Hello everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving! I can’t believe that it has been almost one whole month since I have given you and update on my life! I am not sure what percentage of my life this is but it seems like a lot! I am almost 17 months old now. I not just walk but am really good at transporting things from one place to another. I know well and good when I am “transporting” something I should not be and give a sneaky grin to whoever is telling me to stop. And yes, I keep on going. I do like to help put things away, though too. Especially my basket of felt pictures and numbers for my felt board. I carry my basket 111111111111114444444442EE (My contribution to the blog typing as I did a “driveby” while mommy was typing). Back to the story. I carry my basket around the house and dump the felt pieces on the floor. Then I pick them up. Actually, then I leave to go move something else from one place to another, then to get another item and move it from one place to another. After a long time of this moving things from one place to another, Mommy asks me to walk around with her and we pick up things and move them back to where they started from. We do this every day and sometimes multiple times a day, it’s so much fun! At some point we get to the basket with the felt in it. For those of you who know Mommy and her tidy tendencies would be proud of her tolerance of so many items not in their correct place.
Let’s step back in time a little bit. When I got back from vacation and after Patrick’s birthday party on November 1, I transitioned to my new school room! My teachers are called Miss Carolyn and Miss Tiffany. I still see my teachers from infant B (Miss Nancy, Miss Tiesha and Miss Sandy) because there is just a short wall between our two rooms that I can see over. And because they “flow to the work” as Mommy and Daddy would say, I often go to my old room in the morning as Miss Nancy is the “opener.” Jack is in my new room and so is Jenna. We do many big kid things, like coloring on paper and sitting in a circle for storytime. We still go on bye-bye-buggy rides too and I get to sit next to Jack again. I have been sleeping a little better in this room too, sometimes I even sleep for 2 hours at one time. Don’t get your hopes up too high though, this is not an everyday occurrence.
Tuesday, November 4 was a very busy day. Daddy got up really early and left the house to go “vote.” This is a special privilege that we have in this country and both Daddy and Mommy are very proud of it. Daddy waited in a long line and talked to our neighbors (and yes, it was funny that Daddy saw them at the voting location but not in the neighborhood). Daddy then came back and took me to school so Mommy could go vote. No matter what you think about the results, it was an amazing day. The fact that there were lines with people waiting to vote and so much anticipation was something Mommy has not seen in such a long time. It made her think that people really took this right to heart this year. Anna Greenlee and lots of other kids got to go vote with their parents but Mommy and Daddy thought I might cause more chaos during the busy day so I will have to wait for another time.
Mommy and Daddy have been married for 6 years now! They got married on November 9, 2002. I was not there of course but I heard it was a really fun time. This year’s anniversary started very well, Daddy sent Mommy 2 dozen roses in all different colors. They were so pretty and she got to show them off to her friends at work (he sent them to her on Friday so she could enjoy them all weekend). Although we did have a good weekend, Daddy got a cold on Saturday and Mommy got sick on Sunday night. Mommy did not feel good until Wednesday and Daddy will probably have his cold for the rest of the winter. But, they made a nice dinner on Sunday (they can’t remember what it was but do recall that it was good). They also enjoyed a bottle of wine from Daddy’s wine cellar.
Our friends, Doug and Tara Hood came to visit us the following weekend. I love Tara! I ran to her when she came in the door and pretty much would not leave her alone the rest of the time she was there. I even dumped milk on her new sweater. While Mommy did not want me to bother Tara, it did give her some time to actually eat her own dinner without me.
The next weekend Aunt Shell came to visit! Oh what fun we had. Mommy, Daddy and I drove to Dayton to see her and to have our first of two Thanksgivings with Mommy’s family. We met Aunt Shell, Nana, Uncle Robbie, Aunt Jeannie and Michael at a place called “Sam’s Club” and milled around the aisles (to Daddy’s chagrin) for awhile. They have taster day just like Costco but it is not as good so we did not taste that much. We did look at the toys and tried out a tricycle that Daddy said I do not need. After we checked out, Robbie got food and everyone but Daddy got drinks, Daddy, Mommy and I went to run a few errands and everyone else went back to Nana’s to prepare the feast. I fell asleep in the car, but only for a little while, and when I got back to Nana’s, I just did not want to sleep anymore. Do you know how hard it is to be the entertainment for so many people? It’s an important job that I take seriously and sleep cannot get in the way. So, no more napping for me that day. Uncle David, Papaw and Great-Grandma Betty arrived and we had a nice meal. Did I mention that I am not a huge fan of sitting in my chair for very long? I also enjoy pulling whatever is in reach to me and then throwing it on the floor. Or putting the food I have been given in bowls then taking a spoon and pounding them together. It’s fun to watch the acrobatics that Mommy, Daddy and often Nana do while we are all eating. This seems to be just part of the entertainment. I love ready-whip. I was off entertaining someone else after dinner and heard the tell-tale noise of it coming out of the container and headed directly to the source. Mommy was having dessert without me! Not anymore, I said with my grunts and motions towards the ready-whip container. There were more acrobatics by Mommy as I sat in my chair to enjoy my ready-whip dessert. We left that night as it got very close to my bedtime and boy was I tired. But don’t worry, more fun was yet to come.
After church the next day, Daddy stayed at home to do yard work and Mommy and I headed back to Dayton to hang out with Nana and Aunt Shell. Aunt Shell was having lunch with Papaw and Great-Grandmother Betty so Nana, Mommy and I went shopping. We had such a good time like we always do. After Aunt Shell was finished with lunch, we played for a little while, then headed over to Uncle David’s house for dinner. Uncle Robbie, Aunt Jeannie and Michael also came too! Mommy picked up a few Papa Murphy’s pizzas (the ones that we love that we bring home and put in the oven to cook ourselves). Uncle David is clearly not serving lots of people at his house very often. He did not have any plates so Mommy and Aunt Shell had to go out to get a few necessities. Although the pizzas burned, we all had a good time hanging out together. And everyone loves me a whole bunch. I run around and laugh and dive into their arms. Uncle Robbie, Aunt Shell and Aunt Jeannie get on the floor and play with my toys with me too. I was really tired after two fun-filled days with my family.
Daddy thought our Thanksgiving dinner was over since we had a big meal on Saturday, but no way Jose! More fun was yet to come.
I like this Thanksgiving thing. To me it meant a short week at school (just Monday, Tuesday and part of Wednesday). Mommy took Wednesday off so she could run some errands in the morning then picked me up so I could take a nice nap after lunch. Then we went to Kristy’s to play with Colin and Patrick. They have a great basement with all sorts of toys and games. Although the boys don’t really like me to pick up their breakable things, they are nice and let me do much of what I want. It felt like old times with us all playing during the day!
On Thursday morning, I got up really early! No one told me that I should sleep in so I was up and ready to go by 6:30 am. We usually decorate for Christmas the Sunday after Thanksgiving but since I was up so early, Mommy decided that we should do it that morning. I had a great time helping her get things out of the closet and helped her move things from one place to another (remember, I am very good at this). Mr. Fancy Pants helped by coming into the closet with Mommy and me. I am not sure if Mommy thought this was very helpful but she was also talking on the phone with Nana the whole time so she might not have cared. Daddy even helped bring things downstairs and sat with us on the floor while Mommy decorated the tree. Bella loves the Christmas tree. Bella loves to climb the Christmas tree and play with the ornaments on the tree. We hoped when we left that the Christmas tree would still be standing when we got home.
After my nap, we went back to Dayton for another big meal. This time, though, it was just Nana, Uncle David, Uncle Robbie, Aunt Jeannie, Michael and us. Uncle Robbie deep fried another turkey and the rest of us brought the sides (Uncle David brought his normal thing, just himself. After dinner this time I went for a walk with Mommy, Nana and Aunt Jeannie while Daddy and Uncle David took a nap in front of the football game. It was really chilly so I put on Nana’s gloves along with my big, winter coat. I did not want them to fall off so I kept my hands up in the air. I walked for a bit, then was carried for a bit. Halfway through the walk Nana suggested that we get the wagon she bought for me. So there we went, trekking through backyards to get my wagon so we could take a proper walk. Well, I am kinda scared of the wagon. Mommy is not sure why, but the wagon did not last very long. So, I was carried while Jeannie pulled the wagon and to the park we went. Mommy loves Nana’s neighborhood, it is nice and flat and there were people out on every street. They were all friendly and said hello and “Happy Thanksgiving” to us as we walked (and as I was carried). We walked to the park in the neighborhood (another bonus) and we swung on the swings and ran in the mulch and watched the doggies and children playing in the park with us. On the way back, we tried the wagon again. I am not sure why we tried the wagon again, I thought I had already told them that I did not like the wagon. This time, Mommy pulled the wagon and Jeannie carried me back to Nana’s house. By this point I was a very tired girl after so much entertaining. I said my goodbye’s to everyone and off we went to home. We needed to get packed for our trip to see Grandma and Papa Connor in Toledo the next day!
I forgot to tell you that I have not been feeling very good lately. I had a low-grade fever for several days and got a bunch of red dots on my skin while I was in Toledo. Mommy and Grandma looked this up and think I have Roseola, a virus that must just “run its course.” I would like it to be done with its “course” so I can feel better. I am still a trooper though and have done my best to entertain and laugh and play with all of the family events.
On Friday in Toledo, we went to an amazing place. It was called “Children’s Wonderland” and inside it truly was a wonderland of Christmas spirit. I was so mesmerized, I did not want to leave the first exhibit. There were little people dancing and singing and moving. There were lights and colors and stars and even a real train with children in it. Around every corner was something new. I think I like this Christmas business. There was one display that had a baby and a mommy and daddy and even animals all together. Mommy said that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birthday (the baby). What a lucky baby to have such a great celebration. He must be really special.
On Saturday, Daddy, Mommy and I met Terra, her dad (Ron) and step-mom (Beate) for lunch. I was a very good girl and loved spending time with them. Going out to lunch is still not the same for Mommy and Daddy, but they understand that once I am finished, I am a busy girl and need to move around. It helps when there are new people for me to entertain! Even though I was really, really tired, I could not get to sleep and only slept for 45 minutes that afternoon. I did not realize that I needed my rest for my visitors that night! Uncle Michael, Uncle John, Aunt Patty, Morgan and Keghan all came over to play with me that night. I had such a good time with them and did not go to sleep until 9 pm. Do you know that this means? Usually it means that Mommy and Daddy do not get a full night’s sleep. I woke up screaming at midnight. Luckily Mommy and Daddy have learned not to go out on nights like these because they make the getting up even harder. Mommy and I slept in the chair in the open room for awhile then finally I went back to sleep by 1 am. At 6:30 am I was ready to go again. Who can sleep during such exciting times? Due to this, we left after breakfast to get home so I could sleep again. It’s funny how so much of my life is planned around sleep.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Getting Ready for Aunt Shell's Visit
Note From Aunt Shell:
Good Morning "Abby G",
It is Thursday morning, November 13th and in one week and one day I am getting on an airplane that will take me to "Hotlanta" and then on another airplane that will take me to Dayton. I am very excited to see you. I have not seen you in almost a year and from the pictures I have seen you are growing, growing, growing. I was wondering if there is anyting that you would like to do with me while I am there. If you come up with any ideas just let me know and I will do my best to accomodate your request. I talked to uncle Rob and asked him to make a turkey and he said he would and we could have Thanksgiving dinner early as I will not be there on the actual day. You will learn that this family does stuff like that occasionally and it is usually pretty fun.
Well, I need to get ready for work so I will sign off for now.
I love you and look forward to seeing you next week.
Aunt Shell
Good Morning "Abby G",
It is Thursday morning, November 13th and in one week and one day I am getting on an airplane that will take me to "Hotlanta" and then on another airplane that will take me to Dayton. I am very excited to see you. I have not seen you in almost a year and from the pictures I have seen you are growing, growing, growing. I was wondering if there is anyting that you would like to do with me while I am there. If you come up with any ideas just let me know and I will do my best to accomodate your request. I talked to uncle Rob and asked him to make a turkey and he said he would and we could have Thanksgiving dinner early as I will not be there on the actual day. You will learn that this family does stuff like that occasionally and it is usually pretty fun.
Well, I need to get ready for work so I will sign off for now.
I love you and look forward to seeing you next week.
Aunt Shell
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Another Note from Aunt Shell - Nov 7, 2008
Hello Abigail,
Aunt Shell here again. I just wanted to let you know that when I said in your blog comment section, I will see you soon, I meant soon. I am going to leave warm sunny Florida on November 21 and travel to Dayton. I am so looking forward to seeing you, your mommy, daddy and fancy and bella. I also will visit with the rest of the family, papaw, nana, uncle rob & aunt jeannie, uncle david & aunt catlin, and even great grandmother. My visit will not be a long one but I hope to make the most and best use of my time there.
I hope your teeth are feeling better. I know about getting cranky when teeth hurt...I get really really cranky when my teeth hurt. My recommendation is when your teeth are hurting just let mommy and daddy know that you need a popcicle or something cold and sweet is a nice bonus. I am not sure how receptive they will be to my suggestion but give it a try any way and if they do something you don't like do that new thing I have heard you are so good at...tell them no and turn your head from side to side.
Well, I need to get going but wanted to drop you a note and let you know that I am heading north and look forward to seeing you.
Hugs and Kisses and Love, Love, Love
Aunt Shell
Aunt Shell here again. I just wanted to let you know that when I said in your blog comment section, I will see you soon, I meant soon. I am going to leave warm sunny Florida on November 21 and travel to Dayton. I am so looking forward to seeing you, your mommy, daddy and fancy and bella. I also will visit with the rest of the family, papaw, nana, uncle rob & aunt jeannie, uncle david & aunt catlin, and even great grandmother. My visit will not be a long one but I hope to make the most and best use of my time there.
I hope your teeth are feeling better. I know about getting cranky when teeth hurt...I get really really cranky when my teeth hurt. My recommendation is when your teeth are hurting just let mommy and daddy know that you need a popcicle or something cold and sweet is a nice bonus. I am not sure how receptive they will be to my suggestion but give it a try any way and if they do something you don't like do that new thing I have heard you are so good at...tell them no and turn your head from side to side.
Well, I need to get going but wanted to drop you a note and let you know that I am heading north and look forward to seeing you.
Hugs and Kisses and Love, Love, Love
Aunt Shell
Note from Aunt Shell - Nov 2, 2008
Hello Abigail, Aunt Shell here in Florida. I was wondering if your mommy, daddy, grandma, grandpa or nana took any pictures of you on your trip and if they did would you put them on your blog as I would enjoy seeing them. Sounds like you had a great time and are already planning for next year's trip. I love you and miss you and am looking forward to seeing you soon.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Driving Home From Vacation - October 31, 2008
Today is Friday, October 31, 2008, Halloween. We are driving the whole way home today so we got up early and left immediately. I thought we would have eaten enough food to make the car less crowded, but I think the purchases at the outlet malls took the place of all of that food. We have a plan to stop every two hours so I can walk around. I want to stop more often but every two hours will be okay. It is nice and sunny and is actually going to be warm at home too. We talk a lot about the weather, so I thought I would mention it.
We made some fun trips on the way home, including my first stop in a McDonald playland and a Taco Bell. Only the best quality for us! I was not that interested in the playland but I did enjoy some of Grandpa’s ice cream sundae. We watched a little bit of Sleeping Beauty, even though the sound did not work this time. I wore the headsets for a little bit, but they don’t fit my head very well. Oh well, I just like to look at the pictures on the TV. I don’t watch TV at home or at school so I don’t’ even know what to expect! Daddy was worried about my brain cells, but Mommy was worried about my stress level of being in a car seat for that amount of time.
Because Mr. Fancy Pants has congestive heart failure and has to take pills two times a day, he and Bella will have a nice lady named Tara come over to see them every day while we are gone. Miss Tara works at the veterinarian that helped Fancy when he was really sick so is a perfect person to come visit with him while we are gone. We checked in one time during the week and Miss Tara said that Bella even let Tara pet her. That is a great sign! I can’t wait to see my kitty cats.
We made some fun trips on the way home, including my first stop in a McDonald playland and a Taco Bell. Only the best quality for us! I was not that interested in the playland but I did enjoy some of Grandpa’s ice cream sundae. We watched a little bit of Sleeping Beauty, even though the sound did not work this time. I wore the headsets for a little bit, but they don’t fit my head very well. Oh well, I just like to look at the pictures on the TV. I don’t watch TV at home or at school so I don’t’ even know what to expect! Daddy was worried about my brain cells, but Mommy was worried about my stress level of being in a car seat for that amount of time.
