Birds

We walked to the park this morning. I made the mistake of telling Lizzy we were going to the park before I showered. So my shower seemed to be the ultimate betrayal to my almost 2-year old.

I sat and read a book while Lizzy was playing on the playground. She had a great time going down the mini slide and picking up sand and throwing it into the puddle of water right next to me. Then along came a bird. Just a normal brownish gray bird looking for food in the sand. Elizabeth stared at it for a bit and even took a few steps toward it. I thought, "how nice, she is getting over her fear of birds." Just as I finished my thought Lizzy turned around and started running for her life. She attached to my knees as soon as she reached me. I tried to convince her to go and get the bird and scare it away by clapping. She was terrified at the suggestion and started climbing up on my lap. The bird continued to tweak his little head toward the sand and walk around very non-threateningly. This was really ruining the park experience so I got up and explained to Elizabeth that I was going to scare the bird away. It took maybe 4 steps and the bird flew away. I clapped, too, so that Elizabeth could think that she could also scare him away.

Lizzy played some more while Jordan and I sat watching her and occasionally reading our book. Finally Lizzy walked up to me (this time she wasn't running in fear) and climbed into the stroller - something she's been doing lately - and said, "Home!" Haha. Since home was maybe a 4 house walk away, I put the baby on her lap and we walked home. They were both laying down with their feet sticking up out of the stroller. It was very cute. Elizabeth wanted to spend some more time in the stroller so I took the baby inside and left Lizzy in the garage laying down inside the stroller with Jordan's blankets.

I am taking GRAPHIC DESIGN classes! WOWIE! I am so excited. It's a self-directed course at the community college so I can work from home and don't have to go to class. It's been fun! I'm at the end of the introductory section on Photoshop and I'll be starting to learn Adobe Illustrator this week. Later in this class I get to learn InDesign, which I've never heard of.

It's so much fun to have something to do that I have to report on. I've tried to find things to keep myself busy and useful-feeling other than taking care of the kids. I've learning quilting and I've been taking up cooking again now that I'm not pregnant. I also finally finished my Christmas cross stitch project that I've been working on since I was pregnant with Elizabeth. Those things I "report" to Morgan and my blog. Getting a grade, though, has always been SO MOTIVATING for me! So it's been really fun to take classes!

I love having a blog! It's so much more fun than a journal because other people can read it, I can put up photos, and read other blogs! It's been a fantastic way to keep up with old friends, too. My family reads too, but they would hear these stories even if I didn't post them.