An apple a day.....

To celebrate the fall season, Nick and I wanted to take the kids Apple Picking! Nick and I used to do this together as an annual ritual when we lived in New England and it just celebrates Autumn like nothing else! On a crisp, cloudy day when my medicine effects were not too burdensome, we bundled the kids up and took them for some leaf crunching, cider tasting, wheelbarrow pushing apple pickin'! My Mom came with us and it was such a nice time. We picked some great pumpkins, too! When we got home we made homemade apple crisp, apple sauce and enjoyed some apple cider. Liam got some super fresh apple baby food, too! :) So fun. Here are a whole bunch of pics from the day.

Kate ready to pick some apples!


Kate, YOU are the Apple of MY Eye!


Liam, YOU are the Apple of my OTHER Eye!


Kate and Nia - special buddies - what a pair! And with matching jackets, too! (unintentional!)


The Family that picks apples together, falls over while trying to take a picture together. Wooops.

So Many Apples!

Kate Picks the Perfect Apple


How Tall is Kate? This will be a neat pic to take over the years as we return to the orchard!


Kate waits for the Great Pumpkin!


Liam and Nick pick apples!

Snow Flowers in our yard!

So here we have the fall leaves under my flowering Vinca bushes, topped with Snow. Talk about seasons! We have them all here in Minnesota - at once!

Happy Birthday, Nick!

The kids are sending a message to their Daddy at work via the blog! :)

RA News

I'll post pics of the darling kiddos very soon to counter the seriousness of this post! :)

I know I have not been posting with my usual frequency as of late. I have been adjusting to a new Rheumatoid Arthritis medication and it has been less than fun and glamorous! :) After exhausting the available "nice" drugs for my RA, my rheumatologist finally decided to try putting me on Methotrexate. It is not the most pleasant of medicines, and can have some undesirable side effects AND I have to be monitored pretty closely while taking it - meaning regular blood work, liver function tests etc. No prob! It may seem familiar to some because it is actually a chemotherapy drug, but given to me in lower doses of course. And, yes, it CAN cause some hair loss just like in chemo. It is more mild if it happens so we won't have to see if I have any dents in my head! I take the drug once a week - a whole bunch of pills at once. It has not been easy-going adjusting to it - mostly feeling "flu-ish" and having a bit of an upset stomach. I just feel "off". Quite exhausted as well. But hopefully it will all wear off as I adjust to the drug over the next few weeks. As far as an effect on the RA, it is too soon to tell - it can take up to 12 weeks to really notice a difference and I am on the drug indefinitely - and I am just confident it will work!!! I have to be! It is a drug that is used a lot for RA with great success rates so I only have positives ahead as soon as my body gets used to processing what are basically toxins!

I DO NOT say any of this to incite pity or "poor Mags" remarks. Just being frank about what is going on. One of the things that I am sllooowwwllly learning about this disease is that I can no longer afford to always put on a happy face and be a "yes" person all the time. I need to be honest about what is going on so I don't put me or other people in difficult positions. As Nick would say it is all about "managing expectations". Mostly my own! It has taken two years of battling this to finally personally grasp that I have a degenerative disease that IS NOT going away - and that I actually have it and it is not like a cold I can get over in a week. What I can do is work on managing the illness and raise awareness toward a cure. Along with the drugs, I have to keep the right attitude and just focus on taking the steps to maintain the best quality of life I can - which means exercise, taking time for me and my family, knowing when to say "no" and when to REST.

To many, the word "arthritis" sounds like something mild and mostly just an irritation - like a headache. But Rheumatoid Arthritis is far from mild and the stats can be scary - and while I don't want to wallow in the fact that I have a serious disease, I cannot ignore the significance of that. THANK YOU to all of you who have taken time to get educated about the disease, understand what it is, are sensitive to the emotional effects it has on the patient and their family and those of you who are always there for me and my beautiful family. When I am 60+, I plan on enjoying hiking mountains with Nick and skiing and canoeing and walking all over Europe with him in our retirement. And I will do it despite my RA - because I am going to work to make sure I can.

