Eden is so fearless. She will just walk away and go explore. We were at the park the other day with the Prices and Mascaros. Eden decided she was just fine on her own. Rachel and Jess asked how far she would go. I’m afraid we do not know because she always goes so far away that we have to go get her before we find out. I am glad she is self-confident and feels so secure and independent but it is getting more difficult to catch up to her. She is fast! She had a wonderful time finding the mud puddles and getting thoroughly splashed with mud.

Earlier in the day I had started to mow the backyard lawn. Eden played for a bit on the deck and then she went inside. I didn’t worry since we have made the house so kid-friendly so I finished up and then spotted my neighbor Linda and chatted with her for a bit.

When I did go check on Eden I went inside and gasped! It shocked her and she probably would have cried had I not burst out laughing. She had gotten into my unpacked suitcase from our trip this weekend and found my makeup. She had lipstick and mascara all over her face and head. It was a good thing she still has two eyeballs after her attempts to use mascara like I do. It was an absolutely fantastic mess!

Eden recently started to say “jump, jump!” She hadn’t quite mastered her ability to actually do the action yet. But with a lot of practice she now jumps every chance she gets. We’ll have to get that on video. The only thing even cuter is watching her try to skip. She looks like a galloping toddler. 🙂 She loves to get help to jump from higher platforms too. Thankfully she is asking for help!

Eden also is saying a ton of words now. She does sounds for all sorts of animals. We still chuckle that her first animal sound was “cock-a-doodle-doo” but my favorite one to hear is when we ask what a bear says. She replies with a short “Raa!” It makes me grin every time.

We got to go up to Seattle this weekend. Eden and I flew all by ourselves on Thursday morning and Chad followed on Friday night. My dad just retired so he has a lot more time off. It’s fun to think of him having so much free time and being able to use it however he wants. One of his first projects is a handcrafted rocking chair for Eden. It was a pleasant change to have him pick me up from the airport. We went to Ivar’s for lunch and some how it felt just like the times we would go out together on his days off when I was younger.

Jeff turned 30 on Thursday and we all went out for Indian food. Lauren made an amazing pistachio cheesecake to celebrate. It was low key but it was nice to be together.

Dad and I went for a walk in the park earlier in the day. We had to drag Eden away from the little bridge where Dad showed her how to throw rocks in the creek. She couldn’t get enough of it. Dad found a turtle in the middle of the road on our way back. We put it in a little kiddie pool but by the next day it (and a catfish Daniel and his friends had caught) had been snatched! Poor creatures probably were taken by raccoons which is not a favorable way to go.

We ended up doing a trip up Stevens Pass on Saturday. We did more driving than “doing” but the weather was amazing and I got a few nice long motorcycle rides as passenger with my Dad and Daniel. Going on those trips makes me think about getting a motorcycle license myself.

We played some family Bocce ball on Sunday before the weather turned back to rain. I enjoyed showing off Eden’s new skills and words. Everyone else enjoyed teaching new things. She sounds so cute when she tries to say Lauren’s name and Daniel is so pleased that he taught her where her chin is.