The Volume Wars

It doesn't take Bailey long to learn how to do something.  In a blink of an eye, she figured out the volume on the computer (which really isn't that easy considering the amounts of knobs on the speaker system).  Bailey prefers it loud.  With the awful cold I got for Christmas, I prefer it softly.  Bailey still prefers it louder.  I turn it down, she turns it back up.  And for a while, I thought it was just my ears, because they are doing some funky things, but no, it really is her.  I thought the loudness was on my part and the change of it was in my head too.  But no, Bailey is definitely responsible.

 

 

I'm not looking forward to the stereo wars in a few years.  But hopefully I won't have a cold then?

The Brainiac and her Body

Bailey's been playing a lot of computer games by herself lately.  Instead of using it with us by her side, she has figured out how to get herself to particular websites or programs by a simple click and then navigating around such sites and playing the games.  SesameWorkshop is a common destination.  Just a bit ago, she discovered a game she hadn't played before.  It questioned kids on the body parts outside their body by asking questions like, "which part do you use to smell a flower?"  She mastered that easily.  Then, they asked about parts inside using the same types of questions.  "Which body part pumps blood throughout the body?"  I thought these were a bit tougher, since a lot of moronic adults wouldn't know the answers.  I should never second guess Bailey though.  She mastered every question without my help and kept playing it over and over again.  She even asked me, "why didn't they ask about my kidneys?"

I told you.  She's a brainiac.  Oh, and she's playing the game AGAIN.

The Right to Party

Yesterday, I stopped to ask one of Bailey's teachers about a holiday party because it'd never been mentioned to me.  She was honest with me and said that with the two canceled days because of weather conditions and all their sick kids (between the two main teachers, they have a total of six children) they hadn't gotten around to it.  Completely understandable.  It really is.

I'd wanted to do some things anyway, but I had gotten sidetracked and I think I was waiting to hear about a party and then offer my own help.  Well, here was my opportunity and if you recall my teaching days, I LOVED holidays.  And if you know me as a mother, I LOVE holidays and parties.  I do have some mad party skills up my sleeve.  So with their permission, Bailey and I went on a trek for the perfect Christmas pinata.  Then we went on a mission to find essential pinata stuffing ingredients.  And somehow along the way, we also picked up punch, cups, napkins, plates, cupcakes, and treat bags to put the pinata goodies in afterwards.  We brought our very own pinata stick along, but it's only on loan.

Bailey's all about pinatas and parties.  And this morning it was especially important because her behavior yesterday was something out of the Exorcist.  I'm not sure what possessed her, but it wasn't pretty.  And the worst of it was her throwing the fit of all fits inside my place of employment, flailing about like demon-possessed crazy woman and screaming like a banshee.  Terrible, I tell you, terrible.  You would've thought she was two.  And her reasoning?  The one thing she kept screaming about?  The fact I was using a cart because I'm not creative enough to hold her and a bunch of items all simultaneously.

But that was yesterday.  And today is today.  And hopefully when I pick her up in about ten minutes, I'll have some pictures to view from the party.  Because I left them one condition: take pictures.  I also left my camera inorder for this condition to take place.  I even taught them how to work it.

I look forward most to Bailey telling me about the pinata, because she STILL talks about the pinata at her pirate party.  Maybe I'll actually tell you about it someday.

Giving Christmas to Heidi

"Heidi" is the little girl of the family we adopted for Christmas.  And on Saturday, we had the pleasure of delivering the family's presents to the fairgrounds in Lawrence.  And how appropriate, it was snowing.  Bailey was ecstatic about both.  She even commented that it was snowing which meant we could now take Heidi's presents to her.  According to Bailey, "Because snow means Christmas is coming!"  She was a bit disappointed she couldn't meet her, but she was a champ about the whole ordeal.

 

The building we had to take our gifts to also housed the Salvation Army Toy Shop and the Angel Tree headquarters.  People were constantly coming and going with gifts in tow, many people needing such things for their own families.  And by observing this, I can tell you, I feel really fortunate which is why I probably love doing this so much.  And after dropping everything off, I was glowing.  And I continued to glow the rest of the day and it made me feel so warm.  I was even more perky at work as I kept thinking about how wonderfully fulfilling it is.

 

And Bailey has taken just as much away from the experience, but in a different form.

Daddy Started His New Job

Last night, Daddy started his new job.  What is his new job might you ask?  He's now a librarian.  I guess he's following in his mother's footsteps after all and using that new MBA degree productively.

 

How did this job come to be?  Well, ask Bailey.  She's the one who landed him the new position.

 

She's also the one that has deemed our massive book collection a library.

 

She's also the one who told Daddy he was a librarian and proceeded to check out as many books as she could reach from our towering bookcases and have Daddy stamp each and every one before she could read them.

 

By the way, it's going to take a long time to put them all back on the shelves, back in alphabetical order.  Luckily, Daddy's the librarian.

If only we could get up this early on school mornings...

No more explanations needed.

You're not going to believe me

Last night, I was dropping something off at work for a supervisor.  I had Bailey in tow, mostly because she'd insure I'd get out of there in a timely fashion. (That, and the fact I had nowhere else to leave her.)  While waiting, a lady saw Bailey and commented, "Look at that red hair.  Maybe her hair will get that red too."  And by her, she meant her infant granddaughter.  Her daughter, the child's mother commented, "Oh God I hope not."  Her mother had an expression of horror, but the mother who said such a thing immediately saw my face and said, "I mean..." and watching her back track and eat crow was the best dessert.

 

She explained it was beautiful on Bailey, or something to that extent, and I will secretly agree with her that her interracial child probably wouldn't look quite the same with the same shade of red hair that my Bailey wears so beautifully.  The grandmother still seemed pretty shocked though.  And when I think about it, it does seem strange to hear someone not desire this head of hair, except me of course.  Because unlike most people, I know exactly how much work it requires.

 

But some things are worth working for.

An Apology to Our Dear Readers

This past year I've been an incredibly lousy scribe.  And maybe it's because I get really overwhelmed.  Or maybe it's because if I'm not home with Bailey, I'm at work.  And maybe if I'm not at work, I'm just really, really tired.  There are so many excuses and few actually excuse me.  But if you're tapping your fingers wondering where pictures are or if I'll ever get to them, please know that I spend more time agonizing over my to-do list than you could ever possibly imagine.

