"I'm two and a half!"

One day, when Sydney woke up last week, Wendy asked Sydney if she was still a tired little baby. Sydney responded with, "Not a baby. I'm two and a half!" We were floored! So now, when asked, she proudly states that she is this specific age.

We just got some new carpet installed, and we had to dismantle the crib (which had been recalled a few months ago, but for reasons that affected infants, so we weren't too terribly concerned - sign us up for Parents of the Year!), so this seemed like as good a time as any to transition into a big girl bed! Here is our two and a half-year-old, laying down on her new bed!

She only got up three times last night, right after she was put down to bed. She has newfound freedom now to get up and move about, and she likes to have her door open. For today's nap, she got up once (legitimately, to go potty). We explained to her that we have higher expectations, now that she is two and a half and has a big-girl bed. She seems thrilled with the new changes in her young life.

Sydney has been rooting for Team USA! Here she is cheering on the American team. As we watched the women's gymnastics, we were wondering if Sydney could have been on the Chinese team this year - she looks just as much like a 16-year-old as three of the Chinese team members...but I digress. Notice the shirt that her parents got for her in Beijing - we've waited a year and a half to bust it out!

Finally, we finally found Wii Fit, so here is Sydney and Mommy trying out some yoga poses.

Festivals, Fairs and Fun

C'mon! Let's go go go! Gong wo lai!

Summertime and the livin' is easy, so they say. Sydney attended a couple of Clark County affairs - the Hawaiian Festival at Esther Short Park and the Clark County Fair. She had a blast eating, dancing, eating, seeing farm animals, eating, and walking around observing all kinds of new things.

Here's our silly island girl with a lei on her head.



Sydney's first Shave Ice! Grandpa Joe would be proud.

In two trips to the Fair, Sydney ate two corn dogs, some curly fries, french fries, two bags of kettlecorn, corn on the cob, the best ice cream, more shave ice, and even sampled some beef jerky. She also got a taste of the "forbidden" water - Pepsi.

Here she is making Grammy laugh while moving Grammy's arm to give her a drink of soda.


Sydney's new favorite vegetable, served two ways.


Dancing with strangers is the best kind of fun!


And finally, here's Sydney in motion - her first pony ride! Turn up the sound and hear the sheer glee in her laugh.