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LOL.  I started this post forever ago.  Oh well.  I'm not finishing it - moving on - just getting it out there...

It's funny.  Typing in that title, for the first time in my life, that word feels true for both where I'm living AND for Kansas, the place I've always "called home."

Anyhoo ;)

We're "home," west coast, rainy, lovely, home.  And as of today, Superman has half day vacays for a few days!  He works the looooongest days (his half days are basically a normal person's regular workday), so this is a Huge treat.  I have a million things we "should" try to get done around the house and have yet to do a damn thing for Christmas (blech).  But I'm pretty sure the boys would like to veg a large percentage of our staycation ;)  Lucky for them, I totally effed up my perineum in the Denver airport (Little Bits suddenly had a speed burst on the moving walkway and I turned and dove to divert disaster) and was easily talked into resting my bod while Z naps.  They are happily ensconced in front of some movie, cuddling.  I give E a total of ten minutes before he's out cold ;)

So, photo round-up of Kansas!

Z, lover of all things furry, thought her grandaddy's trophy's da bomb.  giddy-up;)

Z is also obsessed with shoes.  She wants to try on Everyone's shoes and clomp around in them.  Mom pulled out my first pair of cowboy boots and Z shoved her fat feet in them Every Day.  

For the love of BB

Just real quick- there's never time to blog these days, but I hate forgetting the little details that will get me through old age ;)

P and I were at a friend's bday party yesterday and the little girl got a Magic 8 ball from someone. P asked what it was and she told him. After the opening was over he quietly went over and picked it up and looked it over. Then he tested it with a basic question. Read the answer "yes." Then he leaned in and whispered to it. He asked me to read the answer, "Yes, Most definitely" and his eyes widened. I asked him what his question had been.

"Will BB, in my lifetime, come alive?"


This kiiiiiiiills me.

Fishing

Wow.  Our little ex-vegan is full on fisherman these days.  After a brief foray in Florida, he was hooked (har har;).  He built himself a pole with bamboo and his knife and we sat by the water, waiting and waiting and waiting.  Nada.

Gramps, always one to encourage hunterly pursuits, took P to Cabelas and got a little pole and they waited and waited and waited.

Learning how to cast

Multi-tasking cast practice

The next day they went back to Cabelas, got a better pole and some minnows and they didn't have to wait too long... Bass for dinner!

A friend came over to filet the fish and P was a bit shocked at the actual killing of the live fish part.  He will, apparently, add some goodbyes and a small thanks ritual next time.  But he insists that there Will be a next time, shock or no shock.  And the fish he caught (6 biggies)?  Grams fried them up yummy and the boy declared them the best. fish. Ever.  If only Grams (a fabulous fisherwoman) or Gramps lived in Oregon, as Mama and Papa are ever so less eager...

Horseback riding

It's moments like this that make memories that will warm my heart if ever lost on the tundra.  P wanted to take a little ride this time home.  And Z, she is positively mesmerized by animals.  I mean, the girl freakin LOVES animals (funny after P, who was kinda meh on the subject).  So P decides to invite Z up for part of his ride.  (Be still my heart.  I know too much about horses to think this is a good idea, ever.)  But the little ride was fine, Z was So happy and P?   Whenever he told anyone about his ride?  He talked about his sister :)  I eat that shit up as a mother :)

The Mechanical Mule

I have about a billion pics of the kids on the John Deere here.  P has always loved this thing, but Z, holy cow, Z is obsessed.  Between the two of them, they can spend the better part of any decent day driving around :)  Phoenix seems to absolutely adore having someone to join him in his little cart after flying solo for so long.

Z quickly had her first car accident.  P popped out of the driver's seat to practice some bow shooting and Z craftily clambered into his spot and accidentally hit the gas.  The little craft zoomed forward and hit my brother's car tire and the baby bounced out, quite surprised ;)  Live and learn... She now stays buckled tight unless she's in my arms or completely away from the machine.

