I Wanna be a Cowgirl

IMG_1521, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

We found Chloe's pink cowgirl hat amongst the piles of other stuff left behind at my parent's house from our move. Chloe wouldn't wear this hat when we first bought it nearly a year ago. Now, she loves it. You can also see the spontaneous rash that Chloe broke out with off and on during our trip on her face.

At the Car Wash

IMG_1462, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe assisted Matt in washing his car on Sunday. She used a paper towel to wash and was completely soaked from playing in the water.

Take Care of It Now...

IMG_1464, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

it's going to be yours someday!

100 Favorite Books Meme

This meme has been floating around blogs for weeks now. Apparently this is a list of 100 favorite books as voted by the general public (in order). I, obviously, was not one of those who voted. I definitely need to pay closer attention to the NY Times bestseller list.

To play along, you take the list below, paste it into your own blog, put READ next to those you’ve read, WANT TO next to those you are interested in, AGAIN & AGAIN next to those you’ve read and can’t stop, and leave blank those you don’t care to read. Of course, I added some of my own commentary and I bolded my favorites.

For someone who once aspired to write a great novel, I am not well-read (well, that is if you consider reading this entire list as well-read). My list is pretty pathetic.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) By the time I caught on to this one, everyone else had already read it and spoiled it for me
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) Again & Again
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) Again & Again
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien) I just can’t get “into” this genre
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling) WANT TO (with Chloe someday)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling) WANT TO
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) WANT TO
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling) WANT TO
17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling) WANT TO
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) READ
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) READ
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) READ
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel) WANT TO but it may go the way of Da Vinci Code as everyone keeps talking about it
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) READ
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck) READ
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom) READ
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell) READ
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel) I think I may have started this one as I know my Dad read it and had it in our home library
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella) READ
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible READ
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt) READ
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) READ
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens) READ
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) READ
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) READ
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling) WANT TO
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveler’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) WANT TO
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand) WANT TO
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy) WANT TO
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) READ
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding) AGAIN & AGAIN
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. Tigana (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) READ
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) READ
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier) AGAIN & AGAIN (I read this in high school and hated it and then I picked it up years later and loved it!)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen) READ
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) READ
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding) READ
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck) READ
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd) WANT TO (started but not finished)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton) READ
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce) READ

Chloe's Pre-School Photo

Chloe's Pre-School Photo, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

There seems to be a puzzle theme in pre-school photo backgrounds but nevertheless we got a great photo of Chloe from her pre-school.

Chloe Rocks Out at the Easter Party

Easter Party

IMG_1434, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

We enjoyed our Saturday morning hunting for Easter eggs with our Newcomer’s group. As expected, Chloe was not thrilled to meet the Easter Bunny, but she warmed up to him and even allowed him to get close enough to hand her an egg. Chloe now believes bunny’s lay eggs and stickers hatch from them. After the egg hunting, a local performer put on a concert for the kids. I managed to get a video of Chloe rocking out. We received lots of compliments on Chloe’s overalls and many asked if I make her holiday-themed overalls. I do not, I get them all here.

IMG_1445, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Lesson Learned

This past week has taught me a lesson - Children grow up way too fast. I no longer have an infant. I have a toddler who is on an advanced placement track to becoming a teenager. I would have sworn on more than one occasion this week that I was with a 13 year old and not a two year old.

Example 1: There was the moment in a store this week that made me thankful that there aren’t bars in malls. My dearest child was on her worst behavior running away from me in the store and hiding in the clothes racks like a teenager who didn’t want to be seen with her mother at the mall. I would demand Chloe come stand next to me and I would get, “What?! What!? I stand right here! I’m right here!” The scariest thing about it was the throwing up of her arms at “What!? What!?”. I think she came pre-programmed with a pre-teen/adolescent attitude.

Example 2: On waking I have Chloe sit on the potty. After a not so great night, Chloe wasn’t keen to this idea and at my request I got, “I don’t like Mommy right now!” back at me. This was a first and I am certain not the last time I will hear this statement. I figure it’s just a preview to my life in 10 years.

