Dog Poop and Car Water - Keep Guessing

We decided to do a little something different last week and had our playgroup at a place called Catch Air just down the road, and it was awesome! I've been to Monkey Joe's a couple of times, but there isn't much to do for someone of my wonderful age, and I constantly get run over by bigger kids at Monkey Joe's. However, Catch Air was a 19-month-old's dream come true. I could play on and with almost everything. They even have a balloon room with a fan that blows the balloons around as you chase after them! That is genius! Since playgroup was in the evening instead of the morning last week, only Selina, Boris, Lucas, and I were able to make it. We missed everyone else, but we had a blast nonetheless. We played in the ball pit, in the balloon room - of course, on the jump jumps, on the play set, with the video games, with the wagon, and even in a little us-sized gym complete with kiddie treadmills, elliptical trainers, bikes, and weight benches. Catch Air wasn't nearly as crowded as Monkey Joe's usually is, and instead of trying to run us over, one of the big kids, coincidentally named Lucas as well, took each of us on a wagon ride. How sweet is that! Even the older kids are nicer at Catch Air. I really had so much fun, and it was a nice break before dinner. In fact, we had such a fabulous time that we again had playgroup there today; most of the gang - Parker, Tyler, Lucas, Boris, Selina, and I - was able to make it this time since we met earlier. Overall, I had a blast chasing the boys around, dancing in the dark, climbing, playing in the ball pit, and running with the balloons; although, I did have a few mishaps, which included timeout for hitting Boris and Lucas, after which I had to say sorry and give each boy a kiss; a meltdown when I was torn away from the water fountain since all I really wanted to do was play in the water; and a fall under the picnic table during snack, which knocked the wind out of me and scared me; however, half of Lucas' yogurt bar and a hug from Mom made it all better. Catch Air gets two of the most enthusiastic thumbs up I've given in awhile!

On Wednesday, Mom and I tried out the pool for the first time this summer. Our pool isn't open until this weekend, so Mal invited us to Chris' pool. I was super excited about wearing my new bathing suit, hat, and cover up; however, I wasn't terribly excited about the pool itself. I mean, I liked it last summer, but I need a little time to get into it this summer. That's A LOT of COLD water! I whined consistently when Aunt Mal and Mom tried to take me in, and I refused to even let my feet skim the surface. Instead, I preferred to layout with Aunt Mal and her friends on my very own lounge chair. Mom even brought my lunch to have poolside, and I was nice enough to share one of my crackers with Aunt Mal: "Eat the dang cracker, Aunt Mal!" After a little sun bathing, a little lunch, and a little abuse waged on Aunt Mal, the boys got out a football, and my negative feelings towards the pool changed, a little bit. Chris let me throw the ball several times, so I held out my hands and willingly got into the water with him. What can I say; I'm just one of the guys. It didn't last long, but at least I got in up to my waist. After that, I did a little booty shaking poolside to the music before heading to lunch with Mom and Aunt Mal. Not a bad Wednesday, in my opinion, and Mom promises that I will like our pool even better because there is a kiddie park. We'll see about that.

Thursday was Gymboree, and like always, it was tons of fun. The new concept is side by side, so Luke and I walked on the balance beams side by side, went down the slides side by side, played in the inner tubes side by side, climbed side by side, and sat side by side. I'm not quite sure I get this concept, but maybe, it will become clearer next week. As per usual, I was beyond excited about the bubbles and the parachute, and like always, Lucas tried to sit in my lap while we were on the mat, which Mom finally captured on video. Everyone in class is starting to find our little tradition quite humorous. I also really enjoyed finding every ball in the room and taking each one to throw through the hoop; again, Dad would be so proud. I am definitely going to be a sporty gal. I was sure to get my kisses from Baby Gymbo after we all called him out of hiding, and I even found a little cubbyhole at the end of class where all of the beach balls were stashed. I decided to make it my own personal fort. Gymboree is the bomb!

Thursday got even better after dinner when Mom let me have chocolate pudding. I made sure to express my delight after each bite. As you all know, I LOVE chocolate anything!


