A Taste of Fall

We got our first glimpse of Fall today. Cloudless Sky; Breezy; 62 when we woke up this morning and a high of 82. Of course we spent as much time at the park as humanly possible.

"Ahhhh Manda!"

Elizabeth usually calls Amanda "Manda." Her grandma has been working with her to get her lengthen "Manda" to include the "A" at the beginning. The result is a dramatic, overemphasized, wide-mouthed "Ah." Here's a short video showing what I mean.

Onto the Big Questions

Amanda stands beside the painting of a "happy face with a mustache, arms and legs, and lots and lots of eyes" that she created specifically to bring to show-and-tell at school tomorrow.


Like most three-and-a-half year olds, Amanda has started asking some big questions. Here's an exchange we had over lunch today.

Amanda: When I was a baby, I crawled all over the house!
Me: Yes, you did.
Amanda: After I was a baby, then I was a big kid.
Me: Yes, you were.
Amanda: What happens after I'm a big kid?
Me: Then you become a teenager.
Amanda: What happens after I'm a teenager?
Me: Then you become a college student [I left out the "Ivy League" modifier. This required enormous restraint on my part.]
Amanda: What happens after I'm a college student?
Me: Then you become a grown-up.
Amanda: A GROWN-UP?! [long pause] What happens after I'm a grown-up?
Me: [Long pause. I am worried where this is headed.] Well, then you become a grandparent, like your grandparents.
Amanda: [another long pause] What happens after I'm a grandparent?
Me: Well...after you get really, really, really, really old, in a long, long, long time, then you'll die and go to heaven to be with God.
Amanda: What happens after that?
Me: I have no idea.
Amanda: I think, after that, then I become a baby again.
Me: Maybe, Amanda.

Elizabeth Lately

Elizabeth has been so much fun lately. She has a few phrases that she uses all the time.

"Manda Skoo" [Amanda's at school.]

"Daddy wuk" [Daddy's at work]

"Manda Shhh" [Amanda's asleep. She used this one at 2:00 am last night when she decided she wanted to hang out for a while.]

"Paci Nap" [Please may I have my pacifier so I can take a nap?]

"Tanks Mom" [My personal favorite; she thanks me for everything. It is hilarious. I'm changing her diaper, and she'll say 'tanks mom.' I wipe her face and she says "tanks mom.' I swear I'm not making that up.]

"All done shoos" [take off my shoes]

She is a riot. Here are a few pictures taken by Aunt Caroline over Labor Day Weekend at the beach.