Example 3: Check the photo out—Chloe feeding the dog (below). Chloe has now added feeding the dog to her daily list of chores and demands that she do it everyday. I am no longer allowed to feed the dog and as soon as I make the attempt I get scolded and have to witness the waterworks. So, Chloe was feeding the dog when I noticed her pants were now “hip-huggers” (see photo) and she was wearing her dress-up shoes. Oh please, tell me this is not her fashion sense.

IMG_1418, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Two Year Referral Anniversary

chloe_referral_blog, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Two years ago today we received the call from our agency, GWCA, that we had a daughter in Guangdong Province, P.R.C. We were so excited to hear all about her and to see her photos via email. When we received Chloe's photos we took the digital image up to have it put on coffee mugs and a t-shirt we proudly wore. As we look at Chloe today, we can hardly recall life without her.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe holding her St. Pat's card from BeBe & PaPaw and the $5 she got inside.

Wanted...

I'm predicting you can find this rodent under 8 inches of snow in his hole on Gobbler's Knob in Pennsylvania. Hey Phil, still think spring is right around the corner?

Snow Angel

Snow Angel, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Well, it's snowed all day. Big, fat snowflakes. As soon as Chloe got up from her nap I dressed her for outside and we went to the backyard to play. As soon as we got outside it started sleeting. So, we spent just enough time outside to snap these photos and return inside.

Snow!

IMG_1398, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe clearing the snow from the top of the sandbox.

Backyardigan

IMG_1396, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe standing in the backyard by her sandbox (left). I shoveled this back patio 3 times today already and it keeps getting covered.

Snow fight

IMG_1397, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe is trying to pick up some snow to throw at me.

Happy Birthday Matt!!

Today, the Ides of March, is Matt's birthday. Matt has been very busy at work and has been working lots of crazy hours so Chloe and I wanted to make him something special so we made him a chocolate cake. As we frosted the cake, Chloe informed me that she doesn't like cake but I can assure you that she likes icing.

Chloe is beginning to comprehend that a birthday means a celebration and she's all for that. She is already making plans for her birthday in June. We drove Matt to work in the city and talked about it being Daddy's birthday. Apparently this got the wheels turning in her head and as we waited in traffic across from Central Park she pointed out a black horse & carriage that she wanted to ride on her birthday. She also informed me that she wanted a pink cake and to take a boat/ferry on the Hudson River (yes, my child does know that the Hudson River separates NJ and NY...do you expect anything less from a former U.S. History teacher?). Well, her wish is our command. Now, we just have to work on comprehending that she has 3 months to wait until her birthday.

Daddy's Cake

Daddys Cake, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe assisting Matt with the candles on his cake.

Daddy's BDay

Dadys BDay, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe, wearing Matt's tie, looks on as Matt opens cards and his present. If you can, check out the chocolate icing on Chloe's face.

Class Photos

ywca_class_photos, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Mommy & Me photos came in today. I thought Chloe looked so cute with her pig-tails!

Dog For Sale..

After sweeping and mopping the floors today I let the dog back in the house. I had a white streak haul past leaving behind a trail. I followed the trail to the end to find the perpetraitor....

Winter is Still Here

It's 19 degrees and it's March 7. The first day of spring is roughly 13 days away and we have snow. So, I am happy to report that I booked Chloe and my flight to Dallas for Easter. I never thought Dallas would rank #1 for my places to escape winter, but hey, its 70 there today, that's 51 degrees warmer than here. And, we will get to see PaPaw and BeBe for Easter. We just learned that PaPaw has little chicks. Chloe will be excited to visit them on PaPaw's farm.

Speaking of Chloe & PaPaw's farm, she has had some funny comments as of late. So, I'm listing her latest below---

• When asked where she lives, Chloe says, "Chloe lives on PaPaw's farm." (ok, that was out of left-field)


• Driving to the train station, we passed a car dealership where the cars on the lot were covered in snow. Chloe said, "Look Mommy! The cars are hiding!"


• We were leaving pre-school the other day and Chloe kept saying, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" I asked her if she was Santa Claus and she responded, "No, Mommy, I don't like Santa Claus but Mommy does. Mommy says Santa is nice. I don't like him anyway."


