How About Them Apples?

Finally. It's that time of year where the air is crisp and fresh and so are the apples. Actually the air was more fresh than crisp today as it was 70 + degress outside but for the purpose of this blog and dramatic effect we will stay crisp and fresh. 

 

I am all about the  "Dramatic Effect!" Do not mistake this for the terrible 2 temper tantrum. This is nothing but pure love for playing in the tunnel!

Don't think my life is all apples and bananas. I'm hard at work learning about all the letters and ABC story hours. Do you think I am in the running for teacher's pet?

Training Partners

 

 

Training partners hold a special place in my Mom's heart. My Mom truly has had the best training partners who have become been the best of friends. Geographically speaking they couldn't be much further away and still be in the continental USA. We hardly miss them though because they are so close to the heart.

It's Your Birthday!

Hey, hey, it's your birthday!

Wait a minute! It's not your birthday. It's mine

Well don't mind if I toot  - toot my own horn!

 

We had a fabulous spread of homemade food!

 Don't forget the cake!

 Progressing from age 1 to age 2 has been a wonderful and wild ride. I endured 2 moves and a landlord that verbalized her disapproval of children hah beyond verbalized was stupid enough to write her blatant discrimination in letters that I kept in case I am ever in financial crisis and I need to sue her for to pay for my college education or to use as some sort of inspiration in a college admission essay.

 Anyway. That is water under the bridge and I'm on the upswing these days. I got Grandma Judi (sometimes I accidentally say Grandma Doo-Ji) helping me fly high.


So we celebrated my birthday a few days early because my cousins were in town camping and Grandma Judi was visiting too. Plus I had my first gymnastics class on my real birthday and  I couldn't hardly go jumping around with a belly full of cake could I?

Well low and behold my birthday party was on the same day as the Xterra Marquette race. A first year race needs to be supported by all interested able body athletes so of course my parents were in. My Dad did the long course. That's why you see him napping on the floor. Gee, and I overheard him giving my Mom a hard time...something about being in shape because she sleeps 9 hours a night and run 10 miles a day. Hah!


My Mom raced the shorter version. She didn't have time to be racing all day and throwing a fab party now did she? No! Don't be silly. Not even Martha Stewart would attempt that. She must have been worried about getting home for my party in time because she raced so fast she left the field of women behind and most of the men. She didn't stop there. After that race, she raced her bike again. This time  home for a quick shower and to collect Grandma Judi and me. We headed back to the park for awards and to watch my Dad finish. I got to go up on the podium! Yee haw!


 My Dad lit a fire on my cake post his nap on the floor and lit a fire on the course finishing first in his age and 4th overall with a very well executed race. My parents are finally learning that it pays to hold back a little in the first half. I wanted to climb the podium with him as well, but he needed to make a run to the store Brewery for beer milk and I needed a nap before my party.

 What a day!

 Hip! Hip! Hooray!

Porches, Parks, and Picnics

The view from my front porch is splendid. I could spend all day just sitting and enjoying a tea party. Ok, truth be told and reading at least 50,000 books.

 Morning, noon, and night it is a great place to be....but Mamma says there is more fun to be had and more things to see.

So off to my favorite places we go!

Yeah you! C'mon! Don't be shy. Join us.

 

Follow me. I know the way and beleive me I have everything you could possibly need in my rig. Hand sanitizer, wipes,dipes, sand toys, books, stuffed animals, swim gear, change of clothes, lunch ....on second thought maybe I will let Mama Mama do the pushing so I can save my energy for the beach.


Aqua jogging is just the ticket.


I'm not afraid to get my feet wet.

Or to negotiate for what I want...such as a floaty toy.Of course if my Mom brings me an identical one from home I really am not interested. It just seems better if it belongs to somebody else.

 

Recently I got to hang out with my cousins and their friends on Lake Michagamee. We ran as a pack. I was the smallest member of the pack but still part of the pack. It was awesome!!!! I was loving it.

On other days I picnic solo.

I was so delighted when my Mom let me run around with the whole bag of Goldfish crackers! It was a win-win. Whatever I spilled went to feed hungry birds and snuffling dogs. Not even 2 in this picture and I am already an animal rights activist.

 

 In addition to riding ponies I am learning to ride a caterpillar.

 

I call it "Widng A Patakiller" . You know caterpillers or patakillers as I refer to them  go up and down and round and round like the greatest of the single track mountain bike trails around here. My family decided that "Widing a Patakiller" should be the name of a really fun trail. Trouble is all the trails have names and signs already. So guess what? My Dad and I are building a trail called "Widing a Patakiller" It's going to be really, really fun. We do this every time my Mom goes off riding her bike. My Mom is just like the story of "The Little Red." Does she help with the help dig the dirt? No. Does she help move the rocks? No. Does help trim the branches? No. Is she going to ride the trail? You betcha!

 When I get bored of the low riding caterpillar I move it on down the bike path 3/4 mile (which I can run myself!) to purple airplane park and practice my flying.

 

I'm also known to practice my horse back riding but that is yet another park. I guess we'll save it for another day.

Season Greetings!

Seasons Greetings to All

...and to All a good Bite!

Love,

August, 2013 

Marquette, MI

 

Wrap It Up!

Wow! Is it ever time for me to get this blog up to speed. Fall is in the air and I am still uploading pictures from early summer. The evidence of my deliquency is obvious. Just check out my shoes.

 Pink Nikes! Those were so two sizes ago. First I had pink.

Then I had to upgrade to blue Nikes! Now I've outgrown them and am so too cool for school in my black Nikes. Which reminds me of a most favorite book "Pete The Cat: Rocking In His School Shoes". It is right up there with Llama Llama Red Pajama. Anyway, I am out growing things right and left. I'm so grown up these days.

In fact, I am even big enough for a pony ride. I've been practicing the line "but Daddy I wanted a pony" and it finally paid off!

Griffith Park.What an amazing last hurrah in LA. I was out having fun while my parents were packing. Not a bad deal for me. One of my favorite things to do during the moving process was to climb on the boxes .

....and yell enthusiastically "pack it up Da Da - Da Da"
 

There are many ways to travel. I voted to travel by train.

Instead we traveled by plane. God bless Delta for giving us an extra empty seat. That so almost but not quite makes up for smashing the front wheel of my stoller which took 3 weeks to fix. Did I mention it's my routine to nap in the stroller while my Mom chillaxes on a run. Hmm, imagine being in a strange place.. no nap for baby..no run for Mamma? You write the rest of the story. Anyway we  are rolling smoothly now with a back up stroller in place.

Monkey, my Mom, and I flew on one plane and my Dad on another.

Lion drove the Subaru.

It was wrong of him not to wear his seat belt for a cross country journey.

My Mom drives a soccer Mom van. It is perfect....for bikes!

My Santa Monica friends urged me not go...

 But when the guy I had been seeing all year couldn't even throw a shirt on . It was clear to me I needed to move on.


They say girls are more mature than boys so maybe it's just an issue of maturity. I wouldn't rule out a prom date 16 years from now.

The library girls threw me a party after story time. We went to True Food. I'm sure we were seated and treated just like the celebrities who dine there.

 

At any rate it was a step up from my current eating conditions....moving it's no picnic.

 

 I'm certain we weren't any more difficult to wait on either. However, we may have been a slight bit messier.