 

But regardless of the time to do these things I think I should do, most importantly, I still spend some seriously vital, mucho-fun-filled-memory-filled time with Bailey.  And that's all that matters.

Adding to Our Family

We're adding a new little girl to the family and we've already come up with a name.  Her name is now Heidi and Bailey is absolutely ecstatic to embrace her into our craziness of a household. 

Screwing with you aside, Santa needed our help this year providing for another family, so we took on the mission.  To ease confusion, we named the little girl of this family Heidi so it'd become more real to Bailey.  I told her about Heidi's situation and that her parents can't get her much for Christmas so Santa has enlisted us.  She was genuinely concerned that Heidi didn't have many toys of her own and wishes to remedy this.  And Bailey's dutifully accepted Santa's request and has started compiling a list of things she thinks Heidi wants and needs.  They include but not limited to Playdoh, blocks, a tricycle, and a Teddy Bear.  She does not feel that Heidi likes dolls, but has a suspicion that Heidi's favorite color is yellow.  Simple suggestions, but thoughtful nonetheless. 

Bailey has already asked about visiting Heidi, but I've explained that Heidi lives far away.  She's okay with that, as long as Heidi gets her presents.  Most importantly? Playdoh.

Another Ploy Failed

Bailey was completely uninterested in leaving the bath tub.  This is after screaming for seven minutes that she didn't want a bath, after convincing me prior to this that she needed a bath something fierce.  Then, after screaming in the tub, she then screamed for approximately another seven minutes that she wanted the water turned back on NOW.  Then, once she calmed down, when she did get more water, she then stayed in for another ten minutes and refused to get out.  During this, I think somewhere during the time she needed the water turned back on, or maybe when I wanted her out (who knows), I told her that her throat would feel better with a popsicle.  This was after I explained to her that all her screaming would only make her feel worse.  But about that popsicle?  She told me, "I don't want a popsicle.  That would make me SO sick."

 

Well, she is the doctor.

 

Of course, after she finally decided to depart the waters, she announced that "maybe a popsicle would make my throat feel better."

 

Oh what a fickle doctor indeed.

Giving Thanks

Bailey is thankful for:

 

Bananas

Oranges

Lettuce

 

and....

 

 

Tomatoes

 

 

And pumpkins!

 

Anything else?

 

"No, I don't have something else.  But we have pumpkins here."

A Super Family

According to Bailey:

 

Daddy keeps the monsters away and you keep the ducks away.  Daddy throws the monsters in the trash can and you throw the ducks there.

 

 

And as she went on about that, she exclaimed, "And I keep the bears away!" 

 

And then she spoke about da bears.

The Doctor in The House

We have the best doctor.  We've been seeing her for approximately two years.  She has the best bedside manner (most of the time) and is completely thorough, complete with stylist tendencies like a fresh brushing.  She's awesome.  The most incredible doctor we could've found. 

We highly recommend Dr. Bailey. 

 

And today, Dr. Bailey told me she is a Turtle Doctor now.  She's always expanding her horizons.  But apparently, she's expanding her breed too, because she's a turtle.  A real one. 

I asked if I should call her Dr. Turtle from now on and she agreed.  She also explained:

"I have arms here and here, and lots of green all over and a really big head."

 

And because no one knows turtles like Dr. Turtle, she told me "Bailey Turtles are green.  And Turtle Baileys are by themselves."

 

You heard it from the Good Doctor.

Wild About Harry

I guess everybody has that Harry they're wild about in their life.  Mine's Harry Potter.  That's no secret.  And he's wild about me.  No secret there, either. Well, my daughter, yes, she has a Harry too.

 

If you've been to Wal-Mart lately, perhaps you've met Harry.  He hangs out there a lot.  In fact, he's there so often, he practically lives there.  But he loses his head a lot.  And sometimes, he's only half a person.  That happens, I suppose.  We won't hold it against him though because Bailey just adores him so.  And for the past month and a half, we visit Harry continuously.  She asks ALL THE TIME, "can we go see Harry, please?"  She also asks about Harry and how he's doing.  She's crazy about that guy, I'm telling you.

 

 

So, welcome to our world and meet Harry:

 

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5750811

 

 

 

His name is indeed Headless Harry and Bailey isn't afraid of him at all.  Sometimes she'll act it, but it's just acting.  And lately, he's been vacant from Walmart stores across the nation, and finding himself in other party stores too.  He's just that awesome.  Wait till Bailey realizes Halloween's almost over and so will her relationship with Harry because she won't see Harry again until perhaps next year. 

 

She'll have to find someone else, something else to be wild over.

Letters to Santa, Already

Last week, Bailey was playing in her kitchen and after devouring her delectable plastic and wooden food, she then was seeking out a place to discard the leftovers.  She realized she didn't have a trash can, announced it, and proclaimed, "Maybe Santa will get me one for Christmas."

 

I do believe that Santa has made note of that.  We have connections. 

Conversations Over My Head

Bailey has been playing with some Lincoln Logs our neighbor gave her and with them came some little Indians and cowboys figurines, the kind made like the little plastic army ones that hurt when you step on them.  One of them is headless.

 

Daddy:  Where did his head go?

Bailey:  I think aliens got him.

An Irish Memory

I went to pick up Bailey from preschool today and Bailey noticed the shirt I was wearing and she recognized it as my "parade shirt."  She almost got her hopes up.  Why?  Because Bailey remembered the last time I wore the shirt, the Kelly green, "Everybody Loves an Irish Girl" tee was when we went to a St. Patty's Day parade.  I disappointed her when I told her I had only worn it when I was mowing the lawn. 

 

We got home, and as we were getting out of the car she asked me why I was wearing it again, and said, "are we not going to a parade in that shirt?"  It did prompt her to wear her own St. Pat's shirt to play in this afternoon.

 

Her memory makes me nervous.

Unaccepted

Bailey's unacceptable.  At least that's her version of events. 

