4 months flittering by...

No more apologies from Mummy! I know, I know, I lost the memories to my mummy brain possibly forever and we now may never remember what you did from Jan 2009 to May 2009. Oh, the sacrifices one makes for blogging. What have I been up to? Aside from being your loving and adoring (though honestly lately frustrated) mother, I've continued to be busy with a plethora of things from work, to family, to crafting, to just plain procrastinating.
I enjoy writing your blog so much, and thanks from a silent nudge that I personally imagined coming from a friend, (though it didn't), I now want to say I am back on the blog-wagon!
As for what you've been up to? An enormous amount of crazy and creative and wild things. I haven't read back to see what you were up to at the end of 2008, but 2009 brings many 'flyboats/hospitals/libraries' which ultimately are random items from all over the house piled up on the living room sofas. I Move one thing and you go into panic mode with a great big "OH NO!" and things just aren't right! Ah well, so the sofa's are useless until bedtime, where together after our family kooky dance time we tidy everything up and let everything "nap" together with their friends.
I'll try and track down a picture of a recent pile up. Uh, boat.

What else...you are still madly in love with reading books. The library is your favorite place to be. Reading books is your favorite activity, and we still read before naptime and bed time as well as every morning when you wake up. Anywhere from 10 minutes to 45. I love that you love books. I love books too, though am embarrassed to say that I barely make it through a magazine these days, let alone a book!
My nightstand is stacked with books from your psychologist about "Helping you socially vulnerable child" and "Emotional Coaching for Social Anxiety" and so on. Yes, you still have your moments, and your still not entirely comfortable in large groups, so we keep things small and tight these days and whoa, school is right around the corner so we are going to need some serious coaching through that one.
Amid this anxiety, you also walked up to a little girl at Target today and said "Hi, I'm Finley and this is my Majesty Mummy" Yes, that is your new name for me, because you are a princess and you've thus imagined me as the queen so have named me Majesty Mummy. I must say I way prefer it to Linnie, which you called me for 2 weeks straight. Daddy was Steve. I am sooo glad we are done with that phase! Oh wait, I imagine we're just on hiatus!
Your imaginary Rhino friend Rosa hasn't visited too often, I kinda miss her. You seemed to tell me what you were thinking about through Rosa. Now when I ask what you're thinking about you cross your arms and get a grumpy face and say "ANYTHING!" which really meaning "nothing." I want you to tell me more. In fact, I want you to tell me everything. And 'anything.'

ACK!

It's been a month and a half of your precious life...just fleeting me by in the land of blog. I'm so sorry darling. You seriously deserve like 3 posts per day because I know I could fill it with many of the incredible things that you do and say. Like I could detail all the new songs you have been making up (for example, Mary had a little lamb could alternately be "Mary had a little shoe" or "little penguin" according to you.) You love to sing and love making up songs. And dancing. We've been dancing at night with Dad all three of us holding hands and looking down at your happy little face is the greatest.

Speaking of Dad, you are at that absolutely adorable stage where you shriek in delight at the thought of him coming home! If Maddie barks you say "Is Daddy home?" with anticipation. When I tell you not yet you say "let's go check, just in case" because you are so excited to see him.

You've found your zen lately as a builder. Lego Duplo has come to our rescue and seriously entertains you for ages. Together we build towers and houses and cars and robots. Oh, and Mr. Potato Heads too. You love building those and making silly faces. Each time you build something you say "I build the best one Daddy's ever seen!!" and when he comes home you usher him to your playroom saying every night "Daddy, I show you something special....Ta Da!!!!" Ah, it doesn't get sweeter.

Here are a few photos from the last month. Hmm...did I miss Christmakah all together? Yikes~! I've had a lot on my plate with work and all. The holidays were low key and lovely. You got a train table for Channukah and lots of other fun things for the holidays. Most importantly we spent it all together as a family and that's what it's all about. Love you.

It's a Faux Christmas

Today your Mimi and Grand Daddy Sam left after a whirlwind 3 day visit which not only included a trip to the largest tamale festival, and Wild Lights at the Living Desert...but it also included the official start to your Christmas. In fact, the start was so much like Christmas that I am almost thinking we are done with the holiday! Well...I know that won't fly around here, but it was worth a try! ;-)

We had a great time. We picked a tree with Mimi and Grand Daddy and you had a lot of fun decorating it. When you woke up Friday morning Mimi had filled it full of presents, mostly bearing the name Finley. Oh did your eyes twinkle when you saw it all! The very best gift of all was your Thomas trains and starter track. I've bought you a full on 120 piece all wood train set for Channukah, which you will get in a few weeks, but this was perfect as a starter train set and you cannot stop playing with it! You got a Thomas & a Molly train, and some fire truck trains. You looked at me and said "where's Percy and Emily?" HUH? When did you figure them all out like that...must be all that time at that Benjamin's house...oooh, he's going to cost this family a pretty penny on trains! ;-) (Actually Finley, when you read this when you are a mother yourself I want you to know the price of a single wooden Thomas train is about $18 in Dec 2008. I am curious if that will be shockingly cheap, or shockingly expensive in 30 years from now...).

