September 24, 2009

Another busy week! Pretty much same schedule as last week. Dance class on Tuesday. Story hour and play date on Wednesday. Music class on Thursday.

She did really great again in dance class. She listened to directions extremely well and even encouraged a little girl who was having a hard time being away from her mother by offering her her hand. SO CUTE!! In fact, her teacher actually came to me after class and said that she wanted me to consider advancing her to the 3 year old class. That class doesn't work with our schedule, so she's going to stay put, but it was nice to hear that her teacher thought that she was capable. See, maybe she wasn't just sucking up last week ;)

Just a couple of stories and then pics.

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Julianna's favorite thing in the world to do right now is play the game Memory, or what she calls "Match Game". She is SOOO good at it too! Seriously, she can beat me and I don't even have to throw the game. She really can remember where she saw something from the beginning to the end of the game. After soundly beating me, she said, "Mama, I sure am a GREAT match gamer!"

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Julianna woke up in the middle of the night the other night and called me to her room. I went in and after picking up her baby that she "dropped" on the floor, she asked, "Mama, can I get up now?" I said, "No Julianna it's still nighttime. You can get up in the morning." I could just see the wheels turning in her head. She looked at me, smiled, and said in her sweetest voice, "Good morning Mama!" and then in order to see if her scheme worked, put her arms out to me to pick her up. She a wily one!

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We were collecting acorns at the Library (They have a lovely garden on the premises) after music class today and I pointed out a big acorn I spotted. Julianna was thrilled and said, "That's a BIG, FAT HONKER!" What?? I'm pretty sure I've never used that expression. I guess she got that one from Daddy. It was super cute though!


Look at the fancy Dinosaur shirt! Julianna, Mimi, and I were looking at it in the store and Julianna said, "I love this shirt". That was all it took. Mimi was in the check out line before you could count to 3. Man that is one spoiled kid!!


Playing computer games at the library.

Pictures before class on Tuesday. Wish I could get some during class, but they don't let us mother's in!






Silly Goose!




At the library before class today with a couple of her little girlfriends.


Dancing.


Dancing with scarves.


Playing the sticks.


No, my kid is not flipping me the bird :) They are singing the "Where is Thumbkin" song.


In the garden after class.

September 17, 2009

Julianna and I had a very busy, but great week!

She started tap/ballet classes on Tuesday and was so cute I could hardly stand it. They made us moms sit in the waiting room and watch the class on a t.v. out there. I was afraid she would get clingy and get freaked out and too shy to participate - but she did GREAT!! She listened very well and followed instructions as well as anyone. After class her instructor even emailed me saying how well she listened and how much fun she was to have in class (Yes, maybe she emailed the same thing to everyone in order to suck up to all of the parents. If so, it totally worked!!!). She did have one pitifully cute moment though. On the floor of the studio there are a bunch of painted little circles. In order to get these 2 year olds to refocus after each dance or whatever, the teacher would tell the kids to go stand on a circle. One time Julianna went and stood on a circle and I guess another little girl wanted that circle. She just sort of bulldozed her way onto it (and therefore J off of it). Julianna looked confused, kind of slumped her shoulders and hung her head and went to stand on another circle. She recovered great though and moved right on and I thought it was probably all forgotten. I never mentioned it, and quite honestly forgot about it myself until later in the day when I asked her how great her dance class was. She looked a little sad and said, "I wanted the purple circle." Awwwww. But she really did have a wonderful time.

Wednesday we had library story hour where Curious George came for a visit and then a play date with her best friend. I can't say she was particularly fond of George though. After her success with the very creepy costumed bunny at Easter, I really had high hopes for Santa at Christmas - now, not so much. Oh well, we'll see. She didn't freak out or anything, but she just pretty steadfastly refused to go anywhere near him. She liked him fine from afar though, and even asked about seeing him again today.

Today we were back at the library for her regular Thursday music class, which she always enjoys.

It was also fairly cool (though VERY humid) here the past few nights and we went to the playground each evening after dinner.

Anyway, I took tons of pics and have a couple cute J stories.

