For Finley

As usual, we have been busy bees, trying to make the most of the last days of summer. We baby-sat Sadie yesterday and had several tea parties with the tea set Grandma originally bought for Finley, but that Sadie managed to finagle out of her (wink, wink - Sadie told me all about this). I was especially impressed with Sadie's masterpiece of Key Lime yogurt with julienned carrots mixed in. Nice. I've also included pictures of Finley just being the cutest little toddler in the world. Her toenails are a big hit still - she points them out many times a day. I'm also just dying over how much she is starting to act like a "big girl"! She is obsessed with Sadie's stroller and shopping cart, so she took her stroller to run a few errands the other day. I can't get her to let go of it! She also decided she was so tired this morning that she took all the pillows off the couch and laid down to watch Barney. She still doesn't sleep - she's never been a good sleeper - but she plays in her crib and reads books with no problem until one of us comes in to get her, as you can see from the picture. Tonight, Cam taught her how to point and do the "You, You, You" cheer. I know all the Auntie's and Uncle's know what this is, but for those of you who don't - consider yourself lucky!

Now, to which the title alludes: I mostly do this blog so Cam has something to look at while he's bored at work and so the grandparents get their fix and so my friends from far away can still be a part of Finley's life, etc.; however, I read an article in the Sept. issue of Oprah tonight that made a tear spring to my eye and it just sums up how I feel about my life and Finley. I don't like to publicly display my emotions, but as my mom mentioned in her latest comment, I'm sure that Finley will one day read this blog as if it is her baby book (wow, how times have changed!) and I want her to know that this is how it is.

Lisa Kogan writes in the summary of her article "We put our muffins in the oven and set the timer for 16 minutes. Julia announces that she will be using this period "to have three babies and take them swimming." I will use my 16 minutes to shake off all dreams of a road less traveled. You make the choices you make based on what you know about yourself and what you think you know about the world. And sometimes the world will turn around and break your heart, but other times, a 5-year-old will saunter in with three dolls wet from their swim lesson. The five of you will sit down to blueberry muffins, and the reality of what you wound up with will suddenly seem like the only possible choice - it just couldn't have turned out any other way."

Too bad it's not Mother's Day because I'm pretty sure every Mother I know understands this completely. We love you Finley! And I love you, Moms!

Busy Saturday!

Oh, the summer is winding down and we had a beautiful, busy day as we made the most of it. In fact, it is 1:30 in the am and I am awake with Finley who was so hungry after her busy day that she woke up and couldn't sleep. She just devoured an applesauce, a yogurt and cheerios, in fact, because she was too tired to eat supper tonight, and passed out with an empty stomach. We started off the day with lots of activity at home - she took a walk with dad, watered the lawn, played with every toy in the house, and got her toenails painted (only on one foot before she thought it was a good idea to take the polish and run!). Then, since we couldn't find a baby-sitter, Cam went to the dome to donate our Twins tickets to some needy kids (how sweet), and returned with the great idea of going to the lake. Instead of our usual Uptown Lake Calhoun spot, we tried Wayzata and it was awesome! Since it was late in the day, it wasn't busy at all, or too hot. Finners and Cam had a blast in the water and then we all enjoyed the playground equipment right on the beach. Finley went down the slide numerous times and climbed the ladder several times with only minimal help! She's a monkey!

Finley's in the Doghouse!

Finley's Auntie Tracy sent us this picture from when Finley went to meet her new cousin, Veta. Apparently, Finley thinks she's a puppy and got really comfortable in the doggie pillow. She also liked Uncle Nick and Auntie Elisa's dog's pillow so it's not just a one-time thing. They are awfully comfy. I almost bought her her own dog pillow at Marshall's, but couldn't quite rationalize spending the 25 bucks on a dog pillow for my daughter! If anyone is trying to come up with a gift for her, though, it might just be her favorite of all (ha ha).

For those of you in need of an update, Finley has really started to master her words in the last week or so. She stayed with Grandma Julie and Great Grandma Laven last weekend and they successfully taught her to count! No lie! If you say "one", she says "two", then starts pointing at things like she's counting. It's clear as a bell. We were at a barbeque at Chris Fett's tonight and she showed off for Jamis, an old friend, with her counting. She was a real hit! Auntie Megan watched her today while Mommy went to work (Argggghhhhh!) and put her hair in a ponytail. That was also a real hit. She's pretty adorable. She has finally learned to say "please," although she signs it half the time, and asks for her "juice", although she still signs for milk when she wants it. Dr. Noll said the words they learn signs for are usually the last to be spoken. I definitely think that's true.

Now, the countdown is on. Next Tuesday, Mom works at the schedule pick-up for 6th graders and the following week is workshop week. Finley will start in the Toddler Room, then. After looking at the pictures of Finley and Veta, I can't believe how big Finners has gotten. She is at least 4 times as big as that little stinker and it seems like just yesterday that she was that little! In the words of Dar Williams and the song we sang at Finners' baptism, "I shake my head, and laugh and say, 'It all goes by too fast.'"

Funny Finley (and Nice Outfit, Dad!)

I thought I'd be relaxing since coming back from my vacations, but I have been more tired out in the last two days than I have been all summer! Finley has been keeping me on my toes as she has had a tummy ache with diarrhea since last night. As usual, she's been in pretty good spirits, despite this problem. Last night, Cam and Finners chilled out in their Twins gear and watched their team (lose). Then, since she hadn't eaten much all day due to her belly ache, she got ravenous at about 11:00! She has decided that she no longer will eat if she is in her high chair (she plays with her food instead), so she has graduated to the big table. She does a lot better there, actually. During her feeding frenzy, she ate two bowls of edamame, which probably didn't help her tummy ache, but did start things moving. After a little tummy rub, she finally fell asleep and has been going through the diapers like mad all day. Despite her diaper problems, we still made it to the pool today to play with Sadie. Finley wore her new suit since she has outgrown all of her 18 month swim suits. She's so long, I had to buy her a 2T. She loved the water and let me swing her around and even lay her on her back getting her head wet. She also played with Uncle Phil's brother's dog and never once got scared, thanks to her weekend with Millie and Sam. Then, after a long day, Finley laughed at her dad's dorky outfit after work (this one's for you, Nattles!), took a bath, and played in her adorable bathrobe and slippers. I took a short video of her and she performed all of her tricks - throwing a ball, giving us five and rocks, and pointing to all of her facial features on command. I didn't get it on tape, but she clearly pointed to Elmo and said his name, although after she said it for awhile it turned from "Elmo" into "Memo" and finally into "Mama". She's getting there...

Kansas City Weekend

Mommy has had a very fun summer visiting all but one of her college roommates! We drove to K.C. on Friday to stay with my good friend and old roommate, Elisa, and her husband, Nick. Another roommate, Sara, and her boyfriend, Ryan, came over on Saturday from St. Louis and it was the first time in 5 years that we'd all been together! We had a very good time, even though Kansas City was having record heat in the 100's. We went to one of the many fountains in the city, but could only stand it for about 5 minutes, so we went shopping instead. Finley fell in love with the dogs, Millie and Sam, and now she's obsessed with every dog she sees. She even had to go pet some of the dogs at the rest stop in Iowa that were also taking a break. This is a pretty big step since she used to be terrified of dogs up close. Finners was a very good traveler, sleeping much of the way and only getting antsy a couple of times. We really need to work on getting those words working, though, because it did get a little annoying listening to her go "eh, eh" everytime she needed something. Now, Mommy and Finners are going to relax until school starts. No more trips and major excitement for us. Sigh.