Time and Temperature

So, we were going to go out and about, and I told
Annie: "You need a coat today."

(She always wants to take it off before she gets the car, so you can
imagine how much I
LOVE [not!] dressing and undressing when it is raining!)

So, she says, "No, I don't."

To which I say, "Yes, you DO! You don't
know how cold it is outside today."

She answers, "Yes I DO! It is
32 o'clock, mom!"

:)

A Little Girl Can Dream Forever

............when on the back of her horse.


(Picture altered and phrase added by
my friend, Lisa)

Every morning when Annie wakes up I ask her
"What did you dream about last night?"

I slowly started asking her this question over a period
of time because I noticed every time we discussed
something of importance when we were rocking, it
was the first thing out of her mouth every morning.
I could tell she'd gone to sleep thinking about our
conversations at bedtime.

Her answers to my dream inquiries
were usually about things we had,
in fact, discussed at bedtime.
And these things would be
strange topics for dreams. It found
myself looking forward to what her
different answers would be.

When she discovered a kitchen timer, the
morning after, when I asked her what she
had dreamed about, she said "the clock"
and "the beeps".

When I was trying to get her to be serious
about potty training, I'd read the story
(OVER AND OVER!)
about the little engine & about it
saying, "I think I can,
I think I can" & I'd tell her
"You can do it: tomorrow is a different day,
we'll practice!"

And she'd wake up and answer me
with "I dreamed about using the potty
and wearing panties, not diapers."
but then she'd spend the whole day
refusing to use the potty!
Hey, as articulate as she is, she has the
smarts to do it, like a year ago!
Mom said it is the last thing she
can control. I let her pick her shoes
everyday, why can't she shuck the diapers?!

I Love Mustard

The girl loves mustard, she really, really does.
She will eat it with weenies or just dip bread
in it. Really weird to me, because I don't care
much for mustard as a condiment.

Plain white bread - another thing I don't
care for - and mustard, she's happy.

Finger-lickin' good, I guess!

Peaceful Car Nap

Playing With Kayleigh

Right before Christmas, Wesley, Brandy and
Kayleigh came through our area on their way
to Wes' mom's.

We had lunch and the girls played. Kayleigh
was tired of being in the car, so after a bit,
we took them to MAACO and the girls ran
around and around and around the shop. They
had a blast!

On January 2, we went to Ft. Worth to celebrate
Kayleigh's second birthday. Brandy and Wesley
had her party at The Little Gym.

I used this opportunity to reinforce in
Royanne's mind she cannot go to gymnastics
until she is fully and totally potty trained!
She is absolutely capable, she just exercises her
ability to fail, and therefore, control that
part of her life.

She had a lot of fun falling to the mats.

Connor, as always, was fearless!

Royanne wanted to do what Connor did,
with the help of daddy.

Like I said, she wants to do what
Connor does!

Cake and ice cream!

DARK!

I have little pieces of paper all over the house,
in my purse, car, diaper bag. One day,
they'll all be in my little pink books.
They all hold tiny things I want to remember
about Annie, like the things she's done.....
but mostly, the things
she's said.

Take tonight, for example...
I was in the bathroom, and she came in there
and said, one hand on her hip, the other one
gesturing,
"Momma, I'm worried about you!"
I immediately laughed hysterically and asked,
"Why, honey!?"
and she said, "I'm worried about you because
it is dark out there."

Sounds a bit like a book we read where
Big Bear comforts Little Bear throughout the
night with different sized lanterns,
chasing away the darkness.

She is way too funny!


PS/ she loves the tutu!

Two & A Half

Well, my sweet baby girl is two and a half today.
How is this possible?

WHEW!

She chatters all day and says to many clever and
funny things. And she knows when she's being clever!


Last night, for example....
Royanne: I breaked it, momma.
Momma: I broke it.
Royanne: No, momma, I broke it!

Then a big giggle!

Tomorrow I'll give her a surprise:
a fluffy pink tutu!

48 Hours of Fun

We had a pretty busy 2 days, Christmas Eve
and Christmas Day.


Annie started eating
the blue decorations on her blue tree.
Blueberry candy canes
are just wrong!

Royanne took the container of Santa's cookies off of the
island, took them behind Bruec's chair, under the
table, and had a few. I remember my brother
used to crawl under mom's bed and rob the
shoe boxes full of homemade fudge and
pralines. If she didn't check on them, there was
a good chance there'd be very little on
Christmas.

Bruce and Annie mixing a snack
for Santa's reindeer:
a mixture of oats

and extra energy flying dust (gold glitter).

Tasting the snowflakes!
Yes, we got a few flakes for a bit.

Setting the reindeer snack on the wall, where the
reindeer would be sure to see it sparkling.

Adding some corn to the snack for the
reindeer was Grandma's idea. Later, when we read
"'Twas The Night Before Christmas,"
Royanne ate the rest of the can of corn.

Showing what was ready for Santa!

Singing "Jingle Bells" and snacking.



CHRISTMAS DAY

Squealing with delight about her tent
from Uncle Darrell & Aunt Tammy.

She loved her little flute.
She likes to watch "Jack's Big Music Show".

I mostly took video this year. Now I am kinda
sorry: not many pics to look at.



Later on in the day, we went to Craig and Kay's.
My cousin, as artist, used the following picture
to airbrush a picture for Bruce for
Christmas using her computer.
I gave it to him when we were with
18 people at Kay's.

She plowed through many pictures,
trying to find one head-on & with other
good aspects that she could incorporate into
another background. Turns out she wanted
to use this one.

Very impressive, the outcome.



After 7pm we went to Bruce's cousins' house,
where there were about 18 more people!
Royanne had her silky and everyone
learned about the love affair she has
with it, how she won't accept polyester material
of any kind, only the real McCoy.


Rachel went and got a satin
pillow slip that was their grandma's, -Royanne's
great-grandmother's,- and gave it to her.
Royanne was very appreciative!
The only rule is, it stays in her bed.