Pictures Post 12-29-08

Here are a few pics for the last two weeks o' Lily.
I hope to add more pics soon; I've been picture slackin' fo shizzle.


Just being goofy on her playground toy...



Its tough economic times when the Barbies are car-pooling
(in a Little People van at that!)



Lily enjoyed helping me put up the Christmas tree...




Sweet kisses for baby Jesus




A Wise Man and Baby Jesus check out the Angels spot in the nativity scene...




Hanging out with her good friend Audrey...

My baby the Superstar

Many occasions in Lily's life have left me filled with pride beyond compare. Things like her first smile, that first roll-over, her first steps, first syllables, first words. It's a long list that continues on. However, this video will show you what is perhaps one of my most proud Mommy Moments of all time...okay - of all time "so far".

Lily Doins (video edition) 12-09-08

Instead of typing out the Tends to Be Lengthy list of Lily Doins, I figured I'd show it via video this time. Lily is now embarking on adventures in small sentences. Examples you'll see in the video below are: Thank you Mommy (or Daddy), Nite Nite Babies, Hi Max, No Bark and SIT. Enjoy!

One more life mystery SOLVED

If you would, please permit me one post to brag . It's not my style nor do I have many talents so, don't worry, this post will be quite rare. Trust me. :-)

I have figured out one more of Life's mysteries. Sure I have figured out a few mysteries in my life, thus far, like revelations related to college, marriage, child bearing, religion, comedy and electronics. Now, added to that list is...HOW TO TIE A FANCY PANTS BOW! Check it out! I'm so proud!

How to Say Water (by Lily)

Defying all video recording odds of actually catching the toddler mid-trick, I managed to catch a glimpse of the illusive "Water" word. That Lily is creative.

What I'm Thankful For

Now that I finally suckered my dear sis into blogging - I shall honor her induction by hijacking her idea and making it my own [insert evil laugh: myaa hahahaha, you're one of us now, Neeneekakah]. All of these are Non Serious. Of course I am thankful for all the serious stuff. But why read that when there is random goofyness to be had??

10 Non Serious Things I'm thankful For (no order):

1. Newly cleaned public toilet. It's the proverbial pot at the end of the rainbow. Sorry - I couldn't resist the cliche but it really is appropriate.

2. Wagging tail: I love our sweet Big Moose Dog Max and I especially love seeing his big wagging tail. It'll put a smile on even the most unsmilingest face.

3. Books turned into Movies: Lord of the Rings, Twilight, Harry Potter - the list is endless. Why read? Just wait a year then watch it with pictures!

4. DVR: I am convinced they show Live tv in hell.

5. Cell Phone: Not simply because it is communication anywhere anytime, but is is also a handy little flashlight (Crazy, remember).

6. New pair of socks: they are warm, snuggly and hole-free (great for shoe shopping too).

7. Internet shopping: never leave home, shopping in pajamas, redeeming coupon codes and free shipping to your door. Gosh I love the internet.

8. Soft cookies: are there any other kind of cookies?

9. Fast internet: Slow internet is the second thing that I think is reserved especially for hell. Dial up??? Nooooo!! Fast internet is truly heaven.

10. Google: Anything you could every want or wish to know on one website at your very fingertips. I use to love Google's grandfather: the Library. But now? Sorry Library but my love belongs to another. Maybe we can still be friends? I Googled the Library the other day. Does that help?

Lily Doins 12-2-08

Here's the latest list of Lily Doins...

1. “Back”: It’s reassurance of someone’s return. If Daddy goes outside to take the trash out, then he will be “back”. I realized we must say this to her a lot as she says it often and has the delivery perfected. She nods her head up and down to help reassure even more.

2. Water: I do hope to catch this on video soon as the visual is far more cute than my description but Lily will say “Water” by lapping her tongue followed by saying “er”.

3. Cup drinking: This goes hand in hand with water as water does the least amount of damage when spilled (which happens often). I can tell she feels like quite the big girl when she has cup in hand. Of course, the immense pride is balanced by dumping way too much water into her mouth, coughing, letting out a whine then trying it all over again. Determination - that's our girl.

4. Bye bye: Lily loves to tell everything Bye Bye (the dog “doh”, bird “bii”, school “KOOOL”, Mommy, Daddy, you name it). It’s a fun way to try out new vocabulary too. She actually said “bye bye ta-toh” to a tractor one day.

