Santa's little helper

My holiday gift to you.

If you haven't already decorated your tree, I could loan you a helper.

(Note: May need to borrow your ladder)

And you could knock off your holiday baking at the same time...

(Warning: she eats as much as she frosts)

Evidence that it's a long-standing issue: 2008 Christmas cookies

Of course you are!

Bitty Girl is suddenly interested in letter sounds, mostly thanks to the Sound of the Week in preschool. This week was "C," so they were talking about cupcakes and construction and cats.

At dinner tonight she was making the hard "c" sound, saying "cat, cut, cookie, cracker..."

I said, "And what are you drinking from?" (Thinking she'd say CUP, of course.)

Bitty Girl: "A STRAW!"

And she was. But at least she didn't tell me that straw doesn't start with "c."

The future of Dancing with the Stars

Impromptu dance party, requested by the dancing girl..




She's out on the deck, dancing to "I Feel the Earth Move" by Carole King. A family favorite of Daddy's when he was little, passed down to another generation!

I had to film through the kitchen window or she never would have danced that long - notice the look I get at the end. But I think the half-lidded eyes is just where I cut off the video.

Warning to all future Baryshnikovs

Today while Bitty Girl was admiring herself in the mirror or washing her hands or ripping out the ponytail I had so carefully put in, I came in to find her with spit drooling down her chin.

"No spitting," I said. "That's gross."

Bitty: "But I'm a ballerina, Mommy!"

Mommy (thinking I might be able to use this ballerina thing to my advantage):
"Oh, no. Ballerinas are graceful and polite. Ballerinas don't spit."

Bitty: "Well, this one does."

More big than Bitty

(No, this is not his first day of school outfit. He starts next week)

Bitty Girl went to preschool today. Same classes where her brother went two years ago.

Actual conversation on Tuesday:

Brother: "I think Bitty Girl is going to be a little more nervous than I am this year because she's going to a new school and I'm just going into a new class."
Bitty Girl: "I'm not nervous!" (scampers away giggling)

And she really wasn't. Just tired. Good thing she doesn't go again until Tuesday.

Lots of kids, mostly boys, crying. She went right for the ponies and didn't give me a second look.

The "Special Dinner for the Night Before School Starts," Part I

(Part II comes Monday for her brother)

She requested the flowers on the table, eating in the dining room, macaroni & cheese, soft carrots with brown sugar sauce, strawberries, and chocolate cake with pink frosting and lots of writing on it.

RIP

Time for zucchini hospice. We seem to be losing the battle to powdery mildew as the zucchini season winds down.

I googled some info and have sprayed a milk/water solution on it, but it doesn't seem to be working. We tried to trim some of the big leaves to get it more light, and then trim off some of the dead leaves, but it's just not looking good.

Chalk it up to a new gardener who will catch it faster next year, I guess. Anyone w/suggestions, let me know...

Audrey Junior, we have enjoyed all your zucchini this summer. You were such a surprise to us - we had no idea you would grow so fast or so big.

Just a few short weeks ago, you looked like this:

And now, I can barely even look at what you've become. We're sorry we weren't able to take better care of you at the end. We'll do better next time.

On a more positive gardening note, our tomatoes are still growing like crazy.

We had aphids nearby and I used some organic Neem oil spray that seemed to work.

Please join us in bidding farewell to Audrey Jr. the zucchini .

We hope she'll make great compost, even with the mildew issue.

Somehow Seaside Survived

Danger Girl, out for a spin on the Promenade at Seaside.
Many unsuspecting vacationers thought they were just out for a stroll on a cloudy August morning.

(cue foreboding music...)

Little did they know they barely escaped being mowed down by a pink Princess Huffy with rainbow streamers. At least the training wheels rattle so you can hear her coming!

Did you catch the absolute GLEE in her eyes as she sped up (doing her "magic trick") and whizzed past us? You might have missed it because of her extreme speed. Yes, we really had to run to catch up.

We are in trouble. Very soon. Capital T.

And on the Danger flip side... The Boy, perfecting his tricks. Guaranteed to make his mother's, grandmother's, and great-grandmother's heart skip a beat.