 

My version is to explain that certain behaviors are unacceptable.  You see, Daily Bailey readers, I have a teenager.  She's a waifish sort of teenager trapped inside of a three year old's body, but particular behaviors indeed pass for a teenager.  Like, not wanting to wake up, unless it's not a school day.  She's not like most teenagers in the fact she likes school, loves school even, but she will not wake up for it.  A crash of lightning couldn't motivate this child.  A whip couldn't do it.  I certainly can't do.  She was this limp rug this morning as I kept moving her from place to place exclaiming, "you need to wake up for school!" to no avail.

But this is nothing new.  This is typical conversation for a school morning.  And then we get there late and I look like this terribly late, irresponsible parent, but really folks, I keep at it.  I shout.  I physically move her.  I've even thrown her in the tub once.  The lights have flickered and fluttered the disco dance.  I've threatened her (but only in a nice way, if there is such a thing).  And this morning, I warned her teachers that if Bailey tells them she can't go to school anymore to not be worried (or maybe relieved either) because there is an honest explanation. 

Bailey was told if she can't and won't wake up for school and get ready in a timely fashion, she won't get to go school anymore. 

I also admitted  to Bailey something along the lines of her behavior being unacceptable, something she repeated in the car as, "I'm unacceptable."  To the contraire my beautifully brilliant child.  You are not unacceptable at all.  But not waking up and getting ready and eating breakfast in an efficient manner?  Unacceptable.  Still on the living room carpet unmoving at 8:54 when preschool starts at 9:00?  Unacceptable.  But you, you are Acceptable.  Beyond. 

How I know I have a Special Child...

This evening, my child could be seen dancing in the main aisle in Walmart.  Her dance partner was a foot, a bloody-looking ripped off leg-kind-of-foot.  She creeped one teenage girl out and impressed many other audience members.

 

The star herself though was quite disappointed there are no longer any bloody arms in stock.

Laundry Making Me See Red

Dear Pretentiously Astute Advice Columnist,

 

 

I woke up very exhausted this morning with little energy, but with the knowledge that I needed to throw a load of laundry into the washer.  First I had to empty the dryer so I could put the clothing from the washer into it so I could then put a new load into the washer. Imagine my surprise to discover red on an article of clothing and a melted red crayon in the dryer's drum.  Then picture my horror that every single article of my daughter's clothing had red splotches everywhere.  Beautiful summer clothing, brand new fall clothing, everything is ruined.  What do I do?  Is there a cure, doctor?  Or is it a terminal condition?

 

 

Any advice you have will be immediately considered as opposed to my usual approach in turning my ears.

 

 

Sincerely Yours,

 

Exasperated Mom seeing Red in the Midwest

Knock Knock

This morning, Bailey was trying her hand at a variety of Knock Knock jokes, and she approached us with a new one:

 

Bailey:  Knock, Knock

Us:  Who's there?

Bailey: Orange

Us: Orange who?

Bailey:  Orange you Spanish?

 

We have no idea where she got this from either.

That's My Girl

Bailey was playing in the bath water with a bath-appropriate doll and asked, "Is she a mermaid or is she going to die underwater? (did she really say that?)? in this quirky questioning voice, that she does when she's testing you.  Thoughts that I was only hearing things were soon corrected when I asked Bailey which and she responded, "she's just going to die underwater" with a wicked smile across her face.

 

Sometimes I wonder about this child.  But I think people wonder about her mother a lot too.

An Apology to the Cat

There are so many times that dear Bailey probably owes our Cat Aerial an apology.  I'm sure the cat can think of even more times than I can, starting from the day we brought Bailey home.  This morning, Bailey gave Aerial the most sincerest of all apologies that the cat HAD to have felt it too.

 

So the monster, as in the three year old, throws fits sometimes, fake fits.  They're not even real.  I can deal with real ones better than I can these faux tantrums with this whiny twinge and exaggerated noises.  I assure you, they could drive the sanest of the sane to commit abuse.  And sometimes, I find my grown-up self playing along, mimicking every octave and every alto whimper.  Immature, maybe, but sometimes I just can't help myself.

This morning was not that immature moment.  I was desperate to get her ready for school because I knew she'd regret this later, as would I.  And those fake cries were so bothersome after all...  So I told her that Aerial wanted her to stop and that she was hurting the cat's ears, and they were the only ears she had.  Now, I'm sure that the cat would agree with me.  The cat most likely could've done without the fake tantrum too (in fact, the cat would honestly like to do without Bailey's existence at all, but oh well).  And those really are the only ears the cat will ever have.  Shortly after I explained the cat's dilemma to Bailey, she stopped her faux tantrum and as we were getting ready, she excused herself for a second because she just had to see the cat.  She told me she had to apologize to the cat.  Actually, she asked permission.  And in the sweetest little voice, with little snifflings that only true sincerity finds, she told Aerial the Cat that she was sorry; that "I'm sorry I hurt your ears." 

 

I didn't get to videotape it, but it was one of the most darling gestures I have ever witnessed, especially since it was fueled by own selfish attempt at efficiency.

The First Day of the Rest of My Life

Today my life as a different mother began.  So far, my life as a mother has consisted of terrible discoveries during silences, a lack of sleep since the moment my child was conceived, notorious interrupted phone conversations, arguments of epic proportions over cartoon characters, and every medium I could possibly consider (and especially the ones I never thought of) smeared over my walls.  But today, today started a new chapter.

For almost two hours today, I had nothing to do.  Well, to the contrary, I had a lot to do, a never ending list of things I never am able to get to.  But to ordinary folk, I had nothing to do because during that almost two hour period, I had no Bailey.  She was missing.  She was missing, indeed.  Why?  Where did she go?  She was at school.

That's right, Bailey readers.  Bailey started school today.  Our genius had her first day of preschool today.  There were times we thought this day would never come, like when I called back in January and was smacked with the awful revelation that other mothers knew something I didn't.  Only two weeks after enrollment started for the September 2007 term, I was already number 11 on the WAITING LIST.  Yeah, number eleven!  It was some sick and twisted joke.  But fate had another plan for us and rather than a Christian preschool, we found a fine arts preschool.  It seemed to be exactly what we needed.  This program is more activity based and less strict lesson base, which is critical since those basic lessons are things Bailey has known for so long, her head spins when you quiz her.  Yeah, not a pretty sight.

