A busy weekend

Yesterday was our adoption agency's annual picnic. Helaina got to run around outside, climb like a daredevil on a nice playground, hang with some of her little friends and dance to music by a DJ (this girl loves to shake her booty).

Jim was the official "lifter" for this playground contraption. At one point he was surrounded by excited kids yelling "lift me, my turn next, can you lift me up there too?"

Helaina saw this little boy studying the ground and of course (being the shy little girl that she is - ha!) she had to check out what he was doing. Next thing we know she's squatting next to him picking things up. When she came to show us her treasure they were teeny tiny pine cones.

I made ice cream cone cupcakes to bring to the picnic. I never made them before and they came out really cute, although with Helaina being a "frosting gal" she didn't eat much more than the top of the cupcake.

I started baking them yesterday morning while she was still asleep. When she got up Jim brought her down to the kitchen, I showed her the cupcakes and told her I was baking them in ice cream cones instead of paper cups. She got a huge grin on her face and said "How you do that?" followed immediately by "I have one?". Cupcakes for breakfast, why not start the sugar rush early in the day.

Yet another August birthday.

Helaina's buddy Baby Nic was one year old today and she had a big party. Nic loves Pablo so the party was Backyardigans themed - ok with Helaina. And then there was a GIANT Backyardigans cake.

In this first picture Helaina had just finished running around in the rain, trying to amuse herself while not-so-patiently waiting for the cake to be cut. Ahh, finally cake with lots of thick frosting! Note the Cookie Monster hair twistie in her little braid. We got them at Sesame Place along with Oscar and Elmo hair ties and I just love them.

Birthday's galore

Last night we celebrated Aunt Kathy's birthday. Of course Helaina has to help blow out the candles as if it were her birthday cake.

Helaina absolutely loves her "cousin" Ginger and would love to take her for a walk by herself. Fearing that Ginger would drag Helaina into the next yard(!), Uncle Jack willingly "volunteered" to be a doggie. Now that's a good uncle.

When I asked Helaina why her "doggie" was laying on the grass, she said "He wouldn't come with me." Bad doggie.

If you watch Nickelodeon with your child ...

... you know what was "world premiering" today - the Fresh Beat Band show (in one of their videos the group exchanges backpacks with each other, which is why Helaina is wearing hers).

2 "girls" (Kiki & Marina) and 2 "boys" (Twist & Shout - yup, that's right) who sing and dance in videos that have been shown on Nickelodeon for months in anticipation of the TV show that premiered today. Helaina LOVES them and knows most of the dance moves by heart - it's where she learned to break dance (yah, you heard me). Tell her to breakdance and she drops to the floor on her hands and knees, kicks her legs up into the air almost to the point of flipping over in a hand spring (which she had done several times in heart-stopping moments for Mommy), then plops down on her butt and spins around in circles. She's an absolute hoot to watch. We taped both world premier(!) episodes today and will set the DVD to tape the rest of this week's shows. I bought her some stretchy bracelets like the ones Kiki wears and gave them to her before the show started. She opened the bag, saw the bracelets and squealed "oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" and immediately put them on.

Here's Helaina drumming while watching Marina. She's using the practice pad that Josh used when he started taking percussion instrument lessons in middle school (yah, I was crazy - drums are really LOUD). Rock on Fresh Beat Band!!!


August started off the birthdays for our family (we have 5 birthdays in August and then at least 2 or 3 every month until the end of the year). That's a lot of singing, candle-blowing and cake eating - which are some of Helaina's favorite things to do. Josh's birthday dinner at the restaurant of his choice, Red Lobster.

Trying on big brother's new basketball shorts, which Helaina picked out for him.

Check out the look on her face - you'd think it was her birthday.

"I do it?" - yes, Helaina, you can help blow out the candles.

Poppa's pizza party birthday earlier in the month included a fishing cake for the fisherman. Helaina couldn't stop herself from sticking her fingers in the blue frosting, which unfortunately is her favorite part of the cake.

It's finally here!

Helaina's name tag for pre-school!

The package from Helaina's pre-school finally came in the mail today. We now have her teacher's name, room number and instructions for her first day on September 9th! She'll be attending school 3 mornings a week. I can't believe that it starts in just a few short weeks. She knows she'll be going to school and I've explained to her as much as I can. She listens intently as I tell her she'll have a teacher and will play with lots of other children, she'll have snack time, gym class, story time and will make lots of fun projects. She has a very serious look on her face while listening then when I'm done talking she says "you stay? you watch?" I tell her that Mommy's and Daddy's don't stay at school with the children, but that her teacher will take very good care of her and that I'll be there to pick her up and take her home when she's finished. That doesn't always fly with her but I try not to dwell on it! One note in the paperwork strongly suggests that you bring one of your child's favorite "treasures" with them - something that they find comfort in. Guess Helaina's treasured stuffed elephant from Aunt Kathy will be going to pre-k for at least a few weeks!

Funny Helaina: Helaina is constantly telling anyone who will listen to her that she's 3 years old, that on her next birthday she'll be 4, and that her birthday is in February. Even though it was 6 months ago, her birthday is one of her favorite things to discuss (or anyone's birthday, for that matter). Recently Jim asked her what she wanted for her 4th birthday and without missing a beat she said "a really big elephant!" We hesitantly asked her if she wanted a real elephant and mercifully she said no - she wants a stuffed elephant like the one she has, only a lot bigger. Phew. Good thing we've got six more months until her birthday - gives us time to find a really big elephant!!!!

Helaina's first hair braid!