When the battery dies on the little one, we climb into my father's real mechanical mule and putz around the property.  Z asks for a ride Every Day.  Fortunately, since P is teaching himself to drive the machine, he is just as happy to hop on it as she is.  He's getting pretty good and I don't clench my teeth quite as much anymore.

He hugged her allll the way home that day.

Thanksgiving and too much fun

Without my father's email reminders ("Red, your last blog was over two weeks ago, Daddy.") and all the fun we've been busy having, I'm falling behind here! So here's a quick (my posts are never quick, are they:) catch-up for the last, er, month...

The flight here... well, we survived :). The kids quickly switched time zones and Z settled into her new home without much drama. P, of course, was so relieved to see his grandparents it was heart wrenching.

Tgiving was all good. We had E's family at lunch and mine at dinner and felt, again, incredibly lucky that holidays are so easy with our fams. I wondered how P would share attention with Z this year, now that she can play games and such, but he was fab, often instigating her inclusion. And then, when he didn't want her, well, he was very clear about that ;). But with our fams, there's always plenty of Aunts and Uncles to go around ;). P's play is finally settling down a bit. I mean, there's still plenty of the wrestling his Uncles started him on as a baby, but it was mixed in with games of chess and chit-chat. Z, typically the party girl, seemed slightly mellow with all of the mayhem. Miss Chatterbox barely said a word, choosing to watch for a change.

And the food. I was über excited to eat and eat and eat this year after just apples last time, but was surprised to find how limited I still was with the traditional dishes. (It was still easier ;). I had desperately grabbed some Chipoltle (my very first cheat in over a year!) a few days before (hey - they say au natural!;) and Z was quickly covered in a head to toe rash and misery, so I tried to be pretty good Tday to make up for that ;). My mom was incredibly thoughtful in her preparations and Z and I feasted for dinner at the loveliest table I've ever seen.

I'm going to split the pics up into lots of separate posts or, looking at all of the pics that are queuing up here, this could get silly long. There's not really any pics of Tgiving - I was busy actually interacting with everyone (it is SO GOOD to see family when we are home!!!) that the phone didn't come out that much.  The rest of our visit has been ridiculously documented though ;)

Baby Sofia

Z, enjoying the morning, the day of Phoenix and Sofia's birth.

So, turns out P got a birthday buddy after all.  And, honestly, after all of the hotheaded commentary on the subject, he barely winced. This could be because he has the most amazing Aunt and Uncle on the planet...

Seriously, though they had just given birth to their firstborn, they went waaaay out of their way to make the weekend special for Phoenix.  Absolutely broke my heart to see how much he is loved by such truly unbelievable people.  

For example, after a long labor and sporting a newborn, Alicia just wasn't gonna make it up our multiple stairways the very next day for a loud, kid (germs) infested birthday party.  So what did they do?  Uncle Seth showed up early for a special FaceTime tour with the Little Man and his Aunt.  She cyber walked through his whole set-up, asking questions and validating excitedly.  Like she wasn't busy needing sleep or figuring out how to nurse or change dirty diapers or something.  

And then Seth came back for the party.  Fer reeealz.  AND we were invited down the next day for celebratory drinks with more cake (Phoenix's birthday cake was The Most Scrumptious Cake Ever Made.  And I mean that.  I'm not a big wedding cake eater, but this shit was divine.  Unfortunately, Z reacted to it, so the thirds and fourths I would have had were out of the question;) while they gave him bday gifts and chatted him up about the party and made him feel like the center of the universe.  

I, meanwhile, couldn't keep my hands off of that baby :)  Which, didn't make my baby all that happy... But, fortunately, she so dotes on Uncle Seth that when he shined his attention on her, she happily forgot me.  But when she remembered Alicia or I, well, she reeeeeally wanted to get her hands on that squiggly little doll in our arms.  

Which makes sense, as her baby doll is her hands down, absolute favorite toy.  She carts that thing everywhere.  She has created a sign for it (an arms together rocking motion).  She sings "rockabye baby" to it (the tune, but the words are just mumbo jumbo;) as she sways with it in her arms.  She feeds it and hugs it and kisses it and sucks on its face.  

