Video of the Teeth Brushing

I actually have some video of the endless teeth brushing.

The Tale of the Toothbrush

Now that Bree has a mouth full of teeth, I thought it was time to get her in the habit of brushing them. (You know that I worked at a dentist's office while I was in grad school, right?)

So Bree has her little tooth brush and her special tooth paste/gel that is safe for babies. And now that she's gotten the hang of it, she wants to brush her teeth ALL. THE. TIME. The soft bristles feel good against her gums, and she rubs the tooth brush against her incoming incisors, and her eyes just about roll back into her head in ecstasy. And the DROOL. Good grief - that's why I put a bib on her when she brushes her teeth.

Anyway, the first pictures are of her brushing. And brushing. And brushing some more.



Whenever we're in the bathroom, if she spots her toothbrush, she MUST have it. Tonight while she was in the bath, she spotted it and wanted it desperately. Like her very world would be destroyed if I wouldn't let her brush her teeth. So, no big deal, she could have her tooth brush.

Until she dipped it in the bath water, swirled it around, and attempted to stick it back in her mouth. Uh, I couldn't let her do that. So, teeth brushing time was over.

Oh, lucky me, just in time for TANTRUM TIME to start.

Do you see the stink eye that she's giving me? Yowza. That little girl has a temper!

All of that over a stinkin' TOOTH BRUSH.

Caption This Photo

So, I got Bree's spring photos back yesterday. Oh my. This girl is SO banged up. Trust me, it's even worse in an 8x10. (Lucky Grandma & Grandpa!)

Apparently, she was having fun dancing around the tree stump prop that they brought, and this was the best of that lot:




This second picture is funny to me for a variety of reasons - all because I'm picturing different captions for it:

• Yeah, but you should see the OTHER kid!
• Mommy, I need an ice pack and a nap, STAT!
• You want me to do WHAT?

But perhaps my favorite possible caption:

Bree - do your best Lindsay Lohan impression!

I'm terrible, I know.

A Girl On The Move

Over the holiday weekend we did the following:

• Saturday - Strawberry Festival, playing in the back yard
• Sunday - Zoo, oil change (wooo hooo!), playtime at the mall
• Monday - city park, grocery shopping, playing in the back yard

I took some pictures while at the mall:

Take a break, chillaxin' in a foam rubber row boat.

We tried out the motion toys - not sure how else to phrase that. You know, the ones where you put a coin in and it moves? Well, our first experience was in the Hot Dog cart. Bree was very surprised when it first started moving. She wasn't sure what she needed to do.

Intently studing the control panel: gas, check! altimiter, check! windshield wiper fluid, check! Hot dogs, mustard, relish, check, check check!

Dedicated to safe driving in the mall! You there - LOOK OUT!

Girl with a Hot Dog cart coming through!

Other recent developments:

• top incisors coming through s l o o o w l y
• using a fork and a spoon
• discovery of the word "ME!" As in, let me have it: Meeeeee! Or, let me do it: MeMeMeMeMeMe! Or, I want it more than life itself: MEEEEEEEEEEEE!
• Tantrums - oh, don't get me wrong, she's been throwing them for a while, but she's just now added kicking feet and slapping hands. (Good times, I assure you.)

In short, doing what she should be doing for a 17 month old. Right on track!

Bree At The Zoo

Bree and I made our first visit to the local zoo today. It was a beautiful day here - high 70s and sunny. I made the decision based on the zoo entrance that I would purchase a membership so that we could come back at any time. The basic family membership was quite reasonable, so I'm glad that we have the option of going at any time we want. And now that I know where it is, we'll be back often.

The zoo is laid out very nicely - lots of wide open spaces for children to run around in, and the exhibits are laid out in such a way that children can see the animals from a bunch of different locations. We saw a Siberian Tiger, a Red Panda (Okay, I saw it, Bree couldn't see it sleeping in the tree), llamas, emus, giraffes, a rhino, elephants, and some other animals that I learned for the first time today, and have promptly forgotten them. Maybe next time!

I'm good about putting sunscreen on Bree before we go out, and I try to get Bree to wear a hat. I am successful for only about a minute - then she whips it off. I don't understand why she doesn't like to wear hats - she looks adorable in them. Maybe I had her wear them for too long when she was an infant and couldn't get them off herself? I don't know, but it's a shame that she won't wear her hats. You'd think I'd stop buying them, knowing this, but I still keep trying!

Pretty girl having fun at the zoo!

