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Wed, May 31, 2006 10:00 AM
Katie is talking more and more every day. She tries to repeat almost everything. And while she isn't stringing words together THAT much, she is saying things like "Dere-go," which translates to "There you go," and "Baby go," which means "Where did Baby go?" (Other variations include "Mommy go" and "Daddy go.")

Yesterday after school, she was babbling on and on in her car seat. At one point, I tried to join the "conversation" by asking, "Oh really? Who told you that?" She replied very matter-of-factly, "Daddy." And this morning while I was straightening her room, she came in holding a throw pillow from our room. She smiled knowingly and said, "Pittow!" (Apparently she is switching Ts and Ls, since "water" is "wal-ler" and "pillow" is "pittow.")

In other news, she is having a rough time in school after three unusual weeks--one whole week of vacation, followed by a four-day week (we came home from Florida on a Monday), and then the long holiday weekend. Yesterday at pickup, her teacher told me she has been spontaneously crying and calling out for "Mommy" and "Daddy."

I wasn't totally shocked to hear that. The past two mornings, she's been clingy and tearful at dropoff, which is very unusual for her. This morning when we pulled in, she said, "No-no-no," though she usually is quite happy to get there. I'm hoping by next week she'll be back in the groove.

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Wed, May 24, 2006 8:55 AM
Katie's adjustment to being home has brought some cute, but bittersweet, moments. I can tell that she's missing her other three companions. She has asked for "Daddy" first thing each morning, and I have had to explain that he went to work.

This morning before school, she climbed into the car on her own. But instead of getting into her car seat, she pointed to where Danielle sat on the way home from the airport. She looked at me, nodded, and said, "Dee!" Then she shifted to the far side of the car, pointed to Megan's spot, and said, "Meh!"

Earlier, over breakfast, I had told her that I'd be picking her up at 4 today and then Daddy and I would be taking her BACK to school for the Annual Family Fun Fair (which involves games, pony rides, a moon bounce, etc...). She listened. She seemed to understand. Then she paused, nodded her head hopefully, and said "Dee?" I told her Dee couldn't come, because she has to work today. (Katie is going to start hating the word "work" soon!)

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Tue, May 23, 2006 11:00 AM
Kids eat free. Kids stay free. Children under two fly free. And children under three are admitted to theme parks for free. I know why: it would be downright cruel to charge parents who are traveling with a toddler. After all, it's painful enough just surviving the plane rides, the endless restaurant scenes, and the overheated overload of those [expletive deleted] parks.

All of which isn't to say our trip to Orlando was horrible. It wasn't horrible. But it also wasn't particularly relaxing--especially for a Grade-A introvert like me. I'm thrilled to be back at my desk. At home. Alone. And, now that I am, I can share a few Katie stories:

THE HIGHLIGHTS
* Katie loved swimming in the pool and displayed a strong fascination with "wal-ler." She pointed to and announced any pool, fountain, lake, or stream that she saw. "Wal-ler! Wal-ler! Wal-ler!"

* At Universal CityWalk, she was her usual gregarious self. Grandma Renee won't like to hear this, but at an outdoor waiting area/bar, she joined two different parties--helping herself to a seat and just "visiting" with them. She also got friendly with a large family; the dad called her a "future reporter" on account of her nosiness.

* At the Magic Kingdom, she loved the "It's a Small World" ride and the Cinderella carousel. We didn't get to go on many other rides, as the lines were too long for her (or her father) to withstand.

* She amazed us with the quantity and variety of foods she'll try. At the Rainforest Cafe (once again, it was a huge hit with her), she managed to suck down half a full-sized smoothie--and still ate a decent amount of her actual dinner.

* She is now an official Boo-Boo Identification Specialist and a Toilet Inspector. She loves to point to an injury on herself or someone else. She identifies it as a "boo-boo" while giving a concerned nod. As for the toilets, she is quite taken with large public restrooms. She accompanied Danielle and me on numerous trips and likes to tear toilet paper, proclaim your business "ah-duh," and then flush the toilet. At the airport yesterday, she inspected nearly every empty stall. She'd push open the door, peek in, look at me, and then nod as if to say, "Yep, there's a toilet in there."

THE LOWLIGHTS
* On the plane ride to Orlando, she used her rubber-soled sandals to scale her leather seat, nearly vaulting into the seats behind us. On the plane ride home, she figured out how to lower the tray table and stand on it so she could "visit" with the little girl in front of us.

