News Flash: Flower Girl takes another Lap

I should probably should disclose that this picture is from last month. I wasn't able to take any pictures of the Squeaker as the flower girl (Groomsman's code). She was a big hit and did very well, albeit with her on spin on things. We practiced coming up the aisle to the Daddy person at the rehearsal, but we were not sure if she would have flowers, so we just practiced walking. The evening of the wedding we gave her flowers to drop and she did a fine job of that. When she got to the front instead of heading to me, she turned for the bridal party. She got to the end and turned back to me, still dropping a flowers here and there. However when she got to the aisle, she turned back for the door and went all they way back down on victory lap (she was supposed to head down the side and go to Aunt Brite after the service got underway). Having made it to the door and scared the Daddy person who was worried about what might happen next, she turned back, came to me and dropped a huge pile of roses at my feet. She did very well, even if Brite and I were terrified she was going to be in front of the door when the bride (now one of the Doctors Z) came into the sanctuary.

This week was the first time I headed away for my teaching overnights. Wednesday morning Squeaker wanted Aunt Brite to be the Daddy person.

S: “What will I eat for breakfast?”
B: “Oatmeal” (Silly girl, it’s what’s breakfast every morning…)
S: “Oh good, cause I like oatmeal so much.”

Squeaker has been asking the following of her (as the Daddy person):

S:“You’re Daddy, I’m Squeaker”
S: “Daddy you have coffee, what are you eating with your coffee?”
B: “Toast.”
S: “No cereal, sometimes you eat eggs. You’re eating cereal.”
S: “Daddy tickle me, you should tickle me Daddy.”

A few minutes later she began again with:

S: “Daddy, where are you?”
B: “I am at work.”
S: “Why do you have to work? Why are you at work so long?”

After breakfast Squeaker was giving all her stuffed animals alphabet books and is “helping them to learn”. They were arrayed around the table like King Arthur’s court. From what Aunt Brite has told me, Squeaker missed me, but it wasn't as bad as this story makes it sound.

I went to a basketball game without her this weekend, but basketball was on her mind. She told Brite that, "I want to be a ballet dancer at the basketball game and say 'Go Keydets'." Yes, we will be going to some women's game soon.

It turns out that best way to get her to smile at the wedding was to have her say "Go Keydets". The only problem was that her fist pump did tend to obscure the smile. Despite our travels, she had ginger pancakes (courtesy of the bride and groom) at the reception. Have a good week. I'll see if I can't get some pictures of my little "flower pot" at work.

No Squeaker, Eyes Open

Aunt Brite and Squeaker took a road trip to "Foul, fetid, fuming, foggy, filthy Philadephia" this week. They had a great time, but are both very happy to be back. Although on Squeaker's first full day home we went back out on the road. I took her back see the Keydet's play. They didn't win, but when I put her to bed she asked if we could go to more "loud basketball games". She also hopes to have Moe (the Kangaroo and mascot of the Keydets) come over to her house someday soon. As I have mentioned, she likes to rhyme words. At dinner tonight, she came up with "pee-dets" and "poo-dets" as rhymes for Keydet. Yes, we are thinking about potty training and yes, Squeaker is grounded for a long time.

The pictures are from her other fun activity this weekend. She and Aunte Brite spent this afternoon making chocolate chip cookies. No word on when she will learn to smile with her eyes open. Hopefully it will be soon, since she is supposed to be the 'flower pot' at a wedding this weekend. It will be a shame if she doesn't open her eyes for the pictures. Have a good week.

Say What?

Squeaker and the Daddy person have been enjoying a quiet week back at home. We went out on a date Friday night to a local restaurant. I had a crab cake sandwich and she had shrimp and fries. She didn't like the fries (although she did kind of like using them to eat tartar sauce). I told her that of she at her shrimp she could have the ice cream that was part of her meal.

Yes, Virginia, she loves her ice cream.

Saturday we took a road trip with Baby Linda's grandfather to watch the Keydets play basketball (speaking which, I hope our readers in Kentucky know which Lexington is home to the powerhouse this season). Squeaker and I have both been looking forward to this game.

