March 9, 2009

Guess What? I am home sick again. This morning I woke up with a fever so I did not go to school. Mommy thinks that maybe I am faking this stuff to stay home. Actually, she wishes that I was faking it so I would not really be sick. But I am sick. Daddy stayed home with me this morning and Mommy came home with me for the afternoon. They have a doctor's appointment for me at 6 pm. I don't like the doctor. I do like to feel better though.

March 8, 2009

This weekend we were supposed to be in Toledo visiting Grandma and Papa. Luckily I am not involved in planning such trips and do not completely understand what Mommy and Daddy are talking about. If I was, I would have been really disappointed that we did not go. But, Wednesday when Mommy picked me up from school, my eyes and nose were running like a waterfall all over my face. While waterfalls are pretty, this did not look very good. I am not coughing like I used to be but it’s really hard when your eyes and nose are running and running! I try to wipe my nose myself and usually end up with it all over my face and into my hair. Mommy and Daddy decided on Friday night that I was not well enough to travel and they did not want to get Grandma and Papa sick. I almost always get them sick when I am sick and we visit. So, we had a nice, quiet weekend together. It was really warm on Saturday so Daddy and Mommy worked in the yard and “opened the patio.” It was cooler today and windy but Mommy and I went for a long walk. We pointed to the trees, doggies, bushes, birds, and even saw ducks at the pond. Mommy has missed our walks outside, there is something so freeing about them that we just don’t get on the treadmill inside. I like the trees, doggies, bushes, birds and even ducks.

I am getting really good at answering questions and use lots and lots of words. Every day on the way to and from school, Mommy and I play the “can you say…” game. I can say everything she asks! We talk about colors, cars, trees, feelings, clothes, body parts like feet and hands and heads and even our family and friends. I tell her what all of the different animals say, like oink for pigs and neigh for horses and moo for cows. We look at the horses and the cows as we pass the farm on the way and we talk about what they are doing and what they say (I don’t think I need to tell you again but it’s neigh for horses and moo for cows).

Anna's Birthday and the Aquarium

My friend Anna turned 2 years old on February 26. Mommy remembers meeting Anna for the first time, it was the day before Mommy and I left for our around the world trip in 2007. I was in Mommy’s belly, of course, but I was there just the same. Mommy can’t believe that it has been two years since then! Mommy thinks that Anna is a wonderful little girl. I think she is nice, especially when she lets me do whatever I want and does not touch any toys when we are together. On Saturday (February 27), Mommy, Kristy, Patrick and I all drove together to Anna’s house for her birthday party. Mommy felt pretty special because it was just Kristy and Teresa’s family and us. I always feel special so it did not mean that much to me. And this time Anna had some toys that I wanted to play with and she would not let me. So I cried. And Mommy tried to talk about something foreign called “sharing.” I cried some more. Anna did let me play with some of her toys and I made sure that if I was not playing with them that I kept a close eye in case she tried to go over to them. She received some nice toys! Patrick liked to help Anna open the gifts, just like he did at my 1st birthday party. She got something that looked like a computer and Patrick showed her how to use it. Actually, I don’t know if she was paying attention, but he seemed to be having a good time. Between that and the five pounds of candy that Patrick ate, it seemed like it was a good party for him. On the way there and the way back we got to watch movies on the tv screen in our “SUV” too. Patrick knows all of the videos and helped explain some of them to me too. Kristy and Mommy talked and talked and talked the whole way there and back. You would think that they would run out of things to say, but I guess not. I hope that someday I will have friends that I will not run out of things to say with.

On Sunday (March1, if you are keeping track), Nana came to visit! And guess what we did? Nana, Daddy, Mommy and I went to a really neat place called the Newport Aquarium! It had lots and lots and lots and lots (really, that many) fish there. I loved to point out the pretty colored fish behind the glass. I did not like to walk under the glass with the fish above me, though, so we had to walk really fast while I ducked during those parts. Daddy and I did not pet the sharks either, but Mommy and Nana did! They were so excited that they accidentally got their sleeves wet. None of us really liked the alligator area with the glass section that we had to walk over the alligators. We did not really like the bird section either. It was kinda smelly and there were birds flying all over. Some people were feeding the birds and the birds were just sitting on the people’s hand! The birds were pretty green but looking at them was fine for me. I loved the penguins! I hope we can go back someday when I get to see one up close. I did not want to walk and did not want Daddy or Mommy to hold me the entire time at the Aquarium, so Nana got an extra workout! She was having such a good time that she did stay for dinner and helped me get a bath and go to bed. A girl can’t ask for much more than that!