I was finally able to put a small braid in Helaina's hair today. Very exciting - for me! I had to wet her fly-away hair to do it and then add a little spray, but it stayed and was so cute. "My bwaid", she said.

Slicked back hair showing that adorable face.

It's fun having a daughter to dress in adorable outfits and accessorize with colorful sandals, hello kitty purses and scrunchy hair ribbons. Yesterday we painted her fingernails with polka dots - purple, of course.

Seabreeze - when you're almost 39 inches

Thursday was Seabreeze day at Jim's office, so for a great price we all enjoyed the rides, waterpark, barbeque, friends and lots of laughs. Helaina got to see some old friends and make a few new ones. Seabreeze also took on a new meaning for her because this year it meant that she met the 38 inch height requirement for a couple of the bigger rides. Being just shy of 39 inches added some extra fun for our little daredevil. Any photo you see with Helaina's mouth wide open means she's having a blast!

Thanks to new friends Maggie and Charlie, Helaina got to try out this bouncy ride (a much larger version of what she rode in Wildwood). The second Helaina saw it she pointed to it, yelled out "ride this" and took off running full throttle towards it. On the way up, she must be thinking "are we going all the way up there?"

The first drop - boing! At this point I'm thinking that there isn't anyone else as small as her on this thing - we must be as nuts as she is.

High 5's from Maggie - Helaina absolutely loved it. Her feet barely make it over the edge of the seat!

Another 38 inch height requirement - this roller coaster, a bit more than any kiddie coaster she's been on before. I talked Jim into riding with her to support her head and neck because it really whipped around a few of the curves. Helaina loved it ...

... more than Daddy. When they got off the ride I asked Jim if it was too much for her. His response: "It was too much for me!"

Then there was the kiddie section of the water park. Helaina could go down water slides all day long. "One more time?" she'd ask, as she held up one finger and pointed it at us. How could you resist? Check out her face. With this particular slide she flew out the end of the enclosed tunnel in a rush of water, laughing each time.

Oh, that face.

She's happiest when she's wet and wearing her Dora bathing suit!

She called this one the turtle roller coaster and it was one of her favs. I lost count, but I think she rode this one about 7 times throughout the day.

Then there were the cars, and the boats ...

... and the airplanes, and the swings.

An ice cream sandwich always gives you energy to go on.

These flying sailboats were fun. I rode with her first and before the ride barely ended I heard "one more time?" I told her Daddy would go with her this time. He reluctantly agreed, even though he really didn't want to - yah, wrapped around her little pinky.

Needless to say, Helaina was asleep in her carseat just as we were getting on the Thruway. That's what 7 hours at Seabreeze will do to a 3-year old!

She's got a lot to say...

Jim would always say that when Helaina started talking, she'd have a lot to say - he was sooooo right. I find myself laughing constantly at what comes out of her mouth. Today for lunch she wanted left-over lomein noodles. I was in the kitchen heating them up and she was wathcing Handy Manny in the family room. I must have been a bit loud with the dishes because next thing I know I hear her say "Stop making noise. Now cut it out. It done yet?" Pretty demanding, wouldn't you say?! This child does not want to miss a meal. She says the word "lunch" so cute.


More funny Helaina's:

Helaina has a doctor's appointment this afternoon and we were talking with her about it last night. She has several doctors so Jim asked her what doctor she wanted to see. She immediately said "Dr. Lin". Dr. Lin is our vet!!!!!

This morning when we were coming downstairs after she had gotten up she was coughing quite a bit. She stopped on the steps and yelled "cough go away!" then proceed down the stairs.

While making breakfast she abruptly stopped helping me, said "Wait, I be right back" and took off running - she had to go get her baby "Anna". (Helaina apparently thinks all babies are named Anna. Her speech therapist is expecting in November and Helaina will pat her on the belly and say "Anna"!)

Over the weekend when we were just about finished with breakfast she got up and headed for the cupboard (as she always does) and asked for her vitamin. I was still eating and Jim had finished his breakfast, so I said to her "Daddy will get it for you." She looked at me, stomped her little foot on the floor, put her hand on her hip and said "Come ON, Mommy!"

Another funny thing that she says a lot lately is "I told youuuuuu." These may not seem funny to anyone else, but when you consider Helaina's history with speech issues and now you hear that cute little voice carrying on a conversation with you using sentences and almost-proper toddler speech, it just warms our hearts with every word out of her mouth.

Baby Anna

Anna was baptized yesterday and of course there was a party for the little darling. Helaina is simply fascinated with Anna and wants to stroke her head (who doesn't want to run their fingers through that hair!) and pat her on those pudgy cheeks. We explain to Helaina that Anna is still "fragile" and won't be able to actually play with her for quite some time, but she just can't wait! Check out the look on Anna's face - doesn't it just say "Enough with the partying - let's just go home!"

This deer was in a grassy area next to the restaurant and Helaina spotted it through the windows and that was it. Her and Josh ventured outside to check it out and of course she had to sit on it.


Green Lakes - one nice day last week Helaina and I went to Green Lakes for a few hours. Even though we had only been back from Jersey for 5 days, Helaina never gets her fill of water and sand. The new playground at Green Lakes is huge and she loves it as much as the water.
"I hanging, I hanging" is her latest favorite thing to do.

Anything that can be climbed on, jumped on or put in motion by her body is okey dokey.

This seat was the strangest thing. All you had to do was sit on it and it would spin around and around on it's own momentum. Needless to say Helaina spun in circles until I made her get off because I thought she'd fall flat on her face from being too dizzy.