Hi...(in a breathy, quiet, southern voice)

(Posted on Sunday, January 24)
I've had two lovely weeks, and I've hung out with some of my great friends and family this week and last. Playgroup was at Alisha and Tyler's house last Thursday, and I gave Jackson multiple kisses, which put a huge smile on his face; he just couldn't get enough. Lucas and I got into our first fight; he hit me on top of my head, and I cried hysterically. It didn't really hurt; I just wanted to make him feel bad. His mommy put him in timeout before he came over and gave me a kiss to say sorry. It's okay, Lucas; I'm sure it is only the first of many arguments, some of which I will undoubtedly start.

The Tuesday before last, Mom and I headed to Grandma's house and had dinner with Grandma, Aunt Stephanie, and Aunt Mallory while Dad went out with his good friend and a soon-to-be father Mr. Monroe - we can't wait, Throwers. It was the first time that I had seen Aunt Stephanie since she got back from New York, and it sounds like she and Uncle Ian had an awesome time, which makes me happy. Aunt Mallory and Mom got to go through a bunch of Aunt Steph's old clothes, about which Mom was super excited. I even got my own little purse from Aunt Stephanie; I love to throw it on my shoulder as I walk to the door and say, "Bye"; however, it doesn't stay on very well, so I have to keep my arm raised. Baxter gave me tons of kisses, and Grandma snuck me some Oreos - thanks, Grandma.

On that following Saturday, I was thrilled to get together with an old friend when Mrs. Joanne, Mr. John, and Parker came over for dinner. Parker is going to become a big sister in March, and I cannot wait to meet little Grayson; Congratulations Louiseau family. I was pumped to show them my own room and new playroom, which I demonstrated by running around the upstairs, falling on the floor, and laughing hysterically; I do like to show off whenever I take anyone upstairs. Parker can crawl now, and we had a ball crawling around the house - yes, I reverted to crawling - and playing with all of my toys. Parker and her parents even brought me a Sit and Spin for Christmas, which was so sweet, and I love it! Parker and I took turns falling off of it and even sat on it together. I haven't quite figured out how to spin it on my own, but I love it when someone else spins me. Opie had a field day giving Parker kisses, and Parker even went to bed in my old Pack and Play so that the grown ups could hang out for awhile. Thank you guys for coming, and thank you so much for my Sit and Spin; I'll try not to end up in the hospital, Mr. John.

On Sunday, Aunt Mallory and her friend, Hillary, came over to go through some clothes from Mom's college glory days before Mom gets rid of them all - I can't wait until I am big enough to get in on the family clothes trade! Anyways, Aunt Mallory kept copying the way that I say hi and bye. She thinks that I sound very southern, and Aunt Stephanie thinks that I sound like Marilyn Monroe; I hope both are compliments. I also got to see my Godfather that Sunday when he came to hang out and play Poker with Dad. It was a nice, lazy Sunday around the house. The following day was MLK Jr.'s birthday, so Dada got to stay home again. I love long weekends just as much as the rents do! In fact, Dad got up with me so that Mom could sleep in on Monday morning, and before he knew it, I had torn up one of my interactive books and somehow pulled the toilet paper from the bathroom, through the closet, through the laundry room, and into the kitchen without breaking the strand. Now, that is talent!