This past weekend was so much fun! I got to play outside a lot since the weather was beautiful. On Saturday, Dad let Mom sleep in, and when Mom woke up, she found me playing in the bird bath with my diaper almost on the ground. Apparently, I had sat in my little red car, which was full of rain water, and my diaper absorbed it all, which made the diaper sag until my butt crack was in full view. I didn't seem to care, and Dad, being Dad, let me run around like that. Dads definitely let more slide! I spent most of Saturday playing outside, and later that evening, I brought Mom and Dad a little present, dog poop. I saw Dad picking it up earlier, and I was just trying to help by picking it up and carrying it over to them. Mom rushed me inside to wash my hands while I kept repeating, "Dog poop" followed by, "Ewww!" over and over. I don't know what all the fuss was about; Opie shouldn't leave it in the yard if I'm not supposed to play with it.

On Sunday, I played outside with Mom until Dad woke up. Mom filled up my water table, and I had no trouble soaking my entire body. I actually thought that my diaper had leaked, so I kept telling Mom, "Leak, leak", and she kept reminding me that it was not a leak and that I had poured about a gallon of water down the front of my body. Once Dad finally joined the realm of the living, the whole fam went to Catch Air so that Dad could see it since that is probably where I will be having my 2nd birthday party. Again, I had so much fun. I got to ride a burro, destroy some super sized Legos, jump inside of a castle, dance with a big green dinosaur, of whom I was surprisingly not afraid, and ride the spinner until I was so dizzy that I walked around like someone had put Dad-juice in my cup before falling over. I met a nice little girl, 2 months younger than me, who was named Presley, after her daddy's favorite actress Jaime Presley - a little wierd if you ask me. Mom did have to kick some much older boys out of the 4 and under balloon room for being really rough, and she also got mad at a girl, a few years older than me, who intentionally slammed me with a balloon and knocked me down; Mom told her that she is not allowed to throw things at people and that she needs to be nice to the younger kids; although, I was there, and it didn't sound quite that nice. Good thing Dad didn't see it. Where are the parents!? Even with a few older kid run-ins, we were able to make a Catch Air believer out of Dad. After playing for a couple of hours, we headed to lunch where I drew my first freehand picture, which I kept telling Dad and Mom was a portrait of Opie. On Sunday night, I also took my first shower. No one thought that I was going to like it; however, I surprised both the rents and myself. I kept walking right under the water and drenching my face, even when Mom was shampooing my hair. When asked if I wanted to get out, I kept saying, "Nooooo". I am such a big girl.





A few other firsts this weekend included counting to 11 unprompted. I have been counting higher and higher lately, and on Sunday, I simply counted to 11 without skipping any numbers; Mom and Dad were thoroughly impressed. They count with me all of the time, and I've also gotta give a little credit to my pals on Sesame Street. Speaking of pals, this weekend was the first time that Mickey Mouse made it in to my inner circle of trust. Whenever I grab Baby and Pooh, I also now grab Mickey Mouse. The three of them go everywhere with me, and I also love to arrange all three on the couch while I sit in the middle and have Mom put a blanket over us. You've got to be good to your friends. I also learned to skip, which I do all around the house when I'm not making Dad take walks around the bedroom, bathroom, laundry room circle while I hold his fingers. As soon as I see Dad, I say, "Walk, walk"; I have no idea where I get these ideas, but Dad must have been forced to take about 100 circular walks this weekend. One other lovely first this weekend happened when Mom told me no about something; I looked right at her, rolled my eyes, wagged my finger, and said, "None of that!", which is the phrase that Mom uses in the car when I start yawning. Oh, teenage years, here we come. You can witness my using the phrase appropriately in the video below, as well as my stretching and getting excited about Gymboree.


You've gotta check out my huge muscles! Be afraid; be very afraid! (Yes, I do know that my showing off the muscles looks a lot like my stretching, but it is still hilarious.)