And she would Very much like to do this to baby Sofia :)

I started this post weeks ago.  Then sickness and travel (and motherhood in general;) got in the way.  Now we haven't seen our sweet extended fam for a week and it kills me to be gone right after that baby is born.  (But, probably for the best, or Z, P and I would smother her:)  P, seeing baby Sofia through the window on our way to the airport yelled, "Oh, I love her So Much!"  It brings tears to my eyes, thinking about him having these little ladies looking up to him (and probably eventually pummeling him;) and thinking about Z having a built in best buddy.  Sophia being born has been the best example ever of the old saying that babies just make love multiply.  Though I knew Seth and Alicia would always be amazing to P and Z, somehow they seem even more amazing, even though there is another person around to love.  So what has always seemed contradictory, really is true: babies multiply love.  

The Big Birthday Bash

P achieved the birthday bash of his dreams.  It's funny, I'd always fallen on the "set small expectations" side of the scale.  As in, do next to nothing for celebrations, so that any little thing seems fabulous.  One gift.  A chosen meal.  That about sums it up ;)

But P has been indoctrinated in our culture (thank you, Hollywood) and seen big blow outs and grown a dream sliding towards the other side of that scale.   So I embraced our switched sides, remembering another mum I once met who'd exclaimed, "Oh, we have a Huge bash every year for S, we love really celebrating her birth."

Let me say up front.  I learned I'm not the sorta mom that can slide to this end of the scale on a yearly basis.

And, turns, out, P isn't the kinda kid who could either :)

But, for this year, for this one time, it was Great.  He had a ton of friends show up.  He had his chosen clowns from around the corner come.  He had his stacked cake.  His house decorated.  His party favors made.  And he had fun.

I think the clowns were a bit much, personally.  But I'm sound sensitive.  Things were rolling along nicely and they burst in singing happy birthday and I about climbed out the window :)  Then they set up shop upstairs, many nicely seated themselves for the show and.... the Little Man continued hanging from the rafters. Almost right over the clowns.  Yes, this was awkward :)

And this is what I learned from having a big birthday bash:  Screw general judgement.

That's a hard lesson for me.  I'm kinda a people pleaser.  There were a million things P wanted that I (internally) questioned.  Like chocolate dragons for the gift bags?  Oh, but not all parents will want to take home huge chunks of sugar....  Clowns and balloons... too over the top??

The birthday boy hanging upside down during the entertainment?  Oy vey.

And I'm sure, to those that don't know him that well (probably everyone but me) that it looked like he wasn't enjoying the entertainment or something.  But I knew it was the way he was dealing with being the center of attention and so much noise and activity.  He always recedes to movement, to climbing.  So I could challenge him down, to "look right" during his party, to make me feel more comfortable.... and I heavily considered this...  Or, remember that this was His party and he wasn't hurting a fly, that everyone could judge it however they needed and I didn't need to own that.  Even though I very much like to own other's thoughts about me because then I can make them nice thoughts :)

Then they all ran around with their custom balloons, whopping each other and laughing and climbing the rafters and hiding in the loft and dropping crumbs everywhere.  It seemed they had fun.

But P was overwhelmed.  He had a couple friends that really wanted to play with him and he just didn't' have time to individually play with each pal.  He recognized all of this and talked to me about it after the party, explaining that he'd loved his party, but thinks next year, maybe, just 3 friends and a pizza sounds good...

(Non-clown) music to my ears.

I think Z may have appreciated the party more than anyone.  She danced her little toes off to the clown's music, bopped balloons with the best of them and I even found her hugging guests on the couch!  Yes indeedy, this little family of introverts has finally landed an extrovert...

The Screamer and the Stoic

I should be sleeping.

It is effing impossible, even with a Superman in residence, to catch a break when you are sick with your kids.  Or, at least, when I am sick with My kids.  (ie. While one screamed and nursed last night, the other was heavy breathing and screaming from sweaty, fever induced nightmares. And they both wanted me right. then.)

