|
|
 APRIL
2009 We celebrated our first
Easter at home
this year and I went on my first egg hunt...well, four
actually. The first was at my friends' church, the second was
at a friends' house, the third was at Sprouts (my favorite
grocery store other than Trader Joes) and the fourth was at our
favorite town park. I began selecting just one of each
color egg for my basket, but once I realized there were treats inside
quickly changed my strategy ;) At home we dyed eggs, but I
squeezed one too hard with the tongs and it started to crack so
I exclaimed "Oh no! It's hatching!" Mommy and Daddy just
laughed. On Easter Sunday, our church had
baby chicks and bunnies for the kids to hold and we made crafts
that remind us of Jesus' dying on the cross and rising again.
Another week, my playgroup went to a friends' horse farm
where we met lots of horses and even a baby colt. Us kids even
got to ride a gentle, old donkey. I've been anticipating this
month for a while now because - I turned THREE! Mommy and Daddy
threw a birthday party at home for me with a Butterflies
& Ladybugs theme. Auntie Amanda & Uncle Ming and Aunt
Tiffany & Uncle Matthew traveled to celebrate with us making my
birthday extra special! Thanks to God, the weather was perfect
that day. My friends and I played at the craft stations while
everyone enjoyed a spring lunch buffet and cupcakes for
dessert. My biggest birthday surprise came from Mommy and Daddy
when they told me I was going to become a Big Sister soon! I
took to the idea immediately and started asking all sorts of
questions like "Can I hold the Baby when she
comes out?" and "Can I help feed the Baby?" or "Can the Baby
walk?" Can you tell I'm already excited?! They ask me whether I
would want a brother or a sister, but my answer changes each
time. At dinner, Mommy, Daddy and I take turns saying grace. I
am pretty good at remembering to pray for Grandpa, Aunt Jodie
and Cousin Kelsey every time, give thanks for
our food of course, and now I pray for the baby in Mommy's tummy, too! |
 MARCH
2009
This month I started using
the potty like a Big Girl and love choosing which Big Girl
underwear I want to wear each day! Mommy says it makes her so
happy when I use the potty, which makes me feel happy too. PoPo
visited us for a couple of weeks. We took advantage of the nice
weather and did so many outdoor things, including going to
the Renaissance Festival, a Diamondbacks vs. TX Rangers spring
training game and the Phoenix Zoo. It's so much fun when she
comes - it's like I have a playmate around 24/7! Later in the
month, we spent Spring Break with my cousins Paola, Kobe and
Alessi in Denver. There I discovered that I really, really like
the snow. I've touched snow before, but never really played in
it. My cousin Alessi and I played hide and seek and made snow
angels while my older cousins went skiing with Uncle Marcus and
Daddy. Then, Aunt Alex and Mommy took us snow tubing and it was
awesome! At first, Mommy and I went in a double tube, but then
we figured out that we could connect to others and eventually we
had four tubes joined together. I liked making snow angels so
much that I try to make them in the sand at the playground back
home. Mommy says it's not quite the same thing, but since I
enjoy it I can do it anyways :) Can you believe that? I also
went hiking with my cousins at the Garden of the Gods in
Colorado Springs and explored Boulder another day. The rest of
our trip I just loved being and playing with my cousins - Paola
and Kobe really watched out for me and Alessi and I are about
the same size so we shared clothes. Also, they have the coolest
basement - thanks for sharing all your toys! |
 FEBRUARY
2009 Besides the fun rides, my favorite part about
Disneyland was meeting characters like Minnie Mouse, Winnie the
Pooh, and Princess Belle. When I met Mickey Mouse, I was so
excited I accidentally knocked him over! It was fun to spend our
first day with my friend Phillip - it was the first visit for
both of us! It was all so exciting I decided to skip my nap that
day, but ended up conking out right before dinner. We went to
California Adventure the second day and I managed to stay awake
until right after dinner (I think the ice cream sundae helped ;)
Ever since our trip to Disneyland, I've been enamored with
Princesses (and keep asking when we're going to go back). Can
you tell I'm wearing my sparkly princess skirt in this months
picture? Some days I like to wear my crown around the house
while I'm playing and occasionally will bring a crown for Mommy
to wear too. If I could, I would wear a princess "gown" all day
every day. I've started introducing myself as "Belle" to
people I meet, but for some reason have to keep reminding Mommy
to call me "Belle". One day, I told Mommy that "I am going to
marry a Prince like Daddy." |
 JANUARY
2009 I started out this month still visiting Texas from the
holidays. Mommy took a trip to Dallas, so I had lots of quality
time with Po Po. I told my new friends Jackson and Avery
"Welcome!" during our visit and also said "Welcome" when Uncle
James and Auntie Karen visited us in Arizona. Creatively
speaking, I'm enjoying making up new lyrics to some of my
favorite tunes like "Farmer in the Dell", "B-I-N-G-O" and "Frere
Jacques." Sometimes I just sing my words instead of saying them
to make things more fun. Back home, I met the University of
Arizona mascot, Wilbur, at a basketball game and believe it or
not - wasn't afraid! Just in time for a very special trip, too.
