Niva's Last Hurrah

Since it's Niva's last week to party before she hits the books, here's Niva in action with several of her pals:

Bubble party with Leo P.L. He also had the most extensive collection of Thomas trains that Niva was in love with!

Then, pool party at Sebastian's!

Lil Sebby didn't know what to make of Niva smooshing him to pieces.

But he did enjoy checking out Niva's gear-- sunglasses, floatie, and cool shoes! You go, Sebster!

Then, Niva enjoyed another pool party/picnic today with her homie Lizzie!

These two always have the grandest time together!

We sure are going to miss these carefree summer days when all the kids were off from school. Now, with the schedule of many of our friends, it looks like we will be doing a lot of Friday playdates. Bring em on!

Getting Ready for P-School!

Not much going on in the life of NJB lately....except this is her last free week before she starts preschool!!! We are trying to take advantage of it by meeting up with as many friends as possible. And today, we did some school supply shopping. Wasn't this kid just born?? How does time go by this fast? And can anyone tell me where I can find 12x18" manila paper and a package of pastel colored paper here in Austin?? Since when is preschool school supply shopping this difficult?

I predict that I will have a wonderful year of preschool!

Hope this sweet face doesn't get points docked for having a dark purple folder instead of a black one!

Target, I love you but you were kind of a bust! Beh!

Bonus story of the day...

Now, on to more interesting stories. So, Niva loves this squeezable yogurt called Gogurt. I freeze them and serve 'em up to her like a popsicle because it makes less of a mess. Do you have this image in your mind? Good. Well, the other evening we were taking our dear Momo out for a walk to fulfill her one job in life. Guess what keen observation Niva made as Momo was fulfilling her one job in life? "Gogurt!!!" Oh Neevy, you crack us up for days! And I hope we didn't just swear anyone off Gogurt for life! HA!

Niva loves this silly puppy to pieces!

The Toddler Bed

Just got back from Gammy and Poppa's house where Niva had yet another milestone. Niva's benevolent grandparents deemed the Pack & Play unfit for their ever-growing g-baby so they got her her first toddler bed! We were very worried that Niva's newfound freedom in the bed would mean trouble. Would she open dresser drawers and rip out the contents? Would she overturn chairs and become the Tasmanian Devil? Would she walk out the room and declare that she's not going to sleep? We watched the monitor like a hawk and Niva did not leave the bed once! This child, who usually jumps in bed for 20 minutes before hitting the hay, sat up, looked out the adjacent window a few times, rolled around....and that was it! We couldn't believe our eyes. Still, we slept in the same room as her just in case she decided to do the aforementioned...

Oh yeah! Sayonara Pack & Play!

My Studious Girl

Here she is!

Today, Niva submitted her first completed Reading Log to the library...

She filled this whole page front and back with about 80 titles of books we have read. Then, she got to choose her prize...

Hmmmm....lemme think...

Okay, I pick this. I know a thing or two about curious little monkeys!

Good job, little bookworm! Keep up the love of books!

Bonus video of the day:

You just gotta check out these cuties in action. I especially love Sebastian's response to it all!

Weekend Tidbits

We discovered a new wonderful place for both Niva and I to burn off energy--Jumpoline Park! It's a gigantic room of trampolines and catchy tunes. And since we got there right as it opened, we pretty much got the whole place to ourselves....excellent!

It's hard to get a non-blurry picture here.

Thanks to Carla Ann for introducing us to this place.

Saturday, we went to Bubblepalooza at the Long Center...the event was exactly how it sounds:

Daddy got mad bubble skillz!

Niva met her hero H.E. Buddy!

Gimme Buddy Bucks please!

Oh and we also listened to Niva's new favorite song 400 times. Luckily, this used to be my favorite song as a kid too....good pick, Neevz!

Niva's Yoga Poses

Daddy and I started the day early this morning with a little bit of yoga with Tony Horton. With that on my mind, I decided to teach the kid some moves too:

Downward dog

Still working on the stretch of cat pose

But I was very impressed with her tree pose!

Bonus Pictures of the Day:

Is this Daddy J. Bonzek on his way to work? No, it's Niva! But in Daddy's belt, shirt, hat, watch, and phone, you can hardly tell the difference!

Shhh! I'm on a conference call with Leo, Sebastian, and Carla Ann!

My Sweetie McSweeterson

I think the Terrible Two's might be dwindling down for us (for now). I believe that it started extra early for us...like at 18 months old. Niva is now demonstrating a lot less tantrums, a lot better manners, more attention to my directions, and a gigantic amount of sweetness! Here are a couple of examples of how Niva gives me a toothache:

• Yesterday, we went to our friend Adelie's birthday party. Niva was SO excited to celebrate Adelie's 3rd birthday and wanted to follow her around everywhere! At one point, I spied Niva giving the unknowing birthday girl a big hug. Then, I saw Niva look her in the eye trying to find the right place to make her next move-- a kiss. She was unable to find the right spot on the moving target, so she just kissed her hand and planted it on Adelie's cheek (who was none the wiser)....awwww!

• Today during our storytime, I randomly pulled a string cheese out of Niva's ear (do you know this magic trick that I like to do? ask my siblings about how slick I am!). Niva got the happiest look on her face when she saw the magical cheese materialize! "THANK YOU, MOMMY!!!" she exclaimed and rewarded me with the most wonderful bear hug. Am I the luckiest person in the world or what?? That was like a bath in sugar, honey, and warm sunshine!

Yes Mommy, I shall remain sweet forever!

Scenes From the Week

As our days have been occupied with swim lessons this week (and I don't take my camera to the pool), not much else has been going on lately in the life of NJB. Here are just a few random snaps to keep you up to date:

I love free stuff! And who would pass up an opportunity to drink from a straw that doubles as these cool glasses that I found free from some website?? This dumb straw soon found its home in la basura.

Niva's best friend Charlie came over to play...and for the first time, I got a taste of what it's like to take care of 2 kids at the same time!

Ma, you're lucky that my homie is so easygoing!

Niva got her first taste of the Olympics as Daddy let her watch a  little gymnastics on his iPad during lunch.

 

And the highlight of the week: I finally got the courage to bust out the Bubble Generator that was given to Niva for her birthday...this thing is AWESOME!!!