To Tally and Back

The day before we left, a good friend of Auntie Sara's, Charlie, took us out on a two hour tour of the St. Marks River. What a treat...we got to see five manatees!!! Thank you, Mr. Charlie!

Munch did very well on the two hour river ride. She wore the life vest the entire time. That's my girl!

While waiting for our breakfast at the Silver Bullet Diner, Munch pretended to take our orders.


Hubs and Vovo Joe Joe fished all day long on Lake Talquin. What a beautiful place!

Munch enjoyed a nice cool Italian soda at the Black Dog Cafe on Lake Ella.

The other 3Ds enjoyed a fabulous southern fried seafood dinner at the Catfish Pad, a local hole-in-the-wall joint.

The 3Ds waited hungrily for their fried seafood dinner at the Catfish Pad.

Munch tried on a hand knitted hat by Ms. Paula, a local yarn merchant and good friend of Auntie Sara's.

Munch zeroed in on Vovo Lydia's soda while enjoying a Mexican lunch at Cabos.

Gi did a great job kayaking with Uncle Mark. She was a real trooper!

Munch decided to pull Gon Gon along at the Tallahassee Natural History Museum.

Mommy and Munch enjoyed a view of Tallahassee from the 22nd floor of the new capital building.

Many thanks to Ms. Maria who gave Gi "Bingo." Gi had instant adoration for Maria after receiving the adorable gift.

Gi posed solemnly in the old Florida Supreme Court.

Gi invaded Auntie Sara and Uncle Mark's bed everyday.

posing in the old capital building

playing in "grandma's attic" at the Florida History Museum

Munch helped Auntie Sara with the bird feeder.

Mommy and Munch enjoyed a lovely evening at the potluck get-together of the Tallahassee Artists' League.

posing at the San Luis Mission historic site

touring with both grandmas at the San Luis Mission historic site

goofing around at Auntie Sara and Uncle Mark's house

helping Auntie Sara in the yard

Munch absolutely adores her Uncle Mark.

Well, we just spent a wonderful past week in Tallahassee where my sister and bro-in-law live. We loaded up our mini van rental with everyone and everything except for the kitchen sink. Gi got to spend some quality time with her auntie and uncle doing all sorts of outdoorsie things. And, of course, if the Changs are involved, there was a lot of eating going on too. Big kisses and hugs for Auntie Sara and Uncle Mark for the wonderful townhouse rental and superb hospitality.

Welcome Vovos

Munch was most excited to see the vovos at the airport.

stealing some of Vovo Joe Joe's breakfast

celebrating Vovo Joe Joe's birthday

snuggling with Vovo Lydia

like father like son---always on the computer

The vovos are finally here for their two month stay with us. Yesterday, the three Ds trekked down to MIA for their arrival. Munch was most excited about their visit and has stuck to them like velcro ever since. Tonight we celebrated Vovo Joe Joe's 72nd birthday with a big dinner at Poh Poh and Gon Gon's house. Happy birthday, Vovo Joe Joe!

GOTCHA

Gi got a "CEC" bear as a Gotcha present.

banging away on one of the games

our first Gotcha Day July 23, 2007

The three Ds would like to give a shout out to all the families in our travel group---Happy Gotcha Day! Hard to believe but time sure has flown by for us. Today we celebrated two years of familyhood with Gi. Hubs and I decided to let Munch pick the restaurant for our little celebration. Chuck E Cheese was her choice (yeah, we saw that coming). Off we went for a very colorful and noisy evening of games, rides, so-so pizza and unlimited soda consumption. Munch was in seventh heaven. We love you to pieces, Gi. Looking forward to #3.

Heat Relief

Welcome to the Florida heat! Munch spent part of the morning running through the fountain at a local zoo.

Demands and Miscommunications

I'm sure some of you mommies out there can relate to my daily challenges with my ever clever Gi. The other day, Munch races to her bathroom, strips down to nothing and sits on her "big girl" toilet. With a sure voice, she announces to me that she is going to "make poopy." O.k., no problem. The standard procedure is that she wipes herself when she pees and I wipe her when she makes #2. She notifies me that she is finished and waits for me to attend to her. That day for whatever reason I decided to be a lazy-daisy. Instead of going the extra step to get a wet wipe to clean her, I just grab a wad of toilet paper and proceed with my motherly duty. Before I can even dispose of the wad, Gi screams that there is "paypa in my bum." She starts to navigate her fingers toward her tush for some investigative work. I stop her immediately and offer to check for her (nothing worse than an active child with soiled fingers...you know what I mean?). I visually scan the area of concern, see no wayward tp hanging out and assures Munch that all is right in the tushy world. Not satisfied with my cursory inspection, she insists that I keep checking. Oh boy, this is where motherhood gets ugly isn't it? I take a deep breath and reluctantly do what one might consider a tushy parting of the red sea. "There's nothing there, Gi. You're all clean," I assure Munch. With a sweet smile on her face, she tells me ok and hops off her stepping stool. Now why couldn't this child believe me when I first told her that her behind was spotless?

