Rhody Days

Happy August, everyone! We survived the heat wave that plagued the Portland metro area last week (100+ degrees for several days). All I can say is thank goodness for central air...

I am overwhelmed with the enormous amount of new pictures we have for ya'll. That's what happens when I go so long between posts. But before I start uploading, let me just share a few of Gracie's recent developments.

Potty training: After what felt like a jump start, Grace kind of pulled back on the whole potty-training thing for several weeks. We followed her lead until recently, when we decided to incent her with a Skittle for each time she successfully does her business in the potty. Well, that is definitely doing the trick. We are hoping she'll gain momentum in the coming months. Diapers are not cheap!

Vocabulary: In contrast to one of my last posts, Grace's lexicon is now so vast that I couldn't possibly list everything she says. She puts words together to form rudimentary sentences, and when she really has something to say, she can conduct a full-blown conversation. Grace might possibly be the MOST animated story-teller of all time. She gestures wildly with both hands, makes all kinds of facial expressions, and uses voice intonation to really make her point. She definitely commands her audience!

Fine motor skills: For months now, no matter where we go, Grace is always drawn to those little play kitchens. For the longest time, we resisted getting one for her because they're so big. But... we finally caved when Chad found one at a garage sale that came complete with pots, pans, dishes, food, etc. Needless to say, that kitchen is a big hit at our house.

Gross motor skills: I've suspected it all along, but now I'm convinced that GG is part monkey. Due to all the Gymboree classes she's taken over the past couple years, Grace can climb and jump and swing from anything! She's so brave about trying new things at every playground we take her to, and she has even started to climb up her changing table when it's time to get dressed. GG has always been such an adventurous little soul who isn't afraid to try anything; now she's starting to recognize her own accomplishments, which is such a joy to witness.

Social skills: Due to a magical combination of genetics, teaching, and lots and lots of practice, Grace is incredible around other kids. With very little prompting, Gracie is quick to share with others and take turns. Chad and I think she's a true extrovert, and sharing is just her way of relating to others. Whatever the reason, we couldn't be more proud of her.

Please forgive me for gloating about our nearly perfect child, but she really is extraordinary. (Oh who am I kidding. I never miss a chance to tell people how awesome she is...)

OK, so back to the pics. I will try to go in chronological order this time, starting back in May.

The weekend after Mother's Day, we went to the beach to see my mom. On that Saturday, we decided to make a leisurely day trip down to Florence for the Rhododendron Festival. We thought it would be a nice, quiet flower festival like the tulip or dahlia fests we've been to before. Boy, were we mistaken! Apparently Rhody Days is more like a mini Sturgis. Holy moley, we've never seen/heard so many Harleys, Orange County Choppers, or Honda Goldwings in one place!



I swear, this was the only rhododendron we saw all day:



Here's what Chad thought of all the motorcycles:



The noise of revving motorcycle engines got old really fast, so we did not spend much time in town. Instead, we found a quiet park with a great playground for Gracie:





On the drive back to my mom's, we stopped to take some pictures of the gorgeous scenery. If you look really closely, you can see Haceta Head lighthouse in the background:



A trip to my mom's would not be complete without spending some time on the actual beach. That Sunday, we packed a picnic, a blanket, a few sand toys and headed out. Here are some shots of Grace enjoying the sand and surf before the fog rolled in.









We had a great time at my mom's and cannot wait to go back. I am 100% confident that Grace's favorite places in the world are: Grandma Jan's house, the beach, and the park. Lucky for us, we were able to hit all three in one weekend!

Something appears to be wrong with the photo formatter on this site, so I'll have to try adding some more pics tomorrow. Be sure to check back soon!