Kate's verbal ability has just exploded over this summer. At the beginning of the summer she was saying a few phrases & words & many of them were quite babyish (tank-a-da, etc). These days you can carry a conversation with her that (for the most part) makes a lot of sense. She also comes up with her own combinations. She talks a lot & practices words a lot. For instance, she typically calls a computer, "puter", but this afternoon, I heard her whisper "com" and then say "puter" loud. She was trying it out!
One of the phrases that isn't that particularly endearing is "no like." She certainly didn't learn THAT from me, but she uses it all of the time. It has a variety of applications beyond its most basic meaning. It can mean she doesn't want something, doesn't want any more of that thing, doesn't like what a certain person is doing, etc. This can make for some frustrating (and amusing) conversations.
Kate: "no like Lydia."
Mommy: "say sorry Lydia."
Kate: "Sorry Lydia."
even funnier.
Kate: "no like nakies." Thinks mom will get after her so quickly follows up with: "sorry nakies"
singing at bedtime.
Kate (requests): Jesus
Mommy: Jesus loves me, this I know.
Kate (interrupts): no like Jesus
Mommy (thinks to herself): Not good!
counting
Mommy: Let's count, Kate.
Kate: one, two three, four, nine, six, eight-nine-ten (she says the last three all together)
Mommy: Kate, can you say FIVE?
Kate: I can't!
She loves patterns in speech. She loves that I say You're welcome when she says Thank you. She loves that I say, I forgive you, when she says sorry. She loves it so much, she can carry on the entire conversation by herself!
Kate: Sorry, momma.
Kate: 'Give you.
Kate: Tank you.
Kate: Welcome!
Kate: Read to me?
Kate: Sure!
And, last but certainly most endearing. . . she says, "Hold you" instead of "Hold me." And, boy, she says that a lot!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
some film
I recently developed an older role of film, and neglected to post any of the pics! So, the earlier ones are from Spring Break '08, then we have May '08 (with my dad), and finally July '08! There's just some quality about film that can't be replicated, even with the fanciest digital camera! There's almost a grit, or a three dimensional quality that you can't get from digital negatives.
facebook videos
I'm not sure, Jennifer, but you may be the only blog reader that is also NOT on facebook. I posted some videos of Kate. Try these links. Hopefully they'll work even for non-fbers. :-) I just love making up new facebook words. Like F-mail. I guess it should really be FBmail.
Kate Speaks A Few Words in Spanish
Kate's Library
Kate Speaks A Few Words in Spanish
Kate's Library
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
little purple flowers
This morning we squished five girls (three car seats in the back!) into my car and made a morning trip to our favorite renovated home & grounds in Winder. No, this isn't Lisa's house, but a good friend's home. She's an avid gardener & her home and garden provide so many quaint spots. It's great not to have to worry about awkward pipes or brown patches or unsightly bucket, bushes, etc. The girls accommodated the photo shoot for about 30 minutes. The soon to be one year old was by far the star of the show. I think that 1 year old is best for uninhibited joy. Kate is just old enough to have moods (I don't want to smile if someone is telling me to). Lydia has already started to have a smile that's just for cameras -- different than a purely joyful smile. But Lauren knows no such thing. If she's smiling, it's a ray of sunshine that lights up the room or the photograph! These are the girls' special dresses bought by Mima around Easter time.
Monday, July 21, 2008
boat on the lake (what a summer!)
Josh's parents recently put a contract on some land in North Carolina. Their piece of property is up on the ridge above Lake Nantahala. There are actually 4 families who bought an 8 acre tract (Bob Baileys, Len Autons, & two other families). Neither the Autons nor the Baileys have any immediate plans to build on the property, but they both plan to use their property for camping & day trips. In order to facilitate camping or just picnics, Jake (Josh's brother), Andrew (Josh's cousin) and Matt (Jake's friend) constructed a deck in four pieces & hauled it up to the property. This will provide an above ground tent pad or just a place to sit & eat around the fire pit.
What I'm most excited about is not camping, but getting on the water. This last weekend we had a foretaste of hopefully many such days on Lake Nantahala. We rented an 80 hp pontoon boat that could accommodate 13 or 14 people. We definitely tested out the capacity! The seats were cozy, there was plenty of room to maneuver without falling into people's laps, and Kate did pretty well walking around from person to person (or from snack to snack). She loved the freedom to roam around on a vehicle (something she cannot do in the car, of course!). And, she especially loved driving with her papa!
Kate also enjoyed being the only baby on this particular trip. Jen had a gig, so her family didn't accompany us. Kate was the star of her own show, and was able to spend a lot of quality time with her favorite people. No competition or shared limelight. Even Uncle Lenny got some respect on this trip! She is usually quite tentative around him. . not realizing that he is the sweetest guy. . and doesn't deserve the reputation she gives him of being 'sceery' or gruff. This picture was taken right after . . she touched his finger. Duh, duh, duh!!!!
