Father's Day

Fathers are a unique & vital part of each child's life. I know Lil' SB adores her 'dada'--you can see the gleam in her eye when he's around. He acts silly with her, dances with her, reads to her--the list goes on and on. I wanted to capture some of the moments they have shared, so I put together an animoto video which I plan to share with Papa SB on Sunday...

Maraka

I was watching the SNL Shorts Special tonight, and I saw a TV Funhouse video of a Dora parody called "Maraka." I quickly called in Papa SB to watch, too. We haven't laughed so hard in a long time. Check it out (after the annoying commercial)...

Dear God...

Every night Lil' SB goes to bed, we read 3 books. Well, lately I have been letting her leave her light on after we read, so she can read on her own. Many nights she ends up running out into the living room to talk to me when she is supposed to be reading. Tonight was no exception. The second time she came to visit, I was eating potato chips. She instantly says, "I want some." Of course, I reply by telling her she needs to go to bed. The whole way back to her bedroom she pleads with me...saying she's hungry (you would think I starved my child). Anyway, I convinced her to turn off the light and then I laid down with her. Like many nights, she said she wanted to say a prayer. So, she begins...."Dear God...please help me get something to eat." I couldn't contain the laughter! I was laughing hysterically! Out of the mouths of babes, right?

Mother's Day

Yesterday was a nice, relaxing Mother's Day. Lil' SB and Papa SB greeted me with a kiss, a card & "Happy Mother's Day." My favorite gift for the day was time---time to veg on the couch (while he played w/ Lil' SB), time to go shopping, and time not used on housework---Papa SB took care of that. I also loved the gift Lil' SB made at preschool. Her teacher, Miss Kim, asked her a series of questions. Here are her responses (along w/ my commentary):

1. How old is Mommy? 4 (more like X 9)

2. What is something Mommy always says? Please (probably while gritting my teeth from frustration)

3. What makes Mommy happy? She is happy because she eats apples! (we had a chocolate/caramel covered apple the night before...I guess I enjoyed it!)

4. How tall is your mommy? A hundred (hey, at least she knew measurement had to do with a number, right?)

5. What is her favorite thing to do? Fly in the sky with a rocket ship in space. (what an imagination)

6. What is she really good at? Fixing puzzles (we've been doing a lot of that lately)

7. What do you like to do with Mommy? Figuring out my states puzzle (she's getting pretty good at it, too!)

8. What is her favorite food? pizza (Mexican food is, but pizza is a close second)

9. How do you know Mommy loves you? I know because I am smart! (too cute)

10. What is your favorite thing Mommy cooks? Arthur macaroni & cheese (and she would eat it for every meal if I let her!)

11. What is her favorite color? purple (exactly!)

12. My mommy is...smart! (what a nice compliment...I guess I have her fooled...hee hee)

It's funny to hear a 3 1/2 yr. old's perspective!!!

Easter Egg Hunt

Lil' SB participated in an Easter egg hunt at our local high school this afternoon. She had a blast! When they announced the beginning, Lil' SB ran as fast as she could...scooping up every egg in sight. As you can see, she gathered quite a bit. Once they were all gone, the sponsors asked that we open each egg to look for the 'golden ticket.' So...of course, she popped each one open as quickly as possible (getting melted chocolate all over the place!). Unfortunately, she didn't find the ticket---which promised a grand prize--- but had fun looking. Once the main event was over, we visited 'Mr. Bunny' (Lil' SB named him). She approached him a bit leery, but before we knew it, she was hugging him and rubbing his head and belly. It was cracking me up! The first picture I captured included another little boy who wouldn't step away, but a few minutes later I was able to snap one with just Lil' SB and 'Mr. Bunny.'
Afterwards, we went to pet the live bunnies which Lil' SB adored. I couldn't tear her away until I pointed out the bounce house nearby. Off she ran, taking off her sandals and climbing in. After bouncing for about 10 minutes, I had to convince her to come out. Once we put her shoes back on, cleaned her up and gathered her eggs, we went off to Chili's to eat dinner.

March Madness

Since the NCAA Basketball tournament started last week, Lil' SB has been interested in the different teams. It all started when she and Papa SB took a look at this magazine. She loves looking at the different pictures (mascots) and identifying the various animals. When they watch the games together, she always asks about the teams--referring to them by the color of the jersey. I would love for her to grow up liking basketball (watching and playing)...after all, it's in her blood. With both of her grandfathers, 2 uncles and her father as former players, how can she escape the inevitable? (Of course, I tried out in 8th grade and was cut in the first round...but that doesn't count...even Michael Jordan can relate.)

