Pipe Down, Rub-a-Dub!

Yeah, that's right, you heard me. Pipe down!

I know it's been like two weeks since I've posted anything but give me a break. I was totally caught up in the Christmas season and was so busy having a good time and talking to Ellie and listening to my Nativity story that I just couldn't find a second to fill you all in. Lots of great stuff happened but let's cut right to Christmas Eve:

Twas the night before Christmas and as I was saying my good nights to Ellie mom and dad told me that this was the night that Santa was coming with his presents and when he left he'd be taking Ellie with him back to the North Pole. And what that meant was that I wasn't going to see my little Elf friend in the morning and that kind of made me sad. But mom assured me that Ellie would be back next year and this time apart only made our time together all the more special. So I said a loving good night to Ellie and went to bed.

When I woke up it was CHRISTMAS! As soon as I was dressed and out my bedroom door I saw that Santa had indeed showed up last night because I had gifts in my stocking. It was some cool sidewalk chalk and crayons that I liked a whole lot; but the best was yet to come.

When I got downstairs I saw a new BIKE and a new PAINTING EASEL!


I couldn't believe it. I was so happy. There was a bunch of other great stuff like a Noah's Ark Little People playset and some fun clothes and an awesome TuTu (hand made by mom!) I loved it all so much I had to put on my TuTu and ride my bike around the living room.

I also got a framed picture of Ellie which I like an awful lot. Ellie might not be here in person every morning but I like to have breakfast with his picture. I'll see him again before I know it.

The next couple of days mom and dad were both home which was great. We took my new bike to the park but it was pretty cold so we had to leave and I had my ups and downs but it sure was fun for just the three of us to hang out together.

Today I went back to Room 5 and it was good to see all my friends again. I even got to use my new ladybug lunchbox that I got for Christmas.

All in all, a lot has been going on which is fun but it's also kind of nice to be back into my routine. At least until Wednesday which, as I've been told, is New Year's Eve.

Let the count down begin!

So a couple of days have passed since my last post and normally I try to catch you up with all the gory details but this time I'll just give you the bullet points.

Friday was our big holiday party at DCC and mom and dad came and I showed them how I can ride a tricycle and then this weekend it rained and we had to stay indoors a lot and that made me super cranky and I cried for no good reason but then it passed as quickly as the rain clouds and we even made it to the park for a little bit (a trip that ended in tears because I didn't want to leave. Sigh...) Today the rain came back but it was fun because driving in to school with dad I got to see the rain up close through the car windows. It was pretty cool.

And now I'm going to dazzle you with some furious artworks I created this past week in Room 5.

This one is pretty cool:


This one's a little blue:


This is the only one that I named. I call it T.'s Frog Pond:

I'm taking any and all offers. My dad says it's about time I started pulling my weight around here.

Every other day of the week is fine

That's a song I heard my Mom sing and it seemed to apply here. Blogging every day is tough especially in this Christmas season. So much is going on. My new bedtime routine includes saying goodnight to Ellie the Elf, the Angel on top of the tree and the Baby Jesus in my Nativity set. Plus I have to sit on the potty, brush my teeth, pet Dynamite, read 3 stories and listen to 3 songs while looking at my Christmas tree lights and the stars. That's a lot to do. Add writing a blog to that and a girl can't get to sleep by 8pm. So, forgive me if I miss a day or 2 now and then.

Yesterday, since Mom's back was hurting, Dad let her sleep in and he got me up and dressed for school. That meant we were a little late getting started and late getting downstairs so that meant less time to eat breakfast. Sooooo, Dad made me a waffle to take in the car. Mom got up in time to help me get my shoes on and kiss me and Dad bye bye for the day. It was a pretty good day. My friend had a birthday and she gave us all presents. She gave me a book about getting ready for bed. Mom said it was a good book when she read it to me last night.

Mom's back was feeling better today and she got me up and ready for school. It was a really fun day. We read a story about how Santa picked the color of his suit and I knew all the colors he had to choose from. (You know he chose red, right?) Speaking of red, one of my teachers did something really cool today. She painted my nose red so I looked like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Mom and Dad were really nice and let me keep my nose red tonight when I got ready for bed! I hope it's still red in the morning. I'll let you know.

Bikes, Sleighs and Taquitos

That pretty much sums it up.

Saturday got off to a pretty good start because mom got up early and made that granola cereal that dad likes so well (apparently NaNa makes it too. I guess that's where mom got the recipie.) So when I got up I had a couple of choices for breakfast; mush, banana, waffle or cereal. As a two year old, if you give me too many options my reaction will be one of two things - going nuts or just chosing what I always choose. This morning I decided to spare mom and dad the 'too many choices melt down' and just said "Mush!" because that's what I've been eating lately.

Mom got to work boiling the water for the mush but when I saw the big ol' bowl of granola cereal that dad was starting to chow down on I knew THAT was what I wanted.

"Dat, dat!" I yelled, pointing frantically at dad and the sports page.

Mom must have figured this was going to happen because she brought a bowl right over to me and poured milk in it and gave me a spoon and it was so good I made her scrape the sides of the bowl for the very last scoop.

Good eating, that granola.

After that breakfast I was pretty much up for anything so we took a bike ride down to the park where I got to go down the slides and play on the teeter totter and generally run around like a maniac.

Ooops, after I first posted this, Mom reminded me of something ELSE that happened on Saturday. I don't know how I could forget this. After my nap, I got up and Dad said there was a surprise for me downstairs. This Christmas season seems to be full of surprises. This time I found a super cool bunch of Little People set up on the table by the door. It looks like a little barn with hay on the roof and on top of the hay there is an angel. Mom told me it is a Nativity scene. Dad says this is what Christmas is all about. I'm not sure I totally understand it yet, but I sure like to kiss the baby Jesus and his mommy Mary.

It was a super fun day. But I had no idea how much fun Sunday was going to be.

Right after breakfast mom got me dressed and we went over to S. and J.'s house where baby J. was and right after I was done saying my hellos and giving out my hugs, mom's old friend K. from New Jersey and his sons M. and J. and their mommy show up. Next thing I know I'm eating a brunch and pushing toy cars around and being chased by M. who wants nothing more than to put my hood on my head or lean against me or run around with me. And it was super fun. I love it over there. There's always something to do.

But someone was missing from this little party. My good friend L. We had to go home for nap and mom promised that when I woke up we would go over to L's house and see him and his parents (whom I also like very much.)

So I went to sleep and when I woke up that's EXACTLY WHAT WE DID. Amazing! And this was a special night because S. and J. and baby J. showed up and we all walked over to Ventura Blvd where there was going to be a Christmas parade! It was raining but I didn't care. Mom was pushing me in my stroller and dad had a giant umbrella so everything was just fine.

As we walked down Ventura we all seemed to remember that none of us had had our dinners yet so we went into a place called Mexicali for something to eat. I, of course, ordered the taquitos while mom and dad got something off the adult menu. It was super fun because there were lots of kids my age there and the music was loud and I got to dance and it was warm and I had all the chips and salsa I could eat right within reach.

The best part? The parade went right past the window so I got to see the fire trucks and everything without having to stand in the rain. Awesome.

After dinner we all walked back to L. and C.'s place where I got the play with Matchbox cars and watch a train go around L.'s Christmas tree and generally stay up WAY past my bedtime. I don't think I was asleep before 9:00.

That was okay, though, because this morning mom let me sleep in. Dad was long gone by the time I got up and mom dressed me and brought me into Room 5 where I had birthday cake and did foot painting all kinds of other crazy stuff. The weekend was pretty good but I sure am glad to be back at school, too. I sure do like it there.

Oh, and the big Winter Festival is this Friday. I'll make sure to let you know how it goes.

Banner Day

Ok Ok, I am a few days behind. I ate, slept, was good. Yea yea yea, let's just cut to the chase...

I PEE PEED IN THE POTTY TONIGHT.

That's right, I did it. I was sitting on the potty reading my potty book and out of nowhere (well, it was out of somewhere) I heard this tinkling sound and mommy looked at me and I looked down and there it was. I was going in the potty. Mommy was really excited and so was Dad. I just wanted to get the paper and wipe it off so I could flush. Dad is always saying "no pee pee no paper, no paper, no flush." But this time I had pee pee which meant I got paper which means I got to flush. Yep. Pretty sweet.

You know what else is sweet? I got my own little Christmas tree in my room. When the lights go out, I go to bed. It's really cool.

That's it. I'm going to bed to see my Christmas tree.

Time Flies!

Okay, so a couple of days have gone by in just the blink of an eye. I'll try to catch you up:

After Thanksgiving I still got to have mom and dad home for three more days and we spent our time riding buses and going to the park and then on Sunday we went to Travel Town in Griffith Park where I got to ride a choo choo train and it was super fun. We had to buy tickets and everything. I loved it. After our ride we walked around and looked at the really big trains and then had a picnic. I love that place! I still talk about it.

Once Monday rolled around and the week started it was kind of business as usual which meant mom came in and got me up for school and I was pretty okay because I knew that it was time to find Ellie.

Let me back up for a second and explain who Ellie is.

The day after Thanksgiving my parents brought out a book and a wee little elf and read me a story about how the elf was going to be living with us until Christmas, keeping an eye on things and then every night, while I was sleeping, flying back to the North Pole to tell Santa if I was naughty or nice. This was my personal elf which meant I got to name him so I picked Ellie The Elf and up on the shelf he went. Of course after he got back from the North Pole he would find a new place to sit so every morning I get to run around and try to find him.

