Goodbye to Her (My) Favorite Flip Flops

My daughter lost the other pair of her flip flops last week in Flagstaff. Actually, it's my favorite flip flops of her. It was given to us by my husband's co-worker/friend. The original owner was her daughter. Because she had outgrown it already, her little girl generously passed it on to Evie. I liked it because it's sturdy, pretty, very cute, most of all, the design is outstanding. It's the flip flops that my daughter used when she just started to learn how to use strapless slippers. It really served her well. It didn't take her that long to learn how to use one. I was sad when she lost it. So, I thought of looking the same kind on eBay. It's a Buster Brown brand. I found one of size 6 but wasn't able to bid because I forgot. It was too late. The auction ended without my bid. Unfortunately, there's no other same kind of slippers on eBay that I can purchase. That means I will end up looking for a different style/brand.

Summer Fun Begins

Summer is here but I was not that excited at all for this season. It's just too hot and dry here in AZ. I don't like it when we go out in the middle of the day because after we get back in the car, it feels like I am inside the oven. It's crazy hot, literally speaking. Spring is still my favorite, but, we could not have spring all year through. Whether I like it or not, summer will always be a season that I need to get accustomed to each year.

Well, I've been thinking lately about summer and my daughter. After getting herself so muddy and wet in the backyard today, makes me wonder if summer will be her favorite season until she reaches the age where she thinks puddles are yucky. Summer is the perfect time for her to get dirty in mud and go gaga with pouring rain-like water from the hose. She doesn't get to do this with the rest of the seasons because the water and the surroundings would be cold to make her shiver. Although the water today was a little bit cold, that after being soaked in water for about 20 minutes, her lips started to quiver. But she had fun. She was stomping the pool of mud, enjoying the sprinkle of water, and ran around the backyard. We both have a great time together.

Watching my daughter playing with water and mud today opened my eyes to the beauty of summer. It made me realize that summer is not a season I must dread. Summer may be the synonym of hot and dry in our desert state, but it also comes with another synonym—FUN. I almost forgot it. Thanks to the puddles and for making my daughter filthy and happy. Or else, I would have forgotten the essence of this season.

It all started here.

 

and ends here...

First Easter Egg Hunting

My daughter's first ever Easter egg hunting was fun. At first, she was overwhelmed with the very big crowd—something she's not used to. She was unsure to pick up eggs, and instead just wanted to be near us. As parents, one of our vital roles is to encourage our kids to participate in activities like this where a huge flock of people is involved. My husband and I had to pick her up and put her in the middle of the throng of toddlers and parents, cheering for her to pick up eggs. Finally, the vibrant colors of plastic eggs laying on the green grass were just too irresistible for her not to pick up. She forgot her unsureness of the crowd, started to wipe out the eggs in front her. She was unstoppable filling up her buckets.

Several minutes later she got bored and just wanted to go swing. It was a very nice, fun morning not only for her but also for us, her parents.

Walking towards the area blanketed with hundreds colorful eggs.

Enjoying her first picks of eggs.

Sharing with friend Gabe.

In the middle of other toddlers and parents.

Reaching for more finds.

Evie Attends a Birthday Party

Evie had fun at Ahnica's birthday today! She played with other kids and was able to try toys that she doesn't have at home. New toys are always exciting! But as always her favorite were the balls. I do not know what's in balls that she could not resist. She's also able to have fun in the inflatable bounce house with Kaitlyn. At first, she couldn't figure out how to play with it. But after Kaitlyn get in to play, she tried to imitate her. She was having hard time with the jumping. She still couldn't lift her entire body to jump. Next year (God willing), she will surely enjoy inside the bounce house.

I remember last year when she went to the same party, she got really bad rashes. It took us a while to figure out the cause. I thought it was the grass because she was crawling all over and it's her first time to play on grass. But later we were able to determine what triggered her rashes: the ice cream I fed her. She's allergic to any food with dairy products, and regular ice cream is one.

I'm quite glad that she's able to go out today and play with other kids. She needs to socialize every now and then. And today, it's one of those days with great friends. Happy birthday Ahnica!!!