• Chloe likes coins and she was playing/looking at a quarter in the car. I asked her if she could tell me the name of the person on the quarter. Much to my amazement she responded, "George Washington Bridge". I was stunned. True, it is George Washington and not the GW Bridge on the quarter, but hey it's pretty good for a 2.5 year old especially since I have never discussed who was on the quarter with her before.

Where's Spring?

It's snowing...in March. It was 60 degrees here Saturday and now it is snowing. I'm talking snow...lots of it. We couldn't wait to use the snow thrower and now I never want to see it again. Unbelievable. Where is that groundhog? He obviously lied.

On another note: Chloe and I ran some errands this morning and we stopped into Starbucks for a latte. Chloe informed me while we were waiting for my drink that she had to potty. So, we went to the potty! Yea Chloe! She also informed me that she had to go potty in the next store we visited and the next store and the next. It wasn't just a desire to check out the potty in a new store. She really had to go. This potty training is going to put a major damper on the errand and shopping excursions if I spend the majority of my time searching for the toilet. ;)

And another note: If you checked out Emma Claire's blog then you have read that referrals arrived today. China did not refer as many LIDs as had been hoped. For those of us waiting it just keeps getting more depressing as it seems our referrals keep getting further and further away. If referrals keep coming at the current pace then we are looking at a 2.5 year wait and a mid 2009 referral. Our agency also sent out a note informing people that pursuing other options (adopting domestically or from another country or fertility treatments) could delay your referral from China because the CCAA requires a child (adopted or biological) be in the home for 1 year before a child adopted from China is placed in the home. This just really upset me as it seems to slam the door for other options. We had discussed having 3 children but with the growing wait and now this new kink in the plan it seems 3 children is a growing impossibility (and at this point it seems 2 as well) as we aren't getting any younger. I don't quite comprehend why a biological child has to be one year old before bringing an adoptive child into the home. It just irks me that the CCAA is now making regulations on my reproduction. But, what is one to do? Matt says we should submit a petition to the CCAA that if Chloe remains an only child for another 2.5 years she will be an unbearable brat! I don't think they will buy it. Maybe I should send in a videotape of her playing the game Memory with me. If she doesn't find the match after turning over the 2nd card then she just keeps going until she finds the match! When I tell her she can't do that and she can only turn over 2 cards, she screams, "It's Chloe's turn!” throws the cards at me and lets out the highest pitched squeal. Time out anyone? Maybe that would convince them...you think?

The weekend...

We had a nice family weekend. What did we do? I'll tell it in pictures.

Lunch

Lunch, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

After trying to remember where it is we finally found our favorite fish & chips shop and ate lunch. We also went next door to the carry out and got some favorite Brit snacks.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky Toffee Pudding, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Apparently someone couldn't wait until we got home to eat the sticky toffee pudding we got in the carry out shop.

OOOOOOH a Lion!

OOOOOOH a Lion!, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe and Matt looking at the animals in the Asian Mammals exhibit. Chloe loves the bear and the elephants.

Do Not Disturb

Do Not Disturb, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

I love how these signs are everywhere, along with a huge sign of rules on entry yet people were picking up the butterflies and touching them with their fingers. Ridiculous. The exhibit was fun and enjoyable. It's neat to see butterflies fluttering about in the middle of winter.

Monarch

Monarch, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

A monarch butterfly in the exhibit.

Butterflies!

Butterflies!, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe and Matt smiling in the Butterfly Conservatory. Chloe was scared at first but when we left she screamed to go back through. She had to settle for a butterfly book from the gift shop.

New Toy

Chloe is scared when I vacuum the carpet & rugs so in an effort to acclimate her I purchased a toy vacuum for her. She was so excited when it arrived and declared, "Chloe not scared!!". It has become her favorite toy and for the last two mornings when I enter her room to get her she tells me she wants to go downstairs to vacuum.

Covering February Birthdays

I thought I would close February out with a few birthday shout-outs.