So far this week I've been in a pretty good mood because I really like to see where Ellie is sitting. What that means, of course, is that mom's got to get me out of bed and dressed so I've been giving her a lot less grief lately (and, oddly enough, dad isn't in the room much which I think might help the cause. One parent is enough first thing in the morning, please!)

Today is Wednesday and my dad came in this morning to get me (and no mom. Again, one parent at a time, please!) and he dressed me in my jeans and a striped shirt and we went downstairs and I found Ellie hanging on the post of the dresser. That Ellie!

I had a lovely breakfast of mush (oatmeal with a birthday candle stuck in it. I know it's not my birthday but I love blowing the candle out!) and then it was back to Room 5 where I played on the teeter totter and rode a tricycle all by myself and had a great time.

At treehouse time dad came and got me like he does every night and we went home where we found mom waiting for us and she had dinner all set up. I had a nice turkey quesadilla (leftovers!) and some avocado and then we went upstairs and got ready for bed and since I was such a good girl all night we got to go back downstairs and watch my favorite TV show Elmer Elephant, which is really a funny cartoon about an elephant that likes a girl but he's self-conscious about his nose. He saves the day in the end and I love it.

Well, I'll try to not let so much time pass before my next post.

Good night!

Gobble Gobble and, why not, GOBBLE.

My friends, today was Thanksgiving. Now, I realize it's not the first time I've experienced this fantastical day. My parents tell me this is my third Thanksgiving, actually. But it is by far the best. Why? Let's see, I got to sleep in, then go downstairs in my jammies and have breakfast of mush with a birthday candle. I got to keep my jammies on all morning while I watched the Elmer the Elephant video over and over. I played with dad while mom cooked and cooked and cooked. I got to eat my lunch at the big table covered with the colorful table cloth and then Dad put me down for my nap. When I woke up, Mom let me pick my striped dress and told me the I & B and J& D were coming over to play with me. And they did. Those babies are cute and they are bigger now and they crawl. That was fun.

Speaking of fun, did I mention it was THANKSGIVING? Do you know how much food there is on Thanksgiving? So much yummy food! I liked the sweet potatoes and the mashed potatoes and NahNah's creamy corn and the cranberry sauce. I tried mom's cranberry relish and it made me shutter and make a funny face because it was so tart. Mom loves it, but she's the only one. More for her, she says.

After I had like 4 helpings of everything, I got down on the floor and played with the twins. Mom played the parade and I danced to the song. Someday, I hope I can go to the parade and dance with them in person.

I thought that was gonna be it, but then mom brought out something spectacular...PIE. I had a big piece of pumpkin pie with cool whip and it was so good I thought I might explode. In fact, all the sugar kind of did make me a little wacky. I cried a lot when Mom was trying to get me to bed. So, she took me in her room and showed me what I looked like in the mirror. Man, I had boogers and tears all over my face. Mom gave me a tissue and I put my tears away. She brought a little mirror into my room and let me look at the Tess in the mirror for a while. It really made me feel better.

All in all, this was one fanfreakingtastic day. And, it's not over yet. Mom and Dad and I get to spend 3 more days together with no work or school getting in the way. YAY. That's something to be thankful for.

It's Wednesday And The Weekend Is Here!

That's right. Like the rest of America I have tomorrow of for Thanksgiving and like a certain part of America I have Friday off as well. And don't get me wrong when I say I have the day off. It's not like going to Room 5 is a chore or anything. In fact, it's pretty awesome. But I do get to spend the next four days straight with both mom AND dad and that's pretty rare so I'm pretty excited. Mom told me that tomorrow I get to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on the television and dad tells me that I get to watch the Cowboys on the television and in between the two we'll be doing lots of eating so it looks like at the ripe old age of two I'm getting right in the swing of some pretty serious American traditions.

U.S.A! U.S.A!

Today was a pretty rainy day. And I mean rainy. So rainy in fact that we spent most of the day indoors. We went over to Room 4 (Rooms 4 and 5 are connected, like all the adjoining rooms at the center) and we opened their sliding glass door and just watched the rain pour down. It was amazing. I'd never seen anything like it before in my life. I wanted desperately to run around in the yard but my teachers wouldn't let me. I guess it was for the best because when dad showed up he told me that his pants and shoes were soaked clean through from being out in the rain. It's no fun having soaking wet pants and shoes I can tell you that.

Dad took me home and we were there a little early because dad knocked off work early and since mom wasn't home yet and dad had to change out of his wet clothes we ended up in mom and dad's room where I got to play with THREE pooh bears (apparently mom likes pooh bear. Which is great because I like pooh bear too!) It was super fun. I hugged them and kissed them and tried to hold all three in my arms at once but it was really hard.


When mom got home we went downstairs and I had a nice pot pie dinner (it certainly was pot pie weather) and after dinner mom said that she had to start making pies and that dad was going to have to put me to bed tonight. Now, dad and I have certainly been through the bedtime routine one on one plenty of times before but that was usually when mom wasn't home. But here she was, in the house, and yet I was going to have to snuggle with daddy? I was a little unsure of that but mom said she had to make pies for the big dinner tomorrow and I guess I was okay with that because dad and I went upstairs and I ran around for a little bit but eventually I took my clothes off and we went to the potty and I got into my jammies and brushed my teeth and dad took my picture.

It was still a little early so dad took me back downstairs to say one last good night to mom. For a second I thought mom had a change of heart about putting me to bed because she carried me back upstairs but she told me to push her out the door and I did and then it was just me and dad. We read a couple of books but dad said that when we were done with Where The Wild Things Are that it was going to be lights out and time for singing and star gazing so when we both said, "And it was still hot" I said, "Lights out" and got up and turned the light off while dad got my pillow and blanket out of the crib and laid them on the floor for me. We both lied down and looked up at the stars and he sang along to the songs and I listened and snuggled in and when we got to the end of the song I call "Bees" it was time for bed. I got up, picked up my pillow and blanket and walked over to my crib and dad lifted me in and kissed me good night.

I think tomorrow's going to be a great day!

Countdown to Turkey

Well, I guess writing every day is tougher than I thought. I missed Monday, but I think I can catch you up. Mom woke me up and I wasn't all that interested in getting dressed, but she promised I could have mush with a birthday candle, so I agreed to stop squirming. She kept her word and Mom and Dad sang happy birthday to me and I blew out the candle and then ate my mush. Then Dad took me to school. It was a pretty good day for a Monday. We talked about what we are thankful for and I said I was thankful for my friends. I like all of my friends.

After school, Dad picked me up and we headed home. To my surprise, Mom was home already when we got there and she had already got dinner ready. PIZZA PIE. I got to eat a piece all my own and it had pepperoni on it. I also ate lots of tomato and salad. Bed time wasn't as yummy as dinner. I didn't want to go to bed (who would? I have lots of fun when I am awake). Mom tried to get me calmed down and I kept asking for Dad. Then Dad came in and I asked for Mom. Pretty soon I was just yelling and screaming and saying all kinds of nutty things. Dad calls it being "contrary." Eventually I think Mom and Dad had enough and they just put me in my crib, said goodnight and walked out leaving me alone to work out my angst. It took a few minutes, but I finally put my tears away and fell asleep.

This morning, though, I think I had some residual grump in me. I did NOT want to get dressed. Dad had to take over and get my pants on. Then I went downstairs and Mom made me mush with a birthday candle again. It's funny, no matter how much of a fit I pitch, Mom and Dad still do nice things for me. That must be what love is.

At breakfast Mom and Dad told me that we would also be eating lunch together and they were not lying. They showed up along with all the kids' moms and dads and we had a big Thanksgiving feast. I ate Mac & Cheese and mashed potatoes and tomatoes and...PUMPKIN PIE. Oh my goodness, I love me some pumpkin pie. Mom sings me a song about pumpkin pie and I always liked the song, but now I like the real thing too. I can't wait till Thursday. Mom said she's going to make a pumpkin pie for us and we can eat all day and play with I & B.

I don't know what I did to deserve such good fortune, but I sure am thankful for it.

Weekend's Over

Whoops! A couple of days have gone by so I have to apologize for the missing posts. But I'll try to catch up you now.

On Friday I brought in a nice piece of broccoli for the vegetable soup and as it turns out it was really good. A lot of kids in Room 5 like broccoli and so we all ate a bunch of soup for snack and it was pretty good. The sad part is I learned that Jan. is leaving to go back to college and won't be a teacher in my room anymore. I guess that's good for her but it still makes me kind of sad.

This weekend was kind of crazy. Yesterday, Saturday, was a nice day but mom and dad kept taking about how they had to get ready for Thanksgiving and even though they had lots to do I just wanted to wanted to run and play. Eventually mom took my out the park but half way there I changed my mind and said:

BUS!

Mom was nice enough to take me on the bus up to Woodland Hills and then we turned around and came back and when we got home there was a jelly sandwich waiting for me and I ate it up good and then it was nap time. To be honest, I had a little bit of a problem with this and there were plenty of tears but I did get my sleep.

When I woke up the afternoon was pretty mellow and when it came time for dinner dad let me help him the chicken and that was really pretty cool. We stacked the charcoal and lit it on fire and then knocked it down and cleaned the grill and put the chicken down and it was pretty fun. It was super fun.

So that brings us to tonight, Sunday, and we had a pretty good morning. We ended up at the shopping mall and mom and I rode the merry-go-round. I wasn't quite ready to ride the up and down animals so mom and I just rode the carriage seat two times around. Before I knew it, it was time to go home and we had ANOTHER jelly sandwich and it was great and then I went and took a really good nap.