Because Mr. Fancy Pants has congestive heart failure and has to take pills two times a day, he and Bella will have a nice lady named Tara come over to see them every day while we are gone. Miss Tara works at the veterinarian that helped Fancy when he was really sick so is a perfect person to come visit with him while we are gone. We checked in one time during the week and Miss Tara said that Bella even let Tara pet her. That is a great sign! I can’t wait to see my kitty cats.
Vacation Towards the End - Hilton Head SC
It was very chilly on Tuesday and Wednesday so we bundled up and stayed closer to the villas. We did go to the indoor pool again, that was really fun. The days were full of walking around the villa, playing my new purse that Nana bought me. It is really cool, it has a wallet and “cards”, keys, my phone, my glasses case and anything else I feel like putting into it. Nana got this for me so I might stop getting into Mommy’s purse and cards. It has not stopped me completely but I really do like my very own purse.
It got warmer again on Thursday but it was very breezy at the beach. Mommy, Daddy, Nana and I walked out there to play for a bit but after a few pictures and lots of sand in our faces, we decided to head in to the pool area. It was very sunny without a cloud in the sky, so Grandma, Grandpa, Nana and Mommy hung outside by the pool while Daddy stayed in with me while I napped. What a relaxing day.
Thursday night I put on my Halloween costume (a lady bug) and we went to another Marriott property called the Barony. They were having a party with lots of kids dressed up! There was even another little girl who was a lady bug too. I won a prize for the prettiest costume! I have a certificate and prize and everything. We painted a pumpkin that we are bringing home (against Daddy’s better judgment). Even though I cannot eat the chocolate or candy they had, we did get some pieces for Grandpa. He really likes chocolate and sweets, just like Mommy.
The sleeping situation this week has changed by the day and night. At first I was in the room with Daddy, Mommy and Nana but after I got up at 3 am the first night (and got to get into bed with Mommy and Daddy), then 6 am the next morning, my bed was moved to the hallway for the night. This meant that everyone had to be really quiet when I went to bed but it also meant that we all slept a little later. During the day, my bed was back in the bedroom where it was quiet. It seemed to work pretty well, I am a good sleeper most of the time.
It got warmer again on Thursday but it was very breezy at the beach. Mommy, Daddy, Nana and I walked out there to play for a bit but after a few pictures and lots of sand in our faces, we decided to head in to the pool area. It was very sunny without a cloud in the sky, so Grandma, Grandpa, Nana and Mommy hung outside by the pool while Daddy stayed in with me while I napped. What a relaxing day.
Thursday night I put on my Halloween costume (a lady bug) and we went to another Marriott property called the Barony. They were having a party with lots of kids dressed up! There was even another little girl who was a lady bug too. I won a prize for the prettiest costume! I have a certificate and prize and everything. We painted a pumpkin that we are bringing home (against Daddy’s better judgment). Even though I cannot eat the chocolate or candy they had, we did get some pieces for Grandpa. He really likes chocolate and sweets, just like Mommy.
The sleeping situation this week has changed by the day and night. At first I was in the room with Daddy, Mommy and Nana but after I got up at 3 am the first night (and got to get into bed with Mommy and Daddy), then 6 am the next morning, my bed was moved to the hallway for the night. This meant that everyone had to be really quiet when I went to bed but it also meant that we all slept a little later. During the day, my bed was back in the bedroom where it was quiet. It seemed to work pretty well, I am a good sleeper most of the time.
Vacation Continued - Hilton Head SC
I have been a little out of sorts this week, as I am cutting a tooth, a really big one too. It’s on the right side of my mouth on the bottom and it not only is taking a really long time to come through, but it hurts all the time too. This has caused me to be a bit more irritable than I normally am. Now, everyone would tell you that I am a very happy girl, so it’s not like I am in really bad spirits, but I have felt a bit “vexed” and not as open to the good times as normal.
Sunday Daddy and Grandpa went golfing and Nana, Mommy and Grandma and I went to the outlet malls. Mommy planned to buy me some clothes but did not find anything. Instead, she found some things for herself! Nana was a real trooper and hung out with me while Mommy tried on clothes with Grandma. After the trip, the four of us went to the pool. It was cool but very sunny. Mommy was thinking that I would like the sprinkle park but instead I headed straight to the outdoor pool! Don’t worry, this was as warm as my bath too. Mommy jumped in and she and I played and splashed and moved all around the pool. I just love swimming. Mommy is a little concerned about my lack of fear around the pool, so she did lots of “goal tending” as we went on our walks around the villas during the day.
On Monday, the weather was pretty nice so we all went to the beach to enjoy the sand and waves. I loved walking on the beach and crashing Daddy’s attempts at a sand castle. I loved to use the shovel and break the sand apart. Daddy kept asking me why I was doing it, but I thought he was making the castle for me to destroy. Sometimes Daddy asks such silly questions.
That night Daddy and Mommy went out to the hot tub while I hung out with Nana, Grandma and Grandpa. Some of my favorite times on the trips were just hanging out with them in our villa. I got my hands on Grandma’s glasses case and walked around with it. I am getting very good at shaking my head “no” and can respond with this head shaking when asked a question like, “Abigail, will you give Grandma back her glasses case?
Sunday Daddy and Grandpa went golfing and Nana, Mommy and Grandma and I went to the outlet malls. Mommy planned to buy me some clothes but did not find anything. Instead, she found some things for herself! Nana was a real trooper and hung out with me while Mommy tried on clothes with Grandma. After the trip, the four of us went to the pool. It was cool but very sunny. Mommy was thinking that I would like the sprinkle park but instead I headed straight to the outdoor pool! Don’t worry, this was as warm as my bath too. Mommy jumped in and she and I played and splashed and moved all around the pool. I just love swimming. Mommy is a little concerned about my lack of fear around the pool, so she did lots of “goal tending” as we went on our walks around the villas during the day.
On Monday, the weather was pretty nice so we all went to the beach to enjoy the sand and waves. I loved walking on the beach and crashing Daddy’s attempts at a sand castle. I loved to use the shovel and break the sand apart. Daddy kept asking me why I was doing it, but I thought he was making the castle for me to destroy. Sometimes Daddy asks such silly questions.
That night Daddy and Mommy went out to the hot tub while I hung out with Nana, Grandma and Grandpa. Some of my favorite times on the trips were just hanging out with them in our villa. I got my hands on Grandma’s glasses case and walked around with it. I am getting very good at shaking my head “no” and can respond with this head shaking when asked a question like, “Abigail, will you give Grandma back her glasses case?
Vacation in Hilton Head, SC
We arrived in Hilton Head in the (cold) pouring rain. Daddy and Grandpa actually had to drive quite a long time in the rain and it did not let up when we arrived at the Marriott Surfwatch “villas” (that is what they call the place we stay in). We had to hang out by the front desk for a bit while our room was getting ready. Once it was, we unpacked what seemed to be enough food for an army, all of our bags and my toys. Mommy and Nana went out for a few grocery items (I do not understand why we needed any more food!) and Grandma made pasta for dinner. You see, we come to this vacation prepared to eat in. For those of you who know Mommy can imagine that we, of course, have a spreadsheet with all of the food (and clothing and such) we should bring each year and Mommy, Nana and Grandma split up the list and all contribute for the meals. Daddy noted that when Mommy created the list last year she was still nursing and was not drinking wine with Daddy, so she did not factor that into the calculations on alcohol needs for the week. We will promptly rectify this situation on the spreadsheet for next year’s trip (which of course we are already thinking about).
After dinner we went to the pool. Don’t worry, it was an indoor pool and the water felt as warm as my bath. I have a new floater so I can splash and kick by myself in the pool. Don’t worry, Mommy and Daddy went in with me and we all splashed and played and talked to the other kids who were playing too, even though it was rainy and cold outside.
The next morning I woke up very early, so Daddy and I went for a walk on the beach. Boy it was cold and the tide was “high” (no, not the song, but really, it was high), so it was a short walk. We came out later in the day when it was warmer. I got to ride in my backpack while Mommy and Daddy walked the beach like we did last year. It was fun to be by the ocean again.
After dinner we went to the pool. Don’t worry, it was an indoor pool and the water felt as warm as my bath. I have a new floater so I can splash and kick by myself in the pool. Don’t worry, Mommy and Daddy went in with me and we all splashed and played and talked to the other kids who were playing too, even though it was rainy and cold outside.
The next morning I woke up very early, so Daddy and I went for a walk on the beach. Boy it was cold and the tide was “high” (no, not the song, but really, it was high), so it was a short walk. We came out later in the day when it was warmer. I got to ride in my backpack while Mommy and Daddy walked the beach like we did last year. It was fun to be by the ocean again.
Vacation - To Anderson SC, October 24, 2008
The next morning seemed like any other morning, except that Grandma, Grandpa were at our house and instead of getting ready for school, we packed two cars and drove away. I am a very good traveler, especially when Nana is the back seat of our “SUV”, aka sport utility van with me. She is so funny and plays and reads and makes funny faces with me. We even got to watch “Finding Nemo” which has lots of pretty colors in it.
On Thursday we drove to a place called Anderson South Carolina where Joey, Lisa and their two puppy dogs (Tate and Hayden) live. We had plans to meet them (not Tate and Hayden) at the Outback Steakhouse for dinner. Mommy and Daddy were very excited about eating at Outback and had already decided what they were going to order. I think that’s funny, but I guess if you have a favorite thing to eat, you should order it (like how I love animal crackers and how I loved Ritz crackers on our trip to Colorado). By the way, Ritz Crackers are “dead to me” now, I am on to new things. We had a good time at dinner. Joey and Lisa are so funny! I sat between Mommy and Lisa and kept them very busy because I am a tall girl and like to grab plates, knives and other people’s food. I did eat my own broccoli and some grilled cheese sandwich, but there is so much to do at restaurants! I also got some crayons but still prefer to eat them versus draw with them. I went for a few walks around the restaurant and then it was time to go. We took a short trip to Lisa and Joey’s house to see the puppies, it was very fun! They had the funniest thing in their house, it was the head of a deer standing on the wall (I could not see the rest of the body) and it sang and moved back and forth. I must say, I have not seen a deer up so close and I have never heard them singing either. The puppies loved me! They jumped (and almost knocked me down in their excitement) and licked and ran around. After a little bit I told everyone that I was ready for bed. Because Nana, Mommy, Daddy and I were all in one room, Mommy and Nana went out for a bit while I stayed with Daddy (and in theory was to go to sleep). This plan did not work out that well, as I just could not get to sleep. So Daddy walked with me, shh’d me, sat on the bed with me and rubbed my back trying to help me sleep. He even sat in the bathroom reading the newspaper so I could have all of the lights off in the room. When Nana and Mommy returned, they got ready for bed quickly, turned off the lights and we all went to sleep. I guess I just wanted everyone to go to bed at the same time. I did not wake up in the middle of the night like I sometimes do but I was up early! After we got ready, Nana, Mommy, Daddy and I went to breakfast at Lisa and Joey’s. We had a great time visiting again then were off on the last leg of our trip to Hilton Head.
On Thursday we drove to a place called Anderson South Carolina where Joey, Lisa and their two puppy dogs (Tate and Hayden) live. We had plans to meet them (not Tate and Hayden) at the Outback Steakhouse for dinner. Mommy and Daddy were very excited about eating at Outback and had already decided what they were going to order. I think that’s funny, but I guess if you have a favorite thing to eat, you should order it (like how I love animal crackers and how I loved Ritz crackers on our trip to Colorado). By the way, Ritz Crackers are “dead to me” now, I am on to new things. We had a good time at dinner. Joey and Lisa are so funny! I sat between Mommy and Lisa and kept them very busy because I am a tall girl and like to grab plates, knives and other people’s food. I did eat my own broccoli and some grilled cheese sandwich, but there is so much to do at restaurants! I also got some crayons but still prefer to eat them versus draw with them. I went for a few walks around the restaurant and then it was time to go. We took a short trip to Lisa and Joey’s house to see the puppies, it was very fun! They had the funniest thing in their house, it was the head of a deer standing on the wall (I could not see the rest of the body) and it sang and moved back and forth. I must say, I have not seen a deer up so close and I have never heard them singing either. The puppies loved me! They jumped (and almost knocked me down in their excitement) and licked and ran around. After a little bit I told everyone that I was ready for bed. Because Nana, Mommy, Daddy and I were all in one room, Mommy and Nana went out for a bit while I stayed with Daddy (and in theory was to go to sleep). This plan did not work out that well, as I just could not get to sleep. So Daddy walked with me, shh’d me, sat on the bed with me and rubbed my back trying to help me sleep. He even sat in the bathroom reading the newspaper so I could have all of the lights off in the room. When Nana and Mommy returned, they got ready for bed quickly, turned off the lights and we all went to sleep. I guess I just wanted everyone to go to bed at the same time. I did not wake up in the middle of the night like I sometimes do but I was up early! After we got ready, Nana, Mommy, Daddy and I went to breakfast at Lisa and Joey’s. We had a great time visiting again then were off on the last leg of our trip to Hilton Head.
Pre-Vacation - October 23, 2008
We are on vacation again! I love vacation! We made our 2nd annual trek to Hilton Head, South Carolina with Grandma, Grandpa and Nana. We left on a Thursday this time so I only went to school three days the week we left. Grandma, Grandpa and Nana came to our house on Wednesday so we would be ready to leave bright and early Thursday morning. They were already at the house when Daddy and I got home, it was a great surprise. I had my “oh my goodness, I am so surprised and happy” look on my face. I use this face whenever possible because then everyone else puts on their “oh my goodness, I am happy” faces too. We played and walked around the whole house as Mommy and Daddy started getting the cars packed. Yes, I walk everywhere now. Crawling is for babies and I am a big girl now. Crawling is “dead to me” as Mommy might say.
For another surprise, our friends Jana and Dan were in town for the weekend and came over to see me too! It was like a party for me! Actually, anytime we have people over seems like a party for me. As usual, I spilled something all over Jana. This time it was milk. She is a good sport and was more concerned about our floor than her clothes. I am used to spilling things and actually like to see what happens when I drop and throw things so did not mind this situation at all.
After Jana and Dan left, I went to bed and the evening was nice, except for a very unfortunate and very poor customer experience Mommy had with the Dish Network people. Mommy can be very calm and will work through issues with customer service people, but when they do not listen to what she is saying and continue to read their script as if Mommy was not talking at all, she gets very frustrated. She was on the phone for over 40 minutes and spoke to three different people. Needless to say, we do not have Dish Network anymore and Mommy would caution anyone from getting Dish Network because their customer service is so bad. Mommy still can’t believe how bad they were and is moving on to a new cable company.
For another surprise, our friends Jana and Dan were in town for the weekend and came over to see me too! It was like a party for me! Actually, anytime we have people over seems like a party for me. As usual, I spilled something all over Jana. This time it was milk. She is a good sport and was more concerned about our floor than her clothes. I am used to spilling things and actually like to see what happens when I drop and throw things so did not mind this situation at all.
After Jana and Dan left, I went to bed and the evening was nice, except for a very unfortunate and very poor customer experience Mommy had with the Dish Network people. Mommy can be very calm and will work through issues with customer service people, but when they do not listen to what she is saying and continue to read their script as if Mommy was not talking at all, she gets very frustrated. She was on the phone for over 40 minutes and spoke to three different people. Needless to say, we do not have Dish Network anymore and Mommy would caution anyone from getting Dish Network because their customer service is so bad. Mommy still can’t believe how bad they were and is moving on to a new cable company.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Daddy's Trip to San Antonio
Hello Abigail!!
It’s Daddy, and I am on my way to San Antonio, Texas for a couple of days. Even though I have never been to San Antonio before, I am not that excited about the trip as I will be away from you for a couple of days. My trip did not start off that well, as Daddy missed his direct flight from Cincinnati to San Antonio. I had downloaded my flight information to my Blackberry (phone, that Mommy refers to as a Crackberry), but it downloaded incorrectly. My phone said 2:05, but my flight was actually at 1:05. It was unfortunate as Daddy thought he was on time. I ate lunch at my desk. I could have easily left for the airport. When I left, I drove at a normal speed and talked to Mommy on the phone. I expected to see my co workers at the airport, but I did not see anyone. I tried to do my self log on, but the computer blocked me out as the machine said I had missed the cutoff time. I talked to a nice man at the Delta counter named Jim, but he was not able to help me. I talked to my co worker Kim on the phone and she said the plane was just boarding. Jim gave me my boarding pass and I ran to the gate. Of course I had to navigate security first. The nice people in the line let me skip to the front. Daddy is a fast runner, but in work shoes and a sport coat it is a little harder to run. I got to the gate and the plane was still there, but the gate door was closed, so the people would not let me on the plane. Daddy did all of that running for nothing. The airline people rebooked me on a flight through Houston. I got to Houston and had three hours before my next flight so I watched the Tampa Bay Rays play the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series for baseball. I talked to several people at the bar while watching the game and enjoying a couple of adult beverages. This is unusual for your Daddy as I don’t normally engage strangers in conversation. Abigail, you should not talk to strangers at all, because you never know if they are nice or not. One man was from California and one woman was from Connecticut. We talked about baseball and work. It made the time go by much faster as I waited for my plane.