This past Thursday was an insanely hectic day. First, I headed to my 15-month checkup, unbeknownst to me. I was totally fine in the waiting room, and I even tried to play with an older little boy who wanted nothing to do with me and kept telling me that I couldn't touch any of the kiddie chairs. I tried the kill-him-with-kindness-and-smiles approach, but he didn't budge. Things only got worse as I headed back to the exam room. I'm no dummy; I knew exactly what was up! I started screaming the moment one article of clothing came off, and I did not stop until the clothes were back on and we were walking towards the exit. I even sobbed hysterically while Mom was holding me and asking the doctor questions. I hate going to the doctor! Dr. Silverman said that I should be a redhead because I am so strong-willed, but he also said that he thinks being strong-willed is a good thing because strong-willed children tend to be very determined and go further in life - his words, not mine. He was probably just trying to make Mom feel better. He was very impressed by my set of lungs! I tried to rip the stethoscope off of my chest and the magnifier out of my ear. Then the nurse commented on my incredibly strong legs as I made sure that the shot process was all but impossible. I know what I like and what I don't like, and I am not afraid of letting anyone know! My new aspiration is to become a doctor so that I can check myself out and avoid the horrid doctor's office - paging Dr. Olivia. Here are this month's stats on tall, lean moi: I am 31.75 inches tall and in the 85% for height; I weigh 22 lbs. and 8 oz., which drops me down to the 43%; and my head circumference did not move from my 1-year-checkup, so it is still 18 inches, but that drops the percentile down to 44th. Looks like I am on my way to supermodel status - tall and skinny. As the doctor and nurse were leaving the room, I started waving and shouting, "Bye...Bye...Bye" through my ridiculous sobs. I was basically letting them know that it was time for them to go, but they thought it was hilarious - how rude! I left the office scarred once more with hives all over my face. When we got to the car, Mom asked if I wanted to go see Lucas, and I shook my head yes with almost violent force. I was not happy with Mom though! (Side note from Mom: As we drove, Olivia put her head down but looked up at me from underneath her eyelashes; every time she took a bite of her snack, she would say, "Yum" in this almost possessed sounding voice. I really tried not to laugh since I knew that she was demonstrating the extent of her discontent as best she could.) As a way of making up for the grave injustice to which I had just been submitted, Mom took me straight to playgroup. My face was still red and blotchy, but seeing all of my friends helped to brighten my day. Mrs. Allison gave me Thin Mint cookies to ease the pain, and I got to ride Lucas' motorized car. Lucas and I shared our snack and enjoyed each other's company on the stairs away from the craziness; Tyler joined us for a few minutes after he finished his lunch, but he wasn't really feeling the vibe. Thanks to all of my best buddies for making me feel so much better! Grandma even came up to see me on Thursday night to end my day of ups and downs on a high note. I always love seeing Grandma!

By the way, the verbal milestone that the doctor presented for a 15-month-old is roughly 3 - 6 words, and I currently know about 15 words, including Mama, Dada, duck, bath, snack, hi, bye, jui- (for juice), mil- (for milk), turtle (that's how much I like my turtle, Grandad Kendig and Grandma Trish), Pooh (whom I prefer wears underwear now), eye, shoe, sock, ball, uh-oh, button, Steph (as of yesterday), and I am working on Opie. I have even perfected the art of lifting my finger to my lips and telling Opie to, "Shhhh" whenever he barks, which is all the time; I tried this same trick on Mom the other day when she told me, "No", but I don't think she thought it was quite as cute. Anyways, perhaps my verbal skills are better than I thought. My other skills are developing by leaps and bounds as well; I can point to most of my body parts, and I've also learned how to give doggy kisses by sticking my tongue in and out really fast like a dog. I did try to give a random dog at the park a kiss the other day before Mom had to talk to me about the importance of not kissing random dogs.

Yesterday, which was Saturday, Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Ian came up to see me, and they brought really good pizza! Aunt Stephanie never comes empty handed, which is a woman after my own heart, so she brought me a book, some old-fashioned Valentine's Day cards, and a t-shirt from NY that is meant to say 'Je t'aime NY' with a heart for the t'aime. I discovered Uncle Ian's beard, and Uncle Ian taught me how to run into things with my ball popper and say, "Bump", which is so funny. I insisted Aunt Stephanie carry me around everywhere, and she happily obliged. They even brought chocolates from the Chocolaterie near our house. I love chocolate, as you all know; I downed two truffles while doing a little jig. I was even able to cute my way into part of a big peanut butter cup. I tried for the rest of the evening to get a little more, but no one would succumb to my powers of persuasion. Thank you for coming and hanging out Aunt Steph and Uncle Ian, and thank you so much for all of my goodies. You guys always spoil me, which I don't mind in the least.

Some other fun things from the past two weeks include a lovely sunset ride with Lucas. He picked me up in his wagon; I brought the juice and snacks; he brought the blanket, and we enjoyed a nice stroll down to the park. It was very romantic, with the exception of his parents and my Mom going with us, but I guess someone had to pull the wagon. Jackson came over after our walk on Friday, and I showed off my room and playroom, like always. Sorry that I pushed you over when you touched my wall, Jackson, and sorry that I got so angry when you touched my arm and played with the sign on my closet door, and I'm not just sorry because I got timeout. Sharing is becoming a weak point for me, but I am trying to work through it. I spent more time lounging in my toy box this week and a little time in the laundry basket - I was having a hard time separating the clothes from the outside. I've been going to the park on nice days, and I chased down a little 18-month-old boy named Micah the other day while frantically waving and saying, "Hi" as he ran from me; he did share his tennis ball with me at one point but otherwise totally ignored me, and I am not the type of girl to let myself be ignored. I have gone into a little bit of a Mommy mode lately, which has made Dad sad, but before you know it, I'll be a teenager, and Dad will be my hero while Mom is the bane of my existence, so she's gotta get her time in now. I insist on wearing shoes all the time now, even around the house, and I prefer my boots to all others. Two of my current favorite toys include a measuring spoon and a pot lid; I am just too grown up for the hundreds of toys awaiting me in my playroom. I like to stir the pot lid, take a drink, and then give thanks.