5. Ketchup: It's all she would eat for supper if Mommy and Daddy didn’t intervene. Lily loves ketchup. She’ll halfway say it too which sounds something like “kit kit”. Anything is dipping potential for ketchup: fries, weinies, green beans and especially fingers. She's added a nifty little Ketchup trick to her aresenal too. She smears the ketchup into oblivion on her tray then asks for more. Translation: more to play with (eating? not so much).

6. Dunno?: Lily holds out her hands, palms up, elbows bent and will say “dunno” when looking for or asked about something.

7. Nenekaka: Lily’s name for Aunt Karla. I noticed a weekend that Aunt Karla was down, Lily would alternate between labeling her Neenee and Kaka. So we combined the two labels into one fun name. We looove our Nenekaka which, when asked, will be “BACK” according to Lily.

8. Pig Sound: This could have been going on for a while and we just now got it as it’s not exactly a pig sound. It’s more like a cough/bark. But – close enough! I can see where the snort sound may be a little hard for a toddler!

9. Laugh Mimick: If Dale or I laugh about something, Lily will look up, check our expression and laugh along right with us. There’s a level of fakeness to it which only makes us laugh even harder.

10. Signing Updates: Specifically for bird, juice, crackers, and bath that we can decipher (which is really a big disclaimer as many times – we run off to the pc trying to Google the motion she just made). Though sometimes, I do think she does some Bluff Signing (i.e. making up something) just to see us confused!

Pictures Post 11-23-08

Here are a few pics from the lastest couple weeks at the Lilypad...

Super cute dress...1 teeny tiny problem

With the wonderful Christmas season approaching, I purchased a cute little holiday dress for my precious daughter last week. I was excited to find this dress because not only was the style cute, but the price was very nice, as well. So, lost in the utopia of finding a double threat dress (cute n cheap), I failed to do something very vital. I didn't give the dress a good Look-See. I eventually looked it over but not until after the purchase was made (big Mommy Mistake). When I finally looked it over, it was then that I realized, in the grips of utter chagrin and horror, why the dress was marked down. Yes, I believe there was a reason. Can you tell what is....off...with this dress? Click on the picture of the dress to the upper left. I do hope I am alone in this assessment. Click HERE (PG-13) if you need the answer.

The Monster, Ned Flanders and Me

Quick disclaimer: Sorry this is a bit long. This has been stuck in my head for awhile so forgive the wordiness...and oddness (but oddness is a given, right?)...

I am a visual person. Well, to be more accurate, I am really a cartoon visual person. I translate too many of life's doins into some pretty hilarious cartoons in my head. This took on a new meaning with me recently as I realized: I also have a cartoon conscience.

In a nutshell, it's the shoulder devil & shoulder angel concept.

We've all seen it in some form: the classic battle of good versus evil vying for our attention and obedience. There are days I feel like I can almost hear the little shoulder angel and devil bickering (feathers flying, hooves stomping). I've read a couple books recently that have inspired my personal labeling of this little conscience devil as a "monster". To me, Monster is a far more accurate term. He's cunning, intimidating, short-tempered, demanding, relentless and just an all around pain. So that's the reason for "Monster" in the posting title. I fight The Monster a lot (aka "sinful nature"). Give in to work gossip with a coworker? I can feel the Monster purr with delight. Stand up for what is right and I can hear the monster roar with rage. I could go on and on. Unfortunately, the Monster knows me all too well. But, I digress. So you get the idea of the Monster.

Not long after The Monster was labeled and as I dwelled on this more, the shoulder angel took on a more defined form. While joking with Dale one day, I recited back what I knew to be the right decision in a slow, hokey-yet-righteous accent. It was a mix of the Church Lady and Forrest Gump. It finally dawned on me WHO this accent belonged to: Ned Flanders. Yes, that's right. The sweet yet all-too-often ignored promptings of goodness (aka the Holy Spirit) take on the voice of Ned Flanders, from The Simpsons, in my head. Complete with the occasional "diddly". I ignore Ned a lot, sadly. There are even times where I wonder if I finally snuffed him out once I return to sanity after another shameful frolic with the Monster. But no, sweet Ned is always there. Beaten and bruised yet still smiling, sitting on my shoulder; waiting for me to return.

I should conclude with a Weak Sanity Disclaimer (WSD) - I really don't hear voices. But as I often think of the Monster and Ned, parts of my life and this world make a bit more sense. I believe unseen spiritual battles are very very real. Maybe this is how my debatably "Sane" brain processes it all? After all - we are ALL spee-diddly-ecial, right?

