74. Hello Everybody

This morning Grandma Fox took Bea to music class because I am sick yet again (cough, hack). After class Bea and I sat down for a snack along with her new best friend, Turtle Fantastic, and an unnamed Beanie Baby cat. You will hear Bea singing the Music Together "Hello" song. Sort of. (I discovered later that her turtle was looking at his reflection in the side of the bowl.)

Bea would like to say:
lkkkhkhkkkllglklllclvlvlkvlvklckvvkk v, k,k , ,. . .. . . ,, , bbsxbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
rlmkc

73. O!

72. Rocking and Sliding

Four generations (at least?) on Mommy's side of the family have played in this rocking horse:

The master climber/slider at work:

71. Happy New Year

This year Bea was a little overwhelmed by Christmas. Basically, we got her too much stuff. (And Dale and I made her a bunch of things too. I became obsessed with knitting cats and both of us made some felt toys. We could start a cottage industry.) Next year we will be more restrained--but of course, next year she will be at an age where she will want more stuff!

Some highlights from the week:

Decorating cookies!


Seeing her new slide from Grandma Mary and Papa on Christmas morning. She LOVES the slide. At the moment it resides in Grandma Fox and Grandpa Griff's foyer. When it warms up outside the slide will move to our yard. This past week Bea finally learned how to climb up the slide and get herself seated and ready to slide all by herself. I will post a movie soon.


With her new friend, "Inky" on Christmas day.


One of many dance parties.


Thoughtful about the year ahead.



With Rosemary and Big Bird on New Year's Day.

70. Snow!

We thought Bea would love the snow. While she does enjoy looking at it through the windows from within the warm confines of home (especially watching birds eating birdseed on the snowy yard), she does NOT like snow.

She doesn't like standing on it.

She doesn't want to touch it.

Interestingly, she likes ice, and she wanted to play with the patches of snow on the yard when they were limited to small bits from an earlier, lighter snowfall.

I hope she will change her mind later in the season, so we can teach her how to make snow angels in her puffy snow outfit.

69. Gobble

I thought Bea would really love Thanksgiving dinner, being the carnivore that she is. But she wasn't particularly interested in the eating part of the holiday. What she liked best was having lots of people around. Her favorite part of the weekend might have been the Bea Dance Party in the front hall of Grandma Fox and Grandpa Griff's house. (She continues to want people to dance with her on the front carpet.)

She also had a rollicking good time in her bouncy chair listening to Trevor on the guitar:

Her biggest frustration of the weekend was being too little to play Carcassonne.
One day, my dear.

68. Food, glorious (cat) food

Bea has a new obsession: cat food. I suppose it was only a matter of time, and I should be grateful it is the cat food and not the litter box.

Our cats eat two kinds of dry food. One is designed for dental health and this is their favorite. This is also Bea's favorite. Over the past week, on multiple occasions, Bea has made a dash for the food, thrown a few pieces of kibble in her mouth, and scampered off clutching a few more. As soon as I would spot her she would run away screaming, knowing I would take the food away from her.

The worst part is her cat food breath. Disturbing.

Instead of trying to scare her about the food, I've decided to try to reason with her. She is very fond of Sam and Freddy, so I've explained to her that if she eats Sam and Freddy's food, then they won't have any food and they will be sad and hungry. I have had to explain this a few times. I think it might be sinking in though because now she has a new technique. She brings over one of her little toy stacking bowls, places one piece of kibble in the bowl, then goes in search of a cat. She places the bowl carefully in front of the cat and slowly backs away with a look of anticipation on her face. (This is particularly funny to me because at her 18-month checkup at the start of this week they asked if she knew how to walk backwards and I had no idea.) Unfortunately, neither of the cats have taken her up on her offers and I am worried she might be testing them about the food, to see if I am being on the level with her. Yesterday she also took a piece of food out to her rubber duckie and pretended to feed him. It is hard to take the food away from her when she is being so cute.

Notice the new (slightly awkward) bangs!