I am Thankful!

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. The morning started out with a parade on TV! I even got to see some of my favorite Sesame Street characters represented as huge balloons; now, that is exciting. I was extremely impressed by the marching bands, and I tried to drum along as they made their way down the parade route. I see a drum solo in my future. After enjoying the parade for quite some time, I decided to do a little chocolate pie taste test; I mean, I wouldn't want Mom to make something that didn't taste just right. It was delicious! I couldn't get enough. While on my pie sugar high, I snuck into Mom and Dad's closet and emptied every single one of their t-shirts off of the reachable t-shirt racks. Happy Thanksgiving, Mom! I just didn't think you were busy enough with all of the cooking, so I created another task just for you. Apparently, while I was napping, Dad tried to burn down the kitchen while baking his pumpkin pie. Mom only put him in charge of one edible item because she wanted her kitchen to stay neat, but he was able to create a gigantic mess and cause the oven to smoke and ooze pumpkin filling in a matter of minutes. What can I say? Dad is special!











As soon as I woke up from my nap, Mom got me dressed, and we headed to my Great Aunt Marsha's house for Thanksgiving dinner, which we enjoyed with Great Aunt Marsha, Great Uncle Ray, Haley, Cameron, Great Aunt Robin, Hannah, Aunt Mallory, Aunt Stephanie, Uncle Ian, Grandma, Great Grandma, Dave, Mom, and Dad. Aunt Marsha and Uncle Ray had tons of delicious food, and I am not exagerrating! I think that the mashed potatoes and crackers were my favorite though. I attempted to fit as many crackers as possible into my mouth as the pre-dinner entertainment. Aunt Mallory tried to taunt me with the mashed potatoes by filling up my fork but not bringing it to my mouth. How rude, Aunt Mallory! The turkey that Aunt Marsha and Uncle Ray made was also amazing! I could definitely get used to a day that revolves around eating as much as humanly possible. My Great Grandma came all the way down from West Virginia to eat with us, and it was so good to see her again. I started eating before everyone got to the table because I was starving, so by the time everyone sat down, I was done and ready to get up and keep playing, which meant that I threw a small fit and wouldn't let Mom enjoy her food. Don't you people know that we are on my schedule!? Geesh! After dinner, I got to play with Cameron and Haley in their playroom. They gave me lots of their old toys and books, which I appreciate greatly! Haley even gave me my very own ottoman - finally! Aunt Mallory, Aunt Stephanie, and Grandma showered me with tons of attention, like always. Great Grandma kept telling me that I am really strong, which means that she thinks I am solid if you get my drift. I'm just athletic, and you have to have strong legs to be as adept a climber as I! Uncle Ray chased me around a little bit, and Uncle Ian played the drums while I did a little dance. My new thing is to spin around and around until I make myself so dizzy that I stumble into things. Aunt Stephanie and Grandma got a big kick out of my new trick as I stumbled around the room like the drunk Thanksgiving guest necessary to complete every family holiday. Later in the evening, I found the dessert stash downstairs, and I was able to look pathetic enough to get a little taste from everyone. I think I ate my weight in dessert. I even licked Aunt Stephanie's plate clean. I couldn't let any of the chocolate go to waste; that would just be sacrilege. By the end of the night, I was a mess with chocolate ground into my tights, all kinds of food decorating my face, and mashed potatoes smeared through my hair; those are definite signs that I enjoyed my Thanksiving holiday. Before I left, I paid homage to my dinner roll before taking the last Thanksgiving bite that I could possibly get down. Oh my, oh my, all of the spinning, all of the sugar, all of the food, all of the attention, all of the fun, I was passed out before we even got out of their neighborhood. Thank you, Buice Family, for a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of awesome food and loving family. I hope everyone had as nice of a Thanksgiving with as much to be thankful for as I did. Yesterday, Mom and Dad were supposed to go down and watch the traditional rivalry game between their Alma Maters, UGA and GA Tech, but Mom got really sick, so they weren't able to go. Grandma did come over and play for awhile under the assumption that she was going to babysit, so that made my evening. Go Dawgs, and that is all I am going to say about that! The night ended with Dad close to tears and Mom sick and asleep but with a smile on her face.