Go Fly a Kite

It's been a bit windy around here lately, so I decided to buy a kite a few days ago. Sunday proved to be the time to fly it. So...Papa SB, Lil' SB & I went looking for a park by the lake. Well, after driving around for 45 minutes looking for a decent one, we found it! Unfortunately, there was a gate at the entrance with a sign saying $7 fee for entry. What?! Forget that...we weren't planning to stay longer than an hour, so we found a nice park w/ a great...pond. As soon as we got out of the car, Lil' SB ran through the field. After catching up to her, Papa SB got the kite ready. She was sooo excited! They finally got it up in the air...she was in amazement.

After a few minutes, Lil' SB spied some wild flowers and took off. She spent the rest of the time picking the assortment of white and purple flowers which were scattered all over the field. Here are a few pictures of her in her element....

Adventures with Omi & Papa

It was Spring Break this past week, and Omi and Papa came to visit. Lil' SB was so excited (I was, too...not just because I would get to see my parents but because it would give me a bit of a much needed break!) They arrived on Monday night, and within minutes we were off to eat at a local Mexican restaurant. Lil' SB sat between Omi and Papa in a big booth, and Mama SB & Papa SB got to sit by ourselves on the other side (what a nice change!!!). As we waited for our meal to arrive, Lil' SB told her grandparents stories, sang songs & listened to Omi read one of her books. It was a great start to the week! On Tuesday, Omi, Lil' SB and I woke up and had eggs for breakfast, and soon we were off to shop at the outlet mall. We arrived at the Coach store where it was very crowded. Lil' SB had a great time helping Omi choose a purse and a wallet. She loved looking at the different colors & 'unstuffing' the goods. While Omi waited in line with her purchases, I took Lil' SB outside for a breather. Since she acted so well for the first hour of our trip, we rewarded her with a ride on the ummm...not sure what kind of ride it was, but it had the Teletubbies on it?????? Anyway, shortly after that we proceeded to enter the OshKosh store---looking for pj's & a bathing suit. Lil' SB lasted about 10 minutes before she got rambunctious. I ended up picking out a few things for her and quickly handing them off to Omi while I had to 'escort' Lil' SB out of the store (how quickly a preschooler can turn on you!!). We cut our trip short and went home for a nap & later took Lil' SB to get her haircut. What a fun place for kids---car chairs, tvs at each station (with movies such as Cars, Dora, etc...), manicures, etc... Of course, Lil' SB didn't want to sit in the bean bag chair to get her hair washed, but I'm sure I can coax her next time.

I cringed when I saw that they were going to paint Lil' SB's nails, but I went ahead and let her do it. Of course, she chose a nice shade of blue!!!!

Once we got home, we went out to eat at a local hamburger joint--another good day! On Wednesday, Papa SB and I took the day and night to have a date. Woohoo! As I was waiting for Papa SB to get ready, Lil' SB looked at me in my skirt and said..."Where are you going?" I replied..."Dada and I are going on a date." She said with a smile..."Are you going fancyin' around?" I couldn't stop laughing!!! While we were out and about, Lil' SB got to go out to eat breakfast, to the park & buy flowers at the local Home Depot. After her nap, Omi, Papa & Lil' SB went out to eat at a local Italian restaurant. Apparently she's a tiramisu fan because she helped Papa finish a huge piece after the main course! Thursday was another great day...shopping at the mall (playground trip & carousel ride included), planting flowers and pizza for dinner.

Friday morning we went to a local restaurant for brunch. Lil' SB feasted on pancakes (& even ate some of my eggs) and managed to talk Omi into buying her a piece of banana chocolate chip cake for her to eat as her "after nap" snack. Once we came home it was time to prepare for our goodbye. Lil' SB's mood changed, but she was cheered up by the thought of Omi & Papa's return in June (to visit her new baby brother). Overall, I think all of us really enjoyed the visit & we are grateful for the time we could spend with each other.

Say "Cheese"

Lil' SB and I went to our local Babies 'R Us store to buy a few items for her little brother who is on his way. We walked through most of the aisles--browsing among the crib sheets, blankets & changing pad covers. Of course, when she saw the books, we had to take a few minutes to peruse the selections. While we were reading one of the books, a lady (from the photo studio) came up to me and asked me if I would let her take pictures of Lil' SB (apparently business was slow that day). I told her we would as long as Lil' SB was in agreement. Well, Lil' SB said she'd do it if she could take the book (of course she asked that). So...off we went to the studio. To be honest...the only reason why I agreed was because the lady offered me a free 5X7 for my time, so I thought, 'Why not?' Anyway, Lil' SB had a good time posing for the camera. Here are the results of our little adventure...