I finally arrived in San Antonio safely. My coworkers were still at dinner, so I took a cab to the hotel and walked to the restaurant to join my coworkers. I figured I should go and be made fun of by my coworkers for missing my flight. They did a very good job of making fun of daddy. After dessert, we walked back to the hotel along the River Walk. The River Walk is a fun area of restaurants and bars in downtown San Antonio.
Daddy had two days of meetings in San Antonio with the Global Oral Care Professional Leadership Team (GOCPLT for short). It was a good two days of meetings, but it was not that exciting sitting in a 22nd floor conference room at the Hotel that had no windows. Daddy led two sessions of the meeting. My parts went pretty well. It was good to meet our Regional Leaders from Latin America, Europe and Asia. I enjoy meeting people in person that I work with primarily via email and phone. One session that Daddy co-led with Kim (Human Resources) was on “Where to Play” which means which countries we should focus on. We had a big map of the world and we played a game of Jeopardy (grandpa loves the real show on TV). It was a lot of fun and got people relaxed and engaged on the topic we were talking about.
The first night we had dinner at the Tower of Americas Chart House Restaurant. One small issue popped up with this choice of restaurant. It was at the top of the tower 75 floors up. Daddy does not like heights and was not sure about whether he wanted to go or not. The issue was that Daddy did not want to miss dinner after missing his flight and dinner the night before. Daddy made sure he did not look out the window in the elevator on the way up and I sat with my back to the window at the restaurant. The food was excellent, but the service was terrible. Daddy is glad he went as it was fun getting to know my co workers better.
The second day of the meeting was not as stressful for Daddy as all of my sessions were the first day. It was still a good meeting. We did not have formal dinner plans, so we decided to get Mexican food with a smaller group of team members. Blanca is from Mexico and wanted good Mexican food. The chips and salsa were fabulous, but the food was mediocre, it was like El Coyote in West Chester where Mommy and I ate on date night when Nana came to take care of you. At the end of the meal, two of the guys challenged me to a shot and I said of course. Daddy is always trying to dispel the myths that Finance guys are dull and boring. It does not take much to build street credibility, just a simple shot and these other guys say wow, he is not the stereotypical Finance guy.
The last day, the American Dental Association Convention was starting. Daddy went to a breakfast presentation my company was sponsoring. Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser star) and a Dental Hygienist talked to 400 Hygienists on our behalf. I hope that these people will go back and recommend and sell our Power Brush products to their patients. After breakfast, Daddy went over to the convention floor and saw our Crest Oral-B booth. It was very cool. We have a live theatre presentation and lots of salespeople talking to dental professionals about our products. Daddy walked around the convention floor and looked at all of our competitors booths. It was fun and very informative seeing what our competitors were doing. Unfortunately, the convention was not very well attended. San Antonio was not as big a draw as Las Vegas, Orlando, or San Francisco. In addition, the economy is struggling and Texas was hit by Hurricane Ike, the same storm that later hit Ohio and caused so many people to lose power. Daddy went to a fancy dancy luncheon with a bunch of ADA bigwigs. Daddy was all dressed up with a suit on. We had a very nice meal. I talked to a former ADA President and a current board member.
We went to the airport. Daddy was not going to miss my flight home. I needed to make sure I got home to see you. I had a relatively uneventful flight home. I hopped in my car and headed home. I immediately called Mommy to see what you two were doing. I wanted to make sure I got home before you went to sleep for the night. Mommy said if I got right home I would be able to see you before you went night night. I was making good progress and then I ran into some bad traffic. I thought oh no, I am going to miss seeing my sweet Abigail before she goes to bed. Fortunately, I just made it home in time. I came right in and you smiled and raised your arms for me to pick you up. You are such a big girl and such a joy to your Daddy. I love you very much and was happy to be able to see you before you went to bed. I look forward to us going on vacation with Mommy, Grandma, Grandpa and Nana next week. Daddy will get to spend a whole week with you.
Sleep tight Abigail. I love you! Forever, Daddy.
It’s Daddy, and I am on my way to San Antonio, Texas for a couple of days. Even though I have never been to San Antonio before, I am not that excited about the trip as I will be away from you for a couple of days. My trip did not start off that well, as Daddy missed his direct flight from Cincinnati to San Antonio. I had downloaded my flight information to my Blackberry (phone, that Mommy refers to as a Crackberry), but it downloaded incorrectly. My phone said 2:05, but my flight was actually at 1:05. It was unfortunate as Daddy thought he was on time. I ate lunch at my desk. I could have easily left for the airport. When I left, I drove at a normal speed and talked to Mommy on the phone. I expected to see my co workers at the airport, but I did not see anyone. I tried to do my self log on, but the computer blocked me out as the machine said I had missed the cutoff time. I talked to a nice man at the Delta counter named Jim, but he was not able to help me. I talked to my co worker Kim on the phone and she said the plane was just boarding. Jim gave me my boarding pass and I ran to the gate. Of course I had to navigate security first. The nice people in the line let me skip to the front. Daddy is a fast runner, but in work shoes and a sport coat it is a little harder to run. I got to the gate and the plane was still there, but the gate door was closed, so the people would not let me on the plane. Daddy did all of that running for nothing. The airline people rebooked me on a flight through Houston. I got to Houston and had three hours before my next flight so I watched the Tampa Bay Rays play the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series for baseball. I talked to several people at the bar while watching the game and enjoying a couple of adult beverages. This is unusual for your Daddy as I don’t normally engage strangers in conversation. Abigail, you should not talk to strangers at all, because you never know if they are nice or not. One man was from California and one woman was from Connecticut. We talked about baseball and work. It made the time go by much faster as I waited for my plane.
I finally arrived in San Antonio safely. My coworkers were still at dinner, so I took a cab to the hotel and walked to the restaurant to join my coworkers. I figured I should go and be made fun of by my coworkers for missing my flight. They did a very good job of making fun of daddy. After dessert, we walked back to the hotel along the River Walk. The River Walk is a fun area of restaurants and bars in downtown San Antonio.
Daddy had two days of meetings in San Antonio with the Global Oral Care Professional Leadership Team (GOCPLT for short). It was a good two days of meetings, but it was not that exciting sitting in a 22nd floor conference room at the Hotel that had no windows. Daddy led two sessions of the meeting. My parts went pretty well. It was good to meet our Regional Leaders from Latin America, Europe and Asia. I enjoy meeting people in person that I work with primarily via email and phone. One session that Daddy co-led with Kim (Human Resources) was on “Where to Play” which means which countries we should focus on. We had a big map of the world and we played a game of Jeopardy (grandpa loves the real show on TV). It was a lot of fun and got people relaxed and engaged on the topic we were talking about.
The first night we had dinner at the Tower of Americas Chart House Restaurant. One small issue popped up with this choice of restaurant. It was at the top of the tower 75 floors up. Daddy does not like heights and was not sure about whether he wanted to go or not. The issue was that Daddy did not want to miss dinner after missing his flight and dinner the night before. Daddy made sure he did not look out the window in the elevator on the way up and I sat with my back to the window at the restaurant. The food was excellent, but the service was terrible. Daddy is glad he went as it was fun getting to know my co workers better.
The second day of the meeting was not as stressful for Daddy as all of my sessions were the first day. It was still a good meeting. We did not have formal dinner plans, so we decided to get Mexican food with a smaller group of team members. Blanca is from Mexico and wanted good Mexican food. The chips and salsa were fabulous, but the food was mediocre, it was like El Coyote in West Chester where Mommy and I ate on date night when Nana came to take care of you. At the end of the meal, two of the guys challenged me to a shot and I said of course. Daddy is always trying to dispel the myths that Finance guys are dull and boring. It does not take much to build street credibility, just a simple shot and these other guys say wow, he is not the stereotypical Finance guy.
The last day, the American Dental Association Convention was starting. Daddy went to a breakfast presentation my company was sponsoring. Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser star) and a Dental Hygienist talked to 400 Hygienists on our behalf. I hope that these people will go back and recommend and sell our Power Brush products to their patients. After breakfast, Daddy went over to the convention floor and saw our Crest Oral-B booth. It was very cool. We have a live theatre presentation and lots of salespeople talking to dental professionals about our products. Daddy walked around the convention floor and looked at all of our competitors booths. It was fun and very informative seeing what our competitors were doing. Unfortunately, the convention was not very well attended. San Antonio was not as big a draw as Las Vegas, Orlando, or San Francisco. In addition, the economy is struggling and Texas was hit by Hurricane Ike, the same storm that later hit Ohio and caused so many people to lose power. Daddy went to a fancy dancy luncheon with a bunch of ADA bigwigs. Daddy was all dressed up with a suit on. We had a very nice meal. I talked to a former ADA President and a current board member.
We went to the airport. Daddy was not going to miss my flight home. I needed to make sure I got home to see you. I had a relatively uneventful flight home. I hopped in my car and headed home. I immediately called Mommy to see what you two were doing. I wanted to make sure I got home before you went to sleep for the night. Mommy said if I got right home I would be able to see you before you went night night. I was making good progress and then I ran into some bad traffic. I thought oh no, I am going to miss seeing my sweet Abigail before she goes to bed. Fortunately, I just made it home in time. I came right in and you smiled and raised your arms for me to pick you up. You are such a big girl and such a joy to your Daddy. I love you very much and was happy to be able to see you before you went to bed. I look forward to us going on vacation with Mommy, Grandma, Grandpa and Nana next week. Daddy will get to spend a whole week with you.
Sleep tight Abigail. I love you! Forever, Daddy.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Mommy and Trekker's Tail from "Hotlanta"
October 9, 2008
Abigail,
It’s me, Trekker. Mommy and I are on another trip, this time to Atlanta (that she calls “Hotlanta” and really thinks it’s funny.) Atlanta is in Georgia, a state you have been to, last October when you went on vacation to Hilton Head, South Carolina. You went to a different city named Savannah that time. Atlanta is a big city and is the capital of the state too. We have been sitting behind the one-way mirror listening to people talk about fiber supplements again. You will learn from Mommy sometimes all of the benefits of taking a fiber supplement! She is trying to develop really good ways to talk about her product, Metamucil. It is quite a challenge because Metamucil has been sold for almost 75 years (a very long time) and lots of people think about it in just one way. As I just said, there are lots of amazing reasons to take this product but it’s hard to convince people when the brand has only been known for one thing that most people don’t think they need. Anyway, we have been sitting in the back room again and Mommy is tried really hard to stay focused and to not eat too many M&Ms or other goodies that they had. She did a mediocre job at it There were not as many people here this time, just eight of us. That is just a few more than the number of kids in your room at school.
Uncle Greg, Aunt Rita and Mommy’s friend Heidi lives here in “Hotlanta” but we worked really late last night so we did not see her. Maybe next time we will have more time to visit.
The team had a minivan to drive again, so everyone just crammed into it to go from one place to the next. Mommy realized just how unhip she is during this trip. Actually, she knew that she was not hip, but being with her team reminds her of this. They are all a bit younger than she is and are much more involved in popular culture than she is. Mommy does not surf the internet or have a “Facebook” page and barely watches TV anymore and does not feel like she has time for reading about it to keep up. She will have to ask them to keep her updated so she can try to be a little more hip.
Mommy and I almost did not get to come home tonight! Mommy’s internet was not working so she was not able to use the normal online travel arranger for this trip. She called someone on the phone instead. Well, that person must have gotten confused when she made the flights and hotel arrangements because she had Mommy and I coming home on Wednesday, not Thursday like we should have. Neither Mommy nor I checked the itinerary to confirm the flight because it has always just been correct. Mommy kicked herself because she should have known that there was something wrong when she got the email from Delta saying that she could check in, but it was a day too early. Then when she checked into the hotel, they only had her reservation for one night. It was when Mommy went to the airport and they could not find her reservation that she realized what had happened. So we had to buy another ticket for jus the one way to get home! Mommy was really irritated because everyone flew from the Dayton airport to save money. But, we had to get home and we missed the original flight. But, we got home okay and drove home to get to bed. It was very late, we did not land until 10 pm and we did not get home until after 11 pm, that is 3+ hours past your bedtime. This weekend we are going to see Grandma and Grandpa in Toledo, then you are going to spend the night with them on Sunday night. It will be your first sleepover without Mommy or Daddy. Daddy is going to San Antonio, Texas (TX) on Monday so he won’t get to see you until Thursday night or Friday morning!
Abigail,
It’s me, Trekker. Mommy and I are on another trip, this time to Atlanta (that she calls “Hotlanta” and really thinks it’s funny.) Atlanta is in Georgia, a state you have been to, last October when you went on vacation to Hilton Head, South Carolina. You went to a different city named Savannah that time. Atlanta is a big city and is the capital of the state too. We have been sitting behind the one-way mirror listening to people talk about fiber supplements again. You will learn from Mommy sometimes all of the benefits of taking a fiber supplement! She is trying to develop really good ways to talk about her product, Metamucil. It is quite a challenge because Metamucil has been sold for almost 75 years (a very long time) and lots of people think about it in just one way. As I just said, there are lots of amazing reasons to take this product but it’s hard to convince people when the brand has only been known for one thing that most people don’t think they need. Anyway, we have been sitting in the back room again and Mommy is tried really hard to stay focused and to not eat too many M&Ms or other goodies that they had. She did a mediocre job at it There were not as many people here this time, just eight of us. That is just a few more than the number of kids in your room at school.
Uncle Greg, Aunt Rita and Mommy’s friend Heidi lives here in “Hotlanta” but we worked really late last night so we did not see her. Maybe next time we will have more time to visit.
The team had a minivan to drive again, so everyone just crammed into it to go from one place to the next. Mommy realized just how unhip she is during this trip. Actually, she knew that she was not hip, but being with her team reminds her of this. They are all a bit younger than she is and are much more involved in popular culture than she is. Mommy does not surf the internet or have a “Facebook” page and barely watches TV anymore and does not feel like she has time for reading about it to keep up. She will have to ask them to keep her updated so she can try to be a little more hip.
Mommy and I almost did not get to come home tonight! Mommy’s internet was not working so she was not able to use the normal online travel arranger for this trip. She called someone on the phone instead. Well, that person must have gotten confused when she made the flights and hotel arrangements because she had Mommy and I coming home on Wednesday, not Thursday like we should have. Neither Mommy nor I checked the itinerary to confirm the flight because it has always just been correct. Mommy kicked herself because she should have known that there was something wrong when she got the email from Delta saying that she could check in, but it was a day too early. Then when she checked into the hotel, they only had her reservation for one night. It was when Mommy went to the airport and they could not find her reservation that she realized what had happened. So we had to buy another ticket for jus the one way to get home! Mommy was really irritated because everyone flew from the Dayton airport to save money. But, we had to get home and we missed the original flight. But, we got home okay and drove home to get to bed. It was very late, we did not land until 10 pm and we did not get home until after 11 pm, that is 3+ hours past your bedtime. This weekend we are going to see Grandma and Grandpa in Toledo, then you are going to spend the night with them on Sunday night. It will be your first sleepover without Mommy or Daddy. Daddy is going to San Antonio, Texas (TX) on Monday so he won’t get to see you until Thursday night or Friday morning!
Mommy and Trekker's Tail from Philadelphia
October 1, 2008
Abigail –
It’s me, Trekker. Mommy and I are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA). You have never been to this state (technically speaking) but you were in Mommy’s belly when Mommy and Daddy went to visit in May, 2007. You visited a place called Brockway, where Papaw was born and raised. Great Grandmother Betty and many of Papaw’s family members live there still. Anyway, Philadelphia is on the other side of the state (and it is a big state), close to New York City, a place that Mommy and I traveled to before. We are here listening to people talk about fiber (again). This time, though, we are not sitting in the dark “back room” but everyone (all 30 people!) are in the “front room” with the people who came to talk about fiber. Mommy is even the one of the team members doing the interviewing, and it takes 3 hours to talk about all of this fiber! Can you believe that anyone can talk about fiber for that long? Mommy would tell you that there is actually much more to fiber than people realize, but that is for another day. It is fun to be in the front room talking directly to the people. It’s much easier to eat healthy when you are the one doing the interviews!
