K-5 Bound!

In just a few short minutes days this Itty Bitty will be heading off for her very first encounter with school. I am excited for her on the one hand: new friends, stretching her mind and growing in so many ways.  Also, I am ready for some "me" time.  But (there's always a "but"), on the other hand I will desperately, terribly, undoubtedly miss all this:

Playing with her babies and her kitchen

Silly lunch times

Making her own "cocoon", sucking her thumb and

watching her shows

Going through the grocery sales circular and circling

things "we" need.

Helping in my kitchen

Shopping tools with Uncle Ben

She has a thing for "hats" of all kinds

Wearing a splash guard ~ who knows why. . .

Strumming her guitar and singing

Reading ~ always reading

A hat and a bouncy ball ~ what more could

an Itty Bit want?

Best way to watch TV

900 degrees outside and she dons the wooly hat ~

then. . .

climbs the ladder ~ 'cause Pop-Pop said she could

 
Yes, I will miss these days just like I missed Goldilocks' time with me. 

Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to find a corner to melt down in.

What Can I Say? ? ? ? ?

Anybody?

Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.  Or grin and nod and get a wash cloth out and clean up the beautiful mess.   I say beautiful, because that is what she, in her eyes, made herself.  I say mess because, well, that is what it was. 

I rarely, if ever, have problems at nap time with the Itty Bitty little thing.  Zip.  Nada.  None.   So I guess I shouldn't complain when she throws a stick in my spokes.  What are the odds that today would be that day.  Didn't get that memo. 

I chose to defy the odds.  I opted to call Donna and chat about my "goings ons".   I rarely talk on the phone to any length.  I felt safe.  Confident.  Unsuspecting.  But, you can't trust a 3 year old ~ ever. I didn't get that memo either.  I could hear movement on the monitor, but not anything that would alarm me or cause me to peek in.  That is, until about four or five minutes passed and the movement was still moving.   I wander on up. Should have went sooner.  That'll learn me.  The hard way.  I could smell her before I got to the door.  I peeked in.  I did not see Itty Bitty.  I called her name.  She pops up from beside the twin bed.  She states without hesitation:

"I don't have nuthin'.   I'm not doin' anything."

 

Have I ever shared that she lies?   (and steals) 

How can I say that and why would I?

Here's why I can and why I would:

 

She had snagged Reasy Peacy's make-up, lotion and spray from her bag and had at it. 

 

Let me remind you ~ I could smell her before I saw her, and when I saw her:

 

I couldn't laugh

I couldn't yell at her (I did scold her)

I couldn't breath

 

She is a beautiful mess.

 

I clean her up, removed the bag and sent her back to bed with strict instructions not to move.

She went right to sleep.  

 I just wonder what she dreamt about. 

 

My beautiful mess.

I shall keep her.

Mama Said There Would be Days Like This . . .

. . . . Mama said.

We won't walk, but . . . .
when crawling gets
tiresome:

Hey, let's just climb! The
stairs, the step stool, and
anything else that's higher
than the floor!

And while we're up there,
let's not waste time just being
"tall", let's seewhat we can
get into!

Good Gravy Marie

Back in the Grind

Sometimes my day after a long weekend goes pretty well. This one started off pretty good. Baby Girl took a two and a half hour nap this morning. After lunch was pretty sketchy with her. She just wanted to be walked around by the hand. Well, that's all fine and dandy for her. . . she's not the one hunched over! I opted to let go, and here's the outcome. . . . .

She's not really just sitting there. She's trying to move the cabinet with her foot. She is ticked with me.

When moving the cabinet didn't work, she opted to flop herself on the floor and have a little hissy fit! Not a way to end a good beginning, I say. She continued on for a few minutes, shoving her chair back and forth - not for kicks and giggles, mind you.

She settled a little after a nap and when the girls got home she had a snack with them. But just for the record - she hates having to think that she might just have to walk all by her little self!

Poor thing.

On a side note - Goldilocks came home from school wanting me to Google Blackbeard the Pirate. They had learned about him in school today. She filled me in on all the "details". So, I Googled him. We looked at all kinds of pictures. I found a little cartoon "movie", but that didn't work for her. She wanted the "real" thing. I'm thinking she was thinking she could actually see him. I did find a 1952 Blackbeard movie - but suffice it to say - it kinda scared her. Oh well.

All in a day's work, I say. All in a day's work!

" Happy Birthday, Piper Rylee!"

"Little Miss Piper Rylee"

We cannot find the words today to express the love we feel
You've entered all our lives - our hearts you did steal.
Now you're a whole year old - time just blew right by
All we can do right now, is reflect and smile and sigh!

We love you Baby Girl!
"Mah, Pop-pop and Beh"

So . . . .

. . . . I get Baby Girl up from her nap this morning, change her stinky butt and sit her in the living room with her toys so I can dispose of - you know what - and wash my hands. I hear her in there. I hear what appears to sound like her wagon of toys hitting the floor. I wash my hands and go in there, only to find this:




Yep, she found my body butter I had left sitting on the foot stool from the night before, somehow got the lid off and proceeded to slather herself with it! That'll learn me. I don't think - but I'm not 100% positive - she ate any! I'm just impressed she knew what to do with it! Ben laughed his contagious laugh and I snapped a memento! She does smell good, I give her that.

