Tiny helper

We started spring cleaning this weekend and had a little help from our tiniest member of the family - Catherine Ellis! She loves to get into anything that she's not supposed to be into - you name it, she's there - it's like a magnetic force attracts her to things she shouldn't be playing with. Go figure!

We are hosting a party for one of David's best friends this coming weekend and realized that it had been quite some time since our poor yard had been tended to - probably over a year. It made us realize we'd been existing and things that didn't have to be completed or worked on - well they didn't make the list of priorities. David worked for over 7 hours in the yard Saturday and I worked for about 2 or so and it looks a lot better - but we still have a way to go. It was refreshing to feel like we'd accomplished something. Thank you Meme for watching Catherine Ellis while we worked. ....although she did sneak a help here or there from time to time.

We started out unloading the dishwasher and she really liked that:

Helping Mommy with the silverware

I got it, I got it!

Housework is so much fun!

Next while I was packing up recycling, Catherine Ellis cleaned the fire place (not really, but she climbed all over it):

Look at me - I can pull up on the fire place!

Daddy had a night out on the town - so we walked with a friend of mine and Mom, Catherine Ellis and I called it a night early. Daddy made it hope early the next morning and today we ate lunch out and ran errands in preparation for the week and weekend - of course it was freezing again today - in the 40's and raining - and they are saying we may get some snow, but unlikely - gosh, we're ready for spring! Only a day or so of this and we should be back to warmer weather. Catherine Ellis LOVES being outside, so we dressed up her in her new rain coat (thank you Pop and Gran) and headed out:

Styling in my new rain gear

Quite the charmer

We've also been preparing for our tiny helper to transition to the toddler phase - we've purchased her new big girl car seat (we have a few more weeks before she is riding in style - forward-facing) and sadly a new bathtub :( The infant bath that Aunt Sara and Uncle Daniel gave us has been so wonderful for a year and she still LOVES it - however, she's just about outgrown it - baths in the sink are so much fun though, so we've continued - until I found the perfect blow up bath tub for her last week:

A blow up DUCK bath!! If you know Catherine Ellis, you know she LOVES ducks!

Laughing at Daddy - Daddy is in charge of bath time - and I love it!

I'm so glad I have a duck to play in the water with!

I can't help but think of how fast this past year has flown by (I know I say it all the time, but it's still hard to process!). Tonight I asked David to take a picture of Catherine Ellis and I as I was drying her off - the last time we took this picture was October 2009 - look how much she's grown! We can't believe our eyes. So, get ready for a walk down memory lane (even if it is short) with us over the next few weeks as we prepare for her first birthday! Have a great first week of spring!

October 2009

March 2010