Thoughts

Things I think when I look at recent pictures of myself:

1. Get your jacked up haircut fixed (long story, it looks good from a distance, but it's a really bad haircut)!
2. Having two babies sure made me put on weight...dieting is on the to-do list
3. Man, I need a tan!
4. Penelope likes me so much she's always looking at me and not the camera...smile.

Luray Caverns for Labor Day

 We went to Luray Caverns for Labor Day (well, technically on Saturday).  It's a series of caves that were discovered near the Shenandoah Mountains in 1878.  If you're familiar with Mammoth Caves in KY, it's very similar.  I went to Mammoth Caves back in grad school, but my computer crashed and I lost all the pictures, so I guess this was a redo...but this time with a husband and toddler.

 Group shot with some stalactites

 A reflection of the stalactites onto an underground lake...which is only 18-20 inches at its deepest point.

 P was glad to get out of the stroller.

 Some guy had the idea to build an pipe organ down there using the stalactites as pipes.  They apparently tapped on stalactites to find the correct notes, then set up a system of hammers to lightly tap on them when the organ is played.

Here is the wishing well

This is the rigging that is used to play the pipe organ.  The black piece at the end of the tube extends out and taps on the stalactite.  The organ played "A Mighty Fortress is our God."  We have tons of pictures of the stalactites and stalagmites, but I won't bore you with posting any more of them.

Natural History Museum

 Last Thursday Dave had the day off so we drove into DC and went to the National Museum of Natural History

 We knew the elephant (I think he's named Harry) would be a hit with Penelope.  She's really into elephants lately.  Don't let the picture fool you.  The second she saw him she started doing her elephant sound over and over.

 We didn't go see every exhibit.  That's the joy of a free museum; you only see what you want to and stay for your allotted two hour parking meter time.  Penelope enjoyed the mammal exhibit.  She pointed like this at almost every animal, except for the ones that scared her.

 She especially liked the gem section.  After ooing and aaahing over the shiny jewels she liked the "touch me" portion of the exhibit.  She loved the amethyst geode so much that she didn't want to go, and tried to lick them as well.

This one was also fun, but not as cool as the amethyst (or so thought P, she headed back towards the amethyst after this).  I think it's quartz, but I'm not a geologist, and I never took rocks for jocks, so it's just a guess.

Sweet Bed Head Lately

 This is what Penelope's hair looks like when it's clean and pre-nap: straight, smooth, and shiny.

 This is what it can (and has) look(ed) like after a nap: it flips,

 looks crazy,

 disheveled,

 curly,

and tangled!  Not to mention how groggy she is for a while afterwards!

More Water Fun...

 Penelope loves the water.  She loves the bath (especially when Grandma Luke gives them to her).

 She loves the Jex's pool (with Aunt Marisa in Lincoln in July).

She doesn't love it when I take a shower and don't invite her, though.  So, a few weeks ago she invited herself.  I left the bathroom door open because I was showering when Dave was at work and wanted to be able to hear her if there was any trouble in toddlerdom.  Well, she wasn't having any of that!  She came into the bathroom pulled the curtain open, pulled herself up to a standing position next to the tub and screamed because she wasn't in the tub with me.  She quickly realized that the water splashing down on her from the shower was pretty fun.  So, while I tried to quickly shower and prevent P from climbing into the tub or hurting herself, and still wash my hair, P loved the water pouring down on top of her.  This was the end result:

 Soaking wet hair and clothes,

and a giant puddle on the bathmat!  Oh, how we love that P loves water.  But, it does prove to be problematic.  Showering is not a relaxing time.  It's an exercise in speed and precision...get in, get most of the stank off, and out before P can attack!

Grandma's Kiddie Pool

Grandma Luke sent us a kiddie pool.  It's just like the one Penelope used when we visited in July.  She LOVES it, as evidenced in the video.  We finally got to use it in my friend's backyard!

 Mostly she splashes,

 splashes,

 crazy splashes,

and chillaxes, basically basking in all her toddler glory!

Buckles

 Penelope is obsessed with with buckles.  She enjoys trying to buckle her high chair, and sometimes she gets part of it correctly into the slot.

 See, look how happy she is!

 She tries to buckle the "travel" high chair.  

And recently, she has learned how to unbuckle her carseat "armpit buckle" and wiggle her arms out--no matter how tightly we strap her down.  She still wiggles out!  She also tries to buckle her stroller, but no pic of that.