My new life has now begun.  Three times a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I will be Bailey-free for a couple hours a day while she spends her days driving other people mad.  (Kidding, really.  Hopefully.)  Maybe I can make my holiday cards I've lagged on for the past six months.  Will I finally write articles that are a year and a half late?  Eventually, maybe I'll finally use my scrap booking materials I JUST had to have.  Whoa!  I can do laundry downstairs without worrying about what the midget tornado is doing upstairs (she causes some of the worst disasters then).  Yes, I think I will find things to do.

Today was not that day.  There was the oddest silence in the house.  I was not used to this.  I kept thinking I was missing something, that something extremely hideous was going on in the next room.  I was on the phone and kept looking over my shoulder to see what chaos had ensued while I was speaking.  It was such an usual experience, that I thought I was losing my mind.

I didn't miss her (because I knew she was having a grand ol' time), but it was a bit uncomfortable only because this is not something that is typical for me, not in the slightest.  I'm never in my home alone.  Ever.  I'm going to get used to it though, I'm going to have to, I think.  Because when I picked up Bailey today, she didn't want to leave.  I'm curious though, since she was the only one who didn't make any crafts, I'm wondering just how well behaved she was there...

I can't think about that.  I won't think about that.  I have legs to shave tomorrow.

 

Today was the first day of the rest of my life.

Yes, I will still have those moments of uncomfortable silence when I discover things I wish I hadn't.  I'll still never sleep since that's not my style.  And the interruptions and the arguments will only become worse as time progresses, but I do hope the smear catastrophes have died.  I also hope that Bailey enjoys her new life too.

Louis' Second Batch

Seeing Louis

The last few months, when I do try to submit an entry, it gets eaten, so it makes me even less likely to get back to it.  The last time I tried to post this one, it was on June 28, just to give you an idea.

 

As we were getting ready for a mini trip to St. Louis, we made sure to tell Bailey where we were going.  We told her we were driving to St. Louis and our brainiac translated this into meaning we were "going to SEE Louis."  Who is Louis?  Louis is from the movie "Meet the Robinsons" and she was quite thrilled to see him again and remembered the ants from the movie and the volcano and her face lit up like the Fourth of July every time she reveled at the idea we were finally seeing Louis.

 

Well, Bailey is still waiting to see Louis.  But here are some photos from ST. LOUIS.

R & R

The day before we went to St. Louis, Daddy took a half day off of work and we took Bailey out to The Farmstead.  It was a fantastic way to begin some time off.  And just as predicted, it wore Miss Bailey out enough so we got a little extra time to go and make our inventory again for the bathroom project (which is actually why we took the half day). 

 

Some work, but a lot of play...and all for a good cause.

Memorial Day and Train Poop

On Memorial Day, Daddy and Mommy went to see a movie, their first alone time since December.  Meanwhile, Bailey hung out with Grandma and Grandpa.  Then the three of us went home just in time for Mommy to go to work.  Then on June 2nd, Bailey had a Day out with Thomas, with just Daddy.  Bailey was very proud of her day seeing a train.  We went last year, but Daddy and Bailey seemed to have enjoyed themselves just as much the second time around.  On the way back to their car, Bailey saw a trailer with coal in it and announced it as "train poop."  ..Definitely a good day.

Pale Rider

 

Our Newest Family Member

Hanna Banana + Bailey= Best Godsisters Forever

A Good Start to Summer

The Rain of May

 

 

Our river was a little high back in May.  I have pictures to prove it. 

The Day Q Came to Stay

Back in late April, our neighbors' son came by to visit for a short amount of time while they were at a doctor's appointment.  He was wonderfully behaved.  Not used to sharing her space, Bailey spent some time in a chair by herself, willingly.  Yeah, it was HER idea.  I've also included a few other photos from different days.

...Finally Updating

In case you've noticed I haven't updated in a while (and I know you have, because you probably told me ALL about it) I'm including some photos I have yet to share.  Do yourself a favor, check her site in a FEW days as I have MONTHS of pictures I've kept to myself (but still sharing most of them).  No, not now.  A FEW days.  You'll be wasting time otherwise.

:)

Clarification

Bailey: Mother...

Mommy:  Bailey, what's my name?

Bailey:  It's Mommy, Mother.

 

 

Sigh.

The Importance of Mall Security

Mall security is incredibly important.  I guess I've always taken it for granted before.  But last Friday, I really took a moment to consider it and relish it.  Where would I have been without it?  They're there to make sure purse-snatchers aren't running amok in the parking lot.  They're there to make sure the little white gangster wanna-bes aren't stealing people's shoes and stabbing people in their pockets.    They're there to proclaim Code Adams and search frantically for someone's lost child.  And their most important duty?  The most important reason Oak Park Mall needs/ has mall security?  They have to make sure to keep the mall play area, the place with foam mushrooms and canoes completely safe and free of photography just in case some cute adorable redhead is perched on said-mushroom in an adorable fashion and her mother nonchalantly uses her Nikon in attempt to take a picture.  I mean, you never know what might happen.  That mother might actually get a decent photo taken.  All must be stopped.  Or that mother with the twins?  The mall must be saved.  And impressively, the security shows up just in the knick of time once the cameras above witness the cameras of mothers below.

 

Thank you Oak Park Mall Security for keeping us all safe from photo flashes and our albums free of another snap shot.  Thank you for your infinite protection of "private property."  Also, thank you for giving me one less place to shop.  It keeps more money in my account and less money spent at your establishment.  Again,thank you.  I know my husband does.

Between the bed and a wall

In between the bed and the wall is sometimes a frustrating place for me.  Stubbed toes in the dark when I should've been in bed hours previously haunt me.  I've also bruised my elbows more times than I want to count.  And in between that wall and the bed is a sleeping child, the most peaceful sight I've ever witnessed.  It's hard to believe that moments before, I was ready to plug my pitiful ears and rescue them from her screams.  And hours before, we'd had quite a time full of arguments and mischief, and needless turmoil, when all I should have done was take a deep breath, maybe a sigh.  In between that bed and the wall is enough room for forgiveness and a smile, and most of all, precious love.

