would you, could you, with a pox?

Zibby has the chicken pox. The first one appeared yesterday afternoon, but it wasnt until around midnight that I realized she had developed a dozen more. Today she has lots more, and by lunchtime was complaining about them hurting. Poor baby girl. Luckily she can still nurse for comfort and we got some oatmeal bath for her to take later.

Yesterday we went to the Museum of Science and Industry to see the Christmas tree display and the baby chicks. What do they do with those chickens, anyway?

Dr Zibby

Zibby has been playing “dr” lately. I think I wrote already about how its mostly measuring with a tape meausure and holding random objects over the patient. It also includes the stethoscope, so I got her a nice one that really works from For Small Hands Poor Cinder.

Physician, Heal Thyself.

Here is a delicious picture of Zibby in a very typical outfit.
“Ballerina” dress, backpack, some part of a doll outfit on her ankle, sandals, and blue marker. She got a hold of the marker in the car and colored her whole jaw and neck and mouth and back of the head. Nice

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we will have dinner at Buzz’ parents and then drive to Muncie and get there late. Then Fakesgiving Dinner is friday. I am thankful for what a great year this has been for our family. Buzz got a new job, which was a great blessing! I am truly thankful that he wants to share his life with me, I love him a lot, and I am so happy to have a family with him. Zibby is a wonderful gift and she has helped me grow and learn so much. And I want to thank Cinder for catching and scaring off mice. Thank you Cinder!!!!

Happy Turkey Day!

emergency

Zibby and I went to a dance performance on Friday night
There were 6 performances, in 3 different rooms, and each was about 15 minutes long, which was perfect for Zibby’s attention span. She especially liked the ballet, and has been re-enacting part of that scene. After we had gotten home, we were sitting on the couch and I told her that I was happy that she had gone with me, and that I appreciated how quiet she was during the dances. She looked at me very sweetly, and said, “yer welcome” Awww, Zibby, she melts my heart.

Zibby has also been re-enacting another event. Cinder caught a mouse! Zibby and I were up late, reading a book, when Zibby spied Cinder toying with her prey. At first I didnt even register what Zibby was saying “MOUSE, MOUSE” but as soon as I figured it out, we called Papa out of bed. “EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!” Papa came running, all discombobulated, into the living room. He bravely trapped the mouse in a bag, then took it outside for release.

I have seen Zibby tell the story to her dollies a couple of times since then. Its very funny to hear Zibby say Emergency.

Another very funny thing is Zibby’s pretend phone conversations. Alot of the time they are about breastfeeding. I talk to a lot of moms on the phone about breastfeeding in my capacity as volunteer for LLL, so clearly she is picking that up. She also takes notes during her calls, like I do. She asks how old their babies are! She also talks to my friends alot- Mama Juli and Mama Rachel are favorites. And, Nana is very popular, too. Then she passes the phone to me or Buzz, “say hi,” she commands us.

Today I have to go grocery shopping and menu planning, not in that order. Tomorrow I think Cate is coming over to watch the last four Project Runways- and see our new room arrangements. I still have to do a bit of organizing and cleaning to make it look finished. And go to Ikea for our Shelves and cabinet….I am really happy with how everything looks so far, and our new bed is awesome.

Off to do domestic duties,

Our Week

We were on our way home from a trip out to the burbs and were passing thru downtown, so I suggested we stop at Buckingham Fountain so Zibby could see it. She thought it was great! They had a light show and music, so it was an all-senses experience. Zibby really loves water, and she really loves water fountains. It was a good visit.

Wednesday Zibby and I went to the craft store and got fixins to make dolls for an upcoming trade on Imagination Tribe. I also got some poster frames and painting supplies. I saw some looms, but decided to wait to get those later.

Thursday we had Music Together and spent our day with Mama Jackie, Nathan, Madeline and Alice. And Patrick after he got home from school.

Friday we went to Brookfield Zoo with Tina, Myra, Franny, and Barrie, Ruben, Sita. It was fun, but slightly exhausting.
Why does Zibby’s favorite animal have to be the smelly goat?

Saturday we went to a dinner party where Zibby and the host’s two year old spent the evening chasing each other and giggling, and we ate a lot of delicous food.

Sunday I had a tea party, Zibby and Buzz went to the park, and the Uncle Eff came over for dinner and watched the Bears win!

Now its October! Amazing!

zibby update

Joni sent me this photo of Zibby using the round loom to knit at the conference.
Zibby was realllllly into it. I havent been over to the store yet to pick up any looms for ourselves, but maybe we can do that this week sometime.

We have been quite busy with all of our new schedule. Girl Scouts and Music Together were a lot of fun. A friend of mine is striking out on her own and doing kids classes, and I want to take her “pee wee drama class” with Zibby this spring.