Finally! I ditched the hat and am ready to feel the sun on my (bald) head!

You're not seriously going to try to get me to wear that hat again, are you?

Kansas City - Post #4 - Mischief Maker

I think I mentioned in an earlier post, Bree got herself into trouble by playing with the blinds and the curtains in her Great Grandma's living room. I tried to raise the blinds over her head, and move the curtains out of the way. It worked some of the time, but not all of the time.

In this series of photos, Bree was being chastized for playing with the lamp cord, which she knew she wasn't supposed to do. She looks really contrite, doesn't she?

Cord? What cord? Me? No way, Mommy!

See? I'm minding my own business, putting my sticky hands all over Great Grandma's window! And licking it too! Mmmmmm!

Again, you keep referring to this "cord." I know nothing about this "cord" business.

Okay, *maybe* I did touch the cord. But just once. Maybe twice.

I may or may not try to touch that cord as soon as you turn around, Mommy. You know, just because I can.

Kansas City - Post #3 - Family Pics

Doesn't it just figure that the one time I want Bree to sit still so we can take pictures, she throws a fit? She wouldn't sit on either of her Great Grandparents' laps, and she wouldn't sit on the couch. So I had her kneel on the back of the couch, and you can see my right hand on her thigh, holding her in place. I hope that in other pictures, you can't see my hands. But this turned out to be a very good picture of the Great Grandparents and the Great Grandbabies.

(L to R: Kenna (4 mos), Great Grandma, Bree (16 mos), Great Grandpa, and Karsen (6 mos)

Great Grandma and Bree

Bree and Great Grandpa

Bree gets a kiss from Great Grandma

Bree and Uncle Mike

I'm very pleased that so many of the pictures I took turned out. It's wonderful to have these pictures of family. More to come!

Really? REALLY?!

I have to interrupt the photos from Kansas City to bring you this "personal" ad from my hometown newspaper, The Pinconning Journal. And yes, it appears under the title, "Personals."

For the person or persons who took the small live decorated tree off William and Rose Hxxxxx's grave at St. Michael's cemetery; I hope that you have planted it, because that is what I planed to do with it. I hope the Lord makes it grow tall, so that while you watch it grow, it will be a reminder to you that you stole it off of another person's grave.

~~Joe Hxxxx

Really? Stealing plants off of other people's graves? THAT is pathetic.

Kansas City - Post #2

This is a picture from Friday afternoon, when Grandpa was reading to Bree. Making up his own version of nursery rhymes, I'm sure!

Here is Uncle Scott, holding Bree while she checks out Kenna. (Kenna is the daughter of my cousin Ken & Sarah.) Kenna is 4 months old, and has deliciously chubby cheeks and a beautiful head of dark, soft hair.

(Left to Right): My Aunt Fran (Kenna & Karsen's Grandma) holding Karsen, my Dad, holding Kenna, and my Mom, holding Bree. The three great-grandchildren.

The reason for our trip was to help my Grandparents celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary. And as I look through my pictures, I realize that I have NO pictures from the church or the dinner. So you'll just have to take my word for it: Bree looked cute, as did both of her cousins.

I haven't been taking Bree to church, because the last time we went, we had to leave before the gathering song had been sung. I decided to wait until she was a bit older before trying again. So, when we got to the church, I had prepared everyone for the possibility that Bree & I would be spending the mass in the cry room. But don't you know that girl made a LIAR out of me! She was the sweetest angel for the entire service.

Dinner was at Bonefish Grill, and let's just say that Bree isn't yet ready for two hour dinners. But it was wonderful - we'll have to go back after Bree has learned (a) table manners; and (b) how to sit for longer than 5 minutes.

On Mother's Day Sunday, it was a lazy day spent at Great-Grandma & Great-Grandpa's house. My Aunt Fran came over and bravely let Bree play with her phone. Much like how Bree types crypic codes on our computers, she was typing in all sorts of interesting letters & numbers on my Aunt's phone.

I'm ready to activate the launch code to begin my world domination! Mwah ha ha!

Uh, Uncle Steven? You know that big hole I just ripped in Great-Grandma's table cloth? Yeah, if anyone asks, I DIDN'T DO IT.

And with that, I'll close this post and pick up in a new post.

Kansas City

Bree & I headed to Kansas City on Thursday the 8th. Bree was a very good traveler on the way out. Everything went smoothly as far as airport transfers, getting the rental car and car seat, and making my way to my grandparents' house. We arrived around 2pm, had some lunch, and then Bree went exploring.

