Panda bears and lions and Anne at the Zoo!

We had a fun morning at the Zoo today! We got there early, so there were no crowds and the animals were all out and about. Check out the panda bear waving to us! Alexa loved watching the panda bears eat what looked like watermelon, here favorite fruit of the moment. We also checked out the elephants and flamingos! Alexa is shrugging her shoulders because I asked her what color they are!

When we headed to see the lions, Alexa got a surprise! We ran into my friend and Anne! Alexa and Anne were so funny. They each had their own snack trap and took turns inspecting what each other had in their snack trap and wanting what the other had. So cute!

After Alexa's nap, we went to a nearby park and met Daddy at our favorite new restaurant for lobster rolls! Alexa didn't eat much of her dinner. But she enjoyed ice cream for desert!

Play date with Anne at a Capitol Hill park!

Daycare was closed today, so we headed to Capitol Hill for a play date with my friend and her adorable daughter, Anne! We went to a great park and the girls had a blast running around!

When we got home, Alexa asked to eat outside. And then she asked for French fries. Since I didn't feel like making anything, we piled back in the car and went to get some Micky D's! Shhhh.... Bad Momma! It was delicious and we had fun eating outside. Plus, she got a Smurf in her Happy Meal. :-)

More Starbucks, tricycle fun and playground with Eli!

A great Sunday... More Starbucks! This time, she stole my chocolate/banana smoothie. It was yummy but she wouldn't give it back! Doh! That's what I get for introducing her to the good stuff. When we got home, she played on her new tricycle, although she still can't figure out the pedals.

After nap, Alexa enjoyed a fun play date with her neighborhood friend Eli at the park! Eli brought some trucks to push down the slide. Great idea!

Starbucks and Apple Store - We support both!

Alexa is learning at an early age that coffee = Starbucks! When Daddy gets us coffee in the morning, she always wants her own cup (filled with water or milk) and lately she's even been eating our Starbucks breakfast sandwiches! I won't object, because the egg is healthy for her...

Alexa is also learning at an early age that the Apple Store is FUN! We had an appointment today to talk to the computer folks about photo storage and backup options and Alexa enjoyed playing computer games!

More cute blue things for baby brother!

I can't help it... They were on sale! Cute, huh? Who says they don't make cute stuff for boys...

Alexa's new tricycle!

Alexa has a new pink bike! Well, not new, but new to her. When we were over at our friend's house on Sunday, they gave Alexa a tricycle that their twin daughters had outgrown. Alexa has a bike that we can push, but this one is a big girl bike. She loves it! Not that he knows how to ride it yet...

Speaking of "Made by Grandma" items...

Alexa isn't the only one getting handmade stuff! Check out this pillow and elephant that my mom made for baby brother's nursery! I love them!

And, here is a sneak peek at Alexa's birthday outfit... Perfect for her train party!

Alexa is 23 months!

Alexa turned 23 months while we were on vacation in Ocean City, and we finally found time to mark the occasion with her monthly photo shoot! Alexa now knows the routine and will stand at the top of the stairs and say "cheese!" But you only have 1/2 a second to take the photo before she is off and running! In any case, here are the photos I got... Can you guess which shot is posed?!

Note that Alexa is wearing a gorgeous pillowcase dress handmade by Grandma Lil!

Pizza with the big girls!

We went over to a friend's house for an afternoon play date and impromptu pizza party. Their twin daughters are 2 years older than Alexa, but they were very sweet and played with Alexa too. They dressed up in costumes and let Alexa play with their baby dolls and other toys. Alexa had a blast! She even ate pizza outside with the big girls. So fun!

Playdate with Avery, Ella and baby Cora!

Alexa's friend Ella just welcomed a new baby sister, Cora Alice! We finally got to see the baby at a play date at the park. The girls all crowded around to watch Cora get her diaper changed! It was so cute, they were all very interested in the baby - for 5 seconds before running off to play!

It was so cute watching all the girls play - they giggled and had a blast. So cute!

Hummus is the BEST

Yup, it's safe to say Alexa likes hummus! Here she is at one of our favorite neighborhood cafes. And, no, she did not want to share! Yum.

Dylan's Candy Bar

Alexa's cousin Samantha got Alexa a very special treat from NYC! A t-shirt from the posh, super hip Dylan's Candy Bar, which was created by Dylan Lauren, daughter of designer Ralph Lauren. It's an uber popular hangout in NYC that offers up the most delicious goodies! Alexa didn't get candy, but she got this super hip shirt!

One last trip to the boardwalk!

As you can see, our last day was the only overcast day, which was nice because it made it easier to leave. But before we could go, we headed to the boardwalk one more time! We did all the boardwalk must's. Pizza! Fudge! Caramel popcorn! Ice cream! And one last ride on the merry-go-round!

Playground! And a relaxing afternoon at the beach.

After all the great beach days that we've had, we decided to take a day off. Instead, we checked out some of Ocean City's playgrounds! We liked this one the best because it was shaded...

And then, of course, we went in search of... Ice cream!

After her nap, we headed to the beach for some afternoon play in the sand. Alexa had fun with Mema learning how to make castles with her plastic cups. Kids are so easy to please!

It was late in the day and the beach wasn't crowded, so it was very relaxing. What a great way to end a great week!