Adorable Video Comin' Atcha Tonight!

Wow, has it been over a week since I've posted? The last week has been busy - but fun! Halle's starting to say "Watch!" when she's about to show off her running skills. Literally running laps. It's funny how raising an active, growing kid gets easier and easier but more and more challenging by the week.

She's really into Yah-Yah and YoYo, or Charlie and Lola in English. It's the most adorable show I've ever seen. Two British children do the voices of two playful and encouraging siblings. The episodes are targeted for kids a bit older than Halle with episodes about "wobbly teeth" and the toothfairy, getting haircuts, playing pretend and having sleepovers. Halle asks for it CONSTANTLY, going to get the DVD and handing it to us or pressing the buttons on the player hoping to make it happen all by herself.

She'll definitely be getting more Charlie and Lola for her birthday! Which brings me to another topic. Within two or three months, Spring will be here and we can't wait to get Halle immersed in the outdoors. I can't wait to plant tomatoes and flowers with her. For her birthday, I'm trying to think of gifts that give her a different experience than sitting on the couch - and things that don't require batteries. Can anyone think of some good outdoor or indoor toys that we can use as a family?

It's easy to be slothful in the Winter, with snow on the ground, gray skies, and shorter days. With the Spring, we want to put a lot of her energy into bonding as a family, rather than running laps. She's chomping at the bit for our attention and her enthusiasm for family interaction is something we're incredibly grateful for. It's really sad that she watches so much tv. I don't have much energy in general but she deserves every ounce of energy I've got! Is this post making any sense?

Aside from birthday gifts, any ideas about fun family activities are welcome! I'm such a newb to this parenting stuff, eh?

After we watch Lost tonight (sigh, another television show?) I'm going to edit an ADORABLE video of Halle running her laps, barking orders at Halle, and other toddler randomness. So look out, it's comin' atcha!