I should be in Kansas.

They adore their father.  And he is, well, Superman.  But when they are tired, hungry or sick, he may as well be mud.  No.  Mud would hold more allure, all brown and gooey.

I should eat more greens.

But, since I am awake, in Oregon, briefly without babe and obviously short-listed in the green protecting awesome-immune department, I will blog before I fall too far behind and forget.

Zia fell sick.  She was pathetic and didn't move off of my body.  Contrary to her typical self, she didn't even move while On my body.  I never take my kids to the doctor when they are sick, trusting their bodies.  I schlepped her sick ass to the doc by bus.  Even the doc was alarmed.

The next day, she screamed.  I know she usually screams when she is sick, but that's usually at night (the most logical time to scream, of course.)  She screamed All Day Long Too.  With 10 minute breaks to regain her energies, she would then launch into an hour tirade.  Freaked. Me. Out.  She wouldn't even nurse.

Of course, we were to climb on a plane (two, actually) the very next day.

And double of course, as I hauled her screaming ass around, frantically tossing in laundry and trying to prepare for our long trip, I could feel myself running into the ground.

So, amid my stress and her screaming, I called the doc.  Again, I NEVER call the doctor.  And I anxiously awaited my symptoms to soldier on so I could figure out what the heck was killing this kid's happy and leaving her with diarrhea.

Long story short?  P and I both shot up awful fevers and miserable malaise.  We have been feeling terrible, but, well, neither of us have been screaming :)

We sadly canceled our flights.  The next day, as P profusely (and silently) yacked into multiple bowls, E quipped, "And right now, we'd be in the Denver airport."  Yup.  Dodged a bullet on that one.  (As, last year, P was puking in the Denver airport.  You'd think we'd clue in and not fly during the flu filled fall...)

Meanwhile, Z developed sores in her mouth.  Then blisters swelled up on her feet and hands.  A fleeting memory from a year ago swirled.  Something about a foot and mouth disease.  Something I'd teased darling Dale about being for farm animals...  I called the doc.  Again.

So we're all down with hand, foot and mouth disease.  Or Cocksackie.  (Could that sound any grosser?!)  And the kids have wanted to both be on my body for the entire ride.  Z, screaming, P, a total stoic, barely saying a peep.  E swirls around doing what he can, bringing water, cleaning puke bowls, gathering food.  And right now, finally giving me the break I really, really needed of just sitting on my ass rather than racing after a toddler that is hobbling on her poor blistery feet, screaming for everything.  (Last night she heard P say Seth's name and launched into a tirade of "Seeeef, Seeeef, Seeeeeef." If she can't have it, she is going to scream for it this weekend.)

And, of course, she can't have Seth.  Because that gorgeous, new baby can come near nothing that we touch.  We visited sweet Sofia right before Z got sick and I was in tears thinking we'd gotten her sick.  I don't know how mums with toddlers and newborns do it.  The germ infested mixing with the innocent....

Thank gawd my little germ spreader finally accepted Superman for a bit.  I'm not sure which I'm happier for, a moment of stillness or a moment of quiet.  Because E, always with a song on his lips, has been singing the Troggs song all day, with slightly altered lyrics (making it no less annoying)

Blisters on my fingers
Blisters on my tooooes
Cocksackie all around me
And so the sorrow grows...

Yah, actually, I'm most glad to be rid of the singing for a bit ;)  I can snuggle by my stoic and blog while E sings (that horribly annoying song) for the screamer.  Funny how different kids are.

