Saturday, May 10, 2008

Fun in the yard!

I tried to take mental notes to remember events in her life, since I am unable to blog regularly, but I quickly realized that my memory is not as sharp as it once was! I’m going to try and “journal” on the computer more often, and post several days at once to her blog whenever I can. Make sure to scroll down to see the other days.

Greg, Autumn and Sara came by this morning to cut down a huge, dead tree in our front yard! I am so mad that I did not get video or “before” pictures.

Greg used his chainsaw and Thomas pulled using an extension cord (He will have to start his own blog so you can read an explanation of why they were using it!) All the girls stood at a very safe distance away. When it came down Caroline was a little worried about what happened. It took her several minutes to decide it was okay to get out of my arms and check out the debris. I kept explaining that it was dead and we had to cut it down to make the yard a safe place to play. Here’s an after picture:

Before bringing the tree down, we bought tomato and strawberry plants at the Farmer’s Market! Following the afternoon storm, Thomas and Caroline planted in the garden together. (I purposely put her in this shirt, because I knew she would get dirty and it was the only dark colored long sleeve shirt she has!) Look how serious she is in all of the pictures.

At one point she wanted Thomas’ shovel and he had to use hers!

I posted a pretend “before” picture a few days ago. I did not get a great “after” picture yet, but this will do for now:

Time to wash up! She LOVES playing in the hose. We're still loving her shoes Aunt B got her. The mud washes right through!

I know this is mean, but Caroline can be so dramatic when she gets mad, we had to take pictures. Here is her expression when we put away her shovel (also notice how soaked she is!):

Then she ran over to it and got it back! She is so happy….

Then we tell her that it is time to go inside…without her shovel…

I want to end on a “smiling” picture (because who knows how long it will be before my next entry!)
Thanks to Aly Claire, we have discovered how much Caroline LOVES drinking from straws! It’s so cute watching her drink from these cups. (I don’t know why she’s holding it like that, she doesn’t usually do that.)

When we ask her where are Mommy’s (or anyone’s) eyes are, she tries to point right at them, so instinctively we shut our eyes. So now whenever we ask her where her eyes are, she makes this face:

If only she ate spinach like Popeye, too!

Friday, May 9, 2008

Prayerful Caroline!

She also has been watching what Grammy’s hands do when she prays. Caroline now intertwines her fingers when it is time to pray and usually bows her head, too! Tonight I prayed aloud for dinner as we both had our hands in the “prayer position” and as soon as I would say, “amen” we would look up and she would push my head down to pray again! She did this to me three times in a row! God is so good. Bless her little heart.

Ps Caroline has shoveled dirt in our “garden” every afternoon. Hopefully tomorrow we will get plants in the ground!

Pps Yesterday my mom said something was “horrible,” and Caroline repeated the three syllable word! “Or-uh-buh!” She’s such a sponge right now!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Gardening With Caroline

Caroline used the garden tools that Grammy brought for her in our new garden that we are constructing. She absolutely loved watering the mint plant Grammy and Poppy gave us with her watering can. She then spent around 45 minutes shoveling dirt into her little bucket with her plastic shovel. Thomas showed her how to push it down into the dirt to get more onto the shovel and she immediately began using the new technique. I asked her if she was ready for her bath and she shook her head no without stopping her shoveling. Eventually she decided on her own that she was done. I watched her lift her, now heavy from dirt, bucket onto the ground and carefully place her shovel inside. She then picked up her rake and placed it inside for safekeeping as well. Finally, she lifted the handle on the bucket to carry it with her inside. She was very upset with me when I asked her to leave it outside. I promised her we would play again tomorrow, weather permitting. Precious.

Thomas also cut four huge limbs off of a dead tree in our front yard. It makes me very nervous, but he assures me he knows what he is doing. Caroline and I watched through the window in her room. She would say “BOOM,” after the limbs came down. It’s funny how I can tell that she was trying to ask me why daddy was cutting the limbs down, just by the way her head was cocked to the side and the expression on her face. I explained it to her and she seemed satisfied by the answer. I think she understands a lot of what we tell her.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Sliding into Spring!

These pictures were taken last week on her fort/slide from Grammy and Poppy. Just in case one of you out there is weather tracker and you were thinking “it wasn’t cold enough for a hat on May 5th!” We played outside for a long time this afternoon. It is fun watching discover “spring.” She points out every tiny insect or spider she sees. Today she kept waving and saying “bye” (sounds more like a two-syllable word, “buh-eye”) at the top of her lungs to a pea-sized spider crawling down the driveway. We also spotted a hummingbird on our new feeder!

Saturday, May 3, 2008

We have been enjoying the Farmer’s Market for several weekends in a row now. Thomas and I were inspired by all of the yummy vegetables to start a garden of our own. It is a work in progress, but the incentive of home grown tomatoes is urging us on. Today Aunt “B,” Caroline and I ate a scrumptious lunch at Jammin’ Java. My “Berry Fields Forever” salad turned into just a “Fields Forever” because Caroline enjoyed eating all of my strawberries. We were entertained by a folksy fun band while we ate. We also were able to see so many different dogs of all sizes! Hopefully Becky will get me the picture of the bear sized poodle! We then made a surprise for Grammy for Mother’s Day.

Thanks to Kristen (and Trey) we were able to finish the afternoon at a Razorback baseball game. Caroline has gotten very good at calling the hogs whenever she sees a picture of a Razorback. My dear friend, Kimberly, got Caroline the adorable Hog dress that she wore to the game (and the scrimmage last weekend!) Once we were home she enjoyed her new hobby of playing with the water hose. It was fun watching her figure out how to make the hose splash on the ground. Thomas and I were also able to witness her first drink out of the water hose. (She figured it out on her own. I know about the dangers of vinyl hoses, but we all drank out of hoses when we were little and for the most part we all are okay!) She soaked her clothes (luckily she had on her new croc-like shoes from Aunt B!) and had a blast.

ps Just so I never forget: I carried Caroline from Baum stadium all the way to the far side of Reynolds stadium for the scrimmage. (Without complaining) Thomas offered to carry her, but she let us know that she only wanted Mommy at that moment. Some days are his and some days are mine. The day we walk three miles, of course, I am the chosen one.

Caroline is learning so much every day.

New tricks:

© She says “thank you” and “please” (sometimes without even prompting her!) She says them both “mmmppphh” and nods her head like “I Dream of Jeannie.”

© She makes the kiss noise with her lips

© She pats almost every book and sings the “pat the bible” song from Sunday school (sounds like “Buh-eye-buh-eye-el” in a sing-ey voice.

© If she hears the word “purple” she starts moving her head back and forth, dancing ready to hear me sing the “P-u-r-p-l-e, purple, purple” song I teach to my kindergartners. (To the tune of “Camptown Ladies”)

© She bows her head for a few moments while we pray. She tries to say “amen” at the end.

© She has another new dance move! She runs in place with her legs stretched apart, a little like “Flashdance!”

© She is still collecting rocks from around our yard and putting them into her green bucket. It is interesting to try and figure out why she deems some as “keepable” and others are thrown back.

© She pats my face to tell me she loves me as I rock her to sleep.