A Peek At Parker's Personality

(Parker discovers pockets, June 2011.)

Parker is 21 months old now. I realized the other day that she is the exact age that Maryn was when Avery was born. I can't imagine having Parker and an infant right now. For lots of obvious reasons, but mostly because I have got my hands full enough with this little peanut as it is. She is a whirlwind and definitely keeps us all on our toes. She is really growing up these days, and I figured it would be good to document a little bit of it for you.

Parker's speech and communication have really just taken off in the past month or so. We are understanding her more, she is trying more, and it is so fun figuring it all out together. Her favorite words right now are "hi", "bye", "see you", and "moo". I may have already mentioned this, but she is friendly to a fault. She is just so insistent about making sure that everyone has received her friendly greeting that she essentially assaults them with her "hi's" until they either reciprocate, or just leave to which she will insist on saying "bye, see you"! Everyone in the restaurant, the store, an office, etc. No one is off limits. Most people think it's cute and reply in kind. It's the other non-friendly types that is interesting to see how they react to her. She is just so darn determined though, and we can't help but love it. When we've gone out to eat lately, she doesn't eat her food because she is so busy saying hi and bye to everyone.

She is exploring a lot more these days. She's pretty much left her toys in the dust most of the time in favor of wandering around the house and getting into stuff. The girls' room/stuff, the computer desk stuff, kitchen cupboards (mostly the snack shelf in the pantry), the bathrooms, my nightstand, my closet, etc. She spends hours just unloading stuff and bringing it to us. As you can imagine it's not always the greatest having to redirect her and return items a million times a day, but I can appreciate her natural curiosity and eagerness to learn and figure things out.



She is such a funny girl. She has a great sense of humor, and makes us laugh constantly. Recently she figured out how to "fake cry". We'll ask her if she's sad and she'll squint up her eyes, stick her lips out, and say "boo-hoo". So dramatic!





She loves a show on TV called "Brainy Baby". When she is wearing us out, or needs some "chill time", we ask her if she wants to watch "Brainy", and she'll squeal, clap, and run to the family room, climb up on the love seat and wait for the familiar intro and songs. This is her favorite thing right now!! Especially a segment called the Mother Goose Club, where some teletubby type figures sing nursery rhymes. Her faves are Itsy Bitsy Spider, and This Little Piggy.





Parker likes to sing! I hear her humming to herself quite a bit lately, and she loves it when we sing to her too. She also loves reading books. Her favorite right now is Jamberry...can't wait for Braeden to read it (or recite it) to her!! She also loves playing outside...she calls her swing the "wee". Her favorite foods are crackers and raisins, but she's a good little eater and will eat pretty much anything we give her...knock on wood!! I watched her eat her raisins the other day, by squashing each one with her thumb, then she'd raise it to her mouth, and eat it off her thumb. It was so methodical, it kind of freaked me out a little. Could she have a little of her dear old mum's OCD already?!? LOL!!



She loves her "baba" (bottle), and her "beebee" binky. She also is still pretty attached to two of her blankies; the one that Aunt Shalee got her, and the one that Aunt Melanie Day sent her (from Molly). She does not leave her crib without them!! I know it's probably not the greatest parenting that she has these things still, but I can't help it. They are the last real "baby" items left. Giving them up means that she's not a baby anymore and I just can't go there yet. :-)



We sure do love our Parker Faye!!

Memory Monday (With Pictures!!)

I'm happy to say that I lived through my first experience co-leading a Girl Scout troop this year! And I have to admit it wasn't that bad. In the end, I learned a lot, made some new friends, and am feeling much better about "belonging" to this wacky community of mine.

Here are the girls' sashes after adding the last of the badges they earned this year. Not bad, eh???





After Christmas, one of the parents suggested we consider hosting a "service-area" event for Girl Scouts from the area at our local LaSalle Canal Boat visitor's center. The LaSalle Canal Boat is a 19th century replica and is one of the last of it's kind traveling on the Illinois Michigan canal. Instead of being powered by a typical boat engine, it is pulled by a mule. It is pretty interesting to see, and hear about pioneer days in the Illinois area.

