Big Long Update

It has been an incredibly hectic week.  Add to that, our Internet was giving us fits and I just didn't get my pictures up like I should have.  So... here's only a small taste of what the past week has held. Actually, this is just last weekend.  There will be much more to come :)

Being as I'm due with baby 2 the day before Hope's birthday, we felt we should celebrate a tad early.  However, being 39 weeks pregnant is not the time to plan a big birthday bash so we took advice of friends and headed over to Chuck E Cheese in Evansville. wow.  It is crazy. 

I sent no invitations, made no preparations and just loaded us up in the car and called Grammy, Pappy, Papaw and Art's family.  It's great having Susanna as a cousin since she's a built in best buddy who is the same age.  Hope loves having her around and they get along great. 

Here's a smile! Honestly, most of the time, all the children had a total dazed look on their faces.  It was the first time our family or Susanna's had been here. (it may also be our last...shhh!) The place is complete chaos...lights, sounds, games, wild children, large characters making random appearances, pizza, cokes that you drink from really fun cups.... have I mentioned, it was madness?  I honestly didn't know if Hope liked it but she has been asking to go back so I guess she did.  Her favorite part wasn't so much playing the games as it was putting in the tokens so she could play the game.

And, just plain old store bought cupcakes.  I still feel guilt over that one.  I'll make her a cake on her actual birthday.

Then again, store bought doesn't seem to bother her a bit!

Presents time!

Now...on to the next day.  Grammy and Pappy gave her a Dora Big Wheel.  John, do you remember big wheels?  So, we spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon learning to ride.  She's short (believe it or not) and tricycles just aren't working for her since she can't reach the pedals, still.  Big wheels are the answer for short kids!

This one has lots of bells and whistles.  It's very distracting to a new rider!  If she's not running off the sidewalk because she's busy watching her shadow instead of steering, then she is running off the sidewalk from the distractions of her big wheel!

Off again.  She learned very quickly and has got some great endurance!  She'll go for as long as I will let her go, now. 

But, that first day we stopped and started a lot!  The big wheel also has a basket in front which she insists upon filling with something before rides.  This first day it was a water cup.  Seriously, every 3 sidewalk squares we stopped for a water break or to push buttons.

But we stuck with it and are off again.  If anyone did not already know how patient Woody is, they should watch him teach Hope to ride a big wheel.  I push her along when she stops, but Woody just waits until she's ready...again and again. 

After over an hour of riding, Hope decided it was time for a run.  "Come on Dad, now let's run!"  Woody wanted her to play softball.  I wanted her to play tennis.  I think she's going to buck us all and just be a triathlete.  I'm going to try swim lessons with her sometime this winter.  That's the last piece to her triathalon puzzle!

And while we were out, I took this picture of my shadow.  It's as close to a "belly shot" as I will allow.  The Maglinger's have had quite a week. Tuesday we closed on our house we live in now, Thursday we closed on the house we are moving in to next, and tommorow we will have our baby 2!  Whew!  All the baby predictor "experts" are saying boy.  We like suprises, but I have a strong boy vibe also.  We'll see tommorow!