A funny thing happened at the zoo.....

Say hello to Mr. DeBrazza's Monkey.  He resides at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.

  Yesterday, I guess he decided that he didn't quite like his 

new digs and made a run for it. 

At about 10:30am he swam his moat, climbed an electrified wall and escaped into the zoo.

Can you guess who else was at the zoo at 10:30am?

"Um.  Mommy?  Did I just see what I think I just saw?"

"Dat monkey's got another thing comin' if he thinks 

he's gonna lay a paw on my ice cream samwich!" 

We didn't really see him, although we were in his vicinity.

They kicked everyone out of the zoo while they tracked him down, tranquilized

him and returned him to his Monkey House.  All in all, it took about an hour.

After the drama, it was back for more zoo fun with

 our preschool buddies.

"Mmmm.  Grapes.  Do gorillas like grapes?"

"Sorry, gorilla.  I ate 'em all.  Sticks are all you

got left."

Katie and her buddies, 

communing with the hippos.

Katie Quote of the Week

I have an armpit.

It smells.

I need ohderant.

Just Some Random Things

Katie knows the difference between right and left.  When did this happen?  I tested her a few times yesterday, because I just didn't believe it.  She got it right every time.

It is my job to know where ALL toys are at ALL times.  If a favorite toy cannot be found, it is Mommy's job to find it.  It doesn't matter if that favorite toy has not been played with for 24 hours or even a week.  I must know where it is.  So far, I'm at 100%.  The ole brain is still kickin'.

Katie has no interest in the potty.  She will not be potty trained any time soon.

Our Christmas tree is sitting outside next to our house waiting to be recycled.  I tried to cut it in half and alas, failed.  I must begin to pester Huzbend.  If that doesn't work I will just have to wait for a beaver with wanderlust to pass our way.  The beaver thing might take a while, but will probably happen sooner than Huzbend acquiescing to my will.

Katie likes to pick her own clothes out.  So, we let her.  The end result is usually pretty comical and ultra-cute.  Hey, the best part about it is NO temper tantrums.

And now, my fine feathered friends, some photos with Katie captions.  

"I'm clomping around in Mommy's shoes!"

"BLOCK HANDS!!!!!"

"Time to use my 'noculars."

"Mommy, can you come look at what I made?"

Does Not Play Well With Others

Katie is having a hard time with kids taking toys she is either playing with or is interested in playing with.

Even when we are alone at our house, she'll hold on to a toy so that, her words, "No one will take it."

We were at playgroup today and she had three screaming fits because someone decided to play with a toy that she had put on the ground.

How do you explain to a 2.5 year old that if something is laying on the ground, it's fair game?  If it's not in your hand, then you are not playing with it?

Sigh.

When I say screaming, I mean it was like an "I've just seen Freddy Kruger" type of scream.  The scream is then followed by crying.

I guess this is all part and parcel of learning how to share.

I just wish that she could figure out if someone takes the toy on the floor next to her that there are, like, a million other toys right near by to play with.

I've had a rough day.  I guess Katie has too.  We needed a break.

Thank you, Mr. Nap for saving my sanity!

Happy Groundhog Day

"Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

On Gobbler's Knob this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009,

Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators,

Awoke to the call of President Bill Cooper

And greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths.

After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers,

Phil proclaimed that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers were World Champions one more time!

And a bright sky above me,

Showed my shadow beside me.

So, six more weeks of winter it will be."

Huzzzahhh!

Good on ya, Phil.

As Phil was busy making his predictions, Katie and I were busy visiting her allergist.  They then sent us to the local Children's Hospital for a blood draw.  Ugh.

Katie did really good.  She only cried when the needle went in and not even enough for tears. The nurse and I kept her distracted with talk of stickers.  It was over in a minute and then she got a nice pink wrap on her arm.  They use this wrap stuff now instead of tape so your skin doesn't rip off.  It's pretty nice.

Anyways, she told me that she cried because the needle was "owweee".  So, I told her that's why I hugged her the whole time so that I could make her feel better.  Then she says, "No, Mommy.  The pink band-aid made me feel better."

Oh well.  All I can do is try.

On another note, today is 13 years.  Yep.  13 years of marriage today.  I will not even get into how long we have actually been together, like the year that we actually started to date.  It will scare you too much.

Not much planned for today.  We did have a nice dinner this weekend at Cheesecake Factory and then a uber-yummy Huzbend-made Chicken Pot Pie yesterday.  