But anyhoo, it required MONTHS to plan this event. So for the past 4 months, I have been having monthly meetings and countless email correspondence with Girl Scout big wigs, LaSalle Boat directors/coordinators, and my co-leaders planning out what culminated at our June 4th event. And it went great!! We didn't end up with as many registrations as we had hoped, which unfortunately meant that our troop didn't make as big of a profit as we had hoped, but money or not we still had fun. The only big issue was the weather. It was over 100 degrees with the humidity factor that day, and we had to cut our event a little short due to many of the girls dropping like flies from heat exhaustion. Bah-Humbug!! I think I lost 5 lbs. in sweat alone...make that blood, sweat, and tears!! LOL!!

Here are some pics from the day:




The mule who pulls the boat...it's a tough life!!






The back of the two Tonica Maryn's...our Maryn on the left, and Maryn E. on the right watching that poor mule pull the boat.

Parker

I think I mentioned in one of my last posts that Parker loves cows. She thinks every animal says "moo!" We have been having a blast garage sale-ing these past few weekends. Last week, we hit up Spring Valley (a little west of here) for their town-wide sales. Mark found Parker a cute stuffed animal cow. She loved it, but upon further inspection we discovered that it stank up to high heavens...like it had been boxed up in a dank basement for a few years. As I smelled the cow, I told her, "oooh, this cow needs a good wash!!" It was in desperate need of a warm, sudsy soak in the washing machine. However, this was a concept Parker didn't quite understand (or so I thought). She just wanted the cow, and we all tried to explain to her that it was dirty, and needed to get washed before she could play with it. When it finally emerged from the washer and dryer, she grabbed it, pulled it up to her little face, and breathed in deeply. Then she handed it back to me, shaking her head, and saying "no-no, wash." I couldn't believe she had grasped all of that! But indeed she did, because now her new cow friend is affectionately named "Wash, the cow". She carries "Wash" around, sleeps with him, and sniffs him regularly. It's a hoot.

Shummer Shedule

Ready, set, GO!! That's pretty much where we're at with our summer plans right now. Yesterday morning was the last actual day the girls needed to be physically present at Tonica Grade School, and as of 8:15 a.m. they were set free...like 2 bullets out of a shot-gun ready and raring for summer F-U-N!!

So where does that leave me?!? Ready or not, here they come!! LOL!! Parker and I have officially been out-numbered by family members who are "off" for the summer. I have no control over my house, or the organization or cleanliness thereof. My house has been taken over by summer may-hem, and frankly I don't know how I feel about it quite yet.

I want to be excited, footloose, and fancy-free; but there's that little devil angel on my left shoulder who keeps pointing out the newly acquired clutter popping up in random places, the dirty laundry accumulating from outdoor play, softball games, and wardrobe changes for the upteenth time..."it was cold when I woke up but now I'm hot and I need to change into shorts, etc."

AAAAAGH!! What's a Mom to do?!? Let me rephrase that...what's a Mom who suffers from OCD to do?!? LOL!!!!!

I love my girls and I'm glad they're home, and I'm going to try really, really hard to suck it up and have some summer F-U-N right there with them!! :-)

So here's the shedule for June:

5-11: Avery goes to Basketball camp!!, 3 of the 4 girls get their teeth cleaned at the dentist, Avery has 2 games, Mom works 2 nights, Dad has leadership training at work, etc.

12-18: Girls go to Artrageous! Girl Scout camp (3-day day-camp), Avery has more softball games, Mom has more work, Dad and girls go on a Father's Day hike in Starved Rock on Sat. for Activity Days, and Parker tries to get a decent nap in once a day.

19-25: Happy Father's Day!!, Maryn goes to Acting camp at Stage 212 in LaSalle, Avery has more softball, Mom is happy to go to work for a little peace & quiet, and Dad tries to eke out a few more pages of dissertation writing (yeah, he's actually trying to get some work done amidst all of this hub-bub!!)

26-30: Possible trip to MI. for a GNO with friends (?!?), more softball, and more trips to Culver's for the Flavor of the Day!!

How's your June shaping up???