Anyhow, a great couple of days with our family celebrating half the traditions of our family. You will have so many traditions girl, you'll be relieved when December is over each year!

Love you sweetie pie.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know it's been at least 2 weeks since I've posted. It's a busy time of year! We have your Mimi & Grand daddy Sam visiting us in a few days...so it will be even busier!

Forgive me for not making a big deal out of thanksgiving...but I never celebrated it growing up since my parents didn't grow up in North America (and thus they never celebrated it!) so I didn't quite realize the importance of this holiday around these parts! Anyhow, we had a really wonderful night at Bubbie & Zaydie's house where you & Fiona (Bubbie's daughter Shannon's little girl) had a blast playing together. I think she is 9 years old...and the moment you laid eyes on her you were smitten ;-) You love girls who are at least twice your age and you love to watch them and play with them. You and Fiona had a blast playing with balls, or running around the house counting all the paintings on the walls, or searching for colors (that's a great game by the way, thank you Fiona for creating it!).

We had a double thanksgiving because 2 nights later we spent it at the neighbors with Dave & Rob and some friends. Though you never actually sat down to eat, you did have an incredible time running around the house with your toys everywhere. It's easy going next door, that's for sure! They have the most beautiful tree every year and you loved looking at it and naming all the animals on the ornaments.

I think your dad i about ready to get you organized for Christmas...while I need to find a way to trump Christmas with some kind of phenomenal Chanukah bush or something. Hmm...better start thinking about that one. It's pretty impossible to trump the beauty of a Christmas tree and a jolly fat guy in a red suit. Oh, and the presents. I cannot wait to give you our present!! We got you a great wood train table and set and I think you are going to love it! Just need to figure out where to put it in your shrinking playroom.....

You're a potty star!

Last night I was out running some errands. I called Dad to ask him about something and he was just washing up your dinner dishes and prepping your bath. He walked into the bathroom to start the bath and there you were, undies on the ground, and pee pee in the potty! You looked up at him and said "Finley go pee pee potty!!" Indeed you did! How amazing are you?! You've been potty trained for about 4 months now, but never have you ever just gone to the potty all by yourself! Dad put the phone down and I heard a lot of cheering and laughing and singing and dancing. It was a good time had by all, and I am so happy I was lucky enough to call and share in that moment.

I didn't have a picture since I wasn't there, but I can just imagine your smile was about this big. :)

How old are you exactly..?

I know every parent thinks their kid is gifted...in some way or another! And usually, well, they're not.

But even if you aren't gifted (hey, I'm cool with that), you are doiong a few things that seem to me to be well beyond your 2 years 5 months (yes, soon to be 2 and a half and I don't know why but that feels so old to me so I am sticking with an "*almost* 2 and a half" when asked). Anyhow, I digress.

You've started speaking and behaving in alter egos. I know you kids have tremendous imaginations (like the fake birthday parties and presents thrown daily) but you've taken on new names & personas.

Last week you were known as 'cowgirl'. You waned to be called cowgirl all the time, and you addressed yourself as such too. In turn, I became cowgirl's mummy. Lucky daddy became 'cowboy'. Several days later you became 'bubble princess' (though according to you daddy remained cowboy) and most recently you have been asking for me to call you 'walrus'. Yes, walrus. You say things like "Walrus hungry" and "Mummy say night night walrus."

Yup, you are officially gifted ;-)

Oh my Goodness!

Halloween has come and gone and I haven't even posted about your tremendous evening! Well, I wasn't quite sure how it would go...but I imagined a scene much like this:

Me: "Finley, would you like to knock on the door and say trick or treat?"

You: "Wwwaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!"

Surprisingly, it went more like this:

Me: "Ok Finley, let's go to the next house......... wait for me!!!"

You: "Trick or treat!!! Happy Halloween!!! Thank you!!"

Yup, you read that right. Miss shy heard the word CANDY, and though you never tasted any before, it made your eyes gleam and the thought of it made you run with reckless abandon darting to strangers homes and knocking on doors! It was a blast to watch and I loved every moment. You made your mama proud. :)

When the night was done and we decided it was your first time to taste CANDY you were excited as can be. The first M&M got a great big smile. The second the smile was still there. The third had you spit it out and say "yucky!!"

Ahh...you really are something else baby girl.