Katie and Chloe

Katie has always loved Chloe from the first time she set eyes on her. She seems to go through phases sometimes where she doesn't just love Chloe…she LOVES her with everything she has. She's been going through one of those phases lately. She follows Chloe. She laughs at Chloe. She combs Chloe. She sits by Chloe. She plays with Chloe. She does everything with Chloe.

Last week, Katie decided to monitor Chloe when she was eating, and I snapped some pictures.

Did you take my sock earlier, Chloe? 

What do you want to do after you eat?

Whoops!

Last weekend, Katie was hanging out with Chloe. They were standing on the couch, hanging over the back side of it. They do this quite often together, but lately, Katie has started climbing up the back of the couch while she is next to Chloe. So Chloe kept standing and looking out over the back of the couch, and Katie lost her balance with her climbing and fell over the back of the couch, landing on the wood floor on her face.  After crying for a short time, she recovered but had a bright red tip on her swollen nose.

She woke up the next morning, and her red nose had turned into a red, scratched nose. Who knows how that happened overnight, but she has been sporting a scratched nose ever since.  It doesn't usually bother her, but she does try to rub it off anytime she sees herself in a mirror.

What is that on my nose?

A Friend Returns

Winnie the Pooh has been found! He was hiding under Katie's jacket. Katie's happy, and Pooh Bear is back in her arms! Thank goodness!



Missing

Missing: One much-loved Winnie the Pooh stuffed bear

Last Seen: September 12, 2012 in Grandma's purse

Please return to Katie if found.

What do you do when a best friend goes missing? Katie didn't notice Winnie the Pooh was missing last night, but this morning as soon as she woke up, she started looking in her bed for Pooh Bear. Then she started growling at me - not because she was mad at me, but because bears growl, and she wanted her bear.  It might be time to fork over a few more dollars for a replacement.

While the Cat's Away, The Mice Will Play!

Last week, I had an Open House at school to meet my new students and their parents. It was a long day without Katie. I left her early in the morning and didn't get home until around 7:00. I felt guilty until I started getting updates about Katie's day and learning that she was having a lot of fun without me. Jennifer and my mom created a slide for Katie out of our living room furniture, and Katie was a very happy girl!

Do you think I should try this slide? 

Okay, here I come! 

Hi, Chloe! Do you want to try my slide? 

That was so much fun that I'm going to do it again! 

Yippee!  Aunt Jennifer and Grandma have great ideas! 

Soft Landing 

I better go one last time for luck!

From what I was told later, Katie slid down the slide one time and ended up falling into the pillows onto her face. Jennifer and my mom both laughed at it. When Katie heard them laugh, she started laughing too and decided that she liked making people laugh. After that, Katie had some more practice on the slide - each practice run ending with a very dramatic fall on her face.

Some of Katie's Very Natural and Dramatic Falls

The Joy of an Animal Towel

Katie recently got some new bath towels that all represent different animals. She loves her towels so much that even after she gets her pajamas on, she still will not let me put the towel in the laundry. They're too much fun to play with.  The other night, she was using her unicorn towel while Jennifer had her trotting around the house.

Don't you wish you were a unicorn too?

Happy Birthday, Katie! Welcome to the Terrific Twos!

Katie celebrated her second birthday today. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. In the past, Katie has been overwhelmed by gifts and commotion. My parents, Garyldine, Jim, Jennifer and I were all there to celebrate the birthday.

While my dad, Jennifer, and I went to get dinner, my mom, Garyldine, and Jim decorated the house. There were lots of balloons, which Katie always likes. When she entered the house, she smiled at the balloons before it sunk in that there were lots of people at her house. She was pretty quiet and withdrawn for awhile, but she did end up opening up to everyone.

We ate dinner first, which Katie enjoyed since she had one of her favorites - buttered rice noodles.  Afterward, she opened gifts and opened gifts and opened gifts. She seemed to enjoy unwrapping gifts a lot more than she has in the past. She didn't want any help other than for someone to collect her pieces of wrapping paper as she handed them over.

After gifts came cake. Last year, Katie played in her frosting, but never ate any cake after the first taste. This year, I knew she'd eat the cake, but I was wrong. When offered a piece of cake, she shook her head no. When I took a tiny bit of the cake and put it in her mouth, she reached in and took it out and stuck her tongue out. While we enjoyed her cake, she ate a banana and was very happy with it.

Katie's ended up playing with her new things throughout the night. She had a very happy birthday. Thanks for being my party planner, Garyldine!

 I sure want to open my gift. Do I have to wait for everyone to wake up?

I sure like balloons, Grandma! 

I like to push them! 

I never get tired of rice noodles. 

I already like my new book. Thanks, Grammy Noreen and Grandpa Joe! 

Another book for me! 

Wow! I have my own zoo! I wish my mom could open the box! 

Grandpa looks good in Hello Kitty hats. 

Wow! A new coloring book with dogs! Woof, woof! 

This might be a good way to open my gift. 

Grandma was really good at tying all of my balloons to my toy cat. 

I trust you enough to hand you my paper! 

Why does water taste so good when it's in an elephant cup? 

Reading my Birthday Card 

Look at my polar bear! 

Who needs cake when you have a banana? 

Why is the cake coming towards me? 

Is that a second cake? I don't think I want it. 

Tell them I don't want the cake, Jim. 

Umm…no thanks! 

Katie's Reaction to the Cake

Katie's Cake After She Was Through Eating It 

I love playing with you, Aunt Jennifer! 

There's nothing left to do but to clap and cheer for my second birthday!