Mastering the Alphabet Puzzle

After days of practicing, my 18 months old toddler finally mastered her wooden alphabet puzzle. She worked hard for it. Her first few tries of doing the alphabet puzzle was not too easy. There were times she got frustrated because she can't put a letter right into the space where it should go. When she gets frustrated, she either handed the letter to us (so we can put it for her) or throws it on her side. But even if she had these bouts of frustration during her practice sessions, she still continued to hone her ability to do it correctly. In the end, her determination to learn and master her ABC puzzle paid off. Before, the puzzle looked challenging to her; now, it's too easy. She already knows where each one goes and how to position every letter correctly. It didn't take that long for her to learn and master the alphabet puzzle. Probably a week and few days. There's a saying that "practice makes perfect." This is so true with her and her wooden puzzles.

Currently, I am teaching her what picture is in each letter and ask her to point to the picture that I'm asking her to identify. She already knows some of it and still working on some pieces.

Elmo Fever Attacks My Daughter

I am talking about Elmo from Sesame Street and not a kind of illness. Yes, my daughter is now one of Elmo's fans.

It all started when my husband played an Elmo DVD that we got from Goodwill. She was mesmerized by this red, furry muppet with orange nose and tiny voice. You can tell that she liked it because of how the show totally captured her attention. All eyes and concentration were on the screen.

The theme of the show is too advance for her, so, we don't play it often. She can only watch it once a week—that's the rule. Each time I turned it on, she got so excited. Later she begun to learn to sing the "la la la la" part of Elmo's song. Aside from that, the word "Elmo" was not difficult for her to learn how to say it. Now, each time she wants to watch the Elmo DVD, she sings "la la la la Elmo!"

My husband and I never realized how much she likes Elmo until we went to a Borders bookstore. While touring around, her Dada saw an Elmo plush toy and let her hold it. We did not plan to buy the toy because it's a bit pricey. We can get an Elmo plush that's cheaper than what the bookstore has. When we took away the toy from her she kept saying "Elmo, Elmo" in a very pathetic voice. As a parent, that moment was heart-melting. I didn't know she's that much into Elmo. When we reached home, I immediately browsed eBay and look for an Elmo plush with reasonable price. I saved some on my watchlist.

Dada found an Elmo plush toy at Fry's on our grocery trip that weekend. It's an 11-inch plush, so it's not big. We decided to get it for her. There was that poking in our hearts that only parents can feel. A kind of poking that's telling you, "I want to make my child happy, so I'm getting this, no matter what." But the good thing is, the Elmo we found is not pricey at all. It's only $7. The sparkle in my daughter's eyes while holding Elmo cannot be compensated by a price. Her smile was endless as she kept saying "Elmo, Elmo!"

Why Does She Like Elmo?

I do not know the right answer to this question. I only have a theory. I think it is the combination of Elmo's tiny, sweet voice, vibrant color, kid-friendly songs, delightful laugh, and high energy. In totality, Elmo has the charisma that my daughter loves. Like other millions of kids and even adults, my toddler is now a fan of Elmo. Because of this, I bet we will be buying a lot of Elmo's stuff. The father already started. :D

"Big Girl" on Big Girl's Chair

Sometimes I wonder if my daughter thinks that she's already a big girl. Just like Mama and Dada. What makes me think this? It's when she sits on our regular dining chair when food is served on the table. After she settles herself on the chair, the food on her reach is doomed to be eaten by the little monkey. Just like what happened this morning. She surprised us again with her "food attack" scheme. After her Dada put my share of bacon and pancake on the table, the next time he turned his head, the "big girl" had the bacon on both of her hands and enjoying every bite of it. This is not the only instance where she startled us with her presence on the table feasting on the food.

I bet she likes to be on the "big chair." Whenever she's there, she'd wiggle and rock her legs—an expression of her delight.

Devouring Mama's bacon

Sitting on Mama's chair, attacking the pancake :)

Evie's Christmas Morning 2010

This is a video of my daughter on the morning of December 25, 2010. The three of us got up at 9. She was still so sleepy and if had a choice would want to go back to bed. But it was already so late, so we decided to wake her up. She's not happy about it. Was grumpy walking out the bedroom door. However, the surprise that Mama and Dada prepared for her the night before had awoken her entire senses. :)

Who Says Reading Isn't Fun?

