LIAW #4

Yesterday we braved the chyllie forecast and headed down to the Friendly Confines to see if we could help the Cubbies find their winning ways ...

... we arrived nice and early, so after helping Dad devour a couple of brats I plopped down and watched a bit of batting practice ...

... and then worked off my lunch by running/dancing/singing/jumping and smiling my way up, down, and through the grandstand ...

... and up to our seats - yikes! We could not get any farther from home plate and still be inside the Confines!

Although it had been warm up to that point, the nearby flags were evidence of the wind that began to howl directly into our faces.

Despite the cold, I loved spending the rest of the day at Wrigley munching on kettle corn with Grampa ...

... having a testing-of-the-wills with great aunt Sue regarding our differing opinions as to my ability to safely ascend/descend the upper deck steps ...

... and finally making sure that no kettle corn kernel went uneaten!

Beginnings of backyard fun

Grammy, Grampa, and aunt Katie came to visit yesterday for a day of weeding (Grammy), unpacking (Grampa), and DVD watching/Lylliesitting (Katie). While they were here, I took Grammy and Katie on a quick walk along the bike path/bridge to see my fowl friends.

This morning we worked on organizing the backyard a bit and hung-up an old friend on the clothesline post ...

... and arranged a make-shift sandbox - which was a lot of fun until I realized my hands were getting sandy. Oh, those sensitive hands!

WeekendWrapUp: settling edition

It's been 2 weeks since I moved into my new house, so it's about time for a brief tour of the place. Although most of the inside is either under construction or a big mess, I'm able to enjoy my kitchen ...

... but, as in our old house, I prefer to spend my days outdoors. I like to snack on the front steps ...

... and run up/down our driveway (our house is on the left) and pester the twin boys that live next door in the blue house (they are not thrilled a little girl has moved in next door) ...

... and clear the sidewalk of any yucky apples that have fallen from the apple tree in our front yard ...

... and run up and down the sidewalk. An aside: you may have noticed I no longer like to wear shirts - Mom and Dad don't know why - it just started when we moved.

I spend most of my outdoor time in front because our backyard has looked like this:

We had a big chunk of tree fall a few days after moving in so GDO and Dad have been working on cutting it down and clearing out the junk. Here's hoping that by next summer I have a backyard to play in!

I've become quite interested in all the tools around the house (screwdrivers, woodchippers, chain saw, drill, and so on) and have figured out what "cover your ears!" means.

And when I'm really lucky Mom and Dad let me chip in with some of the work.

There's a lot of work left to do but our house is looking better each and every day!

Lake loop

In preparation for Mom's return to school next week, she and I have been taking regular walks down to my new daycare (the yellow house above) to get to know my new providers, Peggy and Cindy.

I've also been putting my helmet on frequently and trying to convince Mom and Dad to take me out for a good Cougar ride ... and tonight I finally succeeded. They took a break from house projects to take me on a quick spin around one of our city's lakes ... what fun!

Fowl

Yesterday Mom and I went on a walk around our neighborhood and found some new friends, so tonight I took Dad to meet them, too. We headed out and down the tracks ...

... and crossed the river and there they were!

I was more interested in talking to the ducks than were they to me ...

... before this one eventually let me hear about it.

I tried to persuade her that I was coming as a friend ...

... but maybe it'll take a few more visits before she starts to warm up to me.

Week in review: first in Madison edition

Hooray for our new home! I've been busy decorating our sidewalk ...

... going on expeditions in our skinny sideyard ...

... monitoring the influx of all our things that I haven't seen in months! ...

... spending time keeping cool with friends ...

... and getting used to the way life is lived in Madison's Near East neighborhoods.My aunt Betsy came to visit over the weekend, so we bipedal'd down to the neighborhood park along the lake for some fun time flying high ...... before experiencing my first Farmer's Market along the Square (Dad and I spent most of the Market running up and down the steps in and around the Capitol). So far Madison, so good!

Home in Madtown

After helping Mom and Dad start the move-in process while I had fun traipsing around the Northwoods, GDO came back up north to give me some angling tips before Mom and I departed ...

... and I arrived in my new house and once again ate dinner in the friendly confines of my own highchair! Yippee!

So far, I'm so excited to be semi-settled in our house that I'm boycotting naps and driving Mom crazy with tantrums and screams (there have been more than a few refrains of "You're lucky you're cute" the last 2 days) ... and, in the words of Harry Caray, 'dances in the streets' (or sidewalks in my case)!