Hubs is watching t.v. in bed while Gi is running around in our bedroom. A commercial comes on about upset stomachs and other related ailments. Hubs, being a practitioner of potty humor, can't resist and asks Munch if she has diarrhea. "Diarrhea???" Munch asks in puzzlement. "Me no diarrhea, Daddy. Me Gigi," Munch tells her father with great indignation. Having his joke fall flat on the ground, Hubs decides that its best to stay quiet sometimes instead of inadvertently raising the ire of your two year old daughter.

Me Had So Much Fun!

That was what Munch said when she was placed in her car seat after two hours plus of play with hostess Sammy and Brea. The three mommies got a chance to catch-up and chat while the daddies entertained the Spice Girls who were actually quite good at entertaining each other. Thank you, Hawkins, for hosting this highly successful playdate. Great pictures, W!

Silly Pics

bubble bath al fresco

munching on cheese au naturale

Face Lift

Munch loved playing in the empty cabinets.

The color is Zodiaq's smokey topaz.

I think I can actually bathe Gi in my new sink!

newly painted cabinets

Our 11 year old kitchen finally got a little face lift. Hubs and I decided to replace our old beat-up laminate countertop with a solid quartz surface. To save some money Hubs went to work tearing out the old backsplash as well as the countertop himself. We also decided to repaint our old cabinets rather then get new ones---another big money saver there. To keep Munch out of the kitchen, we put Barney on continuous play and went to work. Our old cast iron kitchen sink must have weighed over 150 lbs! Once we removed all the stuff out of the cabinets and drawers, Munch went to town playing in the empty cabinets. She even got out her little tool set and pretended to fix the cabinet doors. After the countertop was installed I asked Munch if she liked the new countertop. Her reply was "Me ove it!"

Happy 4th

Munch, Brea and Kyle admiring the fireworks from inside

We must thank Brea's family again for another fun 4th of July celebration. Munch had a blast with her BFF over at Gram Vicky and Gramp John's house. The fireworks, as usual, were spectacular. Happy 4th to all our family and friends!

Amen!

Hubs strikes again. The other night, the three of us are finishing our dinner when Hubs notices that Munch is playing like she is praying again. Mr. Iconoclast immediately seizes the opportunity to instruct her on the "proper" way to give thanks. "Gi, follow like Daddy," Hubs instructs. "Rub-a-dub thanks for the grub," he continues. Munch looks at him with giggles in her eyes and complies. "Rub dub tank yuuuu gub! Ole man." I playfully tell Munch that Daddy is not such an old man and that it's not polite to call someone old. She puts her little hands together again and says ole man once more. Hubs and I stare at each other with a bit of puzzlement. Gi eyes the both of us and echoes ole man repeatedly. Then it dawns on us that our little Munch is not obstinately insulting her daddy but rather is saying "amen." Hubs and I blow up with laughter. Gi, finding our laughter as a sure sign of approval, now replicates the phrase over and over. Hubs nods with admiration to his filial daughter and is thoroughly content that his teachings have met with such a receptive audience.

Happy Father's Day 2009

Gon Gon and Hubs with Munch

Happy father's day to all the daddies that I love and admire. We sat down to a somewhat unconventional father's day dinner tonight---yummy roasted lamb served gyro style. Stuck a dish of pasta in there just for Munch in case she poo poo the lamb. Hubs gobbled up several servings while my parents ate moderately as usual. Gi immediately fancied the flat bread stuffing it with a ravioli and tortellini along with a slice of lamb and lime. I had to take the wedge of lime out to show her that it was to be squeezed onto the lamb and not to be eaten whole inside her gyro. Munch didn't finish her "gyro" but took enough bites to satisfy Hubs and I. After some coaching Munch wished Gon Gon and Hubs a happy father's day and raised her juice bottle to all of our glasses. What a daughter!