RA does not define me. It does not need to be a daily part of conversation with others. So don't feel like you need to always say "how ARE you?" or handle me with kid gloves. I appreciate the support and the love and don't expect or WANT any special treatment from this. That would be so irritating! I know you care and that is enough! But it is important to let people in your life know that you are battling something - and I am and will continue to! I mean, let's face it, there are so many WORSE things in this world, right?! I am BEYOND blessed.

Ooh! Pretty Winter Sprinkles!

Ok - It is October 11th and Kate and my Mom and I are sitting here in our living room as Liam naps. We are looking out the window at a SNOWSTORM! It is blowing so hard that I cannot see the end of the street 4 houses down!!!! It is OCTOBER, people!!!! What the heck?! Maybe we have had it super easy these past winters in MN? This snow is actually accumulating! I am sure it will melt fast, but still.......

This display of weather has led Kate to just exclaim, "OOOOOH! Look at the Pretty Winter Sprinkles!!!!! Winter is hhheeeerrrrreee!"

Oh joy!

Birthday Girl!

Kate had a terrific birthday. She actually said to me as I put her down to sleep tonight "Thank you for a lovewy birthday, Mommy!" I think it was a big success! We spread the present-giving out throughout the whole day - from gifts from us and relatives, to her actual party that we had tonight, she was showered all day long! And was darn sweet about it! The biggest hit of a gift was her vacuum cleaner. Some of you who read the blog regularly may recall that Kate asked for "a puppy and a vacuum cleaner" for her birthday. Well, she got the vacuum cleaner. She LITERALLY GASPED when she opened it and exclaimed "Ohhhh my woooord! It's all I EVER WANTED!!!!!!" You have to love the drama! Thanks, Uncle Pak, for the great gift! :)

So it was a lovely day. We had our friends the Dunns over - Tim, Erin and their three darling kiddos Maggie, Julia and Aidan. Kate had a great time with Miss Maggie, and Liam got a big kick out of watching the twins! Pak was there as well and we all had dinner, cake, and ice cream. It was just a great day!

Here are some pics from the festivities!

First present of the day! The movie "Annie". She loved it!


Here is Kate with her present from Auntie Madelyn - she loved her feather boa and pony crafts!


Uncle Pak helping Kate read a card at her party.


YES! A UNICORN "My Little Pony" Doll!


Kate The Clean. Vacuuming away!

Kate Turns Three Today!

I cannot believe that our little girl is Three! On one hand, three years is such a short period of time.....and it has certainly flown. But at the same time we cannot imagine or barely even recall our life without Kate. Thank You, God, for this incredible person! She is so full of spunk and sass and sweetness. She is bright and funny and loving and so very imaginative (case in point, she told me today that she would only answer to the name "Ariel" because today she was a mermaid). She gives the best hugs in the world (complete with her saying "Squeeeeeeeze" while she hugs you tight). Her laugh is better than the best music and her cry breaks my heart but makes me smile at the same time because it is so dramatic with her completely downturned mouth and enormous crocodile tears. Nick and I are so so so proud of our daughter. I keep finding myself, as she grows, thinking "THIS is my favorite age. No, wait, now THIS is my favorite age. No, wait, now THIS....." Each day brings more laughs, as well as more challenges! She is not a pliant little girl - but her stubborness and determination I hope will serve her well and we just hope to help channel it! :) Who knows what life will bring us with this little girl - but we know that no matter what we love her and today we celebrate that AWESOME day when she greeted the world. She was born fast and Nick got to hold her right away for about 30 minutes. He just held her and rocked her and I think they stared at each other the whole time. Next thing you know, I am going to be making an entry on this blog and she will be 14. 16. 21......

Happy Birthday, Kate!

Ah, the familiar scent of Paint Fumes!

Do any of you know that one of Nick's FAVORITE TV shows is old re-runs of "This Old House"? Good thing that this is actually a passion for him because here we go again! We took quite a bit of time off from any of our home repairs. If you have been following the transformation of our little Saint Paul Bungalow at all, you know that the process has been extensive in detail and duration! From windows to flooring, walls to ductwork, lighting and paint, not one room has been left untouched, really. Except for the main hallway to the back bedrooms - until now!