First on my list is Melanie and Christi. We met at the University of Arkansas when we pledged Kappa Delta together way back when. We roomed together in the sorority house and enjoyed many ups and a few terrible downs. We are now thirty-somethings but can still act like 18 year-olds when we get together. I had to post some photos from the time period to commemorate the occassions. I had to post the ridiculous photo so I could preserve the memory that we were NOT as cool as we thought. I have no recollection as to what we were doing or why but our faces are priceless. Hope you both had happy birthdays. And, for the record, they are both older than me-Ha!

Next is my sister Deanna who celebrates her birthday on Groundhog's Day. For the record, she is older than me too.

And finally, my father celebrated his birthday too. Chloe hopes PaPaw had a happy birthday.

No Potato Peels

Note to self: do NOT put potato peels down the disposal!

While making dinner last week I discarded some potato peels down our kitchen disposal. It did occur to me at the time that maybe I shouldn’t put them down the sink. But, what the heck! Dinner was good but the flood in our basement wasn't nor was the water that ran back up the kitchen drain when the dishwasher ran. After a failed attempt at clearing the clog with Drain-o and another flooding of the basement, the professionals were called in.

It's been over a week now and the situation is just about resolved. I have never been so happy to be able to wash dishes. As you can see from the photo, Chloe certainly didn't mind that we couldn't cook or wash dishes as she enjoys her spaghetti and breadstick from Olive Garden to go.

We now have a hole in our basement wall and our kitchen has been re-plumbed. Was all of this caused by the potato peels? Not exactly. The peels were just the added touch to completely clog our drain and draw attention to the fact that our kitchen was plumbed incorrectly.

After presenting the large plumbing bill (that ended in the word "thousand") I got a nice lecture from our two plumbers along with a list of items you don't put down the disposal (peels, celery, coffee grinds, egg shells, carrot peels, apple peels, etc.). I was then treated to a description of the items they pulled from our drain - a massive amount of potato peels and hair. Hair!? I don't shed enough to clog a drain! After questioning the hair I was then told that there was "tons and tons of hair". Great, someone is shedding and now I have to go and buy a hair trap for our bathroom drains!

This news was all presented to me after I returned home from visiting my primary care physician. I got two shots, a pneumonia and tetanus, and two referrals for a dermatologist and an allergist and a diagnosis of carpel tunnel. I now have to add to the shopping list a wrist guard. Nerd alert!

After the plumbers cleaned up and cleared out (they get to return next week to sheetrock after the basement has dried out) Chloe ripped off her diaper and pulled up her pants sans underwear. She then peed all over herself and the rug. I discovered that Chloe wanted the diaper off because in 1 hour she had filled her diaper to the max. She apparently held it all day until we went to the doctor and I put her in a diaper (because I didn’t want to have to get up and leave during my physical to take her to pee). Her diaper weighed like 5 lbs. Overall she is doing well with the potty training. I think I have the problem. I’m not ready for her to leave diapers.

So now after these events I am thinking about my Chinese New Year horoscope. As an Ox on the Chinese zodiac I am supposed to have 8 bad months and 4 good months in the Year of the Pig. So, now I know that after this month I can decrease the bad months by one! Bring on the good months!!!

Our Brilliant Child

I am happy to report that potty training is going well. Chloe is taking herself off to use the potty. Of course, she has an incentive, gummy bears. She likes to negotiate on how many gummy bears a pee-pee is worth. She usually starts out at 4 but always settles for 2.

She really is quite smart and brilliant, and I am not saying that just because I am her mother. She knows that if she goes potty that she will get gummy bears. So, today she is trying to maximize her gummy bears by not doing all her business at one time. She will go potty, get her gummy bears, eat them and then go back to the potty and repeat the process. So, we have been on the potty virtually all day. I realized that she is not completing her business on the potty but holding some back so that she will get more rewards in the end. Clever girl. So, I have had to change the rules and call her bluff. If there is not much in the potty then it is only 1 gummy bear. This change in the rules has allowed us some time off of the potty this afternoon.

I am hoping that Chloe will get better and better each day. I know she will, it just seems like a long process. Last night, Chloe told me that she wanted her diapers back because she didn't want to be a BIG girl anymore. But, so far so good. She is using the potty regularly (of course, a little too regularly in hopes of maximizing her gummy bear consumption).

