I'm a Mermaid!

I wanted to be one thing for Halloween...a MERMAID. Well, I did have a very brief moment when I wanted to be Gene Simmons (Mom's note: she saw KISS on a Scooby episode, then the next day saw a kid dressed as Gene, so she ALMOST changed her mind...after quick consideration of either having a dress she could keep or make up that would be washed off at the end of the night, the "dancing dress" won!), but I was a mermaid. I even got to help Mom pick out the fabric for my tail. Daddy got in on the act by making the scallop shells for my top!

I had a great time visiting Mom's friend, Tina. We were supposed to stop there briefly, then trick-or-treat her neighborhood, but we spent too much time at her house. It was okay, Tina & Mike gave me a whole bowl of candy, so my Disney Princess treat sack was quite heavy!

We also stopped at Aunt Dan & Auntie Karen's where I learned what people give when they forget to buy candy (and it wasn't a stapler, laundry detergent, or twin-pack of potato chips like Mom & Daddy said)! Gram G & Boppa had some candy plus DILLY BARS! What a great night...

How many bracelets does a mermaid need anyhow?!?

Picnic in the Park

Today we picked Daddy up from work and brought him a picnic lunch. It was fun to see him during the day...and he enjoyed the being in the park more than in the office! I got to play on the slides, but of course, found the puddles near the fountain to be the most fun. Mom kept reminding me that the sign says NO SWIMMING, so I didn't climb in there. I really wanted to though!
This is how we looked by the time we got home...
My latest trick..."STOP! I don't want my picture taken."

What a Great Day!

It was such a nice day, Daddy came home early so we could have some fun. We headed to the beach. Mom and I swam way out while Daddy stayed in the sand by Delaney. We had lots of fun splashing, crab walking, spinning, and my favorite -- just floating on my fish floatie.
I love to run on the beach!
We've been watching the "cherries" on this tree all summer, just waiting for them to turn red. While I was in Canada, Mom noticed they looked pretty good...and weren't actually cherries.
"Don't sit under the APPLE tree with anyone else but me..."
They're tiny apples, but still apples!

Moments in Canada

Indoor fun on a cold, rainy day: Elmo games with Auntie Sherry at the PBS site.

Grandma's Pepsi cooler makes a nice stool so I can help wash dishes. Plus, I thought it was a great spot to hide all my toys.

It wasn't the warmest of days, but I had to get swim at least once. Grandma made me go straight to the shower because I was turning purple and blue by the time I got out of the lake! This is my suit with out the floaties on it...

I've gotten too big for the kitchen sink, and I don't always like showers. Grandma found a special bathtub just for me. I love it!

More fun with Auntie Sherry...

I stayed for a week, and didn't miss Mom & Daddy enough to call home.

After getting home, I started a new game. I like to drive all my little people past their police station. They have to stop at the gate and show their passports.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA MARY

Happy Birthday to my Grandma Mary. Not too long ago, we had a fun day at the fair...so I thought I would share one f my favorite pictures with Grandma again.



When I come home from Canada, we'll go celebrate your special day!

Back to Canada

There I was, all ready to go. Nothing could stop me. Even knowing I probably leaving before they got home, I barely waved at Mom when she left to take Delaney to the doctor. Ha! Grandma G had a few more things to do at work...Mom was back, I missed my nap, and forgot lunch long before we left. I kept telling people I needed to go to Canada, and I needed to get in the boat, but we were still in Minnesota. Finally we got on the road around 4:30. We stopped for lunch and snacks along the way, and before the border the anxiety of the day took it's toll. Let's just say I burped...all over this pretty pink dress! Hey, don't tell a girl she's going to Canada then wait all day to get on the road!
It was late, late, late when we got here, but at least I'm in Canada at last.

Meet Toby

This is Toby, the sheltie. He recently came to live with Star & Colter at Auntie Karen & Aunt Dan's house. He's a sweet puppy, and fun play fetch & chase with.

He's still a little shy with most of adults, but there's something about Daddy...

My Week With Kiana

Pat & Lisa had to go out of town for a few days, so Kiana got to stay with us. Mom thought it was perfect timing since I've been talking a lot about how Kiana & I played in her yard last summer.

I took very good care of her. I remind Mom & Daddy she needs pills, pet her with my feet, and even dumped her whole bag f food into a dish for her so she wouldn't get hungry...Daddy came to stop me a bit too late!

I wanted some pictures of me in Lisa's gardens, just like last year. I told Mom this was my rock, and said cheese until she finally took my picture.

Daddy took me along when it was time to take her home on Sunday. We played a little more. We love to play!

Chase me!

Of course, I had to take another tiptoe through the flowers. I am very careful not to step on any plants.

I took such good care of Kiana, Lisa found the perfect present for me: a Cinderella purse plus a Disney Princesses brush/mirror set. Before we leave the house, while Mom packs Delaney's bag, I put whatever I want (or fits) in my "Cinderelly, Cinderelly" purse...toys, extra big girl pants, my Ariel phone, etc.

What's For Breakfast?

Today I woke up early with just one thing on my mind. At 8:30, I asked Mom for "pah-sketti" for breakfast. She said we should wait until lunch, and we could have something else for breakfast. I decided to eat a few crackers and have my yogurt, but soon I was telling her we should have pah-sketti. She tried to sidetrack me with ravioli or even farfalle, but I knew what I wanted. I took off my Tinkerbell jammie top, stating I didn't want sauce on Tink, then sat down and waited... So here we are at 9:45 AM eating our pah-sketti right at the kitchen counter!

