Faye really loves her bike.  She’s not quite big enough for her big-wheels, but the red-rider tricycle is a perfect fit.  When we first got it, she would make it about a half a block and call it quits.  Evidently the learning curve is steep, because a couple weeks ago she started riding like a pro.  Now she rides for our entire walk (a half-mile or so) with no problem.  She can be a speed demon on that thing now too.

Last week, she wanted to wear her sunglasses on the ride and it made for some very cute pictures.  She’s very proud of herself on her bike.  So are we.

I’m not usually the impulse buyer of the family, but we were in Target today and I spotted these adorable kid galoshes.  I could not resist.  Plus there is some practicality built in.  Faye doesn’t really have any “get dirty” shoes, so daddy sometimes gets yelled at for dragging our daughter out in the mud in her nice shoes.  Now she can splash in all the puddles and wade in all the mud she wants (which is a lot).

We all had fun out in the yard today.  The thunderstorms in the morning made for a cool and comfortable afternoon with the requisite mud for the new purchase.  There is a bit of a learning curve walking with galoshes, but Faye did pretty well.  She loves being outside and today was no exception.  She even wanted to stay outside with me and pick weeds instead of cooking dinner with Shannon.  She loves specific tasks, and she can actually pull weeds pretty well.  My master plan is coming together nicely!

There are a bunch of cute pictures of her in the gallery.  She’s always been a sweetheart, but since I’ve been back from my 3-week detachment she’s been breaking records in sweetness.  I don’t think I could love this little girl any more.

Faye has always been a fan of little train sets.  They had a real nice one at the Ronald McDonald House in Philly that she always flocked to.  We had wanted to get her one of her own for a while and decided to do just that for Chanukah.

We bought the train prior to Chanukah, but didn’t want to give it to her until we had a table to put it on.  Some places want $100 or so for a table, so I broke out the tools and built something for a fraction of that.

Faye went to visit Shannon’s parents over the weekend, and I put the finishing touches on the miniature city.  They got back late last night while I was on duty, so we covered it with a sheet until I could come home in the morning and see her reaction.  As expected, we got a couple “oh boys!” out of her.  It’s really a neat set.  I think Daddy might enjoy playing with it as much as Faye will.

There are more photos in the gallery for those that want to see them.

Our monkey… dressed as a monkey.

More photos in the photo gallery

It’s been a while since we made a Faye DVD.  I’ve taken some really cute video lately, but not enough to really put together another disc.  I’ve put a few of the clips together and posted the final product online.  Enjoy!