For anyone who has actually been here, they know that our hallway was disgusting. Holes in the wall, dingy paint, dents and chips, mismatched floor trim and horrid lighting. Well, Nick was at it again this weekend and what a transformation! He patched and smoothed walls, caulked, trimmed, replaced some of the electrical housings and switchplates and got started on paint! I LOVE IT! I love the color - I told my sister that I want to LIVE in the color - I want sweaters and bedding and more walls and just everything in that color. I am weird I know. He also installed new lighting and you can actually see back there, now! (The dim light before was a blessing because it hid so many of the imperfections, to put it mildly). But with great paint and some artwork ready to go on the walls, good lighting is now a good thing. Nick really worked his tush off - it is looking good. There is still a lot of work to do - there is a lot of trim detail, we are stripping some paint off parts of a great built in that is in the hall and trying to expose original hardware with decades of paint caked on it now, and some of the doors in the hall need some TLC. But it will happen. It is nice to be making some progress again. Though admittedly we thoroughly enjoyed our time off of the DIY stuff. We actually spent time together! :) While this goes on, I take the kids to stay at Mom's condo because of the probable lead dust from old sanded and stripped paint. Nick is safe and secure in his terrific 3M safety gear! :)

So - more pics will come soon. One of these days I have to follow through on the promise of putting up some "extreme makeover-style" before-and-after pics!

The thing is, though, the list never ends. We are now brainstorming ways to renovate the hideously ugly bathroom on the first floor. Subway tile? Wainscoting? New tub or reglazing the old one? So many possibilities - and also one of the more ambitious projects for us as far as DIY goes! We shall see what happens! In the meantime, I just love sitting in our home and knowing that with our shared vision and work we are really making it OURS. It is so comforting.

Moments

From snuggles at bedtime story reading to Liam's cat naps on Nick's lap to Kate literally attacking a Super Special Breakfast Treat (that one, by the way, sends me into fits of laughter everytime I look at it!) - these captured moments are examples of the kinds of increments of joy that make up my day! :)

Oh, So Proper!

My Mom was visiting these past weeks and it was SO amazing to have her in town! The kids are absolutely crazy about her and love spending time with her. Kate got to bake cookies with her "Nia" and Liam just loved giggling and smiling for her.

One night, Mom took us all out to dinner at the club they belong to here, "The University Club". It is a lovely place with dark wood paneling, upholstered dining chairs, and sweeping views over the bluff overlooking downtown Saint Paul. Really 'old school' and elegant. Both Liam and Kate joined us and were perfectly behaved angels! And I say that without a drop of sarcasm. Truly!

At one point, as we all started conversing rather jovially, Kate widened her eyes, held up one hand and said to us "excuuuuuse me but you all need to use Ladies and Gentleman voices!!!!!" She sat up properly, used perfect manners and behaved like a little lady - and kept us all in check, too.

At the end of the meal, we decided to order dessert. My ears perked up when the server told us that they had Strawberry Shortcake! Kate misunderstood and thought they meant the doll, not the dessert, and she began professing her love for Strawberry Shortcake- "Oh, I WUV Sawbewwy Cortcake! She's my faaaavewit" Nick, a gleam in his eye, leaned into Kate and, in a "gentleman's voice", told her "Mommy is going to EAT Strawberry Shortcake for dessert". Thinking he spoke of her beloved doll, Kate's eyes welled with tears, her mouth turned down and, as giant crocodile tears dropped down her face, cried in an increasingly loud wail "nooooOOOOOOOO. Doooon't eeeaaat Sawbewwy Cortcake, Mmoooooommmyyy".

So much for the perfect dining record.

She was quickly calmed, though, and enjoyed her own dessert of a scoop of vanilla ice cream. She topped off the evening by literally winking at the Restaurant Manager (who was bowled over by her charm during the whole meal) and saying farewell to the other diners as we left....in a "lady voice", of course!!!

