Last Sunday, my company had an Employee Appreciation Family Day event at Six Flags Elitch Gardens Amusement Park in Downtown Denver. I haven't been to Elitch's since the early '90s when it was more of a slow-strolling botanic garden than a wait-in-looooong-lines, roller-coaster abundant theme park.

According to our parking instructions, approximately 4000 vehicles were expected and we panicked a little. However, the day was slightly chilly and threatening rain clouds probably turned a lot of people away. Therefore, the park wasn't as crowded as it normally would have been on a Family Day.

Startoon Studios was the kiddie park area and we spent most of our time dodging other strollers....I mean, enjoyed riding a train, hot air balloons, driving semi-trucks (her favorite), and running around a playset with slides and jumping areas. Abby was just a smidge short of 36" tall, meaning we had to accompany her on every ride - even the ones proved child-friendly, which was fine by us, but Abby was a little bummed because she could not go on the swings ride (individual seats slung from chains that took you up high and swung you around and around - she would've loved that).

We left the park around 4:30 PM when it began to drizzle. Abby had had no nap all day, but was on her absolute best behavior. We treated her to some raspberry sorbet at the end. Just before we left the park we got on the Merry-go-Round, where Abby shouted, "Yee-Haw!!" as an indication of how much fun she had been having all day.

I did not realize how traumatic baking banana bread could be, but the process of smashing up bananas caused Abby to cry hysterically. She LOVES her bananas and didn't like seeing them hurt, I guess.

Paul and I are reconfiguring our furniture and moving our entire family room set-up into the basement. Yesterday, we started by moving our television. Everything else stayed upstairs. In the middle of the night, Abby got up for a cup of milk. We sat down on the couch and when she saw the space above the entertainment center missing something, she was worried.

The following also gives you an idea how much her sentence structuring has improved.

Abby: Uh-oh! Uh-oh! TV not over there anymore!
Me: It's ok, we moved it downstairs.
Abby: Oh...

(After milk is finished...)

Abby: Mama, did TV run away?
Me: No, we moved the TV to the basement because it's too crowded up here.
Abby: Oh...

(She skipped dinner, so I made her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to eat.)

Abby: I don't watch "Bolt" anymore? ("Bolt" is her all-time favorite movie and she watches it 2-3 times a week - much, much more if we would let her.)
Me: Abby, you can still watch "Bolt." We just moved the TV downstairs. We still have it.
Abby: Uh-huh...

(A minute passes, the thoughts are still obviously not settling...)

Abby: Mama, Mama! I lost the TV!!!
Me: No, Abby. The TV is downstairs. I'll show you tomorrow, but now, it's time to go back to bed.
Abby: Ok.

For being such a small town, Castle Rock actually boasts a couple of highly reputable Gymnastics training facilities. One is located at the entrance of our community. My brother, Allen, was thrilled to learn this. Having been a gymnastics coach for years and currently coaching very young kids in the sport, he has seen the benefits for kids and parents when the little ones take up gymnastics.

Since we were new to the area, he also thought it would be a great way for Paul and me to meet other local parents. Therefore, for Abby's 2nd birthday, Allen got Abby a membership and sessions at the Castle Rock School of Gymnastics, beginning last Saturday, August 8th.

Starting at 18 months and going up to 3 years, the kids are in a class called the Twiddle Bugs. The kids dance around to lively music, learn to follow directions and take turns, and explore various body movements like twirling, flipping, hanging upside-down, jumping, swinging, etc. It is a 45 minute class and parents are very involved. The teacher is full of energy and keeps each child very much engaged. For the first 10-15 minutes or so, the parents and kids sit in a circle on the floor exercise mat. They go through stretches, dancing, and then various techniques like pikes, straddles, hand-stands, front somersaults, and leaps. After circle time, the kids and parents are off on their own to explore an obstacle course and any other equipment around the gym. Abby will undoubtedly head towards the trampoline first to bounce. Her biggest fear is the balance beam, but she continues to try them and her confidence has visibly grown even in just one week.

Meanwhile, the teacher goes around to each child and helps them work on various skills such as skooching along bars and dropping into a "hot tub" of big foam squares (aka a small, portable foam pit), walking across a balance beam while stooping to pick up small sandbags along the way, or backward flips.

By the end of the class, Abby is thrilled and thoroughly exhausted (as are we after trying to climb out of the large foam pit for the 3rd time in 10 minutes!)

I hope Allen knows that Abby LOVES going to gymnastics and we are all having a great time. Thank you!

Road Trippin' With Abby from Cecilia Newell on Vimeo.

Many of you have asked to see photos of our new house, so here you go. Click on the picture below for a slideshow. Enjoy!

Last month, we had a friend of a friend take some professional photos of Abby. We got the proofs back last week.

If anyone wants one of these photos, let me know which ASAP and we'll add it to our order.

http://www.millersalbums.com/?event=86585W7182009a