I am thankful for my Mom and Dad, who love me more than life; a Grandma who spoils me rotten; Aunt Stephanie and her great fashion sense, which she uses to expand my wardrobe with all kinds of cool clothes; Uncle Ian and his roar face, as well as his love of music for which I share; Aunt Mallory and her ability to always make me laugh; Opie and his willingness to let me hit him on a regular basis; my princess chair and the hours of enjoyment that it has provided; my favorite foods, like bananas, mashed potatoes, Oreos, milk, corn, Graham Crackers, and pickles; the approaching 8th tooth that will help me to enjoy these foods even more; my Playgroup peeps; all of my wonderful friends and family; each day that comes with a new discovery, such as spinning in circles until I almost want to puke; my best, bedtime buddy, Mr. Duck, without whom I wouldn't be able to sleep; Mrs. Suzana, the balloon lady at Publix, as well as the cookie lady; all of the money that I am saving by not having to get haircuts; my blooming ability to communicate what I am thinking; the newfound freedom that comes with walking, which my knees very much appreciate; my innate curiosity, which gets me into trouble, and my obvious genius, as well as such much more with which I am blessed. A kiss to you all!

Speaking of what and whom for which I am thankful, I am also thankful that Mom and Dad have such wonderful friends. Last weekend, we celebrated Mr. Justin's birthday with a big dinner made by Mrs. Teri. We got to hang out with Mr. Joe, the Lambs, the Perignats, and the Bickers at the Germany residence. By the way, the kitchen looks amazing, Mr. Justin and Mrs. Teri! Mrs. Teri made pork and chicken and tons of sides; then we had cheesecake, which is Mr. Justin's favorite. Mrs. Teri had to get a little creative with the candle when she realized that she didn't have any birthday candles. Everything was really yummy, Mrs. Teri - thank you. Mr. Justin chased me around the house and tackled Brayden and me like we were football players, which made me laugh hysterically! I like being one of the boys. Mrs. Heather got down and played with Brayden and me, and at one point, there was a bit of mistaken identity when I grabbed on to Mr. Russell's legs thinking that he was Dad. Brayden fed me strawberries, and I followed him around with my mouth open like a baby bird. Once you feed me, you just can't stop. Unfortunately, Hudson wasn't feeling well, so he fell asleep early, but Brayden and I kept the party going late into the night. Mrs. Teri and Mr. Justin have the best fireplace on which to climb; Mom's just glad that it is not in our house, or I would knock out a tooth for sure. The evening was marvelous with good food and great friends. Happy Birthday, Mr. Justin; we hope your birthday was everything you wanted and more.

Now, the annual shopping must begin! With one 4 hour mall trip under my belt, I am ready for more Christmas shopping.

*Due to Mom's being sick, we are skipping the editing step tonight, so we apologize in advance for any mistakes.

The Wonder Years

I have become so curious lately, even more so than before, and my new obsession is to point. I point at everything and anything! Mom indulges my every point and names each object with which we come in contact. I am just trying to hone my verbal skills for when I can actually have a conversation. I have recently added duck, dog, yuck, and hi to my previous verbal repertoire of dada, mama, and bye-bye. I am also beginning to mimic every sound possible. Before long, I will be able to hold my own with the great conversationalists of our time, as long as they talk about ducks that is. Just wait until I start the why years, Mom!

Oh, I can now point out my eyes, nose, and sometimes, mouth! Genius, I know!

So, here is what I have been up to lately. Don't get too excited; things have been pretty quiet around these parts. Dad has still been traveling way too much for either Mom's or my liking; however, some of our favorite people have been keeping us company. Aunt Stephanie came up for dinner the Monday before last. She brought me a new dress and pants, and she showed me how a balloon can stick to hair - too cool! The only problem is that you have to actually have hair before the trick will work. I love you, Aunt Stephanie, and thank you for the new clothes. It is a good thing that she came to keep me company because that had been a rough Monday. I woke up with a temperature, and combined with my insane diaper rash, runny nose, and cough, Mom decided that it was best to head to the doctor's office. I was not of the same opinion, but I guess I don't get a vote in these matters, especially with this whole Swine Flu craziness. At the doctor's office, I remained consistent and flipped my lid as soon as the doctor walked into the room. I screamed, and I mean really freaked out, through the entire 5 minute exam! My ears, nose, and mouth are my property! I went through all of that torture just so the doctor could tell Mom that most of my symptoms are the results of teething. At least I got to enjoy looking out of the window and resting my head on the sill before the exam. On that following Tuesday, Mrs. Teri came up for dinner, and when she and Mom got me up from nap, I looked right at her and said, "Hi". I know; I am pretty impressive. She even filled the sink with water and let me splash my feet in it while Mom cleaned up dinner before giving me a bath. Mrs. Teri got to play with Mom's new camera, and she turned getting ready for bed into a photo shoot. Now, I know why Mom and Mrs. Teri are so close; they are both crazy, but in a good way! Aunt Mallory has come to see me several times over the last two weeks, which I love, and she even spent the night this past Saturday, so I got to hang out with her until nap time on Sunday morning. Aunt Mallory is pretty funny, and she is always doing something crazy to entertain me. I love you, Aunt Mallory. Grandma even babysat me on Saturday night so that Mom and Dad could go out to dinner. I hadn't seen Grandma since Halloween, so I was super excited. I did, however, cry hysterically when Dad put on his sports coat to go out because that is what he wears when he goes out of town, and I thought he was leaving me for a few days. Of course, Grandma spoiled me rotten. She brought me my very own little table and chairs as an early Christmas present for my room. I am really starting to get the hang of coloring, so perhaps this table will become my artiste's station. Thank you, Grandma. She even gave me my own bowl of strawberry shortcake after dinner; I licked that bowl clean, literally! It was so good to see you, Grandma; you are no longer allowed to stay away for two full weeks. All of the company has been great, but I still don't like Dad's leaving town at all! I have gotten really upset the past two Monday mornings when it was time for him to go because I just knew that he wouldn't be back for a few days. I literally clung to him and tried to kick Mom away at one point. Don't take it personally, Mom; I just love my Daddy. I wonder...if I sit on top of his suitcase, he can't leave, right? It's worth a try.

