Mini-Me

She fussed and fussed while skyping with dada until I left her alone in the coveted comfy chair with the laptop in her lap...just like mom.

McDreamy Hair

This really sounds absurd and slightly unbelievable. The first time it happened and I told Skip he laughed at me, told me I was confused, and after I insisted its truth, called me a liar. So I'm going to list the facts and provide the evidence, draw your own conclusion (the correct conclusion will be found at the end of this post).

Facts:

• Skip has "McDreamy Hair" which he routinely cuts down to a military style in our kitchen.
• It is difficult to clean up all those strands of hair even with sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping.
• I have a fear of needles.
• This fear causes me to faint and started when I was 8 or 9 and attempting to remove a splinter. I fell into the opened bathroom closet from which I had just retrieved a sewing needle.
• Tonight there is a newly dug divot in the pad of my foot.
• Underneath that there is a sliver of Skip's coarse hair.

Walking around barefoot in the kitchen tonight I obtained a splinter, two to be exact. I assumed that I had a small cut or had stepped on a shard of glass. Upon closer inspection I saw two strands of dark brown hair under the thin skin layers of the ball of my foot. Seriously. That happens to people, people like me. 

Only one strand was sticking out slightly, the other required the help of a needle. Except that hair, unlike a true splinter, breaks easily. Very, very, very easily. So both hair splinters needed to be lifted to the surface with a needle. That lifting (hair splinters are in an "L"in the middle of my foot) included the ripping and tearing of skin that created a divot. Unfortunately the combination of bad vision, bad lighting, and nearly blacking out leaves only one solution: to keep a piece of Skip under my thumb foot at all times.

And Then She Turned One

Happy Birthday to Pippa! Yesterday, but really she came into the world late at night so we can roll this celebration right on to the weekend.

In a fit of neurosis and school stress I decided to throw Pippa a party. When we realized our closest friends would all be in Germany (weird) we extended the guestlist and included most of Skip's office. Then I realized that we should invite some of Pippa's friends to HER party and invited a couple of play group families. Then I freaked out because there was no way all those people would fit into our house.

They fit (or a few people couldn't make it ;) ). Pippa loved every minute of it. She walked, independently, around chasing the boys so she could hug them. Well, hug or cling to them for life because she teeters as she walks. At some point we'll have to discuss personal boundaries and playing coy.

After her super sugary chocolate cupcake she proceeded to lead some cheers. Arms up! Yaaaay! Again and again and again! It's so fun to have fans.

Pippa Bean at 1 year old:

Has 2 teeth
Weighs 20 lbs
Height 29 inches
Loves to eat blueberries, popcorn, oranges, chocolate.
Knuffle Bunny is her favorite book.
Loves to play Peek-a-boo, Pat-a-cake, Momanuki, Twinkle Twinkle, Itsy Bitsy Spider
Noises she makes: dog bark, elephant trumpet, cow moo, sheep baa, lion roar
Words she says: uh-oh, up, book, da da, mom, hi

Hmmm. If I touch the flame will Mom be mad?

Well, this is awkward. My cake's down there.

I did eat it and it tastes so good. Round two please!

Now boys, this is how you throw.

Your turn!

Of course she never says or does any of that when other people are around.

Homesick

Snow doesn't appear often here in central Illinois. This weeks flurries made me long for a caravan up the mountain and a swooshy ride back down. A snowman was all we could muster.