Toy Genius...Not so much

I have a quick story I have to share. Dale and I were convinced we were witnessing a very Significant Toy Playing First this weekend. Lily seemed to be playing with her Barbie dolls. We were astounded. What a milestone! Our sweet baby girl playing with Barbies (jabbering, chattering, pretending). We were almost moved to tears when Lily walked by us, put the Barbie to her ear and pretended to jabber into her doll like the BARBIE WAS A PHONE. She wasn’t playing with the Barbies at all. They were a phone to her. What????? We had to laugh. So close and yet….so far.

Halloweenie 2008

Here are a few pictures of Lily and Max at Halloween this year...

The Same but Different

I have an invention idea that, I'm convinced, will change the world. Brace yourself: A milk bone ideally suited for both kids and dogs. Please - hold your applause and praise until the end (haha). But seriously. For those of us with dogs and a child (or children) - you can see the genius in this awesome invention. Max has eaten a lot of people food thanks to Lily and Lily has eaten more than her fair share of dog food. So why the obsession to find this perfect treat? 90lb dog gas. People food gives Max gas. You...just...can't... imagine.

Anyway, the reason for this post is I found my genius invention, or at least something very close, in Kroger recently. It is a milk bone shaped cracker stick (for people). I was extremely excited to find this discovery. Sure it's not the exact same thing as my invention but its close enough. I opened the box only to realize there was a big big problem. They look too much like milk bones. I tested this theory by giving one to Lily and she immediately started looking for Max and tried handing him one. I'd rather Max eat people food than Lily eat dog food but this does NOT cure the 90lb dog gas problem. So, sadly, I admitted defeat. Since Lily has yet to really eat one, not to mention the mass confusion a milk bone shaped cookie would cause, Dale and I are left with the only remaining solution. We eat them all ourselves. We are still coping with this decision (I think I've eaten 10+ already).

Could you tell the difference between dog treat and human treat? Click HERE to see the answer.

Pictures Post 10-31-08

Here are a few pictures from the last couple weeks at the Lilypad. We met up with John and his Mom and Aunt at the Pumpkin Patch. We had a great time. But as a warning: two cute kiddos together for one picture may cause your monitor to malfunction (you know: from cuteness overload). :-)

Lily Doins 10-31-08

Without further adieu, here's the latest list of Lily doins...

1. Storage and transportation: Lily fills her little hands and arms to capacity with anything and everything. She can't hold just one of something. Noooo - that's entirely too easy. Both hands and arms must be packed. You can only imagine how this hampers a little toddler who really could use both hands to help with catching herself when she falls...often. She can have some spectacular toy-explosion falls so at a minimum, it's entertaining.

2. Transport Game: Lily loves to bring us whatever she is carrying too. It could be pieces of shredded tissue, dog food, a nose crustie. Whatever. Sometimes we are the destination, other times, it's a bathtub or close hamper (we have gone on some wild goose chases for a missing sippy cup).

3. Raaarrrr!: Its what the Tiger says. This has turned into a Game, too. She'll swipe at us and say "raarrrrr!". Like the Ow! Game, all is fun & games until Mommy gets smacked, or swiped (again, homey dont play dat). So, often, the little Tiger has to be reprimanded.

4. Colors: By accident, we found out Lily knows her colors (God bless her awesome school). She knows green, purple, and red rather well.

5. Monkey See Monkey Do: Lily does a great job at Follow the Leader. We will say something like, "sit down, stand up, JUMP!, turn around, clap, where's your knee?, JUMP" and she happily obliges.

6. "Dohty": This is "Dorothy" on The Wiggles

7. Thank you out loud without prompt: Lily has signed Thank you and has been speaking it for a while, too. But recently, she'll respond "Tae Tew" without prompt. It just warms my heart. Now that I think about it, I end up giving her more stuff just to hear the Tae Tews more. Hmmmm....


8. Departure Imitation: One day, Lily grabbed Aunt Kah Kah's red purse, slung it over her shoulder, came up to me, gave me a kiss, waved and said "Bye bye!" and walked off. I realized she was copying my departure routine. It's amazing what she picks up on simply by observance (amazing and SCARY; I consider all this a warning of things to come).

