Another new outfit!

I bought a new shirt a few days ago. I guess you get to wear it before I do! I always thought that would happen one day, but in like 12 years from now!! Your dress up play is definitely coming out. By the time you are two I just may have to make my first real visit to (gasp) the Disney Store. Sigh, I'm just not ready.

But funnily enough when I pull out a pair of pants or pretty shirt of yours to wear you refuse me many times! Go figure...the grass is always greener! The lousy thing is YOUR clothes are cuter and more expensive than mine...and I can't fit into yours!!! ;-)

An afternoon with Daddy

Yesterday we visited Dad at work and had lunch together at his office. He took you for a fun little ride in the golf cart, and you loved it. He drove you up to the gate where he showed you off to security (he often shows you off you should know. In fact, you know how I always write how much I love you and am proud of you? Well, just know that Dad, although not the blog type, feels the same way. We both look at you sometimes and marvel at the fact that you are OUR kid. The swaddled, bitty baby of past is now walking, talking and full of personality. But again, I digress...).

Anyhow, we had a nice afternoon with dad, and after the cart ride we sat and had lunch at the conference table, where you called your first official meeting to order. It was very important stuff that you needed to discuss, including how much you wanted to eat apples with your lunch, if Janet, the receptionist wanted to come and see Dawg (the dog doll pictured) and there was a vote and eating Turkey burger was voted in, and eating Tofu was voted out.

A very productive day indeed.

Well my oh my, it's not a Choking Hazard!

I remember when you got these Little People. You got it from Grandaddy Sam for your first birthday. I was terrified. Could you get one of these little gals in your mouth and choke?? Dad even named the ladies. There is Mrs. Johanssen (who is in your left hand), The Pilot (yes, that's her name, and that is her in your mouth) and the third lady, the touristy looking one carrying a cell phone, whose name escapes me at the moment.

Well, turns out they are NOT a choking hazard, as you so deftly proved to me the other day. Why thank you for putting my mind to rest finally.

I recall wondering when you would really 'play' with these Little People. At first all you liked to do was chew on them and hold them. You love to hold things. Especially in your stroller. You don't like your hands empty, it's kind of interesting.

Then you progressed to taking the Little People out of the airplane, and then back in. That was oodles of fun. So was the stage when you would set them out on your rug and marvel at them in the center of each flower.

Now, nearly 8 months later, you actually play the way they are intended. Well, almost. You 'walk' the ladies to the plane (by bouncing them up and down on the ground) and you open the door and shove them in head first. Then you pick up the plane and hand it to me to fly it, or you roll it along the ground. What a concept!

Soon enough, they will all have voices and personalities.

I know it seems pretty banal to discuss the use of Little People, but it actually is so very interesting to me to see how a simple toy like this has evolved with your newfound skills. One day you'll read this and be like "Mum, are you seriously dedicating an entire blog entry to the Little People??" Yup Finley, I find the banal. when it comes to you, so very interesting.

We now welcome the slide into our world!

What a terrific thing! You've loved playing at the park for months now, but you shy away from almost all the park playsets other than the swing and occasionally the rocking toys. I'm not sure if it's the climbing part that intimidates you, or the fact that all the other kids are on it, or what...but something about it makes you nervous, so I don't push it.

The other day when you were sick I took you to our new favorite park. It's super quiet and there are rarely lots of kids playing. That day we were the only ones there! I guess this made you feel more comfortable because you climbed up the playset and went down the slide at least four times! Each time you went down you exclaimed "Whheeeee!" so I know you were having fun! It was so incredible to watch, and we'll see what happens next time we go and there are other kids playing too.

I must say though that we have a lot of work to do on your climbing skills! I'm not sure if it's the klutz in me that you get this from, but you seem to have absolutely no concept when it comes to climbing, and then what to do with steps. If it were up to you, you would walk right off a high canopy thinking there was soft ground inches under each of your feet. It's so frightening to watch you try to learn how to maneuver on the playset, and I nearly had a heart attack when you were barely paying attention and walked down a step as though you were walking on flat ground. Needless to say I did not end up having a heart attack, but you have a lovely circle on your forehead which is the imprint of the cut out circles in the play set so sand and dirt can fall through. Whoops!