 

But I'm sure I'll forget how much room there is when I bump my elbow tonight.

The price of a haircut...a goat

In order to persuade Bailey into allowing her bangs to be cut, I prepared her, bribed her with the idea of returning to the Deanna Rose Farmstead.  I kept mentioning feeding the goats milk, and suddenly she was on board and kept letting me know she was getting her haircut.  We went over this again and again the whole drive to Shear Madness and everything was fine.  Bailey remembered the place, found the toys, and when they called her name she willingly came forward to be taken to her seat.  She was blissfully obedient...until it was time for the smock to be put over her little body.  It's like it came to her what was about to happen.  She realized what she had to endure for the goats. 

The actual cut took a few seconds.  Bailey knew we were only cutting the front, because I'd explained this to her.  She explained this to the stylist.  None of this stopped her from twisting and turning in defiance.  But the bangs are now cut, the stylist not seeming all that thrilled, and Bailey then announced it was time to go eat so we could see the goats.  Bailey paid the woman at the desk and away we went.

The goats were more than a fair trade and for the first time, time was on our side at the farm.  We spent well over two hours there, checking out every corner, every crevice, every slide, every farm animal.  Well, I guess we missed a couple crevices, but that was her choice.  We took a fishing pole when we weren't supposed to and forced Mommy to duck as it was swung all over the place.  That was a good time.  After being momentarily punished and taken away from that area, we rejoined the fun we were having.  The pictures should prove that.

As I spent last Friday with Bailey, gazing at farm animals, petting goats, and walking the beautiful grounds, I couldn't help but think about just how lucky of a mom I am to do these types of things with my child.  It makes it difficult for me to understand why there are so many stay-at-home mothers out there who do nothing of this sort with their own children.  The farm is free.  FREE.  It's gorgeous.  It's invigorating.  Spending time with your child is a luxury.  It's foreign for me to understand anything less.

I'm glad I'm unable to understand though, otherwise, I wouldn't have had so much fun, even if I did have to avoid a fishing hook with my life.

 

Haircuts costing a goat...what an awesome concept!

Snow!!!

Everything was going beautifully.  Spring finally came after a winter everyone was ready to escape.  Tulips were blooming, grass was green, trees were blossoming and then as some cruel joke, cold weather moved in again.  And how appropriate it then snowed on Friday the 13th, IN APRIL. 

At least Bailey enjoyed it.

One rare sleeping moment and just another day in Paradise...

Dr. Seuss' Magic

Dr. Seuss has become mighty popular in these parts.  Sure, we liked him before, but he's now a God of sorts right now.  My child has finally joined the Seuss pop culture.  Most importantly, my child has finally become part of the bedtime story clan.  And bedtime stories, for the last couples of months (or longer), are why she goes to bed.  She treats it as a stall tactic and we treat it as a bribe.  It's a win-win situation and everybody's thrilled. 

Every single night, we're forced to read a book we read to her every day while in utero.  It's a Seuss-inspired book called Oh Baby, The Places You'll Go, a Book to Read In Utero, and Bailey still adores it.  Good Night Moon is also a regular and a Wocket in my Pocket has joined the list too.  Really, Bailey likes to add on as many books as possible to keep that bedtime further back.  Good Night Gorilla, Ten Apples up on Top, Classis Pooh stories, Peter Rabbit, The Runaway Bunny...It's not unusual to read approximately four books or more in one session.

But tonight, tonight I did something different.  I got out some other books from my collection on the high shelves, and one happened to be Dr. Seuss' Sleep Book.  When I taught preschool, this book was like magic sleeping dust.  It's long-winded, but that's fantastic, because everyone fell asleep by the time I reached the middle.  And tonight, for the very first time, my Bailey fell asleep while I was reading.  Not immediately after, oh no, during.  There was no, "one more story?" or "can you read another book please?"  No, there was just snoring. 

 

The magic worked.  That man really was a genius.

A Day with the Robinsons

Well, unfortunately, we don't mean the Robinsons we'd like to mean, but we did hang out with Wilbur Robinson's family for a bit Sunday afternoon.  We watched the movie Meet the Robinsons, based on the book A Day with Wilbur Robinson, a book I dearly love.  Bailey liked the movie tremendously, especially the part involving an erupting volcano and some fire ants.  She knows what life's all about.

After we finished watching the movie, we headed over to the Deanna Rose Farmstead for a short while before I had to get home and get ready to go to work.  Bailey remembered being there last fall, which I find amazing, but it shouldn't surprise me.  She remembers things from last spring...and even earlier.  With that memory of hers, I have to fear making any mistakes at all.

We hope to return to the farm very soon since we've spent such short intervals there both times we've visited.  We also hope to have more family time together.  And maybe some time, we can hang out with the real Robinsons.

An Egg-cellent Sunday

Easter Sunday was hardly in traditional mode this year.  The Easter Bunny brought Bailey an Easter bicycle, we went to a baseball game and got a rabbit, went to Grandma and Grandpa's long enough to hunt for money, and then somehow, some way, we ended up at Chuck E. Cheese for Easter dinner in the form of gross pizza.  We're not sure how it all happened, but it was memorable nonetheless.  We were frozen little spring chicks at the game, but Sluggerr was far worth the wait (considering she wouldn't have let us leave until she saw him).  Our seats would have been fantastic on any other day, but when it's cold, the shade is even colder, so we chose to stand out in the sun near the Little K. 

Grandma and Grandpa's house wasn't as bitter cold since they lacked the wind, so they hid some eggs outside for Bailey, which she enjoyed fetching immensely.  She napped on the way back to Kansas and woke up a little disoriented.  Things we were expecting to be opened were indeed closed, and then we ended up at Chuck E. Cheese for some unknown reason.  Bailey had a marvelous time though and watching her dance around was worth the nasty overpriced pizza any day.  Well, not any day, because I honestly couldn't eat that grease on crust every day.

