Be Creative @ Your Library

If your toddler "read" 10 books this summer, he/she could earn a board book at the local Dekalb County Public Library, compliments of Target. They also had this program last year, but we were so busy vacationing that I forgot to redeem the list of books read for her board book by the deadline.

This year, however, she earned her "Doggies" board book by Sandra Boynton! You cannot beat a Sandra Boynton book. Those have been my favorite to read to her since she was born. And, fortunately, we did not yet have the "Doggies" book. We did have the "ABC" Sandra Boynton book that the librarian originally offered.

Apparently, most parents are not as anal as I am. I wrote down a total of 21 books that we've read in the past month and a half. Of course, that doesn't count the twenty times that we probably read almost each and every book. Okay, I'm over exaggerating a little bit, but you get the picture. The librarian said, "Oh, wow," when she saw the long list and "Nice handwriting by the way." Yes, I write much like a typewriter.

Of course our trip to the library to redeem her board book AND read books consisted of Annabelle running around, whispering and then talking rather loudly, pulling books off the shelves, beginning to read four books, but yet, only completing one all the way through because she was so busy running from one table and/or chair at the library to another.

Fortunately, I am able to somewhat control her at this age (at the library) as she's only supposed to pull two books off the shelf at a time. She'll pull more, but together, we replace the one she doesn't want any more so that all times she only has two. It wasn't this easy a year ago!!! She didn't understand two books only then.

So, above, is a picture of Annabelle this evening in her brand new pajamas that I've put off her wearing all summer because I wanted to get a picture of her in them before they got really dirty (now that summer is almost over) with her new Sandra Boynton book.

And, is this not the cutest little bottom?

Make 'em talk

For a few months (or more), Annabelle loves to animate her toys. It all started with her Sarah Lynn and Margaret bendable Little People that Grandmama and Granddaddy gave her for her 2nd birthday, and now, she has also moved on to making those itty bitty tiny hard animals talk.

It is her favorite thing to do, and she especially loves the company. She is always telling me to "Make em talk Mommy! Make em talk!"

And, frankly, I do get a little tired of "making em talk." I'd prefer to listen to her "make em talk" as she's got quite an imagination, and they are quite polite when they do interact with each other. That makes my heart smile!

Well, yesterday, after eating our weekly lunch at Captain D's with Grandmama and Granddaddy, I suggested that we all go to the Dollar Tree to look around. I was in search for some of those yellow cleaning gloves. I've been telling Annabelle for awhile now that we needed to get her own pair so she could help me clean. She's been sharing with me! And, to say the least, that is always very interesting.

So, off we go, to the Dollar Tree. And, I didn't make her sit in the buggy because she enjoys the Dollar Tree as much as I do.

It didn't take long before she found a basket of her own to dump her very own purchases, or so she thought! It was a battle I didn't want to fight. The battle where I tell her not to touch or remove anything from the shelves. And, she was having fun and learning at the same time. I thought, we can place everything back when we leave.

Keep in mind, I probably sound a lot more patient than I really was, but my feelings inside were such that I wanted to pull my hair out because she had gathered 20-30 items from all over the store, and the one basket she originally had carried then turned into two baskets. One for her to carry, and then she requested that I carry the other basket she found to stuff junk into.

Finally, it was nearing time to go, so I told her that she could pick out one thing to buy. But, only one thing.

She's always been such a little negotiator. Her response to me was, "Two things." I told her, "Nope, one thing." "No, two things," she said until she finally realized she wasn't going to win this battle.

Then, she'd find two things she liked, and she would say, "I take dis one, and Grandmama can take dis one to her house." Pretty smart for a two year old!

So, she continued her hunt, and I told her it was time to put everything back and that she needed to stay with Grandmama and make a decision while Mommy placed everything (okay, almost everything) back in its proper location.

As I turned the corner after replacing the last item, she came running down the aisle to me with a small package of tiny bath toys in hand. She said, "Mommy! Mommy! We can make em talk!"

My thoughts out loud to Grandmama went something like this, "Lovely! Yes, we can make em talk alright. Just something else to make talk!" I tried to persuade her to buy the cute magnets she had originally found or even the small plastic dinosaurs because I thought those tiny bath toys weren't all that cute, and they were a waste of money.

Boy was I wrong! Now, I am sorry that I even tried to persuade her otherwise. Maybe one day I'll learn to stay out of her business. But, she has had the most fun with those six, tiny, colorful bath toys. And, they really are quite cute!

As we were checking out at that counter at the Dollar Tree, I even gave her a lesson on saving. I told her, "Now here is your dollar. You can either take the money home and put it in your piggy bank, or you can trade it for those toys." Obviously, she opted for the toys. But, she soon forgot that she had spent her dollar and told me later after we picked up a penny on the ground to put in her piggy bank that she would put that penny in her piggy bank "with my paper money." Paper money! Those were her words!