Halloween

Halloween seemed to be the best yet. P was totally into it, as usual, but the idea of being seen at large in a costume still gets him stuck. Despite crafting a cool ghost costume, he decided last minute to fall on his failsafe and sport his Harry Potter garb. That's three years running, folks ;)

The weather was unbelievably beautiful, leaves littering the sidewalk, all colorful under the street lamps, and just enough foggy mist to make the evening special. Z wasn't too tired and happily hung on my hip waving to everyone. It was just the four of us this year and that felt special and sweet. P hauled in more candy than ever before, chattering up almost every house, wishing them good evenings and just sounding So Big. He saw friends all around - some houses even had special treats just for him - we really felt like part of this community - a new thing for us :)

I never get Halloween pics! Kids are too excited to pose and it's always shitty dark light :). Here's the best we've got ;). (Z DID wear her dotty cape and her Amazing Aunt sewed both kids sweet pumpkin bags, so she even had a Little Red like "basket" (with an apple, of course:).

Almost 8

Phoenix turns 8 tomorrow. As I lay here, feeling my youngest sigh into sleep tonight, I'm happily remembering P's birth. I'd been working damn hard on it all day, 8 years ago (and still had a long way to go;) And today, exactly 8 years later, I've had the immense privilege of witnessing my amazing sister-in-law work through her first labor a little.

P has been simultaneously beside himself with excitement that he will be 8, excited that he will have another cousin, and dread filled that his new cousin will take too long in coming and share his bday ;). Alicia's bundle still has two hours left to slide in under the wire and she's working on it for sure;)

I'm kinda surprised how very, very, very excited I am to be an Aunt again. But it makes sense. I was a tween when my nieces and nephew were born and I luuuuuuuved becoming an aunt. They lived further away than I would have liked, so I tickled and bounced them up every holiday and visit I could. I was young, had endless energy and was the girl that naturally loved babies, so holding my brothers' sweet babies and chasing their adorable toddlers was the end all be all. Now they are all grown and spread far and wide working on starting their own adult lives, and I miss them. But I'm less fun, playful Aunt and more peer, occasional texter ;). So I'm ready for another round, another awesome set of munchkins to bounce and swing.

But, I guess since my own kids are still so young, I didn't figure on being quite so excited about another baby? So my overwhelming (hopefully not too stalker-ish) excitement about this new niece/nephew kinda tickles me. And the fact that I'll get to live so close this time around is beyond amazing. (I know they'll eventually be lured into another home, but we're hoping that's forever in the future:).

Well, enough blather, I best get some shut eye, as the Little Man promised he was rising early to rattle some packages ;) He is the Most Excited for this birthday that I have ever seen him. He has even given the go-ahead to have the birthday song sung at his party this weekend. He says 8 is the second best age (after 10, which, apparently, denotes "Big Kid"). E has taken a half day vacation, so tomorrow should be fabulous fun. And, with any luck, I'll get to see my new niece/nephew too!!!


Below - Z, obsessed with belly buttons, loves to poke at Aunt Alicia's ;). Today, she had to do it between contractions ;)

Party Prep and costume catastrophes

Well, best laid plans go awry and all that jazz, right?

Historically, I procrastinate. But I've changed my tune and start ahead these days. P's party prep began a Month ago. The whole concept stresses me out and, dammit, I was not going to be up all night the night before. So I started early.

Miles of surprise pendant bunting have been cut and bound (and then discovered by the boy. Sigh). We implemented project Goodie Bag weeks in advance (he has some high hopes). And, of course, Halloween can't be forgotten in the midst of party prep, so I started sewing costumes a month in advance, too...

And I am being met with Failure at every turn. Pity me? ;)

Fine. The bunting, despite the fact it was found, is fine. The cast dragon crayons, lovely. The chocolate dragons, well....

As of last weekend, I would have reported success as we finished over half of them. Then the chocolate started melting funny and we quit crafting for a few days. Then, looking in on our previous successes tonight I found them covered in spots. Fuck. Our dragons had chicken pox or something!

Google quickly told me I was a dumb arse who had not properly researched chocolate making and therefore did not properly temper my candies. The fix? Soooo not going to happen (remelting and retempering and recasting). This made me want to spit and cuss. Instead, I pulled P into the kitchen and pointed.

"I love them even more! It looks like scales! They are spotted dragons!"

Yes, they are spotted. With improperly tempered fat globules. I guess we'll see if his guests give two shits about such surface imperfections or are just happy for chocolate handouts....