At the end of the month, Auntie Amanda took me to a place called
Disneyland that I won't forget about for a very long time.
Finally, my upper back molars arrived. I think I'm done growing
teeth until my permanent teeth begin to arrive in a few years. |
 DECEMBER
2008 During advent, our family began another new tradition.
We read a devotion each night and then place a new ornament on
our tree that represents the Bible story we learned about. Since I
really liked helping decorate our tree, I would make sure
Mommy didn't forget! Because I really started to enjoy Christmas
carols this year, Mommy and Daddy brought me to hear musicians
playing them one evening at the Desert Botanical Gardens. The
hand bell choir was my favorite. We enjoyed hot chocolate and
saw glass sculptures in so many beautiful colors. Daddy, Mommy and
I were thankful to spend the Christmas holidays with family and
friends in Texas again. Of course, I was so happy to
see Grandpa and Lola and meet my cousin, Paige, for the first
time, too. We did lots of special things during our visit like
celebrate Auntie Amandas birthday for the second year in a row
at one of my favorite places - Fogo de Chao! Aunt Tiffany took
me ice skating at Discovery Green in downtown Houston (I really
wanted to go after I saw ice skaters twirling and gliding at the
Galleria). And Po Po brought me to the Rockettes Christmas
Spectacular with lots of singers, dancers and Santa, of course! |
 NOVEMBER
2008 Some of the books I've been enjoying recently include
Chicka Chicka Boom, Boom (Aunt Tiffany's favorite), Bill in a
China Shop (Mommy loves this one) and If You Give a Pig a
Pancake. The balance beam and trampoline are two of my favorite
activities during gymnastics class and I'm still working on
doing a full somersault. I've also been practicing counting my
fingers and toes with some help from my Po Po who
visited us for Thanksgiving. Besides the turkey (which weighted
almost as much as me :), I loved the pumpkin-pecan pie, of course!
Mommy, Aunt Amanda and Aunt Tiffany helped me decorate my
first gingerbread house. It's our new family tradition. I
learned how to play board games with Uncle Ming and we all
made ornaments and trimmed our tree to help prepare for the
Christmas season! |
 OCTOBER
2008 My month
started off with a visit from my Gong Gong and Auntie Amanda.
Can you believe I got to see Auntie Amanda again? By the end of
the year we'll have seen each other 18 out of the last 19
months. That's definitely some sort of a record. At school,
we've been learning that "God is good to us" from Psalm 73:1. I
also took my first school picture. I enjoy making art projects and singing in music class.
Daddy usually says grace before our meals, but one night I
reached for their hands, closed my eyes and began loudly "Dear
God. Thank you for this day. Thank you for Mommy, Daddy and
Kendall. Please keep us safe so we can eat this food. Amen."
Jacob and Aunt Peggy came to visit us again so we all went to
the pumpkin patch together. I took my search very seriously
looking for a long time before I found just the right pumpkin to
take home. Daddy tried to help me
find a good one, but they just weren't what I was looking for.
Jacob found his right away. I
told Mommy the part I enjoyed the most was riding the
horse-drawn wagon. This year I dressed as Princess Pea (from the
PBS Kids show Super Why!) who is a superhero with the power to
spell. She loves to dance and eat peas like I do. Even though it was my
first time to go trick or treating, I got the hang of it pretty
quick ;) When I saw Daddy in his costume I didn't recognize him
and asked "what's your name?" |
 SEPTEMBER
2008 During our
visit to see Auntie Amanda in
Los Angeles, we spent a lot of
time outdoors. I played at the beach, met a walking stick,
touched lizards and a snake, brushed a goat and rode little
trains. We even picnicked and listened to live music under the
stars. Back home after the monsoons arrive, it become butterfly season.