Artisan Fair

Mom & Daddy were wondering what to do Sunday since we had been going to the fair every night all week. Daddy remembered it was the day of the Artisan Fair. This is my third year going, and my third picture at this sign. Mom was going to take one of me and Delaney, but I wanted my own.

We get to see lots of my relatives here. Grandma Mary makes soap, Great-Gommie gives tours of the old resort cabin, Great-Grandpa Leo runs the Loggers Camp, Great-Uncle Michael hangs in the saloon selling root beer, and Great-Uncle Tony makes things from diamond willow.

I was glad to have on a dancing dress! I twirled around and around listening to the great musicians.

Daddy and his little princesses sitting near Grandma's soap making station.

I liked to watch the blacksmiths. Especially this one who was about nine. He was there working with his grandpa.

Me adding to the music at the blacksmith booth. First I was just tapping on the triangle, but then someone else came along and showed me how to do the dinner call. Monkey see, monkey do...

Daddy parked the buggy where I could see the park, so I really wanted to go on the slides. Mom said after the Artisan Fair. We went back so I could play for a while before dinner.

The first time I ever came to the park, we forgot the camera, so no one could take any dam pictures. Ever since, we always make sure to bring it so we can take as many dam pictures as we want. This was the only dam picture we took today.

We did take a dam critter picture though. This little guy was very entertaining. We watched him catch fish, run around the rocks, and dive into the water.

I think he liked having his picture taken!

We ended our long, fun day going to dinner with most of my relatives mentioned above... and Daddy learned why he should not feed me raw carrots.

County Fair, Day 5

So all day I waited and waited to go back to the fair and do things two things: pony rides (on the black pony for sure) and eat cotton candy.




I took Mom through the farm life. She didn't have a camera, but wanted a photo of me on my favorite tractor - the Allis-Chalmers. It worked much better than the green ones!
We had to check in on Dolly the Donkey and her friend. Yesterday, the goat was curled up in Dolly's food bin... she just ate around him. They were a funny pair!
This was my last ride. I wanted to ride either the brown pony or as I called it, the donkey pony. Grandma said it was a small mule. I thought he was adorable, but Mom didn't think he looked like he wanted any riders. He looked very tired. I knew the feeling! I was having trouble smiling and sitting up straight.


Me & Delaney with Grandma G, Boppa, and an old ox buddy of mine.


There were so many other things that happened during the week: we saw Tina & the kids, I met a long-time family friend Michele who gave me a smiley face balloon (I was very careful not to lose that -- it had helium), I got a Drippy the oil drop doll, and I even got a ribbon for trying to balance things at the Wild West Show. Plus we still have videos to post, lots of good memories, and some seriously dirty clothes. Mom wasn't sure she wanted to wash my jeans because they were giving off a very horsey smell... she calls that the smell of her childhood. It was a good week at the fair! Do I really have to wait until next year to do it all again?!?

I got to enjoy my cotton candy on the ride home(Mom says, "Ever seen The Stuff?"). I was so tired, going to bed on a sugar rush didn't bother me at all!

County Fair, Day 4

Today we got to watch the milking process, in addition to all our usual stuff - fair food, animals, music, and pony rides, of course. Mom looked at these poor cows and said she felt their pain.

Mom & Dad left for a bit to get a surprise for me... a blow-up Scooby Doo hammer. The first thing I saw on it was my favorite Mystery Inc gal, Velma. This sure has been a tiring week, but I hope it never ends!

County Fair, Day 3

It's my half-year birthday, so you know we had to have a really big fair day to celebrate.


I got to go down this really big slide all by myself! The section I was on was a little sticky, so I got stopped midway down, but otherwise did just fine. Mom has some video of my actual ride.


Daddy helped me go fishing. These didn't cast like my Mickey pole, but we still caught something so I got to pick a prize -- a brown dog that looked like Scooby.


I got to drive too. Grandma Mary & Mom thought this ride went around pretty fast, but I didn't notice. I smiled the whole time, waved at my family, gave Daddy a BEEP! BEEP! and wasn't even bothered by "the pirate" that helped me get in and out of the car (Mom & Daddy's note: Pirate was not far off for this particular carnival worker) .

Daddy took me through the little farm station. Technically, you're supposed to be 3 to go in there, but due to my height and the way I hung on the fence staring in last year, he said I was old enough.

It was pretty fun. I got to get grain at the granary (put a scoop of corn in my bag), feed chickens ( toss a handful of corn to the plastic hen), collect eggs (get a plastic hen from said chicken), shear sheep (take a bag of wool from the pretend sheep who lived with some fake pigs)...

Then I got to drive a tractor. It was hard to steer, but I still wanted to stay on it when Daddy said we had to move along to milk a cow (complete with bottle nipple like udders) and get our little milk carton. Next we picked a wooded apple from the tree.

The next stop was a big sandbox where I planted corn, then I harvested carrots, and moved on to the the market to sell my goods. With the money I earned, I bought a granola bar from the store (my choices were that, a fruit cup, or an applesauce).

Grandma Mary took me for the first pony ride of the evening. I was already planning which pony to ride next!

I do so love the calves! This year they had brown ones for me to play within the Kiddie Barn.

Grandma Mary helped me pet the bunny. He was "adorable!"

Both Mom & Grandma G had been wanting to take me on the carousel. My first pick was to ride the elephant... round and round and round and round.

Next, I had to ride the giraffe... immediately after my first ride was over. I was eyeballing the teddy bear ride behind me and choosing other carousel animals to ride, but everyone said I had to wait until later.

I did get in another pony ride. If I had my way (and a money tree), I'd have stayed there for a hour (or six!) riding over and over and over.