excitement and joy

Lauren was excited on two 'new' fronts today...(never experienced)

~ after getting the '2nd' train to function...a raised arms 'awesome!' was exclaimed!

~ on the Melles Park (train park) detention pond hill for the 1st time sledding ... a snow filled face of joy!

You see me now

Most of this year, when I come home from work and say to Lauren...

"I've missed you!"

she says w/o hesitation...

"It's good that you see me now."

----living in the moment and not the past...keenly seen by a 4 year old----

not Puzzled at all...

As we were playing with puzzles and talking about how fast she is able to put them together, Lauren says:

The quickest will be a one piece puzzle. I'm faster now that I'm older.

luv her perspective

on the car ride home from the Kane Co. 1st annual Oktoberfest last night...
C drove home and L and I were in the back seat and as I cuddled up next to her, she says:
"I am not a buddy" as in not one of her many stuffed animals that gets cuddled....

playing games...

"...it's fun and it makes me smart."

Lauren says as we played Mosaic and put together this cool-crab!

good one :)

L says: "hey dad, you have your underwear over your shorts!"

seeing me in my biking shorts (before the 51 mile ride!), w/ spandex under the plaid shorts--that kind of look like some boxers I wear...

too funny

two good ones from a kids eyes...

This afternoon, as we were all out in the yard enjoying the nice weather, (1st non-rainy w/e in a long while) and while we were doing some yard work... Lauren was grabbing some pink buds/flowers from the crab apple tree in the front yard and says as she's grabbing a low hanging branch, "I'm shaking hands with the tree."

This evening, after Rosie's 1st communion dinner celebration at Monzo's, as were were walking to the car in the parking lot, Lauren asks, "When will Rosie have her 2nd communion?"

Laughing feet

"...that really made my feet laugh!" ... says Lauren after a funny part of the movie Madagascar...while the three of us sat on the two couches together...