That means there are butterflies in our garden every day! Mommy
and Daddy took me to the Butterfly Festival to learn about their
life cycle and see so many dancing on flowers. I even made a
paper one to bring home and add to the butterflies in my bedroom.
This month both of my bottom second molars quietly arrived.
I've really been making more observations about the world around me. One day after
leaving the grocery store I saw a giant black beetle turned
upside down kicking his legs. Mommy said he was stuck, so I said
"he needs his mommy." Another day, I was looking at the mail and
spelled then read "C-O-S-T-C-O, Costco!" Ok,
ok I may not be reading on my own just yet, but it's still one
of my favorite things to do with Mommy and Daddy. |
 AUGUST
2008 I'm not
just doing a lot of talking these days, I also love to sing
songs like "This Is The Day", "God Is So Good" and "You Are My
Sunshine" mostly in the car or at home. I've also been into
reciting nursery rhymes like the "Itsy-Bitsy Spider" and
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." This month, Uncle Ming and
Auntie Amanda made a spontaneous trip to see us after Uncle
Ming's graduation so I got a lot of practice asking "Will you
play with me Auntie Amanda?" My Grandpa & Lola also came to
visit and play with me -- Lola says I'm 2 going on 20. During
their stay we visited a candy factory where I had my first taste
of pure candy. It was worth the wait! I showed them how much I
like to climb, run and jump - let's just say I'm not afraid of
heights ;) The biggest change for me this month was that I
started school - I was so eager to check out my new friends and
classroom on my first day that Mommy, Daddy AND my teacher Ms.
Dee each had to ask me to give goodbye kisses. Once I did, I
told Mommy and Daddy that they could leave. When Mommy came to
pick me up, Ms. Dee told her I was a "good eater and had great
verbal skills" :) I do like to practice where ever we go. When
Mommy and I are out running errands I like to talk to and meet
new people and ask them "what's your name?", "how is your day?"
and "where do you live?" (because I know people who live in many
different states.) This time of year is called monsoon season in
our part of the country. That means it's usually cloudy and may
rain in the afternoons which Mommy likes. Mommy said my
creativity and imagination are growing every day -- one day I told her I saw a
whale in the clouds and she said she saw it too! |
 JULY
2008 One
of my favorite things to do now is to bake cakes, muffins and
pies for Mommy, Daddy and my wooden trains. They can get a
little rowdy sometimes so I have to remind them to take turns
and say excuse me (they even need a little "time out" from time
to time.) My trains, I mean :) I also like to sing "Happy
Birthday" to them. I love selecting my bows, barretts, clips and
headbands. I chose this months picture hair accessory all by
myself and usually like to make sure they "match" what ever
outfit I'm wearing that day. Daddy really likes to put my hair
half-up or in a twist and brush it for me, too. This July 4th,
Auntie Amanda joined us at my friend Jacob's house. That
weekend, Mommy and Daddy discovered that I talk in my sleep. One
night they heard me shouting "Play puzzles! Play puzzles!" and
another night "Play Play-Doh!, Play Play-Doh!" They thought it
was pretty funny because when ever they ask me what I dreamed
about my answer is always "Bo-Puppers." This month, Mommy and I
took a trip to Texas and it was a whirlwind tour. We visited
with family all around the state - like Uncle Tommy & Aunt
Jessie, Uncle Peter & Aunt Alice, Uncle Stephen & Aunt Jenny,
Uncle Russell and my Tai Ma - and some friends, too. I also met
several brand new babies in Austin and jumped right back into
the swing of things with Kelsey, Caleb, Tyler and Kara - singing
Ring Around the Rosie and playing with their toys. We saw
longhorn cattle and explored gardens with Aunt Tiffany, Matthew
and Sheri in Fort Worth. Too bad my cousins Tyler and Elizabeth
were out of town while we were visiting Dallas. In Houston, I
enjoyed serving tea and playing with trains at Grandpa and
Lola's house and baking up treats for everyone in my kitchen at
Po Po's. One night, we all enjoyed a picnic and saw the Disney
musical "When You Wish" at Miller Outdoor Theater. My favorite
song of the evening was "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."