On another note, I ran down to the basement this afternoon to check on something and left Chloe playing in the living room. When I came back upstairs, I found her with the dust pan and sweeper cleaning. She made a little mess with some rice earlier and I guess she felt compelled to clean it up. I certainly didn't. I have actually had people comment that I must be a neat freak because Chloe is one and she must have gotten it from me. NO she didn't. I just want to set it straight that I don't have my 2 year old cleaning up the house. This is something she enojys doing. I'm really shocked that she knows how since I am her mother.

Anyway, when I saw her sweeping I laughed because she would sweep and as she stood up she would dump all the contents of the dustbin out. I grabbed the camera and was lucky to capture her cleaning technique. I attempted to post the video but the file is just too large to download. I tried editing it in Adobe but the file came out even larger. I guess I have learned that I should use the video camera to record video and not my digital camera. The file is enormouse, too large for You Tube or Google Video to handle. Too bad because it was darling.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Happy Chinese New Year--The Year of the Pig!!!

Snow-thrower Matt

Snow-thrower Matt, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Matt clearing off the sidewalks after our recent snowfall. We finally got to use the snow-thrower!

Snow Day

Finally! It's here! SNOW!!!Matt and I got such a kick out of the 11 o'clock news last night. The news had all the reporters out on the streets reporting that everything was ok. Of course it was ok, it hadn't started snowing yet!!! They were trying their best to create a story that just wasn't there. They had reporters standing in the middle of NYC roads trying their best to slip and show that it could ice. They interviewed drivers in their cars who basically said the roads were ok. There was NO story. It was really pathetic and we had to laugh because when we lived in Dallas everyone joked and said that northerners must get a kick out of the behavior and news reports that occur during Dallas' rare snow and sleet. I can go on record as saying northerners (or at least those from the tri-state area) cannot make fun of anyone for being a spaz during a threatened snow. Be it Dallas or NYC, the reporting was the same.

Alas, the snow and sleet arrived, so the news finally has a story to report--there is precipatation on the roads to slip on. We woke this morning to find a dusting of snow with sleet falling. The sleet remained for most of the morning but the big, pillowy snowflakes started coming down in the afternoon. I managed to get one shot in early this morning. Since Chloe and I are on the recovery side of our viruses, I didn't want to take her out to play. Besides, we started full-force potty training today so I didn't want her to have an accident while we were playing in the snow. She enjoyed looking out the glass door and the windows. Chloe wasn't too eager to go outside as the noise of the snow throwers and crews salting and scraping the roads scared her.

Snow!

Snow!, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe checking out Daddy as he attemptd to warm up the car and de-ice it for our short journey to the train station.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Chloe and I have been snowed in for Valentine's Day. I guess it was lucky that all of our Valentine's Day parties were yesterday.

Chloe wore a cute little ensemble I put together. She looked so darling. I included a photo of her ensemble below.

In the morning we went to Mommy & Me. Our school photos were before class and some of the moms misunderstood the time and missed the group photo. We decided to take another group photo when we all arrived to class. We had a Valentine's Day party in class and Chloe's cute outfit got covered in pink icing from the cupcakes. The kids all exchanged Valentine's cards and there was much excitement over candy.

We were home long enough to eat lunch and clean up Chloe's outfit before we headed out to pre-school. It was "Red Day" at pre-school and I was the co-oping mom for the class. We had more cupcakes and played games. The kids were so cute when we played pin the nose on Mrs. Valentine. I grabbed the camera to take some shots.

Chloe had a great time celebrating Valentine's with all of her friends. She got almost as much candy as Halloween!

Valentine's outfit

Valentine's outfit, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe getting ready to party.

M&M group

M&M group, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

A group shot of our Mommy & Me group. Some of the moms were late in getting to our school pictures before class so we took a group photo with our digital cameras.

Pre-school party

preschool party, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

The 2nd party of the day--At Chloe's pre-school we played pin the nose on Mrs. Valentine.