Memory Tuesday

Maryn
Thank you for your kind words for Maryn. It's nice for her to feel supported and loved when much of the time, she is feeling very lonely. Maryn had a big end of the year assignment for 4th grade last week. It was a country report. She chose England. I think I chose England as a kid too. It's nice to know she is aware of her "roots"! LOL!! Her report went great, so she said and I think she is relieved that 4th grade is finally, almost done. She also informed us that she came in first place for the Elementary A.R. reading program in school. That means she accumulated more A.R. points than even 5th and 6th graders in her school. She finished with 500 points, which is pretty darn good. She will be receiving a few prizes, as well as attending a party, but the best prize of all will be setting the new record for elementary. If you have any reading suggestions for her, let us know...I know she would love it!!

Avery
Avery has been growing her hair out this year. She literally hasn't had a haircut since the beginning of school I think. Maybe a trim around Christmastime, but she wants it Loooong! Recently she has started experimenting with pony-tails. Mostly when she is going off to softball practice, but also at bedtime. After her shower the other night I offered to braid her hair so that it would dry with cool, wavy curls. She loved that. Tonight she showed me a "bun". She tells us in her funky, hip-hop way that she "has some hair-do skillz...uh-huh...oh-yeah", while she is breaking it down in the family room...her big, blonde "bun" bopping behind her! She cracks me up.

Parker
It seems like a lot of my memories of Parker lately involve something new she is saying. I hate to repeat this again, but I can't help it. I promise to make it short and sweet. One of her first audible phrases came last week, "don't tell me no!" I think Mark and I laughed for hours after this...and still laugh whenever anybody says it.

After pulling out all the baby bins to prep for the garage sale, I was reminded of how quickly Parker's first year has gone by. It literally feels like it was yesterday, but then when I look at her she seems like such a big girl. It's hard to reconcile. It went so fast. I wish she was still little enough to fit in a bouncy chair, little enough to bathe in the ducky baby bath, little enough to wrap up in a receiving blanket like a burrito baby, and hear her make those sweet little sucking sounds of contentment. I still can't believe that part is past now. I can't believe that little baby is now the shrieking, giggling, running, ticklish, silly, talkative toddler that is dominating our household. If I haven't said it enough before friends, it goes by so quickly. Enjoy every moment while it lasts.

In Memory on this Memorial Day

The quote behind them on the mantle reads:
"In all of living, have much joy and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured."
President Gordon B. Hinkley

Garage Sale Bust

This was me at the beginning of my garage sale on Friday...all geared up for selling off my junk and making some sweet moolah to spend on our vacation in July; or updating our kitchen, getting me some highlights, or a spa pedicure...you know the options were endless.

I must say I rocked it with my organizational skillz. My garage sale looked pretty. Mark told me I was made for this kinda stuff. LOL!! I took the time to organize my items, price them, and Mark cleaned the garage out so everything was looking spic and span. I can't stand when the garage is dirty, junk is just dumped on a table, or worse on a blanket on the lawn...I hate when garage salers do that. That is poor garage sale etiquette...if there is such a thing! LOL!! I know what I appreciate when I am garage sale-ing, and I tried to remember that when I was prepping.





Friday was a gorgeous day. Weather was conducive to sale-ing it up!! Ha ha!! I actually was enjoying just sitting out in the garage, listening to my new Ipod, and chatting up my customers. We met neighbors and fellow Tonicans we'd never met before, and that part was actually kinda cool. It's amazing how people come out of the woodwork for a garage sale!! I did pretty well on Friday...we sold about $100 total. Not too shabby. I've done better in the past, but it was a weekday and the beginning of a holiday weekend.

This was me on Saturday a few hours into our day. It was a completely different story. Wah, wah, wah...you know the sound that you make when you have a big, fat, let-down. That was it. We had a few customers, but no big sales. We were hoping to unload our riding lawn mower, our a/c units, baby items, etc. We sold bits and pieces and only made $20 in a matter of 4 hours. It sucked. So we shut down early, and I cried a little at the thought of having to bag and box everything back up. I was feeling so liberated from my hoard, and the weight of returning that junk to my basement about gave me a panic attack.



