All the single ladies

Kate loves this song. Okay, really I love this song and Kate jumped on the bandwagon. She can almost articulate all those lyrics. I'm a little embarrassed to admit I have my 2 year old dancing and singing to beyonce.


Sorry it's sideways.

You're a dead ringer for Chuck E. Cheese!

Yeah, it happened. There were about 10 people in a silent restaurant last Friday night, and our family comprised half that population. We were cleaning up to leave when a woman entered. She had big, gray hair, a fairly large nose, and a red shirt. Kate spotted this woman and her face light up like up like Christmas morning, she pointed, and exclaimed, "Mom! She looks like Chuck E. Cheese!" Everyone heard it. Ryan and I looked around searching for that darn kid's parents. Then we attempted to look extremely preoccupied and deaf to the uttered comment. Neither attempt to shift blame worked, so we hi-tailed it out of there. Here's the lemon juice in the open wound, the lady was blind, with a guide-dog and everything.

Tondu

In my first glimpse at Kate I wondered and hoped at all the potentials housed in that tiny little person. I daydreamed about the wide variety of experiences she would have and, hopefully, the contributions she would make.

One specific fantasy included a bubbly, bouncing girl releve-ing, and tondu-ing around a dance floor. And here she is, living out that dream. Long new-born nights seemed endless and made two-year-old days like these seem barely visible on the horizon, but they have come into plain view so rapidly.

I know someday I will feel similarly when an awkward kid knocks on our door to pick up Kate for her first date or when boxes full of her stuff leave with her for college. It is hardly within my comprehension that this little baby of mine will grow up to be a woman; probably marry, have kids, grandkids, and live a long life. I have realized that time marches on without my permission, and these potentials will become realities in the blink of an eye. I survived those new-born nights on the sustenance of the hope that they would end, the sooner, the better. Now, I find my joy and sustenance comes in the hope that they won't.

PS I think I found the secret to happiness... watching a two year old ballet class ensures happiness for the viewer for at least a week. Every time I envision those little girls doing their best to follow "teacher Katie", I smile. Or when I think of Kate watching herself in the big mirrors more than the teacher. So cute.

Garden Variety

We visited the garden this year for Halloween.....




If you're unsure about Robby, he is a chili pepper. If you're unsure about Kate, well, you're on your own, that one is pretty obvious.

What Robby lacked in spiciness (nursed and slept through the whole thing), Kate made up for in vivacity. She ate up, literally and figuratively, Halloween. (I guess Robby did too, just not in candy form.) Although after knocking or ringing Kate did show some reticence and paced 4 or 5 steps backward before the homeowner answered. But no hesitation was present when the candy appeared, those backward paces were re-traced and candy was accepted. Kate loved it. I did too, Halloween is great for stocking up on incentives (bribes?) for the 2 year old.

These holidays just get better and better as our little girl grows up. Can't wait for Christmas!!




Yes the second to last shot is candid. Boundaries were a little loose on Halloween night, unfinished suckers stuck to your child's bum is a pretty clear indicator. But we did enjoy ourselves immensely.