Happy Easter!

We had the nicest Easter weekend! On Saturday, the three of us headed up to Presidio Park in Mission Valley for an impromptu family photo shoot/Easter pics/Anslie's 18 month portraits. The weather was amazing; just perfect for pictures! It had been sprinkling off and on all morning so there was droplets of water decorating the plants and the sky was still overcast so it filtered out the sunlight. Anslie, of course, loved the extra room to run around in and all of the new things to look at (and mud to fall into). It was great!

We made a quick dash to Target for a new pair of pants for Anslie (see remark above) before heading to Chipotle for lunch. Now, anyone who has had a meal out with Anslie, or anyone who has an 18 month old, knows how hard that can be. She never wants to sit in her high chair, will eat very little, and generally delights in ripping apart anything she comes into contact with. There is always at least one temper tantrum and the meal usually ends up with one parent walking Anslie around the restaurant while the other stuffs their face as fast as they can. Miserable. But, yesterday was completely different! Anslie ate everything we put in front of her, stayed in her high chair the entire meal, and never once fought with us. Amazing!

After such a pleasant lunch, we were feeling brave and decided to head to Fashion Valley Mall. Shopping is another feat we struggle to accomplish with a one and a half year old in tow. Again, she refuses to sit so Kevin and I take turns holding Anslie and pushing an empty stroller. She wants to run...usually in the opposite direction of the way we want to go, and Anslie is on a mission to search and destroy every display that is at her level.

Again, something had come over Anslie yesterday and it was probably one of the easiest shopping experiences I have had with her. Not only did she sit in her stroller (almost) the entire trip, at one point she even fell asleep in it!!! She has only fallen asleep in her stroller MAYBE one or two other times in her entire life! On top of that, she even stayed put while we fed her "linner" - three quarters of a fillet o' fish patty and a whole snack size fruit and yogurt parfait from McDonald's. She never eats a full meal when we are in public (or at home for that matter)!

When we got home from our outing, we took Anslie and Tess on a walk, and then came home for some relaxation. Kevin got a little nap, I was able to check my email, and Anslie happily played by herself. When it came time for our real dinner, Anslie actually ate that too! A whole chicken nugget, part of her dad's hamburger and some french fries -- without throwing anything on the floor! I know this sounds normal to most of you, but you have to understand how frustrating meal times can be for our family.

A quick bath followed and then the munchkin was soundly sleeping and Kev and I decorated her Easter eggs before he headed off to work. Overall, such a wonderful day. No fights. No temper tanrums. No screaming or throwing food. Full tummies and no tears. Quite possibly the BEST Easter weekend I have ever had!