special birthday

Today I celebrate a very special birthday. This week, I will have been alive for as long as my mom was pregnant.

In other birthday news, I wrote a long blog entry for my eight month birthday. I tried to outsmart my crappy computer and wrote it in Word thinking I could copy and paste it into my blog. Turns out, you cannot copy and paste from Word into the blog . . . something about making it into HTML. Since I have been so busy being a baby and playing, I haven't learned HTML code yet. Computers bore me.

blizzard

I did not take this photo. We found it on the Statesman website and thought it was pretty and this is about how much snow we have so far this morning. And our birds are going crazy too. Good thing my dad fed them lots on Sunday (when it was 77 degrees!!!!). I have been taking some photos and videos this morning though. Mostly, I am sitting on my bedroom floor and watching the big fluffy snowflakes fall from the sky; everyone knows that I have the best view in the house. And I am hoping that Luka might call me to ask me to come outside to play though I don't really know what we would do if we got out in the snow.

This is the worst blizzard Austin has seen for 24 years. I think I like this snow stuff. It is much better than the hellishly hot weather I suffered through for the first three months of my life.

ball

Today, my mom taught me how to play ball. I threw more complete passes than Donovan McNabb does in an entire season. It was a fun game until I got distracted by everything else in the world.

I am also busy learning about gravity. I drop everything on the floor. Over and over and over and over again. I know to squint my eyes before the object hits the floor and makes a loud noise. That is how smart I am.

I got two valentine's cards in the mail - one from my great-grandmother and one from her friend. That is how cute I am. I sure like getting mail. I liked being a brand new baby because I would get letters and cards and packages all the time. One day my mom went outside and came back in with a gift that the assistant to the owner of the water company left sitting on our fence. They gave me a bath robe! Very thoughtful but, oh, the irony.

don't make any sudden moves on a sailboat

I know, I know: I still have not finished my stories from my September vacation to the northwest.

On Friday, we flew to Florida to visit my great-grandfather. He has been ill again.

Our trip got off to a rough start. My mom likes to be way early for everything. So a 7:25am flight meant that we had to be awake at 3:00am and leave for the airport soon after. UGH! We had a terrible storm during the night so, even though we left so stupidly early, we were late to catch our plane because the road was flooded out. We finally got to the airport to find that our flight was delayed anyhow. I slept all the way to Florida. And all the way from the airport to Cocoa Beach.

On Saturday, we went to visit my great-grandfather. Sadly, I was not allowed to go into his hospital room because he has an infection. But my mom took me into the courtyard so I could peek through his window and wave to him. You should have seen how his face brightened up to see a baby as cute as me. We waved to each other. Every day while we were there, we visited for hours with my parents trading off - one would play with me while the other visited my great-grandfather. Every day, I would peek in his window to cheer him up. I am his favorite.

My great-grandfather had some sage advice for my dad: "don't make any sudden moves on a sailboat." He also had some interesting stories about the war. He is happy that the Saints have finally made it to the Superbowl. And he is sad that Ted Kennedy died and was replaced by a Republican. "We always felt safe with Kennedy around," he says.

how about them cowboys?

Note to my dad: do NOT read this. You will cry (again). Last night, we watched part of the Cowboys vs Eagles game. As you all know, we have a ban on television in our house. We do make rare exceptions for special circumstances though such as when Senator Kennedy's funeral aired or when Austinite Andy Roddick (and my sister's favorite customer at her bagel shop) was playing in the finals at Wimbledon. Falling into these special circumstances also includes the Eagles hobbling into the playoffs. No surprise to anyone that they suffered a "crushing defeat." The good news is that my mom had the sense to bet on the Cowboys so we are off to a fancy breakfast this morning at my dad's expense! Lucky us.
p.s. Don't ever bet against my mom on a football game.

snow days, past and future

Back on December 4, my dad stayed home from work with us because there was a promise of snow (my mom insisted). The flakes started falling from the sky and I dashed outside to enjoy it. Then my mom found my puppy hat and got me properly dressed for the weather - just in time for the end of the snowfall. Minutes later, it was a lovely sunny winter day.

On Thursday and Friday of this week, we expect bitterly cold days with temperatures dropping into the teens and maybe even the single digits. BRRRR. But my puppy hat and mittens are waiting by the door this time.

happy new year and happy birthday

Happy belated birthday to my grandmother. She is a new year's baby. This is a picture of me and my grandma in September. She would fly me up into the air over and over again and it sure was fun. Hopefully, next time I see her, I won't be too heavy for that game. My grandma is coming to Austin in June for my birthday party. Lucky me!

When we went to Victoria in September (yeah, yeah, I know everyone is anxiously awaiting the completion of my vacation tales), I met my grandma for the first time. She had been in Austin for my babyshower but left eight days before my birth. So when I got to Victoria, I went to her work and kinda surprised her; well, she knew I was coming but maybe I just surprised her with how cute and charming I am. While I was in Victoria, we went to Pags, Pags, and more Pags and walked all around town and shopped (the first time in my life I didn't cry about shopping and she bought me my sweater vest that I wear on special occasions). We also went to see a Dr Seuss art exhibit. One thing I know about me and my grandma: we will really REALLY enjoy to eat ice cream and treats together! Since my mom moved away from Victoria, Roger's Chocolates opened a soda fountain. That is at the top of my list of places to visit with grandma.

Happy birthday!