Journey to Parenthood

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! You are in for a special treat for tonight we present: DINNER THEATER!"

"But before we get started, let's go behind the scenes and see how our actors prepare for the show."

"Rise and shine! After a good night's sleep, one of the actors is prepared to take on the day."

Adalyn's excited about her new sheets.

"Here we take a peek in the kitchen and watch as dinner is prepared."

Adalyn washing her special cookie cutters.

Mommy's sous chef is busy whipping up some cookies.

I don't remember playdough being on the menu...

Butterflies with watermelons (front), a baby bird with a bed and blanket (back left), a chicken with a salad (back right), drink and eggs (back center)? What kind of dinner is this?

"One of the chefs for tonight's dinner specializes in making the finest goat cheese you have ever tasted."

Mommy and Daddy went behind the scenes at The Old Windmill Dairy to learn the ancient art of cheesemaking for Daddy's birthday.

After draining the whey, Daddy puts the curds into the molds to make Gouda. This process is called hooping the cheese.

It's hard to look cool in a hairnet, but Daddy manages to pull it off.

Daddy puts the molds into a compressor to press the curds together.

Who's having fun? Daddy sure seems to be enjoying his present!

"Tonight's dinner features an array of wonderful desserts from our esteemed pastry chef."

Lemon hand pies...mmmmmm.

Strawberry Chocolate Meringue Torte...drool.

Pecan pie...thunk! I'm in a dessert coma.

"Ahem. Dinner is served. On the menu tonight, we have hamburgers, pizza, and cinnamon rolls?"

Do NOT mess with Adalyn's hamburger. She may be two, but she is fierce.

This is what a toddler hopped up on pizza looks like.

Mmmmm...Mommy's deep dish pizza is so good that she even eats the crust.

Cinnamon rolls...the breakfast of families that are piggies who can also cook.

"I will be your host this evening."

All cute, adorable sailors have their pet ducks to keep them company on long voyages out to sea.

"After filling your bellies with delicious food, strap yourselves in and prepare to be amazed!"

Adalyn's version of a drive-in movie theater.

She requested this herself. What a silly girl!

"And now...on to the show!"

This is what Adalyn thinks a lion in a cage looks like.

Quite possibly the cutest lion you will ever see.

*****Intermission*****

Is your belly big and round?

Does it weigh 2000 pounds?

Does it swing below your knees?

Does it drag along the ground?

Does your belly button pop

When you stuff food in your chops?

Is your belly big and round?

Adalyn sings her ABCs.

It's raining tacos...

Dress Rehearsal:

Sometimes the camera guy is new.

While winter is a great time for festivities and sitting indoors wrapped up in a blanket watching your favorite movies....

Adalyn watching Shrek 2...the movie Mommy and Daddy watched on their first date. Awwwww.

Adalyn demonstrates the proper way to wrap yourself in a blanket while sitting up watching TV.

...it's nice when Spring finally arrives! The smell of the flowers blooming, the wonderful sounds of the birds chirping, the greenery emerging from a dark winter sleep, the crunchy sound of snow beneath your feet...wait, what? SNOW?! I thought it was Spring!

Ninja checks out this substance called "snow."

That's a lot of snow...

Ninja stalks her prey...crunch...crunch...crunch...

A kitteh in a tree in the snow is a loco gato.

Adalyn takes lessons on how to pat snow off of her mittens.

Looks like another kitteh is going to play in the snow today.

Step, crunch, shake...step, crunch, shake...

Little cat feets leave little cat prints...

Adalyn's excited to build a snowman.

Hmmm, it's a little colder than Adalyn anticipated.

"Yikes! It feels like my underwear is frozen, Daddy."

All the Frosty we could make before a little girl couldn't take it anymore.

The snow finally melted, and soon we were greeted with beautiful flowers springing to life all around Albuquerque.

Adalyn is proud of her hand-picked collection of beautiful flowers. Tada!

Even Spring has its share of Grinches.

Once the weather warms up for Spring, flocks of animals burst forth from their Winter home to frolic in the grass.

Adalyn tends to her flock of playdough kittehs.

Strawberries are a special treat for playdough kittehs.

Animals are getting so feisty around here with the arrival of Spring that it's starting to feel like they escaped from the zoo!

Well, not all animals were able to escape (Ninja has been letting Adalyn pet her...but only when she's desperate for affection).

Four little monkeys sitting on the furniture...

A monkey is loose...

Adalyn has conquered what no other monkey could.

"Oh hai, Dad!"

"Monkey chow? For what?"..."Well, for the monkeys, of course!" (Who can guess what movie that came from?)

Spring is also a time for people to try out the latest fashions...

It looked good on the rack...

Ah, Adalyn has found a much more suitable hat...Daddy's! She looks cuter in it anyway.

A look only Adalyn could pull off.

Adalyn's ready for the next shindig. Let's do this!

We can't forget the cutest part of Spring...the arrival of baby animals! Our friendly, local owners of the Old Windmill Dairy needed help feeding all of their baby goats. This sounds like a job...for Adalyn!!

Adalyn's abilities are vetted by the gatekeeper.

If it looks like a farm...and smells like a farm...it must be a farm!

"We can stay up late, swapping manly stories, and in the morning, I'm making waffles!" Quite possibly the fuzziest donkey I've ever seen.

Adalyn gives Mommy tips on how to properly feed a cute, baby goat.

One kid is overwhelmed by cuteness, and another one hams it up for the camera.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! One at a time!"

Awwww...this kid jumped up for a big Adalyn hug.

*blink, blink* This kid can't get enough of the camera.

Double your pleasure, double your hugs.

It's time for kisses!

Uh oh! Looks like this baby goat could use more kisses! Mwa!

Adalyn has plenty of hugs to go around.

Adalyn has reached the point of cute overload.

Daddy babied this sickly, newborn goat and is bringing it inside for extra care.

Adalyn braces against the harsh wind but leaves knowing that her job was well done.

Now that Adalyn has all of her teeth in, what better way to start getting rid of them than Easter candy! At least we'll have her work for her candy in this year's SECOND...ANNUAL...EASTER EGG HUNT!