Everyone Girl Needs some Fancy

Today (okay, really last Saturday but I back dated the post to the correct day and therefore am using the term "today") my mom treated Marley and me to a Fancy Nancy tea party at Yankee Candle in Williamsburg. We caught wind through our wedding photographer. Helen, at Colonial Photography, is one of our favorite people and has recently started getting contracts for all of these fun events. She (and her crew) did Marley's Santa pictures this year too. Helen also holds a children's photo contest every year. Marley was a winner in 2009 and we're waiting to hear about 2010. The 2011 photo contest is going to go National and Helen thinks Mar can give them a run for their money (or she's just saying that, but I'm going to choose to believe she really means it)!

So, back to the Fancy Nancy tea party.

Do you know who Fancy Nancy is? Well she's Marley's Fancy's namesake of course. When we were trying to decide what my mom would be called, cause let's face it, she's just not a "grandma" we tossed around quite a few ideas including "grandnan" which stuck for a while. But then, Brett had the superb (that's a fancy way of saying great) idea to call her Fancy since her first name is Nancy, and for us...we'll it stuck! So of course when the opportunity arose we decided to take her to the tea party. We've considered it before because they're all over Williamsburg, but we just didn't think she was old enough. We still weren't sure she'd appreciate it but she did and it was awesome! We all had a blast.

Here are the pics Helen took today (ok, ok, really a week ago but I already explained that). I know I went picture posting happy but they were all so fun!

Close to (if not) the best shot of the day...half of her pics are with the earrings and half without.

She's so intent on her book!

This one's just for giggles. Brett and I joke all the time that we can't have another kid cause Marley got all the best features from the two of us but looking at this pic I'm not so sure! Check out those ears! And she looks a little cross eyed...or maybe just cross that we're interrupting her reading with the flash from the camera.

Much better but what is she looking at?

So Fancy!

Just kicking back for a little relaxation and reading

Back to the book (I think I'm going to blow this one up and put it over her reading corner in her bedroom)

Striking a Fancy pose

She looks shy...but she was really picking her nose...and maybe trying to eat it??!!

Look at me!

Cheeseball

Then we started to bribe her with a lollipop because she wasn't being the most cooperative and here she is ready to come and get it...

And she has it...

The funniest part of the whole sitting was probably when it was her turn and she walked right up to the white drape and told Helen "sit" and pointed to the bench. It's something when you're kid poses herself for her pictures.

I also have some pictures on my camera from today (that day) so stay tuned...

Gymnastics

Marley finally started back to gymnastics after taking about a 2 month hiatus because she had been repeatedly sick. And, the best part of starting back? Mia started with us! These two really are two peas in a pod and can't get enough of each other. And my child, well she's often the ring-leader, trouble maker extraordinaire and all the others follow her lead. There's more of her daddy in her than maybe we thought...

Plastic Egg Shakers...the littlest things bring her joy...I got some plastic eggs this weekend and intend to make them into musical instruments for her at home.

On the trampoline...I think it's great that Mia is looking at her like "what the..."

Jumping and bouncing is this girl's life!

Well it is a trampoline track so why not run on it...

Gettin' some air with assistance from her best friend Mia

Goofy Girls!

Marley started walking across the beam by herself!

Then everyone starting praising her and she froze

It's hard work on a Thursday night after a long day at daycare

The big beam with Ms. Stephanie

"Don't let go!"

Monkeying around

Oops...she dropped

Hanging from the high bar!

She's pretty fearless...for the most part...glad we're back in the swing of things!

She's A Natural...

...Cowgirl!

Now, isn't this picture a little frightening? My little speck of a girl, sitting, straight as a rod I might add, atop this massive, massive horse? It's a trick of the camera, my friends, that it looks as though she's there by herself. If you look closely in the bottom left corner of the picture you can see Alan's pant leg. She was escorted and was supported while on this great beast...but it does look kinda cool that maybe, just maybe she wasn't.

We spent Friday evening at my boss' house which happens to be a farm. One of the girls in our STARS program had written a persuasive writing to have girls night and was able to persuade Angie. So girls' night it was and Marley had a blast on the farm. I know she looks quite serious while on this horse but I do think it's concentration. Once she was off she asked to get right back up.

It's a half "look at me mommy" and half "I'm scared outta my wits" face.

They say she's a natural around the horses and that I should do something about that. Yeah, once the lottery rolls around we'll be all over that. In the meantime afternoons at the farm will have to do.

The girl can't be happier than when she's bouncing or jumping and the Leonard's big trampoline was right up her ally! When it wasn't the horses it was the trampoline.

She also got to see the cows

And that really, really large bull (that's close enough Alan)

She also got to feed the chickens and "pick" the eggs (is pick the right word?) She was so proud of her eggs and she got to bring a dozen fresh, Marley picked eggs home that she ate for dinner tonight.

After we got home Friday night it was time to feed the fish. We have had our first two fishie losses. It seems with our new light one of our fish contract "ick" because it was so stressed out and two of them, her two purple fish, ended up dying. It was so sad to see her standing at the fish tank saying "uh-oh fishie, fishie, fishie, uh-oh mommy, fishie sick." Ah, the circle of life...

Being silly with daddy on Friday night

She's a crack up this one

Then yesterday daddy went up to Northern VA to visit Justin and Marley and I went to lunch and the park with Mia and Tamika before I came down with the stomach but that has been rolling through school. Here are the girls at the playground.

They really enjoyed themselves!

Coming up this week Fancy comes to visit! And, Marley's going to be moving into her big girl bed...hopefully

And the Verdict Is...

...inconclusive...

I got the call this AM from the doc and she said that the official radiology report said her chest x-ray was clear but when she looked at it she felt there were some questionable spots so we're treating her for pneumonia to be on the safe side. It's possible that we got a false positive on her flu test, that can potentially make her x-ray look the way it did or it may still be RSV but since there is question we're hoping to knock whatever it is out with a round of antibiotics (which won't do anything for the flu or RSV since they're both viral). If the cough isn't better by Friday we're to bring her back to the doc.

So, she's out of daycare for the rest of the week. Brett stayed home with her today and Fancy drove all the way from Williamsburg to stay with her tomorrow and Friday! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Both Brett and I are running short on leave at this point so my mom coming is a HUGE help.

Hopefully the "severe, explosive, red diarrhea" that is possible with this particular antibiotic won't occur until after Fancy leaves this weekend...It's not so easy on the system but she's allergic to the Z-Pak that they prescribe for everything these days so "severe, explosive, red diarrhea" it is...

What Could It Be?

The Flu?

nope, test came back negative

Pneumonia?

not likely, but we did the chest x-ray anyway

RSV?

The most probable...

She's still under the weather...we'll keep you posted!