The Carlsons: Taking Advantage of the Warm Days

Hard to believe that March is just about over but I think I can speak on behalf of all the East Coasters out there that we're ready for the cold weather to move on and the warm weather to move in. We've been so anxious for warmer weather that we've taken advantage of every sunny day that we can and extra points to the outings that don't require a jacket or coat! Although we were wrapping ourselves in winter jackets and sledding down snowy hills at the beginning of March, by mid March, we were wearing short sleeves and leaving the windows open to enjoy the warm air! We stole a couple of day trips out and about, including a trip to the the zoo, to show our appreciation to mother nature! Ella loves it too, now that she's walking, she's in full exploration mode and can't seem to get enough of the environment around her. Here's a perfect example, let's say you go for a "walk" with her outside. It could very well take you a full five minutes to walk the equivalent of lets say, 20 feet. It's not because she's slow on her feet, quite the contrary! She gets so distracted with every little thing around her; it could be a new stick, a patch of gravel, a bird (oh how she loves birds!), a change in pavement texture, fallen leaves, and so much more. We just love watching her and it's so obvious that all her curiosity is encouraging her learning and development. She's so quick to notice little differences and changes that it's really quite hard to get anything past her!

Ok, Ella is USUALLY a happy baby unless she is forced to wear a birthday hat....At Ethan's 1st Birthday party.

All lined up by age - Ella, Claire, the birthday boy, Hayden, and Teagan. The birthday hat is off, but you can see that Ella's holding a grudge by not smiling for the camera.

Mommy and Ella time at the Town Center...enjoying some free time and a chance for Ella to stretch those legs! Afterwards, Ella was treated to her first yogurt smoothie....yummmmm.