After I woke up and after I had my snack, mom and dad and I went to the Ralphs and we got a TOM TURKEY for Thanksgiving. I was pretty excited and I got to smell the flowers and all of that the big difference is that we've got turkey for Thanksgiving. And that's cool.

It's almost time for bed but I just have to say that the best part of this weekend was that mom and dad and I got to eat dinner together every meal all weekend.

And that makes for a pretty good weekend.

Routine Rules! (Sort of)

I gotta tell ya, it's nice to have mom back home. Me, mom and dad all under one roof is pretty sweet. The downside is that I'm just a little mixed up on what I'm supposed to do when.

Take this morning for example.

Dad came in to get me up which is no big deal. I had just woken up (and I mean just woken up) so I was still kind of scratching my neck and rubbing my eyes and by the time I was able to focus on him in walked mom. Having mom there was pretty awesome but having them both there might have overloaded my circuits because I decided that I didn't want to get changed out of my jammies and no matter how much they both tried to convince me that it would be okay I wouldn't do it.

The next thing I knew dad and I were on the floor and he was pulling a dress over my head. A striped dress that I like very much but a striped dress that I very much did not want to put on. But dad made me and when that was done he handed me to mom who held me and tried to figure out what was making me so sad and I couldn't really put it into words so we just sat there for a little while and I cried.

I actually felt better after that and mom helped me tuck my babies in and we went downstairs and she made me a smoothie for breakfast and it was really good (mango and banana!) and then I kissed her good bye and dad brought me down to the car and we drove to school.

In Room 5 today we made an apple pie that we got to eat as a snack (I helped peel the apples!) I also danced like a monkey and a snake and a kitty and played in the kitchen area. Tomorrow we're going to make vegetable soup and I have to bring in one vegetable. I'm not sure what vegetable I'm going to bring in just yet but I'll let you know in the next post.

So dad picked me up and it was good to see him and we went home and after a few minutes mom showed up and she made a nice chicken dinner while dad and me watched Elmer The Elephant on TV (apparently it's an animated short on the Dumbo DVD. I like it a lot.)

When dinner was ready I wasn't ready to wash my hands and so I cried but it had to be done and we did it and I ended up sitting at the dinner table with mom and dad and we all ate together and I eventually decided that this was nice. I ate everything up and even asked for more - but mom and dad said that I had had enough and I guess they were right.

Anyway, it's time for bed and I've asked for mom to snuggle me so I'm going to have to push dad out the door. I've kind of taken to sitting with mom in the chair during our song time. I'm not sure why but it might be a nostalgia thing. A kind of remember when. I love snuggling with my mom.

Good night!

Order Restored

MOM IS HOME!!!!

Sorry I didn't write yesterday, but I was too busy hanging out with Mom. She came home from her trip and I was very excited to see her. She was happy to see me too. She came down and carried me up from the car and she had dinner all ready for me and Dad when we got home. After dinner Mom helped me go upstairs and helped me get my clothes off so I could take a bath. There were lots of bubbles and I got to color in the tub. Then Mom put cream on me and helped me put on my new footie pajamas with stars on the feet.

When it was time to quiet down, I got a little grumpy. I was happy that Mom was back and all, but I missed Dad. So Mom went and got him and he laid on the floor and looked at the stars with me too. For a little while it was me and Mom and Dad and the stars. It was nice.

Today, Mom got me out of bed and helped me get dressed then we went down stairs and I ate my usual--banana and milk. Dad took me to room 5 and I had a pretty good day. I even went down for my nap all by myself.

Tonight, Mom was still home and she made dinner again. She made mashed potatoes and they were soooooo good that I asked for more. She also made broccoli and I ate all of it plus some of Dad's. Yum yum yum. I liked the mashed potatoes so much that I rubbed them on my hair so Mom helped me take a shower. I wanted bubbles but Mom said we didn't have time. Oh well.

After my shower, Mom put my jammies on, I gave Dad kisses and pushed him out the door, then Mom and me snuggled in the chair like old times. It was nice. I missed her and I am really glad she's not going on any more trips.

A Few Days

It's been a few days since I last posted so I'm sorry for that. There have been these fires burning out here so I've had to stay indoors lately which makes life on the Tesserroo front pretty boring. Yesterday (Sunday) we did make it to the park for just a little but in the morning to get some outside time but after that dad and I spent the rest of the day coloring and playing with my babydolls.

Today was a pretty good day seeing as how it was back to Room 5. I got to read books and I painted and it seems that we are going to be making vegetable soup on Friday so I have to bring in my favorite vegetable. It's kind of a toss up because I love all veggies so we'll see.

Anyway...

Dad came and got me and it was good to see him and he signed me out and we went home called mom on the phone to say good night and that's when it finally made sense to me -

MOM'S COMING HOME TOMORROW!!!

That's right, this time tomorrow night I will have seen and kissed mom and that's pretty cool. I don't think I'll give dad a hard time with bedtime because the sooner I get to sleep the sooner I get to wake up and see mom.

Tomorrow's going to rule!

Working For The Weekend

So it's Saturday and that means I get to sleep in and that means dad didn't come in to get me until after 8am. Sweet! And even when he did come in I didn't feel like getting out of bed so dad let me flop around for a little bit before the promise of a banana became too much for me to bear.

Today I wanted to go to the park really badly but we had to wait for Jose the electrician to show up so dad pulled me around in the wagon in the driveway and that was pretty fun I guess but I was still bored. Eventually Jose showed up and we walked around and around and I kept whispering "Park, Park" and dad kept telling me "After your nap, after your nap" until, as it turns out, after my nap we went to:

THE PARK!

And that was super fun.

I had my snack and then I went down the slide tons of times until dad told me it was time to go (remind me to tell you about the kid who pulled my hair. He was my new friend and all but that was totally uncool.)

After dinner I had a bath and dad dressed me for bed and we called mom and said good night and then dad turned off the lights and we looked up at the stairs and he sang me songs.

Things are okay. I'll be fine.

A Good Day

When I woke up this morning dad came in and got me and asked for mom like I usually do. But dad reminded me that mom was on a short trip (to Savannah, GA!!!) and I said, "Take care of daddy" just like mom had told me the night before.

Because I was in charge.

So I got up and I was a little upset when it came time to change my diaper but dad made me and I tucked I. and B. in and went downstairs and had my banana for breakfast.

At school I had fun in the sandbox and the loft and playing with all of my friends. Before I knew it, dad was walking around the corner and it was time to go home.

Tonight was a warm night so the windows were down and I liked feeling the wind on my face and we called Auntie L. because she had to go to the hospital because her inside baby was trying to get outside but it was too early for that. But she said that she was fine so I'm glad. I mean, I want a new cousin and all but not before it's time.

At home dad gave me a dinner and we went upstairs and got ready for bed called mom and said good night. Dad and I laid on the floor and looked up at the stars and sang songs and I thought about mommy but I also knew that everything was going to be alright.

I can't wait for Tuesday!

Things That I See

Sorry I didn't post yesterday but I want to say:

Happy Veteran's Day!

Did you know that it used to be called Armistice Day? and that the war ended at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month? Crazy.

I was thinking yesterday on the drive home how I'm getting used to living in this city. I'm also getting pretty used to the stretch of Burbank Blvd between the 170 and Balboa and there's a couple of things that I really look forward to seeing:

1. The little hump right before Van Nuys Blvd that if we hit just right it feels like we're floating.
2. The panda bear at the Panda Express. I love saying hi and telling him that I'll see him tomorrow.
3. The guy selling flowers at the corner of Sepulveda. I'm sad when he has the night off (although I'm sure he loves his nights off.)

Anyway, just random things that I see as we drive home every night. I guess as time goes by I'll realize there's more and more to see. But for now, I like these things.

I also wanted to let you know that tomorrow is this big Earthquake Preparedness event that I've been practicing for. At school we've been playing "Bunny In The Hole" which is really just a game to get me used to hiding under a table, tucking my legs in and covering my head and neck with my arms in case of earthquake. I'm not so good at keeping my legs tucked in but I am really good at keeping my head down. My dad told me that tomorrow at 10am he'll be playing "Bunny In The Hole" in his office just like me (and lots of other people) and that made me feel better. I know it's not a game but I'm going to try to have fun just the same.

It's late and I did a lot of painting today and it's all over me so I gotta get in the bath. I hope there's bubbles!

A Sad Day

My Mom was sad tonight when she tucked me into bed. We were listening to my iPod and she played a song that she doesn't usually play. It's called "When Somebody Loved Me." It made her cry a little and that made me sad. She said that it reminded her of and orange kitty named NahNah Kitty. NahNah was my Auntie Reenie's kitty and she has been sick. This morning, NahNah Kitty went to sleep and then she went to Kitty Heaven. I don't really understand any of this, but I know it made my Mom sad. I like kitties a lot and I bet I would have really loved that big fluffy orange kitty too.

I gave Mom a kiss on the forehead and it made her feel better. If Auntie Reenie was here, I would give her a bunch of kisses too.

Grrrl Power

I am a few days behind in writing. I've just been so busy having fun that I didn't have time. So, let me quickly recap. Friday was a typical day. Fun in room 5 with my friends, dinner, stories, sleep.

