"Dove you"

The things Katie says now are so funny. She can speak in more complex sentences, though the word order is often confused. Her new one is to come in the bathroom when I'm in it and then close the door on me and say "Bye Mommy, Love you." Of course her "love you" is more like "dove you."

I was sick last weekend and Katie told me she "want watch Tv on Mommy bed." She emphasizes the T. I found Katie friendly-ish programming on Animal Planet and she saw schnauzers and said they were "Paddie" (her grandparents' dog) which I thought was smart. Paddie may not be a schnauzer, but he has the same haircut. 

Katie's 1st drawing

Here is Katie's first drawing, as it is very proudly displayed on our frige. Ania took her to the children's museum where she drew this with a very deliberate choice of bright colors. Ania told me what impressed the other nannies and moms most was that Katie put all her crayons away and pushed in her chair when she was done. She has her neat aspects and we hope that they continue. I bought her the big thick crayons to use at home and so far she hasn't drawn on any walls. 

"Have Fun," says Katie

This morning Peter was leaving to take Meadow for a walk and Katie called from her highchair "Have fun." The things she's been coming up with lately are really funny. Last night she wouldn't go to sleep and she ended up watching 24 with us (hardly Katie appropriate viewing, but the episode wasn't too bloody). She laid on me and said "Mommy, nice see you."

Here's Katie using the parachute at her friend Ethan's birthday party. She loved the climbing and exploring during the party, but her favorite part was the pizza and cake. Katie takes the birthday party food very seriously and if you ask her what she did at a party, she'll say "cake!" 

Katie loves the bath

Katie loved taking a bath in Nana's big bathtub. Each night, Ann gave her a bath and Katie never wanted to get out. Ann actually had to drain the water to get Katie out. Here she is washing herself. It was so cute - and such a treat for us not to have to bathe her. One of the best things for us in Santa Fe is that Peter and I got to spend a night away and leave Katie in the loving care of her grandparents (Thanks so much A&A!). I think it would have been more fun for them if Katie had been feeling better, but they enjoyed her nonetheless. And we were so relaxed at this little resort in Taos. 

Hanging out in Santa Fe

We spent a lot of time hanging out in the house in Santa Fe. Ann bought some great toys, including her very favorite "cool toys" so she had a lot to keep her occupied. So nice to go on vacation and have toys when you get there! Katie ended up getting sick in Santa Fe, nothing too serious, just a cold and a low fever but because we were away and because we were flying, we took her to the doctor. So she wasn't on her best behavior for her grandparents, but at the same time to see her as she really is, she can't always be happy. Of course Katie is still one of the happiest toddlers people have ever met. She loved exploring the house in "Fe" and her Nana followed her everywhere. Nana even let her play dress up. Katie's very into shoes and was sure to point out all of Nana's shoes and differentiate between shoes and boots. If I tell her we're going out, she says to me "Mommy shoes on."

Here's a cute picture of Katie brushing Elmo's teeth. She loves to brush her teeth and loves Elmo so it's a natural progression to combine the too. She's even brushing Elmo's teeth with an Elmo toothbrush! On the plane she fed him milk too. The funny story about Elmo is that we left him at the house. Ann found him and called us immediately but we were already at the highway. Their flight to Dallas was later and they called us to board and there's Nana at the gate with Elmo!

Out in Santa Fe

We couldn't do too much in Santa Fe because the roads were rough and the parking was bad. But we did have quite a few meals out. Katie was good for many of them, but by the end of our time there, she'd had it and showed her clear preference for wandering around the restaurant rather than sitting in the highchair. When she was feeling okay, Katie was her usual good eater. Here she is with Papa at one of Ann & Alan's favorite places. 

Katie in the snow

Lots of snow pictures to share. Santa Fe had 25 inches before we arrived - and another few inches before we left. We bundled Katie up in her boots, snow pants, jacket, and matching mittens. Here she is (mittens off) touching the snow. She wasn't that impressed and I honestly think she didn't know what to make of it. What was interesting is that Katie seemed to instinctly know to walk slowly and carefully on the snow and ice. She did wipe out a few times over the week, but overall she navigated the paths and sidewalks very well.

Here's Katie and Grandma Nana in the snow. You can see how beautifully blue the sky is there. The sky was particularly striking against the white of the snow and the beiges of the adobe houses


Katie and Daddy in the snow