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Wed, Mar 28, 2007 4:00 PM
Now that spring has seemingly sprung, Katie wants to spend every waking moment outdoors.

When I went to pick her up at school yesterday, the Twos and the Tiny Tots were playing on the giant (and admittedly very cool) playground. She simply did not want to leave--even after I went down the big slide.

As soon as we arrived home, she announced, "I go outdide!" And she stayed there until Steve and I forcibly placed her in her seat to go to the grocery store for dinner and shopping. When we came home, she went right back out and inserted herself into the neighborhood scene. (There were about 10 kids outside playing on various swingsets and trampolines.) At 7:40 (!), I finally dragged her into the house, covered in mud and loudly protesting bath and bedtime.

"It's going to be a long summer," Steve said (about 20 times).

* * *

Katie has adopted one of her teachers' expressions. When a child is invading another's space, or if a physical altercation is about to erupt, the teachers say, "Walk away."

So now when I do something she doesn't like or if I get too close to her, she says, "Walk away, Mommy! Walk away!"

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Sun, Mar 25, 2007 4:10 PM
I should add two other tasks to Katie's "Can Do" List. We discovered yesterday that she can open Steve's car door, climb into her own car seat, and buckle herself almost all the way in. The very last "click" requires a bit more strength than she can muster.

Also, we know that she can climb in and out of her crib (and quite nimbly, I might add). Although she still loves sleeping in there--with her massive entourage of blankets, books, and dolls--I guess we have to start getting serious about a big bed. (We've been saying that for months...)

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Fri, Mar 23, 2007 9:45 PM
In addition to the ho-hum stuff like feeding herself and dressing herself, here are the things Katie can now accomplish independently:

* Putting on all her own snow gear--snow pants, coat (even zipping it up), gloves, hat, scarf, and boots (although I do have to help with the wrap-around velcro strap on the boots). The scary part is, she can get all that stuff on in one minute. She is fast.

* Turning on her own bath water, getting in and out of the tub, choosing a towel, and then wrapping herself in it to dry off. (She also washes and conditions her own hair--sort of. That item doesn't yet quite qualify for this list, but she does makes a valiant effort.)

* Wiping her own hiney--after both potty "events." This is a big argument all the time because we really do have to check her, um, handiwork.

* Getting her own snacks (yogurt and string cheese mainly) from the refrigerator and her own boo-boo bunny from the freezer.

* Throwing out her trash (ours, too) at pizza parlors and mall food courts.

* Getting her own cups and plates from the upper cabinet. We discovered this new "skill" tonight when she was suddenly standing on the countertop helping herself to a sippy cup. (We asked her to demonstrate her technique: Her kitchen footstool provided a slight lift, but then she used her climbing prowess to shimmy on up.)

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Thu, Mar 22, 2007 10:15 AM
Every year, Rita's locations throughout metro Philly give away free water ice on the first day of spring. After dinner, I suggested the three of us head out for some.

When we got there, Steve immediately started carrying on about the very long lines. That's when I reminded him that it was, in fact, free--and he and I started into a very, ah, lively discussion.

"I'm gonna stand in line for a 'free' item that only costs 79 cents when you have to pay?!" he barked.

"That's not the point," I said. "It's a TRADITION. It's supposed to be fun. Maybe we'll see someone we know?"

Needless to say, he was not convinced. We continued "debating," although I had to agree with him when I saw the gridlock all around the shopping center. (Within minutes, we were heading to Wendy's for non-free Frosties.)

Katie, however, didn't like the raucous exchange happening in the front seat: "Shh," she said, holding her finger to her mouth. "Too noi-dee. E'rbody HAPPY!"

* * *

Katie is now a very competent singer of the alphabet. She also has a keen interest in identifying letters in all sorts of printed matter.

At the mall on Sunday, she spent a LOT of time in front of the three-part box in the food court where you deposit your tray. Each opening was labeled with a list of restaurants. She found all the Ks, Ps, Ds, Gs, Ms, and Ss.

I'm trying to help her understand that letters can be used in lots of different words. "K" isn't only for "Katie." "P" isn't only for "Paw-Paw." And "D" isn't only for "Daddy." I think she's starting to get it--but she still identifies most heavily with certain proper nouns.

It's not unusual to be walking through a store and have her VERY enthusiastically call out a letter. The other day, she saw Dove soaps at BJs and shouted, "D! DADDY!" Sometimes she'll just get my attention and point to a word with a sly look--as if we're the only ones in the world who know what an "M" is or that it's the first letter of "Mommy."

