happy thanksgiving

Today was Thanksgiving, and I had a great time celebrating with my Grandma and Papa Martin, Aunt Sarah, Uncle John, Baby Josh, and of course Mommy & Daddy. I especially enjoyed the broccoli.

ABC's

I love to sing the ABC song! Here I am playing with my magnetic letters singing the words to the ABC song: ABC, ABC, ABC, ABC...etc.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Little Holly Hobbie - - - - - - - - Old Fashioned Girls

Yesterday was Halloween and I had so much fun! I had a great week of dressing up this year. It all started with last Wednesday at My Baby & Me class. I had a lot of fun seeing my friends dressed up too. Then on Sunday I dressed up for church, and then wore a different outfit that night for Hallowe'en at Greenfield Village. Yesterday I went to Grandma and Papa Brown's house to spend Halloween with them. Emma was there too! I love spending time with Emma - she is my favorite person!

members of a church

...we have been going to a great church for sometime now. Mommy & Daddy have been taking new member classes the past two weeks and then we all go out for yummy lunches! Anyway, next week they'll become members of the church. Mommy, Daddy and I are happy to be joining a wonderful group of kind and generous people. It will also be Halloween for the Sunday School kids. I get to dress in my costume and collect money for UNICEF. Mommy thinks it's a great idea, since she says we are also going to Greenfield Village's Hallowe'en Nights that evening. It will be a day-long costume extravaganza!

pictures from Sears

a couple weeks ago Mommy took me to Sears to get my 18-month pictures taken. Here are three of the six poses that were taken:

some pictures of me....

It's been awhile since I posted a blog. It's because my Mommy and I have been so busy having adventures. I thought that I would post a few pictures of really fun times that we had in September.



Here I am on my first day of school. I love school and Mommy says one day I'll go all by myself to class! I'm wearing one of my favorite new outfits that we got on our vacation in Holland. Mommy and Daddy tried on so many clothes at that Gap outlet...I'm just glad that they found things that fit!



Here I am at the Sunflower Gardens at Ford Motor Company. I don't think there is an official name for the gardens of sunflowers that grow on the Ford property in Dearborn, but Mommy thought that a name might sound pretty. I had so much fun running through the hundreds and hundreds of flowers!



This was taken on our trip to Apple Charley's to pick apples. I had so much fun running through the trees and picking up apples off the ground. I enjoyed eating an apple and a fresh donut from the store!

My Baby & Me

tonight Mommy and I are going to our second My Baby & Me class at the Dearborn Early Learning Center. Last week we played, sang, danced, and made tissue paper apples. It's a preschool class that in two years I'll be able to go all by myself! I especially loved finding things in the room that were the color red. I found two red things! I am really good at colors - when I want to be!

leaving Mommy behind

today marked a big day in my life: Mommy left me in the church nursery and I didn't cry! Now I suppose I should tell everyone that Mommy has never left me in the church nursery before, so it's not like I have been crying every Sunday. However, this was the first time that someone babysat me that wasn't family! Mommy was so proud of me! I had so much fun with my friends Natalie and Lily, and I especially loved Miss Emily! She really is a FUN babysitter! Mommy got her name and number for future reference too.

Last week I went to my first My Baby & Me class and had a really good time with Mommy. We played, sang, danced, marched, and did this really cool craft with tissue paper, crayons, and glue sticks! I made the best red apple EVER! But it was such a great class and I can't wait to go again this week. I also started the Our Time Kindermusik class yesterday with Daddy. I still get to see Miss Mary and all my old friends from my Village class last year. However, the Our Time class has older kids in it - and I had a great time watching them dance, sing and play instruments. I am really looking forward to all the adventures this next week will bring!

school starts

This week I start two classes: My Baby & Me at the Dearborn Early Learning Center and Kindermusik Our Time.

My Baby & Me is a class that I'm taking with Mommy on Wednesday nights. Mommy says that it is a class with lots of fun things to do: playing with other children, singing, dancing, making crafts, and just having a great time learning. Mommy is looking forward to meeting new Mommies and kids, and just having fun.

This year I start Our Time classes at Kindermusik. They are classes for 18months - 3 years. That's right - I'm in the next level of classes :) More fun music experiences for me!

But I am just like big kids...I'm going back to school too!!!

last night in holland

While in Holland I enjoyed spending all three evenings at Ben & Jerry's. It was my first cup of ice cream, and I really loved it!














On Saturday we also went to Kollen Park. It was a GREAT park right by the water. I loved playing on all the slides, swings, and other stuff! I loved it so much, I didn't want to leave.

We came back on Saturday and Mommy's best friend, Dana, was in town. Dana has been living in England for the last 12 years with her husband, Phil. This was the first time I got to see Dana, and I really loved showing her my toys - especially "Little Man" from my legos.

We also had a great week. Tuesday we visited with Mommy's friend, Rachel, and her daughter, Natalie. Natalie and I loved pushing each other in the wagon. We are getting together next Tuesday too!

Mommy has been very busy this week getting all her music together for teaching this fall. I really enjoy listening to Mommy play and sing new songs.

I can't wait to blog next week about the Labor Day weekend. Daddy is home three days in a row!!

hisorical holland

We also went to historical sites in Holland: The Holland Museum, Cappon House, Settlers House, and Independence Park.














Here I am playing peek-a-boo with Mommy (and Mommy's camera) at Independence Park. I'm so silly!