All in all, the last two weeks have been great, with the exception of the doctor's visit and a little rain here and there. By the way, the weather in this place is crazy! It snows one weekend and then hits the mid-50s the next week. Anyways, I hope the fun never stops.

So Much Holiday Fun!

So, the best holiday ever has now come and gone, and boy, do I have A LOT to show for it! I could probably open my own toy store at this point. However, the holidays weren't all about gifts; I got to spend some great quality time with some of my favorite family and friends. Since I haven't had a post in awhile - I know some of you are crying on the inside - I will try and keep this concise; although, I doubt that I will succeed. First things first - Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! Christmas truly is a magical time of year. On Christmas Eve, Mom, Dad, and I got all dressed up and went over to Grandma's house, which is the tradition in our family. Grandma has a big Christmas Eve party every year with all of our closest family and friends. This year was a little lacking since we were missing some very important Christmas Eve regulars, like Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Ian, who were in New York; Grandma Kendig, who was unable to make it from Arizona; Mrs. Sharon and Mr. Carl; Godmom Kate, who moved to Louisiana this year; Grandpa Purnell, who lives in West Virginia now; and Miss Stephanie Wolf, who had to go home to Minnesota early on Christmas Eve; therefore, Christmas Eve wasn't quite the same, but we definitely made the best of it. I loved looking at all of the pictures from holidays past, which Grandma had put all over her house. Grandma made tons of good food and, more importantly, desserts, and we opened all of our gifts, except of course the gifts from Santa and family who was not present. I got so much stuff that I couldn't even name all of it if I tried. In fact, we opened presents in such a frenzy that I didn't even really know what I had gotten until the next day. Grandma got me my very own little bike with a bell and everything; Great Aunt Marsha and the Buices got me so many wonderful gifts, like a barn with animals that make noise, a fairy princess outfit that I refused to wear, and my very own laptop; Great Grandma Jenkins got me an interactive kitchen; Aunt Mallory got me a pink Lucky sweatsuit, and I got so much more! I had a wonderful time playing with Cameron and Haley, entertaining the masses, eating cookies, and hanging out with Grandma that by about 9:30, I was done. I made a quick wardrobe change into pajamas and laid down until Mom and Dad were ready to go at the end of the night. Unfortunately, that means I missed the annual Christmas pajama tradition; hopefully, one day I will get to join Mom, Grandma, and the Aunts in this silly rite. I was so excited about Santa's arrival that I didn't even sleep during the entire 30 minute drive home at midnight; unfortunately, I didn't stay awake long enough, and he came shortly after I found myself snug in my own bed and back in dreamland. Mom thinks that Christmas Eve is the best day of the year, and I totally agreed with her until...

...Christmas morning!!!! Holy Cow! As soon as I came downstairs with Dad, I saw all of the wonderful things that Santa Clause had brought for me because I was such a good girl this year - sorry, I couldn't upload the video due to its length, but just know that I went straight for the drum set and refused to put the drum stick down even as I was opening my other gifts. Some of the highlights included the full drum set, a Winnie the Pooh plane, which I insisted Pooh ride with me, a vacuum cleaner, and a sit and spin, which I have yet to fully open. I also got my own table and chairs from Grandma Purnell. I then began opening gifts from Mom and Dad, Granddad Kendig and Grandma Trish, Grandma Kendig, and Grandpa Purnell, which took at least two hours. I was so excited that I even helped open Mom and Dad's gifts. I have so many people who love me and the present stack to prove it. I got so many wonderful gifts that Mom had to turn the loft into a playroom! I can't even begin to skim the surface of all that I got, so here is a picture that includes all of my gifts. I just want to tell everyone thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. After the exciting morning and a much needed nap, Grandma Purnell and Aunt Mallory came over for Christmas dinner and a movie. Dad fixed steaks, a rib roast, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and corn souffle. It was delicious! I got to play with Aunt Mallory, and Grandma read me several books before I had to say goodnight and goodbye to my second Christmas. Christmas really is a magical time of year, and I cannot wait for next year!

