Memorial Monday

This post is going to be a bit of an emotional sandwich.  Somber at the beginning, silly in the middle, and sad at the end.

I hope you have all had a fabulous Memorial Day!  I'd like to thank my friend,Vanessa (a reserve Marine), for posting the following status on Facebook this morning:

It bothers me when people celebrate this holiday for the wrong reasons. Many people close to me have gone overseas & thankfully have made it back, but it's the ones who have made the ultimate scarifice my heart really goes out to. Just please remember why you're all having your cookouts & what not so freely today.

Great reminder, 'Nessa!  My family did take time today to remember men and women all over the world who have given their lives so that others can live in freedom.

We also took some time to enjoy each other's company and celebrate the (unofficial) return of summer.  This evening, Mommy, Daddy, Auntie, Mimi, Poppy, and I all went over to Gramma and Grampa's house for a yummy kabob dinner and some splishy splash time!  Of course, every visit to Gramma and Grampa's must start out with a thorough inspection of the contents of their toy box.  I am happy to report that everything was in working order!

(Thanks for the cutie dress, Zsa!)

After dinner, we headed outside for that aforementioned splishy splash time.  Here I am executing my carefully planned approach to the activity pool...

and we have contact!  It didn't take me long at all to figure out that this thing is a blast.

It even doubles as a water fountain!

In between splashes, I enjoyed chillin' in the big people lawn chairs.  I'm really into sitting in big people chairs right now!

 I sure am going to get a lot of use out of that water wonderland this summer!

On a much heavier note, Mommy was saddened this morning when she found out that the father of one of her former students passed away over the weekend. This man was a wonderful daddy, and Mommy knows that his family is very heartbroken right now.  They have been in her prayers throughout the day today...and she knows that they would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for them, too.

Sunday Best

Whoowee! We sure did have one busy Sunday around here.

This morning, Mommy made a return to teaching preschool children's church after an 18 month hiatus. She was asked to be the teacher on the 5th Sunday of the month, so she'll actually only be in there 4 times a year. Sounds easy peasy, right? She thought so, too...until about 9 o'clock this morning. That's when she started to get really nervous. Turns out there was nothing to be nervous about, though. She got right back into the groove of things, and the 3, 4, and 5 year old kiddos followed suit.

This morning's preschool lesson came from Mark 10:13-16. Mommy really enjoyed teaching about how Jesus loves children and singing "Jesus Loves Me" and "Jesus Loves the Little Children" with her students. Her favorite part of the morning was asking each student if Jesus loved them and watching smiles spread across their faces as they confidentally answered "yes".

After morning worship, we headed to a campground a few miles away from our church for a little Memorial Day picnic. It was hot, hot, hot out there! Gramma helped me cool down with her nifty little spray fan.

Even though I was sweating profusely and my face was super flushed, I had a great time playing with my friends and exploring the great outdoors.

Nap time was calling, though, so I had to bow out of the picnic a little early. Mommy and Auntie were burning up, too, so I don't think they really minded making a quick getaway.

After everyone in my house (puppies included) took a nice nap, we loaded up the car and headed to Dallas to meet Aunt Zsa and cousin Candace for an April/May/June birthday celebration. Mommy took the camera along, but didn't manage to get one single picture of our time together. She'll have to borrow a few from Zsa...Zsa never forgets to take pictures.

I hope your Memorial Sunday was just as fun, but not nearly as hot, as ours!

The Change

In response to the guesses as to what big change is coming to my house:

Sometimes Mommy thinks she's going to pull her hair out with the two doggies who already live in our house...so I won't be getting a new pet anytime soon (although Daddy would love to have a weimaraner).

I can't pull my own pants off yet and don't go for very long without a wet diaper...so Mommy's thinking I'm no where near ready to potty train.

And I loooove my crib and haven't tried to climb out of it...so no big girl bed for me in the foreseeable future.

The big change coming to my house is that Mommy will be going back to the classroom fulltime next school year. <------That's not a period.  It's half of an exclamation point.  Because the fact that Mommy will be going back to work has been very hard on her...but she is starting to get excited about the challenge.

One reason this change is so huge is that Mommy's 6 years of teaching experience have all been in the same district, school, grade, and classroom.  When she goes to work in August, though, all that will (say it with me, now) change.  She'll be in a completely new grade, in a new school, in a new district, in a new city.

 For a Mommy who greatly values routine and continuity, that's a whole lot of new!