There are floor-to-ceiling windows flanking a fireplace in the living room, and Bree had a great time trying to trash the mini-blinds the same way that she did in her own room. She also had fun playing with Great-Grandma's sheer curtains, and not knowing that we could actually see her behind them. Her baby giggles were so much fun! Until she pulled down the curtains. Uh oh!

Getting into trouble!

Bree also LOVES to be chased. In this next picture, Grandpa is doing his best to hold up his end of the chase.

Bree gets a little "upside down" time courtesy of Grandpa.

On Friday evening my cousin Scott hosted a barbeque at his house. Scott & Nikki have two dogs, Duke & Max, and I knew that Bree was going to be beside herself. Not only would dogs be there, but my cousins were bringing their babies, as well. Kenna is 4 months old, and Karson is 6 months old. Babies! and! Doggies! Too much fun for Bree!

Bree was "barking" at the dogs (woof! woof! woof!).

Bree, baby Kenna & Sarah

Bree had a wonderful time at Uncle Scott's. (Yeah, we're going with Uncle Scott. As he said, sadly, second cousins aren't memorable. But no one forgets an Uncle!) We left around 9:30 central time (which meant it was 10:30 our time) and Bree did NOT want to go to bed. The poor baby screamed for about 45 minutes - she was just overly tired and all wound up. It was the first time that she'd been to a party with family, babies and doggies!

More to come . . . .

Incident Reports

It's a rare week at daycare where we don't have any Incident Reports. An Incident Report is just that - a sheet that has to be signed by the parent to acknowledge that they've been informed of an incident involving their child. The incident can involve only my child (as in when she fell off the baby doll bed and crashed into the play kitchen) or the incident can involve Bree and another child (as in today).

Bree got bit today by another child - not the first time, likely not the last. But this one left a BIG mark. So big that I felt the need to document it. I can see the upper row of teeth and the lower row of teeth. Thank goodness it didn't break the skin, but this is yet another bruise for her. And if you're wondering how it happened - all the toddlers were outside, and Bree & another child were "going for the same toy." My thought is that Bree got there first, as she was the one that got bit.

The second incident report happened right after this last picture was taken. Bree started chattering, so I flipped the camera setting to "film." If you can hear me laughing, it's becasue at the end, Bree tooted, and a little bit more than just gas came out, if you get my meaning. So I had to set down the camera and do a little clean up.

I hope this works - it's my first attempt at uploading a video. If the internet goes down, you know I've broken it.

We're off to Kansas City tomorrow for a family shindig. I'll try to take lots of pictures, as there will be babies there who are likely to be smaller than Bree! Maybe. We'll see.

Okay, I'm off to pack. Keep me in your thoughts as I navigate THREE airports with Bree. Oh, there will be stories to tell, I'm sure.

Happy Girl

Bree saw the pictures that I put up on the blog earlier today, and she was SO EXCITED to see her daddy on the computer screen. It's complete MAGIC! She has no idea how he got in there!

Just in case I missed it the first 50 times she pointed it out, THAT'S HER DADA!

Now comes the part where she's wondering why he's not here. GET HIM OUT OF THE COMPUTER, MAMA.

Maybe if I keep pushing buttons I can set him free!

The internet and the computer are wonderful things. But still a little too complicated for someone who's only 16 months old.

A Clear Lack of Parental Supervision

We went to a picnic yesterday put on by our real estate agent's company, and Bree was given a balloon. She LOVES the balloon but is still trying to figure out what it is, how it works, etc. But with a fork in one hand, the balloon in the other, while biting on the balloon, this is a disaster in the making!

Road Rash!

Bree has one setting: WIDE OPEN. She was running down the driveway on Friday evening and tripped and fell, skidding on her face. Oh my, there were lots of tears and screaming. But it was painful to look at, so I tried to give her as much TLC as she would take.

Her poor little nose bled, and she's got scrapes on her forehead and her hand.

She actually had her pictures taken at daycare that day, and she already had bruises on her forehead. We'll see how those pictures turn out! (And those are Tutti Frutti Jelly Bellys on the table next to her - a special treat that her Daddy "gives" her every night after dinner.)

It was a rough day! Bree is ready for the weekend!

Backyard Fun!

While Scott was home, he assembled a swing set for Bree. Here's the pictures!

You can see the slide in the background (on the right). So far, that's Bree's favorite part of the whole thing.

The little princess in her "tower."

A great picture of Bree & her Daddy.