* At the Magic Kingdom's Pooh playground, Katie cut line twice to get to Tigger. (Steve was mortified at her aggressive behavior, but I say the tree shouldn't blame the apple; you'll never see ME shoving my way through a line.) However, when it was actually her turn, she ran away from Tigger and out into the park before I could even snap a photo.

* In our townhouse (which is really nice, by the way!), she figured out how to unlock the front door and was constantly letting herself out. One morning when I was running errands with Danielle and her friend, Katie locked herself and her dad out of the townhouse. She was playing with the sliders in the back and the safety bar accidentally locked into place. Since she didn't have shoes on, Steve had to carry her all the way to the clubhouse for a new key--in the rain.

At any rate, I have quite a few photos that I need to download, crop, and upload. I'll try to do it tonight, if not sooner.

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Sat, May 13, 2006 5:00 PM
We spent most of the afternoon at our neighbors' house. In honor of their daughter's First Holy Communion, they threw a party that included a popcorn machine, an extensive selection of (very delicious) food, and a kid-centric deejay. Although I didn't take any photos, I can report that Katie had an unequivocally good time.

In addition to swinging and running around, she spent the better part of a half hour in front of the popcorn machine, gleefully stuffing her cheeks. She enjoyed watching the big kids dance and participate in the deejay's games. And she also enjoyed sampling the desserts--including a chocolate-chip cookie, an iced brownie, a small piece of ice-cream cake, and some tiramisu (which was really intended for the grownups!).

When we left the party, we loaded her into the car and drove around until she fell asleep. Believe me, it didn't take long...

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Tue, May 9, 2006 12:00 PM
This morning at drop off, Katie was still slurping away on a Yo Baby yogurt. I casually remarked to Miss Sue that Katie really inhales each yogurt. Miss Sue laughed and said, "Oh yes, she is a VERY fast eater! She's really something at lunch. We give her the first thing from her bag, and it's gone by the time we turn around!"

It's always interesting to me to hear these little snippets about Katie's day at school. For starters, I didn't realize they parceled out the lunch items one at a time like that. At home, I give her everything at once--usually a protein in the middle of her animal plate, a fruit in one "ear" compartment, and a veggie in the other. Obviously, she has adapted to both approaches.

And, since I have no point of comparison, I also didn't realize that she's a faster-than-average eater for her age. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, though; she doesn't really dawdle at anything she does.

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Mon, May 8, 2006 12:20 PM
Katie seems to be building two important skills: delay tactics and the art of negotiating. For the past few nights, she has stalled "lights out" with a beverage request. It goes something like this:

Katie: Cocoa?

Susan: No cocoa.

Katie (looking more serious and determined): Cocoa!

Susan: No, no cocoa.

Katie (smiling and nodding enthusiastically, seemingly confident that victory is imminent): Wal-ler!?

Susan: You want some water?

Katie (nodding vigorously): Wal-ler! Wal-ler!

Susan: OK, ask Daddy to bring you some water.

She then sucks down the water as if she hasn't consumed liquid in days. As with most things, her Cabbage Patch Kid usually gets a piece of the action, too. (Speaking of that doll, yesterday Steve asked Katie, "What's your baby's name, Katie?" Her reply: "Baby!")

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Fri, May 5, 2006 3:15 PM
Katie can say most of her classmates' names. She pronounces "Colin" clearly and says "Buh" for Brett, "Neek" for Nikki, and "To-wi" for Tori. And she never forgets to include herself, too ("Kay-ee!").

While she's getting better with individual names and words, she still has a lot of thoughts and, um, opinions that she can't yet articulate. It's a source of great frustration for her and for us.

Sometimes she babbles what must be an entire PARAGRAPH, but Steve and I can't make any sense of it! Other times, she strings together odd phrases. For instance, the other afternoon she shouted "cocoa puh-pee"--leaving me to wonder if she wanted to (a) have a cup of chocolate milk or (b) take a dump.

The worst thing is, she says the word "bubby" ALL THE TIME--and we can't figure out what she means. Before you suggest intended meanings, you should know that she says "baby" when she means "baby" and "bubba" when she means "bubbles."

Based on context clues, my best guess is that "bubby" roughly translates to: "I want something really badly and you two knuckleheads can't figure out what it is. So now I'm going to torment you by whining in gibberish."