Late February 2009

On Tuesday (do I really need to tell you that it was February 17?), our friend Mollie came over to see me and to have dinner with us. I think we have already told you but she and Mommy played volleyball together in high school and then they interned together at Iams. Mollie is really funny and nice and I love her! Mommy actually got to eat her dinner because I wanted Mollie to hold me and play with me the whole time. I even got to stay up later than usual since our friend was here, what a great time!

On Saturday, February 24, our friends Susan and her daughters Julia and Madeleine came to visit us. Even though I don’t like to share very much, I had a really good time. Julia is a “big girl” in my eyes and I loved to watch everything that she was doing. Her little sister, Madeleine, is just a baby and I loved to help her, especially making sure that her “pacy” was safely in her mouth. I know that I work very hard at keeping my pacy in my mouth! On Sunday our friends Jana and Dan came over to see me. As usual, they even brought dinner! Jana wanted to try out a new recipe and you know that Mommy and Daddy are always up for new recipes, especially Jana’s cooking. Jana and Dan are great sports and even got into my tent with me. You might not be able to tell from the pictures but the tent is not very large and my friends were very nice to play in it with me. Until they got into it, my stuffed animals were the usual guests. Who knows what new toy I will encourage them to play with next time they are over!

I have not talked about being sick very much but that is because I have not been as sick as I was last year. But I have been sick. My cough hung on for weeks. It went away, then it came back. After my fun weekend with Susan, Julia, Madeleine, Jana and Dan, I woke up with a fever on Monday morning. Mommy had a couple of conference calls that she could take from home so she stayed with me. Daddy is also in the middle of a really big work project and was leaving on a trip on Wednesday, so it made the most sense to Mommy for her to take the day with me. I was a very good girl the whole day, especially knowing that I did not feel very good. I sat at my high chair and colored for over one hour while Mommy talked to people from work on the phone. I started feeling better so guess what we did? We ran some errands. It felt like old times, when it was just me and Mommy (except I did not always have a fever and I did not walk then). Mommy thought that I would sleep awhile because I was sick but she was wrong. She and I had a fun day, though, and as much as she did not want me to be sick, she said it was fun being home with me. I love being home with Mommy, Daddy and Bella, at least for a few days.

On Wednesday, the day that Daddy went on his trip, Mommy and I helped with the fellowship dinner at our church. The dinner was before the “Ash Wednesday” service that happens every year. Unlike Valentine’s Day, this is always on a Wednesday. I think that there are always ashes too, but I think I need more explanation about this holiday before I give you too many details. I was over being sick but as soon as we arrived, I started coughing. I proceeded to cough the entire hour we were helping. Mommy kept moving me away from people so I would not cough on them or the food. Luckily, there were enough people from Mommy’s committee (called Connections) that we were not needed very much, because I am not sure how much help we really were. We had a delicious meal and then I got to play with my friend from church, Erin, who is one month younger than me. We immediately started playing hide and seek when we saw each other and ran around the gym at the church. Mommy and Erin’s Mommy (Tricia) said that maybe we could play together sometime, that would be really fun! I like going to church, there are lots of people who smile and talk to me and there are always lots of older kids around that I can watch.

Daddy had a good trip but said that he really missed me. He was gone on Wednesday night, which is why I went to church with Mommy, then he got home late on Thursday night. He said that he came into my room to say hello but did not want to wake me up. I am glad that Daddy came home to us safely. I know that when Mommy is around I really want to be with her first, but I hope that Daddy understands that this does not mean I don’t really love him too. I don’t understand how my actions make other people feel (unless it really hurts like when I bite, then I kinda know).

