Bouncing Bunny-Girl

My lovely Lorelai --

As our summer winds down (sniff, sniff), we are still finding our little adventures, and that's a good thing. It's fun to see you finding your preferences and knowing how to voice them.

Recently, your cousin Ryan turned 3. We took a girls' trip for his party, and it really was fun. Ryan is all about the construction vehicles these days, so his party was too. You had fun wearing a construction hat and digging in sand. But your favorite thing just might have been turning your uncle, Brad, and his fiancé, Katie, into "Jump HIGH!" machines...

I guess "jump" and "bounce" are what you liked best from our gym class this summer, and that favorite thing is showing up all over. You're still working on jumping unassisted, but you're getting closer and having fun trying. You also got a chance to jump and bounce at an indoor bounce-house place this week -- and you did -- but at the foam pit, you were a little more into pounding the pieces like drums and stacking up "castles" to knock over...

And in the sports-themed bounce-house, you sometimes dropped to your knees and yelled "Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy!" -- but you also really liked walking the soccer balls up to drop them through the holes. (No convincing you to throw them -- I swear you were thinking, "Mom, I can reach 2 out of 3 holes. Why throw?" Funny kid, you.)

Your other favorite recent thing was our trip to a little animal farm for a playdate. After feeding pigs and chickens, we headed into the "boutique," where you were invited to decorate a "diva box" for a bunny. No real surprise that you went with purple and pink...

And then we got to add Oreo, the bunny, to the diva box...

Pretty cool. You got to brush her fur, pet her, and -- poor Oreo -- temporarily add a bow and necklace bling...

You really were very gentle with her :)

And she responded by checking you out from a basket perch before saying goodbye...

And my favorite thing of late? Watching you suddenly learning some of your letters. I'm not really sure what clicked, but it's a blast. You spelled out W-A-R-R-I-O-R on one of my shirts, and you love associating letters with people's names, in particular. You've pointed out "B for Uncle Brad" on trucks when we drive, you know "L is for Lorelai, and Aunt Lindsay, and Lila (a friend from school)." You ran into the kitchen just today to push a block against my belly, and smile: "J for you!" (since you've known Mommy's name is Jennifer for awhile now). So fun.

I'm trying not to fret about time and schedule changes in the coming school year. I know we'll keep finding fun family time, and watching my little sponge soak up new learning will continue to make my heart so happy.

'Til next time, Love to my Lorelai

Ready...Set...Read!

My lovely Lorelai, 

It's been a couple weeks. We have been busy somehow -- between play time at home and mini-trips to see loved ones.

I can't believe our summer is going so quickly -- but I guess that means we are enjoying each other :) I want to pause and remember some of our favorite things.

For you, it's a toss up -- but definitely you would pick a time outside. You might pick the night of your first fireworks...

Or watching sea lions swim at Sea World...

(or that swanky purple carousel horse)

Or you just might pick play time with your visiting cousin Ryan...

(even though Ryan wasn't convinced about that big swing -- I loved watching you try to win him over!)

Whichever you would pick as the very best, I have had fun making little memories with you. 

For me, my favorite thing lately is seeing you develop a strong interest in books. Of course I'm a little biased on this topic, but I think it's wonderful. Lately, you have been quoting and/or discussing your library books after just a few readings, and it's fun to hear what sticks with you. At random moments, I hear:

from Olivia the Pig, "Beep Beep -- coming through!"

from Amazing Animal ABC, the "Zizza Zozza Zak!" (a complete cheat of a made-up animal -- amused you :)

from Polar Bear, Polar Bear..."What do you hear?" (and you know the next 2 animals are lion and hippopotamus)

from Have You Seen My Potty? -- "Suzy Sue need to go poop!"

from My Big Boy Bed, "Donnie, get back in bed!"

from Good-night, Owl, "Owl not sleep!"

from Snip Snap, "...enough! Alligator, you get out!" (complete with shaking fist :)

from Farmyard Beat, "Peep peep peep...they got that beat!"

...and more! You often tell me "I read it" after I finish reading, and you comment often during my readings -- "He go night-night?"..."That not okay!"..."She sad?" I love watching you think it all through.

Your daddy and I are so surprised at how much you remember sometimes -- including the recent moment when you used a book to apologize for bad behavior. You dug one out of the stack, opened it up, and said, "Bad day, Mommy. Sorry."

Awesomeness.

Whether inside with books or outside amid play, I'm so glad to see the little person you're becoming. As I often tell you, "I like you."

'Til next time, Love to my Lorelai