Words to Remember...

Those of you who have been paying attention will have noticed that I have had a little visitor of late. She's short, but full of personality, and she's quite the kick to have around! As a matter of fact, there's only one down side to having her and her parents in town...they eventually have to go home. Since "home" for Mork, Mindy and Peanut is several states away, and their visit was over on Sunday, this makes Pretty and Pop Pop sad. :(

To cheer myself up, and you too (just in case you need cheering up), I will share a few of my favorite memories of this visit, including the joyful words and phrases that are currently a regular part of her toddler vocabulary:

Upon approaching a cat - usually at warp speed, hands reached all the way out front, she says, "Hi, Cat! Hi, Cat! I see cat!"

Upon not seeing cats in plain view, "Where cats? I go find dem. Here kitty, kitty!" (wiggles fingers) This is usually followed by a search of all three floors of Gramma's house...and then by, "Hi, Cat!"

Upon seeing a bird or squirrel outside, "Hello! Hello, Bird!," and, "Hey, Squirrel!"

Upon seeing all the animals at the zoo, she runs to the edge of a grassy area on the path, arm outstretched, to shout to a nearby sparrow, begging for a french fry lunch, "Look! A bird! Hello! Hello, Bird!"

Also at the zoo, we heard about "the baby lion in the mommy belly" and "the baby monkey in the mommy belly." Overall, there was a LOT of talk about "baby in the mommy belly" this visit. It's exciting...like she has this brand new information about her world, and she is on a mission to tell everyone! (Before you get carried away, we asked both Mork and Mindy, and there are no babies in Mindy's belly...not even in the planning phase for any of that yet...according to them anyway! We think Peanut wants to be a big sister...)

With an impish grin, and wagging her pointer finger, "No car shopping, Pop Pop!" (One of Pop Pop's favorite pastimes is car shopping. We did not go car shopping while Peanut was in town...lol!)

During and after the Bunny Foo Foo song, she is prone to shout, "Stop boppin', Bunny!," with uncontainable glee!

When she can barely keep her eyes open, "I walk. No stroller..."

"What come next, Gammy?," while reading the Nighty Night book, and putting all the animals to sleep, one at a time. (By the way, parents and grandparents, this is an excellent app! It's available for android and iPad, and reading the book got ALL of us ready for bed!)

In a hushed voice, after bedtime prayers when she sleeps over at our house, she gazes up into my eyes and whispers, "Say it again, Gramma..." I know she is stalling, but I can't help myself...we say them again...and again. :)

With determination, "My do it!"

With eyebrows raised high, and a slight nod for emphasis, "I like that!"

With furrowed brow, and chin down for emphasis, "I don't like that..."

"Gramma, Pop Pop buy Pink Lala Loopsy?" (We tried, but couldn't find a pink Lala Loopsy during her visit. We're still looking...I'm sure there will be a gift-giving occasion in the near future, right?!?)

Every time she came to our house, she did her best to give all the cat toys (as in toys that are cats) to the actual cats. "Cats like them toys!" (For the record, I don't think White Cat and Black Cat are all that impressed with any of Peanut's toys...but she is so generous!)

Turning away from the camera, "No pickles, Gramma!" (lol! No pictures? With all that cuteness, how can I not take pictures?)

"Go to playground?"

With every impish grin, every golden curl, every joyful step and every hug about the neck she has wiggled her little blond self deeper into our hearts this visit! It's like that with kids...just when you think you can't possibly love them any more without your heart bursting right out of your chest, there is one more moment of endearment, and your capacity to love is stretched again, beyond your wildest dreams. There is no love so sweet as the love of a child (and the love of her grandparents!).

Now, back to the knitting. What should I make for Peanut?

PS - How many of my knitters recognize this Peanut version of a learn-to-knit rhyme?

"In sroo thront door, Out back, Cat darf."