SHAKE THAT BOOTEE

One day I came home from Brammy's house and I had learned a new thing; how to shake my BOOTEE! Yeah! First I told Jenna, my teacher, when she was helping me use the bathroom. She thought it was really funny. Then I started doing it around the house, just to feel it out, see what kind of results I would get from mom and dad. The results were favorable, so now I do it everywhere and usually when I am excited. I have even perfected the bend of my butt, so that I can spank it while I shake it. It is definitely one of my best dance moves yet.

My New Camera

Santa Claus brought me some really great gifts and I have been having a blast perfecting my skills. My digital camera is the bomb, and I can take 60 pictures in about 2 minutes flat. Here is me and my family through my eyes. Pretty cool huh? My next step is figuring out how to record music to my movies with my new Barbie keyboard. Notice the fabulous chair that is just my size? I obviously was a very good girl this year.

My Newest Cuz

It's been a busy week with all the last minute shopping I've had to do to get ready for Christmas. And to top it all off, my new baby cousin Maddie arrived on December 23rd! She's so cute and tiny! She was even smaller than me and I was pretty small. She'll be big in no time and I can't wait to play peek-a-boo with her and sing songs and all that other good stuff.

Snow is White!

I woke up this morning and was paralyzed with amazement when I looked out the window. It was raining, but the rain was white! Dad told me it was snow. A little later I put on my warmest clothes (no gloves mind you- my mom hasn't bought me any yet!!) and Dad and I went into Central Park. We were some of the very few who ventured into the park. The playground was a virtual ghost yard. All the other kids were too afraid of the snow to come out to play. Not me of course.

By the way, for the 80's generation out there- don't I look like a young Madonna in the below shot?

Art Appreciation

I love to draw and I value fashion too. So much so that I often like to make myself into a piece de resistance. Or something like that. My sketchbook wasn't enough. When I have a pen in hand I am so given into the temptation of using myself as a canvas. Just one of my very few flaws.

Peppers and Drumstix

Thanksgiving was a long day and A LOT of food. For hors d' oeuvres I had red, yellow, and orange sweet peppers. Yum! I love peppers. I also drank a lot of water. My friend Heidi was there. I tried to share my peppers with her, but she doesn't like peppers, just stuffed peppers, and she says that she only likes the stuffing, not the pepper. Too bad for her. I'll eat her peppers. I love peppers. For dinner I ate meat, but I would only eat meat off the bone, so I ate the drumstix. That means I ate a lot of meat because a turkey leg is BIG. No messing around there. And I don't mess around.

Restaurant Entertainment

For those of you who don't know, my mom's numerologist told her that I have the same numbers as Martha Stewart, which is why I love to spend hours cleaning at school (and my teachers love me for it). I always fight it out with other students as to who gets to wash the dishes after lunch. I usually win.

Besides cleaning, I am also teaching myself about spices. I get the most practice when I go out to restaurants. At this particular restaurant I am making fabulous fresh pepper, garlic, salt, and dried arugala mix. My parents aren't bothered by my experimenting, because they don't have to clean it up or pay for it- you don't get charged for spice consumption when dining out and it keeps me occupied so that they can eat. Above is a picture at a yummy Italian restaurant in Chelsea. This is the first time we ate out as a family with the new baby. What fun.

Me and Baby Sister

I really love my baby sister. I like to put my face right up next to hers and give her kisses. I have been singing her songs, really loudly, right in her face too, just to make sure she hears them. I also like to share my food with her, I tried to feed her a cracker the other day, but mom got really upset, and I thought I was being so nice, sharing like a big sister should. It is a little confusing with my baby sister, because I am trying to be so nice to her and hanging out with her, but mom gets a little spastic when I do. I think mom is having some personal issues. Doesn't everyone just want to be loved?

Where's Waldo....uhm, Tassy?

With a new person in the family spitting up all the time, and having power blow-outs (no that isn't me anymore) we sure have a lot of laundry to do. We did seven loads of laundry over the weekend and boy was it a chore. I really like it though because I get to help dad and he gives me rides in the cart. Can you find me?

