1st Movie -- Inside Out

For Father's Day we went on a family outting to the movies! This was the first time the three of us had ever hit the big screen. We saw Disney Pixar's "Inside Out." The film was cute, but full of dialogue. Given the concepts in the movie, I think Shelby did REALLY well. She powered down about half a tub of popcorn and was super focused for about an hour, or 2/3s of the movie. After that, she squirmed, but all in all, I think she did great! Jack and I agreed  -- we never want Shelby to loose her "Goofy Island."

This is the only picture I grabbed....a little fuzzy, but a fun memory!

My Tumbling Girl

Shelby truly loves her tumbling class at school. Putting her in that class was a brilliant idea. Thank you Daddy. One morning I spotted Shelby pulling together all kinds of stuff, including pillows and her friends. She said she was making a "tumbling class" for her "friends" and proceeded to take her stuffed animals through a tumbling circuit.

One of the great things about Jack's new job is the activity schedule for little kids, including a lovely gymnastic gym. Shelby was very apprehensive at first, but after I walked her in and she got a feel for the class, she had a ball. She can't wait for the next class. And the mind-blowing part for Shelby? Her teacher's name is also Shelby?! What?!

Quotable Quotes

Just about every other sentence that comes out of Shelby's mouth these days is a quotable quote. She is trying so hard to figure out the world around her, connect ideas and participate in conversations. Recently she has thrown out a few things that have made me wear a particularly big smile.

We were driving around town in the 100+ degree heat and she says "Mom, I'm hot. I am going to melt like Frosty."

I took Shelby to school one morning and while I was loading the garage, she took a step outside to the driveway:
Shelby: Mom, smell.
Me: What do you smell Shelby? Flowers?
Shelby: [Takes another deep breathe} No. It smells like a beeeeeeeautiful day!

Five. Five seems to be the magic age and when Shelby will deem herself a grown up. Here are some things that she has recently told us that she will be able to do when she is five:

• "Wear a ring, and a watch and go to work."
• Make a basketball in the hoop
• Drive a big car "really fast" just like Dada

I took her to the Toyota dealership this past weekend when I had to get my oil changes. Her mind was blown that there were cars INSIDE the building. She took the opportunity to tell nearly every person that she encountered "Cars don't go inside, they should be outside. Right?"

I am always telling Shelby to drink more water. It is scorching hot outside and she sometimes has hard bowl movements. The other day we were out and about and I said, "Shelby, drink some water please." She replied, "So my poops don't hurt, right?" I guess so Shelby. You got me :)

The Greatest Show on Earth

One of my girlfriends tipped me off that the circus when was coming to town. I thought that would be a fun activity for Shelby so I looked into it. I discovered, it was not any circus, but rather the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. When I heard that, I was in. I have very vivid, fond memories of going to that circus with my mom and brothers. The tickets were mildly pricey, but I said 'what the heck, Shelby is only young once, right?" I also heard that after this year, they are retiring the elephants in the show - typically one of the most exciting acts.

Needless to say, we all had a wonderful time. My only regret is not getting a photo of all three of us. I think Jack and I were most fascinated by the elephants and Shelby really enjoyed a troop of talented poodles who performed all kinds of tricks.

Picnic For Two

I picked Shelby up from school the other day and I could just tell she was full of joy. It was a lovely evening and I had already decided that I was going to pick up a pizza for dinner. I told Shelby that we could have a picnic for dinner and let me tell ya - she was over the moon! We enjoyed a simple dinner in the park by our house, but it was lovely and perfect. Just like my dinner date.

It Only Took Me 12 Years....

...to make it to the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign. That's right, after playing host to friends and family for years and years, I had never visited the storied landmark. We had the lovely opportunity to host our nephew/Shelby's cousin Dylan and his friend Brock for a few days. The boys really wanted to check out the sign, so we made a family memory. It was classic, when we arrived, Shelby blurted out "This place is super wierd!" She got a chuckle out of quite a few tourists baking in the line with us. And check out those arms....I think Shelby has mastered that post-tumbling move posture, don't you?

After that we took the boys bowling at a local bowling alley. Shelby came along too. She loves  the Curious George episode where George manages a bowling alley for a day, so she is very familiar with the concept and quite the spirited player.

3 Year Check Up

Bad mom. I did  not realize there was a three year well check appointment.....and even worse, I really did not know that thee is a 2.5 well check appointment, but that ship has sailed :)

Last week I took her in for a standard check up. At this age and stage, check ups  are much less comprehensive than the early years. They chart her height and weight, ask about emerging verbal skills, inquire about eating habits, check her belly and privates and that is about it. Shelby did need one shot because we somehow fell behind, but that is not standard. I have to give it to the nurse who gave Shelby the shot.....he was so swift and effective, Shelby did not even know what happened. No tears, nor anxiety. In fact, she was just happy to receive a band-aid!

Here's a shot of the two of us waiting for the doctor to arrive.

Height:  40 inches ---> 96%
Weight: 35 Pounds ---> 82%