Let me preface this post with a bit of a disclaimer. I'm 9 months preggo, past my due date, and doggonit I'm tired. I keep my little 17 month old busy with all kinds of fun, engaging and educational activities, I promise. We read books, we sing the alphabet, we go to the park, we have play dates, we eat fruits and veggies at breakfast, lunch, and dinner and in between for snacks...and yada yada yada. This girl hardly ever watches tv. But occasionally when I'm puking every hour during my first trimester and resemble Mr. Burns from the Simpsons or when I haven't slept in a week because I'm up peeing every 15 minutes at night, the afternoon calls for a quick Blues Clues break on the couch with mommy. She usually loses interest before we get through half of the show, but today I'm a day over my due date and feeling it in every way. So, we popped some popcorn in the popcorn maker (*note: healthy snack!) ((*note note: can you tell I'm trying to feel better about my lazy, preggo mom decisions lately??)) and watched an episode of Blue today. It was her first sit down in front of the tv with a bowl of popcorn in hand and I've gotta say, the girl's a natural. Belly hanging out, eyes glued to the tv, and the fist shovin' in the popcorn. I was amused. Girlfriend can "veg" with the best of 'em.

One bonus to going past my due date - another day with my built-in ice cream table. (That's not a pint...)

Beans, man. They sure are fun. Hours and hours of fun. We've been on a dry bean trend lately. Some measuring spoons, cups, and a few fuzz balls for good measure and we're set for the afternoon.

When she's not beanin' it up, she's reading a book to herself or trying to escape mommy's hold. She took her first steps a month ago and now she's little miss independent. There's nothing worse to her than having to hold mommy's hand. She always looks at me like, "mom, c'mon. i can totes walk on my own! what are you thinking trying to hold my hand??" And just like that my little baby's a toddler. And you better believe that sentence makes me cry a little.

The following picture sums it up well - this is me trying to hold her hand while crossing the parking lot entrance, and June making a break for the parking lot entrance, trying to pull her hand away.

Her favorite time of day is waiting for daddy to get home. Sometimes we wait for him on the street corner by the rocks that she loves to play in. Evidence of her independent walking streak can be seen here on her nose. The poor girl's busted it numerous times at the park this week. And life is as it should be for our spunky little toddler :)