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I was looking for my keys and couldn't find them (what's new, right?). I started shaking my purse and then shaking my diaper bag. I finally found them in the diaper bag.

Julianna: You found them?
Me: Yes.
Julianna: You found them 'cause you listened for the sound.

Pretty observant kid, huh?

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My mother is on a cruise to Bermuda this week. I think she almost backed out though after Julianna really laid it on thick when we told her Mimi was going on a BIG boat for a while. In tears:

Julianna: NO Mimi, stay here with Julianna.
Me: Julianna, Mimi has to go, but she will be back soon.
Julianna: Mimi, take Julianna with you too!!

She adores my mom, obviously.

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Another pretty amazing dinosaur story. You know those little capsules that you put into water and they turn into a little, in this case dinosaur, sponge? Well Ryan must buy them buy the boatloads, because he gives her a new one every time she comes. She has dozens of these little dinosaur sponges. She keeps them in a little square bucket with a little chart taped on the inside so that she can identify them. Anyway, when I was at Ryan's dropping Julianna off tonight, she took one of the sponges out and threw it on the floor.

Julianna: NOT a dinosaur.
Ryan: Yes it is. It's a stegosaurus.
Julianna: (pointing at the chart) No, not a stegosaurus, it that one.
Ryan: Oh, you're right. It's a Dimetrodon.
Julianna: NOT a dinosaur.
Ryan: Yes it is. It's right here.

Ryan and I started looking through her flash cards to find the Dimetrodon and prove to her it was a dinosaur. We found the card, and I know you see this coming, but one of the facts on the back was, "Not actually a dinosaur."

I'm telling you, this kid is an absolute SPONGE!

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Monday night we went for a boat ride with Mimi and Poppy. Putting "pinecorns" in Mimi's hat on the way down to the docks.



It was dark on the way home.



Before class started. Wearing her new tap shoes! She loved them!




Looking serious about her Dinosaur stickers!








Look, it's Curious George. Julianna is in the camouflage on the far side.




At music class.

Playing the bells.


Dancing


Fun with beanbags.




Being silly with a sticker on her nose.

Pics from Ryan

Ryan sent me several cute pictures. All are from the Mountains over the July 4th weekend except the ones with the hibiscus tree -they are from a few days ago at Granddaddy and Grandmama's.






Helping with deadheading.

September 6, 2009

I am dropping off a few cute pictures, and of course, have a few more cute stories to tell. Really, Julianna is so cute and so darn charming right now. I could do nothing but follow her around with a piece of paper and I still couldn't write down all the cute things that she says and does fast enough.

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Julianna and I were at the playground and a little boy that was about 4 or so started chasing Julianna around pretending that he was a scary dinosaur. Julianna leaped into my arms and screamed, "Mama I'm scared! It's a Carnotaurus!"

By the way, this really is the scariest looking of the dinosaurs, in my opinion, so I'm not surprised that's the one she thought of.

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Dada and Julianna were pretending like they were dinosaurs and Julianna wanted Ryan to be the Triceratops. Ryan put one finger on either side of his head to make horns and chased Julianna around. She stopped him and said, "NO NO Dada! Need three horns!"

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We were driving down the road and Julianna let out an excited squeal.

Me: What????
Julianna: I have my own freckle!!!

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I gave Julianna a kiss right after I brushed my teeth. She said "Spicy!"

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Our little kitten is really a Dr. Jeckyll/Mr. Hyde character. Yesterday when Pumpkin was being rather feisty, Julianna shrugged her shoulders and very matter-of-factly explained to me, "Mama, sometimes Punkin is wild and sometimes he's nice." It was so cute! It was like, oh well, you get what you get.

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Cute pigtails!






Her new Halloween pj's say, "I'm so cute it's Scary". Ain't that the truth!


Julianna is helping "Punkin" learn his birds.




She really is having as much fun as she looks like she is having studying the bird encyclopedia. What a strange kid!


Working on a puzzle.


My favorite from the last few days.


On the boat last night:





Snuggling with Mimi after more lake swimming. Man that kid is a little fish!




Pretty baby.