For this trip, we had to get up super early in the morning and we did not get to talk to you before we left. Don’t’ worry, though, Mommy rubbed your head and blew you a kiss before we left. She can’t reach all the way down into your bed anymore since you are such a big girl and they had to lower to its lowest level. This meant that she could not kiss you directly! We made it to the airport with no trouble because it was so early and everyone else was sleeping (which is what Mommy wished she was doing) and not driving on the roads. Lots of people from her team were on the same flight so it was fun hanging out at the airport before the flight. It did not take very long to fly to Philadelphia and Mommy amused herself by reading on the plane. Mommy misses reading. She is too tired at night to read and she does not travel very much to catch up on planes. I know, she does read stories to you, even though you get distracted halfway through most books. Someday maybe you two will have a bookclub where you both read and book and discuss it. I think that will be some time and you will need to be interested in a book for more than just a few minutes first.
Anyway, the whole gang arrived in Philadelphia and broke up into two mini-vans. One mini-van headed to the research facility and the other one headed to the hotel. We drove through the city on the way to the facility (Mommy did not go to the hotel first), it was really pretty. Many significant events for our country occurred in this city, including a famous scene in a Rocky movie. I am kidding, yes, there is a famous scene from that movie and the building with the steps are indeed there, but there are even more significant events that occurred there, from a very long time ago. The thing called the “Liberty Bell” is here too, something you will learn about in school someday. There is a cool river that runs along the city too and there were boaters in it and runners on the side of it. There were big, old trees lining the river and the city too. Mary Kate (also called “MK”), the newest member of Mommy’s brand team was the driver. She is actually a very good driver and follows directions well. I thought I would include that since someone named Jana had picked on MK about her driving at one time. We did not find any issues with her driving at all. We actually thought she did a fine job. When we arrived at the facility where the interviews took place, everyone got settled and got some lunch. Then it was arts and crafts time! We know that you love arts and crafts from everything you send home from school. We got to cut and glue and paste. We don’t usually get to cut and glue and paste, so it was something new and different for us.
Eventually, the group that went to the hotel arrived and we all “pre-briefed.” This is a fancy word for “going over the plan of action” as Nana would say. Although Nana usually makes a list and we did not make a list, it was already made by the two leaders, Nancy and Pam. Mommy actually worked with Pam lots of times when she worked at Iams and went places to talk about cats and dogs. She is really nice and good at leading projects like this. After the pre-briefing, everyone was broken up into teams and then we all sat at different tables so we could have conversations with people about fiber.
This probably does not sound as much fun as what you do at school every day, but it is actually really fun. Mommy loves working with her team and she also loves learning about new people. Since you are very good and saying “hi” these days, I think the people would enjoy talking to you too. We will have to figure out how to get “fiber” into your vocabulary sooner than later so you and Mommy can have some interesting talks.
After our three-hour discussion, we did a quick “debrief” (discussing what happened when we went through the plan of action we “pre-briefed”) to share with everyone what we all learned in our different discussion tables. It was not actually very quick, which is what happens when thirty people are sharing thoughts. Keep this in mind when you are working on teams, ok? At Mommy’s work, they call this sort of hindsight “key learnings.” We don’t know why they call them “key” because that is obvious and “learnings” is not a word. But, that is one of the many funny words that Mommy and Daddy learn at work.
After the long “quick” debrief, everyone was ready to go to the hotel! Mommy was pretty tired after her early morning and long day, but many of her team members where having a “night cap” at the hotel bar and that’s usually a great way to get to know your team so Mommy went down there. She did talk to Daddy for a little bit and heard about your day and an update about the landscaping project. Daddy has been doing lots of coordinating with the landscaper and we are getting closer to a final design. It will be very nice to have it finished. Anyway, Mommy had a really fun time talking to her team members and even though she stayed up too late, was glad that she spent time with them.
The next day we had another “pre-bried”, conducted another session with consumers, had another “debrief” with “key learnings and action steps” then headed to the airport. Even though everything was on time, Mommy did not get to see you that night because she got home after you went to bed. It was a very good trip for us but Mommy was glad to be home with you.
Abigail –
It’s me, Trekker. Mommy and I are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA). You have never been to this state (technically speaking) but you were in Mommy’s belly when Mommy and Daddy went to visit in May, 2007. You visited a place called Brockway, where Papaw was born and raised. Great Grandmother Betty and many of Papaw’s family members live there still. Anyway, Philadelphia is on the other side of the state (and it is a big state), close to New York City, a place that Mommy and I traveled to before. We are here listening to people talk about fiber (again). This time, though, we are not sitting in the dark “back room” but everyone (all 30 people!) are in the “front room” with the people who came to talk about fiber. Mommy is even the one of the team members doing the interviewing, and it takes 3 hours to talk about all of this fiber! Can you believe that anyone can talk about fiber for that long? Mommy would tell you that there is actually much more to fiber than people realize, but that is for another day. It is fun to be in the front room talking directly to the people. It’s much easier to eat healthy when you are the one doing the interviews!
For this trip, we had to get up super early in the morning and we did not get to talk to you before we left. Don’t’ worry, though, Mommy rubbed your head and blew you a kiss before we left. She can’t reach all the way down into your bed anymore since you are such a big girl and they had to lower to its lowest level. This meant that she could not kiss you directly! We made it to the airport with no trouble because it was so early and everyone else was sleeping (which is what Mommy wished she was doing) and not driving on the roads. Lots of people from her team were on the same flight so it was fun hanging out at the airport before the flight. It did not take very long to fly to Philadelphia and Mommy amused herself by reading on the plane. Mommy misses reading. She is too tired at night to read and she does not travel very much to catch up on planes. I know, she does read stories to you, even though you get distracted halfway through most books. Someday maybe you two will have a bookclub where you both read and book and discuss it. I think that will be some time and you will need to be interested in a book for more than just a few minutes first.
Anyway, the whole gang arrived in Philadelphia and broke up into two mini-vans. One mini-van headed to the research facility and the other one headed to the hotel. We drove through the city on the way to the facility (Mommy did not go to the hotel first), it was really pretty. Many significant events for our country occurred in this city, including a famous scene in a Rocky movie. I am kidding, yes, there is a famous scene from that movie and the building with the steps are indeed there, but there are even more significant events that occurred there, from a very long time ago. The thing called the “Liberty Bell” is here too, something you will learn about in school someday. There is a cool river that runs along the city too and there were boaters in it and runners on the side of it. There were big, old trees lining the river and the city too. Mary Kate (also called “MK”), the newest member of Mommy’s brand team was the driver. She is actually a very good driver and follows directions well. I thought I would include that since someone named Jana had picked on MK about her driving at one time. We did not find any issues with her driving at all. We actually thought she did a fine job. When we arrived at the facility where the interviews took place, everyone got settled and got some lunch. Then it was arts and crafts time! We know that you love arts and crafts from everything you send home from school. We got to cut and glue and paste. We don’t usually get to cut and glue and paste, so it was something new and different for us.
Eventually, the group that went to the hotel arrived and we all “pre-briefed.” This is a fancy word for “going over the plan of action” as Nana would say. Although Nana usually makes a list and we did not make a list, it was already made by the two leaders, Nancy and Pam. Mommy actually worked with Pam lots of times when she worked at Iams and went places to talk about cats and dogs. She is really nice and good at leading projects like this. After the pre-briefing, everyone was broken up into teams and then we all sat at different tables so we could have conversations with people about fiber.
This probably does not sound as much fun as what you do at school every day, but it is actually really fun. Mommy loves working with her team and she also loves learning about new people. Since you are very good and saying “hi” these days, I think the people would enjoy talking to you too. We will have to figure out how to get “fiber” into your vocabulary sooner than later so you and Mommy can have some interesting talks.
After our three-hour discussion, we did a quick “debrief” (discussing what happened when we went through the plan of action we “pre-briefed”) to share with everyone what we all learned in our different discussion tables. It was not actually very quick, which is what happens when thirty people are sharing thoughts. Keep this in mind when you are working on teams, ok? At Mommy’s work, they call this sort of hindsight “key learnings.” We don’t know why they call them “key” because that is obvious and “learnings” is not a word. But, that is one of the many funny words that Mommy and Daddy learn at work.
After the long “quick” debrief, everyone was ready to go to the hotel! Mommy was pretty tired after her early morning and long day, but many of her team members where having a “night cap” at the hotel bar and that’s usually a great way to get to know your team so Mommy went down there. She did talk to Daddy for a little bit and heard about your day and an update about the landscaping project. Daddy has been doing lots of coordinating with the landscaper and we are getting closer to a final design. It will be very nice to have it finished. Anyway, Mommy had a really fun time talking to her team members and even though she stayed up too late, was glad that she spent time with them.
The next day we had another “pre-bried”, conducted another session with consumers, had another “debrief” with “key learnings and action steps” then headed to the airport. Even though everything was on time, Mommy did not get to see you that night because she got home after you went to bed. It was a very good trip for us but Mommy was glad to be home with you.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Abigail is growing and growing!
You might be wondering what I am up to lately. Well, I am walking all by myself. I can go across the room, especially if people clap for me when I get to the other side. I can stand and bend down and pick up toys and stand up again. I can say “kitty cat” and know that this is used for Mr. Fancy Pants and Bella. I often yell this from across the room then squeal with delight and walk (or crawl because I am still faster at crawling than walking) to see them. Mr. FP will let me pet him, especially when he is in the kitchen waiting for a treat. I can get close to Bella, as close as anyone can, but I usually get pretty excited and squeal and she runs away.
I can climb onto the leather chair and love to bring a book with me to sit and turn the pages and point. I love to shake things, especially my milk bottle so I can see the milk squirt out. I am great at throwing and picking up balls. We play ball in our family room floor all of the time. Mommy and Daddy often bounce the plastic ball back and forth and I throw other balls around the room. Sometimes my throws go backwards and sometimes I swing plastic things, so be careful when you come over to play. I gave Mommy a fat lip last weekend when I was swinging a plastic toy.
I like stories but you better read fast and let me flip the pages when I want. I will pull books out of one of the book baskets and put it in front of you and grunt (my sign that I would like you to read it). But like I said, you better be on your game and be prepared that you might not get to the end of the story, even if you like the book. Or you might be reading it to yourself like Mommy does when she likes the end of the book. For those of you who know Mommy, you should not be surprised to know that it is hard to keep my attention. I am often on to another project before you really understand what I want from the last one.
I like to climb the stairs by crawling and I like to walk back down them. I need you to hold my hands on the way down and you better be good at walking backwards fast because I walk down like big kids do, one foot on one step.
That about covers most of my adventures lately. If you can think of other adventures that I forgot, please send me a note and let me know.
I can climb onto the leather chair and love to bring a book with me to sit and turn the pages and point. I love to shake things, especially my milk bottle so I can see the milk squirt out. I am great at throwing and picking up balls. We play ball in our family room floor all of the time. Mommy and Daddy often bounce the plastic ball back and forth and I throw other balls around the room. Sometimes my throws go backwards and sometimes I swing plastic things, so be careful when you come over to play. I gave Mommy a fat lip last weekend when I was swinging a plastic toy.
I like stories but you better read fast and let me flip the pages when I want. I will pull books out of one of the book baskets and put it in front of you and grunt (my sign that I would like you to read it). But like I said, you better be on your game and be prepared that you might not get to the end of the story, even if you like the book. Or you might be reading it to yourself like Mommy does when she likes the end of the book. For those of you who know Mommy, you should not be surprised to know that it is hard to keep my attention. I am often on to another project before you really understand what I want from the last one.
I like to climb the stairs by crawling and I like to walk back down them. I need you to hold my hands on the way down and you better be good at walking backwards fast because I walk down like big kids do, one foot on one step.
That about covers most of my adventures lately. If you can think of other adventures that I forgot, please send me a note and let me know.
Adventures with the garage door
Sunday you will never guess what happened. We got up early to go to church so we could meet Mommy’s friend Lisa and her husband Joey for brunch in Dayton. We were all ready to head out the door but when Daddy pressed the garage door button, nothing happened (unlike when we came home after the Ohio Hurricane and it did open). Actually, the garage door went up a little bit but then went immediately back down. He tried it again and it did the same thing. Mommy suggested that he pull “the red cord” to release the door so we could open it manually. But Daddy could not lift the door and we were not sure if there was some reason we could not lift the door or if it was just too heavy. I actually was not thinking about the door at this point, I was already in the car with the door open wondering why we were not moving.
Daddy got the garage door manual out and Mommy went to investigate further what might mechanically be wrong with the door. Mommy looked up and realized that the spring on the door was broken! But none of us were sure what this meant. I was out of the car but still wondering why we were not making more progress to the outside world. Mommy and Daddy shared some tense words as Daddy was ready the warning labels on the door and Mommy got out her tools and began further investigation on what she could do to open the door. Mommy then “encouraged” Daddy to go inside and look up repair services in the phone book. Daddy is good at following directions and is also good at looking in the phone book so he and I did that and left Mommy to her tools in the garage.
I think we need a list of things we learn, because we had more “learning” that day both about garage doors and our reminders of our blessings. After leaving messages for three emergency services and talking to two then calling our neighbors across the street (Dave and Sharon), we learned that 1) springs break all of the time, especially if you use your garage like a front door as we do, 2) you can open the door manually but need help lifting it as someone pushes the button and 3) we are very blessed. Why do I add that we are very blessed? We are blessed for many reasons, but on this day it was because we were not rushing off somewhere and could not get the door open. We were blessed because we could call repair services and if needed, could have gotten it fixed on a Sunday. We have great neighbors like Dave and Sharon who came over immediately to help. We have good friends like Lisa and Joey who understand such circumstances and are willing to change their plans to see us another time during the day. On Monday we got new springs for our garage door too!
Daddy got the garage door manual out and Mommy went to investigate further what might mechanically be wrong with the door. Mommy looked up and realized that the spring on the door was broken! But none of us were sure what this meant. I was out of the car but still wondering why we were not making more progress to the outside world. Mommy and Daddy shared some tense words as Daddy was ready the warning labels on the door and Mommy got out her tools and began further investigation on what she could do to open the door. Mommy then “encouraged” Daddy to go inside and look up repair services in the phone book. Daddy is good at following directions and is also good at looking in the phone book so he and I did that and left Mommy to her tools in the garage.
I think we need a list of things we learn, because we had more “learning” that day both about garage doors and our reminders of our blessings. After leaving messages for three emergency services and talking to two then calling our neighbors across the street (Dave and Sharon), we learned that 1) springs break all of the time, especially if you use your garage like a front door as we do, 2) you can open the door manually but need help lifting it as someone pushes the button and 3) we are very blessed. Why do I add that we are very blessed? We are blessed for many reasons, but on this day it was because we were not rushing off somewhere and could not get the door open. We were blessed because we could call repair services and if needed, could have gotten it fixed on a Sunday. We have great neighbors like Dave and Sharon who came over immediately to help. We have good friends like Lisa and Joey who understand such circumstances and are willing to change their plans to see us another time during the day. On Monday we got new springs for our garage door too!
Mommy & Daddy Have Date Night
I got to see Nana again this past weekend! She came to visit me while Mommy and Daddy had “date night.” I am not sure what “date night” is but I don’t really care because I got to hang out with Nana. We went for a walk (not me walking on my own just yet, I was in the stroller), I swung in my swing and we played with my toys. Nana even helped me learn the word for “nose” and “mouth.” I can point to it when someone asks me to. Unless, of course, I am distracted by something more interesting then I just ignore the request.
On Saturday night I had trouble sleeping again. Do you know where this is headed? Luckily “data night’ was over at 8 pm and did not include any extra glasses of wine so Mommy had enough sleep when I summoned her with my cries at 1:30 am. I was coughing and crying and screaming and Mommy and Daddy thought I had croop again. At first I only wanted her to stand and hold me, but eventually she let me lay down with her in the spare bedroom. She piled pillows all around us and she sat up to sleep, looking kinda like a queen in the big chair. She tried to get me to lay on her chest and sleep. Have I mentioned that I have a hard time getting comfortable and constantly change positions? Well, it was not the most restful night for either of us. I did not have croop, though, so that was good.
On Saturday night I had trouble sleeping again. Do you know where this is headed? Luckily “data night’ was over at 8 pm and did not include any extra glasses of wine so Mommy had enough sleep when I summoned her with my cries at 1:30 am. I was coughing and crying and screaming and Mommy and Daddy thought I had croop again. At first I only wanted her to stand and hold me, but eventually she let me lay down with her in the spare bedroom. She piled pillows all around us and she sat up to sleep, looking kinda like a queen in the big chair. She tried to get me to lay on her chest and sleep. Have I mentioned that I have a hard time getting comfortable and constantly change positions? Well, it was not the most restful night for either of us. I did not have croop, though, so that was good.
