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Deeelirious

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(06/17/08 11:38:04)

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(Took forever but I finally got a chance to sit down and add pictures. Not sure I am loving Yuku right now. Ignore any stray nonsense words in the picture section..I don't know how to get rid of them and I don't know how to add another picture. I will try and add the missing picture here. It's a Tired Family after the Dance Recital)

Wow!! How is it the 16th already?! That means my daughter will be THREE in 3 months! Impossible! This month was crammed full of activities so it made the time fly by.

We are doing good here.

Robert's parents came for a visit at the end of May. They came for our nephew Michael's graduation. It was really good seeing them and also getting together with the cousins for a family picnic at the park. Robert, Willow and I did some more hiking at Castlewood Canyon. We packed a lunch and Willow's bathing suit one of the days and once we hit the water in the inner canyon we parked it and took a nice break. We got a trailer to attach to the back of Robert's bike and he and Willow have been taking bike rides a couple times a week. Robert has even ridden to work a few times too! He is getting ready for a Ride Your Bike to Work day coming up in a couple weeks.

Willow is still stuttering. Some days more than others. I talked to her pediatrician about it because Willow was starting to get embarrassed and frustrated by it. Her doctor said it was normal at this age for them to stutter and it usually lasts about 6 months but when the child shows signs of being self conscious of it that they suggest taking them in to a speech therapist. Of course (and thankfully) the crazy "sneezing" stuttering stopped after I talked to the doctor and it is back to sounding like a normal 2 yr old stutter again. She does have bouts where she really gets stuck on words and gets a little shy about it but it is nowhere near how it was last month so we are taking a wait and see attitude still. Along with the stuttering, Willow started talking a little baby talk which drives me a little crazy. It's so weird to hear her say, "Mamma" (in a baby voice) because she has never really been a baby talker. I can only imagine what will happen when we have an actual baby in the house!!

Speaking of babies.... We are still slowly trudging along preparing to adopt again. We had our fingerprints done and Willow was upset she didn't have to do it too. She is asking about babies a lot these days. There was a character on TV who asked "Do you have a baby brother or sister?" and Willow answered back, "I don't have a baby YET!" The other day she asked what kind of baby we would get. I told her that we didn't know and that we would ask for a baby to love and we may get a boy or a girl but we didn't know. I think she will be a good big sister.

Our MOMS Club Chapter is about to sister into three different chapters because we got so big (Over 80 members!). I will continue to be on the board as the Membership VP of my new chapter. Hopefully I will start meeting some Moms in my neighborhood who will want to join because so far the only Moms I ever meet when I am out and about live in the boundaries of the other two chapters. We have made some great friends in the club and I am sure we will continue with play dates with them whether we are in the same chapter or not.

Willow's dance class is on a break now. We will really miss it. It was amazing watching them the last two weeks and remembering how so many of them would flitter off on their own throughout class and now, every one of them stays focused on the teacher. There was a recital Friday night. It was nothing like the recitals you see where costumes are $100 and everything looks professional. In fact.. it was the polar opposite! As everyone arrived, most of the little girls ended up in the front dancing to the music just looking cute. It was very chaotic and I thought Willow wasn't going to make it up in front to perform because she started melting down because it was so hot and loud. (not to mention it was close to bedtime!) BUT as her turn approached I cheered her on and told her to go out there with a big smile and dance for Daddy so he could record it and we would watch it later. She found an X to stand on in the back and when the music started we were all confused because it wasn't a song we had been practicing at home. Miss Jennifer was up in the front on her knees and she told all the girls to get down on their knees. Willow was the only one who didn't sit down. She DID do all the same movements as all the other girls!! About halfway through the song Willow started walking towards the front. She looked out at me and mouthed, "I'm going to sit by Miss Jennifer" It was pretty funny. In class, Willow always ends up right beside the teacher so it was normal for her to go up there with her and Jennifer just smiled and pat the floor next to her for Willow to sit. After more classes danced it was time for Willow's second dance (which was the one we have been practicing for weeks.) Again, she started out in one spot dancing real well and then ended up moving next to the teacher.

