Finally, it's not so hot anymore!!!

I don't think hot weather is all that great. It makes my hair curls kinda funny, I get a little sluggish, and I love my blankie - but in hot weather, blankie feels pretty thick and heavy.

It's been 100 degrees lately! No really. I'm not making that up! Mom's train keeps breaking down because it's so hot. She keeps saying that some conductor is going to help her deliver Baby 2 on the side of the railroad tracks if this keeps happening. (I hope that doesn't happen. I want to be the first one to see Baby 2 - not some wacky conductor guy.)

But what's really weird is when it gets so hot, I see flowers, and ladybugs, and Elmos. Like in this picture. Elmo is a good guy, but this was just too much. Heat makes me goofy.

I've been thinking...

... about Baby 2 a lot lately. (That's my old crib behind me with brand new bedding for Baby 2 - she gets a pink and chocolate brown theme.)

I think birthdays are an awesome thing, and I love to sing Happy Birthday to people and create birthday cakes out of my blocks. Then I have Mom and Dad blow out the imaginary candle. I used to be really excited about my friend Lucie's birthday party this summer, but now I'm thinking Baby 2's birthday is going to be WAY more exciting. Nothing against Lucie, but I've been waiting to meet Baby 2 for awhile.

At first, I was really nervous about it. I mean, being a big sister sounded really scary. And Mom is the youngest in her family, and Dad is an only child - so they didn't have ANY advice to give me. So I emailed Uncle Bryce. He's the oldest... then Uncle Eric... then Mom. He sent me a reassuring email after I asked him if I should be worried (and told him about my mad, awesome lacrosse skills I'm developing at the park.) This is what he wrote:

Dear Sadie,
I miss you, too! I hope you had a good time at the park today. If you practice really hard with your lacrosse stick, you might get to be as good as the people I saw on TV yesterday. They were college kids and could throw and catch the ball really well. I didn't see any of them throw the ball back over their shoulder, though. I'll bet that's really hard to do.

So you're worried about having a little sister, eh? I'm glad you asked, since I have some experience in this area. I have had a little sister (your Mommy) AND a little brother (that would be Uncle Eric) for a very long time.

First of all, lots of things are going to change when the baby arrives. Until now, It's just been You, your Mommy and your Daddy living in the house together. They have been able to give you all their attention and love. When the baby comes, Mommy and Daddy will have to spend A LOT of time with your new sister. Don't panic. This is normal. You're little sister is going to be really, really small and kind of helpless. Your Mommy and Daddy will have to pay attention to the baby and make sure she is fed and her diaper is changed and lots of other things. They need to make sure nothing bad happens to her. You see, babies are really needy and fragile creatures. Of course, you were just like her once. Remember when Mommy and Daddy weren't looking and you ate that battery? We don't want that to happen to your little sister, do you? I actually did something like that when I was little. When my mom (Grandma Nadine) and dad (Grandpa Bill) weren't watching me very closely, I opened the cabinet and spilled liquor all over the place and on myself. Liquor is a drink that is okay for grown ups but dangerous for kids. I sure wish I had a big sister or brother to tell me not to do that.

But now you're older and much smarter than that. In fact you are so smart now that your Mommy and Daddy are going to need your help with some things. You'll have to pick up your own toys and throw away your trash when you are done. You are going to have to be quiet sometimes so the baby can sleep and mommy and daddy can get a little rest. The baby is going to take a lot of your parents' energy. Sometimes they might even need to rest when they normally would be watching you and playing with you. You'll just have to play quietly by yourself then. Of course, you will want to play with your new sister, but remember that she is not a toy.

There will be lots of new rules about the baby:"Don't poke your sister.""Don't yell at your sister.""Don't push your sister.""Don't wake your sister up."...and so on and so on.

So far it sounds like kind of a drag, right? I'll be honest with you, Sadie. Sometimes it really is kind of a bummer that you won't be the only kid in the house anymore.Trust me, though, it will be totally worth the hassle. First will be all the excitement of someone new being around. When your Mom was born, I was just a little older than you. I was so excited that I jumped up and down and yelled "JOY! JOY!," and that became her middle name for a long time. (She had to change it when she married your Daddy because "Stephanie Joy Joynes" sounds kind of silly, doesn't it?)

As she gets older and bigger, you can show her how to do all sorts of things. It can be lots of fun to teach her how to draw pictures, stack blocks and look at books. It makes you feel good when someone learns something new because you taught them. You have the benefit of experience. Anything she does, you already did first. "Walking? That's easy. I can even run and throw a ball at the same time. Feeding myself? Please. Using the potty correctly? Almost there, but I'll definitely be there before the baby."It's is also really fun to make the baby laugh. You can gently tickle the baby or make funny faces and she will laugh with you. Now that's a good time! Once, I was making Uncle Eric laugh by running past the door to his room. I ran so fast one time that I forgot to stop. I accidentally ran into my bed and nearly broke my nose! Again, you and I do not have an older brother or sister to tell us not to do these silly things. Oh, well. At least Uncle Eric was laughing.

