1, 2, 3, BLASTOFF!

I can only assume Peyton learned this at school. She did not learn it from me. But whatever the source, this is one of Peyton's new favorite things to do lately (even if she was a little camera shy at the get-go).  Pretty darn cute, if you ask me.

Trying Out a New 'Do

I'm not gonna lie - Peyton's hair is a challenge. We've already discussed the mullet, which is still present, although it is growing in a bit. But, she has inherited my directionally challenge hair - it all falls directly forward in front of her eyes.  I refuse to cut bangs - so every day we MUST have a clip, bow, or some other device holding it out of her eyes. Today, I tried pulling it straight back in a piggy at the top.  It took about 15 minutes of me brushing, wetting, and grabbing to convince the wayward hairs they needed to bo back, not forward. Hopefully, this will achieve two important goals: 1) keep her hair out of her eyes all day, and 2) train those crazy hairs to move back!

Quack Quack

When six of Martin's college buddies decided to make our home the destination for their 2012 get together, I quickly made arrangements to take Peyton away for that weekend. While Martin and the crew did who only knows what to my house, Peyton and I made the 2.5 hour drive to Show Low to spend a relaxing weekend at the Richardson family cabin. 

Let's start out by saying Peyton LOVES the cabin. Leading up to the trip, she talked about it non-stop. I'm guessing her affection for the cabin stems from the fact Grandma and Grandpa spoil her even more than normal (if that's possible) while up north. Special activities are planned, her favorite food is prepared, and she gets as many treats and as much juice as she can possibly desire. (As a side note - cabin life is pretty great for Mommy too. I have two doting grandparents who take on a lot of the work with Peyton, there is usually napping, and as with Peyton, I get as much juice (aka wine) that I could ever want).

The highlight on this trip was duck feeding. Grandma and Grandpa had originally planned to bring a few slices of bread to the lake. I advised them it would be best to bring an entire loaf. Although slightly shy at first, Peyton quickly warmed up to the idea of feeding her new friends, and couldn't get enough. Within about 10 minutes, the loaf was gone.

Duck feeding = huge success!

The weekend also included cocktails in the hot tub, a nature walk, flower picking, and several showings of Snow White. Much to my surprise, Peyton and I returned to a standing house that was clean and free of any major trauma. 

The Heat is On

The mercury is on the rise in the 480. Temps are consistently over 100, and even my morning runs are getting a little unbearable. So, to be the heat, we've been spending a lot of time in the pool, and frequenting any location that offers cold water to cool off. Peyton, of course, has no objection to her nightly swims or playtime at the splashpad. And she had the tan line to prove it.

The one downside - I've become slightly obsessed with buying Peyton bathing suits. At last count, she was up to 12.

If the Shoe Fits

Peyton's new favorite toy: Mommy's shoes. She loves putting on my shoes and walking down the hallways in them. And while she doesn't discriminate - she loves my slippers, my Old Navy flip flops, and anything with a heel - she has shown an affinity for the finer brands. While playing in my closet one morning before school, she had the option of picking any pair off my shelves. Smart girl - she grabbed the Jimmy Choo's and proceeded to strut her stuff. 

"I think the nude shoe compliments the black and white outfit perfectly, don't you?"

"So what if they are two different shoes? Helena Bonham Carter did it. So can I."

Girls Rule, Boys Drool

A last minute business trip pulled Martin away for the majority of the week. And while we miss him terribly, Peyton and I made the most of our week together, and declared it GIRLS ONLY WEEK.  In a nutshell - the two of us had the best time ever.

Night one featured a girls only pool and pizza party. We invited Snow White, Pinky, Minnie Mouse, Hop, Kitty, Skip (a pink bunny so therefore made the cut),  Emma and Antoinette.  Jimmy, Bear, and Eric were not invited.  GIRLS ONLY. We spent some time splashing in the pool and then enjoyed our pizza dipped in ranch while watching Strawberry Shortcake. We read Cinderella and Eloise at the Plaza before bed.

Night two included painting our toes sparkles and our nails hot pink, and eating chicken nuggets while watching Snow White.

On Friday, Peyton really began to miss her Daddy (and so did Mommy). So, we upped the game a bit. I took the day off of work, and the two of us hit the Phoenix Children's Museum first thing. Peyton is now officially obsessed with the market, and would STILL be shopping there if I hadn't dragged her out. She made me a delicious pizza too.

The most delicious fabric pizza ever.

She did this about 100 times.

Proud of her shopping loot.

After a quick nap, Peyton and I paid a visit to the ever popular Build a Bear Workshop.  Um, how have I never been here before? I think I had more fun than Peyton did. But little Monkey did love picking out her bear, stitching it up, and picking out "Sparkle's" outfits.