After each dance Willow came running over to us yelling, "I did it!"

We gave her some flowers when she was done and she was excited about that AND the flowers that her cousins Cora and Micah had already given to her at our house. Tina and Sara came with some of Willow's cousins so it was nice for her to be able to perform for them. After the show we went out for dinner/dessert with the family. Cora and Hannah have birthdays real close in June so we asked the waiters to sing for them.

Potty training is hit or miss. She does pretty well when Robert and I put her in panties and ask her constantly if she needs to go. She seems to know when she is about to go and will rush to the bathroom. The problem is sometimes we forget about using the panties.. Also, I am out and about with her so much and I haven't gotten brave enough to leave the house with her in only panties. She DID finally go poop in the potty for the first time 5/17/08. We were all very excited and did the Poo Poo Dance all around the house. She was so proud.

Another thing she has been proud of is going into her room and taking a nap all by herself! I know it's not impressive to most but it's a BIG DEAL for this housel!! In the past one of us has stayed with her until she was asleep (or just taken a nap with her). I know.. it's our own doing... but .. it is what it is.... (We are learning for baby number two!) Last week she had me put her blanket over her, give her a kiss and then she let me leave the room. I was SURE she was going to end up coming out or calling for me but she went to sleep. When she woke up she just kept saying, "I went to sleep ALL BY MYSELF!! Daddy will be so proud of me" She has done it each weekday since then. (Weekends we try and all take a nap together) I asked her if she was going to go to sleep all by herself at night too and she looked at me very seriously and said, "No Mamma.. only at nap time. Not at night" When I asked her why she said, "Because I like laying with you at night."

As always, I didn't except to have so much to say but have babbled away. Here are some funny things Willow has done or said this month. Lots of pictures to follow!

~ When we are driving somewhere she isn't familiar with she will say, "I'm lost!" Then when we get closer to home and she sees a store or mountain she recognizes she announces, "I'm not lost anymore!"

~ We were sitting out on the driveway enjoy the weather waiting for Robert to get home. She was drawing with chalk and then started singing to me. She walked over to me and was gazing into my eyes singing in this little voice "You have a beautiful heartbeat... and you have beautiful hair ....except it's white.." DOH!! Thanks Willow! Who needs a calendar to keep track of when you need to touch up your roots!?

~ As we were driving home one day Robert asked if she wanted to go for a bike ride. She said, "Yea, I want to go down that road over there. It will be a lot of fun. Trust me Daddy." Then when we were home and getting sunscreen and a helmet on her she kept saying to me, "I will miss you Mommy."

~ We taught her the Macarena. It is SO cute. She doesn't do it completely right but you get the idea of what she is doing...

~ Robert brought Willow into our room when she woke up at about 12:15 AM. We were all laying in the dark going to sleep when all of a sudden Willow said, "Prairie Dog". Robert and I giggled and weren't sure if she was talking in her sleep. Then the following happened.

Willow: I'm a prairie dog. (pause) I'm just kidding.

We all cracked up.. a little while later Willow toots and Robert said, "What was THAT?"

Willow: It was a prairie dog

More laughing... then she kept saying Prairie Dog for a little while making us laugh... Then we told her it was time to go to sleep and she could be silly in the morning.

You could almost hear her brain working trying to think of something else to make us laugh.... a little while later we hear

Willow: "Monkey Toist"

We laughed and I said, "What's toist?"

Willow: It's a name in French... or Spanish

MORE laughing..

Then she continued saying crazy things for awhile.. alligator toist... elephant toist....

We probably spent about 15 minutes laughing at her until we all finally went to sleep. Since that night we all say, "Prairie Dog" if someone toots.

~ She likes to whisper messages into our ears. Last week I whispered into her ear, "I love you so much Willow" Then she whispered into mine, "I love Daddy so much! The End." It was so funny! Here I expected her to say she loved ME! Turkey!

