Sunday, April 18, 2010

Kissing is Entertaining

Kissing is entertaining.

and not just for big people! Gwen has discovered the fun of it
(hopefully she'll forget before she hits puberty)
and loves to kiss things.
She'll kiss Mommy and Daddy,
any of her friends that lets her get close enough,
her stuffed animals,
photos of family,
pictures of babies in books,
paintings of Jesus Christ,
and even strangers if we solicit kisses from her.

the funniest times are when she kisses UNSOLICITED!
the sidewalk chalk (gross, Gwen! Don't kiss that!)
the pavement in the driveway (gross, Gwen! Don't kiss that!)
and the gutter (gross, Gwen! Don't kiss THAT!),
have each earned random kisses from her.
and the best yet,
this mummy face from one of Eric's magazines:

she took one look,
sucked in her breath in a pleasantly surprised "uuuuuh!" like she'd just found a special treat,
and planted a giant smackeroo right on her shriveled lips!
(gross, gross, GROSS, Gwen! Don't kiss that!)
atleast she didn't say "Mama"!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Words, Words, Words

Gwen loves to talk. Not on demand, mind you, so don't expect a performance. But when unsolicited, she fills our ears with so many words!

Body Parts (she'll point to these too):
"a'ye" = eye
"nohz" = nose
"ee" = ears
"mow" = mouth
"toes" = toes
"shat"= hair (she says 'hat')
and she'll also point to her belly, chin, cheeks, knees, and shoulders

Animals:
"gack-gack" = duck (quack quack)
"ki" = kitty (she also signs it and sometimes says "meaw" instead of "ki")
"gi" = doggie (she also signs it and sometimes growls)
"pish-ee" = fishie (also signs it)
she literally 'roars' for lions and bears, moos for cows, chirps for birdies
signs bear, bird, and frog

Outside:
"wow-ah" = flower (she also signs it: it is so cute when she inhales like she is smelling it!)
signs tree, outside, sun, rain, and on rare occasion she'll sign play and dirty.

Clothes:
"go" = coat (accompanied by sign)
"gock" = sock (accompanied by sign)
"shuuuu" = shoes (accompanied by sign)
"shat" = hat (accompanied by sign)

Food:
"mmmmm" = milk (accompanied by the sign)
"cra-koh" = cracker (accompanied by the sign)
"mo" = more (accompanied by the sign)
"all gaah" = all gone, all done (accompanied by the sign)
"kay" or "kin" = candy (usually she just reaches and whines for this one, let's be honest)
signs eat, drink, banana and communicates VERY well whether she wants to eat something or not by emphatic head movements of either yes or no

Inside:
"baa" = bath (accompanied by the sign)
"buh" = bubbles (accompanied by the sign)
"booh" = book (accompanied by the sign, and usually a book thrust in your face)
"beee" = binkie
"gah" = giraffe (her stuffed critter for sleeping)
"peas" = please
"day-doo" = thank you
"poo-poo" = change my diaper
signs for light, upstairs, downstairs, friends, and share

family:
"ma-ma" = mommy (with the sign)
"da-da" = daddy (with the sign)
"ba-bah" = grandpa (with sloppy sign)
"mm-mah" = grandma (sounds a lot like mommy, just watch for the sign)
"bay-bay" = baby (with the sign)
"mmmmmm" = kiss (and she usually does!)

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Easter and Grandma/Grandpa Hart Visit & TONS of Pics and Videos!

I'm behind, I know. Old news. Easter was weeks ago. I have been cramming in the final papers for my classes and committed to myself that I wouldn't take liesure time to blog until I had turned everything in.
Well, I finished the big paper (on Velasquez's Las Meninas) and just turned in the last paper (on Penderecki's avant-garde techniques in Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima that create a musical portrayal of raw suffering, if you were wondering... which you probably weren't--and if you WERE, I'd LOVE to talk to you about it!), so that means I am FREE to catch up!
My younger sister lives in Boston with her hubby and sweet baby. My parents drove up there to see her and stopped in with us on the way up and back to rest;... okay, who are we kidding? Everyone knows they really stopped to love on Gwen! She was asking for "ba-bah" (Grandpa)and "mama" (the same word as when she asks for me, but context was definitely for Grandma, especially since she was signing Grandma) after only a weekend visit!

We went to the park and played and played and played.
We rode on the train (quite blurry, but see how much Gwen is enjoying herself?) and played and played and played.
We stayed inside (in a pretty Easter dress!) and played and played and played.

We went to Graeter's, ate ice cream, and played and played and played.
We hunted eggs... which was sort of like we played and played and played. (Gwen sort of got into it by the end, though her first instinct was just to squat and point at each egg with an intake of air and a "woah") see the short clip video... there's more where that came from!
We (okay, just Gwen) got a basket of goodies, ate them, and played and played and played. (she thought the idea of the chalk bucket was taking them out and putting them back) check out her latest dance moves!

and enjoyed a luscious Easter dinner of ginger-thyme brined pork loin roast with a light cantaloupe salad drizzled with cantaloupe vinaigrette dressing...so our happy mouths and satisfied stomachs played and played and played!
General Conference was a spiritual feast and we especially enjoyed listening to the testimonies of apostles and prophets speaking of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I can't say we 'played' during this, but it was certainly uplifting and wonderful. I am so grateful for my Savior, OUR Savior.