Me at Mohonk

About a week after Tula was born, we went to the Mohonk House for a long weekend to enjoy the fall foliage in the Adirondacks. It was great because I was able to hang out with Mimi and Pops a whole lot- I even got to sleep in their room. Pops always has gummy candies on hand, so I follow him around everywhere. I dig treats the most. Besides eating candy, I ate a lot of meat and noodles and corn. MMM, I love corn on the cob. I needed lots of food because I hiked a lot around Mohonk Lake and around the huge building- the long, wide hallways are great for running in (even though there are signs that say "Parents, don't let your kids run in the hallways."). I also was able to go on my first rowboat ride- don't I look smashing in my life vest?

I'm a Big Sister!

After waiting since January, I finally have a little sister! It is a pretty big event and I'm somewhat fragile right now, but it is neat to have a little baby around. She has really little fingers and toes and she sleeps all the time. I love to give her tisses on the cheek. I'm going to write more later because I want to hang out with my fam right now. You can see more pictures of Tula.

Breakfast with Aunties Laura and Nora

I am such a lucky little girl because I have two beautiful Aunts with rhyming names (and they both even look alike)! I went to brunch with them and had such a wonderful time because they both love me so much and are very attentive. I love them too. We talk and play and joke around, I couldn't be happier sitting between the two of them.

The Baby is Coming

I don't know when exactly the baby is coming, but mom says any day now. Mom was due on October 3rd, but her original due date was October 10th, so it's any body's guess as to when the baby will arrive. She went to the doctor's the other day to see how the baby was doing inside her belly and they told her it was about 8 and a half pounds. That's a big baby! I guess the baby is doing just fine and doesn't want to come out. I am somewhat ambivalent about the whole process, but I will be very excited to have a baby to play with. Mommy says that I am still her favorite daughter, but not for long. Pretty soon she will have two favorite daughters.

Getting the Angst Out

I've been learning so many new things recently and I've been a little stressed out about about the news that my little sister is arriving any day now so I've been finding different ways to get all my energy out (especially because I don't get to go to the playground very often). I've found that this works really well for me...(make sure your sound is on)

By the Way...

So my mom has been pregnant for the past nine months and it's been pretty rough for the last month especially. She doesn't take me to the park anymore because she can't chase after me. I also get yelled at for really stupid things, like throwing my food on the floor and spilling water everywhere and drawing on stuff, like the couch and walls. We still do fun stuff- like eating bananas together for breakfast, we just don't look as good doing it anymore. I hear it is going to get worse before it gets better- like no sleep for a couple of months when my baby sister does arrive. I am really excited about kissing her and giving her the pacie. Oh yeah, since mom transcribes my posts for me, this picture should explain why I have been AWOL recently.

Splashing in the Wawa

When I wasn't practicing my breath stroke, I was doing a lot of splashing in the pool. I had a lot of fun with my fellow mermaid Nora. We did a lot of swimming, kicking, splashing, and tanning together. She is still browner than I am, but she kind of cheated because she had tanning help pre-vacation and I didn't. Could you imagine me walking into NY Sun Club asking for 15 minutes in one of their beds?

Waterbug

Here is a great little video that shows me learning how to swim in a non-traditional kind of way...think Blue Lagoon, but with suits on. I love the wawa. "Swimming in the Wawa" is my new favorite ditty. My true Scorpio traits come out when I am around the water. On vacation one day I was in the wawa for three hours straight!

The Beach and Boardwalk

It has been a couple of weeks since I visited this fantasy land in Santa Cruz, but I still dream of the Big Macks. No, we're not talking meat here folks, but pint sized rigs that kids like me can drive around, and for only 75 cents!! The deal of a lifetime is what I call it.

There is some really great people watching around these parts. While walking down the main street of Santa Cruz, I have seen more piercings and tattoos that I have in my whole life. Don't believe it when they say that NYC has the most interesting people, because I live there and in my two weeks in this place I have seen more whack jobs that in my 2 years in New York. In NYC I have never seen anyone standing stalk still in the middle of the sidewalk, midsummer, wearing a pair of ski goggles looking like they are tuning in alien signals from another planet.

