Brand New World

IMG_1086, originally uploaded by griffey.

Took Eliza to another festival this weekend, and she seemed to get more attention than all the cornbread. Wherever we go, people want to talk to her and touch her. Or we hear them talking about her. She has no idea how powerful she is. Yet.

We ate lots of yummy fair food (freshly fried potato chips, barbecue, hot dog, ice cream, kettle corn). Eliza was in heaven. Heard some decent bluegrass music, watched some juggling on stilts, looked at John Deere tractors and giant cow statues, and played with rubber ducks floating in a fountain.

We didn’t ride any rides, but she had a blast looking at all the bright spinning things. She kept saying “Wow! Wow! Wow!” It was clearly a feast for her little tummy AND her little eyes.

IMG_1030, originally uploaded by griffey.

Eliza got to go to her first “petting zoo” environment this weekend at a local festival. She had absolutely NO fear whatsoever and picked up the turtles with an ease and grace that astounded me. She also had fun stopping the mice on their wheel with just a powerful little touch of her finger and lifting it so they could spin again. She did this over and over.

We also took a hayride, which she thought was funny and fun. Although we were going about 5 miles an hour the whole time, she kept saying “wheeee! wheeeeee!”

And there was live music, which she enjoyed, and a cookout. She had an entire hot dog plus some of mommy’s food. But the best part of all was just seeing her walking all around, very independently. Someone asked us, “Is she a runner? Some kids just see an open space and take off.” Well, I wasn’t sure until Saturday, but yes. She’s a runner.

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Originally uploaded by griffey

Just keeping up with Eliza’s increasing language acquisition is insane. The latest: Every night when her evening episode of Yo Gabba Gabba goes off (we watch it after dinner as a wind-down for bedtime), the DVR stops and she says “Uh oh!” Last night, it went off, she said “Uh oh!”, then paused and shrugged and said “Daddy fix it!”

Indeed, Daddy fix it.

She’s 15 months old. I’m scared of her at 2.

IMG_7513.JPG, originally uploaded by griffey.

She’s turning into Linus, which is something I always feared would happen.

The sacred pink blankie used to live only in her crib or be brought out for naptime at daycare. But now that she can say the word “blankie,” she can ask for it whenever she wants. Today, she demanded to take blankie and Minnie Mouse for a ride in the stroller. She went to her room, pointed to the crib and shouted “blankie!” I gave it to her. She then carried it into the living room, where the stroller was parked, and tapped it, saying “ride! Mommy…ride!” And so we went on a walk, despite the 58 degree temps. And then blankie stayed outside with us and got nice and dirty as she dragged it around the yard. When I protested, took it from her, and told her no, she FLIPPED OUT. Will she be one of those kids that has her blankie in the grocery store, on the playground, at the doctor’s office? Gah, I hope not. Well, at least it’s “blankie” and not “binky.” She has classmates at daycare who are much older than her who still suck on the “binky” all day long.

Me, I pick my battles.