I couldn't help but smile last night after she went to bed just remembering the excitement in her sweet little voice as she ran to me with those bath toys in hand to tell me, "Mommy! We can make em talk!"

So, what is a story without a picture?!?!

Dear Annabelle,

I hope you will always find the simple joys in the little things! You really help me to open my eyes and see the fun in the small things.

You have such an imagination (even though it drives me a little crazy on some days). If you don't have actual toys to "make em talk," you use grapes and even your fingers at the dinner table to act as a Mommy, Daddy, baby, puppy dog, you name it (and I'm not even joking)! We don't typically allow toys at the dinner table, but with an imagination like yours, you don't even need toys!

Keep those imagination genes from your Daddy flowing sweet girl!

I love you!

Mommy

Where's Daddy?

Here is a conversation I had with Annabelle during breakfast this morning:

Annabelle: Mommy, where's Daddy?

Mommy: He's at work sweetheart.

Annabelle: To make me some money?

Insert snicker from Mommy. And, then, she continued before I could answer her.

Annabelle: To put in my piggy bank.

Mommy: Um, no, not exactly.


She's a girl after my own heart! She wants her Daddy to make money for her to put in her piggy bank! That's my girl!

Although, honestly, I do believe in working for my own money and not "spreading the wealth." I think we are going to need to talk in a few years before she slides down the wrong political path, but she's right on target with my methodology for saving!

Another year older

Sort of a bland title, I know. But, I'm not feeling so creative tonight. Just a little sleepy with a headache beginning to pound, but I wanted to blog quickly about my day, my birthday.

I woke Annabelle up this morning and asked her, "Do you know whose birthday it is today?" She just giggled and smiled. Then she said, "I want to eat cake on Ganny's porch."

We had told Annabelle this past weekend that we would be visiting Granny soon to celebrate her 75th birthday. Annabelle immediately asked then if she could have cake. And, she mentioned wanting to eat cake on Granny's screened in porch. She loves sitting on that screened in porch. I don't blame her at all! I love screened in porches too.

She finally understood that it was my birthday, but she never would wish me a happy birthday until her Daddy asked her to do so on my ride home this evening from Grandmama and Granddaddy's house.

I spent the day with Grandmama and Granddaddy, and we had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Simply Southern near Freehome, Georgia. An hour from my parent's house. Yes, that is right, an hour from my parent's house! But, those old folks have always driven miles for a good meal, so I come by it honestly.

Granddaddy said, "You could have had lunch paid for anywhere and you picked Simply Southern?" Yes, that is right! Because good ole southern cooking is my favorite!

We enjoyed fried chicken, homemade mashed potatoes, yummy squash casserole, mac and cheese and to die for, donut tasting corn fritters! Along with banana pudding with vanilla wafers for dessert. Annabelle enjoyed gummy worms, Jello and chocolate pudding for dessert. She loved the gummy worms!

And, what is a birthday without taking blackmail pictures of Grandmama undergoing her physical therapy for her broken shoulder and arm! And, a little shopping for toilet paper and a tie for hubby. Life still goes on!

Thank you Grandmama and Granddaddy for a very happy birthday!


Then, this evening, I came home to these!

Because my sweet husband does listen to me every once in awhile. I've always told him in the past, "Please do not buy me flowers. They are a waste of money, and they just die anyway." Well, I felt that way until I became a Mother and realized how beautiful flowers really can be (if they are purchased for a reasonable price, you know, less than $10). I wouldn't even mind if he had picked them off the side of the road (except that is probably illegal). This past Mother's Day, I actually longed for a simple bouquet of flowers, but I didn't get any because of my above statement to him in the past. But, then, I finally spoke up, and I got that beautiful bouquet for my birthday!

But, I think he picked those particular flowers with Annabelle in mind! If you don't know, Annabelle's favorite colors are pink and purple. Just ask her, she'll tell you.

Mommy: What are your favorite colors Annabelle?

Annabelle: Pink and purple!

And, if you look closely at the picture, you'll see Charlie Brown stickers stuck to the vase. Annabelle stuck them on there during dinner tonight because that is her new favorite thing to do. Stick stickers everywhere that they aren't supposed to go including hardwood floors and kitchen door windows.

Her Daddy asked her to stop because we were eating dinner, and he began to remove the stickers until Annabelle cried. Her response to him:

Annabelle: Day say Happy Birthday!

Thanks to everyone for a wonderful birthday! I love you all bunches! And, Annabelle, if I had a birthday cake, I would have shared it with you! (Wink, wink to Grandmama and Hubby).