Mom got me up on Saturday and we got started on quite and adventure. Mom and Dad and I took the bus to the Canoga exit and walked over to the Carters Store where Mom got me some new jammies with feet! Then we went to the bookstore and a nice lady read us some stories. I didn't know they had circle time in the book store too! Neat. From there we walked across the parking lot and got some lunch. I got chicken nuggets and mom shared some of her salad with me too. Then we rode the bus home and I took a nice nap. After nap, Mom, Dad and I went to the grocery store, but not the one we usually go to. Mom drove us to a different store. She said it was a little farther from our house, but that it was worth it because they have RACE CAR shopping carts. I got to ride in the red car with the number 32 on it. I got to drive it all through the store and then, while Dad bought the groceries, Mom took me to smell the flowers. Then we went home, ate dinner, and Mom snuggled me and put me in bed.

So, that was Saturday, or, as it shall now be known, Grrrl's Day Eve.

It seems Mom was feeling a little guilty about all the time she's had to travel and be away and she wanted to spend some extra time with me. So, she told Dad that he was off duty on Sunday and that she was going to have me all to herself. And boy did she ever. First, she got me up and helped me get dressed. Then, we went downstairs and she moved my step stool into the kitchen so I could help her make my breakfast smoothie. YUM. After breakfast I asked to watch the elephants on TV. Mom said she had some special elephants to show me. She got a new DVD from her room and put it in the machine. It was a movie about a little elephant with BIG ears called Dumbo. And, to my surprise, Dumbo's mommy in the movies sings my favorite song, "Baby Mine." Mom sings that song to me every night. She has as long as I can remember. And so, there it was on TV with an elephant singing it. So cool. I asked Mom to play it over and over and over and she said yes every time. It made her cry a little, but she said it was because she was happy, not sad. I know I was happy. After a while, Dad kissed me goodbye because he was going to play golf and Mom and me headed to the park. I got to slide on the slide a bunch of times, and then Mom laid a blanket on the grass and I got to eat my lunch outside. There were squirrels running around and Mom threw them one of my grapes. They liked them a lot and kept coming closer and closer trying to get more grapes. Mom seemed kind of nervous about it, but I wanted to pet the squirrels. They look like Dynamite with really bushy tails.

After lunch we went home and I gave Dad a rundown of what he missed. Then Mom tucked me in for my nap. When I got up, I played with some playdough and watched Dumbo a few more times. Mom set up a cool tunnel with some chairs and her quilt and Dad and I played under it while Mom made dinner. We also got to talk to NahNah, PaPa and Uncle Jim in Reno on the computer. Auntie Becky was in the bathtub so I didn't get to say hi to her. I impressed everyone with all the songs I can sing and also by counting to 10. It's really not that hard, I don't know what all the fuss was about.

After dinner, Mom took me upstairs and let me sit on the potty and then I got to take a nice long bubble bath. Dad came in and helped me get my jammies in and then I pushed him out the door so Mom could read me some stories, sing me some songs and tuck me in for the night.

Grrrl day sure was fun - and I got some Dad time too, so it really ruled.

Dinosaurs and Winter Coats

The day got off to a really good start. Mom and dad where both here and dad checked the weather report and said that it would be a high of about 80 so I got to wear my pink skirt and pink striped shirt that I like so much.

I had my banana breakfast and dad and I went into school and all my friends were there and during the day I got to ride bikes around the yard and use little shovels to dig for dinosaur bones. I even got to make little Jell-O jigglers shaped like dinosaurs that I ate for my afternoon snack.

When dad showed up it was dark and we were playing red light/green light and when I said good bye to everyone dad told me I had to wear my jacket. But I didn't want to wear my jacket. And I let him know, that's for sure.

I don't really remember much past then but at some point I was in the car and we were driving and we had to take a little detour around the block because some car had crashed into a pole. And while the car accident wasn't fun, the little detour sure was fun. I'd never been down those streets before.

When we got home dad pointed out that I. and B.'s mom D. was there. And I was pretty excited about that. I like her a whole lot and I sure like I. and B. so I was pretty psyched to say hi. When we got up there, though, it was still a little weird to see mom and a friend sitting at the kitchen table talking so I got a little weirded out. But that only lasted a second and before i knew it I was sitting in my seat eating my dinner of meatless meatballs, veggies and applesauce and D. was sitting there right next to me.

After dinner dad had to clean up and mom was on the phone so D. even danced with me and spun me around and picked me up and everything. It was really fun.

I guess mom was on the phone with another friend because after a couple of minutes S. showed and them mom told me that she had to do. She kissed me good night, and she and D. and their new friend all left together and dad told me that it was daddy/daughter night and that he would be snuggling me. I usually prefer mom but dad'll do in a pinch. Fast forward through sitting on the potty, taking a bath, getting my jammies on and brushing my teeth and I'm one tired little girl.

I'm gonna sleep well tonight.

Time For Long Pants

The weather around these parts has gotten much, much cooler the past few days and I've found myself being dressed in long pants lately. I guess that's a good thing because according to one of my teachers the pants make me look a lot taller. I like trying to dress and undress myself but I seem to to run into a lot of problems and when mom and dad step in to help me it only drives home the point that I can't pull up my own pants and so I get kind of mad. But I'll get the hang of it sooner or later. I'm defiantly working on it at school when it's time to use the potty.

So things have been going pretty well. I like hugging and kissing my teachers and friends at school and mom's been home so things are pretty much back to normal.

Tonight, however, was a little out of the ordinary.

The day went off like usual, I had my banana breakfast, I kissed mom good bye and dad tool me in to school and I saw all my friends and we dug for dinosaurs and I ate my lunch and napped and then in the afternoon I went down the slide like a million times.

And like usual, near the end of the day we went out to the tree house and when we go out to the tree house at the end of the day I know that that's when dad's going to show up. So we were out there and I played with my friends and some other moms and dads showed up and I looked but my dad didn't show up which was weird. Before too long it was time to go back inside. At first I was a little worried but then I remembered that it was the late snack time so I went inside and sat down with my remaining friends and we had a snack of rice krispies cereal.

I got to chowing down and it was good because I got to drink the milk right from the bowl when I was done and when I looked up you know who was there? Dad!

He took me home and like five minutes after we got there guess who showed up - Mom!

It worked out really well.

I had a good dinner, mom took me upstairs and I used the potty (nothing came out but I did sit!) and then I got dressed and brushed my teeth and then dad took my picture and before I knew it I was pushing dad out the door.

Turned out to be a pretty good day.

The Shirt Worked

A while back I & B's mom gave me a shirt with a picture of some guy named Obama on it. I didn't know who he was, but the shirt was pink and I generally look good in pink. So I didn't have any objection to putting it on. They even took some pictures of me and my friends in our shirts.

Today, Mom got me up and I asked where Dad was. She said he had to go vote. It was only 7am, but my Dad wanted to make sure he got to vote before the lines got too long. They tell me that is unusual, but that this is a big election and lots of people that don't usually vote are gonna vote today. I like to say vote and I said it a bunch today. I don't really know what vote means, but it makes Mom and Dad pretty happy.

So tonight, everybody seemed pretty excited because this guy Obama got a lot of votes. I can't help but wonder if my shirt had anything to do with it.

Time To Choose!

So the weekend kind of came and went and it was rainy here so we did a lot of inside stuff; coloring, dancing, flying, going to the pet store to see the gerbils and fishes. You know, the usual. We did, however, make it to Venice Beach on Sunday morning which was pretty cool because I got to see all kind of interesting people and things. Mom and dad and me had lunch at the Sidewalk Cafe and you know that guy in the turban that roller blades around and plays Jimi Hendrix on the electric guitar? I totally saw him. He's actually pretty good. I wonder where he sleeps at night.

Anyway, today it was back to business and I was ready to go (I love the extra hour of sleep I'm getting now. Something about resetting the clocks.) The weather has really cooled down so I wore jeans to school and this neat-o new jacket I got as a gift from my friend L. When I put the hood up I look like some kind of crazy, animal embroidered druid.

Today at school I learned about dinosaurs and that was fun. I ate my lunch and I konked out pretty early and took a pretty good nap which made me all the more ready to paint and that was super fun.

Dad eventually showed up and we went home and I had a nice dinner of chili and then mom showed up and she gave me a bath and I brushed my teeth and then it was time for bed. But I just have to say one last thing:

Don't forget to vote tomorrow! I would if I could!

Trick or Treat

Sorry I skipped a day. Yesterday I was too buys hugging Mom to type. She came home early from Lost Wages because she missed me. And, well, I missed her too.

So, today was the real actual Halloween. It was more of a treat than a trick for me. First of all, I got to sleep in. Dad had an early meeting so he left the house before I got up and Mom came in around 8am to get me out of bed. It was cool having some time with Mom after not seeing her for a couple of days. She dressed me in my striped Halloween kitty shirt and my sparkly striped pants with pumpkin buttons. I looked very festive.

After a tasty breakfast of banana and Cheerios, Mom drove me to school. When we got there, I didn't really want to get out of the car. But Mom promised that it would be fun. So, I let her put my shoes on and she carried me to the door. Then I wanted to walk in on my own and carry my lunch box. I was excited about my lunch because it had chicken nuggets in it. Not the kind from that gross place with the arches, but the kind Dad got for me. Yum.

On our way to room 5 I stopped to wave to my friends in room 1 and R had on the same shirt as me! How cool is that? We walked down to room 5 and Mom signed me in and then walked me out to see my friends. I was having such a nice time with Mom that I didn't want her to leave. But D and J promised it would be OK, so I let her go. Before she left she told me that Dad was going to pick me up early so we could go see my friend L and go do something called trick or treat. Sounded good to me, so I was pretty excited.

