facts because she is asking very scientific questions to which I have not a clue. For example, she wanted to know why "nature" made fog. I have no idea, really. Every noise she hears outside she now connects with nature. Yesterday we were eating lunch outside and she heard a lawn mower. She said, "Mommy, I hear nature, it's a lawnmower."

Mya's 3rd Birthday!

Our baby girl turned three this week on August 3rd. It is her golden birthday. I didn't even know what a golden birthday was until a friend at a pool party informed me. Should we have bought gold instead of presents?

Mya specifically requested a princess fairy party and a princess fairy party is what she got. Our house is still covered with tinkerbell fairy decorations and purple balloons for her enjoyment. To her delight she received numerous crowns, tutus and dress up shoes.

This morning she was a princess dinosaur. Don't you just love it when your little tutu princess spends the whole morning trying to eat you?

I swear in the few days following her third birthday she has grown up so much. She now wants an explanation for everything. Today she asked me why a friend of hers at the pool stubbed his toe while playing. I answered the best way I could but nope, not good enough. She asked me the same question again 17 times. "Why, why why......"

I love it that she is so curious about others and her surrounding world. Mya is a pure delight.

She is also showing off her independence at full speed ahead. Best of all, her creativity is wild with imagination. There are plenty of laughable moments during the day. One of my recent favs is when she pretended to be blowing water out of her whale blow hole. She'd run to us and pretend to spray us with water by rubbing her back against our legs while making a blowing noise.

Mya's friends and cousins

Receiving some help from her cuz Wyatt

Tinkerbell cake.

Mya and Amelia taking a ride

The birthday Princess

Blowing out the candles

Lilith Fair

Sarah, Becky and I went to the Lilith fair last weekend. We had some incredible encounters and experiences. The highlight for me was Mary J. Blige and Ingrid Michaelson. We saw Ingrid up close and personal for a special performance. Love it!

Pics of the girls after we were upgraded to stage seats after sweating in the lawn seats all day. Just in time for Mary. Yeah, girl.

Go Mary!

She put on one of the best shows I've ever seen.

Check out the girl in the background. Do my boobs look burned?

Emmalou Harris

Ingrid Michaelson.

I'm your biggest fan!

Shutters!!!

Here they are...Shutters at last, shutters at last!

It's a little hard to tell the color so I will just tell you. They are dark blue.

Making cookies

The other day we were making cookies from scratch for a party. Mya loves to help bake. Here are pics of the before and after. I am so unclear as to what went wrong. Needless to say we had a blast making the inedible cookies.

Haaa!

Mya's first smiley face drawing

I can't believe it! The other day Mya began drawing smiley faces. She also drew a bunny rabbit and it actually looked like a bunny rabbit. What a delight!

It's these kinds of things I will cherish when I look back...the simple pleasures.

July 4th weekend

We had a rather fun filled weekend visiting friends, attending a birthday party and going to a pool party. That was all in one day by the way. Our good friends Renee and Evan were in town from Colorado. We hung out and attended the one of a kind O'Fallon parade. The highlight of the parade had to be the older lady on roller blades with no knickers under her hot pick mini shorts. She had no shame.

It was great to see good friends and all their babes. Unfortunately Mya was a little fussy pants on Sunday and had to sit out of the festivities. She was in bed by 6, not witnessing a single firework this year.

Below are two of my favorite pics of little Miss Mya. They make me melt every time I see them.

This is the most delicious cake ever. Thanks Janet!

This is Wesley, Renee and Evan's little boy.

The annual finger in the cake picture. It's a long story for those of you who don't know the significance.

Friends and their children.

Father's Day and other memorable moments

So, I am a very inconsistent blogger. Most of the time I just forget to do it or forget to bring my camera places. I remember as a child I had a diary. I was the same way. As an adult I am a little better at journaling but not consistent.

We had a fab Father's day. We spent the later part of the afternoon with Brian's family. Mya was a ham as you can see. Although most would agree she is a mommy's girl, I see a very special bond between Mya and Brian. I catch her telling me about some of the special things they do. Often the response I get is, "No Daddy says that. Daddy does that". They have pinkie finger promises, play balance (involves Brian holding Mya's feet as she balances in the air and counts to upwards of 20-50 before she falls back onto the couch), they invent new and improved dominos games and most of all they spend quality time together. He teaches her things I just haven't thought about teaching my daughter. Burping repeatedly, is one example.

Mya is very lucky to have such a present father in her life.

Daddy and his Princess

Hey, it's matching stripes day. Don't we look fancy.

Lounging at the pool

Wyatt, our nephew enjoying a nice piece of watermelon.

Bday bash

This weekend me and a few of my closest girls enjoyed some glasses (bottles) of wine at the winery for me and Chrystal's birthday. It was a very lovely day. I will not post the pics some of you viewed on facebook because one day Mya might actually see this blog. Drunken pics are to be posted on a separate blog.

Dinosaur hunting

Cool Pic

Where are those dinosaurs?

Look a Myasaurous. Ahhh!

Have you ever noticed how much kids love dinosaurs? It is a toddler/preschooler obsession.

We went dino hunting at the Botanical Gardens this week and what do you know, we found some. Mya finally got to see a T-Rex, her all time favorite dino. In fact if you ask her she will tell you she is a T-Rex herself. It is quite a site to watch her playing the role of a T-Rex. Our cat Henry gets to be the unsuspecting victim. Poor Henry. He really is a good sport.

The other day Mya did the cutest and saddest thing at the same time. All of us were outside doing yard work. I was drinking a beer when Brian asked if he could have a drink. I told him he could as long as he didn't drink it all. Well I guess Mya overheard this random conversation. A little while later I went inside to get ready to make dinner. I wasn't in the house for more than a couple minutes when I heard Mya screaming hysterically. She came inside with tears rolling down her face. I thought for sure she skinned a knee or something. I asked her what was wrong. Huffing and puffing she replied "Daddy drank all your beer". I could've died laughing. Brian and I were both on the floor rolling. We tried everything we could to try to tell her it was ok, that we were sharing but she was having none of it. Brian's behavior was seriously disturbing to her. That's my girl. Nobody messes with Mommy's beer!!!