Three for Coffee

Recently, we've gotten into a bit of a rut around here.  The weather is just starting to warm up, so going outside is just now becoming a possibility and it's still hit or miss.  Prolonged errands with Lucia are all but impossible. (At what age is she going to start liking to sit in the cart/stroller or are we out of luck if she doesn't like it by now?)  We don't have the money to do anything fancy and most of the big "attractions" - zoo, aquarium, museums - are at least an hour away anyway.  So most of our days together, including family time with the three of us, involve just hanging out around the house. 

On Sunday, I was feeling a bit stir-crazy, so we left the house a few hours early and stopped by David's work.  It was surprisingly one of the best hours we've spend as a family in a long time (maybe ever).  Who knew you could take a toddler to coffee and have a fabulous time?  She was super well-behaved, felt like such a big deal with her special Starbucks' drink (water), sat in the high chair the whole time (small miracle), and interacted with us as if just another member of our party, albeit small and short on words.  It's so amazing to see her this way, fully toddler, engaged and interested in everything going on around her.  Responding to our stories and directions.  People-watching.  Here are my favorite pictures from the afternoon: