This Time, With Feeling

There are few things I have delighted in more than watching a child learn the English language. And with the start of school, Annie is learning all sorts of new, fun words. She now says exciting things like "frustrated" and "suffocate" and "emergency". I am not sure exactly what is going on at school. We are kind of on a "don't ask/don't tell" policy at this point.

Along with learning new words comes learning proper inflection, which is probably my favorite. Annie is very enthusiastic about almost everything and so random words are always getting screamed or stretcccchhhheeed ouuuuuuuttt. Or stretched out while screaming. It's awesome.

Yesterday we were headed out to pick up a doll that will assist her in learning how to perform basic tasks like zipping zippers and buttoning buttons. Because God forbid her parents help her with that. (the doll won't bleed when she starts swinging out of frustration -fun new word- when she can't button her shirt properly) Every man for themselves and all that.

We missed the turn for our house and Annie asked where we were going:

Me: to pick up something

Annie: What? A sooo-prise? For me?

Me: I guess it's a surprise. I am not sure how you are going to feel about it.

Annie: Oh mom, I am sure I will feel A LOT about it.

The doll made it home. After one failed attempt at buttoning the button, and a swift jab to the doll's midsection (frustration), it sits on our dining room table.

Turns out, she didn't feel a lot about it. So frustrating.



A documented first, almost 10 months

Dear John,

While there have been loads of firsts for you already (first solids-4 months, first rolling over-around 6 months, first tooth-7.5 months), almost none of it has been documented here. I remember I documented the first time your sister shed HER FIRST TEAR. That's some serious first time parent crap right there. But yet you bounce blissfully along, undocumented in all your cute glory. I am so sorry, sweet boy.

I don't think the documentation will get any better since you are fully mobile now. As of last week (9.5 months), you are fully mobile and into EVERYTHING. My once docile little hunk is now seemingly incapable of sitting still. And you love to stand. No more time to sit and play with toys. Everything must be reached and once that particular item is obtained, you move on to something else almost instantly.

In light of the changing weather and your new mobility, I figured it was time for some shoes. Now I should add that I had received multiple pairs of cute and fashionable shoes as hand me downs from other friends, but let's just say they didn't quite fit your...ahem...robust foot situation. We needed professional assistance so the fam headed out to the local children's shoe experts this weekend.

You hated it.

Ha-TED it. I am sure those in the front of the store thought you were getting your vaccines or something by how hard you were crying. The salesperson said she had never seen a reaction like that and was clearly troubled by the exchange and said she wasn't going to sleep that night because of how you wailed every time she came near. They had exactly one pair of shoes in stock that fit your perfect portly peds. They wouldn't normally be my first choice, but you wear them well.

Rick said he was just thrilled they had something that fit and didn't emerge from the back with two burlap sacks and a roll of duct tape.

Sporting the size five, double wides, almost in need of a Velcro extension.

And I am not going to dwell on how big you look in them. You are, and will always be, my baby. 

An Outing

Fall in our house is full of outings. Carnivals, zoo trips, playgrounds. You name it. Anything to be outside when it's not one billion, or zero, degrees outside. This past weekend was one of our favorites, the Best of Missouri fair at the Botanical Gardens. There's a ton of good food, beers, talented artists (who knew there were so many woodworkers in Missouri???), and then, as if that's not enough, there's a whole setup for the kids. We were there for a good four hours. Thanks to my incorrect interpretation of a map, there was no southern exit from the park, so we walked the ENTIRE garden. For the last hour I was cautious with the kids as it was dangerously close to (and then past) nap time, Annie was running on fumes from samples of toffee, and John had been in the stroller on and off for three hours.

But there were no melt downs. Annie ran and ran and looked at bridges and fish and beautiful flowers and John strolled and it was basically the perfect day. I even asked Annie if she was getting tired and she said "Yes, and I think I am getting angry". But she never actually got angry. 

J and I hung out in the pumpkin patch while annie got her face painted.

"Mommy! That fish got me!"

Rick had to pretend like he didn't place her in this tree himself when approached by the garden staff. It's every man for himself in this family.

I mean, she milked.a.cow. "I squeezed it really hard. There was no milk. That cow might be broken."

Further proof that Annie really isn't afraid of (or grossed out by) anything.

J again escapes the stroller to pose for the camera.

So until the weather turns horrible, we will be squeezing the life out of St. Louis in the fall. Then you probably won't hear from us for 4-5 months.