You can take the boy out of the woods, but...

Hi ya'll! Me, maw and paw are good. Got a bit hungry this mornin', so I stuck me's whole face into the bowl of cereal - awwww!!

In other news, I caught a green walking stick and had fun examining him in the insect jar today. I added some grass clippings and sticks to create an "at home" habitat. He was a big attraction when the neighbors came to play. Unfortunately he didn't make it till evening to show to D. :-(

At the Morton Pumpkin festival (home of Libby's Pumpkin cannery), I rode my first carnival ride. I absolutely loved the car merry-go-round. A little girl sat in the backseat and I sat up front, so I took my job of steering the wheel very serious at first. However, it didn't take long for a big, happy grin to break out across my face. I put up a little fuss when the ride stopped and I had to get off. However, we enjoyed a pumpkin pie Blizzard at DQ, and I was quickly in good spirits again. That is, until I was strapped into my car seat for the ride home - ugh, I hate being immobile these days.

This evening I tried out my very own potty for the first time. I made some grunting sounds which pleased the parental units. I also had to read my "Babybug" magazine out loud while I was doing my busy. The result - a drop of pee! Whippeee!!!! :-)

1,2,3...ready or not, here I come!

I could hardly wait for lunch to finish so we could play a game of Hide N Seek -- I had a really great hiding spot in mind. Did you find me??

Entertainment came to my front door today - the street crew was outside with a front loader, back hoe, two big dump trucks and five workers in bright yellow shirts. I stood on avvvv chair M had pulled over in front of the window for me, and intently watched the commotion outside. I think I figured out how to operate that back hoe now!

Oh, M & I went for our tri-weekly walk up to the library (Book Babies was happening once again!), then over to the park for some play time and a picnic lunch. I met Brady who is only one week younger than I am - we had a great time playing alongside one another. The chimes at the playground are the coolest equipment ever - who needs slides and swings when you can make lots of noise!!!! Oh, did I tell you I can do the splits - side straddle. I love falling back on my bum!

Much love to all!

Welcome fall!

Oh, what a wonderful time of year - leaves are falling so I can pick them up easily, rolly-pollies are scurrying around, snails are trekking through the mud, the breeze means D and I can fly a kite and a few rain showers leave messy (but, fun!) water puddles. I loved checking out the pumpkins at last weekend - this one weighed in at 635.7 pounds. Whew, that's a lot of pumpkin seeds!

I made a "leaf buddy" at a first day of fall program this morning - it has goggling eyes (which I quickly disassembled) and is easily crinkled up in one little palm! I had fun singing about all the things that wave in the breeze - my hands, my elbows, my tongue (I'm good at this one!), my legs, my chin, even my nose. And, I tried to sit patiently through three story books, but it was more fun swimming on the carpet and trying to share my slightly used string of Fruit Loops with the little girl next to me. Right now I'm trying to talk M into sharing her cup of Pumpkin Spice cappuccino and cake with me - I'll have to be really, really sweet to get some!

Lil' Artiste

It's a good thing M decided to have our craft time outdoors the other day. Even though the package of paints read "water colour", they weren't water colors! (a UFS bargain set of paints) I experimented with the paint brushes for a little while, then decided to dig into my work quite literally! Can you say fun??? I looked a little bit like a smurf after I was done being creative, and M looked a bit like Smurfette after she carried me inside to wash up! My shirt appropriately read "I tried to be good, but I got bored".

Yesterday's craft project (again outdoors - love this warm autumn weather) involed peanut butter, yarn, pine cones, scissors, Cheerio's and GrapeNuts. You guessed it - we made bird feeders. My nextdoor neighbor came over. She was much more interested in putting big golbs of peanut butter onto the bird feeder, while Gertie, Bongo and I were more interested in putting big golbs of peanut butter into our mouths!!! We had to find really thick branches to hang the feeders on - they were loaded with good things for our feathery, wild friends.

These boots are made for...ME!

Here are my cool Spiderman boots!!! I'm ready for about three feet of snow this year. In the meantime, I've been enjoying the mid-70 degree weather we've been having. This afternoon my neighbors brought over all their outdoor wheeled vehicles they've out-grown. Boy, oh boy am I in seventh heaven. Now I can "drive" around in a Wiggles' Big Red Car, a John Deere tractor, a canopied red buggy, an all-emergency vehicle, an orange tricycle, a green tricycle, a little wheel barrow, and more. The next motor mites play time should be at my house!

After a fun, family filled weekend, today M and I enjoyed some quiet time. But, not too quiet. We danced to the Wiggles' toddler CD this morning. Then, we headed out the recreation center to splash around. I liked pull the strings to tip the buckets of water over on our heads. But, what I really wanted to do - and M wouldn't let me - was join the senior citizens' exercise class; they had neon noodles and dumb bells that looked like great fun. We had a picnic lunch and ran around the playground afterwards. I nearly fell asleep on the way home, but held out for my own crib.

Climbing to new heights

It's been a busy week - learning to climb fences, pushing my 5-year old neighbor on the swing, wearing my snow boots for the first time (no snow on the ground, I just really like my boots - it's my own fashion statement!), playing with my friends at Motor Mites again, helping with the household chores (dragging the tall kitchen trash can by the handle out to the garbage can, playing in soaping dish water, pushing the Swifter around, and the like), and driving the big red cart at Kroger's.

The librarians get a chuckle whenever I hold books up to them to be checked out and then start to "read" the books when they are handed back to me. I also left my sippy cup up at the library this morning while I was playing with the blocks and beads; M has to help me remember to look in the Lost and Found when we go back.

I love making animal sounds these days - I've added a loud clear "maaaaaaaa" for sheep to my repertoire.

What sound does a lion make?

It was like I was on a safari this week -- twice I went to the Zoo. My favorite part? you ask. Well, that would have to be a tie between running down (a little unstably at times) the wide wooden ramps around the animal enclosures and walking "off the beaten path" to tickle myself with the tall savannah-like grasses. From the grin on people's faces, I'd say I was as much fun to watch as the animals. At least, M thought so!

My backyard has become habitat to many wonderful creatures too. M uncovered a little garden snake while mowing the grass last night - it was only as thick as her little finger and maybe twelve inches long. I have been pulling cicada shells off the tree trunks to admire them - and then squish them between my probing little fingers. I crawled under the picnic table to pick up an itsy bitsy cricket. Daddy long legs are in abundance, especially around my play house. A rather large frog was hopping around but slipped through the fence before I could catch it and stuff it in my pocket. Darn!