Just as promised, Dad showed up around 4 and brought me home where Mom had made yummy chili and corn bread with sweet honey butter. I wanted to eat lots of bread. After dinner, we loaded up and went to Studio City to L & C's house. It was really neat. C loves holidays and she goes all out. There were colorful bags with faces cut out all along the driveway and a jack-o-lantern on the porch. L was dressed as a race car crew guy and C was dressed as a nurse. She looked pretty. After snacking on some more chicken nuggets and grapes, C gave me a glow in the dark necklace and we went outside. I wasn't sure what was happening, but L was doing it and he always does fun things, so I followed along. Now, here's the crazy part. Because it is Halloween, I could just walk up to someone's door and say "trick or treat" and they will hand me some candy. WHAT? This is the coolest day ever. Now, I am supposed to wear a costume, like my giraffe costume, but I didn't feel like it. But people didn't care. They gave me candy anyway. How cool is that.

After stopping at a few houses I was getting tired so Mom and Dad walked with me back to C's house and we said goodnight and went home. I got to play with my glow in the dark necklace the whole way home. It was so fun.

So, at the end of the day, I have to say, I LOVE HALLOWEEN.

Parade Route

So today was the big day. Today was going to be the day I dressed up as a giraffe and marched in my school parade. I was a little unsure of the whole thing but we got off to a pretty good start.

Dad got me up and dressed in my black tights that have little orange pumpkins at the ankles and I had a good breakfast of a banana and some milk and I even had a little tiny piece of waffle. When it was time to go dad asked me what I wanted to dress up as for the parade and I shouted, "Giraffe!" so he put my giraffe costume in a paper bag and wrote my name on it (I thought he was just coloring to have fun and I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't let me have my turn. But he convinced me that I would have plenty of time for coloring once I got to school.)

On the drive in we called mom to say good morning and then we listened to NPR and then we got to school. Dad dropped me off and said that he would be back in a little bit and before I knew it it was time to put on our costumes.

Now, mom and dad have been trying for weeks to get me to wear my giraffe costume at home and on two occasions I have. But for the most part, I wouldn't wear it. But when I saw all of my friends putting on their costumes I wanted to wear mine too. So I did.

Dad showed up and then we had our parade which was really just us walking around the climbing structure two times while the pre-school kids cheered and then we went over to the tree house area and had our snacks and then we could do whatever we wanted. I played with the play-doh for a little while and then I put stickers on a paper pumpkin (good thing mom wasn't there for that! She hates stickers!)

This is me heading back to the play-doh:


When it came time for dad to go I got pretty sad and I cried but my teacher J. was there and she helped me out and I was okay after a couple of minutes. Plus it was getting to be pretty hot and I was able to take off my costume. I liked it and all but I was starting to sweat.

The rest of the day went pretty much as usual and dad laid down with me at bed time to sing songs and look up at the stars and that was nice. It's a different routine but I'm still pretty tired at night and when it's time for bed it's time for bed.

Oh, and two other things; one, I got this scratch on my arm that no one seems to know how I got (and I'm not telling) and two, I bit a friend of mine today. It's not a big deal everyone keeps telling me but still. It's something that I did and I need to own up to it.

Giraffe!!!

That's what I'm going to be for Halloween tomorrow!

Mom bought me this pretty cool giraffe costume a while back and it's been downstairs in my little green chair since then and I've seen it and even tried in on a few times but I've always been a little wary of it for some reason. But tomorrow's the big at school and I have to wear a costume because everyone else will be so I think I'm getting pretty excited to be a giraffe. When dad told me to tell J. what I was going to be I yelled, "Giraffe!" so I think it's going to be fun.

Last year, when I was in Room 0/1, we went to the studio lot and did a little tour. I wasn't even walking then if you can believe it so I had to be pushed in a stroller the entire time. I was dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood for that party although I vaguely remember not wanting to wear the hood. But I was just a baby then.

This year we're going to stay at the school and have a little parade and eat a snack outside and all the parents are welcome. Dad told me that he might show up but I know that mom won't be there because she's in Las Vegas. Even dad night not show up because when he shows up I think it's time to go home and that might just be more upsetting than anything. But I am looking forward to the parade. That sounds like fun.

Overall, today was a pretty good day. I'm having trouble letting anyone clip my fingernails but I'm working on that but the morning and drive in was pretty good. I was a little sad at first but dad talked to me and then I realized I wanted my banana and milk and all was well.

At school we carved a pumpkin which technically turned it into a jack-o-lantern. It was a tiger! I had a good lunch of whole wheat pasta and chicken and some low fat cottage cheese and broccoli and grapes.

Did I mention I love grapes? I sure do. Man, I love grapes.

Dad came and got me and the evening went really well, I ate my dinner (with grapes for dessert!) and I took a bubble bath and dad put lotion on me and tickled me up around my neck like I like so much and then we called mom to say good night. She was pretty busy but I was in no rush so when dad hung up the phone I got really upset. I wanted to talk to mom so dad let me lie on the floor and cry for a minute before he came over and laid down next to me and asked me what I was going to be for Halloween tomorrow and I said, "Giraffe." And we got to talking about that and then we talked about our trip to Disneyland and how much fun we had and how Goofy played peek-a-boo with me and how that made me laugh and dad promised to take me there again some day.

And so there we were. Dad and me, lying on the floor of my bedroom in the dark, looking up at the stars, talking about the good times we've had.

I think I'll get a good night sleep after all.

Lost Wages

The title of this blog was just a joke because I was feeling kind of sad. My mom's in Las Vegas all this week and I so I figured I'd call this post what the flight attendants on Southwest call Sin City (not that I've ever been on a Southwest Flight to Las Vegas or anything. I've just heard tell.)

This morning dad got me up and I was looking for my mom but I remembered that she was on this short trip and would be home in a couple of days so I was okay with it. Dad let me play with the Play-Dough while he got me ready for school and then I had my banana and cup of milk and the teeniest, tiniest piece of waffle you've ever seen and before I knew it, it was time for school.

I had a really good day but as it turns out, I need to pay attention to my clothes when I'm using the potty at school. If I don't hold my dress up it ends up in the water and then I have to get changed and it's a whole big bother so this is something that I need to work on. But it'll come. Just like everything else.

Dad came and got me and we drove home and I had a really good dinner of tofu and tomatoes and grapes and then we went upstairs and I got to talk to mom on the computer and that was pretty cool. She showed me around her room at the Flamingo but all I really wanted was to see her and I gave her lots of hugs and kisses. I gotta tell ya; I'm a big fan of the iChat.

It's bed time and I'm pretty sleepy so I'm going to turn in. I'll let you know how tomorrow goes.

Night night!

Sleeping Arangements and Book Signings

Okay, so a day slipped by me but I have a good excuse -

I started napping in Room 4!

So it may not seem like that big of a deal but I did just transition into Room 5 and after a past few weeks my teachers realized that most of my friends in Room 5 didn't nap as well as I wanted to to so they thought that they could bring me over to Room 4 for my naps. And while I thought this was a good idea and my lead teacher J. laid there with me I think I might spend the next week or so in Room 5 napping just to see how it goes. If I want Room 4 it's always available to me. I'll just have to let them know.

But that was yesterday, Friday. Today is Saturday and mom and dad let me sleep in until 8:30 and that was pretty cool but when the door opened it was

MOM!

That was great. She got me up and we went downstairs and I had a nice hard boiled egg for breakfast and after I got dressed we went to the park and I got to go down the slides. Only this time I wanted to go down face first and so I totally did it and dad was there was to catch me and it was super fun.

We had lunch at The Stand and I like it there an awful lot and I ate my fruit and about half of my hot dog and then mom and dad brought me home and put me down for my nap.

After resting my body for a couple of hours, Mom came in and she was pretty excited. She said, "who wants to go see Clare?" Now, I admit that I didn't know who Clare was, but Mom was so excited and it seemed like something really cool. So, I shouted, "ME!" But I wasn't ready to commit quite yet. First, I needed to play with some playdough. Then, Mom loaded me into the car and we drove out to a place I don't think I've ever been called Westwood. We went to a really cool Mystery Bookstore and there was a bunch of ladies sitting around a table in the middle of the store and they were all paying attention to the one lady with really pretty blue eyes. My Mom said that was her friend Clare and all of those ladies were there because Clare wrote a book and now she has a suitcase full of money. Before I met Clare I got to say hello to some other ladies that are friends of my Mom. Then, I ran around and touched lots of books and saw a baby that looked just like me in the back of a bookcase, and pull a shiny purple bat off the garland and say hi to a really big baby named Maximillion. Then, Mom bought us some books and we got to say hi to Clare. She was really nice and seemed like it would be fun to know her. Mom was happy to see her and said that Clare was one of the people that taught Mom how to make my quilty. I sure do love my quilty, so if Clare had anything to do with it, she is all right in my book.

After a while, all the ladies stood up and started to get ready to go. I ran around and Mom let me climb this really cool ladder that had wheels. Her friend was sitting in the big green chair and she made me laugh a lot. Mom said she is a very funny girl and that she also sings really good. She sang Sugar Honey with Mom and it sounded neat.

We left the bookstore after a while and went across the street to a restaurant. I at my crackers and I was still hungry. So, Mom said goodbye to all of the ladies and we walked to the car. On the way home, we listened to my new CD that goes with my new book. Mom let me listen to the Peanut Butter Jelly song over and over and over and over again.