This time last year we received a lot of reader comments that suggested that Squeaker didn't really like basketball. I objected at the time and produced a video that I believe showed her to be a big fan. If any of you have lingering doubts I offer the following story. I put her to bed after dinner Friday night, and between dancing with Daddy and the good night kisses, we were working on proper cheering technique. She knows when to say "Go Keydets", when to say "Go Wahoos", and when to say "Go Tribe".

Once again, I am not making this stuff up.

Having reviewed our roles for the next day ("Daddy will not yell"), she asked, unprompted, when we could go see another game at Virginia. I rest my case for the nay sayers. Speaking of nay sayers, if you live within driving distance of the Keydets you should go see a game. Squeaker has already picked out a pink dress from Disney that's she's going to wear when they go to the Show.

Ok, back to Squeaker. We had a great time at the game, since the Corps was gone we had the best seats in the house. Squeaker enjoyed the game and didn't even mind when the Daddy person yelled. In fact she even asked him to "stand and yell go Keydets" a couple of times when it got quiet (free throws, so "Daddy will not yell"). She also thought is was really funny when the Daddy person sang the Spirt ("Daddy silly").

The only downside of the trip was that she didn't sleep a wink on the ride home and spent the rest of the night alternating between sweet, cute, crazy, and demonic. At a lucid point Squeaker asked if she could have cookies if she finished her dinner. Brite told her that we didn't have any cookies. With out missing a beat Squeaker wanted to know "what I get out of this?"

Brite and the Daddy person tried really hard to laugh, but didn't succeed. Have a good week.

Run for Home Squeaker

After a bunch of time on the road, Squeaker and the Daddy person are home for a while. The Daddy person is a bit under the weather. Among other things Squeaker gave me a cold for Christmas, so we'll pick up with a normal post next week. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

... from your truant friends here at Squeaker central. Squeaker and I have had a nice week with her grandparents and great grandparents. Her favorite song "1234" has been replaced by Jingle Bells. She needs some prompting here and there, but does a pretty good rendition.

Sorry for the short and late post. We'll resume a normal schedule next week.

Cookie Dough and Grammy's House

Thanks for coming back for this late post. Squeaker and I arrived at Grammy's house on Saturday. Granddad and I piled into the car and headed north through the rain, sleet, snow, and cold to watch a basketball game. For the record, the Keydets won this round. Squeaker was a little upset that she didn't get to go, but given the amount of yelling (by both of us), she's probably better off not to have been there. She was a little nervous with the Daddy Person gone, so Blankie stayed with her most of the time. Squeaker tried hard at bedtime to convince Grammy that it wasn't time to goto bed. When Squeaker realized she wasn't going to win the argument. She said "Grammy go. And close the door." So she did.

Brite will tell the story of the Cookie Dough...

One of our new neighbors invited Squeaker and I over to make Christmas cookies this week. Squeaker is a fan of cookies, but she also really likes these neighbors and we have never been to their house. She likes their doggies and they have a beautiful horse which came to visit us at our house once. We mixed up all the cookie dough and she let Squeaker lick a little batter.
When my little friend pleaded for more, I explained that we shouldn't really eat the dough. I told her she would like the baked cookies much better, so she would have to be patient. Squeaker was sitting on the counter, so the doggies wouldn't lick her face and so she could help cut out the cookies. We gave Squeaker a cookie cutter so she could out some stars. Instead of using the cookie cutter, she bent over and did a face plant into the dough. She happily raised her flour covered face while she was chewing the bite she had taken out of the dough. Needless to say, I was extremely embarrassed! Our neighbor chuckled and after I cleaned off Squeaker's face, she promised not to do that again. It was great fun, and Squeaker thought the baked cookies were quite yummy.

Have a good week everyone.

Coloring and a Cold

Squeaker seems to be fight off another cold now. She's been cute this weekend though, cute but really out of it most of the time. Aunte Brite got some good video of them coloring together.



Bedtime Friends Watch

This week her bedtime friends have been Elena, Grammy, and Granddad. We're not sure, but we think she's getting excited about her Christmas travels. One afternoon after nap time should have started she had built a hill out of Blankie and Elena was climbing it to find four-leaf clovers (an idea she pilfered from a Pooh book).