9. Acting School: As we've learned with the occasional Temper Tantrum, Lily is quite the accomplished actress. She has fine-tuned her acting craft with facial expressions, recently. "Surprise" is a wide-eyed open mouth expression, "Happy" is a big cheesy smile and "Mad" is a narrowed-eyed grunt action.

10. Nontoys = Favorite Toys: Specifically, poker chips and cards. Yes, I can safely say this is the most use our poker chips and cards have ever seen. We're raising her right, what can I say? She loves the colors, textures and portability of the cards and chips. Plus the chips make a fun noise when she drops them which happens a lot as she inevitably tries to carry too many (see #1).

11. "Mine": A new word to Lily's recent vocabulary list. This has now replaced "Please" and "Tae Tew". Hear that sound? Yes, that's the Terrible Two Train pulling into our living room!

How to Provoke a Bunny Attack

Yes, only *I* can actually be attacked by a BUNNY. I think the odds rank second only to being mauled by a cotton ball. So I do feel a bit...loserish. We took Lily to a fall festival in town recently. This festival contained a petting zoo. Harmless enough - OR SO IT SEEMS. I find a cute little bunny that I know Lily will love. I then make the vital mistake of picking him up to take to Lily. He freaks out, jumps out of my hands and then uses my ARM as a launching pad (6 inches of cuts and punctures to prove it). I found out the scientific reason for this attack later, of course later: bunnies do not like dangly feet. However, I fully believe the true reasoning lies elsewhere.

You see, I think this attack was premeditated. I have surmised various things about bunnies that I now realize, they may not like. Dale and I discuss these things from time to time - mostly to laugh, be goofy and make up silly rules to annoy Lily with later. I believe these rules, three to be precise, have now come back to bite me (or scratch me).

Rule 1: A Bunny is nature's candy. We've had enough wild bunnies in our yard to know that everything eats bunnies: cats, dogs, birds, you name it. I think its safe to say that even bunnies eat bunnies.

Rule 2: What does the bunny say? Poop poop poop poop poop poop.

Rule 3: A modification of rule 2: What *else* does the bunny say? Vrrrroooom SPLAT (as we've lost count of the bunnies who have attempted to cross the road).

Premeditation doesn't sound so absurd after all! I'm not one to believe in Karma. But as I pieced myself together and limped away from the vicious bunny attack (okay - so I walked away and we kept petting animals...NOT bunnies) - it made me think twice about BUNNY Karma. So, consider yourself Bunny Karma Attack Warned. You can thank me later. :-)

Yamboree Awesomeness

We made our annual pilgrimage to the Yamboree this past weekend. Activities include parade watchin' Saturday morning followed by a trip to the rec center to see how our pictures faired in the photo contest. My family is usually very laid back, but throw a photo contest in the mix and we turn vicious. We ALL enter photos in the contest. It's an extra incentive to place (bragging rights naturally) as well as reason to carry a black sharpie around (for impromptu "photoshopping" like...oh...accidental mustaches). Ok - we're not that competitive........yet.

Lily had a blast. This is the first year she was an active parade watcher so I was impressed at her geniune interest and quality wave technique. I guess I shouldn't be too shocked. The Yamboree is pretty much in our blood. Lily's Great Memaw was a duchess back in the 40s. Lily's Mom [me], Grandmother [Nena], Poppi and Aunt Karla have been active participants in the parade as well. That Yamblood runs deep; prick our finger and we bleed dark orange. Ok, nevermind - thats kind of gross. But you get the point. We luv us some yams!

On to the pictures!! **Pictures of Yamboree Past added 10/23!** Tidbit I learned: to delay the slide show, hover over a picture with the mouse pointer.

Crazy? Who's Crazy?

I admit, I have moments where I think "wait, does that make me Crazy"? My hope is the Insane have no concept of their own sanity thus, by default, I'm in the clear. But for the purpose of emptying my head of more random goofyness and hopefully securing my sanity even more, here's my list of things that I think could make me Crazy...

1. I don’t like peanut butter. Peanuts? Sure. Butter, even? Absolutely. But combine the two and count me out. Perhaps it is more UnAmerican than Crazy as I have been told that a time or two (or twelve).

2. Whilst indoors, I get a chill when it rains outside. I don’t have to see or even hear it raining. It’s like my body just KNOWS. Don’t think I haven’t realized that this is how bad-knee-weather-forecasting old people start off. Either that or I have a very odd and pointless Mutant Power. (You know, maybe I should lay off all the Heroes watchin’.)