When we got home, I played with Dad for a bit and then I ate my dinner of chicken, peas, tomatoes and hummus. I think I had a long day because I started to get kind of grumpy. And then I got really really REALLY grumpy. Mom and Dad both had to stay in my room and try to calm me down. But really, I kind of screamed until a few minutes after they put me in my crib and closed the door. It was a pretty exciting day, so I think I was just overwhelmed. We'll see how tomorrow goes. Until then, I will just let Mom and Dad have a break.

Morning Time Blues

I don't know what it is.

I get a good night sleep. The room is nice and dark and quiet and the fan is humming nicely in the background. I have my baby dolls in the crib with me and I know that mom and dad are only downstairs so my sleeping is just fine.

But something gets to me when it's time to get out of bed and get dressed and get the show in the road. Maybe I like the coziness of my crib too much or maybe I just need more than 11 hours of sleep a night but I need to figure it out. I don't think I can keep on fighting with my mom and dad every morning, insisting that I keep m blankie and stay upstairs and keep my jammies on instead of going downstairs and eating my breakfast and going to school. I really need to figure out where this is coming from because it's totally not cool.

The weird thing it, once I'm out the door and we're on our way, everything is fine. This morning I was really upset because my waffle had fallen apart even though it was me who had jammed it into daddy's back, but when I saw that the construction site next door had a big truck hauling away the trash bin, I was fascinated. I sat there and watching the truck and it was great.

When I got to school everything was just the way it always is. E. was there with his little pig E.L. and I said hi to both and we went down to Room 5 (we were running late because there was a big fire at the Sepulveda Pass, right by the Getty Center so the freeways were jammed!) Dad and I put my lunch away and signed me in and then went outside where J. and everyone else was. Dad and I played with some of the balls for a couple of minutes but then he said that he had to go and that sort of made me sad and I cried for a little bit but I got over it in no time.

The day went pretty well.

I made a paper crown that I loved and wore around until it kept falling into my eyes so much that it was interfering with my fun so I put it away and I ate my lunch but it turns out I was still hungry (luckily they had an apple there for me.)

After nap we went outside and I played on the structure and I danced with J. and I colored with L. and before I knew it, dad was there to get me. I was wearing my Elmo shirt because my other one got wet from the drinking fountain (which I LOVE).

As we walked past Room 0/1 I saw my goo friend A. and her mom and dad said we could wait for them and I we did and A. and I ran outside together and we ran down the sidewalk and around the corner together and we hid until our parents found us and it was fun and we laughed and everything was great.

I gave A. a big hug goodbye and dad strapped me in to the cat seat ad we drove home and I had dinner of some yummy pasta. peas and carrots and then some grapes for dessert.

After dinner dad and I went upstairs and I took a bath and right after mom called and I got to say good night and she told me that she would be home tonight (she was currently in Albuquerque, wherever that is).

I'm pretty excited about seeing mom again. I really miss her and love her.

And I'm going to try and be good tomorrow morning.

Hump Day

So it's the middle of the week and things seem to be going pretty well. Mom's still on her trip but I know that I'll see her in a couple of days so I'm hanging tough, not too many tears. This morning I was in a pretty good mood but I don't think I was quite ready to get out of bed because the minute dad started to change me I started to cry. I cried so much I didn't get a chance to eat my breakfast at home like I usually do. But dad was smart enough to bring a banana in the car and so once we got on the road I had something to eat (but no more milk in the car! Only water! e.g.)

On the drive in we called mom and then we called Auntie L. and that was all fun. I really like driving to school with the window down, even on the freeway. I like the wind in my face and I like waving to the buses and people outside the car. It's fun!

At school we had a pretty good day. I got to play with clay and I ate my whole lunch and I took a really good nap (I woke up for a second but my teacher J. was there and she sat with me and I fell right back to sleep, no problem.)

Before I knew it I saw dad coming to get me and I ran for him even though I'm not supposed to run away from the teachers. I can't help myself! I gave dad a hug and we walked back and said a proper good-bye to everyone and then went back to Room 5 so I could get my lunch box and dad could sign me out. We ran into J. and she was getting the late snack ready and I really wanted to stay but dad told me that we had to go home and I could have dinner which, according to him, is way better than snack.

We made it home without a problem, listening to the World Series on the radio and I had a really good dinner of some pesto chicken, tomatoes, avocado and then some grapes for dessert. I was feeling so good afterwards that I even tried on my giraffe costume and it fit perfectly. It's going to be great.

Dad and I went upstairs and we called mom on the computer and I got to see her and I told her I loved her and that I would see her in a couple of days. I missed her so much I hugged the computer and I know that it's not the same thing as hugging mom but it was as close as I was going to get tonight to I took it. I'll see her soon.

Good night! It's time to go to bed and give daddy nosey-osie-osies!

Whoa, Time Flies!

Okay, okay, I'm sorry I haven't posted in like three days but I will sum up my weekend's activities in two words:

Pumpkin Patch!!!

On Saturday, I had a playdate with an old friend from Room 1 so mom and dad loaded up the wagon and we drove all the way out to Moorpark to the biggest pumpkin patch/farm I've ever been to (not that I've been to that many but still.) There was so much to do. A. and I went in a train ride (twice!) and I climbed up this giant pyramid of hay bales and I saw a pig race (a pig race! Michael Jord-ham won the all around event) and I even danced to some live bluegrass courtesy of Three Foot Chicken. It was all really fun. You can check out the site here.

After lunch we went home and I took my nap but I was a little grumpy in the afternoon. Maybe it was the letdown or maybe I didn't nap long enough but I was just a little off. But I would have been fine if I knew where I was going Sunday morning:

Another Pumpkin Patch!!!

This time we went up and saw the twins and their mom and dad and then all of us walked over to the Calabasas Pumpkin Festival. This one wasn't on a farm but it was still pretty cool. It was also a lot hotter but I still got to eat some tasty pork carnitas and rice and beans and then I danced to a band playing Elvis songs (the lead singer was dressed like Elvis but I knew it wasn't him.) It got to be really hot plus it was nap time so we headed home and I rested my body.

That night my mom told me that she had to go away for a couple of days but that she loved me very much and would be back before I knew it. I was pretty sad to hear it but I know she'll be back and will snuggle me good.

Yesterday was the first day of just dad and me and it went pretty well. I was okay all day but that night I really wished mom was there and I got sad. I almost missed my chance to have dinner but dad eventually convinced me to eat something and I had some tomatoes and half an apple. It was really good and I felt a lot better after.

This morning when I woke up I didn't want to get out of bed but dad made me (he makes me do lots of things I don't feel like doing!) but I'm glad he did because I got to go to Room 5 and see my friends. I especially like grabbing a book off the shelf, climbing the little stairs to the loft and reading up there. It's nice and cozy.

The day went really well. We're learning about the Hindu holiday Diwali and that's pretty cool and all but the best part of the day is when dad shows up again just like he promises.

I was in a pretty good mood and dad opened the car window for the drive and when we got home he let me watch the Wiggles while he made dinner and then I had some chicken and broccoli and avocado and then some grapes for dessert (a lot of green food as it turns out. e.g.)

After dinner but before the bath we went into dad's office and logged onto iChat where I got to see MOM! We blinked at each other for awhile and I laughed and she smiled and then dad let me sit on his desk so I could get a better view but soon it was time for bath so we had to say goodnight. But mom will only be gone for a couple of days so it will be okay.

I sure do miss her. But I'll see her soon.

Doctor's Visit

We talked about it.

We talked about it plenty.

In fact, J. at school kept bringing it up all morning so I knew exactly what was coming.

Dad showed up right when were about to go inside and eat our lunches and he told me to grab my lunch box and go with him so that's what I did. He kept saying that we were going to see Dr. M. but I kept asking for Dr. W. (whose name is way more fun to say).

So we drove back to the doctor's office and they took us in right away and the nurse had me stand on one of those scales where they measure your weight with, well, the weights. And then I had to stand nice and tall against the wall and she measured my height with this big stick that she rested on top of my head.

After all that we went into room 12 and right when dad was about the change my diaper (I had to do a little number 2, if you know what I mean) mom showed up. Huzzah!

After a few minutes Dr. M. came in and she asked me all kinds of questions and I was a little shy at first but I wanted to show off everything so I demonstrated how I could jump and count and identify colors and all kinds of other thing.

Dr. M. looked in my ears and she listened to my heart and she listened to my lungs and I didn't mind at all. If fact, I was pretty excited to just run around even though the doctor was trying to explain to mom and dad all kinds of things (and out of the corner of my ear I heard something about how I had gained a little more weight than she had expected but I'm sure that's nothing).

Once Dr. M. left the nurse came back in and she she said that mom and me had to get shots (for some reason, dad got a pass. I'm getting my flu shot at work. e.g.) Mom said that she'd go first and I watched and it didn't look so bad so I was good and brave and let the nurse stick the needle in my arm.

And it hurt like a MUTHER*&%$ER

I cried and I cried and I didn't want the shiny band aid but mom held me and after a few minutes it didn't hurt so bad. We went out side and had our picnic, like we talked about, and then dad took me back to school where J. took me and put me on my mat for my nap. She laid next to me and talked to me until I just dropped off to sleep. And it was a good sleep.

The rest of the day went pretty well and when I was helping put away the cars and trucks in the sandbox dad showed up to get me. We went home and I had some ham and broccoli for dinner and then mom came home and she snuggled me or bedtime. I'm beginning to like walking around the room instead of sitting still for stories and songs but once I'm in that crib, I'm out like a light.

Mom and dad have been telling me that tomorrow I'm going to a pumpkin patch with my friend A.

I can only hope!