* * *

Meanwhile, this kid never forgets anything her dad does--especially if it's silly. Yesterday while he was pumping gas, she kept saying, "Daddy bound it! Bound it!" It took me a second to remember that he had pushed on the trunk and the front bumper once--making the car rock and roll. (He did it again, of course, and she howled with glee.)

A couple of weeks ago, he started singing his own version of Petula Clark's "Downtown" in honor of the "downtown-style" shopping center going up near our house. Well, she didn't forget. He and I were talking about it and used the word "downtown." She immediately started singing, "Dowwwwwwntowwwwn!" (That's the only part she has mastered, which isn't surprising since he created the lyrics as he sang, e.g., "When you want to take a walk with your daddy, you go...Dowwwwwwwntowwwwwwn!")

I told him that since Katie remembers everything he says and does, he ought to teach her something worthwhile. But he said a sense of humor *is* worthwhile.

Comments:
Marbara: He's right - a sense of humor is a sign of intelligence! I thought maybe he sang That Song (no quotation marks) to go along with American Idol's theme this week - hits from the 60's!

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Tue, Mar 20, 2007 11:45 AM
This weekend was a prime example of adding injury to insult.

First, Mother Nature's 12-hour sleetfest on Friday meant that Katie and I were unable to make our much-anticipated weekend trip to Miami. So while Steve and Danielle (who had caught an early flight and beat the storm) were enjoying warm weather, poolside refreshments, and gourmet meals, Katie and I were stuck in the house, surrounded by three inches of ice.

We made the best of it by doing some cooking, cleaning out some kitchen drawers, working puzzles, reading books, and eventually playing with neighbors. But it just wasn't what we'd been expecting from our long weekend.

As if that weren't enough, I fell down the front stairs while carrying her down after her Sunday nap. Not to worry, she was completely fine. In fact, she thought it was a game and started laughing--until she realized I was crying and in real pain. (Then she ran for her boo-boo bunny, of course.) I twisted my knee but good, and I probably should've stayed off it that night. But we were so sick of being housebound that we headed out to Michael's and Wegmans for some shopping. (By Sunday night, my knee was REALLY hurting. Now, with lots of ibuprofen in my system, it's feeling a bit better.)

Anyway, I thought I'd have some great shots of our trip to post, but instead I just have a few random photos from the last few days.

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Fri, Mar 16, 2007 11:30 AM
I was just reading my hard-copy version of the latest _Parenting_ magazine. One article made such an impression that I wanted to share the online version: http://www.parenting.com/parenting/article/0,19840,1595046,00.html

The author developed three puree recipes--white (with cannellini beans), orange (with yam and carrot), and purple (with spinach and blueberries)--that you can incorporate into kid-friendly foods.

Although Katie generally eats anything (including raw spinach leaves and green peppers), I still think this is a great idea for maximizing the nutritional value of what she consumes. Has anybody tried this before?

Comments:
A. Marbara: It stops at quotation marks! To finish my sentence: There is almost always a secret ingredient. It is a game we play at practically every meal! Works for us!

A. Marbara: Continued: (I didn't realize there was a limit!) There is almost always a

A. Marbara: We did not go the puree route but I am a firm believer in inserting more nutrition anywhere a crafty mother is able to - dates, nuts and raisins in the oatmeal, raisins in choc. chip cookies, carrots in meatballs and meatloaf, green peppers and onions in almost everything, etc. My family knows they will never get the exact same dish twice and they know to eat first and ask questions later! There is almost always a

Stacey: This is a great idea! We're very excited to start Maddie on baby food and have a cookbook of baby purees, but this is a great idea for older kids too.

Katie H.: I've obviously never done this, but have been reading a lot about making baby foods and this looks pretty similar. You can make baby food from almost anything organic as long as you introduce one food at a time. Pretty cool, huh! I wonder if Katie will notice a difference...she's a quick one!

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Mon, Mar 12, 2007 10:15 PM
As I watch Katie's antics and attitudes, I sometimes wonder how much of what she does is a function of her age versus her hard-wired personality.

For as long as my memory stretches, I've been (or at least perceived myself as) a major rule-follower--often at the expense of spontaneity and fun. But so far, Katie doesn't seem to have the proverbial stick up her you-know-what.

Don't get me wrong; the kid is aware of rules, and *most* of the time she does follow them. But where I know I would have imposed limitations and restrictions on myself, Katie sees no such barriers. For instance, she's the only kid in her Little Gym class who breaks down and reconfigures mats to her liking. At Let's Bounce Around, she was the one who had to be told five times that she couldn't climb back UP the giant slides, and that she had to move along to make way for others. I, on the other hand, would have rushed all my turns at the slide to make sure I wasn't in the way. And I can guarantee I would never have ventured away from the gym group to "mess up" the teacher's mats.