Mini-BeBe

There is a clothing store frequented by Chloe's BeBe and while I do get catalogs and mailings for this clothing store, I wouldn't shop there for myself. It's just not my style. It's a great style for my mom (Chloe's BeBe). I hate to offend anyone out there who loves this store and is MY age but, I only see "Baby Boomer" women in the store which is why I am surprised to learn that they are carrying toddler and children's clothing for girls. I just didn't imagine this store venturing into this market. I can't wait to get their next mailer to see how they market their children's clothing. I keep imagining shots of toddlers on a ship's deck modeling the wrinkle-free, mix and match travel wear with matching bangles and geometric necklaces because that kind of stuff is important to toddlers and mother's of toddlers.

Of course, since BeBe is a frequent shopper of this merchant she was probably the first to actually buy something from their new children's line. Chloe is sporting it in the photo below. I called her mini-BeBe all day in her wrinkle-free cotton shirt and comfortable cotton pants. I guess the era of mother-daughter outfits is out and the era of grandmother-granddaughter outfits is in. And hey, I'm not complaining if BeBe is buying because it's a bit pricey and surprisingly well-made.

Through the power of Photoshop and Aunt Deanna we can now imagine together:

Chinese New Year Party

We attended an FCC celebration for Chinese New Year today. About 150 people came to the lunch. An attempt was taken to get a group photo of all the children. It was like herding cats but we were able to get a few shots in.

Group Photo

Group Photo, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

A group photo shot of the children.

Chloe & Mommy

Chloe & Mommy, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe "hamming" it up for a photo opportunity with Mommy.

No Escape

My mind is a bit hazy as I am writing this under the influence of Sudafed. Apparently I didn't escape the wrath of the virus making Chloe ill. We are trapped indoors attempting to recover full health though it seems unlikely for a few days. Chloe is now napping. I attempted to get in a nap too but I can't handle the crazy Sudafed/sickness-induced dreams so I opted to blog instead.

Up to this point Chloe and I have been indoors since Tuesday afternoon, except for the visit to the pediatrician yesterday. So, Chloe and I have been playing. She kepts demanding to watch Barney and Diego but I can only deal with so much. I thought we should use this as an educational opportunity and not just "turn on, tune in and drop out" in front of the mind-numbing TV. I have Sudafed for that. So, I am trying to teach her to recognize letters in the alphabet. Apparently Chloe sees this not as an opportunity to learn but as an opportunity to torture her dear Mother and she's not to ill for the challenge.

Right now everything is the letter K, which is alright. When she was learning her colors we thought she was color-blind as she declared everything to be green. This is just the way she learns. She knows K is a letter of the alphabet and she is going to stick with it as an answer. It has to be right eventually.

For Christmas, I bought her an alphabet train floor puzzle. She loves to play with it. The first time we attempted to put it together, it took 3 days. I kept singing the ABC song and telling her the letter. It didn't seem to be of any relevance to Chloe as she believed the J should go after the P. When the puzzle pieces didn't fit she would yell, "It doesn't fit!" and throw the piece on the floor and start into some drama. After she recovered from the tantrum, she would go and pick up the J puzzle piece and attempt to make the J go after the P again. We must have repeated this 20 times. Eventhough I was a teacher, this was more than I could take and while Chloe was attempting to fit the J and the P together, the puzzle got put together by yours truly. It was simply more than I could handle. Well, she decided to get out the puzzle yesterday. I had hoped that she had forgotten about it as I didn't think I could handle the drama and sing the ABC's to her another 45 times. See, I do try to get her to sing them but she just says, "You sing them, Mommy!". So, as she dragged out the puzzle and threw the pieces on the floor I decided I needed to dust the bookshelf. After completing one shelf, I noticed that no tantrum had been thrown yet, so I turned to see what Chloe was doing. I am not exaggerating when I say that in a matter of minutes she had already put the puzzle together through the letter L. I was stunned and have come to the awareness that she enjoys seeing me suffer and that she really does know her ABC's but loves to see my expression when I hold up the letter A and ask her what letter it is only to be told by her that it is the letter K.

She also has a little laptop that teaches computer skills, counting and the alphabet. Up to this point all she likes to do with it is press the volume button on it because it makes an annoying monkey screech, which she enjoys. As I had a throbbing sinus headache and a sore throat and the feeling that I could snatch the laptop and hurl it across the room, I thought it best to actually show her how to use the computer to learn. So we played some games together and discovered that the little laptop will also play music. Chloe loves to dance and as the 1st song started playing this required dancing. Luckily I had the camera beside me to record the moment.