Just Call Me Ariel

Since my last swimming update, I have become the quintessential mermaid. Whenever someone is in the pool, then so am I. I can swim for hours on end, and it just isn't enough for me. I like to jump off the wall and kick my feet and splash; being in a pool is great fun. Too bad I didn't have a water birth- I think that I would have preferred it to the hospital birth. I think that I am a wonderful addition to any pool, so feel free to invite me to yours anytime (if you have one of course).

Drawing in Capitola

Whenever I go to a restaurant, I am handed crayons and told to draw while everyone else talks to each other and eats lots of food. I am given food, but if I make a peep, I am often shushed. If I want to run around it is even worse, because then I actually get strapped into my seat. But when I am really fed up and want to leave, all I have to do is scream and make a racket and I am immediately whisked out of the restaurant and on to other more important things in life. The picture above is the first time where I have cooperated and colored all by myself. Watch out Met, here I come.

My Boo Chair

For those of you who don't know, I really enjoy pint sized chairs. This picture features the newest addition to my life- a boo beach chair and I can't pull my butt up from the thing. We took it to the beach in Santa Cruz (where I will be relaxing with my boo chair for a couple of weeks) and I sat in it for about two hours straight as I played with my bucket and shovel. I refused to go into the water, much preferring the safety of my chair. It is so great because I can move it around and sit in it and fold it up, all these really great things that I can't do with an adult sized chair. My mom loves it because I actually stay in one place for a couple of hours, which hasn't happened since before I became mobile.

A New Fish in the Pool

This week I had swimming lessons every day. I'll give you a brief synopsis.
Monday- Not excited to be in the pool at all. Cried the first five minutes and clung to my mommy and said "No mow" the next 25 minutes. Really enjoyed the duckie pool ring and wouldn't do anything without holding on to it. Learned how to blow bubbles and kick.
Tuesday- Didn't cry, but was still wary of the pool. My mom tricked me into going under the water- not happy about that AT ALL. Really wanted to end the lesson there and then. Kicked some more and learned how to push off from the wall and pull myself up out of the pool. Was still very attached to my duckie pool ring. Also learned the prone position. Not really into that, but did a little kicking on my back to appease my mom.
Wednesday- Climbed into the pool rather quickly. Learned how to jump off the side of the wall with mom's help of course. Did all that other stuff- some happily and some not so happily. Did a lot of kicking and learned big arms. Also learned about the kick board. I'm a smart girl though, because even though one hand was on the kick board, my other hand was always attached to mom.
Thursday (Final Lesson)- Sang "Swimming in the wawa" all morning until my lesson. As soon as I was at the swim club, ran all the way to the pool. Jumped right in. Jumped off the side of the wall many times. Shook with happiness and clapped for myself every time I blew bubbles or went under the water which I did a lot without crying.
Just call me aquawoman.

My First Cone

Today a delightful thing happened- I had my first ice cream cone, a chocolate/vanilla swirl to be exact. It was so yummy that I stuck my whole face into it. I think that this is now my favorite food group, besides edaname that is.

Boating on the Bay

I arrived in California to visit Mimi and Pops and the next thing I know I was whisked away on my first boating excursion! I was a tad scared climbing up the steep stairs to the top deck, but other than that I loved it. Check out my trendy life jacket from one of my favorite stores- Target. (I love the large expanses of running space, aisles I think is the proper term for them. Oh yeah, and there are all the wonderful racks of clothes to play hide and seek in.) Besides the fabulous new jacket, I loved the way the wind blew threw my baby locks and how the salt air smelled in my nostrils. What a word! And what fun we had on the boat.

Hula With Holly

I was in Central Park the other day meeting up with Amy, Henry, and Holly when I learned about the fascinating sport of hula hooping. At first I thought it was strange to see large plastic toys strewn about on the ground, but I was hooked after I saw what could be done with these things. Holly tried to help me do it myself, but the rings were just to big for me and I couldn't swing my hips fast enough. Holly on the other hand is a hula pro. Look at her swinging that hoop around her waist. Another successful learning excursion to Central Park. (We also had a celebrity sighting- Larry David, who looks like my Pops by the way, was filming an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm) Only in New York.

