Go Texan Day 2010

Amanda had her first Buckaroo Breakfast this morning. It's an annual Go Texan Day event for dads and daughters and sons at her school. Amanda loved her outfit and her dad's, but did note, "Dad, you need chaps on the outside of your jeans." Maybe next year.

Amanda's Quote of the Week

Amanda: Mommy your birthday is coming up!
Me: Yes, it is.
Amanda: We're going to wear party hats! And eat birthday cake! And you're going to wear a party dress!
Me: That's a great idea. Do you know how old mommy is going to be?
Amanda: Um, I don't know.
Me: Do you have a guess?
Amanda: I know. You're going to be sixty-four!

The Beatles' "When I'm 64" is a staple in our current car playlist.

In the above photo, Amanda stands with her Eric Carle puzzles.

Old habits

die hard. My girl still has a soft spot for hats.

Finally - A Signing Video

Amanda and I succeeded in getting her little sister to sign "baby" "book" "cold" "water" and "elephant" for the camera.

Oh, the injustice

Every kid responds to injustice in a unique way. Say, for instance, your mom is trying to take some video of you signing so she can preserve it for posterity, but you just. want. the. camera. right. this. second. If this were to have happened to a one-year-old Amanda, she would have calmly, but persistently, continued her pursuit of the camera until mom eventually got sick of trying to get her to cooperate and just gave up. Elizabeth, on being thwarted in her attempts to grab the camera, takes a good five seconds to make sure mom fully appreciates that she has inflicted a grievous wrong upon her, before soldiering on in her attempts to grab the camera.

Some might find it odd or even cruel to video a kid in the midst of this kind of a moment, however brief it may be, but I just can't help finding it totally hilarious. And I do believe I will miss it when she starts finding more kid-like ways to express her displeasure, as opposed to this totally pure, unadulterated display of pain.