Ahhhh-Chooooo!

When Katie was sick recently, she had a runny nose. During that time, she tried to learn how to blow her nose. She doesn't quite have the steps down yet. She blows and then gets the Kleenex.  Once she was better, she decided to practice her nose-blowing skills when she saw a new box of Kleenex.

I love to get Kleenex out of the box! 

I also love to keep my Kleenex in a nice pile! 

Ahhh-chooo! 

I wiped my nose, but... 

…I don't see anything there. 

Let me try again. 

Maybe I need to use more than one. 

My pile is growing. 

What happened to them all? My box is empty. 

I like to take care of my pile of Kleenex. 

My pile was so heavy that I had to sit down on the pig. 

Do you need one?

My pig needs to use one!

A Sunny, Winter Day

Once we're this far into winter, we start getting a touch of Spring Fever. We're ready for fresh air and spending time outside without coats. We were lucky enough to get a beautiful afternoon one day. My mom and I took Katie out on the deck and surprised her with bubbles. Ever since then, Katie has been wanting to go back out. She doesn't realize that we don't get those nice days every day!

I can't believe I have real bubbles again! 

 I've had practice with bubble wands with all of the imaginary bubbles I've blown all winter!

I remember catching bubbles from the bubble machine in my mouth. 

My mom taught me how to catch a bubble on the wand. 

It takes patience and practice! 

Look what I caught, Grandma! 

I wonder if I can watch the bubble I caught 

while popping a floating bubble with my free hand! 

I love catching bubbles! 

Chloe loves to play too!

She barks while I blow bubbles! 

How long do you think I can hold the bubble? 

I think I'll try to capture lots of bubbles in my bucket! 

I miss playing outside!

An Envelope for Me?

I had taken Katie down to the mailbox a couple of days before Valentine's Day, and she was thrilled to get an envelope in the mail. She couldn't even wait until she got home before she started to open it up.

This envelope is all for me! 

I've just gotta get this open! 

I can't get my card open. 

Maybe I should try to open this other side.

It's from Grammy Noreen and Grandpa Joe! 

That was so good that I'll read it again!

Taking Turns with Choices

Katie wanted to play with Chloe. When Chloe didn't want to do what Katie wanted to do, Katie let Chloe make the choice of what to do.

I'll read this label to you, Chloe! 

If you don't want to listen to me read, I'll just set my label over here. 

So what do you want to do? 

She wants to dig in the rug. 

Chloe gets in trouble for doing this, but I think it's funny. 

I'll dig with my foot too!

Two Years Ago

It has been two years since I received Katie's referral. It has been two years since I saw the first picture of Katie's face. Time is going so quickly!

One of the Photos I Received on February 24, 2011 

Katie in February 2012 

Making me Laugh in 2013!

Making a Quick Call

Katie still likes to turn everything into a phone that looks sort of like a phone. She found my battery charger for my camera and quickly made a call to Grandma.

I found a new phone! 

I'll just dial Grandma's number. 

Hello? Gaga? Are you there?

Crayons and Paper

Katie spends lots of time with her crayons and different types of paper. The other day, she wanted me to draw something in her drawing book. I decided to write the alphabet and some numbers instead of a picture because I thought she would like it. I've been amazed lately that she is able to identify quite a few letters. Her favorite letter (I think) is O. She loves to point out Os whenever she sees them. One day I was driving her somewhere, and she started shouting, "O! O! O!" It took me awhile, but I finally saw that she was looking at a sign on a building that did indeed have a letter O.

When I finished writing the alphabet, I proudly showed my work to Katie, and she quickly started drawing all over it.  I thought she must have wanted a picture instead of letters. It turned out she was still happy even though she was coloring over what I wrote. She kept trying to say the letters as she colored over the top of them.

These things down here aren't as familiar as the letters up there! 

 Seven! Seven!

I love my crayons!

When Katie finished coloring over the top of the alphabet and numbers, she decided to draw me a picture on one of her envelopes. When she was done, she wanted to give it to me. Instead of handing me the envelope like most people would, she handed it to me the way she learned from Chloe. Into the mouth went the envelope! She carried it to me in her mouth just like Chloe carries her toys in her mouth.

I'll just draw a quick picture before I give it to my mom. 

I'm glad Chloe showed me how to put things in my mouth! 

No hands! 

Now I can use my hands to help me stand and still carry my envelope! 

Yuck! That tasted bad!

A Hula Hoop

Katie recently came home from Garyldine's house with a hula hoop. It's funny how she always finds these new things when she spends time there!  She has found many uses for the hula hoop. She loves to balance the hula hoop in between two pieces of furniture. Then she stands in the middle of it and turns her whole body in circles.

She also figured out that the hula hoop could easily be used to "rope" her favorite things together.

I roped Chloe, Bear, and Meow Meow together! 

This is fun! 

Do you like my remote, Chloe? 

I can't believe Chloe jumped out of my hula hoop!

Meow Meow is upset about it too, so I have to pet her.