No Sleeping Beauty

It's 7:45 p.m. and Munch is watching Diego slurping up her ice cream. I quietly inform her that when Diego is over, we will take a shower and get ready for night-night. She looks at me with complete puzzlement and asks, "Why? Me go night-night already!!!" I explain to her that yes, indeed, she did take a nap earlier today but that now it is time for night-time night-night. She looks at me with her chocolate smeared face and utters with great disappointment, "Uh-oh." She returns to her ice cream sullenly probably hoping that I don't notice that Diego is over.

My First Circus

We must thank Robin and Amelie again. The four of us met in Sunrise and enjoyed a fabulous performance of Cirque du Soleil's Saltimbanco. Wow, what a feast for the eyes and ears! Amelie and Gi did a bang-up job of sitting through the performance often pointing, commenting and just generally being engaged. They even got some of the humor in the show and clapped along with everyone else! They shared their snacks and drinks and a seat...neither of them was heavy enough to hold down the seat by themselves. During intermission, the two cuties danced wildly just outside of the arena seating area laughing and screaming with delight. No tantrums, meltdowns or an ounce of fear during the whole performance. Thank you Robin and Amelie for a wonderful afternoon.

Napping with Daddy and Friends

Gi loves to nap with her daddy on weekends. Today she decided to have company. Both daddy and daughter snoozed away shortly after posing for this pic.

Last Day of School

Miles Davis in the making?

Clang!

Well, yesterday was the last day of school for Gi in her two year old class. Come August she will be in the three year old class. I can't believe it...my little Munch is going to turn three!!! Other parents have always told me that time flies and it is so true. I see my Munch developing so many new skills and gaining so much confidence. I'm so grateful for every minute I have to watch her grow in my front row seat.

Me Want Hair

I'm sitting caddy corner to Gi at the dinner table, both of us eating our breakfast. We are chatting, the two of us still in our chosen form of pajamas. My choice happens to be a beat-up old tank top and my customary drawers aka frumpy mom-wear 101. Our daily topic of growing up tall and strong comes up as usual to Gi's delight. She squeals something unintelligible at first so I ask her to repeat it. She points her tiny index finger to the right side of my body and bellows something again. Too embarrassed to show my daughter that I still can't comprehend fully what she is saying to me I cheerfully look behind me at the armoir and asks her if she wants something from the inside of it. Not deterred by my linguistic inapptitude, she merrily hollers and points again. This time I notice that she is pointing at my upper right arm (not the armoir behind me) and can make out the the phrases, me want hair, me big girl, me eat all my food. Well, it finally dawns on me that my Munch is telling me that she wants hair in her underarm just like Mommy. Charming isn't it? Recovering quickly from Munch's astute but damning observation of my occasional lack of feminine upkeep, I continue the conversation.

"Er, yes, that's right. If you want to be a big girl and have hair in your underarm, you should eat all your food."

"Me big girl. Me want hair. Me eat all my cereal, Mommy!"

"That's my big girl! I'm so happy to hear you say that!"

Munch turns her attention back to her bowl of cereal and manages to eat half of it. She announces that she is all done and gets out of her chair by herself. Oh well, good intentions is everything, right?

Happy Birthday, Auntie Say-wah!

" Happy birthday, Auntie Sara!"

Yes, that's how Munch pronounces her auntie's name. Anyway, Gi and I would like to wish Auntie Sara a happy birthday tomorrow. Big hugs and smooches to you!

Mother and Munch

Here Munch is having a blast playing on her bed with galpal, Sammy.

I hope all the mommies and mommies-to-be I know had a wonderful day today. My day started out as usual with Munch waking up, bulldozing her way into our bedroom and wedging herself between Hubs and me in our bed. Not strong on subtlety, Munch announces that she is ready to play with her toys and wants EVERYONE to get out of bed. We comply and start our morning routine. Munch runs to her room to change out of her diaper and into her panties. I groggily follow her and is pleasantly surprised by a lovely red rose in Gi's outstretched hand. "Appy mommy day," whispers Gi as Hubs stands beside her beaming with pride. We continued our celebration with a little dim sum at a local Chinese restaurant. Then we came home for a little R&R. We conclude our day with a home cooked meal for Poh Poh and Gon Gon. And now Munch is fast asleep and I am not too far from that state of mind. Another year as a mother...a gift indeed.

You're How Old???