After our busy day, Bailey was unable to enter the house until she visited Kaitlin in the backyard and gave her one of her Easter treats.  (We'd found rawhide flowers at Target.)  When she finally did decide to come inside she discovered that the Easter Bunny had hidden some eggs in our living room while we were out.  The eggs had various things inside including chocolate coins, real coins, a dollar, stickers, and Reese's miniature peanut butter cups.  When she found each egg, she had to open them up immediately with the same amount of enthusiasm and vigor as the one previous to it before moving on to another find.  Who knew plastic eggs could be so delightful?

 

So maybe your Easter ham tasted better than our pizza, and maybe you weren't freezing like we did, but we had a lot of fun regardless.  I wonder what traditions we'll break next year...

 

Leading up to Easter Morning

 

 

Easter festivities included hunting, Peeps, egg-breaking, frosting tasting, and of course her gift from the Easter Bunny.

Still picturing....

Auto Show 2007.

Pictures Coming, Pictures Going...

 

I'm playing catch up.  They're out of order, but you'll see them just the same.  Enjoy.

The Jitterbug I Miss

I was making fun of Wham! the other day (I mean, who doesn't make fun of Wham!?).  Anyhow, I was making fun of them and started singing "Jitterbug" when I suddenly recalled when Bailey was an infant and I'd sing just that one word "Jitterbug" in as close to a George Michael/Wham! voice as I possibly could, and she'd start laughing uncontrollably.  It was one of the most joyful moments of my life.  My child found just as much humor in Wham! as I did.  That's probably when I definitely knew we were forever soulmates, no questions about it.

 

So,  after reminding her father of our Wham! days, something he wanted to forget, to his horror, I sang that one catch phrase in front of Bailey and she sort of laughed, but instead of the same fit of giggles, she said, "What is Mommy doing?  Jitterbug?  What?"  It was funny, but it wasn't that tummy rolling laughter of giddiness as it used to be; the kind of laughing that brought tears to everyone's eyes over one simple word such as "jitterbug."

 

I sure do miss that jitterbug.  And here I never thought I'd ever miss Wham!.

Irish for the Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

For those of us (responsible people) with offspring, we found alternative methods for spending the day rather than drinking until our livers packed up and left for healthier bodies with retirement benefits.  We went to the parade in Lawrence (we're not brave enough for the Kansas City one) and found that Lawrence brings in a fairly large crowd.  We weren't expecting that at all, so the congestion go to us, and most importantly, it got to Bailey.  Towards the end, we bailed, and found that down the road, closer to our car, and closer to where the end was waiting to find the crowds of spectators, that was a much more pleasant viewing area.  Before that, it was utter chaos.  Enjoy the photos, who knows when I'll share some again.

Bowling for Bread

On Sunday, I brought home a loaf of French bread and Bailey was absolutely ecstatic (just as her father was).  Daddy cut her a piece from the end as she requested and I caught her eating it quite strangely.  There she was on the couch, sitting oh so comfortably, and she was digging out the middle of it, and it ended up being a little bowl.  Then she asked for more, and did the same with the opposite end.  She took a few bites of the crust, but by then she was full.  It was extremely adorable to witness.  I didn't take any pictures, but it too cute to not mention.

Parking Space

 

Last week in Kansas, before we left for Tampa, the weather was actually quite lovely.  It was a change from the bitter cold and much appreciated.  Since it'd been nice, on two different days, we went to two different parks.  These are some photos from both of those days.  And for a laugh, you should read the milestones on Bailey's website for added detail.

The Stork has been to our house

No, no, no.  You know better.  Bailey has been playing with her Little People zoo set lately.  It has suddenly become one of her favorite toys.  I think finding it under the bed really helped its cause.  Anyhow, what she has started to do is place each animal in this little tiny bronze pumpkin decoration we had out during Halloween (and it's still out because she loved it so).  After placing an animal in the pumpkin, she will bring it to us ever so carefully and say "look it's a baby ____, it's SO cute."  Sometimes there is an "awww" in there too.  It's darling to witness and she has us play along and asks us to pet it.  She'll also play a guessing game and see if we can identify each species.  Once I get it right she will say, "nice try mother."  Yes, she calls me Mother.  Ask me how crazy I am about that, okay?

Oink if you're Chinese!

 

That wasn't meant to be a statement out of prejudice, but it's the year of the Golden Pig!  On Sunday, February 18th, we celebrated the Chinese New Year as best we could.  Bailey made us sushi (courtesy of her wooden sushi set), we hung out with some zoo creatures, ate chocolate covered fortune cookies, wore chopsticks in fabulous ways including sticking them in a piggy bank, and practiced our samurai moves.  It was a fantastic way to bring in the New Year, pseudo-Chinese style.  And if you don't believe us, check out the pictures.

Flowers, Waterfalls, and Lucky Ducks

On the 9th, Daddy took a half day and three of us went to the Kansas City Remodel and Metropolitan Lawn & Garden shows.  We coerced Bailey into attendance by telling her we would be seeing flowers and waterfalls which sparked her curiosity immensely.  Needless to mention, it wasn't difficult to get her into the mood.

Once we arrived, Bailey was immediately fascinated.  However, it didn't take long for her to evolve into her fainting goat routine every single time someone made the mistake of looking in her direction.  Always mildly humorous, she never ceases to steal the limelight, felony-style. 

But not only were there waterfalls and flowers, but there were real live baby ducks!  You should read the excerpt in the milestones section of her web page for more detail on this experience, but she sure did love those ducks.  Her fingers crawled to them, teasing the notion of touching them. 

As you will notice by the photo gallery, there was a train set, a crocodile, lawn equipment, fish, and landscaping covering the square footage of the American Royal.  Obviously plenty to see, Bailey had a grand time.

Valentines

Ever since I started my part-time job in mid-September, my spare time has been diminshed greatly into a big fat zero.  Mommy does not have evenings nor weekends.  She does have socialization, something that at times is a worthy trade, and other times, not.  holiday cards and e-mails have been put on the backburner, at times becoming non-extent, in case you hadn't noticed.

Without realizing it, I didn't take any photos at all on Valentine's Day, even with Bailey dressed the part.  We were supposed to go out that day, but Bailey chose otherwise.  Also, her real V-day present is on back order, so she received a balloon, a cupcake (which came with a Valentine's day duck), and a potty-training DVD all in a pretty bag.  Okay, so the balloon was tied to it.  The DVD was hardly a gift, but I felt like it was a subtle hint.  Ha.  I also have some heart bracelets that I keep forgetting to give her. 