For the last two nights, I have insisted on sleeping with a new friend: Rosie, the plastic choo-choo train. I was playing with Rosie before bed on Sunday night; when I went to lay down, Mom tried to put Rosie away, and I started crying pathetically. Mom thought that she would be able to take her once I laid down, but again, my face fell as I started crying. In the end, Rosie got to sit in the corner of the bed while I slept. Mom and Dad thought it would be a one time deal, but on Monday night, right before bed, I actively went in search of Rosie and, again, insisted that she sleep in the corner. Don't worry; Duck hasn't gone anywhere; he is still my number 1 sleep buddy. As Grandma says, I definitely have a mind of my own, and when I get something in my head, I don't easily let it go.


Yesterday we got to go and visit Mom's old friends at Roswell High School since it was a post-planning day with no students. I was a little overwhelmed by everyone who wanted to hold me and talk to me, so I stayed very quiet. I did, however, enjoy closing the big classroom doors and sitting in the desks as if I were in high school. I also got in some practice with locker combinations; I will not be the one who forgets my locker combo. Everyone was excited to see me; I even stopped by the luncheon to make sure and catch anyone I may have missed. I got a little grumpy after about 30 minutes of stopping and talking, and I took out some of my annoyance on Mrs. Steph - sorry, Mrs. Steph. I then picked up a cracker in the hallway and stuck it in my mouth as Mom ran towards me screaming, "Nooooo"; it seemed to almost happen in slow motion. Mrs. Amanda got to witness that one. I really took to Ms. Heidi, and I held her hand as we walked into the cafeteria, and I even let her pick me up: You should feel super special, Ms. Heidi, because I paid little to no attention to anyone all day. In fact, I wouldn't even look at most of the guys. All in all, it was good to see everyone but even better to run up and down the hallways. Congrats, RHS teachers, on the beginning of summer vacation; we're looking forward to many of you joining us at the pool in the new couple of weeks.














The countdown to the 3 day weekend and Grandma Purnell's birthday has officially begun!

WoofStock 2010 and More

All the regulars - playgroup, Gymboree, running, errands, etc. - were all fine and dandy last week. I am officially a Gymboree pro, and I now help lead the pack for most of the activities; I always knew that I would become a leader and not a follower. Playgroup was packed this week, and we welcomed two new moms and two new friends. Mrs. Joanne, Parker, and Grayson hosted, so thank you guys for letting us tear the house down. Mom and I have come up with a new routine on the trail, which allows us to run part of the time and socialize with the other moms while walking the other part. I call out for Luke during the entire running portion and get very excited when I spot him in the distance. We have to be extra careful though because everyone has been seeing snakes on the trail lately, and snakes are not high on my need-to-get-to-know list.

Mom and I have been super busy during the week lately with errands and social outings. Last week included lunch with Grandma. First, I ran around her office and acted shy in front of her co-workers. Pretty much only Leslie got to see a real glimpse of the true Olivia; I called out and looked around for Baby Gymbo before doing a little dance. It was good to see all of the CRI folks though. I also filled in as secretary, which required me to answer the phones, about which I was very serious, and bang on the computer. I think that I make a pretty good secretary; I mean how could a client not be excited when I answer the phone. After a the CRI experience, Grandma took Mom and me to the Peachtree-Dekalb Airport to eat at the cafe overlooking the runway. I was totally intrigued with the planes, which took off and landed while we ate; I kept saying, "Plane, plane, sky". We even got to play on the little playground right next to the runway. All I wanted to do was climb up the stairs and slide down the slide; however, I also got to fly my own little, blue airplane and go really high on the swing. Thanks for a great lunch, Grandma - oh, and for the M&Ms afterwards.

On Friday, Mom and I met Mrs. Teri for lunch, and of course, Mrs. Teri spoiled me with goodies. Mrs. Teri and Mr. Justin also came over for dinner on Friday night. Mrs. Teri spoils me with attention and lets me do whatever I want, and Mr. Justin chases me around and jokes with me, so, needless to say, I had an awesome time. Every time I fell on the floor, Mr. Justin would laugh and say, "Uh-Oh", so I preceded to run around and throw myself on the floor for his entertainment. Mrs. Teri even brought me a whole cookie cake with my name on it. Let's just say that I was on quite the sugar high before calling it a night. I love hanging with the Germanys, and I cannot wait for Baby Germany to join the fun!