Mommy's Friend Colleen
Mommy did have sad news that week. Her friend Colleen’s dad died, so Mommy went to the visitation on Monday night in Dayton. Mommy has known her friend Colleen since high school and Colleen and her parents were a big part of why Mommy had such a good high school experience. When Mommy played volleyball and basketball, Colleen’s parents welcomed everyone over to their house to play games and have slumber parties. They enjoyed good, clean fun and the experience was a good influence on Mommy. Colleen’s dad was one of those guys who was larger than life and was loved completely by his family and many friends. Mommy said that his visitation was calming and peaceful, partly because people stood and told such poignant and funny stories, but also because the power was still out (from the big storm) and it was done in candle light by the end of the night. They are a Catholic family and said the rosary together as a tribute to him, and in the candlelight it was awe inspiring. It brought a greater sense that God was truly in the room. Please pray for Colleen and her family because grief comes in waves because it is too much to take in at one time so we know they will need continued support.
Girl's Weekend
Daddy went on his annual golf trip so Mommy and I were on our own for a weekend. You know what we did? Just like last year, Mommy called Kristy and Teresa and we had a sleepover! This time Teresa and Anna came to visit us. We met Kristy, Colin and Patrick at the zoo since we just got our zoo pass. It was so much fun to ride the carousel for the very first time. I rode on a horse that did not go up and down and Mommy stood right next to me the whole time. Mommy learned the hard way that I am not a fan of things that go up and down on their own so luckily she did not have a screaming child at the zoo. I got to pet a billy goat, hear a lion roar (for real!) and watch a Manatee eat lettuce. I did not understand how they can grow lettuce under water, but the zookeeper was not there to ask. The last animals we saw were the giraffes, they were getting ready to go to their “bedrooms” and the zookeeper said we all had to stay away from the windows of their bedrooms because it is scary for the giraffes and they would not go in if we did. I thought that made a lot of sense because I would be scared if someone was looking into my bedroom when I was ready to walk into it.
That night Kristy, Teresa, Anna and I made dinner and played and played! After Anna and I went to bed, Kristy, Teresa and Mommy stayed up (too late) and enjoyed (a little more than usual) wine. For reasons I cannot explain but Mommy wishes that I could, I woke up at 2 am and cried and cried and would not go back to sleep. I wanted Mommy to stand and hold me. Did I mention that Mommy was up late and maybe had a little wine? Mommy was not in the mood to stand and hold me. But Mommy did not want me to wake up Kristy, Teresa and Anna so she stood and swayed with me. Finally she brought me into her bed (there was room since Daddy was not there and Fancy and Bella are not interested in being on the bed when I am there). When we woke up at 7 the next morning, Mommy and I were like twins with our red eyes. Kristy went home (even though she still did not have power from the storm) then Teresa, Anna, Mommy and I went for a walk. It was fun getting back to the neighborhood walks, just like Mommy and I did last year when she did not go to work and I did not go to school. After our walk, Teresa and Anna went home and guess what Mommy and I did? We took a nap.
After our much needed nap, we had a good lunch together. My biggest meal is lunch and I am a good eater. I can eat peas and chicken nuggets and Mommy still feeds me Gerber stage 3 fruits with a spoon. I have tried to use the spoon by myself sometimes but I really just like to pound the spoon into the bowl and fling whatever jumps onto the spoon into the air. What a fun game! After lunch Mommy and I headed to Dayton to see Nana. We went to Babies-R-Us to buy me some sleepers because I am getting too tall for the ones I have right now. Mommy bought me a few outfits too, even though Grandma was going to be my personal shopper in Toledo and we were going with Nana to Goodwill to find some things. I did get a really cool jean jacket so I can be hip like Mommy (or so she likes to say). But guess what we found at Goodwill? A jean jacket that only cost $1.69 and was just the right size. Nana is always so proud when we find good deals at her “GWs.” Because we got such a good deal, we made a second trip to Babies-R-Us to return the first one we bought. Then we all headed to Sam’s for a trip through taster day, much like what we do at Costco. What a busy day, it was good that Mommy and I had a nap. We made a quick stop by Nana’s house to see her puppy dogs, Lilly and Gizmo, then were off to Papaw’s house for Sunday supper with Uncle Robbie, Aunt Jeannie, my cousin Michael and Uncle David. We were celebrating Uncle Robbie’s birthday that was on Friday. I had already signed and mailed a card to him so this time I just was there for the singing. Papaw went all out and made his famous roast beef along with cooked carrots, mashed potatoes and angel food cake for dessert (angel food cake is Papaw’s favorite). I was getting a bit tired by this point so as soon as dinner was over Mommy and I headed back home to get ready for our week.
Daddy got home that Sunday night but I did not get to see him because I was already sleeping. I was so excited to see him the next morning! I laughed and giggled and pounded his shoulder with delight.
That night Kristy, Teresa, Anna and I made dinner and played and played! After Anna and I went to bed, Kristy, Teresa and Mommy stayed up (too late) and enjoyed (a little more than usual) wine. For reasons I cannot explain but Mommy wishes that I could, I woke up at 2 am and cried and cried and would not go back to sleep. I wanted Mommy to stand and hold me. Did I mention that Mommy was up late and maybe had a little wine? Mommy was not in the mood to stand and hold me. But Mommy did not want me to wake up Kristy, Teresa and Anna so she stood and swayed with me. Finally she brought me into her bed (there was room since Daddy was not there and Fancy and Bella are not interested in being on the bed when I am there). When we woke up at 7 the next morning, Mommy and I were like twins with our red eyes. Kristy went home (even though she still did not have power from the storm) then Teresa, Anna, Mommy and I went for a walk. It was fun getting back to the neighborhood walks, just like Mommy and I did last year when she did not go to work and I did not go to school. After our walk, Teresa and Anna went home and guess what Mommy and I did? We took a nap.
After our much needed nap, we had a good lunch together. My biggest meal is lunch and I am a good eater. I can eat peas and chicken nuggets and Mommy still feeds me Gerber stage 3 fruits with a spoon. I have tried to use the spoon by myself sometimes but I really just like to pound the spoon into the bowl and fling whatever jumps onto the spoon into the air. What a fun game! After lunch Mommy and I headed to Dayton to see Nana. We went to Babies-R-Us to buy me some sleepers because I am getting too tall for the ones I have right now. Mommy bought me a few outfits too, even though Grandma was going to be my personal shopper in Toledo and we were going with Nana to Goodwill to find some things. I did get a really cool jean jacket so I can be hip like Mommy (or so she likes to say). But guess what we found at Goodwill? A jean jacket that only cost $1.69 and was just the right size. Nana is always so proud when we find good deals at her “GWs.” Because we got such a good deal, we made a second trip to Babies-R-Us to return the first one we bought. Then we all headed to Sam’s for a trip through taster day, much like what we do at Costco. What a busy day, it was good that Mommy and I had a nap. We made a quick stop by Nana’s house to see her puppy dogs, Lilly and Gizmo, then were off to Papaw’s house for Sunday supper with Uncle Robbie, Aunt Jeannie, my cousin Michael and Uncle David. We were celebrating Uncle Robbie’s birthday that was on Friday. I had already signed and mailed a card to him so this time I just was there for the singing. Papaw went all out and made his famous roast beef along with cooked carrots, mashed potatoes and angel food cake for dessert (angel food cake is Papaw’s favorite). I was getting a bit tired by this point so as soon as dinner was over Mommy and I headed back home to get ready for our week.
Daddy got home that Sunday night but I did not get to see him because I was already sleeping. I was so excited to see him the next morning! I laughed and giggled and pounded his shoulder with delight.
Abigail's Tubes
I got my tubes! Actually, Mommy and Daddy tell me that I got tubes, but what I got was another trip to the doctor with lots of strange people examining me like my other doctor does. Don’t they get it that I don’t like that stuff? And Daddy and Mommy take me to a place that they do this! But, the doctor said he got the fluid out of my ears and I don’t have to take the medication every day anymore. Even though I like the taste of the medicine, I don’t like how it makes my belly feel so I guess these tubes are better. At my physical therapy appointment after I got my tubes I had made progress too! I was at 95% of the full range of motion (this means that I can hold my head up almost straight). Daddy takes me to physical therapy and gets very sad when I don’t show progress so it was fantastic that I showed such progress.
Mr. Fancy Pants
I do have some sad news. Mr. Fancy Pants (our kitty cat – a word I can say pretty well now) is sick. Mommy took him to a new doctor and found out that he has congestive heart failure, which is what was causing his coughing. He is on a new medicine that he has to take two times a day. He does not seem to mind the pill because we hide it in wet food. Bella makes out in this deal because she gets a treat every time Mr. FP does. He is breathing much better now and seems more active, so Mommy is happy that she switched his doctor. We don’t know how long we will have Mr. FP, but Mommy said that we will just enjoy every day we do have. I can help with that because I like to have a good time every day and I love Mr. Fancy Pants. He even lets me pet him.
The Ohio Hurricane
Well, you know that my blog is called “The Amazing Adventures of Little Miss Sunshine” and I have to tell you, the adventures keep coming! They come so fast that it’s hard writing them down for you before the next one happens.
My last note was the day I came home from Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Toledo. We finished the note in the car (Mommy is pretty good at typing on the computer so I have her do it while Daddy drives). Anyway, the wind seemed really strong on the highway! Daddy was holding onto the wheel with two hands; he often just holds on with his wrist and Mommy asks him to be careful – meaning please hold on with two hands – but this time he put two hands on the wheel all by himself. Mommy and I were actually pretending that we did not notice all of the cars on the highway swaying in and out of lanes. Daddy gets pretty stressed while driving to Toledo and it’s best if we just pretend he is by himself. Back to the point. Daddy’s friend Paul called and said that he and his son Ryan (my friend who we go out to dinner with but who I have not seen in awhile because we are all so busy) were coming back from the Bengal’s game and there was a power outage in Cincinnati. We live in Cincinnati! Then Mommy’s friend Kelly called and said that the power was out at the mall by our house. Kelly was in town for the weekend with her daughter Zoe for Zoe’s birthday. We were going to try to see them but with the power outages and the crazy wind, Kelly and Zoe were going straight to the airport in Dayton. We were glad when we finally got off the highway because it was windy and scary and I bet that Daddy’s arms were getting so tired. He said that it felt like the wind was going to blow the “SUV” (van) over. But when we got off the highway, there were traffic lights out and trees down on the ground everywhere. There were even trees in the street so we had to drive on the wrong side of the road to get around them.
When we got home, we expected that our power would be out too. Many of our neighbors were standing outside and their trees were laying in their yard too. And it was still windy! But Daddy pressed the button for the garage door and it opened! How lucky for us! The only tree that fell down in our yard was one of the ones we are having cut down and it fell six feet from our new fence. Our new fence did not fall and was not damaged either. Our roof was not damaged and we did not lose any of our siding. We learned over the next two weeks just how lucky we were. We found out through the news (because we did have TV), that we experienced 75 mile per hour winds due to the hurricane Ike that hit Texas and came up through the middle of the country. I guess technically speaking, we had our first hurricane. We could call it the “Ohio Hurricane” even though it went through Kentucky too. The crazy thing is that no one could predict it or track it because there were no clouds or rain, just wind. Really strong wind.
Mommy’s friend Kelly called us back later in the evening to tell us that her flight was canceled and she could not get out until Monday morning and asked if they could spend the night. Oh we love slumber parties so of course welcomed them to our house. I got to stay up a little later than usual (my bedtime is 8 pm these days). Zoe was so nice and fun and played and played with me. I was still mainly crawling so she crawled on the floor with me and even let me play with her stuffed animal named Wrinkles.
The next day we were not sure if school would be open or if Mommy and Daddy’s work would have power either because the TV said that over on million (lots and lots) of houses in the Kentucky and Ohio area were out of power. But our luck continued as school and work had power and were open! Kelly and Zoe went to the airport and we went on our merry way, just like any other day. But we were part of the 10% of houses that did not lose power! And even our satellite for our TV worked, and it usually does not work during storms. It’s like we were living in a bubble. A happy bubble with power and hot water and TV to watch the weather reports. Our friends like Paul and Gail and Kristy did not have power, so they came over to our house to shower, store food and do laundry during the week. Can you believe that they did not have power for over a week?
My last note was the day I came home from Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Toledo. We finished the note in the car (Mommy is pretty good at typing on the computer so I have her do it while Daddy drives). Anyway, the wind seemed really strong on the highway! Daddy was holding onto the wheel with two hands; he often just holds on with his wrist and Mommy asks him to be careful – meaning please hold on with two hands – but this time he put two hands on the wheel all by himself. Mommy and I were actually pretending that we did not notice all of the cars on the highway swaying in and out of lanes. Daddy gets pretty stressed while driving to Toledo and it’s best if we just pretend he is by himself. Back to the point. Daddy’s friend Paul called and said that he and his son Ryan (my friend who we go out to dinner with but who I have not seen in awhile because we are all so busy) were coming back from the Bengal’s game and there was a power outage in Cincinnati. We live in Cincinnati! Then Mommy’s friend Kelly called and said that the power was out at the mall by our house. Kelly was in town for the weekend with her daughter Zoe for Zoe’s birthday. We were going to try to see them but with the power outages and the crazy wind, Kelly and Zoe were going straight to the airport in Dayton. We were glad when we finally got off the highway because it was windy and scary and I bet that Daddy’s arms were getting so tired. He said that it felt like the wind was going to blow the “SUV” (van) over. But when we got off the highway, there were traffic lights out and trees down on the ground everywhere. There were even trees in the street so we had to drive on the wrong side of the road to get around them.
When we got home, we expected that our power would be out too. Many of our neighbors were standing outside and their trees were laying in their yard too. And it was still windy! But Daddy pressed the button for the garage door and it opened! How lucky for us! The only tree that fell down in our yard was one of the ones we are having cut down and it fell six feet from our new fence. Our new fence did not fall and was not damaged either. Our roof was not damaged and we did not lose any of our siding. We learned over the next two weeks just how lucky we were. We found out through the news (because we did have TV), that we experienced 75 mile per hour winds due to the hurricane Ike that hit Texas and came up through the middle of the country. I guess technically speaking, we had our first hurricane. We could call it the “Ohio Hurricane” even though it went through Kentucky too. The crazy thing is that no one could predict it or track it because there were no clouds or rain, just wind. Really strong wind.
Mommy’s friend Kelly called us back later in the evening to tell us that her flight was canceled and she could not get out until Monday morning and asked if they could spend the night. Oh we love slumber parties so of course welcomed them to our house. I got to stay up a little later than usual (my bedtime is 8 pm these days). Zoe was so nice and fun and played and played with me. I was still mainly crawling so she crawled on the floor with me and even let me play with her stuffed animal named Wrinkles.
The next day we were not sure if school would be open or if Mommy and Daddy’s work would have power either because the TV said that over on million (lots and lots) of houses in the Kentucky and Ohio area were out of power. But our luck continued as school and work had power and were open! Kelly and Zoe went to the airport and we went on our merry way, just like any other day. But we were part of the 10% of houses that did not lose power! And even our satellite for our TV worked, and it usually does not work during storms. It’s like we were living in a bubble. A happy bubble with power and hot water and TV to watch the weather reports. Our friends like Paul and Gail and Kristy did not have power, so they came over to our house to shower, store food and do laundry during the week. Can you believe that they did not have power for over a week?
Monday, September 15, 2008
September 15, 2008
I can’t believe that we got back from vacation over a month ago! Lately I have been tracking the time based on my doctor visits and ear infections. I have been to the doctor five times since vacation. I am getting tubes on Wednesday so hopefully I will not get so many ear infections and not go to the doctor so many times and will not be able to track my time based on this measure! I still do not like the doctor. I am in good company, because Mr. Fancy Pants the cat has been going to his doctor quite a bit too and does not like it either. Mommy and Daddy are trying to get us well so neither of us have to go to the doctor so much. I am not sure who will be more relieved, me or Mr. Fancy Pants.
August was a pretty fun month even though I had so many doctor appointments and ear infections. I got to see Grandma and Grandpa several times in August, and that made me happy. They missed me so much when I was gone on vacation that they came to visit the weekend after that. We just play and play and go to Costco when they visit. Oh, and Mommy and Grandma and I went shopping for some cute clothes for me too. I am still little (in the 10th percentile in weight) so I still wear size 12 months even though I am actually 14 months old. Anyway, Mommy and I made our way around the Costco taster day, one of Mommy’s favorite weekend activities. Life really does not get much better than when Grandma and Grandpa visit.
This really cool thing called “the Olympics” was on, it started at 8 pm on 8/8/08 (a very lucky number and date!). Mommy and Daddy stayed up late many nights in August because they were addicted to it. They were very tired during the day but they said it was worth it because they were witnessing history. They have decided which sports they think I should excel in so they could go to the Olympics to watch me someday. I won’t go into detail but some of the sports they do not prefer include ones where they have to stay all day and only see me perform for a few minutes. I am sure we will all track my progress to such a goal in the years to come.
