Larkin's First Dental Appointment

We took Larkin to a highly recommended pediatric dentist for her first appointment, and let me tell you, they are all about making kids love the dentist. They showered Larkin with little gifts - the requisite spin toothbrush and toothpaste, but also a balloon, a ball, stickers, and even a bowl of sugarfree ice cream! She had a lot of fun. The dentist also looked at her teeth - of which she has all 20 - and said they look great. Larkin's got her Nama's beautiful smile! Here's a picture they gave Larkin to take home too, of her brushing the stuffed animals big teeth.

Goddard School Elephant Spring Pictures

Santa Beard

Easter 2011

Happy Easter! There was huge anticipation for egg hunting in our house this year. In fact, Larkin has been practicing finding eggs for the last week or two. After our morning hunt in our basement, we got Larkin in her adorable Easter dress and went over to Nama and Papa's house because we heard that the Easter Bunny was going to make an appearance. And he did! The photo montage above is from Larkin meeting the Easter Bunny. She was a bit shy at first, burying her head in my legs, but then she warmed up and gave him a big hug, and a kiss later too!

Then, with the Easter Bunny looking on, Larkin found all of the eggs that he'd hidden in Nama and Papa's living room. Larkin opened each one up and she especially loved the jelly beans.

Here are the requisite pictures of Larkin and the Easter Bunny. Aren't they cute together? I love the kiss!

Finally, Papa reappeared and we were able to do a little photo shoot of Larkin and the family. Happy Easter everyone!

Early Easter Morning

We had a big Easter day planned at Nama and Papa's house today, but we couldn't pass up finding the eggs that the Easter Bunny left in our basement. So first thing, early this morning, Larkin got up and found all of the eggs. Boy, does she love the whole concept of candy and goodies inside the eggs. She'd open each one as she found it and Sera would follow her around to see if she dropped anything. Then, it was off to Nama and Papa's house to see the Easter Bunny (see next post).

Larkin's First Movie - Rio!

Larkin and Ella had a day off from school so Ella's dad, Richard, and I decided to take the girls out for a play date. We met at - where else - Monkey Bizness and the girls ran around non-stop for an hour or so. Larkin is now loving the big slides!

After Monkey Bizness, we walked through the not-so Great Mall to the movie theater where Larkin got to see her first movie, Rio! The girls were super excited about getting movie food, of course. I got Larkin a kiddie combo which had a popcorn container (with free refills) + a fun size Skittles candy, and a kiddie drink (thankfully, she had water). We piled Larkin and Ella into the same seat between Richard and I and they fit perfectly. They ate popcorn, candy and thought it was cool when the lights went out. We sat in the back and since it was a matinee show, it was just us, other parents and kids, and the old geezers. Well, the movie was a success. I hear it was good from Richard too. I didn't get to see much of it. The girls ate non-stop for the first half of it, which required me to get up 3 times for refills of popcorn and candy. Then, during the second half of the movie, the kids got antsy and they danced at their seat, sat in the aisles, and had to go to the bathroom. First I took Ella. Then Larkin and Ella. Then Larkin. Yes, during the second half of the movie, I had to make 3 trips to the bathroom with the girls. So while I didn't see much of the movie (which looked cute, from what I saw), the girls had a blast and that made me happy.

After the movie, we let the girls play on some of the play equipment in the mall. We didn't bother telling the kids that they toys would move if we inserted quarters. They didn't seem to care. They had a lot of fun anyway. It was a great play date!

Goddard Luau Prom

After having fun at the neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt, Larkin changed outfits into her Hawaiian luau dress so she could go to her Goddard School Prom. Larkin had a lot of fun and while she didn't dance a ton, she did have fun running around with her friends. She also enjoyed running around with the balloon decorations (as you can see in the video). And, surprisingly (or perhaps not-so-surprisingly), preschool proms aren't all that different from high school proms!

There was a professional photographer there and we got a few pictures of Larkin with her good friends. These are the "lifers" from Goddard... they've all been in the same class together since they were about 6 months old. Now they're 3. Wow, time flies! Aren't these the cutest pictures ever? Left to right is Hailey Granger, Ella Rousselot, Carter Carpani, and Larkin of course. I was pretty impressed that the photographer was able to get the kids to pose for the "See No Evil..." picture. Hilarious. We even snuck in one of just Brian and me too. :)

Cedar Creek Easter Egg Hunt

Larkin has been getting really excited for Easter. She picked out her pretty party dress, grabbed her bunny Easter egg basket and she was ready. She picked up a few eggs during her hunt, primarily focusing on the pink and purple ones. Then, she went inside to the packed party to pick out a Beanie Baby gift (a white flying dragon), and then meet the Easter Bunny. She even gave him a hug!

Then, Larkin got to do another FIRST! She rode her first pony! His name was Petey the pony and she loved it! She held on to the pummel and she wasn't scared at all. I held on to her leg in the beginning, just in case, but I didn't have to for long because she was a natural. She can't wait to ride a horse again.

Finding Letters on Keyboard

Larkin has been learning letters on the computer keyboard and here she is practicing with Grandpa Bud. She can find the L, I, O, and learned the H too! Soon she'll be typing faster than me.

Ella's 3rd Birthday party at Pump It Up!

Larkin had sooooo much fun at her best friend Ella's 3rd birthday party, and I hope that these pictures and videos give you a flavor of what it was like. The first picture is of the kids getting ready for some cake. It was a bunch of her Monkey Room friends from the Goddard School. Ella is the blonde girl that's the furthest to the left in the picture, and Larkin is on the near side of the table in the middle.

The party was at a blow-up gym place called Pump It Up! and we were so proud of how brave Larkin was. At first she needed help with the big climbing and the even bigger slides, but by the end, she was doing the entire thing all by herself. Larkin and Ella played together for a good bit of the party, and quite a pair they were. I cannot even begin to say how much fun Larkin had on this thing!

The kids also had fun in a couple of bounce houses and for some reason, they found screaming fun too.

Last but not least, a fun group pic. Larkin is furthest to the left. What a fun party!

Deanna Rose Farm with Grandpa Bud

Bunny in the Backyard

We had a family of bunny rabbits that live in our greater backyard area. We sometimes even see two bunnies playing chase. Larkin loves stuffed animal rabbits and now she's excited to have the real, hopping ones right outside the window. She even likes to introduce the two...

Hello Kitty Pillow

Grandpa Bud bought Larkin this Hello Kitty pillow and blanket set as a present during his visit. As you can see, it was a huge hit with her. Thanks, Grandpa Bud!

Firetruck Museum

A trip to the mall isn't complete unless we stop to sit in the big firetruck in a random Firetruck Museum. Larkin loves to drive the truck, spinning the steering wheel around and around. The truck is even complete with stuffed animal Dalmatians!