As you both grow up, you will find that you have an automatic best friend. Soon you both can play together without mommy and daddy helping all the time. This will make the whole family happy. Your Mommy and Daddy are best friends, too, and sometimes they like to spend time together without your help. Someday when you are both older, you will still be friends. That's because she is family. Even when you get angry at her (and you will), she can't be far away. This makes it much easier to forgive her (or apologize to her) and be friends again.

But most of all, Sadie, remember this: Your Mommy and Daddy will always love you very, very much. Even when it seems like the baby is all they ever think or talk about, you will always be in their heart. You will always be special......because you were there FIRST! I hope this clears up any confusion and gets you excited to meet your new sister. If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.

With much love--Uncle Bryce

Uncle Bryce always makes me feel better about stuff.

I wish I was a Tater Head...

I love my Mr. Tater Head... I even have one that looks like a member from KISS, cuz' I'm rockin' like that. But I heard that Mommy's friend Miss Jackie was having a problem. She was missing all the ears to her Tater Heads! I found this funny, because I had my ears, I just couldn't find the mouth!

There must be a secret place that all the Tater parts go when you aren't looking.

I'm preparing for Baby 2, sorta.

There's been a lot of talk about Baby 2 in our house. Mom and Dad keep reminding me about earning my stars because they want me to be really on the ball when Baby 2 arrives. From what I understand, this kid could be a bit high-maintenance. But I've decided on a different kind of experiment.

Mom tells me not to pull on the curtains, so I just walk by them an brush them with my hand as if to say, "Oh yeah? Watch me..." Then she yelled at me not to jump on the couch, or my bed, or her bed. So instead, I tried to jump higher. When Dad tells me to put my clothes on, I run in the opposite direction. I find this hysterically funny.

They, however, do not.

In fact, Mom threatened to take away my pony privileges this morning. AND she said she might take me to the mall so we can walk by the ponies and not even ride them. That got my attention.
Now I'm practicing how I'm going to take care of Baby 2 - as you can see in this picture with me and Dolly.

Last weekend I had the BEST time...

... at the carousel!!! I earned enough little stars by being good and well behaved that Mommy and Nana took me to the mall to ride the ponies. Of course, first we had to go to Babies R' Us to get some stuff for Baby 2 (who is making Mommy look really big!) But they let me sit with Big Bird for a little bit. Then they made me pose and smile... which sometimes I'm not in the mood. But I did, but I think you can tell I was faking it.

Then we went to the carousel and I got 10 rides! I split them between Nana and Mommy.

I find the ponies calming after a long week. I'm so busy taking care of Daddy all day.

But Mommy said that I can only ride the ponies if I'm good. And that means paying attention, putting away my toys, showing respect, and using the potty. I'm trying to think if the ponies are worth it... and I think they kinda are.

Dear People Who Spilled the Oil,

I just want to say as the future of the United States of America... I am NOT happy with you. And you know what? Even though Elmo is smiling in this picture... he's not happy either.

I saw the ocean when I was in Savannah, and it's really pretty. And I noticed a lot of birds there. Pretty birds. And they fly and then swoop down to the water. If there's oil there, they'll get stuck. And that's not good. I started thinking about it, and that's why I have this look on my face.

MY mommy said that if you spill something (whether it is milk or oil), you should clean it up. And she also said you shouldn't let it sit there, because milk can spoil and get icky... and I think the same thing can be said for oil.

If you like this photo- check out the PBS Kids app. I think it's funny. But oil spills are not. Booo!!!!

Weddings and Babies and Stuff....

Last weekend I did everything I planned to do for Memorial Day. I got up early, poked Mommy, asked for food, and played around all day long. I even went to the park with Mommy, Daddy, Poppy, Nana, Cousin Debbie and Charlie, AND Cousin Larry (who really is my favorite.) But while I was running around playing lacrosse with Daddy, their friends were really busy too!

Miss Mindy was really busy having a baby. This is Haley Lynn. She was busy being born. Her daddy was busy taking pictures and being excited.

And this is Mommy's college roommate from Syracuse University (who normally has an excellent lacrosse team, but didn't do so good this year.)

Her name is Miss Raj-Ann. And she got MARRIED!!! Her dress doesn't look anything like Mommy's -- but I really like it. It's all colorful and sparkly! And I totally dig the jewelry. Way cool!

This weekend, I'm planning on being a good kid! Why? Because apparently Mommy has an app on her iPhone that measures if I've been good or not. And if I earn enough little stars on it, I get to go for a ride on the carousel! I love those ponies! I'm going out of my way to be good. I'll try not to spill my water, keep my toys in my Elmo bag, and make sure I'm on my best behavior. Smiling a lot helps.