 

Bailey's been busy working on her valentines, so be patient.  I'm sure you'll get them by next year....along with the Christmas thank-you cards. Ha.

The reality behind "That's Not Good"

One of Bailey's current favorite phrases is "That's not good."  When I hear this, I often fear for my life and my environment...my couch...my carpeting....the cat.  These are the kind of words that take a hold of me and send me into panic mode.  They're also the words that tattle on Bailey when she's done something wrong.  And just to give them yet another definition, they're what she uses to describe something she doesn't like at all.  Yeah, she uses this phrase aplenty.

Today, we were driving to a nearby city so we could do a little shopping and mostly get out of the house.  We had two cities in two different directions to choose from and it wasn't until we saw the sign, "accident ahead," that I started to think perhaps I'd chosen incorrectly.  They shut the road down and we took a slight detour on a gravel road full of ice and snow, which I was thrilled over, ha, and then as I felt the spite inside me for the inconvenience, I spotted things ahead that warranted me to point out a million other things to Bailey's attention.  Just when I thought I was succeeding I hear her little voice from the back say frankly, "that's not good."

No, it wasn't good at all.  And while Bailey was only stating her opinion of the smashed semi, I don't think she saw the obliterated vehicle 100 yards from it.  There wasn't much left of it, so she probably didn't know it was a car.  At that point, it just looked like a pile of blackened rubbish.  The semi hardly escaped unscathed though.  Its whole front was twisted right, smashed and scarred for life.  There wasn't any other scenery to note.  It'd obviously been there a while, and when we headed back through, it was finally gone. 

Bailey didn't speak anymore of the wrecked truck after that initial statement, and used her phrase at least two hundred and forty-nine more times throughout our afternoon adventure,like when she didn't like the blouses or dresses I was picking out, but I felt this experience was one worth mentioning in order to document a favorite phrase, second only to "I don't think so."  But that's another entry for another day...

Another Wondrous Day

We sure do have fun at that Wonderscope.  Tuesday was such a lovely day and spending it at Wonderscope was just fine by Bailey.  In fact, she didn't want to leave.  She threw the ultimate fit when it was time to go, and when I say time to go, I mean they were shutting the place down.  She fought so hard as I tried to place her in her car seat.  I even lost a chunk of hair, no thanks to her fierce fist.  But inside Wonderscope was where the good memories lie.  Bailey shopped for vegetables and fruits just for me, I sold her more oatmeal than even a third world country could eat, she decorated pizza galore, dirtied a diaper, danced over little children, glued hearts together, mended the ails of sick babies with the medicine of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and stole Mommy's shoe.  A day there is never wasted time.

Pictures you've never seen...and may never have...

 

 

 

Hopefully, you enjoy these.

Birthday Celebrations

Recently, Cousin Rebecca and Grandma Doni both had birthdays.  We attempted to celebrate both from afar, but Bailey doesn't always like to cooperate.  And since you won't believe any of that, we have photos.

Sunny Days were here again....

So today was finally a beautiful day, but that has nothing to do with this entry.  no, this entry is pertaining to how our Saturday was spent, which was at Kemper Arena being entertained by mutant muppets, or at least their cousins.  Bailey attended her third installment of Sesame Street Live, while her mother went to one of many, many, many live shows.  Bailey loved it, well, mostly.  She's quite the critic, and let the audience know occasionally when she didn't approve of a song.  And that Jenny girl in the show?  Bailey HATED her, and I mean by the very definition of the word.

It was a fantastic show and Bailey especially loved Mommy's favorite part, when Bert play a man of leisure to the Hustle.  YAY!  Nothing compares to that.

And there really was a reason we always went, even before Bailey existed.  It's just so much fun. :)

TuTu Much

My little lady by her own choice was donning her ladybug costume yesterday, complete with tu-tu.  This tu-tu fascinated her plenty.  During a conversation with the cat, who was an easy target being lazy on Bailey's bench, Bailey decided the cat would also look fabulous in a tu-tu, even with saying, "you need a tu-tu too".  This is when Mommy glanced over to see that Bailey had fetched a pair of Mommy's yellow underwear out of the fresh laundry and had placed them on the cat's backside.  She kept saying to the cat, who didn't look all that amused, "there, there's your tu-tu.  Do you like that tu-tu?"  The cat let her know how much she liked it by leaving the scene before any pictures could be taken, but at least we have the memory.

An Afternoon Serenade

Lately, our Tuesday 'Scope ritual has been a little random.  We've still been going, but not necessarily on Tuesdays.  Last week, Daddy had a lunch meeting on Tuesday, so Bailey and I decided to go another day, choosing Thursday instead.  While there, we spent some time in the toddler room with a couple younger children, wowing the two other adults in there with Bailey's active behavior, speaking skills, and most importantly, she was entertaining them with her singing abilities.  This may seem impossible to those whose ears do not find my singing all that satisfying, but Miss Bailey's talent is accompanied by her ability to write her own lyrics.  She has been doing this for quite a long time, and she randomly just sings, without any rhyme or reason.  She sings about laundry, she sings about dogs, she sings about singing, she sings about defiance.  She literally moves to her own tune.

Last Thursday, she sang a whole musical score.  For at least fifteen minutes, with an audience of three adults, and three other toddlers, Bailey sang about everything from handprints, babies, bumblebees, to slides and jumping, to things only she understood.  The bee song, which I was especially fond of, went something like this: Look, it's a bee, a bumblebee! Oh no, the bee, the bee is on the wall, the bee could sting you, but that's okay.  Oh no, don't eat the bee.  Eat, eat the bee.  Is the bee good?  I didn't catch all of the lyrics, but those I did catch. 

The kid has talent, yeah?