Presidents' Day

We did not go to school or work on Monday (February 16, I hope you are keeping track so I don't have to list the date for every paragraph). This is because we celebrated “President’s Day” and Mommy and Daddy don’t have to go work on that day. We don’t celebrate for President’s Day although I bet we will once I get into school. It seems like there are many holidays in February. Daddy had to get another shot in his back, and this time Mommy could not stay with him because I was with her (since I did not have to go to school since Mommy and Daddy did not go to work). It went okay, as well as a shot in the back can go, I guess. While Daddy was getting his shot, Mommy and I did a little shopping. We bought Valentine's decorations because they were on sale. I can just imagine how great the house will look next year! And the other great thing is I probably will not remember the decorations this year so it will be a fun surprise. After we took Daddy home, Mommy and I did a very fun thing! We went swimming at the Mason Recreation Center. We actually were going to go swimming with Daddy in the morning (before the shot) but the pool was not open yet, so I played in a fun playland just for kids and we took a tour of the place. The experience did not start off that great, Mommy learned the hard way that we need to get ready to swim in the locker room, not by the pool. I was so excited about the water that I started to run towards it. Within one step I slipped and fell back and hit my head. Then I cried. Luckily I am very good at falling and did not hit my head very hard, but it was very scary. Mommy cuddled with me for a few minutes then once I was settled, we headed into the water. This pool is really neat for many reasons. It has something called a “zero entry” area, which means you can walk in like the beach versus having to jump in or go down stairs like most pools. In the shallow area it has really cool pipes that stand up high and water spurts out of them. It has an area that seems like a river with a lizard formation on the middle concrete portion. There is a small slide by the walk-in part but it was too scary for me this time. There is even a big slide that goes round and round for when I get bigger. Mommy carried me into the walk-in area (even though you know I can walk) and we sat and splashed for a bit. Then she carried me all around the pool and we had so much fun! Every time we went around the pretend lizard, I said “hello Lizard” and laughed. We watched the big boys go down the big slide and even watched some bigger girls playing with the water-spouting pipes and the min-slide. After awhile we were chilly so we sat by the side of the pool, cuddled together under our towels. I just watched and watched the kids playing in the pool and did not say a thing. Mommy asked me if I wanted to go back in and this time I was really ready! I had watched enough kids playing that I knew how to do it too. I walked in (did not fall and hit my head this time), I splashed and played and played! We went around the lizard a few more times and enjoyed all of the people at the pool until we were chilly again and it was time to go check on Daddy. If I could get all of the words I have in my head to come out of my mouth, I would have told Daddy and Bella all of the wonderful things I did that day. Someday I will!

February 15, 2009

Sunday, February 15, we met Papaw and Great-Grandmother Betty at a place called Bob Evans for lunch after church. Daddy and I did not go to church, though. Daddy's back still hurts and I think I mentioned that laying on his belly is the best position for him. This does not fit well with church. And because lunch dates are now in the middle of my nap, I stayed home to get an early nap so I would not show all of the signs of wanting to sleep in the middle of Bob's restaurant. You know, Bob Evan. I was a very good girl and ate my lunch, went for walks around the place and ran away from Daddy. Great-Grandmother and Daddy were glad to see me, even if I had so much energy that I did not want to sit at the table.

Valentine's Day

Saturday, February 14th was Valentine's Day. This celebration happens every year, but not always on a Saturday. Mommy is trying to help me get into the holidays by decorating the house in the colors and themes of various holidays. This one is one that we celebrate. We start the "celebration of red" on February 1st when Mommy takes down the snowmen decorations that are up all during January. I think Mommy was glad to take down the snowmen decorations because she was ready for no more snow too. But, she said that some groundhog in a place called "Punxy" (near where Papaw grew up), saw his shadow so we have six more weeks of winter. This, I find very interesting, because I don't know what a groundhog is, I don't know why it matters whether he sees his shadow or not, I actually don't even know how he would see his shadow with how dark the winter seems, and I thought there were six weeks of winter left no matter what this groundhog did. Mommy said that someday we are going to "Punxy" for Groundhog Day (I understand why they call it this even though I don't know why it's a holiday). Papaw seemed pretty excited about it too. I don't think we decorate for Groundhog Day, it seems that Mommy has chosen Valentine's Day for our February decorations.

The weekend we lost Mr. Fancy Pants we were very busy. That was probably very good, since Mommy was pretty sad and the house did not seem the same without him. But, God gave us another gift through Mr. Fancy Pants, by giving us a weekend to be together and to be with Bella. We did not have to rush right back to our school and work, we had a weekend away. Mommy's team also sent us a beautiful plant that Friday, how amazing are they! It was very thoughtful and made Mommy remember yet again how blessed we are.