Backyard Picnic

*They* say "home is where the heart is" well lately my heart has really not been in the house that we have been calling home for a while now. We are trying move into our forever home a.s.a.p., but we cant make the move until we sell this place. Sooooo that means making the best of everything and being grateful that we at least have a roof over our head!

One of the things that I do indeed LOVE about our right now house is the backyard...it is down right humongous for the area and we fenced almost all of it in last year so that Sirius could have a place to run and jump and play with out having to be tied up. We can pretty much just sit out there and it is like having our own little world...however, we very rarely do that, we always get caught up doing something inside the house or what not and the yard gets forgotten about until it starts looking like a jungle and we have to mow it.

Well yesterday we were *supposed* to go to do some volunteer work for the local Food Bank Farm and help with the harvesting with Daddy's work, but we got the time mixed up and missed it. But the day was entirely too nice out to be spending it couped up inside, especially since we are heading into some more hot/humid/generally not nice even though it's sunny out weather, so we picked up some fancy hot dogs, got some yogurt for Cassie and a quilt and had ourselves a little impromptu picnic outside. Heck, even Sirius got in on the action.

It never ceases to amaze me watching Cassie as she takes in the world around her, especially now that a) she can sit up on her own outside b) she isn't really bothered by the sunshine as much so she sees more and c) if she sees something she wants to investigate now she can go after it! She was having a grand old time putting her fingers in the grass and pulling it up for a taste test, then giving the same taste test to the couple of leaves that fell onto her blanket.

On another note we also picked up a set of the Avent Magic Sippy Cups® for Cassie to try, we haven't really been having any luck at all trying to get her to drink from bottles no matter what the brand or flow nipple or what we put in them or how hot or cold it was, so we decided to give sippy cups a try, but had no luck with the Playtex First Sipster® or the Tommy Tippee Closer to Nature First Sips Weaning Cup® either. I think it is because both of these have pretty hard no spill valves. So when we went to BRU Friday night to get gates I saw the Avent Cups...it was actually the word *Magic* that caught my eye, I will admit...I figured I would pick them up and give them a try. Well it turns out that these are still the no spill variety, but the valve is actually soft and flexible and low and behold Cassie is actually getting it! We have only tried (heavily) watered down grape juice in it so far but she seems to like it much more than the bottle because she can actually hold the handles and tip it up and better than the other sippies because she can you know, drink out of it :) hopefully this means we are headed in the right direction!

Oh and did I mention Cassie's newest tricks?? Raspberry Blowing and Clapping, her new two favorite and completely adorable (not that I am biased or anything...) things!