All Audrey

Flexibility

I didn't inherit my flexibility from Mom. And I definitely didn't inherit it from Dad. He can barely bend over and touch his knees. My yoga skills are mine - all mine.

More purple flowers

You may remember the purple flower outfit I wore when I was younger. Well, I have another purple flower outfit I like to wear now. My neighbor Flo gave it to me. Dad and I like to stop by to say hi to Flo on the weekends when Mom's off running errands.

Today, we went on a hike, and I got to play with purple flowers along the trail that coordinated with my outfit. I am so matchy!

Also, I like to grab leaves.

Sweaters

It's been a cold, windy spring. Good thing I have cozy sweaters to keep me warm. Here's a picture of me in the sweater that Nana made me. I was getting grumpy in the jogging stroller yesterday, so Mom stopped at these benches to give me a break. But what I was trying to say is that I wanted to go faster, not stop. Let's get back on the trail!

Here's a picture of me in my Irish sweater. I am really, really good at sitting now. But sometimes I fall over. After cracking my head on the wood floors, I was afraid Mom was going to make me wear a helmet inside. But instead, she got these foam cushions for the floor. Much better!

Spring break, part 3: more hiking and swimming

More hiking, hanging out at the camp site, and swimming were on the agenda for the new few days.

(See part 1 about getting to Death Valley, and part 2 about hiking and swimming for the first time.)

Here's a picture of me at Golden Canyon.

In the afternoon when it was hot, I was tired and cranky, so Mom and Dad took me on a drive with the air conditioning on.

Dad was totally awesome at the wheel - we were four-wheeling off in the backcountry through Titus Canyon, where we saw petroglyphs and abandoned mines and the Leadville ghost town.

Everything got dusty (including me) so I had a shower back at camp.

And then we went swimming again. Yay!

Spring break, part 2: hiking and swimming

The next few days of our vacation we spent hiking and hanging out at our camp site.

(See part 1 about getting to Death Valley.)

Mom was a little obsessive about smothering me in sunscreen and keeping me covered up in the sun, which was kind of annoying. But I loved chewing on the Bjorn and saying hi to all the other people on the trails.

So while Mom was busy trying to keep me covered up because it was sunny, Dad was busy taking off all my clothes because it was hot. Eventually, Dad won. Here's a picture of me in what Mom refers to as my "trailer park" outfit. I'm not really naked - you just can't see my diaper.

And then we went to the biggest (and I mean biggest) bathtub I have ever seen, and I got to float around and kick and splash. It was awesome! It was really bright, but Dad let me borrow his sunglasses.

Jogging

After all the lunches Mom and I have been eating out, Mom said we needed to get some exercise. So we hit the trail in my new Bob Ironman stroller. I know, I know. Mom said she needed the Ironman model just in case she were to get back into triathlons. We'll just let her think that might actually happen some day.

Anyway, things were going great. We were rolling along. Mom was careful to stay just under the 15 m.p.h. speed limit. And then she thought she'd try to be one of those cool moms who multi-task without even breaking a sweat. But as she was taking a photo of me and texting Dad and trying to run all at the same time, the stroller suddenly tipped over backwards and crashed to the ground.

Mom played it cool in front of the older ladies who witnessed the debacle, but once they moved on down the trail she started freaking out. I was totally fine, but Mom kept saying how I was going to have to wear a helmet in the stroller from here on out.

And I'm trying really hard, but I can't think of anything more embarrassing than wearing a helmet in a jogging stroller. I don't think they even make helmets my size. Here's an idea, Mom. Instead of making me wear a helmet, maybe you could be just a tiny bit more careful with the jogging stroller. No more multi-tasking!

Hiking

Extra-long weekends are the best. We went hiking on Saturday and Sunday. Dad flipped me around in the Bjorn so I could see all the trees and chew on the pack and squeal at Mom. So it was pretty much a win-win-win for me.

Tummy time, surfer style

No wonder I hated tummy time before - now that I can do tummy time surfer-style, I'll never do the regular boring tummy time again. I have a new surfboard tummy mat, and I can pretend I'm paddling out to catch a wave, just like Mom and Dad when they go surfing. When they used to go surfing, that is. Mom said the last time she had gone surfing I had been in her tummy for one week. That was in Mexico last year. I don't really remember it, but maybe that's why I like my new surfboard so much.

Yoga

I was a little grumpy last night. One might even say "irritable." So I thought I'd do a little yoga before bed to lower my stress level. Here's a picture of me starting out in "happy baby" pose. I'm not exactly a happy baby.

But then an amazing thing happened. There's something about grabbing your toes. It actually does make you a happy baby. Here's a picture of me in my new Zen-like state. Namaste.

Snowshoe death march

I'd heard all about Mom and Dad's famous death marches, but I'd never been on one. Until yesterday.

Dad's version of the death march usually starts with the phrase "we can make it into a loop if we take the next trail," or, "it's just another 20 minutes." Mom's version usually involves checking just one more restaurant for a better menu or just one more (and then one more) location for a better view.

Regardless of how it starts, it usually ends three hours later than anticipated, with the participants tired and hungry and needing to go to the bathroom very badly. Lucky for me, I can sleep just about anywhere, and my Seventh Generation diapers are extra absorbent.

So when we left the house at Sunriver for a quick snowshoe jaunt with our friends Mark, Meghan, Owen, and Jason, I didn't mind when it turned into a full-blown death march. I was super cozy snuggled with Mom in the Baby Bjorn carrier, zipped up in Dad's down jacket.

I was napping when the horse-drawn sleighs went by, but Mom told me about them later.