Giant Backpacks and Attitude

Today was Kate's FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL!!!!! I cannot believe it. She was soooo excited to go. She is required to bring a backpack to school and 'character backpacks' being discouraged, we had to find a plain one. OF COURSE, Kate selected a pink one, but unfortunately it looks like a turtle shell on her because it is for a bigger kid. I could not find a preschooler sized pack anywhere that did not have some form of cartoon on it! Oh well. She loves it and feels super special for having it. She made a big production this morning over making sure her backpack was ready to go with her to school!

Dropping her off was fine. She had no problem whatsoever. I leaned down to kiss her goodbye and barely brushed her cheek before she was dashing off to play with the other kids in the classroom. While some children were in meltdown mode, Kate could care less that I was leaving - I have to say I would not have minded a hug goodbye :) She was so ready for school!!!

As I was leaving, I was a little sad, but had LIam in my arms to preoccupy me. Just then, Debbie Downer Mom - parent of another preschooler - approached me with her whiny voice: "Can you beliiieeeevvveee how many kids are in that cllaaaaaaaas? I think there are too many kiiiiids for just two teeeaaaccchhherrrrrs. It is is hooorrriiibbblllllllle. I think we should get a paaarent patrol going and have each paaaaaarent sign up to sit in on claaaaases to moooonitor those teaaaaaachers to make sure they are doing a good jooooooob. Aren't you woooooorriiiiieeeed? How can they waaaatch all of them? What if something haaaaappens to your kiiiiiiid?"

ARGH! Thanks, Little Mary Sunshine! Good heavens! If I was not worried before I certainly am IRRITATED now! I told her "You know, those teachers have been doing this for 25 years, I think they have it covered and have probably seen it all." Of course she disagreed. I just ignored her. I WANTED to tell her that, first of all, one of the best things we can do as parents of school age kids is support our educators. Secondly, if you feel your kid needs such special attention then either put him in a class where the teacher/student ratio is 1:3 (this is not daycare, it is SCHOOL - how many classes did you have where there were 5 teachers??!!!), OR stop whining about others and placing blame around and instead just home school your kid and answer to no one but yourself. I did not think that was a good way to start the year off with another parent, though. Everyone was pretty much rolling their eyes at her. I think my irritation with her, though, really helped me keep my mind off of missing Kate and the sentimental tone of the day, so I did not fall apart too bad. Once I drove away, though, I did choke up. She is such a big girl!

When I picked Kate up, she was excited to see me, which is always nice. She talked a lot about the playground, but when I asked her what else she did she kind of shrugged and asked what was for lunch. Is she 2 going on 16?! I need details, people!!!!! Here is what the car ride home was like:

Maggie: "Did you paint?"
Kate: "I don't know. Can I have applesauce at lunch?"
Maggie: "Did you sing songs?"
Kate: "Ummmmm. I don't know? Can I have fruit snacks?"
Maggie: "Did you have a snack at school?"
Kate: "My tummy is growling. Can I have a snack?"
Maggie: What else happened at school? Did you read stories?
Kate: "Actually (I love it when she says this) we read about Clifford the Big Dog. Can I have milk?"

So all I know is she went on the playground (I also know this because her teacher mentioned that when she told Kate is was time to go inside, Kate politely declined, saying "No, Thank You, teacher!" and that they read about Clifford. Sounds like a good day for a 2 year old!

Anyway, I am babbling BIG TIME. It is just a BIG DAY! Kate is fine with school. She must have played and learned hard because she CRASHED for her nap.

Here are some pics of her and her giant back pack.

Your Eyes are Cracking!

Tonight I was really enjoying the kids. Nick had some work to do, so I put both of them to bed this evening. First was Liam. He was as sweet as ever. Snuggling as we rocked in his chair just before bed. I stared down at him in his dinosaur jammies as his eyes grew heavier and heavier. His little fingers curled around one of my fingers and his other hand crept slowly to the side of his head where he twirled a strand of his hair as he fell asleep - a move absolutely identical to what Kate does when she is super sleepy. Well I was just a puddle of mush over how cute he was. He has not been sleeping well at all the past few weeks due to teething and a giant growth spurt and I have been running on little sleep - but gazing at his peaceful sleeping face erased all exhaustion from my body.

