Happy Birthday Doe!

Today we celebrated Doe's birthday with cupcakes! Can you guess who enjoyed her cupcake the most?
I usually just lick the icing off the top, but Dad says I'm supposed to eat the cake part under the icing, too. Are you kidding me?!

Doe

This winter my great aunt Doe has become what's known as a Snow Bird, spending time in our tropical state while it's cold and gray at home in Georgia. This is great news for me, because she can visit more often! Last week she stopped by for a couple of days to color with me and eat dinner with my parents. She was amazed at how grown up I have become since her last visit. We introduced her to my new favorite music (Mama Mia is out, Glee is in). She brought me a beautiful doll that is just like a real baby! I was relieved when she told me the doll is a girl (all this talk about baby boys is making me tired). She also went shopping with Mom to advise on my big girl bedding. Mom says Doe is a decorating expert, so her opinion has been valuable. My new bed arrived, and my big girl room preparations are really taking shape. Dad only asks that we avoid hot pink and anything neon, but otherwise has given me permission to make it totally princess-y. Luckily, I am more than happy to offer my strong opinion about everything, even down to the curtain rod finials and paint color! Mom says planning for my brother's nursery has been a breeze with Dad's help, because he has a keen interest in all things boy. They are getting more and more excited, now that the baby is past the halfway mark (the 20 week ultrasound showed that he was developing right on track!). Stay tuned for the big reveal in a couple of months, once we get everything finished. Mom hopes to have our rooms ready before my brother arrives!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is a chance to say "I love you". My Dad said it the best, with an adorable mini bouquet for me! He had to go out of town for work this week, so he didn't get to see my reaction (something like: "Awww, they're sooo cuuute!", similar to Mom's reaction). Dad was just as excited to receive the card I made for him. Mom thought it would be a fun, quick project, but I turned it into a complex hour-long art class. We pulled out every art supply, scrapbook tool, and sticker pack that we could find... all in the spirit of making the perfect card! Mom had to draw the line when I asked to embellish it with Play Doh. The finished product was a masterpiece. Dad loved it, and took it to his new office to add to his Wall of Kelsey!

The Fort

Yesterday Mom and I made a fort! She says this is a really fun age because I have started to do imaginative play. First I played house with some of my favorite dolls and stuffed animals, then I played hide and seek with the dogs. Maggie was more interested in sniffing out one of my toys to eat, but Moxie found me right away and tried to jump in the fort! Today I spontaneously brought out "my little brother" to give him his bottle. I took him for a walk in the stroller, changed his diaper, and laughed at him for making a stinky poo poo. Mom and Dad are optimistic that this is a sign of me warming up to the idea of a baby boy... Nevermind the fact that I carry him around by the hair.

Theatre

Toddler Acting Classes began on Saturday morning over a bowl of Fruity Cheerios. Mom gave me different scenarios and we perfected my facial expressions (we have a little more work to do before the Oscars). First scene: Mad Face, inspired by "Maggie ate your stuffed kitty". Next: Fake Sad Face, "Tell Dad you need a hug so he will get you more gummy bears". (This face is usually followed by a giggle, because it's a good way to manipulate my parents).
Last: Shock and Awe, "Kalyn and Aunt Julie are coming to visit in April!". I love making these faces and then laughing at the pictures with Mom. She says I am a funny little ham.

Birthday Parties

The best part of any weekend is helping a friend celebrate their birthday! This weekend we went to the park for a Dora-Diego themed party. I was ecstatic to see my BFF, Sophia! We grabbed juice packs and did our traditional toast, saying "Cheers!".
Then we all ran big circles around the basketball courts. Dad made fun of Mom for putting me in a "Where's Waldo" outfit for the party. But he was loving the loud stripes when I disappeared around the corner amid all the chaos, and he had to find me before I ran out into traffic.At cake time, we all spontaneously broke into a loud version of our ABCs. It was hilarious- we obviously knew we were supposed to be singing something to the birthday boy, but couldn't remember exactly which song it was.
When we finally started the Happy Birthday Song, he was too embarrassed to sing along. It was so cute!

Tricycle

The weather has been so nice lately that Dad couldn't resist the impulse to give me an early birthday present! Sorry to our friends and family who are still freezing up north... the pictures of our beautiful 65 degree day will be disturbing. You guys can have revenge from May to September when we are stuck inside because it's too hot and humid to leave the air conditioning!
We love this tricycle because there is an adult steering bar, the perfect remedy for my tendency to go off-road. Once I got the hang of pushing the pedals forward to make it move, I had to remind Dad to "LET GO!". Giving him a dirty look was just bonus, to warn him not to try anything sneaky. This is the Tricycle EX model, complete with a bell,
And storage bin for awesome things like acorns, sticks, and goldfish crackers. We even took it to the street, where I showed Dad a few pointers.
Mom said we can call this tricycle a gift in honor of Maggie and Moxie's combined birthdays. This winter Maggie turned 9, making the official transition to Old Lady. She's maintained her killer instinct, sitting perfectly still for hours to stalk squirrels in the back yard.
And Moxie turned 8, carrying his decidedly mellow personality into Senior Citizenship. They were very excited about their birthday gifts: sturdy new orthopedic dog beds. Now everyone is happy!