On the Tuesday after Christmas, we had Great Grandma Jenkins and her boyfriend, David, up for dinner. Grandma and Aunt Mallory also joined us. It was nice to show off my room and playroom to my Great Grandma since I don't get to see her very much; she lives in West Virginia. Great Grandma brought me the most beautiful silver booty Christmas ornament with the engraving, 'Olivia Lee: Hugs and Kisses: Great Grandma Jenkins' on the bottom; thank you, Great Grandma, you spoiled me way too much over Christmas. We had a lovely dinner and watched the football game; then the grown ups played cards after I went to bed. It was another nice evening during the holiday season.

Thursday was New Year's Eve and proof that the fun just doesn't stop during this time of year. Grandma came over to watch me while Mom and Dad went to dinner, and she brought me party favors to ring in the new year, which, sadly, I didn't stay up to enjoy. Grandma was very surprised when I was able to immediately figure out how to blow the party favors - genius, I'm telling you! Mom and Dad went to a nice dinner at their fav restaurant up in the boonies, Casa Nuova, while I had an awesome time hanging out with my Grandma. Then Mom and Dad came back to watch the ball drop and ring in the new year with Grandma. Happy New Year to everyone! I see 2010 being a big year for me and, hopefully, for you all. We are looking forward to many big things to come in 2010, like the arrival of MBTIV, the newest member to the Thrower family; Mom and Dad's 5th anniversary, which they will celebrate in Napa Valley, thanks to Grandma Purnell's willingness to babysit me; the arrival of the Lamb family's newest member, as well as a new member to the Molletta family; my second birthday and the ability to fully communicate what I am thinking, as well as so much more! My New Year's resolution - grow some molars so that I can have a big steak, grow some hair so that people stop calling me a boy, and learn to use that big seat called the toilet so as to warrant my desire to shred the toilet paper and ability to flush the thing. Here's to 2010! Cheers - apple juice only, please!










































To start 2010 off with a bang, it snowed! I mean we actually got snow that stuck for more than 24 hours. This was a first for me, seeing as the only snow I have seen up until now was small flakes that disappeared almost as soon as they hit the ground. At first I wasn't so sure about the snow; I mean - it is cold and wet, which doesn't exactly translate fun to me. However, by the next day when the ground was totally covered, I started to really enjoy it. Not even my bike could keep me inside; check out the awesome tights, sweater, onesie, and socks getup, and that's before I added the pants, coat, mittens, hat, scarf, and boots! Oh, it was just like that movie "A Christmas Story". I like pushing the snow off of the furniture so that I can watch it flutter to the ground and all over Opie. The snow makes Opie really hyper, and he loves to run around in it, which is hilarious. The only downfall to the snow is that it makes it really hard to walk, oh, and it doesn't allow for as much outside time. Can we figure out how to have snow in the summer? I hate getting so bundled up that I can barely move, and the cold weather makes my cheeks chapped and red - we are going through the spectrum of lotions right now to find one that works. The snow was worth it though!

Some other things that have been going on:

I have really been helping Mom get the house cleaned after the mass chaos of the holiday season. I am very good at dusting, and whenever she vacuums now, I run and get my vacuum cleaner so that I can help her. I try to do what I can to keep things straightened since I know Mom is a bit obssessed; I pick up the leaves around the indoor tree and put them in the pot every morning; I throw away my diapers after being changed; I put mine and Opie's toys away in the correct baskets, sometimes; I go and get my cup when Mom asks for it, and I just help out whenever I can. I know; I am just that good!

I've been hanging out with my Godfather, James. He is so much fun! He chases me around and plays Peek-A-Boo with me. He has three young nephews, so he gets it. By the way, Happy Belated Birthday, James!

I watched the not-so-triumphant Georgia Tech bowl game with Dad, the Wheelers, and Mrs. Teri. Luke and I had a grand time running around the house and playing in my new playroom. Luke even brought his drill over, and I tested my GA Tech engineering skills. I don't think that engineering is my chosen path, but I am keeping an open mind; I was, however, obsessed with the drill. Luke loved my vacuum cleaner. Luke is learning to use the potty, so he spent the majority of the evening without his pants on because it is easier that way; that's right, I like a mature man...apparently, with no pants - kidding, Dad. I was so excited about having Luke over that I started running too quickly and busted my mouth, again! I have got to stop running with my sippy cup because my gums are paying the price. My little injury did result in strawberry, yogurt popsicles for Luke and me. That's right - I took one for the team; you can thank me later, Luke. I made my cheese face, which I do on command now, several times to lighten the mood as the Jackets played, but it was to no avail. I'm sorry Tech lost, Da-Da, but I had fun hanging out with everyone.

