Ladies, there ain't nothin' better than a man that can cook AND has a bod' that looks drool-worthy in superhero-tight cycling clothes.  

NOTHIN'.

Creativity

I never in a million years thought that a two and a half year old could be so.....imaginative.  I just didn't think they were capable.   Under developed brains or something. 

I didn't think toddlers were capable of empathy either, but Katie's proved me wrong on that one too.

I really gotta stop underestimating her.  I'm gonna get myself into trouble being so complacent. 

She's finally figured out that she can use her little stool to reach things that are up on the counters.  In just a little while now she'll begin pushing the chair over to reach higher heights.  Something that I NEVER did as a toddler.  Sigh.  Maybe it's genetic?

Anyways, I should take some of Katie's creative ideas and write myself a nice little children's book.  Really.  I should.  I could make, uh, hundreds at least.

Yesterday, she came up with this.

The moon is the Mommy.  The star is the baby.  The Mommy Moon is back-floating in the sky.  She swims by the Baby Star.  The Mommy Moon thinks the sky is a big pool.

The other day, she came up with this story about our family.

Daddy has three bikes (he does).  Mommy has her red bike.  I will get my special own bike.  I will make it pink.  Mommy, Daddy and Katie will ride our bikes as a family.  To the amusement park.  We will eat ice cream, hot dogs and cookies.  And cotton candy.  We will ride the merry-go-round.

And yesterday, she began to put together the birds and the bees.

Girls are Mommies.  Boys are Daddies.  Mommies and Daddies make families.  Mommies and Daddies make Katies.

  

Just a short one....

Two things.

1)  Katie was singing a song today and came to a part where she couldn't remember the words.  So, she substituted these words to the tune of the song, "And IIIIIIIIIII donnnnnnnn't knoooooowww the woooooorrrrdddsss to 'disssssssss."

Awesomeness.

2) There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, more cool than making your toddler laugh so hard that she doubles over, falls on the floor and her laughing becomes so high-pitched that you think the next door neighbors dog is the only one that can hear it.

Awesomeness times two.

Yes, I'm Bragging

Katie attends co-op preschool two days a week now.  One day, I stay and "work" (as if you could call it that.  I just play with eighteen two year olds for two hours) and the other day I drop her off.

Katie has good days and okay days.  Sometimes, when I'm "working" she won't leave my side. Other days when I drop her off, it's like she could care less that I'm leaving.

Each of the kids in class seems to have their own good days and bad days.

It happens that one of Katie's good pals is having a hard time right now saying "Bye-Bye" to his Mommy. 

Today, the kids were out on the playground.  So, this particular Mommy and I were inside learning stuff about parenting (part of a requirement at the co-op).

One of the teachers stuck her head in and told us that Katie was outside holding her pals hand, hugging him, kissing him and telling him over and over, "Don't worry.  Mommies ALWAYS come back."

I don't think anything could've made me feel more proud.

I guess we must be doing something right with our parenting.

Yay, us!

 

So, there was no news footage of Katie.  

Oh well.

At least the balloons are still kicking around.

Ba-ooooons!!!

Huzbend had seen on the news this morning that Mickey and Minnie were hanging out in Seattle today handing out balloons and registering people for a sweepstakes.

Oh, man.  We couldn't pass that up.  Off we went.

As soon as we got out of the car, the Disney people handed me five Mickey Mouse-head balloons.  The balloon dude actually asked us if we wanted the whole bunch!  I could just imagine handing them to Katie and watching her float away like the scene in Curious George.

The next thing you know, Mickey and Minnie came outta nowhere.  I mean, like, they must have appeared out of thin air right behind us.  You know, Disney magic and all that jazz.

I had brought my camera, but I was trying to juggle five balloons, my purse, a backpack and a very excited Katie who was holding on to my hand.

Mickey and Minnie bum-rushed us.  They loaded Katie up with hugs and kisses and then vanished as quickly as they appeared.

Sigh.  No pictures.

So, we went back to the booth to try to find them again, but alas they were disappearing for the day.  I guess we were lucky to see them at all.

As we were leaving the area, one of the local news guys showed up and did a little interview with Katie and shot some footage of her oooooing and ahhhhhing at all the balloons and pictures of Mickey.  They said that they might use it later on today.  We'll see.  I'm taping all the news broadcasts just in case.

When we got home, Katie played with the balloons for about two hours straight.

It was awesome.