A Day with Gracie

Dear Gracie,

What a fun day we had together! Today, you are exactly 15 1/2 months old and getting cuter by the day! After I worked this morning, I texted your Daddy and asked if you and Seth were up to coming to play with me today. Daddy said you were both sleeping, but then he texted and said you had just awakened! I was very excited and so we decided to let Seth sleep longer and stay with Scotty for the afternoon. Daddy dropped you off around 1:30pm and Uncle Jimmy was blowing up the little pool! We put it on the front porch and I added lots of warm water because today's temp was a beautiful 78 degrees and not quite cold water swimming! You splashed around in the little pool for close to an hour. Your favorite thing to do was dip your tush in the water and stand up, peeking through your legs to watch the water drip down...if I had a dollar for every time you did this, we could go to Sesame Place this weekend and take the whole family! haha!

Afterwards, I had to start dinner and while I was cooking you ran back and forth between your toys in the living room and my legs in the kitchen. I love it when you run in and yell "hiiiiii!", it makes me laugh! I made us horseradish and wasabi grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and mixed veggies. While I was cooking I noticed you had gotten very quiet in the other room and I peeked around the corner to the family room and you were sitting on the couch with your two favorite bears, you were so adorable I had to sneak to take your photo!

As dinner was cooking away, Noel, from the neighborhood stopped by and asked to play with you. She is 9 years old and very nice, so I asked her if she would like to stay for dinner. She ran home to ask and came back smiling and very happy to join us. Dinner was delicious and we had a great time talking and laughing and you like to burst out in random laughter in attempt to join in, which is waaaayyyyyyyy too cute for words! It took a few tries to get you to keep the broccoli in your mouth, but eventually you caught on, but would only eat it if I spoon fed it to you! haha

When dinner was finished we cleaned up and headed to the park. Noel was allowed to join us and we had a super fantastic time! You loved, loved, loved going down the blue slide and shrieked at every opportunity you got! Noel went on the big twisty slide, but you didn't look too sure about the size of it, so we stuck with the tinier slide. One day you'll be big enough for that and even taller ones!

Once playtime at the park was finished Uncle Jimmy and I decided to surprise you and Noel by taking you for ice cream! Although I tried to sneak on the back roads, Noel knows South River so well, that she announced in a loud excited voice "We're going to the CAUSEWAY ICE CREAM, aren't we??" There's no tricking her! haha!
Ice cream was YUMMY! You and I shared a small cup of cake batter ice cream, which you ate most of, I might add. Noel had a cotton candy ice cream sundae and Uncle Jimmy had peanut butter ice cream in a cup. Guess what else? I discovered that when you're done with your ice cream, you take a big mouthful and let it fall out of your mouth onto your clothes and smear it with your hands all in a matter of 1.2 seconds! You're fast! =}

With ice cream all finished and your sticky hands wiped as best I could without wipes, it was time to drop you off at Aunt June's house. You were tired and laying your head on my shoulder as I carried you into her house. I handed you to Aunt Donna and you burst into tears and lunged back into my arms. You held me tight in a hug and closed your eyes. I can think of only one thing when you do that..."my cup runneth over!..."

I kissed you goodbye and told you I love you. You cried as I walked out the door...OK, more like shrieked hysterically, so I'd better pray for Aunt Donna's hearing =}

I love you so much baby-girl. From the top of your head to the tippy, tippy, tips of your toey, toey, toes! I'll see you soon my lovish! Thank you for a wonderful day!
I love you!
Love,
Aunt Pooka