Little A

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Happy Halloween

This has been a really busy Fall. Now that Mommy is working full time, there have been a lot of changes to get used to. For one, we didn't make it to the pumpkin patch until the day of Halloween. Not a good idea, because all of the pumpkins there were rotten and yucky! We had to go to three different stores before we FINALLY found some good carving pumpkins! A few days before Halloween, we had a really fun class party. Mommy came up to the school and it was really fun. I got a lot of treats that day! We went to a carnival Halloween night. We played games and jumped in a bouncehouse. Then, we got to trick or treat. When we got home, I got to stay up late and pass out candy. I had SO much fun! As you can see, I was Wall-E this year. He is my favorite movie character. My sister was a Barbie.

School

Wow, it's been a while since Mommy and I have posted anything! We have a LOT of catching up to do! Here I am giving my little sister a "pep" talk on the first day of school. That's right, I'm in big girl school now! I go two days a week. I love my school and I have a great teacher. She is very nice and takes her job very seriously! My favorite things to do in school are play on the computer, read books, and play on the playground. The only thing I really don't like is PE. My teacher allows me to take a clipboard and markers into the gym, so I draw pictures. I don't like that it's so loud in there and there are too many children. Anyhow, my school is much different from home school, and while nothing could be as good as that, it's surely second best!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Boston Trip

We made it home safe and sound from Boston, but all I can talk about is when we can go back! My Aunt Leelee is the best tour guide ever! There were so many things to see and do. The weather was absolutely perfect! It was sunny every day (with the exception of the day we left), which was good, because we used public transportation the whole time! One of the things I loved best about Boston was that there were splash parks everywhere! The adults were nice enough to let us stop and play in almost every one we saw! In this picture, we even stopped at dusk on our way to the cannolli shop! I didn't have a swimsuit, but I ran through the fountains in my dress! My sister and I were screaming with joy it was SO much fun! After hanging out at Boston Common one afternoon, we stopped for dinner at the Cheers bar/restaurant. Here I am with my family. My sister and I ate some really yummy cheese stick and grilled cheese sandwiches! The following morning, we headed out to the Science museum. Mommy's cousin Anna was generous enough to give us FREE tickets! There was SO much to do, my head was spinning! You should have seen my sister and I running through that place! We got to forecast the weather and see a lighting show! My sister got scared and Mommy had to take her out, because it was so loud, but I loved it. I kept thinking it would be a show my Grandpa S. would enjoy too, because I likes loud booms! We rode in a space capsule and pretended to be astronauts. Then, there was a dinosaur exhibit! I did some research, looked at fossils, matched bones to animals, and took my picture with this life-size T. Rex as well as a triceratops. Here I am comparing the size of my hands to that of a T Rex track. As you can see, the T Rex left HUGE prints behind! In fact, my sister could fit entirely INTO this footprint! We also got to see an IMAX movie about Sea Life, which was really interesting. I learned a few new things! On the way out of the theater, they had a musical staircase. It was so cool my sister and I didn't want to ever leave it! In this picture, Papa Don is trying to wrangle us away from the musical steps! Following the movie, we had a picnic lunch and headed to the discovery center. The discovery center was especially cool, because everything in it was designed for kids my age (and my sister's age too). I got to measure things, investigate the property of bubbles, and even participate in a MIT study on how children learn. I felt like a bonafide scientist...especially when they made us wear safety goggles! My sister and I pretended to be birds in a nest, and bees in a hive. It was so much fun! After the museum, I was still ready to rock, so we found a park across the street. Here I am climbing with Papa. My sister was so wiped out, she slept through all the fun at the park! Mommy's cousin Meg gave us our own personal tour of most of the Freedom Trail. I learned a lot about US and Bostonian history that day! The ending was the most fun, because stopped and I had a chocolate cannolli. It was SO yummy! Another day we took a ferry out to the Harbor Islands. It was so much fun riding on the boat, with the wind blowing through my hair. The island was really fun too. We toured an old fort, which was really cool. I felt like a genuine spelunker at times, especially when we went into the dark and dank crevices. I did wish I had brought a flashlight that day! Mommy and Leelee kept saying it would be the world's greatest place to play hide n go seek. I kept trying to get them to play it with me, but had no takers. Maybe they were just scurd! At one point we went to tour the USS Constitution but were greatly disappointed when we found it was closed for training. We instead toured the museum, which ended up being really great for kids. We got to pretend we were sailors! Here we are pretending to enjoy some root beer! We also got to dress up as sailors, and cook like sailors. We saw their sleeping quarters too, and pretended to sleep like sailors did! They even had a ship dollhouse we played with before we left. Leelee was so nice and made us a tastey spaghetti dinner while we were there! In fact, it was great, because she packed us a picnic lunch pretty much every day! She's so awesome! The last day there, we spent at Harvard. We attempted a tour, but it was too boring. We went to the science museum on campus, but it was too mature for us. We got lost walking around and thought it would be a good idea to keep in the tradition of "ice cream Friday". I ordered chocolate, and within the first two bites, accidentally knocked mine upside down onto the floor. That day pretty much stunk. Later that afternoon, Leelee and Papa met us again and we rode the train out to Meg's house. She made us a wonderful dinner and I got to help with the pizza and cupcakes. All in all, we had a wonderful trip with our family. Thanks to Leelee and Meg and Papa, and my parents for making this trip so wonderful. I will undoubtedly remember it for years to come!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Circus & More