Daddy Todd prepares the yummy cookie cake for the birthday candle blow-out.

Who wants ice cream with their cookie cake?

The prince and princesses are quiet as they savor their birthday treat.

Say cheese!

Mr. Ed puts on a silly face to entertain the birthday girl and her cohorts.

Oh my gosh, what a fun morning and afternoon for Gi and her bffs! Today we helped Brea celebrate her third birthday princess style. Can it be? Our girls are growing up so quickly. The whole gang is two and older now. Gi will turn three in August followed by Sammy who will turn four in November. Then little Miss Olivia will hit the big three in December. Time flies. We have to enjoy every moment. Big smooches to our birthday girl, Brea.

Insults and Distractions

With a big sigh of relief, Hubs and I welcome the end of Gi's cold which descended on us about two Fridays ago. No longer contagious nor super grumpy, Munch is getting back to her active, fun-loving, sweet self. Her sense of humor has returned also. Munch's latest kick is to accuse her exasperated parents of being the opposite sex. Somewhere in toddlerville, this must qualify as the ultimate affront to one's self-perception. The banter often begins when Munch is being asked to do something she does not wholeheartedly want to do like eating dinner or picking up after herself.

"Mama, you a boy." (spoken with a wayward grin on her cherubic face and a little finger pointed at you)

"I'm not a boy! Mommy's a girl, you silly goose. You're a boy."

"Yes, Mama, you a pee pee boy!"

"What about Daddy? Is he a boy?"

"Daddy a girl!" (same mischieveous grin on her face)

"What about Poh Poh?"

"Poh Poh old girl."

"How about Gon Gon?"

"Gon Gon old boy."

After a few minutes of teasing Hubs and me, Munch usually stops with the assumption that we have completely forgotten that she should be eating her plateful of mac-n-cheese or picking up the 50 billion pieces of playdough that she has scattered on the living room floor. We're not that easily distracted yet, Munch, but give us another ten years and it's anybody's guess.

Progress Report

Just had the final parent conference of the year with Munch's preschool teacher. Gi is doing fine and making very good progress. She is exhibiting her independence in school as well as in the home with us. She knows all her body parts, colors and shapes with the exception of black and diamond. We will be working on visual recognition of her first name during the summer as well as continuing to read for enjoyment on a daily basis. No problem there...Gi loves to read with us. Her fine and gross motor skills are also on target. She continues to show interests in all areas of art and music (many thanks to Ms. Carol Ann in Kindermusik). Way to go, Gi. We are very proud of you!!!

From Dora to Diego

Munch is ready for some pool action after a two-day hiatus.

Munch picked this green barrett to go with this brown outfit that she coordinated herself.

The title of this blog entry refers to the snide comment that Hubs made when he laid eyes on Munch's new do. I patiently explained to Hubs that it is a cute pixie cut very suitable for active little girls. I don't think he got it. It doesn't matter...Munch looks adorable to me!

Got Butter?

Munch has been under the weather a bit these last couple of days so Hubs and I decided to lift her spirits by taking her to a local pizzeria. Gi loooves pizza...about the only non fruit food besides candy and chips that we don't have to beg or bribe her to eat. The waiter brings over the obligatory garlic and plain rolls and some pats of butter on the side. Miss Grump-a-lump complains that she doesn't have her own fork so we assure her that the nice waiter will be bringing it soon. Hubs puts a plain roll on her little plate along with pats of butter and encourages her to eat the roll first while she is waiting for her fork.

"No! Me want fork. Me need fork first, Daddy!" is the response that we get.

"O.k., no problem, you can wait for your fork but you know you don't need a fork to eat your roll," we respond patiently.

The fork arrives and Gi holds it clumsily in her hand. Both Hubs and I roll our eyes thinking that our Grump-a-Lump is going to eat her roll on a fork. Then taken by complete surprise, we witness our 23 lb. peanut stab not at her roll but at a pat of butter on her plate. She swiftly puts it in her mouth and starts to chew. Both Hubs and I eye each other in amazement and stifle a belly laugh. Before we could recover from the first shock, Gi stuffs another pat of butter in her mouth and chews like a famished cow at a hay buffet. The piping hot pizza arrives at our table and our daughter wants nothing to do with it.

"Me done, Mommy," exclaims Gigi. Oh well, nothing like a few pats of butter to satify one's finicky appetite. Hubs and I reassure each other that our Munch at least ate something.