Happy Days

I guess you could say that today was a pretty typical Thursday. The day got off to a pretty good start, my dad came in and got me and I showed him how I can jump in the crib ("Stop!" he kept saying but I paid him no heed.) And then he dressed me in my green checked shirt and while I was looking at the picture of Pooh Bear that hangs over my changing table and pulled up my pants my mom walked it. So everyone was there and I was in a pretty good mood.

Dad took me into school and I painted with hot water and really cold water (I liked the cold water the best) and I went down the curvy slide like a million times and before I knew it it was lunch time and I was SUPER hungry and ate everything up and then it was nap time. I like napping on the floor and in fact now I like lying on the floor at bedtime almost more than I like sitting in mommy or daddy's lap.

The rest of the afternoon was great and when I was playing in the sandbox with my new teacher J. I looked up and there was dad waiting for me with open arms. When I tried to climb out of the sandbox I took a header and I started to cry and I wanted a boo boo bear but a couple of hugs cleared things up.

Dad took me home and he told me that we would have dinner first (and I demanded mac and cheese! Another night in a row!) and then we would have a bath and then we'd change into jammies and then it would be time for bed.

And it turns out he was right. That's exactly what we did; dinner, bath, jammies and then night night. right around the time dad was putting my jammies on I decided that I wanted mommy to snuggle me for bedtime but dad told me that mom was out buying me pants and that it was dad's turn (I can't wait to see what she got me. Something cool, I'm sure.)

So all in all, a pretty good day. Dad's okay and all but I think I still might prefer my mommy for night night snuggling.

2 and 1

Not much exciting to tell today. I am 2 years and 1 day old. Mom thinks I am exhibiting the "terrible two's" because I have been doing a lot of crying and whining to get my way lately. It's just so frustrating. I want to play. I don't want to take time to have my diaper changed or my clothes put on or jammies taken off or vice versa. I don't want to wear shoes or sandals and I want to watch the WIGGLES. I remember a time when all I wanted to do was sleep and eat and mom and dad had no problem letting me do just that.

This morning my dad picked out a Dodgers dress for me to wear because he thought it would be good luck and help the Dodgers win tonight. I was NOT happy about that. I don't know why, because I love my dad and he loves the Dodgers so I should want to wear the dress. But I just screamed and screamed for like 15 minutes. I lost. I wore the dress.

Unfortunately, it didn't really work. The stupid other team won. Now my dad is sad.

Happy Birthday Meatballs!

Okay, that's just a little joke. I personally think it's pretty hilarious to substitute random objects for real names in the "Happy Birthday" song. For example:

Happy Birthday, Fire truck!

or

Happy Birthday, this car!

Go ahead. Give it try. It's fun.

But to get back to the point - TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY! I'm officially two years old today and I couldn't feel better. Mom and dad got me up and dressed me in this cool Chinese pants suit that I really like and when I got downstairs, I had a special birthday breakfast of mush with a candle in it! I got to blow it out and it was really fun.

So after mush and a banana (I guess I was hungry) dad took me into school where I got to decorate my birthday crown using dot art. I put a few on but then I decided that was enough. You can see for yourself here:


The day was going pretty well. I had my crown, people kept wishing me a happy birthday, I was able to FINALLY play on the giant structure in the yard and no one was pushing me (which, if you haven't spent much time in a daycare, if a huge deal.) But then things got really good because I turned around and mom and dad where standing right there. In fact, things might have gotten a little too good because I wasn't sure what to do. I took my crown off to show my mother but ripped it in the process and then we had to go inside and it was potty time and things seemed to be getting a little bit away from me so I started to cry. But mom was right there with me the entire time so it turned out okay.

Especially when my birthday strawberries and cream came out:


Outstanding.

So I ate my special snack and when I was done J. told me that I had an important phone call and when she handed me the phone it was GOOFY wishing me a happy birthday. And you know how much I love Goofy! I'm a pretty lucky girl. How many kids get to have Goofy himself call and wish them a happy birthday.

But the best part was mom took me home after the party and we got to spend the rest of the afternoon together (even though at some point I had a diaper related emergency that required paper towels and Oxi-Clean.)

All in all, it was a pretty boss second birthday. I got some cool gifts, I took a bath and my dad opened the Elvis doll that baby J. gave me (even though mom said I might be a little too young for it. Am not! I'm two!)

So, a really good day. Except my dad tells me that the Dodgers bullpen let them down in the 8th inning. Tomorrow's the big game 5 so I'm wearing the Dodgers outfit that J. and D. gave me. Go Blue!

A New Day

So it was a pretty exciting weekend and to be honest, I definitely experienced my share of really super highs and really super lows (I vaguely remember refusing to wear a shirt to dinner last night. But maybe it was a dream...) Which is fun and all because you can't have one without the other but there's something to be said for a rock solid routine.

And today we got back into it.

I got out of bed at the usual time, I got dressed in my favorite striped dress and mom made me a smoothie for breakfast which, while not technically my normal banana or oatmeal for breakfast, was a welcome tasty treat. And then dad drove me into school, we listened to NPR on the drive and I walked down to Room 5 and put my lunch in the little lunch cubby.

And then I got my play on!

Since the day was so orderly and nice I was totally comfortable at dinner time, eating my mac and cheese and green beans and having a lovely cup of milk. The Dodgers were playing and I'm not sure what was going on but something seemed to be wrong with their pitching. I'll have to check in with my dad in the morning and see how it turned out.

All in all it was great day. And tomorrow's going to be even better because it's my official BIRTHDAY! And what that means is that I'll finally be able to go on the big structure at school rather than just watching the other kids play on it. I can't wait.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

B-Day Picnic

Today was a very eventful day. Mom got up early and said she had to run out for a bit. So Dad and I hung out, had breakfast and then wrestled and played and he let me watch Mickey Mouse on TV. I helped Dad make a big pot of Mac & Cheese and then mom came home. I'm not sure why, but I threw a holy fit when mom got home. I wouldn't let them put my clothes on, or brush my hair or put on my socks and shoes. I must not have realized why they were so interested in getting out of the house. Had I known, I would have been an angel for sure. You see, Mom and Dad threw me a big birthday picnic party at the park today and invited my bestest friends to come and play with me. L. was there with his mom and dad. I. & B. were there with their mom and dad, J. was there with his mom and dad. Plus, Miss V. was there and Mr. J. and his girlfriend Ms. A.

It was really cool. When mom said she was running out this morning, she actually went to the park to set up the party. She put scarecrows on sticks in the ground and hung balloons and put an orange table cloth on the picnic table. Plus she put a bunch of little pumpkins all in a group and called it Tesserroo's Pumpkin Patch. We used foam stickers to decorate the pumpkins and everybody had a lot of fun.


Oh, and I got a WAGON. It's a cool old skool Radio Flyer wagon and Dad pulled me all around the picnic area in it. Also, L. rode in the wagon and he even got in there once with me too. My friends are fun.


Mom made me a cake with a big pumpkin on the top and everybody ate it and said it was good.

It was good. I ate 2 pieces. I don't think my dad knows that. I ate my piece and then I ate most of my mom's piece. Maybe that's why I was such an H E double hockey sticks ION tonight.

After everybody left, Mom took me home so I could rest my body. It was much later than my usual nap time and I was pretty wired. I laid down for about an hour and a half and then mom came and got me up. That's where the "fun" started. For the next 2 hours or so I just screamed and cried and tore my clothes off and screamed and cried and kicked and screamed and cried and ate some Mac & Cheese and screamed and cried and opened one birthday present and screamed and cried and took a bubble bath and got my jammies on and brushed my teeth and got my picture taken and ran around while mom tried to read me books and screamed and jumped and laid on the ground and then finally I climbed onto mom's lap and gave her some kisses and she rocked me till I calmed down and fell asleep.

Sugar RULES. Goodnight.

MUSIC!!!

Somehow yesterday got away from me and I didn't get a post up. Sorry! But as a quick recap, I had a great day down in Room 5 and come Monday I will be an official member of that room. No more signing in in Room 1 no more picking up my stuff down there, no more nothing. My dad tells me that J. and M. will move all my stuff down to Room 5 and it will all be there waiting for me come Monday morning. I have to be honest with you; it's going to be a little weird not being in Room 0/1 anymore. I know it's been an couple of weeks that I've been going down there...but still. To be completely done with it? It seems weird. I'll let you know how it goes on Monday.

But anyway, today's Saturday...

We got off to a pretty good start. We slept in (although I've been coughing for some reason. It doesn't bother me but it sure is happening. In any case...) Mom came in and got me around 8:30 and all I wanted to do was color and I made sure that we did that for a while until it was time to go downstairs for breakfast. I really didn't feel like going down there but mom and dad insisted but I wasn't about to let them tell me what I could have for breakfast and I asked for crackers even though they kept telling me that I could have a banana or Cherrios or even an egg and tiny toast. Nope. I told them I wanted crackers so that's what I ended up with. Some nice saltines and a cup of milk. I guess I showed them.

It was a weird day. The weather had cooled down to like 70 degrees and the sky was totally blue and clear and the hills where in an absolutely stark relief against the autumn, crisp sky.

Even though it was a nice day outside, inside I was in a funky mood. Mom and Dad say it's the "terrible two's" even though I am not technically 2.

I did not want to put on my shoes or do anything that my mom and dad were telling me to do. Turns out we were going to take a bike ride but by the time I was done crying we didn't have time so we just drove the car up to the new park that my mom and dad seem to like and it was super fun. It was cool outside and I went down the slides all by myself and I climbed around and before I knew it we were having lunch at The Stand. I asked for a hot dog but it turns out I wasn't sure what I wanted but I did eat some fruit and pickles so I guess it was okay.

