Dear Violet,

This morning your dad didn't have to go into work until 11, and I'm running a half marathon tomorrow morning, so these are 2 good reasons we decided to make pancakes for breakfast!  You love pancakes as much as we do.  It's the only non-dramatic way I can get you to come inside after our morning "outside time."  All I had to do was say "Let's go make some pancakes!"  And you just hopped right up those steps and came inside!

Nana B got you an apron and oven mitts for your birthday and you look SO CUTE in that apron.  You love to "help" me cook.  You're my little sous chef.  When you were helping me stir, you were getting it everywhere and trying to eat the flour mix, so I took the spoon away from you, and you weren't very happy about it...

You feel (and LOOK) like such a big girl when you get to stand up on a chair and help me flip the pancakes (You should use this photo on the back of your first cookbook- haha)!

Not yet!  Not yet!  You don't understand the concept of waiting until the sides get dry and bubbly before flipping them yet...

Oh, you love the reward of cooking as much as me!  I don't know if I've ever offered you a pancake without your face lighting up!  

Hmmmm, I guess it's time to start working on table manners...

My guess is that you'll be cooking on your own at about 3 years old!  I cherish the time we spend cooking together.  I love that you love it... and I love YOU!

Love,

Mom

Dear Violet,

It's only 1 in the afternoon, and already today you've eaten:

Breakfast:
oatmeal
honey greek yogurt
baked apples and pears
1 hard boiled egg

Snack:
freeze dried mango
another hard boiled egg!
a few bites of fat-free chocolate ice cream

Lunch:
sliced ham
roasted butternut squash
baked apples and pears

Sheesh!  And even after your lunch, you were eating the sun-dried tomatoes out of my soup!  It's a good thing you like healthy food, because you're a bottomless pit!!


Snacking on a boiled egg (you let Emma eat the yolk):

Dear Violet,

Your Mimi and Pawpaw are in town so Pawpaw, your dad and Uncle B can go deer hunting (this past weekend was opening weekend for bow season).  You and I went to Uncle B's house to hang out with Mimi and Fisher while the guys were away, and you had quite the fun time!  You don't get to spend NEAR as much time with Mimi and Pawpaw as any of us would like, so time with them is special.  Uncle B has a cute little playhouse outside for Addie, and you were so hooked on that thing.  I have to find... I mean... I have to make sure Santa knows you like those things!!  You would go inside, shut the door, then giggle while you opened it to "peekaboo" with Mimi.  I know that meant a lot to her that you were having so much fun with her, and it meant a lot to me too!

I also took some portraits of Fisher for Uncle B, and you wanted to push him around in our photo prop (with your pretty necklace on that you demanded to wear all day).  You guys look alike in this photo...  everyone in our family makes some pretty cute babies (on both sides)!

Here's you with your sweet cousin Caleb, who you've always adored!  You've always been comfortable with him, and he's so good with you!  We were outside looking at his fancy new moped here...

I'm so glad that you're surrounded by all our family members who love you!  It makes life so much more interesting...

Love,
Mom