So, assuming we finish sewing the handmade dragon books (um, not kidding) in time, and can get some more chocolate to melt (and then spot), I guess the goodie bags are good to go.

Which only leaves the costume failure to whine about....

Z hates stuff on her head (or arms or butt or legs, but it's a bit chilly for "Hair" reenactments) so I made her a Red Riding cape with a dramatic, high, gathered collar (in lieu of a hood that she would Hate). I upcycled an old coat and even lined her new beau Brummell (and I seriously have no idea how to sew.). I'll admit to being pretty pleased with myself. Imagined her wearing it all winter, loving it.

Reality? She Hates it. Loooooathes it. Will not put it on her body and Shrieks if it comes near her.

Honestly? She's one. I'd skip the whole thing, were it not so important to her brother.

So I made her a new one tonight. Shorter. No gathered collar. And lined with a circle pattern, since she's all about the dots lately. She graciously carried it for a minute. We'll see tomorrow night....

Meanwhile, the Little Man's grand Russian Doll plans are unfolding. He will be Phoenix, under a Harry Potter costume, under a Ghost costume. (Get it?) Only problem? The ghost costume elicited Ku Klux Klan fears in
me upon today's trial run. That, coupled with the discovery of spotted chocolates (and the subsequent consumption of large quantities of failed chocolate trials) has me quite awake quite later than usual.

Which means, that despite decent planning and starting waaaay early, I am still up for most of the night right before his birthday. Maybe it's all of the caffeine/sugar, but I'm finding that funny. Kinda.

Zia: her twelfth month

I'm not sure how long I'll keep up with the monthly updates for Z, but she's still changing so rapidly that it seems non-cloying for a bit longer...

We made it in for her yearly check-up.  She's happy and healthy :) Check-ups seem ridiculous to me, taking a healthy baby into a cesspool of germs, so this will probably be her last.  P always came in (excepting the booming big baby at birth bit) small, around the 10% mark on the charts.  Z is at 75% for height, but only 10% for weight.  Tall and skinny seems to be her trend so far, but she still has enough buddha belly to make us all want to squeeze her ;)  We should make decisions on vaccines now, before not making a decision is our decision ;)  It's an insanely complex issue and one I loathe researching.

An awful lot of our time lately has been spent on Bday prep.  E is scoffing at the complexities of our homemade goodie bag bit, but P has a vision and we're embracing it ;)  And if I'm perfectly honest, I think I'm trying to atone for last year's lameness...  So Z has been left to tag-a-long a lot.  She does pretty well with this... for a bit ;)  But she is big enough now that she wants to be a part of everything.  If P and I are at the craft table, she wants to be there, too.  Unfortunately, she eats crayons and dances on the craft table, so she's not conducive to P's projects (is this a blogging theme of late?;)

Fortunately, I've been dedicatedly working on her naps.  After a few weeks of laying her down Every Day when she zonked, she stopped waking every 15 minutes, upset she's in a bed and not my arms.  It has been a looooooong process, but she sometimes stays in bed for an hour and a half!  Often (usually, sigh) she needs a little mid-nap coax/snuggle back to sleep, but then she sleeps for another hour.  This time with Phoenix is glorious and So important (to both of us;)  So, thanks, Zia :)

I had started looking forward to the 12-14 month range, so that the playground commentary would cease.  She's spent the last 6 months being fawned over (or shocked over) for being so agile and so little.  P dealt with it great, but he mentioned (numerous times) how much attention Z gets ;)  I figured once the other kids started toddling around too, she'd fit in with the crowd.  I think it may take a few more months, she's running and jumping off of things and talking too much to fit in quite yet.  But she'll be normal soon ;)

The talking bit is fun.  She is suuuuuch a chatterbox.  We don't know what she is saying half the time, but she sure does ;)  The other night at dinner she was playing with my zoo card and kept saying "Oooo, look at the cat!  Oooo, look at the cat!"  (there are lions on it.)  The problem is, some words are pretty clear (she woke up and asked where "brother" was the other morning, perfectly annunciated) and other words are still baby gibberish (you gotta really pay attention to understand "raspberry" - though she nails the right number of syllables;) WE know this is normal, SHE is annoyed by our inabilities to translate.  I can only imagine how infuriating it is to be run by two nincompoops that can't do what you are ("clearly" and loudly) telling them ;)

What else....  She's working on doorknobs.  This scares me.

