baby it's cold outside

So the snow has begun to fall in our corner of the world. We've had several days of snowflakes and (after record high temperatures last week) the cold is here to stay for the season. It was bound to happen.

I'm getting excited about Thanksgiving with my family, baking Christmas cookies with Lisa, and getting my Christmas shopping done. Only two and a half weeks until I can break out the Chirstmas music. I must confess; I started organizing my playlists. *grin*

I love this time of year. Starting with Rachel's birthday and my anniversary and ending with New Year's day and my family's Christmas celebration. All is well...

Brrr

Bragging

My girl makes me so proud. Here's some cool stuff she can do now:
say the ABCs
count to 12
say the days of the week in English and French
remember things from as long as a year ago (I can hardly do that)

To keep it in perspective, she also...
picks her nose
puts everything in her mouth (even bugs)
whines
takes her diaper off by herself

Miss Sassy-Pants Magoo

2 years and counting

We went in for Rachel's two year check up this morning and all is well. She has met all the milestones for a two year old and some for a three year old (like counting to 12 and saying her full name). She got the flu mist and a finger stick to test her hemoglobin. She was very well behaved for the finger stick, but understandably didn't like it so much.

She is 26 lb 13 oz and 35.5 inches tall.

play-doh time

october day

October

October 2006

October 2007

October 2008

happy birthday to Magoo

We had a really nice birthday weeked with Grandma M. Rachel really had fun at the party and loved her cake. She got lots of new clothes (that mommy loves) and fun toys like Legos and Play-doh that Rachel is loving. She really loves her "new" table that Aunty Lisa fixed for her. What a happy second birthday.

Lisa and me at our table

Rachel enjoying her table

coffe adventure

We like to take Rachel on weekend coffee adventures. This past Sunday we ordered a steamed milk for her to drink and we sat awhile instead of heading right back home. It was a nice morning.

where's September?

All of a sudden September in nearing the end. The leaves are falling, the weather is changing, and in three short weeks my daughter will turn two. How did that happen?

I'm working on getting some fall projects done around the house. I have windows to clean, a basement to rearrange, and a guest room to clean up for my mother-in-law's visit. Chuck and I have some yard work to do. Last weekend my dad tilled the garden so we can get it ready to plant next spring. As it turns out it's full of rocks so we'll have to dig that up and drop in some top soil/compost mix. Our lawn needs some TLC as well. I'm hoping that we can lay the ground work (no pun intended) for a nice, weed and pest free lawn next summer.

I'm enjoying fall and looking forward to the upcoming holiday season. I already got my first email from BHG.com for their 100 days of holidays. I love it. I pulled out my Halloween box to find some window stickers. I found Rachel's Over the River book and she's already excited to spend Thanksgiving at Lisa's house. In fact, she started to pack a bag with books and toys for the trip. I love my girl and I can't wait to start of this holiday season with a birthday party for her.

Magoo needs a haircut

sprinkler fun

Rachel loves getting wet. She loves the pool (even though it's really cold). She loves the bath and the hose and the sink and watering the plants and the sprinkler.

more cute things Rachel is saying now

5. "Hi Mook." (translation: "Hi Milk." She says this nearly every time we sit down to nurse.)
4. "Caw Aaty Co-ty." (translation: "Call Aunty Courtenay." She's in love with her Aunty Courtenay.)
3. "In ying." (translation: "In sling." Rachel love to hang out with Mamma.)
2. "Hab tea on Pooh yap." (translation: "Have tea on Pooh's lap." Rachel's new favorite thing to do is have a teddy bear tea party and she takes turns sitting on all the bears' laps.)
1. "Good yiwky on Bobby." (translation: "Good silky on Bobby." Daddy always tells Rachel "There's still some good silky left on this [blanket]" and rubs the silky edge on her cheeks.)

cute things the girl is saying now

5. How 'bout Elmo?
4. coffee pot (Dad's so proud.)
3. screwdriver
2. Hold Ginny! (meaning she want to hold the picture of Aunt Gillian.)
1. Tuck in toes.

a month gone by

Time sure flies when I'm chasing my girl.

Rachel's had a very busy month. We had her 18 month check up a couple of weeks ago and all is well. She's off the charts in height. The doctor said if she keeps growing the way she has, she's likely to be about 5'9" tall. Her language is exploding and I stopped keeping track of new words because her vocabulary is already well ahead of most kids her age. She can speak in three (sometimes four) word sentences. She sings, dances, turns in circles and likes to hop.

A week ago, Chuck and I set out to finally night-wean Rachel. It's working. She no longer expects milk when she wakes and is sleeping through the night most nights. (Knock on Wood) Of course this has only been going on for a week. The same time we started night-weaning, Rachel decided that she wanted to start sitting on the potty. So we've been potty training. We already had a seat and step-stool for her, but other than that, I was unprepared. I wasn't expecting to start toilet learning for another six months or so. We'll see how this goes. Maybe it's a phase. Anyway, we got some pull-on pants and a cool potty book that Rachel likes. Wish us luck.

Magoo has been pretty clingy lately (even before the night-weaning) so I called my sister-in-law and she's making me a new sling that should be easier to use with Rachel now that she is heavier. She also encouraged me to get out the Mei Tai sling and use it on my back. We tried it a couple of times and Rachel seems to enjoy it although she still doesn't have a very long attention span to be carried around in it. She's rather be running around.

Stuff she's really into right now:
Her motorcycle from Grandma M
Going downstairs
Abby Cadabby
Bunnies, Birdies and everything outside!!!
The teeter-totter at Kids Coulee
The Back-Hoe working in the lot behind our house
Books, always books

new pink shoes

the motorcycle

my sweet girl

Rachel's favorite songs

This is of course just a best guess, but I did just spend the weekend with her in the car and all we listened to on this trip was kids music.

5. Itsy Bitsy Spider
4. Happy Feet (answering the age old queston of "Can the Frog Tap Dance?" The answer is "Hit it!")
3. Mahna-Mahna
2. My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean (Sung in our house as "My Bobby Lies over the Ocean")
1. Listen to the Sounds - Sesame Beginnings song featuring Praire Dawn and her mommy (we sing this song almost every night before bed)

Grandma Kisses

Things Rachel is obsessed with right now:

5. I Loved You Before You Were Born from her Ga-Mahna
4. Eddie(one of the Little People)
3. the mole on the bottom of her foot
2. taking a bath
1. the moon