Monday, January 31, 2005

Starting the week

Is 20 months old too early to start grounding your child? =D She was SUCH a pill this morning, going after every button she can get her little hands on. She turned the TV on and off so many times I thought I'd lose my mind. We definitely need to buy one of those plastic shields that prevent touching buttons! She sure doesn't get the whole time out chair thing yet either, (good idea, though, Amber- maybe soon!), because she was more angry when I put her down out of the chair than when she was in it. Grrrrrrrrr.

However, she IS getting really competent w/ the whole spoon thing. We were very impressed at how well she handled her yogurt at lunch. See pictures.

Now she's got her notebook and is watching "Blue's Clues", enrapt. Ooh, they have found their third clue! Almost nap time ;)

Sun's out... maybe it's above freezing outside! =D Have a great week!

What's in here? Oh, yogurt! My favorite! Posted by Hello

I think I can, I think I can! Posted by Hello

Gettin' good at this! Posted by Hello

My way is faster Posted by Hello

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Art and Bathing Beauties

More play doh and bubble baths this weekend. We also did church this morning, followed by lunch w/ our buddies at some Cajun restaurant in Ottawa. Carrie was a hit- she not only got a foam book, but received yet another purple beaded necklace from the owner! Now she's all set for Mardi Gras...

Santa Claus impersonation Posted by Hello

Got a LITTLE carried away w/ her bubbles Posted by Hello

The snowman is throwing snowballs at her... Posted by Hello

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Odds & Ends

Darn it, I loaded the pictures backwards again. Oh well...

Carrie likes to steal the rod from the hamper and click it around against the floor like a blind person's cane. Finally the camera caught her in the act. She's going to be funny like Nate, I think, Andrew. Hehe!

She's been loving those blocks from the Kurth grandparents. With a little help, she can create some pretty tall towers! I've seen her to 10 alone. Definitely has more of that math-oriented brain than I do ;)

She's also been throwing fits every time we put her into the high chair. She wants so badly to be at the table with the big people while we're at home. Doesn't seem to care as much either way while we're out to eat, thankfully. So, with a mixture of relief (we have a small kitchen and it'll be GREAT to get that thing outta there) and chagrin (she still makes SUCH a mess) we've moved her to a portable chair at the table. Look how proud she is!

I didn't get pictures of this next part, but yesterday it was 46 degrees so you can bet your sweet bippy we headed outside. She had a MARVELOUS time splashing in the puddles, sticking in the mud, and stomping through the snow. She decided she liked eating it too. Relax, none of it was yellow snow. Hehe! She was a muddy, wet mess when we got back into the house but she sure had fun! Next time I'll have to grab the camera before we venture out. Going to have to get this girl some mudpuddle galoshes. She's definitely my kid- the mud was her favorite!

You can tell she's almost two. She can throw a tantrum like the best of them. I read in Parenting magazine that ... wait, let me quote so I get it right... crud, can't find it. Anyway, the gist of it was that a child screams at 85 decibels. Hearing damage can start at 80 decibels. Carrie screams at roughly (fill in the blank with a number over a bazillion) so you can imagine how much we're looking forward to those terrible twos. Suggestions welcome!

Happy over the hump day!

Like a little blind girl... Posted by Hello

Does she remind you of Nate, Andrew? Posted by Hello

Stealing the rod from the hamper Posted by Hello

Dada's a good helper! Posted by Hello

a tower as tall as her Posted by Hello

At the big table w/ Dada Posted by Hello

So proud of her big chair Posted by Hello

Saturday, January 22, 2005

Road trip

Care Bear had a fun road trip this weekend. We dropped Dada off in Toledo on Monday morning after having stayed the night at the hotel with him. It was neat to be back in Perrysburg, a hop-skip-jump from our apartment there. Our dialogue with Carrie Sunday night went like this:

Do you want to go swimming?
*nod*
Do you know what swimming even is?
*nod*
Do you want to go play in the big, big tubby?
*nod*
So we get her all ready, blow up the floatie toy, etc. and go to the pool. While Dada hunts for towels, she sits in a pool chair, surveying the millions of kids & chaperones in the family pool.
Do you want to go swimming?
*shakes head*
What?! You don't want to play with all the other kids?
*shakes head*
You don't want to play in the big, big tubby and go swimming?
*shakes head*
Well, we're going!
So we hop in and she complains the whole time, more quietly towards the end. Didn't want anything to do with her floatie, wouldn't let go of me... looked like a koala bear on a tree. We get back out and she holds on to the pool chair and shivers all over. So pitiful!

So we left Dada there to his presentations and poker games while we road tripped to Butler, PA to stay with my parents. They babysat so that I got to meet up with Mary Alice at the Grove City outlets for the usual Monday meeting ;) Yippie! It was sooooooo good to see you, MAS. Sorry I missed you, Amy. Hope you had a super birthday! 29 and holding from here on out! ;)

Tuesday brought Nana and Pap Pap over (my mom's parents- they live in New Castle, PA) and that evening Andrew (my brother) and Megan (his sweet fiancee) made an appearance. We had LOTS of pizza. O=D Was really good to see so much family in one trip. Everyone had a good time w/ Carrie and her dominoes and blocks. She's quite the entertainer.

The roads got icky Wednesday, so Lisa and Bob couldn't visit until Thursday night. Carrie and Bob sniffed lots of tea bags (my parents have a plethora of different teas!) and she opened my birthday present from my Lisa. She had a great time taking the nail polishes out of the box, arranging them onto the coffee table, replacing them into the box, and repeating the above steps. I think Bob really got a kick out of her. =D

We left first thing Friday morning to head back to Toledo and collect Dada. We had lunch at the OI cafeteria and, of course, she had to run some laps around the room and socialize. I bet they'll talk about her all next week. The cafeteria ladies especially were pleased with her! We had lunch w/ our good friend Theresa who was a project engineer there w/ Scott. She's since moved to California and then to the Winston-Salem plant. She's a busy girl! She was amazed to see Carrie and to see how much our Care Bear can DO now. She is such a climber- checking out chairs and couches and anything remotely stable (and sometimes not!)

We got home last night around 7 CST and popped her into the tub. She slept great in her own bed (so did we!) and is running all over the house today, (she's in the vertical blinds right now), and causing chaos ;)

Enough talking- I know what you really want to see are the pictures ;) Let me go load 'em up! Have a snuggly weekend! It's chilly out there!

Come ON guys! Let's go swimmin'! Posted by Hello

jammin' w/ my Grandmama Posted by Hello

jazzy music w/ my Nana Posted by Hello

showing Pap Pap some photos Posted by Hello

Offering Pap Pap a bead bracelet Posted by Hello

Nana laughing cuz Carrie just kissed her Posted by Hello

teaching Megan how this toy works Posted by Hello

Andy, Megan, Carrie Posted by Hello

Raspberry sherbet was a hit! Posted by Hello

Mom found her a tiny shopping cart Posted by Hello

Mom found that old record player- she LOVED it! Posted by Hello