And now she's awake and crying (at 10:45 p.m.) to apparently wish me Happy Birthday again! Whew! She was back to sleep without me even nearing her room. Did I mention that she actually slept in until 9:00 this morning after going to bed at 8:30 p.m. last night? I accused hubby of persuading her to sleep in for my birthday. I'll take it!

Inchworm (or Stick)?

Look what we found in the backyard this afternoon?

I tried to encourage Annabelle to take him to the backyard where we found him so he could rejoin his family. She didn't agree, and she dumped the little booger on a tree root in the front yard.

She liked him at first, but then she complained that he was hurting her!

And, he was quite amazing. When he became scared, he would stand completely still with his head and body in the air and feet attached to Annabelle's arm. He looked exactly like a tiny stick!

I actually had found him hanging from her hair while she was swinging in the backyard, and when I first saw him, I thought he was a tiny piece of something that had fallen from the tree. I even left him there for a few minutes until I realized that he was an inchworm.

Learning is experiencing the daily wonders of life (including inch worms)!

Washing Mommy's 4Runner

After church this morning (and yea, we finally went to church again!), we decided to work outside in the front yard (back yard if I got that far). Hubby was to wash my car for my birthday, and I was to pick the vines growing in our front yard. Annabelle was to help as she wanted, but mostly, we expected her to play with her car, lawn mower and sandbox.

She was not at all interested in my duties. I don't blame her! I was all excited to work in the front yard until I remembered just how hard and exhausting it is to clean up the yard from weeds, vines and sticks!

Instead, she was very interested in helping her Daddy wash Mommy's car. And, I have to give him credit, he was very, very patient!!! At first, her job was to scrub the tires with a scrub brush. I'm surprised he gave her the scrub brush because I noticed a few times she almost attempted to scrub the paint off my car with that scrub brush!

Then, she learned to use the garden hose with a sprayer attached to spray the soap off of the car. She eventually decided that everything needed to be sprayed, including me with camera in hand! She thought it was so funny, and she just giggled. But, she later proceeded to spray her Daddy's entire truck even though he wasn't going to wash his truck today.

Her Daddy also showed her how to scrub the windows and the car with the rag. He wasn't too excited about helping her scrub the windows because he had to hold a very wet Annabelle! Earlier in the car cleaning fun, she requested to be sprayed while standing by the tire.

Those are some of my favorite pictures of our day's fun (even though there are some more good ones)! This was the very first time she has washed a vehicle!

Day Trip to Stone Mountain

We took a day trip to Stone Mountain today since we have an annual pass, and we must get our money's worth! I am still trying to figure out why normal people visit Stone Mountain in the heat of July in hot lanta. It was packed, and we were lucky to find a place to park right next to the bridge. We had already promised Annabelle that we would feed the geese.

We took a hike through the woods first, and we showed Annabelle where she had climbed on the tree stumps left sitting in the woods as stools when she was much younger. She said, "I did?!?!" Then, "I want to do dat again!" However, she was more interested in climbing on the rocks (Picture 1).

It wasn't long before she was too tired to walk, and she asked her Daddy if she could ride on his shoulders. They reached out for each other (Picture 2). Then, she spotted a hole near the bottom of a tree. She told her Daddy, "Dat is where Pooh bear keeps his honey." In Picture 3, she is explaining to her Daddy where Pooh bear keeps his honey.

We came to a trail end and realized we had to turn around. Annabelle became a little worried. She said, "Oh no!" She was honestly a little frightened because she thought we had become lost in the woods. When she spotted the parking lot ahead, she told her Daddy, "I can walk now. It isn't too far."

She enjoyed feeding the ducks, and the geese were non-existent today. Thank goodness! Those geese are obnoxious. They never give the ducks a chance. My favorite picture of the day is the center picture. Hubby is handing Annabelle some bread to feed the ducks. Unfortunately, the template I created does not allow the full picture to show, so it doesn't look the best on this template. So, here is the full shot! Isn't this sweet?

She is still working on her throw. She's got a ways to go! Picture 8 explains it all! Since the bread she threw didn't quite make it to the ducks, I taught her to pick up the scraps to throw it again since we had run out of bread.

And, at the very end, she ventured to the water's edge because two little girls (without bread) scared the geese away and played in the water. I told her to be careful to not get her shoes wet, and she then told me that she wanted to take her shoes off and play in the water. It was about time to go, so I convinced her otherwise. I told her that she wouldn't like it without shoes because it was like stepping in the sand at the beach. It wasn't just an excuse because I know she wouldn't have liked it without her Crocs on. I did fail to tell her that her Crocs were in the car. Maybe next time!

Peachtree Road Race 2009

The 4th of July has become yet another holiday for a traditional picture. But, since Annabelle came into our lives, I think every holiday has its own traditional photo shoot.