~ Willow borrowed a diaper and pajamas from her friend Colin when we stayed at their house too late last week. The next morning when I was changing her diaper I said, "Wow! That's a lot of pee you have there!" and she looked down at the bulging diaper and said, "It's Colin's pee"

~ Whenever she trips she will say, "These sandals are real tricky"

~ When we go out to eat we have started to say, "What are the three rules?" and she will list them on her fingers, "No whining, No Crying, and Talk nice" It doesn't always work but if she starts to whine we can say, "What's rule number one?" and she will usually stop for a bit.

~ In Target, whenever we walk towards the bra section she will run to them and yell, "BOOBS!!!" then she will hold one in her hands and rub her face against it saying, "I love boobs. They're so soft"

~ After Bob and Linda visited us I told Willow that they had to go and visit Grandma's Dad in Arkansas. Willow said, "I want to go to Harkansas"

~ We gave her a penny to throw into a fountain. When we asked her what she wished for she said, "I wish for a rocket ship!"

Picture time! enjoy! We hope you are doing well!

I haven't posted videos on UTUBE for awhile... I have begun posting them on Smugmug instead. Check them out when you get a chance. http://hardyfamily.smugmug.com/gallery/4032918_UsrY3#234764296_RVq2E

5/18/08 Hike at Castlewood Canyon.

5/19/08 This is our friend Jamie's son Luke. Do they not look like brother and sister?!?! It's almost freaky!

5/19/08 This is Luke's brother Sam. Willow has a crush on him. How is it that an almost 3 yr old starts talking in a cute sing song way to the boy she has a crush on?? SCARY!!!

Sam is a cutie and super sweet.

5/23/08 This was at Michael's graduation. When we sat down in the bleachers with the sun beating down I thought, 2 1/2 year old at a graduation could be bad news... but she was GREAT. She clapped along with everyone else and then walked behind all of us putting our arms around each other. It was pretty funny.

5/23/08 The cousins after Michael's graduation.

5/23/08 Grandma and Grandpa with Willow at lunch after the graduation.

5/23/08 Willow took the tissue from a graduation gift and wore it like a babushka.

5/28/08 Trampoline fun

5/29/08 We went to Belleview Park with one of our MOMS Club playgroups. They had a little train to ride around the park, a petting zoo and this creek. After lunch we let all the kiddos get in the water to cool down.

5/31/08 Yes, Willow is growing fast but not THAT fast. Robert and I took Willow to Tiny Town.

6/1/08 Another hike at Castlewood Canyon. This was an outdoor amphitheater we found.

6/1/08 We remembered to pack the bathing suit and lunch. Willow had fun wading in the water.

6/1/08 Willow was pooped at the end of the hike.

6/2/08 Getting ready for a bike ride. She looks like a Super Hero the way she posed. Poor Robert.. Willow is such a back seat driver. She yells to him the whole ride telling him where she wants him to go.

6/4/08 I Love You.

6/07/08 Snack Time!!

6/09/08 Willow has so much fun using the table top dry erase /chalk board easel I found. She loves to draw and practice writing letters. She surprised me by writing her name all by herself.

6/10/08 This was a playgroup play date. The kids painted rocks for Father's Day paperweights. Willow had a ball and ended up going out into our friend Jenny's backyard and grabbing another rock to paint.

6/11/08 Reading is serious work.

6/11/08 Willow loving on Baby Zane.

6/13/08 This was before the dance recital. Willow and her cousins.

6/13/08 Willow and Genevieve posing before the recital.

6/13/08 Practicing before the show.

6/13/08 More practicing. (I know it's blurry but it was so cute)

6/13/08 Christopher, Micah and Willow at dinner after the recital.

6/13/08 When they sang Happy Birthday to Cora and Hannah they left the huge sombrero at our table. It got passed around to all the kids.

6/14/08 Think the ice cream is cold?

6/15/08 Robert's Father's Day gifts. Two paperweights and a frame with her picture, cut out of her hand, some drawings, quotes and "Love" "Willow" that she had written. I also gave him a couple other writing/drawings that didn't fit into the frame.