Magenta Cows and Talkin' Watermelons

The world of make believe rides high in our home right now. Our daughter Kennedi has a very active imagination.  She currently has two imaginary friends, Jessie and her alter-ego Carla.  Jessie is the nice one. She is also know as "Jessie, the ruffest, tuffest cowgirl!"  I'm going out on a limb here, but I think her subtitle is from Toy Story 2...It is her that you want to "cut your hair" or fix your meals.  Kennedi loves to play "restaurant" and act like a waitress and then go cook your food.  If Jessie is your waitress, you'll get chicken soup and tasty blueberry tea and some kind of scrumptious never before heard of dessert.  If Carla is your waitress, the restaurant is out of everything you ask for.  Kennedi gets VERY upset when you call her by "Kennedi" when she is in another role.  With all the irritation a 5 year old can muster she says, "IT'S JESSIE!"  Kennedi loves to fix your hair as well, and after one experience with Carla, I won't let her do it unless she is in her Jessie role. 

The other day Kennedi was riding her bike--she is now turning, stopping, and starting all by herself--and Doug called me on the cell phone to come up to the road to listen to Kennedi.  All I heard the entire time she was riding that evening was, "Yah! Horse! Giddy ap!!" She rode that poor horse into the ground.

She has been known to blame things on her stuffed animals or dolls.  If she is caught talking after she is supposed to be taking a nap, she says that it's Puppy.  Her doll Gracelyn has kept her from cleaning her room before because, "Gracelyn wouldn't let me..."  kind of thing. 

Some people have told me that having imaginary friends is a sign of high intelligence.  I would have to agree as I had an imaginary friend as well growing up.  She obviously gets her brains from her mother! :)

Beauty Shop!

The results of living with two big sisters.

 So Annsley and Kennedi got out the nail polish and painted their toenails and fingernails the other day.  Well, Annsley actually did.  Kennedi painted her finger tips and insoles too--and possibly part of the back porch.  Andrei wasn't the only victim of the beauty shop that day.  They also wrangled their father as well.  Dainty Doug has neon orange on one foot and glow in the dark baby blue on the other. They begged to do his fingernails as well, but my husband drew the line there.  I can't imagine why with school starting... 

There is nothing like looking at your husband shave in the morning with his toe nails all dolled up.  Ummmmm....what a man! :) It brings an entirely new definition of sexy to our house!

In other news, Kennedi is starting to ride her bike without training wheels! Whoo Hoo! Go Big Girl! Her poor daddy has had his work cut out with her though.  Her free spirit seeps out even in her biking.  She tends to not actually pay attention to where she is driving.  Her eyes are not focused on the road ahead.  More like the ditch.  And so there she goes.  She leans crazily to one side and has this wild look in her eye as she passes by.  Don't get in her way.  She won't steer.  Doug is in need of a road side oxygen tank after spending a few minutes running along side her.  I wish I could get a picture of her face as she tries so hard not to look at you as she passes by, but quite frankly, I can't get too close because she'll run me over.  But, I am so proud of her!  She is already stopping and starting by herself as well after only a few days of trying! 

Instead, I'll leave you with a picture of Andrei sporting his new "hat".  No, he's not maneuvering the tricycle yet, but if you could will yourself into pedaling this vehicle, he'd be there! The helmet is much too big for his little head. He spent the afternoon having to tilt his head back to see as it kept falling down over his eyes.  But hey, he was a big kid like his sisters!  And yes, it's a pink and purple trike..a hand me down from his sisters.  I've said before that this little guy is going to have to get tough...

Not at all impressed that he can't make it move.

 

Swimming Fun!

Our almost daily routine this summer~ swimmin' in the horse tank.  The girls took swimming lessons again this summer, and Annsley is swimming by herself in the "deep end" at the city pool.  She also conquered a 3 year goal of jumping off the diving board! 

As retold to me by my husband who took them to their morning swim lessons and then stayed the afternoon at the pool...

Doug:  She told me she was going to jump off the diving board, so I said OK. We all three walked over to the diving board area.  She looked at me and said, "You can go now, Dad.  I got it." 

(This is the same child that would put her hand up to you to stop you from coming into the bathroom when we were potting training her.  "Mom--Go!  I got it!"  This from my 2 1/2 year old...)

Doug:  I watched her jump walk up and jump off the board like she'd been doing it for years. She climbs out of the pool, looks at me, and says, "Dad--Go!"  I said to her, "Well, I want to make sure you're OK." 

Annsley:  "See that life guard?  It's his job to watch me.  Go swim with Kennedi." 

Doug:  So I did what she told me to do...

I showed up a few days later to take pictures--I have a little fish! I'm so proud of her! Also when I showed up, he and Kennedi just had to show Mom all of their little fun.  He was throwing Kennedi in the air--too high and too far for her momma's comfort.  When she would land, she would give the thumbs up sign and start her kick float from the point of "impact."  Yes, thrilled with her skills, not so thrilled with her being tossed around like a beanbag.

You can't buy this kind of fun in the winter!

Seconds before doing the belly flop!

Enlarge the picture (click on it) and you can see Kennedi's "thumbs up!"

My big girl little fish in the "deep end!"