The best part of every week, in my opinion, is Playgroup/Moms' Lunch, which is still going strong. The week before last was at Sindy's house, and Lucas and I were too excited to see each other! We could not stop kissing; we even kissed through the curtains! He is my best boy-friend but not boyfriend, people. Tyler came and played as well. He is actually taller than me, which is rare. I can see my boys and me becoming the 3 Musketeers...or the 3 Stooges; it could go either way. Another new addition to the group is Mrs. Tina and Carla, who is a little younger than Jackson and Selina, but she is ready to play, nonetheless. Thanks for hosting, Sindy. This past week, Playgroup was at our house, so I got to show off all of my toys. Selina is crawling now, and Jackson is starting to scoot, so it won't be long until we are all getting into everything together. Lucas and Tyler weren't able to make it, but I made a new friend, Colt. He is an older man, dontcha know! He is 2, and his new little sister, Marley, is 8 weeks old. It was so nice of them to join us! We had an awesome time, and he was able to find toys that even I didn't know I had. Welcome to the group, Mrs. Maggie, Marley, Colt, Mrs. Tina, and Carla!

I have recently found my true passion in life, climbing! I attempt to climb everything now, and I am getting pretty good at it if I do say so myself. Mom caught me moving boxes around the other day to build my own scaffold so that I could turn the living room light on and off. She had to spend the better part of this week teaching me how to carefully turn around backwards and climb down. I guess she wasn't really impressed by my new habit of climbing up onto something and then screaming hysterically until she came and helped me get back down. I have spent an exorbitant amount of time hanging out on the trunk in the corner of the living room lately; it makes a great dance stage, as you can see below. Sorry that you have to endure Mom's rendition of the "Super Readers" song while you watch the video! I also spent about 45 minutes this past Wednesday night using Mom's knee to climb up onto the couch so that I could jump, or fall, across each cushion like my own personal trampoline, turn around, and slide back down before starting the whole process again. It was so much fun, and I laughed the whole time! Mom and Dad had never seen me that hyper. Perhaps rock climbing instructor or Cirque du Soleil trampolinist is in my future.

Here are a few other tidbits from the last couple of weeks:

I found a new place for my princess chair. I was able, after a lot of pushing and screaming, to get my chair underneath the side table. Then I tried my darndest to sit in it while it was under the table! What? You don't see the logic here?! Geesh!

Mom now lets me walk around when we go to Target or Publix for only an item or two. Did you know that people leave little spaces open on the bottom shelf just for me to sit on while I make my way through the store!? How sweet. It does take about 20 minutes to get down one aisle, but I am worth the wait. A girl has got to rest now and then.

I love our backyard; although, I did bust my butt trying to get from the patio to the grass today. We still have a few flowers; even though, it is already November. I must be a lot like Mom in the respect that we both love to bask in the sun. Just so you know, Dad insists on dressing me on Saturdays; it is not my fault.

Opie and I are still living the life! We share all of our toys, which actually means that I steal his toys directly from his mouth, but he loves me anyways.

I have been trying out different wardrobe options lately. Do a beret and a neck tie go together? I kept checking myself out in the mirror, but I just couldn't decide which looks better. I wish Opie would just give me some honest fashion advice already! * By the way, I fell and busted my lip while trying to run yesterday, hence the booboo under my bottom lip. I got to eat ice cream while sitting on the kitchen floor, and Mom almost passed out - just a day in the life of a daredevil.

Oh, and please, hit me up on Mom's cell phone anytime. I can never get too many calls. I'm a girl, for goodness sakes! By the way, Dad is the exception to the rule that only girls love talking on the phone. The holiday season begins next week, and I cannot wait! Have a Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!