Look mama! I got a bear!

Sealed with a kiss.

Someone is very happy with her new friend.

Time for Sparkle's bath.

Sparkle MUST have a pink skirt and some jeggings. This place is dangerous.

The girls - Mommy, Peyton, and Sparkle

We hit the Disney Store for a few more special presents including a Dopey stuffed animal and a Tinkerbell sippy cup.  Then, we met Aunt Ginger, Uncle Jim, and Scott for dinner at Bennihanna, where PK giggled at the man in the funny hat cooking our dinner.

What? Too many?

A little pre-dinner music

Pay no attention to the chopsticks and look at the camera!

Who knows if Peyton will ever remember today.  But I sure will.  It had been awhile since I had taken a pause from work, life, and everything else and just enjoyed being a mom.  I giggled just as much as she did, and got just as giddy as she did with each new adventure. Sometimes, I think we should all just stop, take a day, and enjoy being the person we were destined to be.  For me, that is Peyton's mom. And today was seriously one of the best days ever.

The Many Faces of Peyton

I clearly remember the days when Peyton would smile from ear to ear without much effort on our part. Sure, we had our tricks for capturing the perfect dimpled smile for her monthly portraits - Martin usually waved a pink monkey in the air, made silly faces, or played peek-a-boo. But getting Peyton to show off her adorable grin was rarely a challenge.

3 months old

6 months old

1 year old

Until now. Peyton has entered a new phase of hating picture taking. Once my darling little poser, she is now rather diva-esque in her demands. Anytime I whip out the iPhone she yells "NO PICTURES!" If I do succeed in snapping a shot, she immediately asks to view it.  

And then there is her smile. If complying, Peyton says "cheese" but makes an odd, bottom-teeth-in-front, eyes closed, scrunched nose expression.  It's not the cutest thing, I'll admit.  There have been many recent occasions I've found myself upset that we couldn't get a "normal" picture of her. But, I've come to appreciate the fact that this is how she is right now. This is her personality. This is my beautiful little girl working on her best angles. And I know someday soon she'll go back to smiling normally and showing off those dimples everyone loves. But for now, we have crazy face girl, and I love it.

Scrunchie McSchruncherson

Peyton's best Zoolander impression.

Tell me what you really think of all the picture taking.

Great smile...horrible eye contact.

She is trying really hard here...

Party on.

I hope her nose doesn't permanently get stuck in this position.

I think she's the most beautiful funny-faced girl on the planet.

Yee Haw! We are Officially "Arizonans" Now!

Greasewood Flat is one of Arizona's most quintessential locations. It's an outdoor burger joint featuring live country music, picnic tables and plenty of libations. Greasewood Flat is housed in a 120 year old bunkhouse and sits 2,000 feet above the valley, providing a slight reprieve to the hot summer temperatures.

The food is good, the ambiance is exactly what you'd picture for a true Arizona experience, and the crowd includes bikers, cowboys, tourists, and locals.  Our family and some good friends actually started a tradition of going to Greasewood Flat after any family wedding...tuxes and wedding gowns included.

We met up with Jimger and Scott on a random Saturday night...and it didn't disappoint.

Peyton spent the majority of the night dancing her booty off and running around in circles. Along with Scott, she quickly made friends with the other kids, and they provided all of the evening's entertainment.

Say Cheese!

Being the sneaky daughters that we are, Ginger and I arranged for a secret photo session with Peyton and Scott with our most favoritest photog Beth Obermeyer. We dressed the kiddos in Diamondbacks attire and planned to surprise our mother (aka Grandma) with the precious pics on Mother's Day.  Mission accomplished.

What Grandma wouldn't melt at the sight of this?

Yeah.  We're in trouble.

Freeze! Hands on knees!

Love.

Pat's Run 2012

Pre-race photo

I am not one of those people who runs because I love it. I run because it keeps me from getting fat. As added motivation, I signed Martin and myself up for Pat's Run. Although I dreaded the 4.2 mile race for the months leading up to it (I typically don't go more than 3 miles), I'm so glad we did it. It was such a well organized and motivational event.

Martin and I were split up into different start corrals since he is Speedy Gonzales, but I had a great time, an awesome run (finished faster than I expected), and felt really good about myself afterwards.

Peyton enjoyed a sleep over at Grandma and Grandpa's the night before, and merely exclaimed "you're sweaty" when we picked her up after the race.

Sparky getting everyone motivated. 

Just across the finish line on the 42 yard line of Sun Devil Stadium.

Out of 30,000 participants, we bumped into old friends!