Daddy Daughter Dance

The Girl had been looking forward to this night for practically an entire year now - pretty much since the morning after last year's dance when she woke up asking when the next Daddy Daughter Dance would be. The anticipation had been building, especially over the past couple of weeks. Every day she asked, "Momma, how many more days until the Daddy Daughter Dance?" She would then delve into a detailed description of the ways in which she would twirl and how she'd have Daddy dip her. And I know that J was looking forward to it every bit as much as the Girl. It was doubly special for him this year as he took Baby Sister too. Halfway through the dance, I came and collected Baby Sister so that J and the Girl could have some one-on-one dance time for all of that dipping. When I arrived Baby Sister was mesmerized by a glow-stick bracelet and the Girl was dancing her little heart out. When the Girl and J returned from the dance I heard all kind of stories about the three of them dancing together and Baby Sister shaking her "booty" and head simultaneously. Oh to have been a fly on the wall! And can I just add that my Girls have one heck of a Daddy?!

Side note: Did you notice that red mark under Baby Sister's left eye? Her face had a run-in with the edge of a heavy-duty cardboard box earlier today. Who knew that cardboard could leave raspberries?!

Aargh!!

And not "Aargh!" as in "Ahoy matey!".
"Aargh!" as in Baby Sister's ears have been feeling crappy since January 5th. After a rough night consisting of much wailing, back-arching, ear pulling and not much sleep, we headed to the pediatrician's office this afternoon. Where it was confirmed that (after two rounds and three weeks of antibiotics, followed by 12 days of seeming cheerfulness with only the occasional ear pull) Baby Sister's ears are still full of junk and that the infections probably never fully resolved in that near two-week respite. So she is on yet another round of antibiotics, this time amoxicillin combined with clavulanate potassium (another antibiotic) for ten days, after which we are to follow up with her pediatrician and have her ears checked. Hopefully this concoction will do the trick, otherwise tubes might be in Baby Sister's future. Drat!

Being Queen is hard work.

If it wasn't already, tonight it became quite obvious that Baby Sister had some help from the Girl in her campaign for Carnival Queen. She didn't adorn herself with all those beads the other day because if she had, man would've that been tricky. She was wearing her beads again tonight, but one string was all, and at times, more than she could manage. She walked around the house, pushing her cart and "wearing" these

beads by way of holding them tightly to her chest with her chin. One of the cutest things I ever saw. Every time she'd look up they'd slip to the floor and like any accessory-loving girl, she'd faithfully pick them up, tuck them back under her chin and continue on her way. After about a dozen rounds of this I picked them up for her and placed them around her neck. My action was quickly met by opposition and she stubbornly started yanking on the beads trying to get them off. So I removed them, handed them over to her and she promptly placed them back in their rightful spot.

The countdown is on!

Apparently Baby Sister has launched her campaign to become the Queen of Fat Tuesday.

Mark your calendars people. Mardi Gras is February 16th.

Baby Sister will be ready....will you?!

Look who's...

finally decided to start walking again, one week after her 1st steps. This video is from yesterday but late Saturday afternoon she did several rounds back and forth between J and I who were sitting about 10 feet apart. Then yesterday she realized that she doesn't have to be walking into someone's outstretched arms, but that she can just walk, to wherever her little feet take her. And I betcha that falling on your bum in a cloth diaper is much more cushy than falling on your bum in a disposable (even if it does make your tush look bigger)!!

For the love of smoothies.

This Baby loves a good smoothie. Well, any smoothie actually. Just the sight of a sippy cup with a straw in it is enough to send her into a squealing frenzy as was the case yesterday when J brought some empty smoothie cups in from the car. Cause in addition to drinking smoothies at home, we like to take them on the road. She got so worked up that of course I had to pull out the blender and whip one up immediately.

We like ours with a 6 ounce carton of Tillamook Vanilla Bean yogurt, lots of frozen fruit from Costco's Spectrum blend (which includes peaches, white peaches, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries and honeydew), a banana, some crushed ice, a splash of milk and coconut. Yum!! Baby Sister has been hooked since her first one at 13 months. She was quick to figure out how to use a straw and hasn't looked

back since. Here she is back in her shaggier days. I love the little pursed lips and the puffed out cheeks.

And this was her first ever smoothie consumption. It's a bit confusing, that transition from sippy cup to straw. The tip and tilt combo doesn't quite have the same effect.

It didn't take long for her to get it all figured out though. Yes, the smoothies are in popular demand these days.

Recipe for fun

Ingredients and instructions from a library book.

Four eager little hands and some teamwork.

A little mixing here....

....a little mixing there.

A hug break.

A helpful Baby Sister.

M&M's

A smile, or two.

A cookie sheet covered in dough.

Watchful eyes.

And one ginormous cookie.

Viola!! A recipe for fun.

Golden Years...or Months

I l.o.v.e. this age!

At 16 months baby sister is climbing on table tops, pointing at sleeping babies while raising her index finger to her mouth and "shhh"ing, hanging from the refrigerator door handles or banging on the pantry door exclaiming, "Uh, uh." when she is hungry, fond of snuggling in blankies,

and wanting to wear this hat. Whenever it falls off her head she tries to put it back on and then holds it out to me until I replace it on her sweet little head.

As for the Girl, just a week and a half away from being 4 1/2 she is most definitely sassy. The major behavioral issues that had plagued us for much of the month have significantly improved in the past week or so. Tonight as I was sitting on her bed while she was snuggled up and slumbering her way toward the REM cycle I had to laugh at the lyrics from the Hannah Montana song playing softly on her cd player, Don't walk away when I'm talking to you. This ain't no time for your bad attitude. Don't give me that face... Ha, our theme song for the month of January!! Man was I majorly identifying with those three little lines. I am ever so glad that I am working on myself, the way I parent and how I discipline. I'd like to think that it has partially contributed to the Girl's recent change in attitude. I love seeing her smile!