Biking With My Dad

Dad and I went biking through Central Park today and boy did we have a blast. Dad is so great at riding bikes, he doesn't even need training wheels. We biked around the big loop, but I only wore my helmet until Columbus Circle. After that I refused, because I wasn't able to see the beautiful views with a large helmet hanging over my eyes. Dad completely understood and didn't make me wear my helmet anymore. Don't tell the kiddie police, because I don't want them to take me away for bad parenting.

Rhymes with Grammy

Grammy and I love to read nursery rhymes together. Old King Cole is one of my favorites, but I really just like to read the whole book if I have enough time. Grammy is so funny because she makes a lot of silly faces and voices when she reads the rhymes. I think it is so entertaining that I now read the rhymes in the same way! I think I'm becoming my grammy- especially because I like shopping and counting to ten.

Music Meghan

This is a picture of me and Music Meghan. She is one of the most influential people in my life so far, because she has taught me all the songs I know. Since Thanksgiving I have sung constantly. Whenever I have a free moment I bust out in song. Some of my favorites are Ba Ba Black Sheep, The Wheels on the Bus, Row Row Row Your Boat and the list goes on.

My Littlest Friend Henry

Recently I went out for breakfast with Henry and his mommy Amy, and my mom of course. I had a great time getting to know the little guy, even though he slept most of the time. I love babies and I was very helpful with his pacifier, and I made sure that his car seat was working properly by pressing (and adjusting) all the buttons. I didn't even get jealous when mommy held him, it actually made me happy because I could get a really close up view of his face.

Just Like Dad

I want to wish my dad a big HAPPY FATHERS DAY! because he is the best dad in the whole world and I want to be just like him. Isn't it cool that I can go to the bathroom just like him? I get bored of sitting on the pot as long as he does, but I'm practicing. I also have been listening to music he likes, like the Grateful Dead. We were jamming this morning to one of Jerry's DVDs. I also really want to learn to play guitar, but dad is still not ready to teach me yet. Maybe soon, we'll see. For now it is really great just to hang out with him and go to the park, and swing, and watch Boobah together. Thanks dad, I love you.

Parties Galore

I've been going to a lot of 2nd birthday parties lately, and I've had a blast at each one. How can you not love it when you get to sing Happy Birthday, eat cake, play with friends, and get goodies to take home? I can almost sing Happy Birthday all by myself because I have been singing it all the time so that I can become a pro singer. I like to play too. At one birthday there was a kitchenette that I cooked at for two hours straight. I microwaved avocados and corn and barbecued some cereal. There were so many things to open and close. I'm still dreaming about it. I'll have to ask for one for my next birthday.

Me and Mr. Ouch

I have been taking many diggers lately because I have so much energy and prefer running to walking. I also enjoy toting a rickety stool around my apartment so that I can stand on it and reach so many more things than I can at my actual height. Mom forgets how good I am at finding hidden things (like bribery candy, digital cameras, cell phones, etc). When I am climbing, I often hit things with my head, like tables, chairs, counter tops, and that is when Mr. Ouch comes in handy. He is a very cold guy who soothes my pain when applied to my boo boos. We try to have daily bonding time when I am at home with him (he can't go to far from the fridge or else he loses his magical powers).

By the way- can you dig my fufferfly shirt?

Songs for Ice Cream Trucks

This is a picture of me at my first album release party. The album (title above) is by Michael Hearst and it features songs that he would prefer hearing over the Mr. Frosty truck loudspeakers than what they typically play while cruising around town. It has some really great tunes and I am so happy that my mom is cool enough to take me to a party like that. Holly and Sarah went to the bash also and the four of us had a blast. I found a red chair just my size that I pushed around for most of the performance, when I wasn't mesmerized by the music and instruments of course. My favorite song is #2 Where Do Ice Cream Trucks Go in the Winter? It features bells which are currently my favorite instrument. I even think that I might be on Saturday's Today show 6/1 on NBC (they were there filming and I made sure to get into a lot of the footage).
Update- Checkout my cameo appearance... Songs For Ice Cream Trucks Footage