Evie's next milestone is her language skills. She's been chattering  a lot recently. Aside from singing nursery rhymes, talking on the phone with her Dada (or toy cellphone), another way she exhibits this developing skill is through book reading. She finds enjoyment in looking at pictures and pretending to read. It's amusing to see each time she opens a book and jabbers. I wonder if she would be like her Dada and Nana who love to collect and read books. We'll see!

Miss Duckie Goes "Trick or Treat"

For few hours on Halloween, my little one transformed into a very cute, adorable baby duck. I love her costume! The color is perfect on her fair skin. Her little duck shoes which I purchased on eBay (thanks to eBay) completed her look.

Before starting her "trick or treat" adventure, we had to drop by at her grandparent's place so they can see their granddaughter before she gets too exhausted amassing our friends' neighbor's sweet treats. There she met her cousin Marcus dressed as Buzz Lightyear. It was a quick visit at the folk's.

Princess Aurora, Baby Duck, Cutie  Kitty, Princess Cinderella, and Baby Giraffe were so cute with their respective Halloween costumes. Moms and Dads did a great job! The kiddos were so excited to go trick or treat as each one carried their own bags. Well, except for Miss Duckie. Dada had to carry her bag most of the time.

It's frustrating how she didn't want to be held. She followed the girls' lead sometimes, but most of the time had her own plans of escape to people's backyards.  Her Dada was sweating all over, running after the escapee. There's a lot of instances that she wanted to go inside the houses which was very funny. She also opened her hands to accept whatever treat homeowners gave her. It's very cute!

She really did a good job wearing her costume the entire time we roamed around people's places. She didn't complain at all. Yahoo to that!

Before she ended her Halloween celebration, something terrible happened. She slipped and cut her lower lip while we were at Fry's. There was blood on her costume and face, and of course the crying. But right after I held her, she stopped wailing. She looked so pitiful. Mama's heart was ripped. Nonetheless, her eyes lighted up when Dada handed her two balloons. The pain on her face was superseded with a happy one. Something that only balloons can do.

 

"Bye Bye Balloon"

She went home with a red balloon and a big smile on her face from buying grocery with her Dada this morning. She LOVES balloons. What she had this morning was just one of the few balloons that made her day so fun and blissful.

She had to ask for help everytime it's floating up there. This morning she showed us how she already knew to pull the balloon down to her hands through the string. I remember, the last time she had a balloon, she got upset everytime it let go off of her hands. She didn't know how it worked by then. So, it was surprising that she demonstrated her new ability this morning.

We had one of the most amusing moment with her balloon today. It was up there, so she asked Dada's help. The string was almost on his reach since he was sitting on a chair. So, he asked her to give him the clothe hanger laying on the floor so he can use the tool to grab her free-floating toy. The delight on her face holding the string was priceless.

Few minutes later we cracked into laughter. Who wouldn't get amused of what we saw? The little girl was holding up the clothe hanger, reaching for the balloon touching the ceiling. What an imitator. What a smart, tiny creature.

Tonight, she wrestled with it, sat on it, squeezed it as her laughter echoed the living room. It looked like it's the best toy in the whole wide world. She adored it, no doubt. And then I heard the sound "POPPED!!!" She immediately stood up, panicked, and looked up. Her eyes surveyed the ceiling. "Where did my balloon go?" she must have asked herself. It never crossed her mind that it was gone. She kept looking up, hoping she will see it floating up there. It felt so touching watching her innocence. I took the broken balloon and showed it to her. Since she doesn't know the concept of "gone" yet, I just said "bye, bye balloon" a few times, as I waved my hand goodbye to her most treasured toy. She grabbed it from me and checked the airless, lifeless balloon. It took her a little while to scrutinize it. Then, she held it on her chest. Maybe that time she already got the idea that it's gone. My heart was moved. All I could do was give her the reassurance that we will get her another one.

So sad. "Goodbye my dear friend."

 Seriously checking. Probably asking what happened to her toy.

Holding the dead balloon close to her heart. She did this gesture many times.

Even if it's broken, she still loves it.

Took her a while to accept that her toy was gone. She sat on the corner and checked it again.

A look in her face that made Mama's heart melt.