Bubbbbbbbbbby. Bubbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbby. Bubbbby. And so it goes.

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Thu, May 4, 2006 9:15 PM
Tonight we went to meet little Lacey, Angela and Pat's new addition. She is five weeks old and SO cute!

Even though Lacey is very long, it was amazing to see how "moose-y" Katie looked next to her. It was also amazing for us to see what life must be like for people who have a two-year-old and a baby. (I need a nap--and Steve needs intravenous tranquilizers--just thinking about it!)

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Thu, May 4, 2006 2:30 PM
I'm interrupting the Katie stories to announce that Stacey has created a dedicated blog about Baby Gordon. I know that some of you (especially my mother and my stepdaughter, who both me ask about this new baby) will want to check it out!

http://nobodysfool.typepad.com/gordito/

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Wed, May 3, 2006 9:30 AM
Since I've already written about how Katie "mothers" her various dolls and stuffed animals, I couldn't resist updating on three things she has done with her "children" over the past few days:

1) The other night, she was playing outside on the patio by herself while I was making dinner. (All you paranoid types, don't be alarmed; I can watch and hear her from the kitchen.) At one point, she came barreling through the screen door and quickly headed back out. As she walked away, I saw that she had wrapped the white dish towel that hangs on our oven door around her Cabbage Patch Kid. Apparently, the doll was cold--and that "blanket" was within Katie's reach.

2) Steve and I both play this game with Katie: she sits on our laps, facing us, we hold her hands, and we move back and forth while singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." She does the same thing with her dolls, enthusiastically singing "Row! Row! Row!"

3) This morning before school, I watched as she seated her Cabbage Patch doll next to her on the floor. They were both sitting right in front of her growth chair. Katie then took one of her board books and began "reading" to the doll. The book was upside down, and she was saying "Two! Two!" as she pointed to a variety of sea creatures. But, gosh, she was trying! ;-)

Oh, and she has been imitating me when I work in the yard, too. Last week I was pruning one of our butterfly bushes. I *thought* Katie was playing in her Little Tykes house, but instead I saw that she was carefully plucking shiny green leaves from one our shrubs. She had a nice little pile going on the patio!

In a similar vein, after watching me dead-head some petunias, Katie proceeded to rip blooms off the same plant. She got about 15 before I caught her. My mom says I should teach her which ones to pull off. But considering that *I* sometimes have trouble distinguishing between the dead stuff and emerging blooms, I'm not sure how well that would work... :-)

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Mon, May 1, 2006 10:00 AM
We had one of those weekends where going to work this morning sounded utterly relaxing.

On Saturday, we skipped Little Gym and headed straight to Delaware Valley College for their annual A-Day (see more details here: http://www.devalcol.edu/aday/). I was thoroughly excited about A-Day and felt confident that Katie would LOVE all the rides and animals. Alas, I was wrong. Sleepy and a bit grouchy when we first arrived, she said "no" to the tractors, the cows, the train, the pony ride, and even (gasp) the moon bounce.

Fortunately, after a few minutes of "warm-up" time--and the discovery of kiddie pools with corn in them--she changed her tune. As you can see in the photo album, she got her face painted for the first time and also enjoyed a couple of rounds on the old-fashioned, horse-powered carousel.

After A-Day, we came home to work in the yard while Katie slept in the car. Later in the afternoon, we changed clothes and headed to Doylestown for what we thought would be a nice dinner. Wrong again. Katie was in rare (read: naughty) form at Nat's but once again warmed up as we started strolling along the sidewalks.

Yesterday morning, we got up and headed straight to Matawan, New Jersey, for Aunt Shelly's surprise birthday party. Katie whined almost the entire way there (ugh) but had a great time circling the restaurant and interacting with all of the guests. Shelly has an uncle named Cookie, and I kept trying to get Katie to say his name; after all, it's one of the words she has REALLY mastered. But I never could convince her. Next time, Uncle Cookie will have to wear some googly eyes and blue fur!

And, finally, last night we had an impromptu cook-out with our neighbors across the street. Katie had a great time playing with their kids, Tyler and Madison. She climbed right to the top of their (tall!) swingset and slid down. She also had more interactions with Madison--which consisted of Katie feeding the baby some of her ants-on-a-log snack while Madison tried to grab hold of Katie's oh-so-tempting hair! ;-)

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