Apparently, though, that was just in spirit. The effects of how haggard I really am must be pretty darn visible. Let me explain. After Liam was tucked into his crib, it was on to Kate's bedtime routine. A story in her rocking chair, prayers at bedside and she crawled into bed. Unusually, she then asked if I would snuggle her in her bed. Well I was just so full of total adoration for the kids I said I would sing her one song while I snuggled her. She cuddled right up against me and put her little arm around my shoulder and patted my hair while we sang her bedtime song. Could life get ANY better than this?

Just then Kate said "Mommy, what's on your eyes?" Thinking maybe she was talking about my contact lenses I explained that. She said "No, Mom! Your eyes are all red!" I explained "Oh, that is probably because I am a little tired. It is bed time after all!" Kate then said "No, Mommy, your eyes are CRACKING! They are RED AND CRACKING! You better go to the doctor."

So - the cloud of motherhood happiness that I am floating on does not make me LOOK as great as it makes me FEEL! Nice, though, that bloodshot eyes, limp hair and bone tiredness can be totally forgotten with just one sweet hug or smile or drowsy hair twirl. If I could bottle it, I'd make a million.

The Great Minnesota Get-Together

Well, on our THIRD summer here in Minnesota, the Harris crew finally made it down the road to the Minnesota State Fair! It literally is just a few miles up the road from us, right here in Saint Paul. Our first summer we were busy getting moved into the house, and last summer I was pregnant and feared all the smells, heat and walking in my preggo state. So we put the kids in the stroller today and went and met our good friends, the Dunn Family, at the Fairgrounds. WHAT FUN! We really had the nicest day. They call it "The Great Minnesota Get-Together" and it truly was. The hype around this event is absolutely insane and people go crazy for their Fair here. With pretty good reason! We got to see a baby cow being born in PERSON! (Gross, yes, but so amazing!) We got to see horses and pigs and sheep. We saw a Tornado exhibit and, though we walked right on past the famous "Midway" with all the typical carnival rides like "The Zipper" and the "Spin until you Puke" ride, it was fun to see everyone else having a blast there. Want to buy a tractor? Go to the fair! How about a piano? Go to the fair! Now, if you are in the market for a boat or new windows, you might want to fo to the fair!!! Do you need 47 varieties of garlic spices? Get thee to the fair. And if food-on-a-stick is your thing - say, pork chops, pickles, EGGS, pizza, pronto pups (think corn dogs), walleye or even twinkies...the fair has it all.

Yes, it all sounds terribly Midwest, doesn't it?! And it was! And that is what was wonderful. People were nice. It was wholesome and happy. The weather was perfect, the kid's giggles was pure joy, the company was great and the food was, for the most part, pretty darn amazing! Ever had fried cheese curds? YUM! And I am totally serious about that. So good.

Anyway, my feet are killing me, I am a little pink from the sun, and I think I gained 10 pounds, but what a happy day!

Here is Kate sampling perhaps the most famous of Fair Foods - at least a favorite one of Minnesotans....it is Sweet Martha's Cookies! They literally sell them by the BUCKET. We opted for the small paper cone but you seriously see people walking around with a giant BUCKET OF COOKIES. They are all hot out of the oven and gooey delicious. Here is Kate enjoying some cookies with the obligatory glass of cold milk.



Sweet Liam loved the day. He liked being outside and looking at all the sights. He was such a good baby. Not a peep of complaint. What a guy!

Kate and her Best Buddy Maggie

Those who read the blog know that Kate's best buddy here in Minnesota is little Miss Maggie. She is the sweetest little girl - the Irish Catholic cutie that belongs to dear friends of ours - Tim and Erin! As I have said before, our Minnesota experience would be sadly lacking if not for their friendship. The two girls get along SO well and always have fun together and are just sweet. Here they are on one of the rides at the Fair. Kate is pretty into it, in case you cannot tell! She loved it! Maggie did, too - that is Maggie right behind Kate. They had a blast.