Change is Coming

Can you guess what big change is coming to this Bug's life?

(No, it's not that!)

Sleepover

Last weekend, Mommy and Daddy's young adult group took a little camping trip.  Since it was a "no children allowed" trip, I got to spend the night with Mimi and Poppy for the first time...and boy did they wear me out!  Mimi and Poppy kept my schedule so full that I didn't even have time to miss my parents.  Here are a few of the fun things we did:

Went to the Dallas Zoo...

 

where I rode a carousel for the first time...

and used my trusty Dallas Zoo map to help Poppy navigate.

Met "Aunt" Tara, Preston, and Ian at the fountains of Uptown Village....

where Preston decided I needed a faux hawk...

and I had a screamin' good time playing in the water.

And played at Mimi and Poppy's house, where I tried on Poppy's shirt...

explored the fountain...

got lots of cuddle time...

and chilled in the sink after my bath.

Thanks for letting me stay with you, Mimi and Poppy!  I had a great time!

Two. Two. Two Firsts in One.

Mommy and Daddy decided that today was the day for my first ever haircut!

I know, I know. You're probably thinking, "Haircut? What hair did they cut?"...and those are two very valid questions. However, a plethora of hair is not required to necessitate a little snip of the scissors. All it really takes is a fine layer of uneven locks. Locks like these:

See that big yellow taxi I'm sitting in?  I was super excited about that thing!  Sitting in it was so much fun...until the hair stylist pulled out the water bottle.  And I turned on the water works.

(Cooper was right.  That thing is scary!)

Thankfully, Cool Cuts 4 Kids keeps a nice stock of suckers for just such meltdowns.  Which leads us to my second first of the day...my first ever taste of candy!

That thing was distracting and delicious.

In the end, I walked out of the salon with a slightly shorter, but much more even, hair do.

I'm thinking this is the look for me!

Sunday Best

(First two lines to be read in Cheri Oteri/Will Ferrell Spartan cheerleader fashion.)

Who's that smiling in the church nursery?

It's me, it's me!

Mommy and Daddy are beyond thrilled that I have not shed one nursery-related tear in the past 3 weeks. Honestly, I don't know why it took me 14+ months to decide that it really isn't so bad. Where else can you go to play with a handful of friends, explore cool toys, eat goldfish to your heart's delight, and sing songs to worship God all at once?

Here's something (or someone) else that thrilled Mommy and Daddy this weekend.  It's our friend, Staci!

Staci is Auntie's bestest ever friend, like a little sister to Mommy, Karsyn's for real aunt, and a constant source of happiness.  Unfortunately, this ray of sunshine currently live 5.5 hours away from my family.  She came into town to go camping with our church's young adult group this weekend, though, so I got to spend a little bit of QT with her.  We sure will miss her when she leaves tomorrow morning!

What a Difference a Year Makes (sort of)

For reasons unbeknownst to Mommy, I have decided that my tummy time mat is a great toddler toy. 

Last Wednesday, I spied the mat peeking out of the back of my closet.  My pointer finger instantly shot towards that brightly colored contraption while my mouth uttered "baby, baby, baby".  It took Mommy a while to figure out what I was asking for (since she didn't see any babies crawling around my closet), but eventually she figured it out.  When she put the mat on the floor, I shot towards it for some serious play time.

And this pattern has continued every day since. 

Mommy is not sure why I am so fascinated with this old toy.  Nor can she figure out how I knew it was for a baby.  But she does think it's cute to watch me find new ways to play with my old friend...and she certainly can't complain about not getting her money's worth out of this piece of baby gear!

One year ago today, this was little 'ol me...

and one year later I'm still chillin' with the play mat.

Splish, splash I was takin' a bath*

Lest you think my fun quota is filled entirely by Daddy, here are a few pics of some fun Mommy and I had last weekend.

That's right.  Mommy threw on her bathing suit and jumped in the bath with me on Friday night.  She hasn't done that since the very first time I took a bath in the big girl tub.

Squirting Mr. Turtle is a bath time tradition in our house.

And when it comes to teeth brushing, this is how we do it.

*Do any 80's babies out there remember this song from Sesame Street?

Rain, rain on my face

You've probably figured out that Daddy is a bit more laid back than Mommy. So it should not take you by suprise to hear that he let me play outside yesterday during a rainstorm.

Well, truthfully, he took me out on the patio thinking I would just want to watch the rain come down. When I became brave and ventured out beyond the protective covering of our awning, though, he sure didn't stop me!

