Atlanta Zoo

I went to the zoo with my friend Tyler, a familiar place for us as we have been there many times this summer. There is a lot to see at the zoo and this time we saw a training session with the elephants!

After that we went to the petting zoo where I prodded the goats and sheep until it became apparent that one of the animals had enough. I don’t know what the problem was – I poke Monty in the eye, pull his tail, smack him on the head, sit on him, lay on him, and chase him around the house and it doesn’t bother him.

Early Thanksgiving

No. I do not have my dates wrong but on Sunday we went to Grandma's and Grandpa’s house for turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, and veggies. Grandma Helen and Grandpa Dan were there as well as Aunt Christine and Uncle Danny, and my cousin Andrew. Aside from eating, I played with Andrew, gave out a lot of kisses, and watched the movie Old School with Daddy and Uncle Danny. It was a sort of mini Thanksgiving which was nice. After we finished singing Dust in the Wind it was time to go home.

I am beginning to put some words together now – only a couple here and there but it is very exciting.

Daily Chores

I like to do chores. They keep me busy during the day. My puppy Monty gets dirty so we give him a bath pretty regularly. Our driveway is a boring color so I have taken it upon myself to add some color with my favorite chalk. Mommy and Daddy are also teaching me to paint. I think the hope is for me to learn how to paint walls and ceilings but right now we are focused on painting “happy little trees” and “happy little clouds” as the late Bob Ross used to say. Actually, as you can see from the pictures, I am really just painting myself.

When I am done with my chores I play Guitar Hero with Daddy and we make beautiful music…so long as we are on the easy level of the game.

Playing Guitar Hero with Daddy, finger painting, writing with sidewalk chalk, and giving Monty a bath is all in a days work in my life.

I need a daily planner!

I love playing with my friends. As you can see from the pictures below we have lots of fun together. We went to Suzuki Village, a place that has absolutely nothing to do with Japanese automobiles. Instead, there were lots of games and activities for us.

I also went to a “messy” party where we did all sorts of “messy” activities. Obviously, we would never have a messy party at our house - Can you imagine Mommy letting me run around with a brush full of yellow paint here?

Events from last week: "Messy Party" with my MOPS group (Mother's of Pre-Schoolers), Hanging out with my playgroup at "Suzuki Village", and playing with friends from my "MOPS" group at a gym called "Play"- they had the trampoline and parachute.

Olympics, Olympics, and more Olympics

Holly with her purse, cell phone and a stiff drink.



















The signature move of putting the Care Bear and puppy stuffed animals behind my head as Mommy drives.




















Here I am taking a rest on top of my Monty puppy. I'm always up for a nice ride.















Mommy and Daddy at Jon and Jen's wedding.

















Mommy and the girls at the wedding.














Daddy and the boys at the wedding.





Oh boy, Daddy has gone nuts over the Olympics. Today he was glued to the TV watching a water polo match he previously recorded. A water polo match…he recorded! He also watched the basketball and volleyball finals. It has been 16 days of watching nearly every event televised. Tonight the games come to an end for most…but things just begin for me.

Daddy told me (glad it was my choice) that he wants me to be the next Shawn Johnson so we need to begin training soon. Apparently, I am already heavier than some of the competitors so we need to work on my diet. Judging by what I watched during the last couple of weeks, I may actually be older than a few as well. While I am not yet two years old, I am already eight in Chinese years.

Mommy and Daddy went to a wedding this weekend and Aunt Lori came over to watch me. I had fun playing with her and I did some finger painting. On Sunday we went to see Great Grandma, and then went to dinner with Grandma and Grandpa.

Back to School / Olympics

Our northern friends will find this shocking but school started today….well, not for me of course but I guess in a few years.

I spent A LOT of time watching the Olympics with Daddy this weekend. We watched handball, field hockey, badminton, boxing, beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, rowing, weight-lifting, cycling, swimming, diving, gymnastics, soccer, basketball, and trap shooting. Daddy messed up the DVR a little bit so we missed archery.

Daddy seems to have a lot of favorite athletes in these Olympic Games. To name a few, he likes Misty May and Kerri Walsh, Heather Mitts, Jennie Finch, and most of the Argentine field hockey team. Daddy even cheered hard for weight-lifter Melanie Roach. Melanie did well but she lost to a little man from Thailand.

This weekend Mommy and Daddy also took down my play-set in our backyard. It was old and worn-down but I enjoyed it while it lasted. You can see me in the pictures playing on it for the last time.

Sesame Street

A few photos of my friend Tyler and I playing at his house.

Many of you know that my favorite bedtime shows are the movies Coneheads and Just Friends. Neither movie is exactly what I should be watching at my tender age. However, I have recently become more interested in Sesame Street, a show that Mommy and Daddy grew up with which makes them feel very, very old. I learn a lot from Sesame Street and I feel that it is likely more educational than Coneheads. Having been on the air for 35 or so years, I presume the show is recognized as helping teach children many things for a long time. With that said, why the heck does Elmo refer to himself in the 3rd person? Why does Baby Bear speak with a lisp and does not pronounce the letter "R" when he speaks? Maybe Coneheads isn't so bad.....

In other news, Aunt Lori moved again. Only Bin Laden moves around more often.