But with the help of my trusty team, we got through it. We bagged up junk to go to Goodwill, and junk to go back downstairs, and we got it done. We've just got 1 load left to donate and we should be done. My family were troopers. Mark was a huge help, and I need to thank him publicly for all of his hard work and the biting of his tongue in many a sticky situation. (Me + garage sale anxiety = crazy town!) I am sure you know of what I speak, LOL!! Maryn and Avery set up a beverage stand hoping to make some sweet moolah themselves...I think they made 50 cents.



Parker only sustained one casualty to her eyelid and chin. She was obsessed with crawling up and down the front porch steps...you can imagine what happened next.



Lessons learned?
1. Illinois Valley garage sales PALE in comparison to Idaho garage sales. NOBODY wants baby stuff here. They are content with their 2 child families, and not populated with the breeding Mormon baby machines that is Idaho...gotta love that Gem State!! When I had my garage sale in Twin Falls, I made $900 and most of it was baby stuff. Nuff said.
2. Having a garage sale over a holiday weekend is not a good idea. This was the case more with Saturday than with Friday I think.
3. Having a garage sale in the middle of nowhere in not a good idea...we did as well as we could with our advertising, but it still wasn't enough. IF we do this again, it will be on the same weekend as the Tonica town-wide garage sales.
4. Weather has to be optimal for garage sales...we had thunderstorm warnings looming over our heads on Saturday...we actually closed up just in time. Bad weather is bad for business.

We definitely learned from our experience, it wasn't a total loss, but I have to admit I'm not too crazy about wanting to do it again any time soon. A lot of work, a lot of stress/anxiety, and not a whole lot of pay-off. Oh well. It won't stop me from going garage sale-ing. I will always love that part of this crazy bizness!!

Memory Monday

What can I say? Another day late. Things are crazy here. We are having a garage sale this weekend, and it's the last 2 crazy weeks of school. Nuff said.

Maryn

Maryn is such a softy when it comes to bullying. As many of you know she has had a rough couple years since we moved here...mostly feeling accepted and being able to make friends. She hasn't been the victim of intense bullying, but she has definitely learned what it feels like to be isolated and picked on for being different. It's not cool. As a result, she is passionate about sticking up for kids who are being bullied. There are a couple boys in her class who have had a rough time fitting into the mold in their classroom. One in particular this year has been the target for merciless teasing, picking on, and bullying. And this poor little boy is emotional about it, often crying when he can't take it anymore. Maryn has run to his side to rescue him on multiple occassions, standing up to groups of boys who are aggressively teasing him. She sometimes gets herself into sticky situations as a result, and finds that instead of stopping the behavior, the boys sometimes turn it onto her. She has had to figure out how to defend her friends without getting involved in quarrels that are not her business. We've had lots of talks with her about it over the year, and during the last one Mark told her how proud he was of her and how admirable it is that she is such a good friend and how sticking up for people shows courage and integrity. I hope it doesn't sound braggy, but we are proud of the strong girl she is becoming.

Avery

As I mentioned earlier, I have been getting ready for a garage sale this weekend. I've been going through closets, cabinets, drawers, etc. The other day, I did the toy closet. I pulled out the bucket with the girl's LeapPads. Maryn had the pink one, and Avery had the blue one. I got ready to add the blue one to my pile figuring that Parker could use the pink one in the next few years. I turn to ask Avery if this is okay. She insists on saving it, she might decide to play with it at the same time that Maryn or Parker wants to. Even though Avery doesn't really play with toys anymore, I know she is just as sentimental as I am. However, later when I came across some division flashcards, I ask her, "will you be learning division next year? maybe we should save these to work on over the summer..." She insists that she's way past division and definitely doesn't need any flashcards. Hmmmm...selective sentimentality maybe?

Parker

On the way to Church, we pass a lot of cows...I think we pass about 4 or 5 dairies actually. Parker knows it too. She waits for it. As a matter of fact, when we turned right onto the road we take to Church the other day, she perked up immediately and said "moo!!" Is it possible she recognized the road that the cows are on already?!? The funny part is that every animal now says moo. We pass some horses on the way to the grocery store and she says, "moo!!" When we see doggies, she says, "moo!" What's even funnier is that she gets it...the fact that she's being silly and messing with us. She has that look in her eye. It's pretty hilarious.