Be still my heart!

I got my first compliment from Halle today. This morning before work, Halle stood looking at my skirt.

She petted it and said, "pretty!"

****

She gives me new reasons to adore her everyday!

That is all.

Weekend Weather Oasis

So it wasn't necessarily a tropical weekend in North Carolina but hey, any temp above sixty is a reason to celebrate! Our little Munch gave us a spring fashion preview at the playground and got to play with Aunt Deedee & Adam, Gaddy, Gabbie, and Puppy!

And because Puppy brought his camera (it's his job, he's happy to do it, really) I've got a plethora of fantastic photos of Halle, some in sequence enough to warrant a GIF file! Yay! The first GIF is more of a slideshow and the rest are, well, pretty cool. Thanks, Dad!

Om Nom Nom

Truth be told, we've been snacking on Halle's tiny cheeks and neck since she was the size of a flip flop. She expects our passive aggressive affections. It makes her feel alive!

But QUICK! Before you play this video, no matter what setting your speakers are on, turn them DOWN. And then a little lower than that. Her laughs get bigger and sillier every day.

Birthday Suit Barbie

What was I thinking?!

One time when Halle and I were changing Barbie's clothes, I made a little joke to her in Barbie's voice, "Oh, nooooo, I'm NAKED! I am so embarrassed!" Can you guess what the new fascination is?

For one thing, naked Barbies. Going to the park, naturally.

Also, the idea of NAKED is hilarious to her. Whenever I change her diaper, she'll say, "naked!" because she wants to take all of her clothes off. One day she was looking for my belly button and lifted up my shirt. If it's just my belly-button, fine. But she said, "Naked!"

Needless to say, she doesn't have a clue what the words "inappropriate" and "privacy" means. I guess it's just natural for potty-training aged kids to like being naked. I like the idea that I have an uninhibited daughter who doesn't have any concept of self-image yet, but those two words need to be driven home (inappropriate & privacy, not self image).

Want to hear another What-was-I-thinking moment? Well, here it is... when Barbie's clothes come off and Halle looks at poor Emporer's Clothes Barbie, she'll point, grin and say, "boobs."

Also: of all the Barbie paraphernalia out there, why are there no Barbie potties?

Valentine's Day 2010

We had a pretty good Valentine's Day this year! Even though I wasn't feeling too great for one reason or another, Brad was able to convince me to get out of the house; he'll take every single chance to go out to eat he gets. We went to Positano's, a quiet and dim sort of spot without many tables and chatter. They have by far the best ever-important spaghetti sauce. And the spaghetti is served as a side! Pshaw! You have got to try this spaghetti sauce.

Halle made a valentine for Brad with crayons and brads (hehe) and in the early afternoon (otherwise called "morning" on the weekends) she sang her entire ABCs from start to finish. Out of the blue. It blew me away! My jaw dropped and I squealed to her, "WONDERFUL JOB, BABY!" which meant that she will be singing it all week long. It's not the first time, either. When Brad took her into Target today, they saw Barney & Friends DVDs, and when she spotted them she said, "Oh my goodness! It's Barney!" Not the first time for "Oh my goodness," either. Sigh, she's growing up so fast! Too fast!

Have a look for yourself. Against the house rules, she's continued to grow and age. She'll even be two years old in about three weeks. I don't know if I should put her in time out or buy her a cake. :)

One Darling Parade

Here it is! I consolidated about ten to twelve minutes of family videos to bring you the cutest shots from this last week, when I was being a bad blogger. Hope this makes up for it - it's just under two minutes long and the end is the best part!

Psych!

So Halle was being an adorable little bug last night and I realized that I need to merge it with the other video that I promised you yesterday. So that will be tonight's edit! In the mean while, here is one of the most heartwarming videos I've seen so far this year!

To learn more about these lovable singers (and watch more videos!) from New York's PS22, whose fans include Randy Jackson, Suzanne Vega, and "The Hoff", go to their website here. Love it!

Adorable Video Comin' Atcha Tonight!

Wow, has it been over a week since I've posted? The last week has been busy - but fun! Halle's starting to say "Watch!" when she's about to show off her running skills. Literally running laps. It's funny how raising an active, growing kid gets easier and easier but more and more challenging by the week.

She's really into Yah-Yah and YoYo, or Charlie and Lola in English. It's the most adorable show I've ever seen. Two British children do the voices of two playful and encouraging siblings. The episodes are targeted for kids a bit older than Halle with episodes about "wobbly teeth" and the toothfairy, getting haircuts, playing pretend and having sleepovers. Halle asks for it CONSTANTLY, going to get the DVD and handing it to us or pressing the buttons on the player hoping to make it happen all by herself.

She'll definitely be getting more Charlie and Lola for her birthday! Which brings me to another topic. Within two or three months, Spring will be here and we can't wait to get Halle immersed in the outdoors. I can't wait to plant tomatoes and flowers with her. For her birthday, I'm trying to think of gifts that give her a different experience than sitting on the couch - and things that don't require batteries. Can anyone think of some good outdoor or indoor toys that we can use as a family?

It's easy to be slothful in the Winter, with snow on the ground, gray skies, and shorter days. With the Spring, we want to put a lot of her energy into bonding as a family, rather than running laps. She's chomping at the bit for our attention and her enthusiasm for family interaction is something we're incredibly grateful for. It's really sad that she watches so much tv. I don't have much energy in general but she deserves every ounce of energy I've got! Is this post making any sense?

Aside from birthday gifts, any ideas about fun family activities are welcome! I'm such a newb to this parenting stuff, eh?

After we watch Lost tonight (sigh, another television show?) I'm going to edit an ADORABLE video of Halle running her laps, barking orders at Halle, and other toddler randomness. So look out, it's comin' atcha!

Halle's Favorite Videos

Sesame Street
1-2-3-4 with Feist
ABC Song
Elmo's Song
Joey Tickles Kermit
Ladybug Picnic
Outdoors with Jason Mraz
Sesame Street
Vintage - Little Dollhouse
Vintage Kermit ABCs
Yo Gabba Gabba!
♫ Telephone Rock ♫

Charlie and Lola
I Spy With My Little Eye
This is Actually My Party
I Am Extremely Magic
I Just Love My Red Shiny Shoes
I Completely Know About Guinea Pigs
My Best Best Bestest Friend
Will You Please Stop Messing About

For Later:

Musicals
Annie - It's a Hard Knock Life
Annie - You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile
Oliver! - Who Will Buy
Oliver! - Consider Yourself
Oliver - I'd Do Anything
Mary Poppins - Let's Go Fly a Kite
Mary Poppins - I Love to Laugh
Mary Poppins - A Spoonful of Sugar