On the weekend of August 16th, we had a most interesting adventure with a boy named Christian (not my cousin who lives in Toledo). Mommy got a call from Aunt Shell on Friday night (as Mommy and Daddy were watching the Olympics and planning my future). Aunt Shell said that a friend of hers needed some help and asked if Mommy would pick up her friend’s son, Christian, who was driving back from Canada (this is another country, one I have not visited) to Florida where he lives. Mommy said she would help so Daddy went to pick up Christian late that Friday night. I was already in bed so had no idea that our weekend plans were changing as I slept. Christian is a very nice boy and is fun to be with! He spent the night at our house on Friday, then hung out with Mommy and me all day Saturday. We took him to Dayton when we went to dinner for Uncle David’s birthday. Nana then hung out with him until Sunday night when Christian flew home (all by himself on the plane!). Mommy sure did have a good time talking to Christian. Sometimes she thinks she should go back to being a 12 year old because she found their conversations really interesting and fun. They took me for a walk, they played basketball while I took a nap, and because Christian was here, we even got to go to Graeters! Daddy saw straight through Mommy’s ploy of using Christian as a reason to go to Graeters, but he is a good guy and went along with it anyway. Daddy’s exciting trip that day was getting a “home hair cutting kit.” This is another money saving tool Daddy purchased. So now Mommy is a hair cutter too!
We had fun at dinner for Uncle David’s birthday, we went to his favorite Mexican restaurant where they gave him a free dessert and sang, even though they don’t really do that sort of thing anymore. I guess Uncle David is pretty special. I got to hang out with Nana and Uncle Robbie and Aunt Jeannie too! After dinner, Daddy, Mommy and I went to the Dragon’s game. I love the Dragon’s. Actually, I don’t really care about the Dragon’s, but there is so much to see at the games! There were little girls (well, bigger than me, but not teenagers or anything) that danced on top of the dugout with the dragon. They jumped around and danced and smiled. I love to jump around and dance and smile. I don’t think they giggled like me but there was music on so maybe I just did not hear them. I was pretty tired because it was my bedtime, but as Daddy always says, I was a “trooper” and we stayed a little while to watch the game. And for me and Mommy to watch the people. I think I might actually be as interested in the game as Mommy if that tells you anything. Luckily, we are both rather entertained by the rest of the activities at the stadium.
I am now the oldest one in my classroom (Infant B). I am the “greeter” for the classroom because whenever someone comes to the door, I crawl right over and squeal and giggle my “hello.” I still love my teachers, Miss Nancy and Miss Tiesha. I also love the new helper, Miss Sandy. One day when Mommy was walking me into school, I saw Miss Sandy in the hallway and decided that I was really more interested in being with her than with Mommy. So, Mommy took my bag into my room while I went with Miss Sandy. Boy did Miss Nancy laugh when Mommy walked in without me and explained the story!
Our Labor Day weekend was a fun time. Daddy’s friends Terra and Julie came to visit. They love watching the beach volleyball tournaments and one came to Cincinnati. Julie, who lives in Chicago, drove through Dayton and picked Terra up at the Dayton airport on the Thursday night before Labor Day. I was asleep so I did not see them until Friday but they did come into my room and whisper hello when they arrived. I was glad to hear that they were so excited to see me. The festivities started with me on Friday night when I got home from school. Terra and Julie brought home dinner and we grilled out and drank some wine. No, I did not drink any wine but everyone else seemed to have a good time drinking it.
On Saturday, Nana and her dog Lilly came over! We spent the whole day together while Daddy and Mommy went to the volleyball tournament with Terra and Julie. We even went to Wal-Mart (no, Lilly is a dog so she did not go shopping) and Nana bought me my very own phone. It makes noise and flips open and closed too. That night we had another cookout and drank more wine. And no, I did not drink any again. Nana and Lilly went home and I went to bed. It was a very busy day!
On Sunday Grandma and Grandpa came to visit! It was like a dream to wake up and have such a good party each day. We all hung out together , then the girls (Grandma, Mommy, Terra and Julie) went shopping. We cooked out (again) and drank more wine. And again, no, I did not have any. Terra’s birthday was on Monday so we had a cake for her and sang. I love to sing! Grandma and Grandpa’s anniversary was on Sunday too so we celebrated even more. After I went to bed they all played games until too late. On Monday they were all tired! I did sleep in a little, which Mommy and Daddy really appreciated. Julie and Terra left in the morning then Daddy, Mommy, Grandma and Grandpa went to the mall to buy some clothes for Mommy. We had dinner then Grandma and Grandpa had to go. I wondered all night what party was coming the next day.
I am not sure why this happens, but I usually have to go to the doctor right after a fun weekend. Why does that always happen? This weekend was no different. This time I went to see a couple of specialists who looked at my ears and my eyes. Did I tell you that I don’t like people messing with my ears? When I went to him I was already on a medicine to help with an ear infection but he said I had another one. So, I had to get on more medicine. And that is when we set up this “tubes” procedure. Then I went to the doctor who looked at my eyes. I was not really fond of him either, but at least he said that my eyes are fine and do not need additional appointments right now. I just have to go back in six months (which is a very long time if you consider the number of months I have been alive – 14 if you weren’t counting).
Daddy got new golf clubs and is getting ready for his annual golf trip next weekend! He and I even went to the driving range with Mr. Paul! I was such a good girl and sat in my stroller so Daddy could hit some golf balls. Mommy was at her bible study and was surprised that Daddy and I were not home when she got home. But she was glad that she got to see me that night, even though I stayed up later than my normal bedtime.
This weekend we went to Grandma and Grandpa and all of my Connor aunts, uncles and cousins. I did start the weekend with a trip to the doctor because I had another ear infection “brewing.” I am on more medicine but I like the taste of my medicine and it makes me feel better. Anyway, we arrived on Friday night in a downpour so we did not go watch my cousin Tyler play football like we planned to. Grandpa did go to the game while Grandma, Daddy and Mommy and I stayed inside where it was dry. Aunt Cin-Day and my cousin Christian came over and we played and played. Christian brought a new book to me with information on all of the states and capitals. He is so sweet, he always brings me a book when he comes over to see me. Even though I did not want to sleep, I was pretty tired from my busy day so I had to go to bed!
I woke up at 2 in the morning because I woke up and realized that I was not in my room but I did not know where I was! I cried and Mommy came to get me. I was afraid to lay back down by myself so Mommy let me fall asleep on her chest. Mommy slept on the couch with me because I started coughing and coughing and did not cough as much if I had my head on an incline. To say the least, we did not sleep very much that night and when I woke up coughing at 7 am Saturday morning, we were both pretty tired!
It rained and rained on Saturday so we stayed inside and played with the fun toys that Grandma got out for me. I am getting really good at crawling and am beginning to stand on my own. We made our trip to Costco and then Mommy and I took a nice nap in the afternoon. That evening, all of Daddy’s siblings and their families came over for dinner. I just love my cousins, they are all so fun and they love me very much. They help me crawl and play and clap and laugh. I love to clap and laugh! Sometimes if I am not the absolute center of attention, I start smiling and clapping which draws everyone back to me. It works every time!
Guess what?! I took a few steps all by myself on Saturday too! It was really fun and everyone cheered. I love cheering! I love it when people are cheering for me! I am not always sure why people are cheering for me but it must be good.
We enjoyed a nice Sunday morning with Grandma and Grandpa, including a fun walk with Grandma and Mommy. Yes, it did stop raining. We were looking at landscaping because our latest project is redoing the landscaping at our house. Grandma was giving Mommy some pointers on how to think about the project. Mommy always learns so much from Grandma! Mommy thinks that Grandma could open up a business giving advice to people on decorating and landscaping and many other things!
We headed home so we could get ready for a busy week. We have many busy days, as Fancy goes to the specialist on Tuesday, I get my tubes on Wednesday, Daddy goes on his golf trip on Thursday and Teresa and Anna are coming to stay with us on Saturday.
I hope you are doing well and are looking forward to a fun week. I hope to have a good update for you after I get my tubes!
August was a pretty fun month even though I had so many doctor appointments and ear infections. I got to see Grandma and Grandpa several times in August, and that made me happy. They missed me so much when I was gone on vacation that they came to visit the weekend after that. We just play and play and go to Costco when they visit. Oh, and Mommy and Grandma and I went shopping for some cute clothes for me too. I am still little (in the 10th percentile in weight) so I still wear size 12 months even though I am actually 14 months old. Anyway, Mommy and I made our way around the Costco taster day, one of Mommy’s favorite weekend activities. Life really does not get much better than when Grandma and Grandpa visit.
This really cool thing called “the Olympics” was on, it started at 8 pm on 8/8/08 (a very lucky number and date!). Mommy and Daddy stayed up late many nights in August because they were addicted to it. They were very tired during the day but they said it was worth it because they were witnessing history. They have decided which sports they think I should excel in so they could go to the Olympics to watch me someday. I won’t go into detail but some of the sports they do not prefer include ones where they have to stay all day and only see me perform for a few minutes. I am sure we will all track my progress to such a goal in the years to come.
On the weekend of August 16th, we had a most interesting adventure with a boy named Christian (not my cousin who lives in Toledo). Mommy got a call from Aunt Shell on Friday night (as Mommy and Daddy were watching the Olympics and planning my future). Aunt Shell said that a friend of hers needed some help and asked if Mommy would pick up her friend’s son, Christian, who was driving back from Canada (this is another country, one I have not visited) to Florida where he lives. Mommy said she would help so Daddy went to pick up Christian late that Friday night. I was already in bed so had no idea that our weekend plans were changing as I slept. Christian is a very nice boy and is fun to be with! He spent the night at our house on Friday, then hung out with Mommy and me all day Saturday. We took him to Dayton when we went to dinner for Uncle David’s birthday. Nana then hung out with him until Sunday night when Christian flew home (all by himself on the plane!). Mommy sure did have a good time talking to Christian. Sometimes she thinks she should go back to being a 12 year old because she found their conversations really interesting and fun. They took me for a walk, they played basketball while I took a nap, and because Christian was here, we even got to go to Graeters! Daddy saw straight through Mommy’s ploy of using Christian as a reason to go to Graeters, but he is a good guy and went along with it anyway. Daddy’s exciting trip that day was getting a “home hair cutting kit.” This is another money saving tool Daddy purchased. So now Mommy is a hair cutter too!
We had fun at dinner for Uncle David’s birthday, we went to his favorite Mexican restaurant where they gave him a free dessert and sang, even though they don’t really do that sort of thing anymore. I guess Uncle David is pretty special. I got to hang out with Nana and Uncle Robbie and Aunt Jeannie too! After dinner, Daddy, Mommy and I went to the Dragon’s game. I love the Dragon’s. Actually, I don’t really care about the Dragon’s, but there is so much to see at the games! There were little girls (well, bigger than me, but not teenagers or anything) that danced on top of the dugout with the dragon. They jumped around and danced and smiled. I love to jump around and dance and smile. I don’t think they giggled like me but there was music on so maybe I just did not hear them. I was pretty tired because it was my bedtime, but as Daddy always says, I was a “trooper” and we stayed a little while to watch the game. And for me and Mommy to watch the people. I think I might actually be as interested in the game as Mommy if that tells you anything. Luckily, we are both rather entertained by the rest of the activities at the stadium.
I am now the oldest one in my classroom (Infant B). I am the “greeter” for the classroom because whenever someone comes to the door, I crawl right over and squeal and giggle my “hello.” I still love my teachers, Miss Nancy and Miss Tiesha. I also love the new helper, Miss Sandy. One day when Mommy was walking me into school, I saw Miss Sandy in the hallway and decided that I was really more interested in being with her than with Mommy. So, Mommy took my bag into my room while I went with Miss Sandy. Boy did Miss Nancy laugh when Mommy walked in without me and explained the story!
Our Labor Day weekend was a fun time. Daddy’s friends Terra and Julie came to visit. They love watching the beach volleyball tournaments and one came to Cincinnati. Julie, who lives in Chicago, drove through Dayton and picked Terra up at the Dayton airport on the Thursday night before Labor Day. I was asleep so I did not see them until Friday but they did come into my room and whisper hello when they arrived. I was glad to hear that they were so excited to see me. The festivities started with me on Friday night when I got home from school. Terra and Julie brought home dinner and we grilled out and drank some wine. No, I did not drink any wine but everyone else seemed to have a good time drinking it.
On Saturday, Nana and her dog Lilly came over! We spent the whole day together while Daddy and Mommy went to the volleyball tournament with Terra and Julie. We even went to Wal-Mart (no, Lilly is a dog so she did not go shopping) and Nana bought me my very own phone. It makes noise and flips open and closed too. That night we had another cookout and drank more wine. And no, I did not drink any again. Nana and Lilly went home and I went to bed. It was a very busy day!
On Sunday Grandma and Grandpa came to visit! It was like a dream to wake up and have such a good party each day. We all hung out together , then the girls (Grandma, Mommy, Terra and Julie) went shopping. We cooked out (again) and drank more wine. And again, no, I did not have any. Terra’s birthday was on Monday so we had a cake for her and sang. I love to sing! Grandma and Grandpa’s anniversary was on Sunday too so we celebrated even more. After I went to bed they all played games until too late. On Monday they were all tired! I did sleep in a little, which Mommy and Daddy really appreciated. Julie and Terra left in the morning then Daddy, Mommy, Grandma and Grandpa went to the mall to buy some clothes for Mommy. We had dinner then Grandma and Grandpa had to go. I wondered all night what party was coming the next day.
I am not sure why this happens, but I usually have to go to the doctor right after a fun weekend. Why does that always happen? This weekend was no different. This time I went to see a couple of specialists who looked at my ears and my eyes. Did I tell you that I don’t like people messing with my ears? When I went to him I was already on a medicine to help with an ear infection but he said I had another one. So, I had to get on more medicine. And that is when we set up this “tubes” procedure. Then I went to the doctor who looked at my eyes. I was not really fond of him either, but at least he said that my eyes are fine and do not need additional appointments right now. I just have to go back in six months (which is a very long time if you consider the number of months I have been alive – 14 if you weren’t counting).
Daddy got new golf clubs and is getting ready for his annual golf trip next weekend! He and I even went to the driving range with Mr. Paul! I was such a good girl and sat in my stroller so Daddy could hit some golf balls. Mommy was at her bible study and was surprised that Daddy and I were not home when she got home. But she was glad that she got to see me that night, even though I stayed up later than my normal bedtime.
This weekend we went to Grandma and Grandpa and all of my Connor aunts, uncles and cousins. I did start the weekend with a trip to the doctor because I had another ear infection “brewing.” I am on more medicine but I like the taste of my medicine and it makes me feel better. Anyway, we arrived on Friday night in a downpour so we did not go watch my cousin Tyler play football like we planned to. Grandpa did go to the game while Grandma, Daddy and Mommy and I stayed inside where it was dry. Aunt Cin-Day and my cousin Christian came over and we played and played. Christian brought a new book to me with information on all of the states and capitals. He is so sweet, he always brings me a book when he comes over to see me. Even though I did not want to sleep, I was pretty tired from my busy day so I had to go to bed!
I woke up at 2 in the morning because I woke up and realized that I was not in my room but I did not know where I was! I cried and Mommy came to get me. I was afraid to lay back down by myself so Mommy let me fall asleep on her chest. Mommy slept on the couch with me because I started coughing and coughing and did not cough as much if I had my head on an incline. To say the least, we did not sleep very much that night and when I woke up coughing at 7 am Saturday morning, we were both pretty tired!
It rained and rained on Saturday so we stayed inside and played with the fun toys that Grandma got out for me. I am getting really good at crawling and am beginning to stand on my own. We made our trip to Costco and then Mommy and I took a nice nap in the afternoon. That evening, all of Daddy’s siblings and their families came over for dinner. I just love my cousins, they are all so fun and they love me very much. They help me crawl and play and clap and laugh. I love to clap and laugh! Sometimes if I am not the absolute center of attention, I start smiling and clapping which draws everyone back to me. It works every time!
Guess what?! I took a few steps all by myself on Saturday too! It was really fun and everyone cheered. I love cheering! I love it when people are cheering for me! I am not always sure why people are cheering for me but it must be good.
We enjoyed a nice Sunday morning with Grandma and Grandpa, including a fun walk with Grandma and Mommy. Yes, it did stop raining. We were looking at landscaping because our latest project is redoing the landscaping at our house. Grandma was giving Mommy some pointers on how to think about the project. Mommy always learns so much from Grandma! Mommy thinks that Grandma could open up a business giving advice to people on decorating and landscaping and many other things!
