Got Wheels?

We took a trip to the outlets yesterday, and Osten had a great time pushing his wheels. The distraction gave Mommy and Daddy a chance to take turns doing a little shopping. After he locked himself in the dressing room at Eddie Bauer, we pretty much gave him the run of the sidewalk until we were ready to leave!

Marci seemed to enjoy having her own set of wheels for a change, and she even had a nice nap while the rest of us shopped. Here she is considering whether or not to wake up.

The sidewalk is actually a great place to be, and we ran across Garfield as we passed the time far away from small rooms with doors that lock from the inside.

Look what else Osten found! As you can see, he certainly learned his lesson about being banished from the dressing rooms . . .

Chip off the Ol' Block

We ate lunch at Moe's, and while Osten was busy dipping his fork in queso, Marci got a hold of one of his chips. She didn't seem so sure about it at first . . .

but she quickly changed her mind. It looks like she's going to be as much of a fan of Mexican food as the rest of us. That's our Marci . . . a chip off the ol' block of queso!

Over the River

On the way home from the outlets, we crossed over the Talmitch Britch, which is one of Osten's absolute favorite local sights. Believe it or not, he talks about it often, and it ranks right up there with M&Ms (emmets) as one of his current favorite things. In fact, if given the choice, I would venture to guess that he'd take a car ride over that bridge instead of a handful of emmets any day!

No sooner were we over the river, and we came upon another one of Osten's favorite things - a crane and "men working." When he's not looking for cranes, ess-cavators, trash trucks, notorcycles and cheeps, he's got his eye out for men working. Give it a try some time; you wouldn't believe how many "men working" you are likely to see as you drive around town. The hunt is even more fun when you have a two-and-a-half year old in the back seat happily screaming "men working, men working" at every sighting.

A couple of blocks down the street, we passed the fire station. It just so happened that there was a fire en-chin out front being serviced. So, what's with all of the random shots of the sights?

Poor Osten was so spent from all of the shopping and wheeling around, he missed all of the fun!

Tex-Mex

This hat has recently become one of Osten's favorites. It's from his friend Jack's birthday party way back in December. Mommy gets a kick out of it because now that it's almost too small for his head, it looks like a cross between a cowboy hat and a sombrero, depending upon your point of view. Here he is sporting the Western look and searching for Tonto . . . Giddyup!

And here he is looking a little more South-of-the-border while waiting on Mama to make him a quesadilla . . . Ole!

Poll Position

We took a family trip to the polls to vote in the primary election this morning. It was another first for Marci.

Osten, who has visited the polls a number of times already, had a good time wooing the female septuagenarians with his pint-sized charm.

But the very best part, by far, is the stickers!

Even Marci seemed proud of her peachy prize.

Orange Crush

At her recent nine-month checkup, Marci's doctor said it was time to introduce more solid foods (even though her first tooth has still yet to surface!) Yesterday, we tried mandarin oranges for the first time, and just like her brother, Marci was a big fan. Not only are oranges tasty to eat, they're also fun to crush into tiny bits!

A Real-Life Happily Ever After

We made a quick trip to Charlotte this weekend to attend the wedding of Mommy's friend, Susie. Mommy and Susie went to high school together, and Mommy and Daddy had not seen Susie and Mark since their own wedding almost exactly five years ago. It was so nice to catch up with Susie the night before the wedding and to share in her magical day. It was both Marci's and Osten's first wedding.

Grammi and FaFa were there, too, and we staked out a child-friendly spot at the back of the historic church in downtown Charlotte.

Marci and Osten did surprisingly well during the full-length Nuptial Mass, and with two brief exceptions when Osten needed to stretch his legs, all four of us were able to enjoy the heartfelt ceremony.

The reception was also a lot of fun, and Osten was a big help when it came time for Marci to have a bottle. They later took turns napping in this stroller while Mommy, Daddy, Grammi and FaFa enjoyed a delicious sit-down lunch at Bentley's on 27. Susie was a radiant and elegant bride, and Mark beamed at her during the entire ceremony. The priest had them face the congregation during their vows, which allowed all of us to witness the emotion and excitment of their commitment to each other. I know it sounds cliche, but you could feel the love in the room. Grammi and Mommy both cried more than once during the ceremony. Osten and Marci might be too young to remember the details of the day, but it was a wedding that the rest of us will never forget. It was truly touching to share in the first day of Susie and Mark's happily-ever-after life together.