Valentine's Day

Lil' SB had a great Valentine's Day! Her class had a party (on Friday) where they decorated a valentine bag, traded cards & passed out candy. They feasted on cupcakes, cheese, chips & juice. As you can imagine, she was VERY hyper that night. On Saturday, Papa SB and I gave her a gift bag--which included a Clifford book, jelly beans (she LOVES them..thanks to Omi!), ocean & land animal trading cards and puffy stickers. She immediately requested that I read the book. After our reading session, she tore open the trading cards and 'read' each one as she 'sorted' them in 2 piles. I know Valentine's Day is such a commercialized holiday, but in our house, it is a time to spend quality time with the ones we love. My heart was (and is) full!!

First Day of Dance Class

For the past couple of months, Lil' SB has been asking to take dance at her school. I would've signed her up, but I had a hard time justifying paying an additional $50 per month for her to attend class during the school day. So...I found a Saturday class which meets at our local athletic center. Yesterday was her first class, and she couldn't have been more excited. As I helped her put on her tights and leotard she couldn't stop singing about her new activity. We arrived at the center a few minutes before class, so I could help her put on her skirt and tap shoes. When the teacher arrived, all the little girls followed her like the Pied Piper into the classroom. She asked that the parents stay in the hallway during class because we would be a distraction (I can totally understand that.). Hence, we all lined up to peer through the windows as if the girls were animals at a zoo...kinda funny to see. As I watched Lil' SB, I became emotional--my little baby is growing up. She really enjoyed herself. At times, she just danced to her own tune--not paying attention to the teacher but looking at herself in the mirror. I wasn't surprised. Well, here are a few pictures and a sweet video...

Christmas Travels

Okay...this is the last post to catch up!! Well, I know Lil' SB's Omi, Papa & other relatives will appreciate my posting of these pics. Anyway, so...for Christmas we headed out West to see Lil' SB's paternal grandparents. She was excited because it had been about 6 months since they had seen each other. Other than having a flight delay of 5 hours, it was a successful travel adventure. Here are some pictures of Christmas morning & evening...

Lil' SB excitedly unwraps presents from Santa.

Lil' SB enjoys some of the books Santa left for her.

Lil' SB found the recorder Papa SB used when he was a little boy.

Lil' SB checks out her new tap shoes & ballet shoes.

Lil' SB received a few new stuffed animals (Tigger bounces & the moose dances & sings!!)

Lil' SB reads to her Aunt.

One of the fun things about visiting Papa SB's home town is that it's also my old stomping ground. I lived there from 5th grade until after my sophomore year in high school. Anyway, Papa SB and I took Lil' SB to the local Putt-Putt where we used to hang out as middle schoolers. It was a flashback for us, but a new, exciting experience for Lil' SB. We had a blast!!!

Let's Make a Gingerbread House

Lil' SB and I took numerous trips to Target in December--she is crazy about that store!! Anyway, during one of our adventures, she spotted a box with a gingerbread house on it. I explained to her it was a kit you can buy to build your own house. Her eyes lit up! Of course, I caved in and bought it (actually, it didn't take much convincing because I was excited about the idea, too). Once we returned home, Lil' SB and I washed our hands and opened the box. Wow...so many pieces...I was hoping we wouldn't make a mess. We separated and organized all the pieces and put the candy in various dishes, and away we went. Here are some pics of our fun event...

Thanksgiving at Omi & Papa's House

I'm still catching up on my posts...so here goes. Thanksgiving '08 was an adventure to the East coast. Lil' SB and I took a plane to my parents' house while Papa SB drove (he wanted to stop to attend a college football game with his cousin). It's funny because Lil' SB has become a great, little traveler. She is so used to the process that I don't even have to tell her to take off her shoes at the security checkpoint! We keep the same routine...we take her backpack w/ her DVD player and movies along w/ several books. We always stop to get a treat...this time it was jelly beans...and take a tour of the airport while we wait to board. Anyway, here are some pictures from our vacation...

Lil' SB plays with her friend (son of my best friend)

Lil' SB hangs out with Omi

Lil' SB hangs out with her cousins on Grandma Gracie's farm

Lil' SB doesn't realize the plants are dead!

Lil' SB plays with Uncle J's hair while he reads a book

Lil' SB cleans Grandma Gracie's floor