He even let me play on my swing for a while!

Isn't he great?

Daddy isn't just laid back, though.  He's also thoughtful.  He switched out my wet clothes for a dry hooded towel as soon as we came inside.

Fashionista

Over the last week or so, I have developed an appetite for apparel. Every time one of my grownups folds the laundry, I find pieces of clothing I just have to try on. Once the clothes are on, I typically want to wear them around the house for a while. You know, just long enough to necessitate a direct return to the dirty laundry pile.

Mommy's "Sometimes Y" t-shirt may not be beautiful, but it is quite humorous. 

Auntie's brown ribbed tank makes a stunning low cut dress.  I think this one would be perfect for a beach vacation.

On the more formal side, her black skirt doubles as a fabulous opera cape.

Accessories must not be forgotten!

I paired this pajama shirt with my purple and white striped dress for an ecclectic look.  Works well, don't you think?

Mommy wasn't suprised when she came home from subbing last week to find me in the outfit above.  She was, however, suprised to find out that Daddy let me wear it to Home Depot! 

It's obvious where my creative genes come from.

Latest Stats

My 15 Month Well Baby visit with the pediatrician was yesterday, and guess what? 

I'm a well baby!

I had a great time exploring the toys and murals in the waiting room.  Mommy and Daddy are glad, though, that we've never had to sit out there for more than 5 mintues.

 

My doctor was especially proud of the gains I've made in the weight department. I'm still a teeny tot, but I sure did move up 4 percentile points!

Here are my stats:

Weight- 19 lbs 15.5 oz (10th percentile)

Height- 31.5 in (80th percentile)

Head- 18.25 in (60th percentile)

Mommy asked Dr. Hull what she thought about the possibility of it not being a good idea to delay introducing high allergen foods to toddlers. Dr. Hull said she has been hearing a lot about this idea, and that in countries with a peanut-heavy diet (Thailand, for instance) there is a very low incidence of peanut allergies. With this information in mind (and knowing that our family does not have a history of peanut allergies), Dr. Hull gave me the green light for peanut butter! Mommy is super stoked about this development...that woman just loves her PB.

Dr. Hull also talked to Mommy and Daddy about how I was doing with discipline. They told her that I respond pretty well to "no", "uh uh", and redirection...but that I do throw little fits when I am extra frustrated.

"The fits only last for a few seconds, though, " Mommy proudly declared.

Dr. Hull's response was, "Really? Huh. Well, they'll get longer."

If my reaction to Mommy making me come inside for a bath tonight is any indication...that pediatrician is one smart cookie.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things: Board Book Edition

In Mommy and my shared opinion, asking us to choose a favorite book is kind of like asking a mother to choose her favorite child. Impossible.

But, since this week's Show Us Your Life topic on Kelly's Korner is "Favorite Books", we thought we'd give it a try.

Mommy and I are big fans of classic childrens' books, such as "Goodnight Moon" and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear".  But since you probably already know about those books, we thought we'd show off some of our not-so-classic favorites here.

Mommy and I read "Baby Giggles" on a daily basis for most of my first year. Neither of us tired of it, though, because the photographs and text are super fun.

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Mommy was given these two books at one of her baby showers. Her first impression of them was that they were cheesy and cheap...boy was she wrong! These books are very enjoyable to read, and the pictures have lots of familiar objects for me to point at.

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Four few years ago at a baby book shower, a city librarian introduced Mommy to the work of childrens' book author Leslie Patricelli. Mommy was instantly attracted to her cutie illustrations and juxtaposed text of opposite concepts.  "BIG Little" was actually the first book Mommy ever read to me, but I didn't really start to enjoy these books until the last few months.

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"Tiny Bear's Bible" is the best Bible Mommy and I have seen for babies and young toddlers.  It has short, rhythmic accounts of several Old and New Testament narratives, the Lord's Prayer, and Jesus' declaration to never leave or forsake us.  It holds my attention better than any other toddler Bible we've read.  In fact, I ask to read my "Biba" several times each day.

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I first read "Little One, God Loves You" in our church nursery.  Mommy and I were excited to see it at our local library this week, so we checked it out and brought it home.  It's a really short book, so it does a good job of holding my attention.  Since this book is inspired by Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life concept, it has a page on worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and mission (baby style, of course).

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I hope you can find a book or two to curl up with in the above list! 

Do you know a board book that should be one of my favorite things?