To Rochester for a Wedding

So for the last couple days, the Yandek Family was in Rochester, NY, for Uncle Tony and Aunt Nellie's wedding. Although there were lots of wedding-related things to do, Libby and Mary did get to enjoy some of the sights and sounds of Rochester. The Museum of Play was a big hit for both girls.
While they were there, Libby got to see some colorful fish, meet Mama Bear, go for a train ride, ride an old-fashioned carousel, check out Sesame Street, go on a pirate ship, and do all sorts of fun things. Meanwhile, Mary was happy to crawl around in the baby maze and smile at herself in the mirror.
After the museum, everyone went to a park on Lake Onterio for a fun afternoon. The girls played at the park, Libby rode another old school carousel (this one had pigs and rabbits and giraffes and other neat animals besides horses), walked on the beach and got to enjoy some Abbott's Frozen Custard.
The girls also had a good time just hanging around the hotel, as all sorts of family and friends were staying there, so it was one big party. Libby played a lot with her new friend, Xander, and she even got to do some grown-up stuff like go to the rehearsal, the rehearsal dinner and the wedding reception, while Mary was pretty much limited to going only the actual wedding.
Speaking of which, Libby did a GREAT job as the flower girl! She walked down the aisle all by herself, and she did it nice and slow like everyone hoped, but no one thought, she would. She decided to walk all the way to Dad at the front of church and waited with him and Uncle Tony while Aunt Nellie walked down the aisle--it was very cute. And when mass was over, she walked back down the aisle with Dad and his partner. More pictures to come!

Cake and Ice Cream!

Just like Libby, Mary is going to have a big first birthday party. However, that's not for another week, so on Mary's actual birthday, Mom and Dad and Libby threw a little party for Mary. Aunt Reen and Grammie and Papa Hanna were there to celebrate Mary's special day!
In true birthday fashion, Mary was rockin' her birthday crown all day, which prompted Libby to declare Mary "The Queen." For one day, any way, Libby was deferential to her sister.
Mary chowed down on a cheeseburger for dinner. (Note that her sister, who is 2 1/2, still won't eat a cheeseburger.) Dinner was followed by cake and vanilla custard from East Coast. Mary was a huge fan of the chocolate frosting and the vanilla. As soon as she got a spoonful, she grunted until she got more. If Mom and Dad had let her, Mary would have eaten the entire pint!
Libby was a great big sister...not only did she let Mary be The Queen, she also helped make Mary's "Sprinkle Cake." She did a great job decorating for the party. And, although Libby swears she didn't sample the goods ahead of time, Mom and Dad don't quite believe her. Hmm...

Happy 1st Birthday, Mary Frances!

The First Haircut!

Well, it only took 30 months, but Libby finally got her first haircut on Friday night. Done in anticipation of Uncle Tony's wedding, this was an attempt to make Miss Libby a little less of her normal crazy mess. To convince Libby that this was a good thing, she was told she would be getting a haircut just like Dora. Apparently, this works. Throughout the ordeal, Libby was a trooper. The only crying and carrying on was from Mom, not from Libby.
Seriously, Libby was very good and was able to follow up her haircut with her favorite treat, mint chocolate chip from East Coast Custard! To commemorate the occasion, Libby had an official picture taken, and she received a certificate with a lock of her hair. As the "after" picture shows, Libby is now offiicially rockin' bangs. It's amazing how much older she looks after getting her hair cut.
While Libby got her first haircut, Mary wanted everyone to know that she was very excited about the start of the football season this weekend. Dad was happy and relieved to find out that Mary, like her sister, is a Browns fan. If that turned out not to be the case, there would definitely have been an official DNA test to determine Mary's actual origins!

More Weekends and More Fun

Another weekend of good weather allowed for another weekend of fun for Libby and Mary. This time, it included a Saturday road trip to Marblehead for an afternoon on Lake Erie. Most of the afternoon was spent walking around Lakeside, checking out all the places Mom used to get into trouble as a kid. Libby walked out onto the pier and got a ride in a golf cart before hitting up the Patio for her first ice cream cone of the day!
Mary also reaped the benefits of a trip to The Patio, as she downed her first Patio donut. Although Dad helped--just a little!--Mary finished the donut in record time. And she was none too pleased when it was gone! After Lakeside came Dad's treat--lunch at Netty's! Unfortunately for Libby and Mary, their tastebuds haven't matured to the point where they choose to enjoy a chili dog from Netty's. Their bad! Maybe next summer (hopefully sooner, hint, hint, Mom!).
The final stop of the afternoon before the return trip home was to Toft's Ice Cream to see the giant mermaid statue. Libby actually saw it earlier in the week when she road up to Marblehead with Papa Hanna and Aunt Reen to check out next summer's vacation house. So, of course, we had to go see the mermaid. And, of course, Libby had to get more green ice cream. So, of course, Dad bought some for him and Mary as well. It was a good day! Just don't tell anyone that Libby had two ice cream cones in the span of three hours.
That trip wasn't Libby's only fun of the week, however. She also went to Kiddie Park with her friend Henry. It was supposed to be Libby and Henry and Will, but Will backed out at the last minute (Dad's guess is that Henry paid off Will to stay home...). So, it ended up being a first date, with Henry's dad and Libby's dad tagging along. The people at Kiddie Park probably thought they were Cleveland's version of "My Two Dads". Anyhow, the "date" ended with, you guessed it, ice cream at East Coast. It seemed like everything went well that night, but it's been more than the obligatory three days, and Henry hasn't called. Oh well, his loss!

Sunday at the Tribe Game

Libby got to meet Dora and Boots!

Libby and Dad sporting eyeblack. Who knew Libby was such a fan?

Mary came down for all the pregame festivities, but chose naptime over Tribetime. Good move, Mary!

A hot and sweaty Libby poses with "Yellow Sandwich" after an afternoon of playing in the sun at Kids Land.