Besides just boating around to see different parts of the lake, the major highlight of the trip was jumping off Super Tower Mongo the Second. Some of you may remember the original was an old jumping hole in MN that the Baileys affectionately titled Super Tower Mongo. This cliff deserves the name & more! The cliff is somewhat hidden as you approach. We turned the corner, and I could just see everyone thinking, this doesn't look that bad! Those who had jumped before, however, knew that looks could be deceiving. We made two stops at the Tower & many of our troupe of 13 gathered up courage & made the jump! I know my own strengths (and weaknesses) & declined! Andrew, Jonathan, Jake, Matt, Jackie, Josh, & Bob all made the plunge. It was quite something to see Josh take a few minutes to fly off that ledge. If he had pause, then I would never have made it. Later that evening, I had a dream of just climbing right up & walking off the edge. No thinking, just walking off. Of course, even if I prepared myself, I think I'd have a LOT of trouble taking that step into thin air.
This was my favorite picture of Kate.This is her obeying my request to Smile! She rarely gives such a big smile these days, on command, at least.
The problem with being behind the camera is that . . well, that I'm always BEHIND the camera. We got two family pics, though.
The lake itself is gorgeous! It's a mountain lake fed by the Nantahala River. (If you're ever in this area, the Nantahala Gorge is also worth seeing!). So, you get the beautiful water shifting from green to blue depending on the clouds and sun, and the mountains all around, with several layers of mountains in certain vistas. I told Brittny that I could hardly believe that this lake is OUR lake. It's like finding a treasure and knowing you'll be able to enjoy it for years to come.
Kate loved being on the boat & really thought that the 'pool' was pretty neat. We boarded the boat at 1, and didn't get on our way home until 8:30 pm. She took no nap, ate LOTS of sugar, and was generally sweet natured the whole day, until we got her in the car for the ride home. She napped for about 30 minutes, then woke up angrily crying, "No car! No like it! Hold you! (which really means hold me! of course)" and then just repeat. After 15 minutes of that track, we stopped for gas, and we were finally able to calm her down. Then she played & sang merrily with me until 10:45 pm. Finally, she dropped off to sleep. I simply could not believe it!
What I'm most excited about is not camping, but getting on the water. This last weekend we had a foretaste of hopefully many such days on Lake Nantahala. We rented an 80 hp pontoon boat that could accommodate 13 or 14 people. We definitely tested out the capacity! The seats were cozy, there was plenty of room to maneuver without falling into people's laps, and Kate did pretty well walking around from person to person (or from snack to snack). She loved the freedom to roam around on a vehicle (something she cannot do in the car, of course!). And, she especially loved driving with her papa!
Kate also enjoyed being the only baby on this particular trip. Jen had a gig, so her family didn't accompany us. Kate was the star of her own show, and was able to spend a lot of quality time with her favorite people. No competition or shared limelight. Even Uncle Lenny got some respect on this trip! She is usually quite tentative around him. . not realizing that he is the sweetest guy. . and doesn't deserve the reputation she gives him of being 'sceery' or gruff. This picture was taken right after . . she touched his finger. Duh, duh, duh!!!!
Besides just boating around to see different parts of the lake, the major highlight of the trip was jumping off Super Tower Mongo the Second. Some of you may remember the original was an old jumping hole in MN that the Baileys affectionately titled Super Tower Mongo. This cliff deserves the name & more! The cliff is somewhat hidden as you approach. We turned the corner, and I could just see everyone thinking, this doesn't look that bad! Those who had jumped before, however, knew that looks could be deceiving. We made two stops at the Tower & many of our troupe of 13 gathered up courage & made the jump! I know my own strengths (and weaknesses) & declined! Andrew, Jonathan, Jake, Matt, Jackie, Josh, & Bob all made the plunge. It was quite something to see Josh take a few minutes to fly off that ledge. If he had pause, then I would never have made it. Later that evening, I had a dream of just climbing right up & walking off the edge. No thinking, just walking off. Of course, even if I prepared myself, I think I'd have a LOT of trouble taking that step into thin air.
This was my favorite picture of Kate.This is her obeying my request to Smile! She rarely gives such a big smile these days, on command, at least.
The problem with being behind the camera is that . . well, that I'm always BEHIND the camera. We got two family pics, though.
The lake itself is gorgeous! It's a mountain lake fed by the Nantahala River. (If you're ever in this area, the Nantahala Gorge is also worth seeing!). So, you get the beautiful water shifting from green to blue depending on the clouds and sun, and the mountains all around, with several layers of mountains in certain vistas. I told Brittny that I could hardly believe that this lake is OUR lake. It's like finding a treasure and knowing you'll be able to enjoy it for years to come.