The past three weeks or so have been like a roller coaster ride. Mommy suffered the death of her cousin and close friend, Brian Casey. During that time, we had a lot of relatives in town. It was exciting and sad all at the same time. Nana and her sisters took me to get my nails done at one point, which was a good distraction for everyone. I opted for blue sparkly nail polish this time! One night, Russell & Richelle hosted a big dinner for everyone. I made great memories with Mommy's cousin, Meg, who let me help her cook a huge spaghetti dinner for everyone. It was so delicious! I learned many new vocabulary words related to culinary that night! It was a blast! I love to cook! Another day, Grandma and Grandpa called and invited us to tour the new Cowboys Stadium here in Arlington. We had a GREAT time with them, exploring everything! It was very big and very exciting! In fact, Grandma and Grandpa were very generous and gave Mommy and Daddy tickets to see the Cowboys play their first game in the stadium! Mommy and Daddy report that it was GREAT fun! Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa! Speaking of Grandma and Grandpa's generosity, we went to the lakehouse for the weekend with some friends. Here I am, being goofy for the camera. Being at the lakehouse was a nice way to spend time with friends and try and refocus and refresh ourselves for the future. There are a lot of changes taking place in our family right now, so it was nice to have a break from all of that, even if just for the weekend. For those of you who don't know, Mommy got a new job! She will be working for the same company she was contracting for, she will just be employed full time now. She will be working from home, which is really nice. My sister and I will be going to private school two days a week. We attended an open house this weekend and are really excited about it. I met my teacher and went shopping for school supplies. We think it will be a good change for everyone. I will still be going to zoo school and of course music classes as well. We're going to be busy this fall! Lastly, for today, we went to the circus!! Mommy and Papa took my sister and I for our annual tradition! It was really fun. We went early and met the animals up close. We also got to go down to the rings and watch the performers practice. Mommy said she thought this years was the best it's ever been! A really nice lady sitting next to Mommy gave us this plastic clown nose! We had more fun messing around with the clown nose than just about anything else! It was a nice respite! Thanks Papa, for making our day at the circus extra special!!!

Friday, July 31, 2009

4 Year Update

As all of you know, I turned four years old this month! Thank you to everyone who made my birthday party so amazing this year! Lele and Uncle Thomas, I was especially happy that you two could come and enjoy the festivities this year! I had a GREAT birthday! I had my four year old check up today which went really well until I had to get four shots! That part was horrible. I cried, but I did get a mini magic wand, some stickers, and a sucker, so that made it a little better! Mommy also gave me some extra cuddles throughout the day which was extra special! I weighed in at 29 pounds and measured 39 1/2 inches tall. My BMI was perfectly healthy. My pediatrician was really happy to hear that I have been released from the pediatric urologist too! I am (of course) on target in all areas, and blew the doctor away when I started speaking in Spanish!

I went through a transformation when I turned four. I actually feel bigger and like I can do more things. In fact, the day I turned four, we went to a splash park with some friends, and I climbed a tree! I told mommy it was because I am four! I love being four! I can peddle the peddles on my bicycle now! I can do a summersault. I can climb all of the equipment at the playground! I can write my name and pretty much anything else you help me spell. I will be finished with my reading lessons next week and I am already reading easy reader books on my own. My comprehension is stupendous too! I remember everything I read. I am reading level one and two books right now. With some help, I can even do the level three books! Mommy and I have been checking out a lot of books at the library, which is fun! As I mentioned before, I am learning more and more Spanish. I can count to 100 (in English) and can count to 20 in Spanish. I can do elementary addition and subtraction.

I still love music and dancing. I can't wait for music classes to start up again this fall. I am also looking forward to homeschooling preschool. I keep asking Mommy if we can do school during the summer! She thinks learning to read is enough for now, and that I need a break! I do love to learn though! I love telling and hearing stories. I love spending time outdoors. I have been swimming a lot this summer. We've been staying busy going to the zoo, the science museum, the mall (playground), splash parks, library, etc. Most of you know I will be attending zoo school one day a week in the fall. I am looking forward to that too! I LOVE animals. I still can't decide what I want to be when I grow up. I keep changing my mind. Sometimes I want to rescue animals, sometimes I want to be a Mommy, and yesterday I told my mom I hoped to be a princess! I know it's ok to change my mind! I have a long way to go before I have to decide on a career path! Mommy has been letting me take on more responsibilities around the house. I clean my room, pick up toys, put my dirty clothes in the hamper, set the table for dinner, and clear my dishes after ever meal. She also lets me help her bake, which I LOVE! I have gotten really good at cracking eggs, and of course my favorite part, licking the spoons!!! Anyhow, it's late and I'm tired. I'm four and loving the good life!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

All Aboard!

For Your Amusement!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Reading

We are 52 lessons into our reading book, and here I am, reading paragraphs!

My Big Backyard

For anyone who doesn't know, My Big Backyard is a really great, educational magazine for kids my age. I love it, mostly because I enjoy being outdoors. It has helped me learn all about a variety of animals, some of which I can truly find in my own backyard! This picture, for example, shows me with a praying mantis I happened upon while playing outside with my Mommy. One of the best investments I think my parents ever made was some magnifying glasses. We use them all the time when we spot cool things like this! Speaking of cool things, here is a caterpillar we spotted climbing up the mulberry tree a few days ago! I thought it was really interesting, but as you can see from the picture, I think my sister was pretty disgusted! We watched the caterpillar eat a carpenter ant. I love bugs. I recently learned about the differences between gastropods and isopods. In fact, Mommy, sister and I saved some gastropods (snails) after the rain we've had. A bunch of them got washed out of the garden and into the driveway. We were worried someone might accidentally run over them, so we picked them up and returned them to the garden. Speaking of being outdoors, I started swimming lessons two weeks ago. I am making progress! I can jump off the side, blow bubbles, and paddle really well (when I have a float device). I am still working on conquering my fear of being under water. We start another session on Monday, and I'm hoping to get more practice in this weekend!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Learning to Read

I read my very first sentence today, for real, all by myself! It was "see me eat". Here is a cute video of me "reading" to the kids. I have memorized a few books!