Beep!

Anna has started doing something quite adorable... and strange! We were at the grocery store last week, and she tapped my back and said, "Beep!" She has also done it several times since then. I think it's hilarious, but I'm confused as to why she does it! Am I a car? Not really sure... I took a video of her "beeping" the train at the park today. Too funny!

Speaking of things coming out of nowhere, on Wednesday at Grammie and Grampy's, she pointed to her dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, and very clearly said, "Meatball!" Where does this stuff come from?

Happy Birthday, Auntie Loonie!!!!!

Today is Auntie Loonie's birthday!!!! Yesterday I explained to Ms. B about how Auntie is going to have a special day, and I think she might have understood a bit of it. Grampy is going to take her out to lunch (at Klas... mmmm) to celebrate, and then Ms. B is going to hang out with her for a bit this evening while I go to my schools' open houses. Saturday we're going to have all sorts of fun! We'll hit Maggiano's for lunch, have cake, give presents, and have a slumber party! I hope Ms. B's very special Aunt has a fantastic birthday!!

Great Labor Day

This Labor Day was one of the best I can ever remember. The nice weather has continued, and we decided to join Grammie and Grampy at McCollum Park for a picnic. Grampy planned the whole thing, and he grilled corn, hamburgers, hot dogs, beans, and we also had chips/taco dip and lemon cake. Tim and my dad threw the frisbee for a bit, Anna got a chance to take a nap (she fell asleep in the car and continued her nap for a while after we got there), and my mom and I got a chance to relax. It was windy and cloudy, but it felt very nice, and after we finished eating, Ms. B got to play at the bebow for a while. She had lots of fun, and there were plenty of us to take turns playing with her. Eventually she got tired and wanted to rest, so we sat for a bit and talked, and then it was time to go. What a great day; yum-ma food, cool weather, relaxation, beautiful setting, and good company! If Auntie Loonie, Uncie Eye, and Uncle Dano were there, it would have been perfect!

Fat Lip

Anna was playing in the backyard this past Friday - we finally got a break from the heat and humidity. It's really been a brutal summer, and at last we have had comfortable weather. Anyway, we were eating outside, and somehow Anna must have tripped funny on something. She fell awkwardly and hit her mouth on the ground; the poor kiddo was bleeding pretty good. I cleaned it up right away, but she managed to get her first fat lip of her life. It has scabbed over now and doesn't look so bad, but that first night was quite sad. As you can see in the picture, she had her friend Tigger to help her feel better (and Plex and Brobee are hiding in there too; she loves her new Yo Gabba Gabba Mega Bloks!)

New Things

I read about the so-called "language explosion," but I guess I didn't really know what to expect when it actually came. Today alone I heard her say two new words: down and up! It's very cute how she says them, but I'd guess I'd have to record her doing it, because I'm not sure that I could describe it properly. She also has become - seemingly overnight - a master at her puzzle! It's 8 pieces, and I've never really seen her be able to understand the point of it. She'd always just try to put the pieces wherever, instead of figuring out where they belong. Then this afternoon, she dumps the puzzle and puts all the pieces exactly in the right places!

Other words that she is able to say, but I might not have documented properly: hi, bye, mom, dad, yeah, no, yum, bow wow, baa (for sheep), ball, bear (that's another new one), jar, baby, bubble, vroom vroom (her word for car), uh oh, bee, Eeyore, teeth, eye, "A," wow, yay, why, dance, quack quack, yuck, choo choo, "good day," wheee, and I'm sure I'm missing a few. I'll try to fill them in later. She does also kind of say "zizzer zazzer zuzz," which is adorable.

Bye Bye, Summer Vacation

Today was my first day back at school full time. I must say that this was the best summer I have ever had. Anna has become (well, she always has been, but even more so) such an amazing little person. All summer we had little adventures together, which mostly consisted of bebows. It was a very hot summer too, so I guess maybe we didn't spend as much time outdoors as I would have liked, but we always managed to make it to a park or two, and there was lots and lots of good quality time for us to spend together. She pretty consistently woke up between 7:30 and 8:00, then we'd have breakfast, then I'd shower while she played and listened to music, then I'd enjoy my coffee while she played some more. Then we might go out in the backyard, or read books together, or dance together, or sometimes we'd go for a jog and end up at a bebow. Then she'd eat lunch and take a nap from about 1-3:00, and sometimes we'd play at the park before it was time for me to make dinner. It was a really nice routine that we had going, and I'm going to miss it. I'm pretty lucky to have been able to spend such a big amount of time with her, because she is the best little kid in the whole world!

Leaps and Bounds

It seems like every day Anna is doing or saying new things. She knows some new words now: bubble, baby, and jar. I love how she says "jar," because it sounds a little like "daw." Her obsession with Yo Gabba Gabba is getting pretty crazy. She calls it "deah daaaay," which is supposed to be "good day." Of course Auntie Loonie is to blame for this craze, because she's the one who first introduced Ms. B to the characters (Toodee and Foofa, actually). Then I started recording the show on Nick, Jr. and downloading some of the songs. I also managed to find some toys and books for her too. While maybe I'm helping to feed this obsession, I haven't seen any harm in it (plus I, of course, have my own obsessions, so I understand completely!) I'm looking into her being Foofa for Halloween, and possibly Tim as DJ Lance Rock!

Today is an unusual day for us. We're having our plumbing redone, so there's a ton of noise and activity in the house (not to mention no water), so I asked Grampy to come over and help. That way Ms. B is able to get out of the house and enjoy some bebow time while I stay here in case the plumbers have questions or need anything. At least it only has to be boring for one of us!