On Saturday, Mom, Dad, Opie, and I met Sindy, Markus, Selina, and Rocky at WoofStock in Suwanee Park. I also went last year, and Opie has been the past 3 years. In previous years, it was called Petapooloza, but other than the name change, it was the same: Frisbee events, free treats for the dogs, vendors, dog adoptions, bands, food, and drinks. I, of course, rocked out to the bands and showed off my unique dance moves. I was a wild woman, running all over the place and jumping from one level to the next. Mom and Dad had to take turns trying to keep up with me, and it was so hot that my cheeks were bright red, but I didn't let that stop the fun. I also tried to push the stroller around the amphitheater and made sure that Selina was taken care of by keeping her yellow juice cup with her at all times. There were a few little boys next to us who caught my attention, and I attempted to play with them, but they weren't overly interested, so I ended up just following them around. Dumb, dumb boys don't know what they missed out on. I think that Opie and Rocky had a good time as well, and Rocky even made a statement while wearing Selina's pink hat. By the end of the afternoon, all I could do was just sit and take in all of the sights and sounds. I enjoyed every minute, even in the sweltering heat.

On Sunday, I got to hang with Dad and Opie while Mom attended Mrs. Stephanie Molletta's baby shower. Mrs. Stephanie is due to have a baby girl, either Madelyn or Madilyn, on June 22nd, and she looks so adorable; I know because I saw her last week. Mom said the shower was really nice and that Mrs. Sue lives in a really cool loft in the old Roswell High School building. Congrats Mrs. Steph and Mr. Eric! Miss Madi will be here before you know it.










Lots of new baby friends, and a cousin, are set to make their debuts in 2010, and I cannot wait to share all of my acquired wisdom with each and every one of them!

So Many Special Days in the Month of May

May is always an extremely busy but very fun month with special days like Aunt Mal's birthday, Dad's birthday, Mother's Day, Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Ian's anniversary, Uncle Darren's birthday, Grandma Purnell's birthday, and more. I am pretty sure that I am going to be exhausted come June, as if I'm not already. However, all of the celebrating is definitely worth the discomfort of a few car naps along the way. It's a good thing that I wore my deodorant because I am going to be doing a lot of running this month. Yay for May!


On Tuesday, May 4th, we all got together for Aunt Mallory's birthday dinner with the fam. Aunt Mal, Mr. Chris, Grandma, Aunt Steph, Mom, Dad, and I met at Ceviche, a Mexican restaurant in downtown Roswell, to celebrate Aunt Mal's turning 24. As I get older, I am less fond of sitting still in restaurants, so it has become somewhat of a battle, especially when Grandma is with us because I know that she will let me do whatever I want. The chocolate cake after dinner was definitely the best part, aside from the lap floating, which I did after the cake. I laughed with Aunt Mal and Aunt Steph, smiled with Mr. Chris, and danced with Dada. It was quite a party! Grandma thought it was funny that Mr. Chris and I have similar smiles; that's right, you apparently smile like a 1-year-old, Mr. Chris. I am always down for a mid-week, family dinner. Again, Happy Birthday, Aunt Mallory!
A quick rant from Mom:
Dear restauarant owners,
If you are going to have high chairs in your establishment, you should also have a changing area in the bathroom!
Sincerely,
Getting Super Annoyed with Restaurants in General























May 5th is not only Cinco de Mayo but also Aunt Steph and Uncle Ian's anniversary. As a present to themselves, they opened an envelope containing their baby's sex during their anniversary dinner. Drum roll, please...I am going to be the proud cousin to a baby girl come September. I could not be more excited; I've got a lot to teach my new apprentice. I may even let her borrow my clothes from time to time. Congratulations, Aunt Steph and Uncle Ian!