Well, I hear the little footsteps of the Chloester upstairs, that means my time goofing off on the computer has come to a close. I think I will give up on teaching the ABCs for today and opt to read to her or have her put stickers all over my sweatshirt as she really enjoys both.

Musical Tutu's and Sometimes I Get the Creeps

We returned from the doctor's office today to find a big package at our front door. The package couldn't have come at a better time since Chloe is suffering from a virus that has caused her to have a hacking cough.

The package was from BeBe and inside was a bounty of goodies for Chloe. BeBe sent Chloe her collection of Beanie Babies, a Valentine's shirt, a monkey with hearts, stickers and a Valentine's Etch a Sketch. In the the box was Chloe's favorite item, a musical tutu that plays "Swan Lake". Chloe has been dancing around the house in her tutu trying to figure out where the music is coming from.

Our doctor told us this virus has been making it's rounds. Matt woke up ill this morning and just as I began to wonder how I escaped the virus my throat started hurting.

It seems as if we will be staying indoors for the next couple of days and canceling all playgroups and pre-school activities. That will give me time to hunt down the poltergeist that is inhabiting our home. I don't believe in such things but over the last 2 days we have had some occurences that have given me the creeps. It started two nights ago when I was putting Chloe to bed. We were reading a book and I suddenly heard talking downstairs. I stopped reading and walked to the top of our stairs to listen. It was Chloe's puppy dog going through it's "Let's sing and play games" routine. I thought maybe our crazy dog had hit it and turned it on but then I turned to see the dog laying on the bed in our room, upstairs. The stupid toy would not shut up. It kept going through its entire song and game repetoire for 10 minutes. It was creepy, especially since there was no one downstairs to press it's foot to turn it on.

During Chloe's bath last night the biggest fly I have ever seen came into the bathroom and flew around. I managed to rid ourselves of the fly after it landed on the hallway light, but found it bizarre that a giant fly could survive in weather with highs of 25 degrees. Then later in the night I put our dog outside. I went to let her back in and noticed the basement light was on (which it wasn't when I put the dog out). I asked Matt if he had turned on the light in the basement and he said he hadn't.

Then today our telephone has decided to randomly start dialing during phone conversations. I tried to make a phone call this afternoon but there was no dial tone only the sound of a fax machine. I went to turn off our fax machine to see that it was not connected to the phone line.

I am certain that there are reasonable and scientific explanations for all of these occurences but with them all together in a matter of days, it gives me the creeps.

tutu

tutu, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe dancing in the musical tutu sent by BeBe.

Monkey Love

Monkey Love, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe with her monkey, Harts.

Winter Luau

Our Newcomer's group had a winter luau at a local kids play facility on Saturday. Chloe had a fantastic time. She had her face painted and got a balloon made to look like a fishing pole with a fish on the end. The balloon-maker was a one man show. He was quite a joke teller and balloon artist. We waited in line 40 minutes to get our balloon.

The biggest highlight was the indoor activity center. It was a massive structure with slides, tunnels, tight ropes, nets, etc. Chloe insisted on having Mommy come with her. I was totally worn out being led by our 2.5 year old neighbor through the maze and having Chloe hold on to me. I was a little too big for the activity center.

At the end of the day Chloe had a nice nap. It was great to get some physical activity in as the weather has now turned frigid. It was 9 degrees this morning. It is supposed to "warm up" into the teens this afternoon but the wind chill will still be in the negatives. Looks like we will be staying in and calling it laundry day. It will keep me warm running up and down the stairs.

Balloon Art

Balloon Art, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe holding her balloon fishing reel with her balloon fish on the end.

Another Look

Another Look, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

You can kind of see the fish (or his eyes) in this photo. It really was darling.

Climbing Through the Maze

Climbing Through the Maze, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

There I am in the maze, being led through by Chloe and our neighbor.

Face Painting

Face Painting, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

Chloe getting her face painted.

Butterfly

Butterfly, originally uploaded by pookie2shoes.

The finished product.