Notes to Self

Sometimes, I don't have all the time I require to be able to share the things I find of the utmost importance.  I know that must be so surprising to any of you reading this.  Does anyone have the time?  The idea of allowing time to get away from me always puts me into anxiety-attack mode.  I also despise time slipping past me, so I take lots and lots of notes on any piece of paper I can find (I'm sure the cable people LOVE reading my notes too).  At times, I think these little pieces of paper are what gets me through life.  They're constant presents too, as I re-discover a lost piece every now and then.  The task then, as I discover these things, or think of them all of a sudden, is to then make the time to share them with someone else, which occasionally is a challenge, but I do love a good challenge.  So, while I may have an incredible memory that baffles my dear husband constantly, it's not perfect, and I do rely on notes too.  With all this typed, more blog entries are coming, and the milestones on Bailey's website are updated for this month.

Cut Throat Revenge

Today (as in Friday) we spent several hours inside Wonderscope, since Tuesday was far too cold.  While in Wonderscope, we spent some time in "The Doctor Room" and Bailey made me lay down on the hospital bed as she inspected my fearful body.  During the exam, she used the toy scissors in her medical kit to cut my hair, because apparently that was part of my physical.  She couldn't just pretend to cut, no, she felt the need to pull out hairs with the scissors, viciously might I add.  I swear, she's getting even for last Thursday.

Conversations from the Tea Room

My Bailey is just loving her kitchen.  Along with her kitchen, she is getting much use out of her chair and table set.  For the last three days, a chair has been occupied by our doll, Molly (from the Big Comfy Couch fame, yet a show long since over).  During Bailey and Molly's first sit-down tea, I heard Bailey exclaim, "oh no! There's a spider in your hair.  I'll get it.  See, it's gone now."  Of course, I jumped about three feet and asked about it,  Bailey telling me "that's so silly.  hahahahahaha."  I never did find out if there really was a spider, or if she was teasing, or pretending or what, but she kind of gave me this look that stated, "do you mind, we're trying to drink tea here."

When Bailey makes tea, it has to have two wafers and two chocolate pieces inside the tea pot.  Today, she only could drink tea if she was wearing a Russian hat paired with a purple feather boa.  Molly does not share in Bailey's fashion sense and she prefers cupcakes over cookies.  Bailey's tastes in desserts vary with her mood.

I'm sure I'll have more conversations to share later, but when Bailey was looking for something in her kitchen the other day, she said, "now where did Daddy put that...."

Oh, well, I must go now.  Apparently it's my turn for tea.  Bailey told me so.

Cutting Edge...and America's Funniest Video...if indeed on video

Thursday had a few bangs in it, mostly on Bailey's forehead.  She now officially has bangs.  Getting to that point though was quite the struggle.  For Bailey's first hair cut, I took her to a salon for children appropriately named, "Shear Madness."  That name describes the time I spent there rather perfectly as my daughter was tortured excruciatingly, well, according to her version.  I now know one of the secret tactics the CIA uses to make people talk.  They just try to cut the suspect's hair. 

If I had videotaped this experience, which I didn't, but if I had, you would have witnessed my daughter screaming, "NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!" and "OW THAT HURTS" and "Let's go to Bailey's red car, let's go, Mommy," among other hilarious dramatic phrases.  This was not Bailey's most favorite activity, as easily predicted by Mommy.  It's no wonder I'd put it off for so long.  It's also not a surprise that as much as Daddy thought it was time for Bailey's first haircut, he was shockingly not present for it.  Trust me though, he's heard stories, over and over again.

After that haircut,thank goodness ice cream is the cure-all for everything.

The salon was absolutely fantastic though.  It had the car seats, just like I had dreamt of, and they had televisions with the movie of your child's choice to watch.  It would've helped if Bailey had been a bit more quiet, then we could've listened to the movie she chose, a Dora and Diego one, but she too busy screaming to the point I could see her tonsils with ease.  There's also a waiting room play area, and a boutique with educational toys, among other nifty things.   The girl who cut my Bailey's hair was an angel of mercy.  Granted, I had to hold Bailey down and pin her arms while she held onto the scissors and did her evil bidding, but she actually made it look easy.  We tipped her well and Bailey never wants to see her face again.  It was worth every penny, and although her hair isn't all that different, it finally looks a little bit more organized with the bangs.  The back was also slightly trimmed, but still ever so curly.  We paid for the Baby's first Haircut package, so they took a before and after photo and put them on a certificate with a lock of Bailey's hair.  Bailey actually appreciates her souvenir and lets me know frequently that it belongs to HER and not me.

 

I really wish I had brought the video camera and put it on the tripod or something.  It would've been worth thousands. 

The Half-Birthday and other missing entries

I know, I know.  I've been awful at keeping up Miss Bailey's blog.  I have been recording her milestones religiously though on her webpage, so I deserve at least a little applause.  Ha.  Today, we celebrated Bailey's two and a half year birthday.  It wasn't a big production, but we did make a cake, which she later helped herself to in the manner of serving herself a piece on a plate, using her hands as a cake knife.

We've also been busy remodeling the kitchen, a blog entry soon to come, maybe.  We are all healthy again (currently knocking on wood) and I finally have updated her website with photos.  The December folder is full of captioned photos now, and a few more photos were added this week.  January's album has also obviously been updated.

More entries to come...and maybe even pictures too.

 

Well, that's one way to bring in the new year...

I wrote an entry pertaining to some of this same information which you are about to read a couple days ago, but in the current chaos, I never actually hit, "save," which is strangely enough, quite important.  Oops.

 

Anyway, my Bailey is sick.  My Bailey has puked more in the past week than Nicole Richie has in the past year, and well, that's probably a lot.  And just when she hadn't puked enough, she has also managed to puke on her father in a Target store, Mommy perplexing the cashier by asking for paper towels and mentioning the need for a mop.  The cashier just couldn't understand why.

Puke, puke, puke, and more puke.  See, you shouldn't have wondered what we've been up to.

All three of us now have had this, starting with Daddy.  However, it's been a less than 24 hour condition for the two parents, but poor Bailey, she just won't let it go.  I thought she was better today, but right after I left for work, she decided to prove otherwise just for her Daddy.  We are keeping her well hydrated though, so don't worry too much.

 

As soon as my Bailey is better though, perhaps we can re-celebrate the New Year in style since we haven't gotten to yet.  New Year's Eve, somebody was busy vomiting, and she hadn't even had alcohol.  So, please think of us as we wait for a new New Year's Day. 

At least there's the Chinese New Year.