The first week of May continued per usual with an awesome playgroup at Mrs. Lindsi and Jackson's house, as well as a new concept for the first May Gymboree. The highlight of this week's playgroup was the little Lego wagon, in which I sat until one of the boys, Boris or Lucas, pulled me around the house. We also had one more walker to add to our group this past week, for Jackson is really on the move now. Selina and Carla decided to stay in the living room and away from all of the craziness, which was probably wise considering I found myself being attacked by a horse at one point. Playgroups can get kind of wild! Before leaving to take naps, Lucas and I turned Mrs. Lindsi's ottoman into a trampoline - so fun, so fun; thanks for letting us trash your house, Mrs. Lindsi. On Thursday, Lucas and I once again joined forces for Gymboree. This month started out with a new concept, push and pull. The Moms got to push us up ramps and slides, as well as pull us around the room on various objects. I, in turn, learned to say, "Heave, Ho" as a form of encouragement while being pulled. We even got to push the air log back and forth across the room, which was more fun than it sounds. I again participated in every activity and led the troops for most of them; my favorites include the "Pound, Pound, Freeze" song on the air log and the bubbles on the parachute. During parachute time, a bubble got stuck in my hair and stayed there for a long time. Get excited, people: I finally have enough hair in which a bubble can get stuck! Lucas then made himself comfortable in my lap for the parachute ride. That is his new thing; he likes to find me on the parachute and then back up until he is sitting in my lap. I think it is funny, so I don't mind. Towards the end of class, Lucas and I made a new friend named Caden, with whom we danced on the bridge. I even played with some of the other little girls again this week. I'm trying to expand my horizons. Playgroup and Gymboree are my two favorite parts of every week.

Like I mentioned in the last blog, Mom and I have been running and walking with the other moms as much as possible lately. Last week included a run with Mrs. Joanne and Parker. Mrs. Joanne and Mom are both getting ready for some upcoming races. Parker and I enjoyed our snacks and rocked out to a little music while Mom and Mrs. Joanne sweated. By the way, I ask for, "Mu-", short for music, everywhere I go now. To burn off the calories that we had consumed while the moms ran, Parker and I did a little running of our own at the end of the trail. Mom also joined Mrs. Joanne, Mrs. Lindsi, Mrs. Allison, and Mrs. Alisha the next day for a social walk on the trail. Parker was in school, so I was the only girl with all the boys: Jackson, Tyler, Lucas, and baby Graysen. Lucas and I had our own fun from our strollers; we held hands, tried to top one another's screams, and just laughed at each other as we strolled along. I love being outside, and I especially love being outside with friends!

The busy week was nothing in comparison to the crazy weekend. Saturday was Dada's birthday, and I was so happy that he got to celebrate on the golf course with a few of his guy friends. While Dad played golf, Mrs. Melissa joined Mom and me as we ran some birthday errands. We got Dad's cake and lots of food for a big birthday dinner. Unfortunately, we left the cake out on the counter while we ran the rest of our errands, which wouldn't have been a big deal if it hadn't been an ice cream cake. Oops! I'm pretty sure it still tasted yummy. After Dada finished playing golf, Grandma came up and watched me so that Mom and Mrs. Melissa could meet the boys for a little birthday celebration. I think Dad had a great birthday, and I even got to play in his new hammock the next morning. Happy Birthday, Dada! I love you so much; even if, you are an old man.

Sunday was Mother's Day, and Dada helped me decorate a coffee mug with my hand prints to give to Mama. I wasn't so sure about the paint on my hands, but I did like signing the card. When Mom woke up, I had pen marks all the way up my arm; now, that is one heck of a signature. Dada and I gave Mom her presents, a book, a magazine, the coffee mug, and a gift card to her favorite boutique, before getting ready to go to brunch with Grandma, Aunt Steph, and Aunt Mal. Brunch at Ray's on the River was nice - minus the no changing table, again - but the seating was even better. We got to sit right outside next to the water, and I took full advantage. I ran back and forth across the bridge, walked along the stones in the garden, and soaked up some rays with the fam. I also tried to say, "Hello" to the very serious harpist as she was playing; I was just trying to be social. I didn't eat much of the food, of course, but when everyone got dessert and I tasted the decadent chocolate cake, I got really excited. I know that Mama had a wonderful Mother's Day thanks to Dad and me. Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms, soon-to-be moms, and grandmas out there, especially my Mom, all of my Grandmas, and soon-to-be mom, Aunt Steph! I hope you all had the Mother's Day that you all so much deserve.

This is...

Super Olivia,

Rambo Olivia,

& sleepy Olivia

...signing off for now.