3. I sometimes get frustrated with inanimate objects. I usually end up exploding with ‘WHAT???’ or ‘OKAY, FINE!’ if something like a drawer is stuck or hangers are tangled together.

4. My flashlight is also a phone. Sure – cell phones do a myriad of things these days like takes pictures and video, surf the internet, and easily play a thousand songs on a whim. But it is, without a doubt, the flash light feature that I love the most-est.

5. Should we have another child later on down the line, and it is a boy, I have seriously considered naming him Max, after our dog. I just love our dog to pieces. So, why not? I’ve also considered “Charlie Max” which is, of course, another dog’s name. And that is why God will bless us with all girls.

6. There is nothing funnier than a baby toot. No matter the circumstance, I can’t resist laughing. Granted this may not qualify as a Crazy sign but just one of Extreme Immaturity (oh man, an Immature List would be crazynuts long).

7. I can't do the toe-pinch thing. For the most part, my little piggies are useless besides offering some balance assistance. My husband practically has two more hands with the dexterity of his toes. I firmly believe that my toes, and my toes alone, could bring down the entire theory of evolution.

That's all I have so far. There are more, I am certain, but when so much is intertwined into my concept of "Normal", it takes me a while to sift out the Crazy. Stay Tuned!

Lilydoins 10-12-08

Here are some of Lily's latest Doins that have happened over the last two weeks...

1. "Yay" for outside: When we ask Lily if she'd like to go outside, instead of a "yes" or "no", she replies "YAY!!!!". It would seem that she likes the outdoors just a wee bit.

2. "Weewees": Aka, The Wiggles tv show. Lily not only asks for Bunnytown ("bop bop") but has added "wee wees" to the list. It has to be one of her cutest words; I ask her about The Wiggles at least a dozen times a day just so I can hear her say it. She'll even accompany "wee wees" with a Wiggles trademark hand motion. Kudos to The Wiggles marketing team. We've all been suckered in!

3. Thankyou: or "Too too" as Lily puts it. Lily has signed "Thank you" for a good while now but has recently added the vocal "too too" along with it as well.

4. Boo Boo: As Lily has mastered her walking and running technique, she has acquired quite a collection of bumps, bruises and scrapes to prove her right of passage. One day, I decided to point out a scrape and explained "boo boo". Lily spent the rest of the day pointing out other Boo Boos. It's another Cute Word favorite of ours.

5. The Ow! Game: Giving in to the inevitable genetic comedy makeup of my silly family, Lily loves slapstick. One of her favorite games is the Ow! Game. She'll smack herself on the head, yell "OW!" and laugh and laugh. As I cannot rise above my own gene pool, I found this hysterical until the Smacks became harder and she tried to involve Me in the Ow! Game (Mommy dont play dat). In all honesty, I still find it highly entertaining though Parenting does take precedent (dang it).

6. Fit O' Rage: Lily is one happy little girl. She has a sweet sweet demeanor and she does seem to have a touch of Tender-heartedness about her. Though on occassion, she will throw one heck of a Hissy. Recently, she was in a foul mood and my decision to change her diaper SET HER OFF. Yes, I'm a mean horrible mommy. She was kicking and screaming and whilst in mid fit o' rage, she bit HERSELF, specificially on the arm. I was shocked at first but then had to fight back a laugh as I could see the wide-eyed realization of pain on her face as soon as she made the bite. Granted, at that point, the yells of rage turned into yells of pain. Funny thing, though: she hasn't done that since.

7. "Moo": It's what the cow says. MENSA here we come!!

8. Frog tongue: Lily will stick her tongue in and out when prompted with "Frog".

9. Fans: Lily loves to point out the ceiling fans at home. She'll follow a point with a circular motion while saying "rr rrr rrr" (as the fan goes "around around and around"). I never knew fans could be so fun.

10. Little Einsteins: Lily can mimick a portion of the Lily Einsteins show. This will sound more brainy that it is but she knows the Blast Off Sequence. This includes patting her hands on her legs, raising her arms up and saying "Baaa ahhhh" (or "Blast off"). Seriously, how will we find the time to live our lives with Nasa and Mensa calling all the time?

To illustrate some of her vocabulary- I'll attempt to include a video below.

Pictures Post 10-12-08

Lounging in the office chair (aka big chair toy)

Gotta love fall and crazy static hair!