Can you say that five times fast? -- I'm still working on it.
The last night of our trip, Po Po took me to my very first
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus experience. I was so
excited I couldn't stop talking about Bello the Clown! Mommy
thought that the real clowns might scare me, but they didn't --
they were so fun to watch! The live characters that terrify me
(so far) are Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Chick-fil-A Cow.
Anyway, seeing all the acrobats, horses, elephants and tigers
was soooo exhilarating.....I fell asleep at the very end :) So,
Grandpa carried me to the car where I woke up and whispered to
everyone "I had fun" right before falling back asleep. |
 JUNE
2008 I've
been doing more "Big Girl" things recently like sleeping on a
Big Girl bed in my room and sitting in a booster seat at the
table. I'm also "reading" some simple books cover-to-cover! The
first one I ever "read" was My Car by Byron Barton. Interesting
choice, huh? Mommy and Daddy were surprised too and so proud of
me :) Daddy and I have a standing tee time when he gets home
from work. He tries to teach me the "right" way to hold the golf
club, but I can make contact pretty well already. We've been
going on Daddy-Daughter Dates when Mommy has book club or Bible
study. Sometimes we go out for ice cream or a special breakfast,
but we always talk about our day or what I've been doing. He's
the best. I also finished my swimming lessons this month. Mommy
said she was very proud of me because this year I could paddle
my arms, jump into the pool, monkey crawl along the wall and was
brave enough to put my whole face in the water and blow bubbles.
Lately, I've been really interested in learning about the
planets of our solar system. So when Po Po came to visit, I got
to stay up late one night to see Saturn and the moon through a
big
telescope! Po Po also went with me to my Gymboree Music, Art and Play
classes and then one weekend -- I had Po Po all to myself! My
Aunties Amanda and Tiffany also came to celebrate Po Po's Sweet
Sixteen with us. We went to the beach in Mexico -- I loved
playing in the sand and beachcombing for seashells and little
crabs. We also celebrated with Hummingbird Cake. Mmmmm, I get SO excited when I see cake and say things like "Oh,
wow! I love it! It's so delicious!" Last year we celebrated
Auntie Amanda's birthday with Ultimate Coconut Cake and Red
Velvet Cake for Daddy's birthday. YUM!! |
 APRIL-MAY
2008
My update this
month is a little longer than usual because it includes the
whole month of May since Mommy is changing things up a bit. This
year we celebrated my 2nd Birthday TWO times! The first time was
in Texas (a special thank you to Auntie Amanda for flying in
just to celebrate with me and to Uncle Alex, Uncle Byron and
Auntie Je for driving into town too!) The second time was at
home where Mommy made me special birthday whole wheat chocolate
chip waffles with bananas, strawberries and maple syrup (Daddy
calls it "liquid gold") for breakfast -- with a #2 candle on
top...YUM! They were so good I ate TWO of them :) Lately, I've
been hosting tea parties for Mommy, Bo and Puppers almost every
afternoon. I try to be a gracious host and offer scones, cake
and refills along with cream and sugar to my guests. I really
enjoy helping around the house more now that I am bigger and
stronger. I like to help Mommy by carrying in light shopping
bags from the car, "vacuuming" the floor, watering our herb and
tomato plants and loading the dryer with clothes from the
washer. Now I know the names of all our herbs: basil, rosemary,
thyme, mint and green onion. It's fun to pick off the leaves and
smell the different scents. Now that I'm mostly speaking in 3-5
word sentences, it's even easier to express what I want. Ever
since our trip to China, I've been wanting to use chopsticks to
eat Asian food like Mommy and Daddy and now I finally can! For
Mothers Day, we took Mommy out for a sushi dinner and I ate the
whole meal using only my chopsticks. Mommy thought I was just
playing at first, but then I started to spear my food with the
chopsticks and didn't pick up my fork again for the rest of the
meal. Speaking of food, I had my first taste of S'mores on our
camping trip with my friend Sean. Mommy said I would like them
and boy was she right :) Sleeping in a tent was exciting for me
too! Finally this month, I attended my first crawfish boil and
they were so tasty. At my 2 year old check-up I weighed 26 lbs.
and measured 34 inches tall. Oh and by the way, you can see my
second year
slideshow here. |
|
|
|
