Music Class, toddler urban hiking and trip to Bloomington

This past Monday was Audrey's last music class for this session.  In the picture below she is waiting her turn to tap out the beat on some cymbals.  It impresses me what Miss Amanda (the teacher) asks and gets from 18 month - 2 1/2 year old. The child chooses to sing about a puppy or kitty.  Miss A always chooses a kitty.  Probably due to the fact she knows one is in her future some day. 

  Still funny that she brought her favorite stuffed animal, "Bailey" to class.  The picnic blanket was set up for the party at the end of class.

 Yogurt pretzels, chocolate chip cookies and apple juice.

 That afternoon we took a really long (for her) walk all over our neighborhood.  Including a trip to the bank and the playground.  Below was when we hung out in front of the playhouse watching the dogs play and making "clover crowns and necklaces".

  Below Miss is enjoying a flavored water on the bench in front of our neighborhood chiropractor's office.

 Which looks out on our main street, St Gregory.  Such an improvement since the power lines were buried a couple of years ago. 

The Indian restaurant next door that is supposed to open at the end of this month!  The chef was the original oe from Cumin which is so promising. 

Last Saturday on the way out of town, heading to Bloomington, we stopped by Wooden Nickel to check out this bookcase.  We were pretty interested until we came home to find out our roof has to be replaced now.

We went to Bloomington to celebrate Uncle Ted's graduation from Nursing school.  The only 2 pictures I took this weekend were of Miss A at Hobbies Saturday night.

Buttering her crackers like a "big girl".

Cinco de Mayo, Music Class, Derby Hat contestand Zoo class

Miss A opening presents from Paula Maureen's recent trip to Seattle.  This was at our routine Friday night dinner at the B&G.

 The next day at Findlay Market where Paula Maureen is holding Audrey up to see the "lobbies" (lobsters).

 Saturday afternoon we went to the Cinco di Mayo festival on the square.

 Due to a late nap we missed many activities but she was happy to see Cookie Monster.  We decided to head down to Vine Street in Over the Rhine to see if any of the restaurants would be opened early for dinner.

 Not only were they opened they were packed.  We had dinner at 4:30 at A Tavola (pizza place one of our neighbors owns).

 Sunday was Derby Day at our church and the above picture shows the children hat contestants.  Both won.

 Close up of Miss A's prize winner hat.

 Blowing bubbles (one of the hat prizes) on our back patio.

 Below is a picture from her last Stroller Safari class this season at the Zoo.  They take a break over the summer due to the crowds.  Anyhow this class was Sharing Shapes.

The 3 banded armadillo that the children got to touch which represented an oval. 

This past Friday after dinner we went to Oakley Square because Jen was blowing up balloon animals for a neighborhood festival they celebrate.

I love this dress, which was her choice to wear this day.  It was a referral gift from one of my co-workers at Krohn. 

Above is my mother's day gift.  I love the size, smaller than an index card, and hope the case will help me protect it.  I have been so rough on cameras since becoming a mother.

Flu, meetings, painting garden pots & apartment maintenance

Monday morning Miss A was sick for the 2nd time since we came home from China.

 She had the stomach flu.  So we skipped music class, watched TV and hung out in bed most of the morning.  But she was back to herself after her nap.

 These "ga ga" (duck) pj's are ones we bought in China.  A little short but not really too tight.  We had many changes of pj's that morning.

 Tuesday we walked up to Bow Tie in the morning.

Miss A is so fascinated to see how the piano makes sound. 

We had to cancel our closings Monday afternoon so we closed the next day.  Afterwards we went shopping at Nordstrom's Rack for new shoes for Audrey.  Which ended up being clothes purchases too.  Fortunately we diverted her attention away from the rounder rack of tutu's.

 John pointed out the Nick Cave soundsuit magnets on this car.  Audrey said "I have never seen on a car."

 As if an hour long re-fi was not boring enough for her we took her to an hour long presentation at the Pump house that night.  This building is in the park next to our house next to the conservatory.  It was built in 1894 by Samuel Hannaford.  It has been vacated for since the late 80's  and now 2 developers are proposing to re-developing it as a micro-brewery.  It was an interesting presentation and Audrey was just great. 

The picture below is of the 911 systems (from the 70's ?) left behind upstairs.  According to the The Bicentennial Guide to Cincinnati this building was repuurposed in 1939 as the central radio communications center for the city's safety department.  

In the picture below John and Audrey are looking at the architectural plans.  The presenting developer said the current plan would cost an estimated $2M and they would be eligible for $500,000 in credits because it is on the National Registry of Historic buildings.  This building is 7,000 square feet has an old roof (approx. 80 years old) and lots of asbestos.  I think he said it would cost $250,000 just to remove all the asbestos. 

The developer also said best case scenario they would be operational a year from December.  Sounds like there is a lot of bureacracy with the city right now.

 Wednesday at the park.

 

 "surprise face" when asked to perform and below pensive Miss A.

 Ready to go out to the garden to paint pots.

When it warms up again we will decorate with hearts, butterfly, etc designs.

       "Ta-da" the pots are drying.

Random panda cuteness on the "couch" (A's word) in the kitchen.

Breakfast by Baba.

Thursday we needed to take care of some things in one of the apartments up the street.

One of the tenants has moved out and I told Audrey we would have to re-paint this room.  She repeated what I said.  I have a painter who will do this but when she is old enough I plan on teaching her how this skill.

This is the door that leads to the roof deck that we added in 2004 re-model of this apartment.

View of the Ohio River from the roof deck.

View of the Pump House from the roof deck.

I also told Audrey that after current tenants (2 out of 3 are staying another year) move out I plan on taking out this wall and carpeting the entire floor except the tiled kitchen and bathroom.  Then I told her when she grows up she can pull up the carpet and put hardwood flooring down.  She listened to me and answered simply "Yes".  I wonder if she understood anything I said but I still thought it was cute.

 The apartment kitchen.

 Afterwards we walked up to the bank and then to Bow Tie to say Hi to Baba where we stayed to have lunch with him.

Saturday after we attended a neighborhood open house party Audrey and I walked up to Immaculata to visit with Paula Maureen and Dixie.  PM and Dixie (whom Audrey calls "Ducksie") were preparing food for a Christening lunch for 50 people the next day.

 Miss A watching Paula Maureen peel potatoes.

 

Listening to Ducksie

 The 3 of them.

 Cute.

 The etsy hats I ordered last week arrived today.

 The "Go Reds" hat is her favorite it seems.

 But the white hat is pretty cute too.