our version of bronzed baby shoes

For Ariel, we got her handprint and footprint put into ceramic professionally - 3 times, at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year. We didn't want 6 ceramics lying around, but we didn't want to only spend money to preserve Ariel's precious babyness, and not Felicity's, so Dan came up with this idea:


This beautiful pastel was drawn by artist Li Tie in a mere 20 minutes. Amazingly, it was done from a live, very squirmy and uncooperative subject, rather than a photograph. I am so happy with the results.

Time to buy a frame!

A Big Step

My Helpful Girl.

"Can you put the spray with the laundry?" I asked her.

Honesty

I looked up a moment ago, after a few minutes of blog-reading. to discover that Ariel had left the room.

I walked into the kitchen and there she was, standing in the middle of the floor. She was holding one of her colored pencils, and she looked guilty.

"Hey, bud!" I said.

"I's lookin' for no-no's."

"Oh, really? What no-no's are you looking for?"

"Lookin' for no-no's." She turned away and raised her voice. "No-no's?! Where are you??!"

She walked over and opened a cupboard.

"No-no's?"

"Yeah, Ariel, that is a no-no. Let's shut it, okay?"

"It's a no-no!"


Turned out she was just looking for the pencil sharpener, because her pencil tip had broken off. I sharpened it for her, and she's back to coloring now. Little booger.

Sweet Girl Time

Ariel asked me to put Felicity in the doll cradle with her. Here's what happened.

The things that girl says...

Last week, at Mike's Drive-In:

"Bite, mommy?"

"Okay, here you go."

[I give Ariel a bite of my chocolate Oreo milkshake]

"Is it yummy?"

[She pats the spot in front of her with her palm]

"Put right here on table?"

Nice try, cutie! You're not getting it all!

...........

Two days ago, as I held her in my lap, wearing a low-cut dress:

[Ariel pokes my chest]

"One! Two! Two boobs! One... one, two! Two boobs!"

[Leans back and looks at them]

"NICE boobs!"

Uh... thanks. Where did that come from??

...........

A few minutes ago, as she played with one of Felicity's toys:

[Ariel points at an image]

"This?"

"It's a plane."

"Horsey!"

"It's not a horsey, it's a plane!"

"Horsey!"

"How is it a horsey? It's a plane!"

"Silly mommy!"

Okay, now she's just being condescending...

Naughty

Ariel's new thing is to pour water out of her Sigg bottle and play with it, which she knows is not okay.

She was playing with some stacking cups a few minutes ago, and I warned her, "Don't pour your water into the cups!"

A few minutes later, there was water in the cups and on the carpet.

"Ariel! I told you no! No putting your water in the cups! That's naughty! Can you say sorry?"

She looked at me, smacked her little behind, and said cheerily, "I spank-a bottom!"

She's oh-so-helpful, isn't she?