This is me looking at the BIG fountain at the center of Independence Park. I loved watching the water, and saying "water". Water is one of my many new words!



This is Mommy and I outside of the Cappon House. Mr. Cappon was Holland's first Mayor. We had a tour through the house and through the Settlers House, which was a VERY small house down the street. Mommy thought it was really interesting that the Cappon house and Settlers house were the only two houses on the street for awhile. The lifestyles of the people would have been SO different. Don't we look pretty all dressed up? After a day of historical viewing, we went to dinner at Butch's Dry Dock. I had a great cheese pizza and Mommy and Daddy loved thier meals too.

windmill island

On Friday we went to Windmill Island. The windmill, called the Swan in English, was getting painted. Four years ago Mommy & Daddy helped start the windmill turning, but the painting kept the windmill from working. It was ok for me, because I had so much running around on the farm. Daddy and I ran all over the place, up and down hills, and around and around.

lake michigan

another place we visited (on the same day as Dutch Village) was Holland Metro Park and Lake Michigan. I built my first sandcastle (with Daddy's help), played in lots of sand, and had my first step in the cold, lake water. I wanted to swim out and get myself entirely wet (even thought it was really cold), but Mommy and Daddy told me I had to stay on the shore. I would have loved to play at the beach all day, but a storm came and we had to leave. When we left the beach we took a drive around Macatawa Bay and then we had a yummy dinner at the New Holland Brewery.

dutch village

One of the many places we visited while in Holland, was Dutch Village. It was a little tourist trap (Mommy called it that), that had a candle maker, wooden shoe factory, and other kid friendly exhibits.

Mommy loves these pictures of me! I had so much fun trying on the wooden shoes, but this BIG shoe was really fun!

vacation in holland

...we just got back from a wonderful trip to Holland, MI.

We were there for a few days and we saw so much: Dutch Village, Windmill Island, the Cappon House (and Settlers House), the Holland Museum, New Holland Brewery, and Lake Michigan!

I had so much fun, and Mommy & Daddy took lots of pictures. Once Mommy gets the pictures online, I'll have to post my great adventures!

celebration weekend

Tonight we are going to celebrate GG and Papa Roy's 60th Wedding Anniversary. That's a long time together! Before we go we are going to go shopping to the mall to get Mommy and Daddy a few things AND me another potty to have downstairs.

Tomorrow we are celebrating Papa Ray's 88th Birthday! I'm very lucky to have three Great-Grandparents still alive!

We are also going to be going on a vacation - to Holland, MI - on Wednesday this week. I am sure I'll have a lot of adventures so share! It'll be my first trip to the beach (first time being on a lake), and Mommy is just glad we are getting away for awhile.

new shoes and a dress for mommy

Today Mommy and I went with Gramma Brown to Laurel Park Mall in Livonia. It was my first visit there.

We went to Mommy's new favorite "mall" store - Von Maur. I got two new pair of shoes. One are from Stride Rite and the others are Robeez for the house.

Mommy was also able to get a really beautiful dress for a wedding she's going to in September. Mommy is singing and playing for the wedding and then Daddy and her are going to the reception.

It has been a very exhausting day for Mommy and me!

new swing and other stuff

Wow! It's been a week since I blogged!

A lot has been happening in my family. Monday Mommy taught piano lessons while Gramma Brown babysat. Tuesday Mommy and I took Mommy's car in to Belle Tire. After two hours of waiting, we went home. I had a 3-hour nap that afternoon. I was asleep when Gramma Brown came over to watch me while Mommy took the car back to Belle Tire. Wednesday we spent with Aunt Kelly and Emma, after we did a bunch of errands. Thursday we spent the day cleaning house and playing in the pool. Friday we had so much fun over at Rachel and Natalie's house. They are my new friends. Mommy has known Rachel a LONG time! I also cut my second eye tooth on Friday...it's still really bothering me! Ouch!!!

This weekend brought a new swing in my backyard! Uncle Joe and Daddy hung it last night. We got the swing from our friends the Crombez family. They knew how much I loved to swing in it at their house, so they let me have it to use here! Today we spent 3 hours at Mommy's work - Kindermusik. Mommy was organizing all the stuff around the classroom. Then we went to this great park and played for awhile. Later Gramma and Papa Martin are coming over for dinner. What a super-cool week!

using a potty

...today I pee peed on the potty for the first time! Mommy has noticed that I am aware of going potty in my diaper. I wake 99% of the time from nighttime or naptime with a dry diaper, I say "pee pee" and "poo poo" when I have gone, and I try to take (or take) my soiled diapers off. So she decided to start introducing the potty idea. She has my little potty right next to the big potty. When Mommy goes potty I pretend to go in my little potty. This morning she took my dry diaper off and I peed in the potty all by myself! Mommy will continue to try and have me go after waking up from nighttime or naptime. Then she plans on establishing times to encourage me to go. I'm really excited about using the potty!

say cheese!

...that's me...my cheesy mug! I've been teething for the last week...on not one, but two eye teeth. They REALLY hurt! As you can see, I already have 12 teeth in my little mouth, and Mommy says that there are 4 eye teeth that have to make their way through! Then, I hear, that there are 4 molars that come in when I'm 2. However, I have been told (by older kids) that the 2-year molars are nothing! This really makes Mommy happy...