We headed home so we could get ready for a busy week. We have many busy days, as Fancy goes to the specialist on Tuesday, I get my tubes on Wednesday, Daddy goes on his golf trip on Thursday and Teresa and Anna are coming to stay with us on Saturday.
I hope you are doing well and are looking forward to a fun week. I hope to have a good update for you after I get my tubes!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Hello Everyone, it's Abigail! I have been back in my own bed (not sleeping partially in a closet) for a week! I got a cold when I got back and had to go to the doctor. Why do such great times (like my birthday) have to end with a trip to the doctor? This is not something I appreciate. But, it's better now because Nana came over this week, our friend Caty came over this week and now Grandma and Grandpa are here for the weekend! Yeah - good times roll again. I thought this was a great prayer to say, especially when family is here visiting.
Morning Prayer:
Let's go God, a new day's come.
Now it's time to have some fun.
Bedtime's over, night is gone.
Let's go God, and have some fun.
Morning's time to shout and sing.
Thank you God for everything!
Morning Prayer:
Let's go God, a new day's come.
Now it's time to have some fun.
Bedtime's over, night is gone.
Let's go God, and have some fun.
Morning's time to shout and sing.
Thank you God for everything!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
A Poem: from Abigail to Daddy
"Daddy's Hand" by Betty Loosemore
When I was just a child and
you would hold my hand
I didn't have a worry
I didn't understand
And I grew and
learned to stand up on my own
Sometimes I was scared and
I felt all alone
But then there you were standing by my side
you held my hand again and
taught me not to hide
I am older now and wiser now
now I understand
The strength that lines within me
came from Daddy's hand
When I was just a child and
you would hold my hand
I didn't have a worry
I didn't understand
And I grew and
learned to stand up on my own
Sometimes I was scared and
I felt all alone
But then there you were standing by my side
you held my hand again and
taught me not to hide
I am older now and wiser now
now I understand
The strength that lines within me
came from Daddy's hand
Friday, August 1, 2008
Our last morning we went to Boulder again (not Mount Sanitas!) to a trail called Royal Arches. We had a great morning hike to the end of the trail at the, yep, you guessed it, Royal Arch. It was a beautiful day and a fun hike. The Royal Arch was pretty amazing too. We ate lunch at the same park and watched the same kids play and run and laugh. After that we went back to the hotel to pack up everything to go home.
We had to check out by 2 pm and our flight was at 7 pm and we were not sure what to do in between. We decided, though, that driving around was not a good idea so we just headed to the airport. This is a tricky decision with a one-year old, we learned the hard way. I fell asleep on the 30-minute drive to the airport and was not ready to wake up when we arrived. Of course, we were at the car rental return and we could not drive away again for me to sleep. So, we went into the airport, were all checked in and through security by 3:15. We ate "dinner" and from then it was a blur of walking from one end of the terminal to the other, me crawling all around and Mommy and Daddy following me. I loved to hear my squeals echo in the terminal so practiced my voice as much as possible. Because I had not slept I was pretty tired, but who can sleep with so much activity going on? Mommy danced with me (practicing the Waltz routine that she and Daddy learned for their wedding), Daddy walked with me, Mommy crawled with me and Daddy sat with me.
By the time we got on the plane we were all a bit tired. There was an 8 month old boy across from us named Conrad. He too was tired but not ready to sleep. He fussed and jumped and lunged on his dad and mom the entire flight. I finally fell asleep (after much crying and eye rubbing and fussing and singing by Mommy and Daddy and the nice lady in front of us). The plane was a little delayed because of heat and weight. It was not clear to us how this all related but it seemed very serious to the flight attendants as they were moving people and bags around the plane to get us balanced. I did sleep for much of the flight and again did not notice any issues with my ears. I was sad when I woke up, though, because it was very late and I did not want to be awake. So, I cried and Mommy, Daddy and the nice lady in front of us sang again.
The bags magically arrived on that belt again, but it took some time since they were probably sleepy too and were not moving as fast as they were on the way to Denver. I nodded off again in the car on the way home. I was sure glad to be in my own car seat with Dolly too. Daddy got us home safely, Mommy changed me and put me straight to bed at 1:15 am.
As Mommy and Daddy almost always do, they completely unpacked their bags, sorted the mail and put everything away that night.
Although we originally called this our "Denver Vacation," we actually never went into the city of Denver, so we should name it something better. Maybe we should call it "Family fun in the mountains and the pool." Or maybe call it "Many firsts; Colorado, Rocky Mountains, Cheyenne, Rodeo, Swimming, and the "super cold" Coors tour" or maybe "To the mountains and then to the pool." Whatever we call it, I am glad we did it. Everyone should be as blessed as we are to be able to take a trip like this one.
We had to check out by 2 pm and our flight was at 7 pm and we were not sure what to do in between. We decided, though, that driving around was not a good idea so we just headed to the airport. This is a tricky decision with a one-year old, we learned the hard way. I fell asleep on the 30-minute drive to the airport and was not ready to wake up when we arrived. Of course, we were at the car rental return and we could not drive away again for me to sleep. So, we went into the airport, were all checked in and through security by 3:15. We ate "dinner" and from then it was a blur of walking from one end of the terminal to the other, me crawling all around and Mommy and Daddy following me. I loved to hear my squeals echo in the terminal so practiced my voice as much as possible. Because I had not slept I was pretty tired, but who can sleep with so much activity going on? Mommy danced with me (practicing the Waltz routine that she and Daddy learned for their wedding), Daddy walked with me, Mommy crawled with me and Daddy sat with me.
By the time we got on the plane we were all a bit tired. There was an 8 month old boy across from us named Conrad. He too was tired but not ready to sleep. He fussed and jumped and lunged on his dad and mom the entire flight. I finally fell asleep (after much crying and eye rubbing and fussing and singing by Mommy and Daddy and the nice lady in front of us). The plane was a little delayed because of heat and weight. It was not clear to us how this all related but it seemed very serious to the flight attendants as they were moving people and bags around the plane to get us balanced. I did sleep for much of the flight and again did not notice any issues with my ears. I was sad when I woke up, though, because it was very late and I did not want to be awake. So, I cried and Mommy, Daddy and the nice lady in front of us sang again.
The bags magically arrived on that belt again, but it took some time since they were probably sleepy too and were not moving as fast as they were on the way to Denver. I nodded off again in the car on the way home. I was sure glad to be in my own car seat with Dolly too. Daddy got us home safely, Mommy changed me and put me straight to bed at 1:15 am.
As Mommy and Daddy almost always do, they completely unpacked their bags, sorted the mail and put everything away that night.
Although we originally called this our "Denver Vacation," we actually never went into the city of Denver, so we should name it something better. Maybe we should call it "Family fun in the mountains and the pool." Or maybe call it "Many firsts; Colorado, Rocky Mountains, Cheyenne, Rodeo, Swimming, and the "super cold" Coors tour" or maybe "To the mountains and then to the pool." Whatever we call it, I am glad we did it. Everyone should be as blessed as we are to be able to take a trip like this one.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Another key learning for us. Colorado Springs is not fun enough to drive 1 1/2 hours, especially after such a great hiking day in the mountains. And especially after Daddy has been driving and Mommy has been wayfinding all week. Today was not our most fun day. We started with our same routine then headed out (have you noticed that we are routine people?). I slept a bit on the way "there," but unfortunately the "end point" was not that cool and it was too hot and late to hike. So, we drove through the Garden of the Gods park. This park has lots of tall read rocks that people named based on a general shape they saw in them. Kinda like how people name shapes of clouds? But the rocks don't move as quickly as the clouds so you can keep the same name for a really long time, like in this park. We took a short walk through the park (so short that I did not even get into the backpack). I was mainly interested in one of my new favorite things, Ritz crackers. I know what the bag looked like and where Daddy had them (in his pocket) and I am pretty good at grunting for what I want. I drank a little of my bottle and we were off to the next "end point." If I knew we would just be driving around I would have drank more of the bottle at one time. After what seemed like hours of driving and Mommy and Daddy having tense conversations about what to do next, we stopped at the Helen Hunt Waterful (not the Helen Hunt actress from tv). It was pretty but kinda small in comparision to the waterfalls we saw in the Rocky Mountain National Park, and it was pretty hot and dusty there. We just stopped for a minute and we did not even walk up the trail. I was getting pretty tired and bored too.
We did go to a playground next which was pretty fun. We ate our packed lunch, which for me included Ritz crackers and a few Pringles that I snuck from the container before Daddy could get them from me. There were lots of kids playing at this park too so we enjoyed watching them run and play and laugh. Mommy then took me to swing, which I love, and some kids even came over to talk to me and help me swing too. Guess what we did next? We got in the car and started driving. This did not make me happy and I told my parents all about it. I guess I fell asleep for awhile and when I woke up, guess what? We were still driving.
The day did get better and all it took was a little "super cold" Coors Light. We stopped in Golden on the way home to take the free brewery tour and tasting. We did need to wait for a little while for the bus (who knew that it would be so popular that people would wait like at King's Island to get in?). It wasn't too long and I drank a bottle while we waited (no silly, not a beer bottle, not even a "3.2 beer," I had one of my bottles). Mommy did not bring her wallet on the trip because the first day she left her purse in the truck and had a very bad moment when she thought it was stolen, so from then on she left her purse at the hotel. She was a little worried that they would not let her get her free taste at the end of the tour but the man was very nice and figured that she looked 21 so gave her a wrist band anyway. Daddy said that they check IDs to make sure people don't keep coming back for the free beer over and over again and that she did not look like the type so they let her in. Hmm, Daddy always has a good point like that. Anyway, the tour was very quick, mainly because Mommy and Daddy skipped most of it and went to the "tasting lounge" ahead of many people. We got into another line to get our free taste (not me, I did not have a wrist band). Soon enough they were tasting Blue Moon and Blue Moon Honey. Everyone gets 3 free tastes so as soon as we got the first one we got right back in line for the 2nd one. Daddy has said that he does not know why people stand in line for Kings Island rides, but this line must have been worth it because we did it three times! Everyone at the Coors tour loved me too. I met lots of new people and even a 10-month old from Canada who was on her first brewery tour too. The third drink they got was "super cold" Coors Light, the same Coors Light beer that is kept 10 degrees colder than usual. I don't know what the usual temperature is, but I know when were on the top of the mountain and it was cooler we had to put our jackets on, so this must be cold. Don't worry, these were not big glasses so Daddy was still in good shape to drive and Mommy to wayfind. We even got presents at the gift shop! I got a stuffed moose that has writing on it "Moosin' around Colorado" on it. I love him and have already chewed his head.
When we got back, Mommy and I went swimming again and Daddy went to Wal-Mart (you got it, again) for dinner food. We were the only ones in the pool again too. I found a new interest, the bubbles we make when we moved back and forth really fast. I tried to touch them with my finger but they disappeared too quickly to pick them up. I found the water jets too, although I did not understand how they worked or why I could not get my mouth to them.
We had a quiet night with dinner in our room (burgers, brats, peas, spinach, whatever we had in the fridge). We got everything ready for our last day because we decided that we should do more hiking and no more driving around.
We did go to a playground next which was pretty fun. We ate our packed lunch, which for me included Ritz crackers and a few Pringles that I snuck from the container before Daddy could get them from me. There were lots of kids playing at this park too so we enjoyed watching them run and play and laugh. Mommy then took me to swing, which I love, and some kids even came over to talk to me and help me swing too. Guess what we did next? We got in the car and started driving. This did not make me happy and I told my parents all about it. I guess I fell asleep for awhile and when I woke up, guess what? We were still driving.
The day did get better and all it took was a little "super cold" Coors Light. We stopped in Golden on the way home to take the free brewery tour and tasting. We did need to wait for a little while for the bus (who knew that it would be so popular that people would wait like at King's Island to get in?). It wasn't too long and I drank a bottle while we waited (no silly, not a beer bottle, not even a "3.2 beer," I had one of my bottles). Mommy did not bring her wallet on the trip because the first day she left her purse in the truck and had a very bad moment when she thought it was stolen, so from then on she left her purse at the hotel. She was a little worried that they would not let her get her free taste at the end of the tour but the man was very nice and figured that she looked 21 so gave her a wrist band anyway. Daddy said that they check IDs to make sure people don't keep coming back for the free beer over and over again and that she did not look like the type so they let her in. Hmm, Daddy always has a good point like that. Anyway, the tour was very quick, mainly because Mommy and Daddy skipped most of it and went to the "tasting lounge" ahead of many people. We got into another line to get our free taste (not me, I did not have a wrist band). Soon enough they were tasting Blue Moon and Blue Moon Honey. Everyone gets 3 free tastes so as soon as we got the first one we got right back in line for the 2nd one. Daddy has said that he does not know why people stand in line for Kings Island rides, but this line must have been worth it because we did it three times! Everyone at the Coors tour loved me too. I met lots of new people and even a 10-month old from Canada who was on her first brewery tour too. The third drink they got was "super cold" Coors Light, the same Coors Light beer that is kept 10 degrees colder than usual. I don't know what the usual temperature is, but I know when were on the top of the mountain and it was cooler we had to put our jackets on, so this must be cold. Don't worry, these were not big glasses so Daddy was still in good shape to drive and Mommy to wayfind. We even got presents at the gift shop! I got a stuffed moose that has writing on it "Moosin' around Colorado" on it. I love him and have already chewed his head.
When we got back, Mommy and I went swimming again and Daddy went to Wal-Mart (you got it, again) for dinner food. We were the only ones in the pool again too. I found a new interest, the bubbles we make when we moved back and forth really fast. I tried to touch them with my finger but they disappeared too quickly to pick them up. I found the water jets too, although I did not understand how they worked or why I could not get my mouth to them.
We had a quiet night with dinner in our room (burgers, brats, peas, spinach, whatever we had in the fridge). We got everything ready for our last day because we decided that we should do more hiking and no more driving around.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
On Wednesday morning, we did our normal routine (look back to Monday if you want the details). Before we headed out, we did have an incident, though. If I was at school there would have been an "incident report." I had just finished nursing on the bed with Mommy and went "tearing across" to the other side. I lunged for the table next to the bed and fell and bonked my face and head on it and fell on the ground. Mommy felt really bad because it happened so fast she could not catch me. I cried a little but then was okay. I do have a bruise on my face and above my eye. And no, I do not like cold things on my face, even if they are supposed to make me feel better. Mommy and Daddy are open to suggestions on how to help me better like cold things on my face if anyone has them.
Our amazing adventure today was our 4-hour, 9+ mile hike in the Rocky Mountain National Forest. My bonk on my head did not bother me at all and I was a real trooper! There were lots and lots of people on the trails, but we are pretty fast (you might remember that Mommy is called "Fast Walker") so most everyone knew to get to the side so we could pass. There was one woman who was very bitter, we don't know why, but Mommy said we should pray for her for being so full of anger in such a beautiful place. And no, Mommy was not being aggressive, this woman had issues. Enought about that. On our hike we saw snow-capped peaks, streams, five lakes and lots of trees and rocks! At the beginning we went up, up, up! We climbed over 1,000 feet in elevation. This isn't just like going up steps, the trails have rocks and roots and even though they are well marked, you really need to watch your step. Instead of going back the same way we came, we went a longer way back and we were glad that we did. There were still many people but the views were different and we saw other really cool lakes. We stopped at a lake and had our lunch on a big rock. It can be chilly up in the mountains so it is good that we bought a cool Colorade sweatshirt for me that I could wear on a hike like this. We heard a young boy say it well, "the longer the hike the better the view." We experienced that because we were hiking until 4 pm that day!
Once we were back at the hotel Mommy got our suits on us and she and I went right into the pool. It was quite a hot day and the pool was very refreshing. We had it all to ourselves too. Mommy just loved wading in the pool with me. She helped me kick and kick and did some "push off the wall" moves that made fun waves. Daddy went to Wal-Mart (again) to get brats and a bag-o-salad for dinner. He joined us when he got back and we all waded together. It was like the private Connor pool club (except for the many hotel guests who walked by because the pool is right by the front entrance). After our refreshing swim I got my bath and then stood by the tub while Mommy took her shower. I kinda got another cleansing because my head got all wet from sticking it into the shower. I actually did this earlier in the week but forgot to tell you. I guess it was cute because Daddy took a picture of me.
