Abominable? No. Adorable? Yes!

Heidi is of the age that this isn't her first winter of being bundled from head-to-toe, but it is the first one that she remembers. Which is maybe good since she hated it with a passion last year. This year, we've added the challenge that she knows how to walk, but must learn how to rewalk in a full body zoot suit and thick winter boots. Not to mention who knows how to use our hands when they're shoved inside of a mitten.

But we live in Wisconsin, so she better get used to it. And I think she pulls off the look quite well.

Here she is at the park. She's looking up at a couple of birds that were on a wire. She became quite obsessed with them actually. [Sidenote: we went to the park again tonight and she seemed disappointed that the birds were no longer on the wire--I told her I did not know where they had gone.]

This is probably one of my all-time favorite pictures of my girl. The sun beaming behind her head and bundled all up. She looks like she's just begging for a squeeze!

You can see, she figured out the mobility in the snowsuit and did some tunnel crawling. One of her favorite games is to push her face out the holes in the side of the tunnel--particularly if Mom has hers pressed in from the outside.

Too sweet for words

And here you can see her taking her first tentative steps in the snowsuit. She also ripped a mitten off. I foresee a long winter of putting mittens back on.

Not Me Monday!

I haven't participated before, but why not? Not that I have anything to confess. Not me!

I didn't eat my bowl of cereal with warp speed this morning simply so that I wouldn't have to share very much of it with Heidi. I would never be that greedy. Not me. And when I did share it with her, I didn't make sure that she didn't get any marshmallows in her bites because I wanted them for myself. Not me.

I didn't wait to tell my husband that I was dying my hair until the dye was already in my hair so that he couldn't talk me out of it. Not me.

I most certainly didn't back up without looking and back into some guy's truck in a parking lot on Friday. I'd never do that, not in my new car, not me! And I haven't spent all the days since then trying to figure out some way that I'm not to blame. Not me.

And I'd never forget to change Heidi's diaper for the entire evening only to change it at bedtime and have it practically sagging down to her knees. No way would I forget my girl! Not me!

And I'd never be short with patience. Who me? I definitely didn't get so tired of hearing Heidi whine this evening that I told Josh to "find her a dang pacifier!" Not me!

For more Not Me's from the original Not Me-er: http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2009/10/not-me-monday.html

This is The Nut...

Terrified of halloween decorations (surely she's not my kid!). Particularly witches. Was not fond of the talking cat at Grandma Farm's today, either. Verdict still out on pumpkins.

Can spot a pacifier or her blankie from 3 rooms away. Will try to put two paci's in if she happens to have two. If you want her blankie, you'll have to pry it away from her little fingers. And she has a strong grip.

Newest obsession: carrying things around in a bowl. It started out with a used tissue. She's now going with the more challenging goldfish crackers. If I had all day I'd upload the video of the gold fish cracker explosion.

Can not figure out how to move in winter clothes. Yesterday we donned the fleece suit for our trip to the park. It was many tentative steps before she got her groove in this one piece phenomenon. Winter boots we'll have to work up to--next time I'm in the mood for a major meltdown.

Favorite foods: green beans, steamed broccoli, peas, oranges, peaches, grapes. But has never refused a hot dog. And recently discovered a love for ranch dressing. Been known to put back a cupcake, mini chocolate chip cookie or two, or a dish of ice cream without so much as taking a breath.

Spends most nights sitting in a plastic red kiddy chair from Home Depot. Mom let her sit in it in the store one night and she refused to move. So we bought it. $5 was so worth it.

Got over the fear of daycare. Doesn't even wave goodbye to me anymore, just sits down with her breakfast. When I return, she often takes part in hysterical laughter. Not sure what the secret joke is.

Still stuck on the same 5 words she's been saying for months (Mom, Dada, puppy, more, Molly--and sometimes Grandma and Papa). But with the frequency she's been looking through her books she probably knows how to read but wouldn't give me the satisfaction of being first to do anything. I'm pretty sure God has made her purposefully to test my patience.

Hates getting her diaper changed, Loves brushing her teeth, Hates riding in the car, Loves goldfish crackers. Hates being fed. Loves Blues Clues. Hates when Mama puts her down for her to demonstrate her walking for everyone. Loves her Mama ;)

Is this even considered a conversation?

Yesterday Heidi and I got home from LaCrosse. Josh got home later from hunting. I'm telling him about our day...

Me: We ate at Fayzee's and there were a bunch of other kids there the same age as Heidi, like 14, 15 months old.

Later that evening.

Him: Where did you guys eat today?
Me: [silence] Umm...if you listened to me you would know. I was talking about it earlier. We ate at Fayzee's.

A few minutes later

Him: What were you saying about eating at Fazoli's?
Me: We didn't eat at Fazoli's. We ate at Fayzee's.
Him: Huh?