But all in all, it was a blast to watch you play and explore in ways you've resisted in the past. I'm so very proud of you honey. You are an incredible slider now. Only a mum could be so proud of something so insignificant. Love you.

Sickipoo

Well, you've got the sickipoo. It's your first cold of the season, and it's been dubbed Snot Fest 2008 by dear Emily (Abby is sick as well). In fact, it is so snotty that I devised a llittle trick to keep your hair off your face. I got you to wear this headband (which again, you love and Say "Pretty" when you see your reflection) because you have long bangs, and long story short is snot plus hair equals glue. Basically your bangs were glued to your cheeks all day from getting stuck in your, well, I'll say it again, snot! So headband it is! You look so grown up in it...like my little 10 year old! Well, not quite, but you sure look older than your 20 months! (Hmm, I can barely believe you are 20 months!).

Anyhow, this little bug is pretty sad, because your voice is all congested and raspy, and your little cough is so sad to hear. But you are doing really well through it, and although you've been clingier than usual, you've also been more focused than usual. I bought you a new shape sorter the other day and I'm sure we've played with it for at least 5 hours over the last two sickipoo days! You've really enjoyed taking your time with it, which is not your typical way of play...so this is a good thing! You've even learned a few shapes, and I'm pretty sure you are saying Circle and Triangle. Although not entirely positive. I know you have Star and Heart and Moon (for a half circle) in your shapes repertoire, and I think we can add Circle as well. Maybe Triangle was a fluke.

They say to take lots of Vitamin C when you are sick. You are not very tolerant to citrus, so rather than eating vitamin C you are still just toting it around with you. We don't go anywhere without an orange or grapefuit (in your words"Anmo" for orange and "Ahpoo" for grapefruit) clutched in your little hands. After nap yesterday I asked you if you wanted to go in the car and go shopping. Your usual answer is "Yes!" but you weren't in the mood. I asked if you wanted to go shopping to buy new oranges and your eyes lit up and then I heard your great big "YES!" and you couldn't run to the garage door fast enough! I bought you three new oranges, and you were over the moon! Thank goodness for Vitamin C during sickipoo! :)

My little Martha Stewart

(I'm a bit behind on posting to the blog so I'll be doing several today.)

I wonder, when you are an adult reading back on this, will you know who Martha Stewart is? Will it be like so passe to talk about Martha Stewart? Wait, it might already be, heck, it's 2008!!

Two days ago you decided that the furniture needed rearranging! It was so funny, because you typically aren't so bold in your decision making...but you were determined to get the chairs from your coloring table in the kitchen area to your room! Pronto! You hoisted them in the air and pushed them along the back hallway to your room. When you got them just to the right spot, you exclaimed "WOW!" and seemed satisfied. You then accessorized by adding some toys on top of each chair. "WOW!"

And add to that girliness...

The other day when I tried to get you dressed you refused absolutely everything in your closet. Nothing seemed quite good enough to you (and let me tell you babe, you have a beautiful wardrobe!) but I pulled out this black onesie with faux pearls printed on it and your eyes absolutely sparkled! You imediately bobbed your head up and down saying "YES!" So cute! The funny thing is, I bought the onesie in San Fransisco last summer and it was supposed to be for under your flapper Halloween costume in case the weather was cold. But is was so hot this past October there was no way you were going to wear it under your costume (which, by the way was a huge hit...I'll post a picture of it here since I started your blog well past Halloween).

Anyhow, you loved this onesie and you stared at yourself in it a ton, saying "Pretty" and feeling like a ballerina :) I see these little girly ways about you spring up every day now and it's so cute to watch. For some reason I didn't expect it! I thought you would be more tomboy-ish! But this is adorable. Including yesterday when you snagged my red leather purse and filled it with fruits and wandered all over the house. Oh how I love my girly girl.