Our amazing adventure today was our 4-hour, 9+ mile hike in the Rocky Mountain National Forest. My bonk on my head did not bother me at all and I was a real trooper! There were lots and lots of people on the trails, but we are pretty fast (you might remember that Mommy is called "Fast Walker") so most everyone knew to get to the side so we could pass. There was one woman who was very bitter, we don't know why, but Mommy said we should pray for her for being so full of anger in such a beautiful place. And no, Mommy was not being aggressive, this woman had issues. Enought about that. On our hike we saw snow-capped peaks, streams, five lakes and lots of trees and rocks! At the beginning we went up, up, up! We climbed over 1,000 feet in elevation. This isn't just like going up steps, the trails have rocks and roots and even though they are well marked, you really need to watch your step. Instead of going back the same way we came, we went a longer way back and we were glad that we did. There were still many people but the views were different and we saw other really cool lakes. We stopped at a lake and had our lunch on a big rock. It can be chilly up in the mountains so it is good that we bought a cool Colorade sweatshirt for me that I could wear on a hike like this. We heard a young boy say it well, "the longer the hike the better the view." We experienced that because we were hiking until 4 pm that day!
Once we were back at the hotel Mommy got our suits on us and she and I went right into the pool. It was quite a hot day and the pool was very refreshing. We had it all to ourselves too. Mommy just loved wading in the pool with me. She helped me kick and kick and did some "push off the wall" moves that made fun waves. Daddy went to Wal-Mart (again) to get brats and a bag-o-salad for dinner. He joined us when he got back and we all waded together. It was like the private Connor pool club (except for the many hotel guests who walked by because the pool is right by the front entrance). After our refreshing swim I got my bath and then stood by the tub while Mommy took her shower. I kinda got another cleansing because my head got all wet from sticking it into the shower. I actually did this earlier in the week but forgot to tell you. I guess it was cute because Daddy took a picture of me.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
On Tuesday we decided to take another hike, but this time one that was not so steep. We went to the other side of Boulder and walked on the Enchanted Mesa trail. It was only a little hilly and not at all scary. I fell asleep and slept a good part of the hike. We ate lunch under a tree in a park by the trail head where lots of kids were playing. I had a great time watching them run and talk and play. I can't wait until I run and talk and play. But for now I really enjoy being with Mommy and Daddy. Even though they are not as fun as Miss Nancy, Miss Tiesha, Miss Chris and all of my friends at school. But they try and I love them anyway.
When we got back to the hotel I was really tired but did not want to sleep. We hung out for awhile, then started on our way to Golden to go to the Coors Brewery tour. Mommy and Daddy realized that it was too late so we did the next best thing, we went to Costco to look around.
That night we went to the Kaminski's house. Who is this you ask? Jason is one of Daddy's friends from high school and he is married to Katie and their daughter, Kenna, is a few months older than me. We had planned to go out to dinner but as soon as we arrived, Mommy and Katie said in unison "are you thinking what I'm thinking? Let's stay in." So, the daddies went to get the dinner while the girls all played with Kenna's toys. She had many more toys that we brought for me at the hotel, and some I have never seen before. Boy was that fun. Kenna and I shared her milk in her very cool sippy cup that I wanted. I have a feeling that I will have one soon. She also had things called veggie sticks that I really liked too. And I shared a few Ritz crackers with her. Oh, did I mention that my only nap was 30 minutes on the hike this morning? Do you know what is coming next? That night when we got back, I nursed quickly and went straight to bed without a peep!
Yet another good day, with a nice hike and nap, a picnic under a tree, and a new friend.
When we got back to the hotel I was really tired but did not want to sleep. We hung out for awhile, then started on our way to Golden to go to the Coors Brewery tour. Mommy and Daddy realized that it was too late so we did the next best thing, we went to Costco to look around.
That night we went to the Kaminski's house. Who is this you ask? Jason is one of Daddy's friends from high school and he is married to Katie and their daughter, Kenna, is a few months older than me. We had planned to go out to dinner but as soon as we arrived, Mommy and Katie said in unison "are you thinking what I'm thinking? Let's stay in." So, the daddies went to get the dinner while the girls all played with Kenna's toys. She had many more toys that we brought for me at the hotel, and some I have never seen before. Boy was that fun. Kenna and I shared her milk in her very cool sippy cup that I wanted. I have a feeling that I will have one soon. She also had things called veggie sticks that I really liked too. And I shared a few Ritz crackers with her. Oh, did I mention that my only nap was 30 minutes on the hike this morning? Do you know what is coming next? That night when we got back, I nursed quickly and went straight to bed without a peep!
Yet another good day, with a nice hike and nap, a picnic under a tree, and a new friend.
Monday, July 28, 2008
On Monday morning we followed the same routine we had figured out by Sunday; We went to the lobby so Daddy could get ice from the big ice machine (you could lose a small child like me in there!), Mommy could get her (free) cup of coffee and Daddy could get a (free) paper. Then they both took their "Meta power drink." We made breakfast in the room, including eggs and toast and cereal and yogurt. They packed lunches and put what seems like the entire room into our bags and headed out.
This morning we went to Boulder (just 10 minutes away) to hike on the Mount Sanitas trail. To summarize the experience, it was very bumpy and steep and more than we were bargaining for. It was one of those hikes that Daddy would not normally tell Grandma about because it might have been considered a bit dangerous. I was a very good girl though, even as Daddy was carrying me straight up and over a big hill then straight back down. There were some sections on the way down that Mommy just could not watch us. But, Daddy is sure-footed and I was not worried. We made it up and down in about 2 1/2 hours, just in time to have a picnic lunch by the trail head.
I was pretty tired and took a good nap when we got back to the hotel. Mommy went for a manicure and pedicure at "Mimi's" which was just a walk around the corner from the hotel. And Mimi was even the one who helped Mommy, how special is that?
When I woke up we went to Wal-Mart (again) and bought a whole cooked chicken and mac & cheese for another dinner in. Daddy took me to the pool that night and I splashed and played with him. After dinner, we went for a walk to the mall again and I got a new bathing suit and cover-up for our trip to the beach this fall.
Another good day with a pretty intense start and a calm finish.
This morning we went to Boulder (just 10 minutes away) to hike on the Mount Sanitas trail. To summarize the experience, it was very bumpy and steep and more than we were bargaining for. It was one of those hikes that Daddy would not normally tell Grandma about because it might have been considered a bit dangerous. I was a very good girl though, even as Daddy was carrying me straight up and over a big hill then straight back down. There were some sections on the way down that Mommy just could not watch us. But, Daddy is sure-footed and I was not worried. We made it up and down in about 2 1/2 hours, just in time to have a picnic lunch by the trail head.
I was pretty tired and took a good nap when we got back to the hotel. Mommy went for a manicure and pedicure at "Mimi's" which was just a walk around the corner from the hotel. And Mimi was even the one who helped Mommy, how special is that?
When I woke up we went to Wal-Mart (again) and bought a whole cooked chicken and mac & cheese for another dinner in. Daddy took me to the pool that night and I splashed and played with him. After dinner, we went for a walk to the mall again and I got a new bathing suit and cover-up for our trip to the beach this fall.
Another good day with a pretty intense start and a calm finish.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
On Sunday morning we went on a different adventure. We packed the car and headed to Cheyenne Wyoming! It is only 1 1/2 hours from Denver and we could not pass up the chance to visit another state, a capital city and....the country's largest outdoor rodeo called "Frontier Days." It was a new experience for all of us. If you have ever been to a county or state fair you have experienced something like this. But unless you have spent much time in cowboy country like Wyoming, you probably have not seen as many people in jeans, boots, long-sleeved checkered shirts with metal buttons and cowboy hats. Did I mention that it was 95+ degrees? Mommy and Daddy did not fit in with their beige shorts and short-sleeved tops. Luckily, I fit in no matter what I wear. And I even wore my hat for a little while because it was so hot and sunny. No, it was not a cowboy hat.
We opted not to enjoy the full turkey leg but we did have some fine barbeque and baked beans (that tasted more like chili which Daddy does not like). We figured the "baked beans" were left over from the chili cook off from the day before. We were sitting right by the "mechanical bull," a cow-looking toy that moved in all directions. I had such a good time watching boys in cowboy hats (and a little girl who was a bit bigger than me) ride it and then fall off, then everyone cheered. It made me question the toy horses we see at the grocery store though, no one cheers and no one falls off of those. I will have to look more closely next time we go shopping. After we watched this interesting "fall off" toy, we walked through the mass of cowboy hats, long-sleeved shirts and jeans. On the way out we posed for a funny picture behind some bars in a wall. Mommy and Daddy called it a "jail." I wonder if jail is a fun place because they thought it was neat for us to go in and take a picture.
By that time I was pretty tired! I did not fall asleep in the car right away so we stopped in Fort Collins to see Colorado State. It was a pretty quiet town on a Sunday, maybe this is why it is listed as one of the best small towns to live in one of Daddy's magazines. Anyway, it was much different than the Frontier Days we had just visited. Before we found our way to the cool historic downtown area (like the one in Boulder), I said I had enough so we drove back. You will have that sometimes, won't you.
You'll never guess what we did when we got back to the hotel! I went swimming for the very first time. Mommy walked right in the pool with me and I loved it. I loved it so much that I did not want to get out. There was another family in the pool with a 4 year old and a 6 month old. They were moving from Chicago to live here (not in the hotel, in a house near here). Of course Mommy started talking to them and found out that their mommy (Jen Riser) grew up in Dayton and knew our friends Kristy and Mollie. How fun that we were in a whole new state (Colorado) and met someone from our state (Ohio, if you did not remember). We all splashed and played in the pool while Daddy made steaks on the grill. Oh yeah, Daddy and Mommy decided that because it is not very fun for me to eat out that we would eat in as much as possible, so tonight they had steaks. They had corn on the cob and we all shared cheesy broccoli too. They drank their special wine that Daddy bought at the real alcohol store too. Like they always do, they talked about what a fine meal they had and how much it would cost if they ate out. And since I don't like to eat out that much, now they talk about how much more they can enjoy the meal.
It was a very good day, including a new state and a new experience of swimming!
We opted not to enjoy the full turkey leg but we did have some fine barbeque and baked beans (that tasted more like chili which Daddy does not like). We figured the "baked beans" were left over from the chili cook off from the day before. We were sitting right by the "mechanical bull," a cow-looking toy that moved in all directions. I had such a good time watching boys in cowboy hats (and a little girl who was a bit bigger than me) ride it and then fall off, then everyone cheered. It made me question the toy horses we see at the grocery store though, no one cheers and no one falls off of those. I will have to look more closely next time we go shopping. After we watched this interesting "fall off" toy, we walked through the mass of cowboy hats, long-sleeved shirts and jeans. On the way out we posed for a funny picture behind some bars in a wall. Mommy and Daddy called it a "jail." I wonder if jail is a fun place because they thought it was neat for us to go in and take a picture.
By that time I was pretty tired! I did not fall asleep in the car right away so we stopped in Fort Collins to see Colorado State. It was a pretty quiet town on a Sunday, maybe this is why it is listed as one of the best small towns to live in one of Daddy's magazines. Anyway, it was much different than the Frontier Days we had just visited. Before we found our way to the cool historic downtown area (like the one in Boulder), I said I had enough so we drove back. You will have that sometimes, won't you.
You'll never guess what we did when we got back to the hotel! I went swimming for the very first time. Mommy walked right in the pool with me and I loved it. I loved it so much that I did not want to get out. There was another family in the pool with a 4 year old and a 6 month old. They were moving from Chicago to live here (not in the hotel, in a house near here). Of course Mommy started talking to them and found out that their mommy (Jen Riser) grew up in Dayton and knew our friends Kristy and Mollie. How fun that we were in a whole new state (Colorado) and met someone from our state (Ohio, if you did not remember). We all splashed and played in the pool while Daddy made steaks on the grill. Oh yeah, Daddy and Mommy decided that because it is not very fun for me to eat out that we would eat in as much as possible, so tonight they had steaks. They had corn on the cob and we all shared cheesy broccoli too. They drank their special wine that Daddy bought at the real alcohol store too. Like they always do, they talked about what a fine meal they had and how much it would cost if they ate out. And since I don't like to eat out that much, now they talk about how much more they can enjoy the meal.
It was a very good day, including a new state and a new experience of swimming!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
On Saturday morning I got up early, although it did not feel early to me. I wonder if this is the "time difference" thing that Trekker told me about. Anyway, Daddy and Mommy packed up what seemed like the entire room and we left. We drove through Boulder and stopped at Estes Park, the last city before the entrance of the Rocky Mountain National Park. I slept most of the drive because I was tired from getting up early. I am still like I was from the beginning when Mommy and I used to walk when she was home with me, so I woke up when the car stopped at the visitors' center. After a quick stop we were off, up the mountain indeed! We drove up the curvy mountain road (called Trail Ridge Road) to 12,000 feet! That is really high for those of you who do not know, literally in the clouds. We stopped there for our first hike. We had such a good time. Daddy and Mommy love to hike. I heard them talking (before I fell asleep again) about how much they love to hike and why. They love it because it's peaceful. Even though there were other people on the trail, they had a sense that we were alone. They love the majesty of the mountains. They see God in the beauty and perfectness of how everything comes together. They love the contrast of walking in nature to our everyday lives. Of course they always love a good workout too! And they love to share it all with each other and now with me. They were saying that they hope I will enjoy and appreciate the outdoors as I get older so we can continue to hike and play as I grow up.
We ate lunch we packed after our hike and continued up the mountain to its highest point (12,090 feet!). Around every corner there was another beautiful snow-capped peak or a deep, green valley. Of course I saw this all looking out the back window because I have to face backwards in the car seat still. At the rate I am growing (10th percentile in weight), I will be 4 feet tall before I can turn around in my seat! It was still pretty, though. We were headed to the other side of the mountain to a place called Grand Lake where our friend Megan's parents have a store and a house. All was going well until we ran into a traffic jam. Apparently they were working on the road and a construction truck broke down in the middle of crossing it. They finally got it going but we were there long enough to get out of the car and hang out for awhile. Grand Lake is a beautiful place and Megan's parents (Beth and Jay) are really great. We went to their house where I got to crawl all around. This is what I do at school every day, not spend my time driving around. We walked to the lake and got some ice cream. Yes, Mommy and I shared it, Daddy did not have any. There were rain clouds all around (literally, we could see the rain coming out of the clouds like a shower!). It didn't rain on us but we figured it was time to go because I was getting tired and needed a good car ride nap. We drove the south side of the park and when through a couple of famous ski resort towns like Granby and Winter Park. The funniest thing happened on the way. Daddy stopped to let a couple cross the street and realized that they were on the elevator with us in the Denver airport. What are the chances of that happening? My ears popped coming down the mountain (funny because they did not pop coming down from the airplane) and I cried and cried. Mommy frantically tried to find a way for us to go on the map and Daddy looked for an exit we could get off. Finally I went back to sleep, Mommy found our way and Daddy followed the directions to get us home.
That night we went to a "micro brewery" which means small brewery with beer with fancy names. It was called CB Pots and it too was just a walking distance from our hotel. It was pretty good but after a day in the car, this girl was ready to crawl! Daddy and Mommy ate quickly and we were on our way. We took a stroll through the open air mall (also near our hotel) and then headed home for the night..
We ate lunch we packed after our hike and continued up the mountain to its highest point (12,090 feet!). Around every corner there was another beautiful snow-capped peak or a deep, green valley. Of course I saw this all looking out the back window because I have to face backwards in the car seat still. At the rate I am growing (10th percentile in weight), I will be 4 feet tall before I can turn around in my seat! It was still pretty, though. We were headed to the other side of the mountain to a place called Grand Lake where our friend Megan's parents have a store and a house. All was going well until we ran into a traffic jam. Apparently they were working on the road and a construction truck broke down in the middle of crossing it. They finally got it going but we were there long enough to get out of the car and hang out for awhile. Grand Lake is a beautiful place and Megan's parents (Beth and Jay) are really great. We went to their house where I got to crawl all around. This is what I do at school every day, not spend my time driving around. We walked to the lake and got some ice cream. Yes, Mommy and I shared it, Daddy did not have any. There were rain clouds all around (literally, we could see the rain coming out of the clouds like a shower!). It didn't rain on us but we figured it was time to go because I was getting tired and needed a good car ride nap. We drove the south side of the park and when through a couple of famous ski resort towns like Granby and Winter Park. The funniest thing happened on the way. Daddy stopped to let a couple cross the street and realized that they were on the elevator with us in the Denver airport. What are the chances of that happening? My ears popped coming down the mountain (funny because they did not pop coming down from the airplane) and I cried and cried. Mommy frantically tried to find a way for us to go on the map and Daddy looked for an exit we could get off. Finally I went back to sleep, Mommy found our way and Daddy followed the directions to get us home.
That night we went to a "micro brewery" which means small brewery with beer with fancy names. It was called CB Pots and it too was just a walking distance from our hotel. It was pretty good but after a day in the car, this girl was ready to crawl! Daddy and Mommy ate quickly and we were on our way. We took a stroll through the open air mall (also near our hotel) and then headed home for the night..
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