LEAVES!

When timed right, a trip-turned-face-plant can make a cute picture.

Cheese!

Lily looooves to "kaa kaa" (or color)

Just hanging out, watching some Bunnytown, drinking some "juish"...

Yes, that is a GREEN BEAN in the ketchup.

Lily: Lord of the Plastic Ring Thingies

Why sit in the chair the usual BORING way??

Lilydoins 9-28-08

Lily is growing like crazy. Each week, well - actually each day, she learns a whole new set of tricks. In an effort to document her early-age genius (hee hee), here's a list of things that happened in the World O' Lily this week...

1. Juish and Quackers: Lily can say this oh-so-clearly now. She knows what they are and requests them often.

2. Shoeezz = Go Outside: Lily will fetch our shoes and insist we put them on. With shoes on, she knows the possibility of going Outside is one step closer.

3. Telling Max "No": If Max even accidentally nears her juice or quackers, she points her finger at him and fusses "no no no". As you can guess, he IS a fan of the occassionally misplaced quacker.

4. Her Animal Sound Vocab has grown: She now knows what Max will say (panting sound of "haa haa haa") and what the sheep will say ("baaaaa"). Lily can also say "Biiiii" for bird.

5. Food Requests: When she wants a bite of what we are eating - she walks up to us and opens her mouth wide. We call her our little baby bird. She'll open her mouth wide wherever she may be standing too (i.e. across the room) if she sees us with something yummy.

6. Kitty Stalking: As seen in the above picture, Lily loves to follow around the ever elusive Kitty. She'll copy her Meow with "Maaaaaa". Kitty manages to stay one step ahead of the little sticky fingers.

7. Running Laps: Lily knows one speed: FAST! She loves running indoors or outdoors. She prefers a good chase too (whether from Mommy, Daddy or Kitty).

8. Climbing Accomplishment: Lily crawled into her baby bed. So yes, the cutsie bumpers are off and the bed is on the lowest setting crib-wise. To me - it has never looked more like a cage (which, we all know that's what a baby crib is really for)!

9. Love for Dance: Lily loves to dance. Her favorite moves are Turning Around and making a dramatic fake fall (we're cataloging it as Interpretive Dancing).

10. Sharing Snacks: Lily will also share her quackers with us. We've noticed, however, that she shares her least favorite quackers (bunny quackers). Hmmm....it's still "sharing" though, right?

Pictures Post 9-27-08

Street Cred: Lily's busted lip from a bad fall at school (her upper lip is really swollen in the above picture)



Living it up with her snack cup. If you look real close, you can see smal zip ties securing the lid to the cup. Oh yeah- we took it to the next level!



A view of her curls...



Playing with big bro Max...



A random pic of silliness with a very cranky Kitty (wonder why she's cranky all the time??)

I know I'm 30+ when...

1. A coupon organizer makes a LOT of sense

2. Book clubs sound halfway appealing

3. The age range for "them kids" has expanded to
college students

4. Going to bed at 8:30pm is AWESOME

5. The realization that the juniors department store
section isn't quite for me anymore (nor is any other
section for that matter)

6. I'm investing more $$ into quality lotions for my
ever-increasingly dryer face, hands and legs

7. I'm actually called a Local by friends living in
the same "new" town I'm currently residing in (but
we JUST moved here - well, 10 years ago...holy moly!)

8. The crazy amount of items 5 years and older in
my house (like SHIRTS)

9. Naps. just. rock.

10. I simply LOVE my "frumpy" clothes. Love love love!!
And yes, some of them are bordering on 5+ years old.

I may add more to this later but that's an even 10 for now....

Pictures Post 9-24-08

Just a few photos of our sweet little Lilypad...(taken Aug/Sept 2008)...

Hangin' out with Bunny...chatting with her friends...Oh the life!

Making very important calls with Granny during a car ride...

Running free with the wind in her hair!

Pigtails ready for slidin' in 3...2...1...




Ha chaa chaa!



Taking a very quick Toddler Break...

Lilpad Vocab

Watching a child grow is an amazing thing. In just a brief amount of time, my little lump o’baby is now walking, dancing, blurting out words and bossing around big brother Max. Gosh, I can still picture her cooing for the very first time and thinking, “This is her voice! What a sweet voice!” We’re hearing a lot more of that little voice now. Here are a few words that I have to share:

1. Mama and Dada: Probably goes without explaining. She also learned that “Mama” is a great word for everything. Need the juice cup? Just yell “MAMA” and the juice cup magically appears. See something tantalizing out of reach on the counter? Just say “Mama” a few times until the right thing is before you (or it somehow disappears). It’s a smart little trick.

