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.

"I have baby teeth now. When I grow up I'll have beaver teeth"

 The title of this post is what she was telling me yesterday as I was walking up the steps to get her up from her nap.  My response was "not on mama's watch" and then I explained adult teeth as best I could to a 26 month old. 

The above picture is one from this past Easter.

 Last week Audrey helping John put up a towel rack in an apartment.  Here she is holding the drill hole guide.  She kept repeating "this is going to look good" which I thought was pretty funny.

We constantly praise her for being a good helper which I believe makes her happy.

Potting up the cucuram and calla lillies in the pots we recently painted.

 The pots in the garden.

 Followed by ice cream trip to UDF after dinner that day.

  Thursday John went with us to the Zoo.  In the above picture they are looking at the wisteria growing on a trellis at the entrance.

 Audrey remembered that giraffes have purple tongues from our previous visit.

 Both pictures, above and below are off center, but still interesting to me.

  Checking out the manatee tank which is still one of her favorites.

 The baby camel born just this week.

 The crowd around the camel exhibit.  It got a lot of local press and drew quite the crowd.

 Lunch at Mechlenburg's after Zoo visit.

 The outfit I'm hoping she will wear for the Derby Day party at church this Sunday.  Even the kids have a hat competition this year.

Saturday morning Audrey and i went to a Madcap Puppet / Peanut Butter and Jam puppet show and orchestra music.  PB&J had a piano, cello and violin trio playing Brahms pieces to Madcap puppet "Frog Prince" show.

Afterwards meeting the players.  Below is a puppy puppet.

 And the frog.

Saturday night John and I went out for dinner.  It had been a really long time and Miss A threw a fit but not for more than 15 minutes.  We went to Vine Street intending on going to A Tavola but the line was out the door.  We ended up eating at the bar at Taste of Belgium.  We had no idea this part of OTR was doing so well.  And so happy to see it happening. 

This picture is really awful but I was somewhat intimidated to take pictures.  But in a typical Cincinnati story the couple who was seated next to us while they waited for their table was the cabinet contractor who built our kitchen booth.  Also interesting is that Roy, this contractor, lived within blocks of the owner of this restaurant in Belgium and they never met until they moved to Cincinnati.    

 After dinner we went to the View in Walnut Hills to hear Parker sing.

 Miss A eating a chocolate croissant from Taste of Belgium on the booth that Roy built before church Sunday morning.

 Playing in the church nursery.

 Sunday afternoon the 3 of us walked up to art museum.

 Nick Cave's exhibit was leaving the next day.

 Showing Baba the "secret" stairwell from the 2nd floor to the 1st that we learned from one of the Culture Kids docents.

 In this picture she is handing me a half eaten chocolate granola bar.

 Wearing baba's hat he wears on inspections.  He traveled to PA this last week.

 Not a great picture but the only one I have captured so far when she is telling me "I'll be right back" mimicking the way I say it to her. 

Goofing after breakfast this past Wednesday.  We have become so leisurely in the morning it is almost hard for us to get out the door by 10AM. We barely made it to Mr. Eric's class that morning.