This past Wednesday, Mom and I took Mrs. Lisa out to lunch for her birthday. Mrs. Teri joined us, and we even got a big piece of chocolate cake to celebrate. There is no shame in my game; I will absolutely admit that I dance for chocolate. Every time Mom gave me a bite of cake, I danced in the booth. Everyone, including the lady behind us, thought it was hilarious, and we all know that I love to entertain. I wonder where I get this obsession for chocolate? Oh yeah, that's right, I'm related to Aunt Stephanie! I continued on a sugar high for about 30 minutes until crashing during the 5 minute ride home. Thanks for the iPhone pictures, Mrs. Teri. Happy Birthday, Mrs. Lisa! I hope it was wonderful because you deserve it, and I cannot wait to meet your little one! (By the way, Mom forgot to get a picture of you and your adorable belly, so you have to hang out with us again this week!)

The majority of my time recently has been spent playing with all of my new toys in my new playroom. I love to play the drums, ride my bike, fight with Opie over everything, and do some necessary work on my laptop while sitting at my table. I'm a busy woman; I've got a blog to update! I've been staying in shape with daily basket excersises and going up and down the stairs about 10 times a day to get to my playroom. I think that my favorite new toy has to be my Winnie the Pooh plane; you win the bet, Dad. I put my feet up and just wait for one of the rents to fly me around the house. I've got so much to do now and not enough time in the day to do everything; therefore, I dropped a nap to allow for more playtime. I'm a one nap girl now!









































I am still enjoying my weekly playgroup. This week was at Mrs. Maggie, Marley, and Colt's house. Colt is two, so he has big kid toys! I barely made it in the door before I spied his Big Wheel and immediately jumped on for a ride. I had that sucker going all over the room before Mom even realized that I was on it; I didn't even have time to take off my coat. I realized at that moment that I do not have everything; I need my own car. I know, I know, Mom and Dad thought they had at least 14 more years before they heard those words, but I have learned that it is never too early to become an independent woman. Luke, Colt, and I ran around, cleaned the floors, and played contently while the little kids, Jackson, Selina, and Carla, hung out, and Marley played on her playmat. During the playgroup, it started snowing, and we all stood at the window to watch the snowflakes come down. I love my bestest friends!






I am also talking all of the time now! Some of my conversations are just for me, but I am also learning to talk so that the grown ups can understand. I can now say juice, minus the -ce, Pooh, and my favorite, hi. I love to say, "Hi", and I always wave while saying it. I even say, "Hi" when someone is on the phone. The first person to whom I spoke on the phone was Grandma, followed by Aunt Stephanie. I learn a new word every few days now, and I am trying to copy everything the rents say, so Dad has to start watching his mouth. I have even learned to shake my head yes; although, I prefer to shake my head no. I can pretty much communicate whatever I want; even if, I don't have the right words to articluate the want or need - screaming works great. For instance, I let Dad know that when he is home from work, his job is to carry me around the house, constantly. I still love reading and insist on at least two books every night; my current favorites are Pekaboo Kisses, Olivia, and any book with which I can feel or interact. Mom's favorite is I'll See You in the Morning, which is kind of mushy, but I indulge her every now and then. Mom still sings to me all of the time, and I join in when I can. I love when she sings "Wild Thing" so that I can join in on the do, do part; I also like "You Spin Me Right Round", during which I spin around until I am too dizzy to walk, as well as "She is Love", "The Itsy, Bitsy Spider", and all other nursery rhymes or anything with a strong beat. I always stop dead in my tracks whenever there is a commercial set to a song; therefore, I am very excited about season 9 of American Idol. Oh, I have also decided that my toychest makes for a great place to get away from it all; I spent a large portion of the last two days barking orders, as well as saying, "Hi", from the comforts of my toybox.


Now that the holiday season has come and gone, I am so wornout that I can barely keep my eyes open. I need some well-earned rest and relaxation on the couch to recuperate from the holiday craziness, of which I loved every minute!