Drinking Buddies! Maggie had some blue colored icey beverage that she kindly shared with Kate. Both ended up looking pretty wasted on blue sugar syrup by the end! Ah, the love! Erin pointed out that on their 21st birthdays it is very likely that there could be recreations of these pics - complete with closed eyes!

More State Fair Pics!

Kate is quite obsessed with horses and "ponies". She loves to play with toy horses and ponies whether it is the more authentic looking palominos and such or the fantasy variety such as pink or purple ponies with rainbow-colored manes. She could play with ponies all day! Well, imagine her HUGE delight when she saw REAL LIVE HORSES at the Fair! She had no fear and all she wanted to do was to pet those horses. She was so thrilled and it was fun to see her big smiles.





We made it a point to try several "famous" state fair foods that we had never heard of until we moved here. Most of which consists of "fill-in-the-blank on a stick". Here Nick samples the famous Fried Twinkie. It is fried and drizzled in chocolate syrup and served on (what else) a stick. Very healthy. Nick thought it was OK. Honestly, I tried a bite and thought I would hurl. I found it to be vomitous. :)



GIANT MASSES OF PEOPLE. They don't call it the "Great Minnesota Get-Together" for nothing. There were SOOOO many people! But everyone was, in true Minnesota fashion, "super nice" (you have to say that with the MN accent, doncha know!)


The kiddos crashed out after a long day at the Fair.

Pretty in Pink

Kate after a long day of playing outside!

Polish Jokes...the joke's on us!

Nick just got back from a business trip to Poland. While very busy the entire week, he did manage to have a late afternoon and evening free the day before his departure back to the States! He took the time to explore Krakow as much as he could! During the week he had been in the Polish countryside and mountains and was impressed with how lovely it all was. He was even more impressed with the beauty of Krakow! He said that memorials to Pope John Paul II are everywhere! Krakow, apparently, is a hidden European gem - so beautiful, with street concertos and strolling musicians everywhere, neat little courtyards hidden amongst the beautiful old buildings. Also incredibly affordable as far as European cities go! I loved hearing all the stories he had about his travels - they are too numerous to put down here, and I would probably get the details skewed a little in the retelling, but I will post some pics and that should give some idea!

Here are two pics of St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow. Doesn't it look stunning? I am so jealous that Nick got to see this in person - he said it was beyond amazing.



This is a pic Nick took from his dinner table. Literally! That is his beer in front of him and the umbrella of the cafe table overhead. His table was literally right on the main square in Old Town Krakow!!! He had appetizer, salad, main course, beers (plural!) and dessert for about $20 US! WOW! And the view was free.


This is a picture of a SMALL part of Wawel castle in Krakow.


The square at dusk.

Liam Sits Up!

Liam started sitting up this week! He is so strong. I keep the boppy pillow around him as he tends to still topple now and then, but he loves to sit up next to his sister and play with all his toys. I could just kiss those cheeks off his face!!!!

I've Partied with the Hollywood Stars at Club LAX!!!!!

At least that is what my bank is saying! My debit card number was used to charge many, many drinks and tips to a hot nightclub in Los Angeles! Thank goodness I read "US Weekly" Magazine because I knew right away what the club was when I saw the charges on my account - even though I have not been to L.A. in five years! I have no clue how this happened since my card has never left my person. The Fraud department said it could have been a fluke - i.e. Someone's magnetic stripe was not working and when the server keyed in the numbers they did it wrong and it happened to be my numbers - OR someone got my debit numbers and wrote them down and they have a scam at the club with a buddy who works there who will allow them to just give them random numbers. It is essentially the same as credit card fraud except it is REAL CASH that has been taken from me. So frustrating. Needless to say, that card has been CLOSED.

What an odd thing to happen! Well, at least I can say that my debit card number, if not me in person, has been to a hot nightclub in L.A., frequented by the likes of Jessica Simpson, Justin Timberlake, Lindsay Lohan and the skeletal Nicole Ritchie! Ha ha

Wish me luck with getting all of this resolved and getting my money back! I hope it was just a fluke and some creep out there does not have my personal info - we will be on major credit report watch for a while here to make sure it is not true identity theft.