She's kinda obsessed with books.  She "reads" all. the. time.  Usually by herself, but she'll also grab an article of clothing (or blanket) and a book and come climb in a lap.  It's kinda sweet :)

Oh!  And she's eating EGGS!!!!!!!!!  Yup.  This brings me great joy.  Her, not so much.  She's not that into them (some days she eats a couple of bites, some days no - but that's just being a toddler, eh?)  But, they don't seem to be giving her Any Issues.  This is Awesome.  Adding eggs and nightshades (tomatoes and peppers so far) has made eating as a family So Much easier.  I was all smug about our expanding palates when I went to the store the other day.  I thought I'd buy a few packaged foods for our upcoming flight.  Ha.  Seems everything has sunflower oil or corn in it.  She's still screwed for kiddie snacks!  But, eating at home, everything homemade, feels easy and doable these days.  Or, at least, familiar.  Unfortunately, I think adding wheat, dairy and eggs have lessened our consumption of veggies, making P happy but us all less healthy...  I try not to stress, but I'm responsible for the making of human bodies right now and that just feels heavy ;)  For the gut healing record, she is only reacting to corn, seeds, nuts and cucurbitaceae.

What the fuck is a cucurbitaceae you ask???  Yah.  You learn these things when your baby gets hives and diarrhea when she eats cucumbers, pickles, cantaloupe and watermelon...  Then you smack your head and think - hey are they all in the same food family?  And you google and find out, why, yes, yes they are.  So, no squash/melon kinda stuff either.  I hope she outgrows this one, as I do have a bit of a love affair with the butternut squash...

Her current love affair is games.  Hide and seek and chase top the list.  She really enjoys hiding things in my shirt.  This can be awkward.  She also loves climbing.  (Really?  Haven't we done this before with the first one?  Is this a genetic trait?)  Seriously, she is into and on top of Everything.  Tables, chairs, stools.  Boxes stacked on top of benches sitting in front of 100 year old glass windows... (I ran.) And, unfortunately, sometimes things tip over.  This is a painful lesson (face, stool, floor, this morning.)

Hide and seek with Aunt Alicia

I think its because of her love to move that she loathes diapers so very much.  They are so much more restrictive than nudity ;)  She's more than happy to step into her undies though, which is saving us lots of messes.  She still refuses the potty.  Honestly, it appears she will do nothing until she can do it for herself, so we'll see how that all plays out ;)

Maybe its because she's moving around so much, maybe it's the tiny toddler tummy, maybe she's inherited my ridiculous metabolism (I'm trusting it isn't because she has a tape worm;), but the child is Always Hungry.  She's still nursing a ton and wakes to nurse a gazzilion times a night.  And she's eating.  Granted, small, little baby portions, but she is eating all three meals... that she extends into an all day affair.  Like, we finish lunch and go into the backyard.  She plays for a tiny bit and then starts looking for raspberries.  (The bushes are done.)  Then she mosies about gnawing on gnarly apples from the ground.  Finally, she'll start chucking pea gravel into her mouth as an enormous hint.  I'm Hungry Again.  (The whole time I'm in denial, she can't be hungry Already!)  Then, I'll hand her a plum and she screams with glee and acts like she hasn't seen sustenance in daaaaaays.  Of course, four bites later, it's dirty in the weeds and forgotten as she hunts for fallen figs....

Are we still teething?

There is so much more, I'm sure, but I'm trying to make dragon chocolates with P and typing at the same time is proving too taxing for my brain ;)  (Sorry for the delay, daddy!  You'll know waaaay too much, soon ;)

She reeeeally likes to floss before bed.