Older Guys

The other day when I went to pick up Penelope from daycare there was another mom from Penelope's class picking up her son as well. She had her 4 year old son with her too. As Penelope and I were leaving she said to me, "Oh, your Penelope's mom, my son Ryan (the 4 year old) has a crush on Penelope, he went home yesterday and told his older brother all about her!" I didn't quite know what to say, it was so cute and sweet, but I don't know what the appropriate response is to a 4-year old's crush on your 1-year old?

Anyway, I think the biggest concern is what this means for Penelope's powers over older guys in the future?

Rocking Baby

Daideo and Nana (Jessica's dad and mom respectively) were nice enough to get Penelope a rocking elephant for Christmas. For the past couple of weeks we'd put her on it and she would try to get off it right away. But this morning something clicked.

I will admit I took some artistic license and added about 5 seconds of music at the front and end of the video. The rest of the soundtrack is provided by the elephant.

- Ben

Grandgirls

In the last few months Penelope has been lucky enough to have a cousin born here in the DC area. Grace (Gracie) Chambers Heisler was born November 12, 2010. Gracie's mom is my first cousin Sarah (our moms are sisters). I don't know what that makes Gracie and Penelope, second cousins? first cousins once removed? Let's just call them cousins and leave it at that. But to Sarah's mom and my mom, they are their "grandgirls," a phrase that our grandad has used for years to describe Sarah, me, and all of the girl cousins in our generation.

Anyway, we are all so excited to have a new baby in the family, and to have her so close by is truly special. Gracie was 6 weeks old when she came to Penelope's first birthday party and we got a nice shot of the four of us:



[credit to Alison, the woman we had take pictures at the party, if you like her work check her out at http://www.redshoesphotography.com/]

An Experiment

First I have to explain how our Christmas trip to Atlanta shaped this post, twice. Aunt Mandy was nice enough to give us a Flip Cam so I have been playing with that (it is pretty cool). Plus we got to see Cousin Ally eating with utensils and a plate. So I figured we should give the whole plate and spoon thing a try.

- Ben

Orange!

If Penelope has a favorite color already, it might just be orange. This is based on very scientific evidence.

Exhibit 1: of all of the shape & color combinations in her shape sorter toy, the piece she consistently picks up and carries around with her is the orange star.



Exhibit 2: of all of the Fisher Price Little People she now has (3 from the doll house she got for Christmas and 3 from the plane she got for Christmas), the one she consistently carries around of the 6 is the pilot from the plane, a woman with orange hair.



The only thing these things have in common is the color orange, so we have come to the only logical conclusion: Penelope's favorite color is orange. I hope this doesn't mean she's destined for Syracuse or even worse, Clemson, like her Aunt Jenny!

Penelope's Birthday (Post I)

I have a feeling there will be multiple posts on Penelope's birthday, it is just too momentous of an event not to deserve multiple entries in this public diary of sorts, but for the moment, here are some pix from the birthday party she had yesterday. Simply put, it was a great day. We had so much fun, and I think it shows in these shots:

Thought of the Day

You are not really a card-carrying member of the mom club until...
you have been thrown up on by your child....
multiple times....
in the same day.

So glad that I will always remember December 8, 2010 as the day I officially joined the mom club.