Potty talk

I don't want to set expectations too high, but Delia got her very own potty today.

Potty training was a big topic at playgroup yesterday. Delia's friend Chase just got one, and Miss Audrey is reading up on how to get Caroline ready.

Then, when I picked Delia up at school this morning, the older kids were lining up to go potty. When they were done, they each got an M&M as a reward. Delia really, really wanted one of those M&M's. There's a little chair in the bathroom where the teacher can sit and talk to a nervous pee-er. Delia pointed at the chair, looked at me, and said, "Sit down!" She seemed ready, and I felt like I hadn't been paying attention to the signs.

Delia was pretty excited to sit on her potty this evening, although she didn't produce any, ahem, results.

Our baby's first haircut

Well, yesterday was a big day around here. In the morning, we went shopping for Delia's big-girl furniture. In the afternoon, we headed to "Sweet 'n Sassy" for her first haircut. I had very mixed feelings about doing this, but I'm happy with the results.

Before:



We had a drink in the car to steady our nerves.



Delia only cried until she got a lollipop.



I only cried when they handed me a lock of hair from my baby's first haircut. (Typing this makes me cry, too.)



After:

On strike!

The writers may be back to work, but the nappers have walked out...at least our napper. We're not sure what her demands are, but Delia has been on a nap strike for close to a week. Management is getting nervous.

In other news, Delia is getting pretty good at stringing her words together. Here are some of the latest phrases:

-out the door
-see ya later
-take care
-sleep tight (I have no idea where she got this. We never say it.)
-sit down (As in, "Mommy, sit down!")
-right there
-I want _______ (The blank can be filled in with absolutely anything.)
-read book
-eat raisins
-Deeda paint ("Deeda" is Delia. Our baby likes to refer to herself in the third person.)
-dress up (This is how Delia ended up watching Sesame Street while wearing her finest jewels.)

Free advice

Don't give in to impulse shopping at Target, or this could happen to your living room:




Just like the first people to populate this land, Delia dragged her plush Dora chair into her teepee to make it a more comfortable place to read.

No-mess paints

Delia got these great "no-mess paints" in her stocking at Christmas time. We finally broke them out earlier this week during a verrrry looong day.



Here she is arranging her color palette: Big Boy Blue, Yum Yum Yellow, and Ra Ra Red.



So far, so good. This no-mess thing is really working!



"Please, no more pictures. I am creating."



Hmm. No mess? No way. But the art work was worth the clean-up effort.

Valentine's Day

We went a playgroup in the morning at Caroline's house. The girls found a quiet spot in front of the door where they could talk in private. "O-M-G, Caroline. Did you see what my mom is wearing today? It's not even red OR pink!"



Miss Audrey gave the kids bubbles in their goodie bags, and we broke them out before the party ended. Delia tried to catch some in a cup.






Later, after another day with no nap, we went to Barnes and Noble to play with the trains.

Grandma and Grandpa's visit

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit last weekend. The weather was great, but Delia wasn't feeling well.


Delia, Grandma, Grandpa, and Daddy walked to the park, but Delia wasn't really up for it.



By Sunday, she was recovering, but still taking it easy with Daddy.

Baby of Frankenstein

The other day, Delia put her sweatshirt over her head, and I cracked up.




Not wanting to disappoint a happy audience, Delia continued her act by putting her hands out in front of her, like the baby of Frankenstein, and walking around the kitchen.



The whole show was pretty hilarious until she walked into the wall.

Big girl

We have told Delia so many times lately that she is getting to be a big girl. Now, she is telling us. She points to herself and says, "big girl," and she is just starting to move away from some "baby" things. It looks like we are done with the high chair, for example. She was fighting it so hard, I thought she would topple over. So, we went out and bought a little booster seat.

Big girls look right at the camera to have their pictures taken.



Big girls like to read at lunchtime.



Big girls need bibs, too.

Rainy days and Sundays always get me happy

It doesn't snow much down here, but we have gotten a fair bit of rain lately. Once upon a time, we might have been sad to see rain on the weekend, but now we love it. More rain might mean an ease of the drought restrictions this summer, and it gives us an excuse to break out Delia's rain gear.



Rain coat and all-weather cowgirl boots provided by Grandma and Grandpa



Hand-decorated, one-of-a-kind umbrella designed by residents at Bubbe's nursing home



Hair styled by Mommy and a good, long nap

The Birmingham News covers the important issues

Delia was engrossed in the newspaper recently, and I was so proud. Was she reading about the candidates' standings in the polls? Developments in Iraq? Predictions of a recession?





...or was she catching up on the latest diplomatic meeting in the state capitol?