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Farewell Summer Vacation 2010

Red

Yes, B. chooses or attempts to choose her clothes most days now. Today she won out, from head to toe. There was a hat as well to start the day, but (thankfully) it didn't last long. This "straight line" posture is her favorite in the bucket swing lately. She thinks it is hysterical and it freaks me out when Anthony pushes her really high this way. Also, she's gotten pretty good at the traditional swing. Finally, I still don't understand why she looks so big and so mature in photographs. It's like I have an "age progression" setting on my Nikon. She's still a very petite young thing, as evidenced in the last photo when she's in a 5"x10" basket. She yelled out "I sit down laundry basket" just before I snapped this one. Our summer together ends this week, as I return to work on Thursday. No words could express how much joy it has been to spend these 9 weeks with B. I don't think she's gained an ounce, but she's exploded into toddlerhood during the time. She is now 2 1/4 and, while there are some exhausting moments, I could never describe this phase as "terrible." She is intense, dramatic, creative, sharp, fun, determined, funny, caring, inquisitive, energetic, loving, independent, sometimes shy, more often embarrassingly loud, helpful, and melt-my-heart empathetic. Anthony's been very busy with work since we returned from France, and he's now getting ready to take over the reins once again (3 days a week, and she will stay with a friend and her 3-year old daughter 2 days a week). I told him to prepare himself. He asked "Why, she's tough?" What I meant is that she is such a vibrant person and individual now and that he should prepare himself to fall in love with her even more deeply. He said that wasn't possible. I didn't think so either, but every day I am proven wrong.

Blindfolded

Wonder

Can you spot 3 new things in the picture?

a. Hello Kitty panties

b. $1.99 plastic potty from Mekong Market

c. kazoo

Who knew how much fun using the potty fun really could be? B. has had terrific success , and I am still in disbelief about how easy this seems to be for her. We've been venturing out with pull-ups on her and they are dry when we return home, so today she's trying panties. Here are a few more photos from our housebound days, and some from my Dad's 85th birthday celebration last night.

Here she is shopping and feeding "ice cream cone" (aka crumpled wipes) to Jeannie-Jeanne and Bobby

Staying in was getting surreal, but her creativity was hysterical. She found this 1/2 used bulletin board Tet decoration in the kitchen closet and decided it was her pocketbook. And she skated on the "ice" known as shower curtain.

Pepere and his youngest 3 grandkids