In the meantime, all is well. Nick is in Poland on business (and yes he really is in Poland and not the mystery club-goer in LA! Ha ha) and he gets back this weekend. He says that Krakow is absolutely beautiful. Right now he is somewhere in the Carpathian Mountains in Poland doing business and there is no email or easy phone access that does not cost a trillion dollars. I cannot wait to see him on Saturday and see pics and hear his tales of any non-business sightseeing he may have managed to squeeze in amongst a very packed business schedule.

Ok - have to run. Almost nap time here at the Harris household for the kiddos!

Pics

Taking Requests

Kate has been obsessed with the concept of Birthdays ever since she attended the fabulous "Princess Party" last week! Accordingly, she has been asking a lot about her own birthday - when it is, who will be there, what presents she will have, what kind of cake she will have. She is really interested in the whole concept. I figure, to be perfectly honest, that I can leverage this over the next month or so when it comes to any behavior challenges! Kind of along the lines of Santa Claus, you know? ha ha

Anyway, so I asked Kate last night, as she was talking about Birthday parties - "And what would you like for your Birthday, Kate?" She thought about it for a second and looked up at me, counting off the items on her fingers as she spoke, "I would liiiiiiiike......a puppy and a vacuum cleaner."

Ok, then!!!!

I gave the standard 'mom' answer - you know, one of those phrases you swear you will never say as a mother but find yourself using almost automatically and without thought - "We'll see!" Though I think it safe to say there will be no canine purchases for quite a while.

O Solo Mio

Kate was incredibly imaginative and creative today! The whole day she was full of imagination. At one point she declared that her rocking horse, who she has named "Ears", was dirty and needed a bath. So she proceeded to use a bucket and a sponge and a fake bar of soap and a towel and "washed" him clean! She then asked me "Mom, what do horses drink?" I told her "Water!" and her eyes widened and she gasped "That's AMAZING!!!! I DRINK WATER TOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Wow.

Later in the day, Kate found a whistle that sounds like a recorder. Only one note, though. She ran around the living room blowing on that whistle incessantly - marching around to her own beat and whistling away. After about 20 minutes of this, my ears were bleeding and my patience was merely a thread. I took a deep breath and asked her to please either stop or do that in another room. She gleefully said "Ok, Mom!" and literally flounced over to the stairwell. Our stairs have a door at the bottom - she started to go up the stairs and turned around and shut the door. Ah. Quiet.

But Wait. Whistle. Whistle. Whistle. It began again. I slowly walked over to the door and opened it. Kate was sitting on the first step, looking up at me with the darn whistle in her mouth. I said "Kate! What are you doing?" I barely had the words out of my mouth when she held up her hand in that "talk to the hand" way, and looked at me with big eyes and said very frankly - "Mom. PLEASE! I am PRACTICING my SOLO!!!!!" Very dramatic. Then she huffed, took a deep breath, and proceeded to work that whistle at all new decibel levels. Heavens, how dare I interfere with the musical genius!

Princess Party

This weekend, Kate went to the 3rd Birthday Party of her best little girlfriend whose name is Maggie! Maggie had a WONDERFUL Princess Party! All the little girls dressed up like princesses and the festivities contained all sorts of fun princess activities - decorating magic wands, making princess necklaces. It was a little girl's dream come true! Kate had a blast - and thanks to the Dunns for having us and throwing such a Princess extravaganza! As much as Maggie loved it, her little guests were just as thrilled I can tell you! Here is a pic of Kate in her princess garb all ready to party. The dress was actually a Halloween costume of mine when I was a little girl living in Hong Kong. I remember going to the fabric alley with my Mom in downtown Hong Kong and picking out the fabric for my princess dress! My little sister got matching fabric in purple. How neat that years later, Kate is wearing it (pinned up because it is a bit too big)! I remember absolutely loving that dress - I hope she felt the same this weekend! And speaking of birthdays, I cannot believe that Kate's is coming up in September! THREE YEARS OLD! WOW.