Active Toddler

Well, there is definitely a theme to Nina's free time: playing! We were at Swaim Park again last weekend, and then had a blast at Summit's Fall Festival.

Nina was scared of the giant bounce house at first, but once she did it she kept going back again and again. The snow cone and face paint were also a hit (sorry, no photos of those). I'm just glad that she keeps her little side ponytail so her hair actually stays out of her face while she's romping about.

Just Having Fun

The last two weekends have been great for playing outside, so that's what we did. Over Labor Day weekend we went to three different playgrounds and the "playscape" at the Cincinnati Nature Center. This weekend Nina played at Mommy's "work" and then spent a rainy afternoon at the library (trying out some headphones at the computer).

We also tried posing for a back-to-school photo... on Sunday morning after coming home from the playground. Nina insisted on trying to help sweep the patio, and finally was willing to pose while holding Doggie. It will have to do.

Playground Fun

Last weekend Nina just did not want to take off her PJs, so off we went to the playground anyway. A couple days later we found a "new" playground near her school with a see-saw and great climbing equipment, even a clean sandbox! Lots of fun in the sun.

Sumper Camp at the J

Nina continued going to the J all summer, where it's a more relaxed environment and swimming (splashing) every day. You can see Nina exploring all areas of interest... art, math, pretend play and of course, swimming. It was a long hot summer, but she loved being with her friends and a couple new fantastic teachers.

Michigan, Week 2

After Chris left with Nanna and Papa we had a couple days to ourselves before Ra-Ra joined us at the cottage.

Nina loved riding the tractor at Pond Hill Farm, became an expert bubble maker and kite flyer with gifts from Ra-Ra, rode on the ferry to Mackinac Island, and had lots of playtime at the new "river" by the beach. Hot and sunny, rainy, windy or cloudy... every day was another adventure!

Michigan, Week 1

After a pretty easy 10-hour drive to Harbor Springs we settled right in to vacation mode at the cottage with Nanna and Papa. The Fourth of July parade was entertaining as always, and Nina quickly fell in love with all aspects of life in northern Michigan: playing at the beach, shopping and dining in Petoskey and Harbor Springs, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, and indulging in cookies, ice cream and fudge!

A Visit from Aunt AB

We wore Nina out with a jam-packed couple of days visiting with Aunt AB (Anna Bess) from Memphis. You can see how the exhaustion finally set in... Fun times at the Contemporary Art Center, neighborhood playground, zoo (the carousel!!), and of course the pool. (Since I am always the one in the water with Nina I need to get someone else to take photos of her swimming!)