Evie Visits the Phoenix Zoo

The little girl had a great time last Wednesday at the Phoenix Zoo. It's her Dada's birthday and we decided to spend it with the amazing collection of wild animals. She was only 2 months when she first visited the zoo. Too young to notice the beauty and marvelous creatures around her. Now that she's more than a year old, she had at least enjoyed some of the animals specially the huge and colorful ones. She got to pet farm animals like goats, cows, sheep, and horses.

One of her most favorite things to do was the walking. Maybe because she loves the outside world and her freedom. Yet there came a time that she got tired too and just wanted to be picked up and held. Thankfully, we brought the wagon with us, making it so much easy to carry a 20+ pound baby and other stuff. She took pleasure in her rides. Thanks to her grandpa for giving the wagon to her. It was a big help for outings like zoo trips.

She either made noises or pointed her finger when she sees an animal. Meeting Miss or Mr. Turkey was not fun though. She got pecked on her fingers. Glad she didn't cry. On the other hand, watching a very cute breed of monkey in a very close distance (a foot or two) was cool. The whole time with her close encounter with the wild, she didn't show any sign of fear at all. She was all willing to touch each one if she could.

She ended up her trip to the Phoenix Zoo playing in the water play with other kids. She was the most happy girl in the world. Each time the water spouted from the fountain, her excitement grew. She couldn't stop chasing them and couldn't stop herself from dancing as tribal music was played on the background. It was the most enjoyable part of her day. She shrieked, laughed, ran, danced, splashed water. She wished it never ended. She wished we didn't have to go home. She wished we just have to stay there. She forgot how tired she was.

By the time she goes back to the world of wild animals next year, she probably would appreciate more the enchanting beauty of nature. It would be more exciting for her each year as she gets to fully comprehend how awesome these creations are. But most of all the One who created them.

♥     ♥♥     ♥ ♥     ♥ ♥     ♥ ♥     ♥ ♥     ♥ ♥     ♥ ♥     ♥ ♥     ♥ ♥     ♥ ♥     ♥ ♥     ♥ ♥     ♥

Her first visit to the zoo. All she did was ZzzzZzzzzzzz...

A year later...

 By the Phoenix Zoo entrance ready for a great adventure!

 Wagon ride is fun!

Experiencing what it's like to touch and play with the wild creatures

  Encounter with farm animals

 One word for water play—FUN!

 On the way home—"bye bye zoo, bye bye water play"

White Powdery Bath

Taking a white powdery bath is one of Evie's silliest moments. She was so quiet in her room, so I didn't care to bother. Minutes later while I was busy browsing the internet, she ran past me with traces of white powder on the carpet. When I turned around, I saw such an amusing image—my daughter bathed herself with baby powder! She got the baby powder bottle on her hand, upside down and was dumping powders on the floor! To satisfy her delight, she also dumped powder on the media center.

I love silly moments of her like this. I couldn't help but laughed at her goofiness. And yes of course, I had to clean up the mess. What are mothers for? :)

 She may look innocent, but she can turn little things into a BIG mess.

 

Running away from the trouble she made.

First Bug Bite

No, she was not bitten by a bug. It's the opposite—she bit and chewed a bug! As far as I know it's her first time to taste a bug. I think it's a beetle—correct me if I'm wrong. I didn't ask her what it tasted like. If she can talk and answer the question, she'd probably say "Mama, it's good!" :) Good not ewwwww? Well, as I saw her chewing on that bug, there was no indication in her face that it tasted gross. She's enjoying it.

So, where did she get the beetle from? I have a theory that our cat Crichton saw it creeping somewhere on the glass door and caught it with his sharp claws. Then, probably convinced Evie to eat it. Huh? Just kidding. I didn't have any idea what the two were up to as they were sitting beside each other by the glass door. I didn't know that they were doing something creepy—bug tasting!

Thankfully for my love of taking pictures of my daughter with her moments with our cat. As I was clicking the camera and snap pictures of them, I discovered that she's playing something in her mouth. I couldn't remember I ever gave her Cheerios, what could she be feasting in her mouth? Motherly instinct, I jumped off the chair and checked her mouth. Well, I was stunned to find out that it's not a piece of Cheerio, but a whole piece of bug! I was just so glad that she had not yet crunch the beetle into tiny pieces and slurp it down her tummy. But as you can see on the picture, the insect's back is almost ripped-open. I came to the rescue just the right time. On the other hand, what a bad day for the beetle.

Oh my little bug-eater! :)