Happy 2006!!
We began this month with the Smith half of my family in Cabo San Lucas Mexico. All 20+ of us were able to go and spend the celebration of the New Year together (thanks to Dt and Opa). We enjoyed fun in the warm sun. The beach was very pretty. My cousins Sadie, Faith, Lily and I spent lots of time in the pool. Fr. Mike Scanlan was able to join us and he said Holy Mass for us every evening. What a special gift. It was a delightful vacation of yummy food, good times of togetherness and relaxation.
Daddy, Mommy, Ruthie and I went to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum this month. I love that place! My favorite attraction is of course the carousel.
My cousin Sadie came over for an attempted sleepover. Daddy set up my tent in my room and had sleeping bags and flashlights for us. We had a blast until it was time for lights out. Then Sadie said she wanted to go home. I went to my parents and said, “Mommy and Daddy, Sadie said she wants to go home.” Mom said, “Why does she want to go home?” I said, “Because she misses her people.” Daddy took Sadie home but we still had a really fun time together.
This month Daddy and his friend, Joe Schmitt, went skiing out in Utah for 5 days. He scheduled his flight to leave out of Cleveland so we drove there together and Mommy, Ruthie and I were able to stay with Sittoo and Giddoo for a wonderful 5 days. When people would ask me where my Daddy was I would say, “He is skiing in Utah. There are mountains and Mormons in Utah.” Sittoo, Mommy, Ruthie and I went to the Nature Center two times! What a cool place! They have turtles, deer, snakes, hawks, bunnies and other critters. It was amazingly and unseasonably warm while we were in Cleveland (58 degrees), so we spent lots of time outside and even went to a very crowded playground.
Daddy and Joe had a blast in Utah. I guess it snowed every day and the skiing conditions were excellent. Daddy says that I should learn to ski soon (maybe next year?). I’m game.
Ruthie began eating rice cereal a little early. She is a very hungry baby and enjoys her new food. She is now rolling over from back to front and vice versa—rolling all over the place! Dad and Mom are convinced that only I can get Ruthie to laugh as hard as she can. If I giggle she will giggle. It’s really cute. She says “Mama and ba ba.” She loves to sit in her Bumbo (a really cool chair for babies) in the bathroom while I take my bath. She just talks and giggles at me while I sing and play. I call her Ruthie-de-Ruthie. Sometimes I even call her Ruthie-de-Ruth-Ruth-Ruth.
Well, Mommy is convinced that my sense of smell kicked in for the first time this month. Now frequently during the day I will say, “Daddy, (or Mommy) what do I smell like?” (meaning—what am I smelling?) and they will tell me.
Sometimes I creep in to Dad and Mom’s bed in the middle of the night and I bring all of my stuff (nini, nighnight, Baby Betsy and whatever other animal or toy is lucky enough to join the ranks that night). One night when I snuck in my Mom covered me up and covered up Baby Betsy. I whispered, “Mom, you are so sweet to share your covers with Baby Betsy. Thank you.”
My parents are a little perplexed because I keep talking about the big red fish that is in our basement. We don’t have any fish in our basement (at least they don’t think we do). One day I said to my Mom, “Mom, I hit the big red fish.” She said, “Why, Em?” I said, “Because he is mad at me.” She said, “Em, it’s not nice to hit. It hurts Jesus’ feelings when you hit.” I said, “I didn’t hit Jesus, Mom, I hit the fish!”
When I wake up in the morning I ask if it is a pretty day (which means is it daylight). When evening falls I often lament the fact that it is no longer going to be a pretty day. One morning while we were visiting Sittoo and Giddoo, Daddy, Ruthie and I were sitting with Sittoo and Giddoo at the breakfast table. Giddoo was doing his customary crossword puzzle. The answer to the clue was, “Pippi” as in “Pippi Longstocking.” My daddy said to Sittoo and Giddo, “She is too young to know about Pippi yet.” Finally I chimed in and said, “I have Pippi in my diaper.” They all laughed so hard. I wasn’t sure what was so funny, but I guess they did!
See you next month.