I'm just wondering . . . . is this is any indication as to how my world will turn? Hm?

Bath Time

If seeing a baby being bathed in the kitchen sink makes you squeamish, please turn away now.

I love giving Baby Girl a bath. She really enjoys bathtime, and that makes me smile. But I am totally amazed at the length of this little one's hair! It goes midway down her back when it's wet.

She is mezmerized by the water coming from the faucet. She thinks she should be able to grab hold of it. She was steady at it for quite some time!

When grabbing it didn't work, she opted to use her spoon to help snag the flowing stream!

Of course, now, I had nothing better to do than to watch her try and conquer this upside down spout. Nothing at all. Glad I'm not paying by the gallon!

They Say. . . . .

. . . . good things come in small packages! I guess that includes laundry helpers! One of Piper's new things is to stand at the dryer while I am loading and unloading it. I think she likes the coolness of the wet clothes and the warmth of the dry ones! Now if I could only get her to fold them and put them away!

And. . . . she works up an appetite in the process!

Per Special Request!

I don't do this often. Actually, I've never done it before. Take special requests, that is. I just think Baby Girl's mama is going thru withdrawal! So here she is Kellifer - your cutie pie!

I just got her blanket and Baby out of the dryer! I didn't realize how happy that would make her! It was warm, and soft and comfy! Just love that smile and those teeth! !

Ahhh. . . . the joys of being able to pull yourself up anywhere! I walked in on her just the other day, only to find her with Ben's woodworking magazines. Harsh realization - can't leave her alone for a second! ! ! I really thought I had more time, really I did!

"Look Mom-mom! I can read!"

Will that do it for now, Kelly? I'm on a tight schedule here, ya know??? tee-hee

Enjoy!

Slip, Slide and Go With the Flow

Sometimes boredom is it's own best friend! Yesterday afternoon I was busy cleaning out the sink and asked Rease to "keep and eye" on Piper. Piper is at that stage where she wants to be walked by her hands all around the house. It is hard on the back - even a very young back! She can crawl, but that's not appealing to her at all right now. So, Rease, being tired of being hunched over, decided to get "creative". Good for her, I say! Good for her! She sat Baby Girl in between her legs and started sliding back and forth across the kitchen floor. Had I known she was going to do that I would have put down some cleaning agent and would have gotten my floors shiny clean!

Rease smiled. Piper just "hung" there. No emotion. No effort. No nothing. Just laying on Rease's legs, going with the flow. And Rease, well, she just kept at it! After all, Baby Girl was being still and quiet!

What we do for sanity!

Be Still My Beating Heart. . .

Pop-pop is gone today. So it's me and Baby Girl. She took a good nap this morning, woke up, drank a bottle, did her business and I sat her down to play. Now, she's not one to be left alone for very long. I, on the other hand, think she needs to amuse herself from time to time. We did, however, play quite a bit before I sat her down. When I went to make tea she was upright. When I was done and peeked in at her she had "fallen and couldn't get up" and was grumbling a little. So I went about my business and left her to "figure it out". It became very quiet. So I peeked at her again and here's what I found:

Be still my beating heart!

She's thinking: "I'll show her. Leave me here all alone will ya? Hmph. How's this for retaliation? Hm?"

Ah. . . . but she doesn't know her Mom-mom very well, now does she? I just covered her up and made haste out of there!

I hope she wakes in a good mood :)

Piper

So the new year is off to a running start. So is out little lady. Well, she's not actually running yet, but it's not because she doesn't want to. She is sitting pretty well by herself. Pop-pop gets nervous and sits behind her "just in case" she takes a topple. Poor thing. It would be quite the trauma should she "fall"! ! I on the other hand, keep a loose eye on her, making sure she's not too close to the hardwood floor lest she should take a short tumble and thump her little nugget. To me a short tumble equals tummy time and the need to try to get on her hands and knees to get to her toys. As it is now she just pivots on her butt. She will pivot around to Bob because she knows he's there and he will let her grab his fingers and allow her to "stand" for minutes on end. She likes that, the feeling of independence. I think he likes it too.

She also has her first tooth. She actually cut that one just before her 7 month mark. December 15th, to be exact. And she is gnawing like crazy try to push more thru. She had a bad bout with a "bug" at Christmas. Scared us all. Her temp spiked to 103. She is still snotty, but that could be from her teeth, too.

She is still the smiling, happy little girl. She's a joy to be with and quite easy to care for. We will just pray it stays that way! ! !

Miss Piper

This little gal has just passed her five months mark! It's amazing how much she is growing and has grown since she was born.


She loves this bouncy thing-a-ma-jig! When I first put her in it, about a month ago, her little toes barely touched the floor!



Now she gets this thing bouncing so high I think she might come out of it!

I also noticed these past couple of days, that when she puts herself to sleep, she likes to have her little head on or near her dollie. Yesterday she was laying on it like a pillow! She still prefers her thumb ~ ~

I don't think it will be long before she starts to crawl. When she wakes up and I don't get to her fast enough, she gets all ticked off and pulls her knees under her and pushes herself up against the cradle. Not sure if I'm ready for crawling!