Anyway, it'll be interesting to see if this kind of behavior continues throughout her life or if it gets socialized out of her. In the meantime, I'm truly enjoying all of her spunk and joie de vivre. And, hey, maybe it'll even loosen me up a little... (Yeah, riiiight.)

Comments:
maury: When we worked together at Unisys, I think one of the reasona we were so successful was because we(you) did not follow all of the

Sarah: What's equally funny as reading about Katie's antics is imagining you as a child after living with you for three years.

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Sat, Mar 10, 2007 3:00 PM
This morning, when she needed to be getting ready for gym, Katie was doing some world-class stalling. After a few futile attempts to get her attention, I pointed to the clothes I'd laid out on her ottoman and said, "I'm going to go get dressed. You can dress yourself."

As I was finishing up in the bathroom, I heard her say, "Mommy, look, Mommy!" I turned and there she was--fully dressed. She did amazingly well, too. Her shirt, pants, and both socks were on perfectly. However, there were some issues with other items--namely her shoes, her panties, and her bra.

I know what you're thinking--because I was thinking the same thing when I saw a black bra hanging down beneath her shirt. She must've taken it from my closet while I was in the bathroom. She managed to put a strap over each shoulder, so the cups (such as they are) were in the right place. But she hadn't been able to do the hooks. Even so, she was darn pleased with herself for having it on. (Of course, we took it off--and fixed her undies so that both legs weren't in one leg hole--before leaving the house!)

Comments:
Katie H.: Further proof that kids observe everything that you do!!

Sarah: OMG she's hilarious! Think about how much time it's going to take her to get ready when she really does need a bra!

Kim: A bra? Oh my, she is just maturing overnight! She is too cute! We have to get together soon!

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Tue, Mar 6, 2007 8:30 AM
I used to do grocery shopping every Sunday like clockwork. But in the last month or so, I've been going on Monday afternoons, either right before or right after I get Katie. It's usually a much calmer experience than on Sundays. Yesterday she and I went together, and we bumped into another mother-and-child pair from Elbow Lane. For Katie, it was the epitome of fun. For me, it certainly wasn't calm--but it was still a welcome distraction.

Watching her and her friend Matthew spot each other in the dairy aisle WAS painfully cute. They immediately ran to each other, giggled, and took off to raise cane in frozen foods. His mom and I both had those little car carts, but Katie quickly abandoned me and rode in Matthew's car with him. When it was time to leave, they both made quite a stink. "I go Matthew mommy!" she told me. "Katie come Matthew house," he told his mom.

Matthew's mom and I agreed to set up some playdates--something I've been wanting to do ever since Family Night at Burger King. So, I think I'm going to organize an informal meet-up at Let's Bounce Around in Doylestown for this weekend. I think Katie and Matthew and all the other kiddos would have a blast. And, besides, it's comforting for Steve and me to know that at least SOMEONE in our house has an active social life. ;-)

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Mon, Mar 5, 2007 12:00 PM
Last week I had another parent-teacher conference at Katie's school. Among other things, her teacher said she continues to be "more of a leader than a follower." She said Katie clearly thinks twice about what she does or does not want to do, regardless of what other children suggest she should do. Also, unlike some of her classmates, she doesn't exhibit "copycat" behavior among her peers.

I'm sure that's true at school. But believe me, this "leader-not-a-follower" thing doesn't hold true with one person: Danielle.

Katie's behavior with her sister is like hero worship. She wants to sit next to her in the car and at the table. If Dee puts on lip balm, Katie has to have some "lip-dick," too. She won't even let Steve or me take her out of the car when Danielle is around: "Dee do it!"

And then there's the copycatting. When she saw Danielle wearing flip-flops this weekend, Katie immediately removed her sneakers and put on her flips. When she got dressed on Sunday, Steve said Katie handpicked sweats and a shirt that were the closest match to what her sister was wearing. And, when Danielle burped loudly, guess what? Katie faked a big one of her own! Dee recovered quickly with an equally forceful "Excuse me!" Of course, Katie didn't imitate THAT; she just smirked.

Comments:
Katie H.: HEY!!! I was never annoying!

Sarah: That's really sweet. It's nice that Danielle is old enough to enjoy is and be flattered rather than annoyed, as I was when my Katie was 2!

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