Thought I would also do a little “milestone” update on Zibby.
She is 2.5 years and can count to ten, knows many colors, can jump and climb like crazy, and has a sort of somersault going.
She loves to sing and dance, and has a couple songs memorized, and remembers the refrains of songs, and many books. For instance, in the book “Mama, Mama” and “Papa, Papa” she knows the second half of each couplet on the page. She repeats sentences, and can tell jokes. She loves to help both me and Buzz with whatever we are doing, cleaning, cooking, starting the car….
and she still takes very good care of her dollies. She likes to talk on the phone, and likes to make pretend calls on her play phone. She often calls Mama Rachel, Mama Jackie, Uncle Eff, and Nana.
She likes her hair short, and her fingernails long.
She still loves sign language, and her current favorite signs are “play” and “I love you”.
Current favorite songs are “Hello Everybody” and the Leaves song from the Music Together CD.

my little precious baby drama queen

Buzz agreed to go on a field trip today. He claims that I tricked him, however, because I said we were going to the Chicago Botanic Garden, which implied that it was in Chicago, and not Glencoe or wherever the heck it is. Ha ha. But we went to Fuddruckers for dinner afterwards, so I think we are all square.

While we were there, we took the tram tour. If you can do this, please if at all possible get Dorothea (Dorothy?) to be your guide. She was a real character. Not to be missed. Ladies and gentlemen. Not to be missed. I am not sure why Zibby laid down in the pathway of the rose garden. A fit of pique, I guess. She is rather prone to fits of pique, in my estimation.

And, since there was water, Zibby was in it.

Field Trip to Angelic Organics

Tuesday Zibby and I went on a field trip! We went to Angelic Organics Farm sponsored by the Chicago Park District, Kilbourn Park

It was a big long interesting day. Zibby and I ate fresh from the dirt cilantro and carrots and lettuce. We had a tour of the farm, ate lunch prepared from produce from the farm, milked a goat, watched cheese be made, fed chickens, and Zibby got bit on the finger by a chicken, and I got stung by a wasp. OUCH. That hurt, my friends. A lot. Here are some photos…

The goats in that picture are male goats and they were extra stinky because they were “in the mood”. Pee Ewww. Literally. Our tour guide said that the male goats urinate on themselves to attract females. (I am not writing the joke that comes to mind here)

Anyway, it was cool. Angelic Organic Farm is a CSA and has 1300 subscribers this year. They have 94 acres of land. And a nice lady used a venom extractor thingy to suck out the wasp venom where I got stung. 2 other people in our group got stung while we were there. Youch.

Zibby slept the whole way home, but I got to talk to my friend W, who is going to be my co-leader in Girl Scouts this year. I went to bed at 9pm and slept for 12 hours straight. Zibby went to bed at 10 and slept for 12 hours, too. Nice.

Camp Out at Indiana Dunes State Park

Zibby is Sicky again. She has sour tummy, and is very subdued. It started Sunday night, for which I am grateful, because we were home from camping. Camping was terrific fun for me and Zibby, but I think Buzz doesnt like to camp…too bad for him. Here are some pics:
Zibby with one of her favorite people, Mama Rachel

The beach

My little wood sprite

mommy and zibby

There were about 12 families? from the homeschool group that came. Saturday night we had a potluck picnic together. As nice as it was during the day, the nights were COLD! I had to go to town and get a blanket and a longsleeved nightshirt, since I had forgotten to pack anything with longsleeves. We borrowed a tent and cooler and mini charcoal grill. I had a lot of fun hanging out with everyone and cooking out. Yay! Cant wait to do it again!

In which Zibby gets hold of a red marker

I knew Zibby had been having fun with the red marker because she colored all over one side of our kitchen cabinets. And the wall by the phone. And the phone.

Several days after I noticed the other markings, Zibby and I both went to the bathroom together. As soon as I sat down, I saw the wall by where her potty is.

I said, “ooooohhh, honey”, with a great big sigh.

Now, everytime we go to the bathroom, Zibby touches the wall with the red markings and says, “oh, honey”.

That’s Cool, Mama

Have I posted about Zibby’s made up words?

She uses two made up words that both mean “other”. One is “tata” and one is “rawga”.
Ex. Tata booby (when nursing), or “no, rawga book”

She had a word that sounds like “aye pinch ooba” but it turns out that it might have been her version of happy birthday.

Another doozy was “too-ey dumps” which we found out means “toe thumbs” which means, “big toe”. Of course, toe thumbs are the big toe. Duh. What else would they be called?

Her new sayings are “that’s cool”, “oh, goodness”, and “oh man”. And, “stop that mama”, “no, no stop that”

She also likes to say “Right back” and “right dere” (which is Chicago-ese for right there”) and “two minutes”.
For instance, I will be playing with her on the floor. She gets up and goes towards the hallway, turns back to me and says “Right back, mama, Right back”. and I say, “ok”.
Then she tells me to “stay dere”. I ask for how long.
“Two minutes”, she says.

And the hand gestures, did I mention those? Its hilarious. She talks with her hands. She gives us the “hand”. She does a crazy dance called the crazy dance, in which she bobbles her head around and sticks one leg out to the side. She loves silly walks and practices several during the day. She and Buzz dance together all the time.

Sometimes she gets up and hangs out with Buzz in the morning before he leaves for work. When he says he has to go, she says, “No, play blocks”. He says, “I have to go to work”. She says, “Two minutes?”

Another thing she does is, if she hears you tell a story about her, she giggles and says “you talking bout me”. Its clear that she enjoys it.

I about crack up when she says, Thats cool, Mama.
It is though. Its all cool.