2. Uh ohhh: A good indicator that something just fell or, more likely, was dropped and should not have been dropped (diaper in the bathtub comes to mind).

3. Bop Bop: Translated means Hop Hop which is what happens on her favorite show Bunnytown. Bunnies say “hop hop”, of course. This is usually followed by a cute Lily squat and bobbing up and down.

4. Oooh ooh aaah aah [with arms pumping up and down]: This what the monkey says.

5. Maaaaa: This is what the cat says.

6. Beeeep!: This is what the car says or, specifically, what Mommy’s car says when she hits the wrong key on her keyless entry device.

7. Staa and Goooo!: Or Stop and Go. Lily loves to play traffic cop. She’ll say “Staa” (hand up like she’s directing traffic) then “GO!” (with finger pointing up). We play this game everywhere: at home, while walking, in the car, or in the bath.

8. Naanaa: This is what the monkey eats. This was the first word Lily said that almost drove Lilypad Dad and I to the crazy house. She was so excited to learn this new word that she said it for everythingggg. For days without end. A funny moment came when finally, at my wits end, I showed her an actual banana. She looked at it with the blankest of stares. Apparently, I was crazy!

9. HAI: Lily’s impression of how we answer the phone and, consequently, how she answers her play phone. Also, we are greeted by an enthusiastic “HAI!” when we enter her room first thing in the morning.

10. Bye bye!: This is most often used, very enthusiastically, whilst leaving her classroom at the end of the day. She gives a very happy Bye Bye farewell to all her fellow comrades. So happy is her Bye Bye farewell that I swear I hear it followed by "suckers!". She’ll also say it while walking away from Mommy or Daddy to announce her departure to another location in the house.

11. Uhhhh and Doh: Lily enjoys Up and Down very much. I usually make a long drawn out “upppp” and point up up up followed by a quick set of “down down down”s. She mimicks with an “uhhhhhh” then a “doh doh doh”. Clear the phones: MENSA will be calling !

12. NO!: Our little girl is definitely trying out her independent pants (Independs?) lately. One rule stands, if Mommy or Daddy hand her something, it is something she does NOT want regardless of its relevance. Out comes, “NO!”. A Tasmanian Devil-like move follows: wild flailing arms set on launching every little thing as far from her as possible (solids or liquids: anything is game). During one fit, she even tried to remove her shirt to add to the list of projectiles. A dedicated fan of her Projectile-Launching-NO-Fits is her faithful big brother Max who is always keeping watch over the floor for any yummy Lily Food rejects. At least someone is happy to see nicely diced up wienies and green beans!

13. Der, der, der: Or, translated into Lilypad terms: one, two, three. These words usually accompany a finger point to whatever she's counting (like toes). As you can imagine - she can count quite high. She can repeat "der" hundreds of times!


14. Juish: Also known as "Juice" is the latest word. Its popularity is ranked up there with Bunnytown watchin' and goldfish cracker eatin'.

First Blog-a-reeno!

Welcome to the LilyPad Blog! It is the new source for Lily news, happenings, various musings and, in all honesty, a bunch of immature silliness. Born nonconfrontational and a bit passive aggressive, us Lilypadders live a pretty ordinary life. For that reason, this blog will dwell less on our everyday activities but more in the goofy/random realm of things. Worst case scenario: should this blog be read only by moi, I will have at least emptied my brain of a huge chunk of the random goofyness that keeps it so full. So really, this blog could be potentially entertaining (hopefully) and even beneficial.

Statistics wise, we are a happy family of three. Lilypad Dad and I have been married for almost ten wonderful years. Our precious Lilypad was born just seventeen months ago. It’ll come as no shock to other parents that our minds have long forgotten what those pre-baby days were like! Of course, we’d have it no other way. Our house is truly now Home.

As for other critters, we have a precious 90 pound moose/dog named Max and a very cranky kitteh named Fasb. Also, Hondo our tiny chihuahua, is still going strong (now 16 years old). You may know him as the fourth horseman in Revelation. He’s a sweet dog, of course: older than time itself but very sweet.

Well, that’s all for now. We hope you enjoy the blog!