New Favorite Album

We have been listening to "Use Your Words" by Jeremy Plays Guitar. I think everyone who has kids should get this album. It is fantastic. It has a groovy beat, and the lyrics are great. I am a bit bias because I went to grade school with Jeremy. But seriously, usually when someone tells you they know a guy in a band that you have to check out, the music usually really sucks and is NOT appropriate for children. Probably some Aerosmith or Creed covers and a few badly rhymed originals or whatever the burnouts in college bands are playing these days. Yep, this music is nothing like that. It is like a Shel Silverstein poem merged with a They Might Be Giants sound.

Bringing Back the Blog

After a week of losing my brain and realizing so few of my random comments or one-sided conversations hit the ears of adults, I decided it was necessary for my own sanity to bring the blog back. Well, that and I recently purchased a new MacBook which has inspired me to be more productive. My previous laptop sucked too much time from my life. Now I have some time back and I have decided to share my wealth by bringing back the blog for all those friends, family, and strangers who actually have an interest in what happens in Rachael's world. Rachael is almost four, and looking at the old posts made me sigh with a bit of nostalgia. So many people would look at my frenzied face when she was a baby, and say, "oh, it goes by so fast...enjoy every moment". 

That is so true. The other day, Rachael and I ventured to the Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview. I didn't take a camera, so there is no evidence of our field trip, but we had a great time. Rachael hugged me and said, "Mommy, I love you. I had such a great day." After I got a little teary eyed, Rachael quickly started to tell me how to drive and to turn on some princess music already. So, the sweet moments are fleeting. They emerge between those moments that your baby takes each step to become themselves; independent, stubborn, weird, creative, and silly. Sometimes your beautiful child will stop to say she loves you. Other times, she will say, "Mommy, did you fart?" while waiting in line at Target. Sigh. Motherhood. I wouldn't trade it for all the dignity and respect in the world, I guess. 

Dancing Queen

Toddler Rachael is a big girl. Wearing princess pull-ups. Well, she is adamant about the pull-ups, but not so consistent on the potty use. Here is a video of some of her best moves to her favorite dance party song by Lily Allen. She rocks out every time its on the stereo. I love her dance moves!

Easter Egg Hunt

This is a three minute or so video of the family and Rachael's egg hunt at my parents' place. My grandma, Aunt Susie, Uncle Gene, and Aunt Judy are also around for the fun. Enjoy.

I want to ride a bike

So we haven't been keeping up with Rachael's blog very much. I attribute this lapse in good modern parenting to the fact that Rachael has stopped taking consistent naps, and she of course is a very high energy toddler. I also have become addicted to facebook, so I spend most of my computer time wasting away in the blackhole that is facebook. Rachael has been talking so much more. Her current favorite games are "hide from the dragon" and "run, run, run, c'mon, mommy, run!". Dragons have found their home in her imagination, and they are the topic of many conversations like, "Mommy, do dragons poop?". Today, she put on Mike's bike helmet as he was getting ready for a bike ride, and today's video shows our conversation about "her bikes". I figure she will be RAGBRAI ready in a few years at this rate.

December Days

December has flown by! As you can see from the picture, Rachael has turned evil, and since she has a developed a thirst for blood, it has been harder to keep up with the blog. Like most vampires, she rarely sleeps at night. Her usual time to finally give up the fight and surrender to the sleep is about midnight. This is a new development which has Mike and I both exhausted. Our Christmas was wonderful, and we were treated to a visit from Harold and Marjean earlier this month. When I am less exhausted, I will add some anecdotes. Now, I am hoping to break in the new Whirley Pop my dad bought me for Christmas and watch some mindless TV. Of course, it is after midnight, so I should probably just go to bed.

Pumpkin Patches...

Here are some pictures from our trip to the Didier Farms pumpkin patch this fall. We went with a group of families from Mike's class at Kellogg. We enjoyed a hayride, pony rides, wagon rides, and a petting zoo. We got a few pumpkins too. Rachael loved the petting zoo. She ran up to each animal and enthusiastically crouched down and said in her friendliest Dr. Doolittle voice, "HEL-lo!". She loves her animals.