In the Park With Mimi and Mom (and Pops)

Mimi and Pops came for a visit and all they wanted to do was walk through Central Park. One day Pops took me 4x4ing on my trike, which was pretty adventurous. It doesn't have a seat belt, so I was holding onto the handlebars for dear life as Pops was rolling me down huge boulders in the Ramble. The next day we went to the zoo and Mimi and Pops got me in big trouble because they let me in the rabbit area of the petting zoo, which actually wasn't the petting zoo part. I was making friends with the rabbits when the zoo ranger came along and freaked out. She almost had to call in special forces to get me out of the cage, but luckily I ran to the edge so that dad could pull me out before the power rangers could get their paws on me. What a day. It was much more relaxing when Mimi and Pops left- I started taking naps again.

The Fashionista

I know that this picture isn't very clear- mom's camera is on the fritz- but I couldn't resist posting it because I look so fabulous in these shoes. Unfortunately it will be years before I can borrow them from my mother. Oh well, at least I know what I have to look forward to.

I'm a Good Girl

Now that I am 2 I have made some changes in my life. I used to hit to get what I want, but now I use kisses instead. Before my birthday I talked in gibberish, but now I enunciate so that my parents can understand me. It helps get things done faster. I also have given up my crib because it feels like a prison. My mattress is now on the floor and I am a free woman; I can get in and out of it whenever I want. Don't worry though, because I am still the same old me, just a new updated version. Like today I drew all over my doll with a beautiful pink pen. The color was so nice that I drew all over myself too. Then I showed my mom and said "Uh-Oh". Some things never change.

I'm 2!

I just turned two and I sure have grown a lot of hair in the past year. I finally look like a girl. My birthday day began with a whopper of a present- a really cool trike from my parents. Don't I look like a bad ass in the picture below? Just imagine what I would look like on a Harley- pretty intimidating, huh? Well after a long ride in Central Park I came home and refused to take a nap. I really think that I'm too old for my crib and detest to sleep in it. I now call the couch my bed. This is why I look so fatigued in the picture above. Blowing out a candle is just too much running on empty.
Me and my newest mode of transportation. I think I might get a leather jacket that says "Sassy Cassy"...
Here are my pals helping me celebrate my birthday. I would say that they are my closest buds. We have our own little gang going on and it is really fun to be a part of. We have a secret language that our parents can't quite understand and we are very peaceful- always giving each other a lot of hugs and kisses. It is easy to feel the love when we're around.

Holiday Babies in NYC

This is me and Spencer lounging in NYC. We were both born on a holiday- Independence Days to be exact: Cinco de Mayo and the Fourth of July respectively. If you do the math you will figure out that it is my second birthday next week! But let's talk about the terrace a little more, it is my new favorite thing. I am going to ask for one for my birthday- how great would it be to have my own little personal outdoor play area in the city? Really special I think. Yesterday I learned all about the terrace because I hung out on one with my parent's friends and I was such a good girl! It was especially fun because of baby Spencer- I was able to give him lots of hugs and kisses and nice pats. It was also nice because there were a lot of yummy things to eat and I stuffed my face with bananas, berries and apples. MMM.

Surprise Visit

On Easter Day we had a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny! I was scared at first, but after I made the bunny's acquaintance, I couldn't get enough of the guy. The bunny hid plastic eggs all over the garden and they had yummy chocolate eggs inside- I must have eaten 20 of them and my mom started getting upset, so I had to start eating them surreptitiously. They were so good that I would drool every time, so she knew when I had another one. Uh oh...
I was sad when the bunny disappeared to take a break, but it was a bit confusing when, during one of these breaks, I found the rabbit head in the front room and brought it out to the kitchen and rolled around with it. I didn't understand where the bunny's body went.

Happy Easter

I finally have my bunny ears! The easter bunny also brought me a basket as big as I am. Wow, what a day. I've been doing a couple of practice egg hunts in the past couple of days, so I'm hoping that I'm up to the task today. I want to find them all! HAPPY EASTER!