Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Some of you may recall my postings about this garden for the Christmas lights display in November of last year or the spring garden displays for Easter this year... we have year-round passes that expire in a few short months so I haven't a clue why we haven't attended more often, but we did attend this past weekend.
The have a Children's Garden featuring garden plants kid's can touch or even take classes on how to nurture. They have ramps and secret passageways. They have a large tree castle that looks out over the manmade lake. And, they have a continuously running water area that kids flock to.
Evie was SO EXCITED to see water that she actually grinned and CLAPPED HER HANDS as we strolled on up. She pointed to the water, "Dush! Dush!" We changed her into her suit and led her on out. The initial wetness was a giggle-fest that gave way to crawling into puddles and trying to pick up rubber granules off the bouncey flooring.
Mom and dad ended up pretty soaked in the shorts since Evie hasn't quite taken to a bioped lifestyle quite yet.
We only stayed for about an hour but it definitely resulted in a well rested night's sleep Saturday night.

Fountain

We took Evie to Stony Point Mall today. They have one of those sidewalk fountains that are open to the public & kids' flock there. Its fun, located in a very nice mall and FREE!
At first, Evie was a little reluctant. This fountain will sprinkle small dribbles and sometimes shoot up water bursts with no warning. She didn't know what to think. Her uncertainty coupled with her reluctancy to walk resulted in a modified crab dance on her hands and toes around the outer perimeter.
Eventually, Evie meandered toward the center. She then pushed a 3 year old boy off the center fountain. I was both horrified... and damn proud.
That's my girl. ;-)

Richmond Magazine Awards Night

Evie attended her first "gala" on Monday August 11th. Richmond Magazine had their "Best and Worst" celebration night (the publication highlights the best and worst things around Richmond, annually) featuring a DJ, tasty treats from all the 'best' venues around town, and some door prizes. We got there in the beginning (about 6:30PM) and stayed until 8PM. Evie enjoyed fancy cheeses & crackers from Ellwood Thompson, bread and butter pickles from Comfort, and oreo cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. All this after she threw up her entire dinner after having spent her very first full day... at a new daycare. More about that later.
All in all, a long and very eventful day for Miss Evie-Pie.
I am wearing my glasses all this week due to a "bacteria" on my eye later defined as an "ulcer". All I know is some people are finding my glasses hot and I am just plain sick of them. It stinks not having any choice but to wear them. Hopefully soon my eye drops will work and I can go back to contacts!
Evie is learning the fine art of the high-five.

Inside

Maybe it's due to the book "Inside, Outside, Upside Down" that A & A bought for Evie for Christmas... but Evie's latest development milestone (as of August 7th) is that she puts things IN. She mastered taking toys out of the baskets under the coffee table, removing all the legos from their storage container, and stripping the books from the bookshelf.
For the very first time, she realized she could put stuff IN.
She likes to push the train trolley, from her animal train set, around the house... on her knees. She always does this with an empty cart but recently realized she could put her milk sippy cup in the basket thereby carting it around with her to her next destination. She spent the afternoon gathering all sorts of trinkets and toys, filling her cart as she went.
Puck found this equally fascinating if only for his own personal enjoyment - he took a lick when she wasn't looking. *sigh*, gross.

Look-a-like

OK, we have the same eye color. And, our hair is very close in color (although mine was much more "orange" and her age. And, I think she clearly has my nose... which is to say my father's nose. Besides that, I think she looks nothing like me. See any resemblance? In any case, I find this kid to be cute as a button.

Grandma/Grandpa in town

My parents drove up from North Cakalaka the first weekend in August. My dad wanted to attend a coinshow in Baltimore (yes, he's a nerd... er, numismatist).
Still not quite a walker - it was rather "shocking" to see Evie stand up long enough to paw at the dead Lamb's Ear flowers out back. We fired off about 23 photos before she finally lowered herself into a squat and then crawled off set.
My dad brought back a great Tshirt... great particularly because Evie was teething 4 molars at the time and a little cranky as a result. Here she is enjoying an orange juice popsicle for the first time, too. Needless to say the entre kitchen flor is now sticky since she ate slowly and enjoyed using the popsicle as a mallet half the time.

She walks!

Today we attended the Carytown Watermelon Festival. I have wanted to go in years past but either forgot about it, it's too hot or we are out-of-town. This year, we attended. At the festival, you can buy a substantial bowl of cut-up watermelon for only a $1 while perusing the overflowing Cary Avenue complete with street vendors, foods on a stick and kids playing make-shift instruments for hand-outs. In a word - awesome (OK, 2 words: CROWDED and awesome). It was a nice day to be had here in the South (read: lower humidity than its been for the last 4 weeks), so everyone was out.
All-in-all, the whole weekend's been a blast.
Friday night I crashed out at a decent hour after watching the opening of the Olympics (while dining on Chinese take-out & drinking an icy Tsingtao). OMG, the Chinese are going to take over the world - did anyone else watch the opening night with their jaw on the floor the whole time?
Saturday morning I set the alarm (a first-time for everything) to get up & out-the-door by 8AM. Evie and I attended the Forest Hill Farmer's Market. It was... awesome. The weather was so nice, I WORE PANTS! Seriously, that's a fantastic morning to be had in August in the South. I wore white pants and a bright orange Tshirt pushing Evie around in her super-cute purple polka-dot top & lime-green striped pants (thanks for the outfit again, D!). We bought fresh organic tomatoes, rasberries, a mixed bag of leafy green lettuce, 2 kinds of bread loaves (black olive and cracked pepper), some biscotti to share over tea with Rob this fall, hand-made spinach ravioli... and 1 green hairbow for Evie. I love schitt like this, I felt so urban moderna, it was great. People were everywhere with dogs... sipping fancy coffee from this vendor who was grinding beans. It was yuppie-granola. I can't wait to drag along more gal-pals next weekend.
Saturday morning rolled into early afternoon spent at the grocery store with Miss Evie in tow. We both came home to some lunch followed by very long & well deserved naps (both of us!). Saturday evening we had pork tenderloin & fresh green beans.... dad and I then moved ourselves out to the patio to enjoy post-dinner cocktails in the, again, cool outdoor air. I ended up sitting out front for awhile before heading inside and ultimately crashing out around 9:30PM!
Sunday, today, we lingered in the morning before getting Evie roused for the Watermelon Festival. We wondered for 2 hours before deciding to head home (it was rather warm with the sun beating down on us). Evie and dad napped while I got my car cleaned (I think its a first for 2008). I then bought more wine & beer. I made 2lbs of meatballs and rasberry iced tea before everyone was up again. K & E came over to share some late day drinks before dinner...
...and that's when it happened...
Evie WALKED out of my arms toward the coffee table to get her sippy cup of milk. I really thought this moment was going to be more of a moment like there would be a drum roll and an audience holding their breath... Nope. She just ever so casually tottered on over taking about 4 steps in the process. I ran to the porch and rapped on the window for Rob to come inside and see. I pulled her back and let go again. After a few failed attempts (she kept going limp wanting to crawl), she did it again!
WOW!
What a fantastic weekend.