Kate loved being on the boat & really thought that the 'pool' was pretty neat. We boarded the boat at 1, and didn't get on our way home until 8:30 pm. She took no nap, ate LOTS of sugar, and was generally sweet natured the whole day, until we got her in the car for the ride home. She napped for about 30 minutes, then woke up angrily crying, "No car! No like it! Hold you! (which really means hold me! of course)" and then just repeat. After 15 minutes of that track, we stopped for gas, and we were finally able to calm her down. Then she played & sang merrily with me until 10:45 pm. Finally, she dropped off to sleep. I simply could not believe it!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Cousin Camp, Day 2 & 3 & 4
Alright, people, you're supposed to be helping me! Just throw me a few ideas, please. To remind you. I need a name for Camp ____________.
Day 2 -- no pictures! Jen & I went over to Aunt Jenny's pool and the girls got to swim & eat lunch by the pool. Highlights, the girls started playing with some diving rings that the Moseley girls brought. It was funny to see Kate try to pick them up. She had to fight against the floaties that didn't want to let her get down that low in the water, and of course, she didn't really want her head to go in either! Sometimes she used her feet, just like a big girl!
Day 3 -- Winnie the Pooh was making a special appearance at our local library, so we went! After all, Anna's favorite stuffed animal is a Pooh bear. Little did we know that Lauren, the youngest member of the entourage would be the most excited! She wiggled & squealed & generally showed excitement at this humongous stuffed animal. Kate didn't care to get tooo close to Pooh without Auntie Jen, and Meg was downright afraid of over-sized Pooh-bear. We also got to sing a few songs & hear some stories!
Then we wended our way to Mima's house for an all day swim & play date! It was so amazing to feel the difference between the private pool & the neighborhood one. The girls were more relaxed & had so much more fun! We even got Anna to do some cool tricks jumping into the pool and catching a dive ring that I threw from the other side of the pool! Although Kate and Lauren did swim, I brought out my camera when Laurie was napping and Kate had moved on to the sand box.
Megan was intrepid! She showed Lydia a thing or two about what it means to Jump into the pool!
Lydia was getting the sand off of her buns before she got back in the pool. Check out that tan line!
After swim time was art. Jen had bought some foam shapes & fingerpaints. Who knew how well the two would mix! Lisa brought out papers & supplies she'd had since Jennifer, Josh, and Jake were little. I'm serious! It was fun to see all their various levels of creativity! Unfortunately, Kate was napping, so she didn't get to join in the art activity although she would have LOVED to. Pents (paints) & crowns (crayons) and pins and cu-lring are some of her favorite things.
Lydia is wearing an apron that used to be Josh or Jen's when they were little tykes.
Anna mixed the shapes & paint to create her images. Check out her bird! And, I love that she titled her work of art.
Kate started off making a pattern & then it ended up being a frame. I think it's adorable!
Day 4 -- They played in the pool AGAIN & Gagi took them all to see the American Girl movie, which they apparently loved. Grandma told me that it reminded her of life as she remembers it.
Day 2 -- no pictures! Jen & I went over to Aunt Jenny's pool and the girls got to swim & eat lunch by the pool. Highlights, the girls started playing with some diving rings that the Moseley girls brought. It was funny to see Kate try to pick them up. She had to fight against the floaties that didn't want to let her get down that low in the water, and of course, she didn't really want her head to go in either! Sometimes she used her feet, just like a big girl!
Day 3 -- Winnie the Pooh was making a special appearance at our local library, so we went! After all, Anna's favorite stuffed animal is a Pooh bear. Little did we know that Lauren, the youngest member of the entourage would be the most excited! She wiggled & squealed & generally showed excitement at this humongous stuffed animal. Kate didn't care to get tooo close to Pooh without Auntie Jen, and Meg was downright afraid of over-sized Pooh-bear. We also got to sing a few songs & hear some stories!
Then we wended our way to Mima's house for an all day swim & play date! It was so amazing to feel the difference between the private pool & the neighborhood one. The girls were more relaxed & had so much more fun! We even got Anna to do some cool tricks jumping into the pool and catching a dive ring that I threw from the other side of the pool! Although Kate and Lauren did swim, I brought out my camera when Laurie was napping and Kate had moved on to the sand box.
Megan was intrepid! She showed Lydia a thing or two about what it means to Jump into the pool!
Lydia was getting the sand off of her buns before she got back in the pool. Check out that tan line!
After swim time was art. Jen had bought some foam shapes & fingerpaints. Who knew how well the two would mix! Lisa brought out papers & supplies she'd had since Jennifer, Josh, and Jake were little. I'm serious! It was fun to see all their various levels of creativity! Unfortunately, Kate was napping, so she didn't get to join in the art activity although she would have LOVED to. Pents (paints) & crowns (crayons) and pins and cu-lring are some of her favorite things.
Lydia is wearing an apron that used to be Josh or Jen's when they were little tykes.
Anna mixed the shapes & paint to create her images. Check out her bird! And, I love that she titled her work of art.
Kate started off making a pattern & then it ended up being a frame. I think it's adorable!
Day 4 -- They played in the pool AGAIN & Gagi took them all to see the American Girl movie, which they apparently loved. Grandma told me that it reminded her of life as she remembers it.
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