On July 4th, 2008, hubby ran the Peachtree Road Race for the first time ever. It is a 10K, and I believe he was inspired to run it because his father had once run it. He ran it again this year, and yet again, he completed the 10K successfully! I am so proud of him! I don't think I could ever do it (even though I threatened to run it with him in 2009).

Well, since he leaves for the Peachtree Road Race before my eyes are ready for the daylight, we have to save any pictures for after the race. (I know, lovely for him, right? But, he still looks handsome in the pictures). And, I have the cutest picture from July 4th, 2008 with Annabelle sitting in hubby's lap looking at him as if she is so proud of her Daddy that the tradition MUST go on! Unfortunately, she was not as cooperative as she was in 2008, so I was lucky to get this picture. She was just not interested in sitting in her Daddy's lap and instead wanted to run around the yard as fast as her little two year old legs would carry her.

So, here is my favorite of the July 4th traditional picture (using more Photoshop editing techniques).

And, here is the original (as I know some people don't like the old antiqued look).

Congratulations hubby on a job well done! I am so very proud of you! I hope you'll be able to run it for the next 40 years (since this was the Peachtree Road Race's 40th anniversary)!

Interesting facts: Hubby finished the Peachtree Road Race 2009 in 1:16:09 compared to 1:23:54 in 2008. And, he ran the race in his father's memory in 2008 and 2009. He altered his running number with the following: "FOR CLK." CLK is his father's initials.

It happens sometimes

We visited a great park in Norcross, Georgia (near hubby's office) this afternoon. They just revamped the park in the past few months, and it now has all the new, cool playground equipment.

Before we played, we had our usual picnic, PB&J sandwiches, grapes and cucumbers. While eating, Annabelle decided that she needed to go tee tee, so hubby volunteered to take her to the car for her to use her frog potty. She went with him willingly for a change!

Apparently, this is the conversation she had with her Daddy when they got to the car.

Annabelle: I tee teed in my panties a little bit. It happens sometimes.

Fortunately (and unfortunately), they hear everything we say as adults (whether they are listening with their eyes or not). Whenever she has a slight accident in her big girl panties, I will say, "That's okay, that happens sometimes."

The Little Robin

Annabelle, as usual, wasn't listening to me again this evening as she attempted to hike her leg to climb into the bath tub. I said, "Annabelle, don't climb into the bath tub. Annabelle. Annabelle! Stop!"

Since she wasn't listening, I pulled her aside and told her that "we need to have a talk." Of course, her eyes traveled all over the room in her attempt to not look me in the eyes because she cannot stand to look me in the eyes when she's in trouble. Following is the gist of our conversation.

Me: I've talked to you about how you need to listen to your Mommy and Daddy when they are talking to you. Mommy and Daddy asks you to stop doing things sometimes because Mommy and Daddy both know if something could possibly hurt you. We don't want you to fall and break an arm or bust your head open. Do you remember the story that I've told you?

So, I started to recite the poem.

Me: There was a little...

And, I became stumped. I couldn't remember what kind of bird it was.

Annabelle: Robin!

Yes, my dear sweet child refreshed my memory! And, I didn't even ask her to help me. Do you suspect she's heard that rhyme a time or two?

It reminds me of a story my mom has always told about when I was little and had one of those automatic glass doors close on me after she had apparently already warned me to stay away from the door. And, honestly, I remember that door closing on me (I think). I believe it was at the Richway which is now the Target right by our current house. Apparently, the door closed on me, and I turned to my mom and said, "The little robin Mommy? The little robin?"

Annie Get Your Gun

Annabelle found a water gun just laying around while we were celebrating the 4th of July at the Curtis' lake house on Lake Lanier. I don't know whose it was as there were a few dozen kids running around, but I let her play with it until someone claimed it. And, no one ever did (at least while she was playing with it).

She loved it! It ran out of water very quickly, so I convinced her that her Daddy would surely run inside or to the lake to fill it up if she asked him. I also encouraged her to shoot some water at her Daddy to entice him.

And then, it was Cousin Adam's turn! I captured a great shot of him...as he was shooting my DSLR camera. Perhaps next time I should turn the camera? But, if I had, I wouldn't have captured this awesome picture of him in action.

Happy Birthday To S A!

Annabelle sang "Happy Birthday" to the USA this weekend! It came out a whole lot like "Happy Birthday To S A!"

Have I mentioned that I LOVE digital photography? And, I especially LOVE the special effects that can be done to make a precious picture awesome!

But, most of all, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the subject of my pictures! Can she possibly get any cuter?

Here is the original picture before applying my fancy new trick. And, yes, I know Grandmama, you like the original picture best!