We went home and I took a nap (she screamed like crazy for mom until I just put her in the crib. She was out in about 30 seconds. e.g.) When I got up dad was there and we got changed and dressed and then we went to the...

COST-CO!!!!!

I don't know if you've ever been to this place but the aisles are really big and I can run around and it was super fun.

We eventually went home and I had my dinner, some ham and veggies, and then I had a nice bath and brushed my teeth and then it wast time for sleep. There's some kind of fund raiser taking place at the house behind me but I'm still going to sleep.

But I bet dad's going to call the cops!

Back to Normal?

So after the close call with Hand, Foot and Mouth disease and after being locked inside the car in summer valley heat only to be freed by the LAFD, I got to go back to school today. Because of Yom Kippur there weren't as many kids but that was okay. When I got there E. the security guard went back to his car and brought out his little plastic pig and let me look at her (I even gave her a kiss on the snout!) and then dad brought me inside and we looked at the fish (the center director has a fish mobile hanging in this window office. We walk past this every morning. - e.d.)

I was pretty brave and walked past Room 1 without crying but instead waved to M. who was feeling baby M. They waved back and I kept right on going.

The rest of the day is a blur of activity. I painted with a roller, I drank from the water fountains (which is my new favorite thing to do) and I played in the sandboxes. I even slept really well. Who knew sleeping on the floor could be so much fun. And so comfortable.

Before I knew it, dad was there picking me up and we came home and had a TexMex dinner of taquitos and avocado and some peas. When I was done, mom came through the front door and I ran up and hugged her and said, "Hi mom!" Then it was up for bath and jammies and tooth brushing and then books and finally songs.

I sure am glad to be back in the swing of things!

On The Mend

So today was a brand new day. I still wasn't allowed to go to school so mom and day split up the day with mom taking the morning shift. She got me up and dressed and we had a banana for breakfast (which I tried to dip in my milk like a cookie but mom said no dice to that) and then we drew and colored for a little bit and mom drew a giraffe. It was really good. It had spots and everything.

Next thing I knew mom was trying to get my shoes on and get me in the car and I really REALLY didn't want to go anywhere but she was pretty adamant but so was I so I kicked and cried until she just put me in the car shoeless which wasn't all that great. But we drove over to her doctor (I guess she had an appointment) and there was dad and he hopped into the driver's seat and we went over to a park where I got to go down a twisty slide and then eat my lunch (a soy nut butter and jelly sandwich and some tomatoes and cheese. Pretty tasty.) After a little bit mom showed up and dad left and we played some more and then ended up going home for nap.

When I woke up, guess who was there - dad! Pretty crazy. Every time I turn around there was a different parent there to look out for me. It's like they had this planned or something.

So dad got me up and he changed my diaper and we colored for a little bit (I pointed out mom's giraffe. Like I said, it's really good) and then we went downstairs. I asked to watch the Wiggles but he said no let's eat a snack so I got into my chair and he gave me a whole red plum to eat. Now I know I had McDonalds yesterday and that was good and all but nothing tops a fresh piece of fruit that's not cut up into little bits. I got to hold the plum and eat all on my own and I took the hugest bites I could because it was so delicious.

When I was done I figured I ask to watch the Wiggles again but dad said no, let's go to the park so he packed me into the car and we went to that new park mom and dad seem to like so well. It was pretty hot out so there was only a couple of kids there and I went down the slide and after a little bit guess who shows up - mom! I finally had them both together and it was fun.

The fun had to be put on hold for a couple of minutes, though, when after my parents strapped me my car seat and closed the doors they realized that the keys were locked in there with me. Yikes! Luckily I had a sippy cup of water and mom and dad called 911 and the fire department showed up like three minutes later. I was hoping they'd have to bust through a window or something dramatic like that but they had this inflatable bladder type thing that they wedged in between the door and the car frame and when they pumped it up it forced the door open. And once the door was open they put a big hook in there and unlocked the door. I was free lickity split. But to be honest I was a little worried only because I was inside and mom and dad where outside and they seemed pretty worried.

My parents told me that I could have whatever I wanted for dinner so I said "Nocci Nocci and peas: which means gnocchi and peas and that's exactly what I got. It was delicious.

Well, after bath and stories I'm going to bed and then I'm back to Room 5 tomorrow. It's been a crazy couple of days but it will be nice to see my friends again. I feel great and my rash is just about gone so hopefully life will back to normal come tomorrow.

Ferris Bueller's got nuttin on my Mom

Well, today was one of those days that you could never predict when you wake up but that you will remember for a long time to come.

It was slow to start, or should I say *I* was slow to start. My dad came into my room at 7am as usual, but I was snoozing away. So, he let me sleep. When he came back in at 7:30am I was up and happy to start the day.

I took my breakfast on the road (a sippy cup of milk and a waffle - yum). And when dad dropped me off, I went right over and started playing with my friend A. in the sand. It was gonna be a good day.

Around 10am, my teacher D. noticed that my rash was getting kind of bad. She called my dad to say that, while it was nothing to worry about, he might want to make an appointment to take me to the doctor. So dad called mom and mom told dad to just go ahead and make an appointment. Before I knew it, it was 10:30am and my mom walked into Room 5 and said we were going to the doctor. Now, I may be just shy of 2 years old, but I wasn't born yesterday. I know that going to the doctor can be a scary thing. I was a little nervous. But mom promised to take me on a picnic in the park for lunch after the doctor. So, OK, I can get on board with that.

We had to go in the secret back door to the doctor. That's where kids go when they have something that is contagious and could get other kids sick. Then we went to room 9 which is now officially my favorite room in the doctors' office because it had great toys in it. I was playing with the toys and having lots of fun when the nurse came in and asked my mom if I would get on the scale. So, mom walked me out and showed me how to get up on the scale and how not to touch anything so they could get an accurate reading. I weigh 30 pounds! Woo Hoo.

After that, we went back into the room and I chose a book about lullabies for my mom to read to me. I got up on her lap and she read the book in all of her funny voices. She was making a funny dog voice when the doctor came in. He was really nice. My mom said his name was Doctor Woki and I called him Oki Woki. He took a look at my skin and told my mom it was a viral rash and that I should stay home from school today and tomorrow. Woo Hoo. He also said that my nose is gonna heal and I won't have a scar. Let's hope.

We left the doctor's office and that's where the greatest day ever began. First, mom said that we needed to get me some milk for my lunch. So she drove to a place called McDonald's. She drove up to a box and a voice asked her what she wanted to order. Then, we drove around and a lady in a funny hat gave my mom a bag that smelled really good. REALLY REALLY GOOD.

We drove to the park and parked along the road. Mom got me out and we walked over and sat under a tree. Mom unpacked my lunch (the lunch that I had brought to school). She gave me my soynut butter and jelly sandwich. Now, it looked pretty good, but what mom had smelled MUCH BETTER. She had something called McNuggets. And she let me have one. And I LOVED it. Then she let me have some fries. I don't know why, but she told me not to tell my dad. I don't know why my dad would care that I was eating the greatest tasting food in the world.

After lunch, mom took me home and got me all settled in for a nap. I slept from about 12:30pm till 3:30pm. Sweet. At school we have to get up at 2. So I got a whole extra hour and a half nap. When she came in to get me I was all rested and ready for my afternoon snack. My snack, oh, yes, my snack. First mom offered me hummus. But I said no. Then she asked me what I wanted and I said "cookies." Hey, if you don't try, you won't ever get anything. Well, my mom said OK and gave me 4 little ginger snaps. Then, she showed me how to make cookies taste even better by dunking them in my milk. Oh my goodness, that is good. I ate 3 of my 4 cookies and gave mom the last one. Then, mom asked me what I wanted to do and I said I wanted to watch the Wiggles. And mom said YES. She let me dance to the song I really like and then, she found another song all about Henry the Octopus that I had never seen before. She let me watch it 3 times and showed me how to dance with my arms. It was so much fun I couldn't believe my luck. After that we played with my little barn, read some books and drove the school bus around on the rug. We went upstairs and colored, watched firetrucks and laughing babies on You Tube and then watched movies of me at the ocean when I was just a little baby. This was such a fun afternoon I just wanted to jump for joy. Unfortunately, it's where I decided to jump that put a damper on my fun. Mom and me went back downstairs and she said I could watch Mickey Mouse while she put the dishes away. But while I was watching the TV show, I stood up and jumped on the couch. This made mom real mad. She says that I could really get hurt if I jump on the couch. She told me I couldn't sit on the couch anymore and that I couldn't watch Mickey Mouse anymore. I threw a FIT. But mom didn't cave. But she didn't want me to cry either. So, she closed the dishwasher and took me outside on the front steps. We hung out on the steps for a while and watched the squirrels jump from tree to tree and mom made a funny sound with her mouth and got the squirrel to come down the tree and look right at her. It was cool. I tried to make the sound too, but I don't quite have it yet.

I calmed down out on the porch and mom asked me what I wanted for dinner. I said "jelly sandwich." I was supposed to eat it for lunch, and, I thought it would still be good for dinner. It was. Mom made it special this time by mixing the soynut butter and the jelly together into a schmere before she put it on the bread. Yum. It was good.

While I was eating dinner, dad came home and we finished up the day as one happy, laughing and smiling family.

Don't get me wrong, I like going to school, but hanging out with mom today was really super fun.