Sunday, February 27, 2011

Mischief

Dear Riley,

Your middle name should be Mischief. Riley Mischief Smith. You are ALWAYS getting into something. Usually, it’s things you don’t need or shouldn’t be messing with. For instance…

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Obviously you got ahold of the camera. I literally laughed out loud when I came across this picture. Not only did you manage to turn the camera on, but you also took a self portrait.

I might add, this is our newest camera since the old camera was robbed from us. I’m trying to take better care of this camera, but I guess you didn’t get the memo.

Love, Mama

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Riley Claire–Two years, five months newsletter

Dear Riley,

“ABCDEFGHIJKL….”, yep, this is what I’m hearing right now. You LOVE to sing your ABCs. You also like to sing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”, “I love you”, and “Itsy, bitsy spider.” You sing in the car, in the bath tub, anywhere anyone will listen to you. But, you don’t like to be put on the spot, and you won’t sing if it embarrasses you.

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For quite a while now, anyone who is around you for very long notices how you like to … organize. I guess organize is the word I’m looking for. Let’s say you are coloring, and using crayons. You will make a mark with each crayon and then sit it aside. Then you will pick up another crayon and do the same thing. You put each crayon beside the next all in a perfect line. If one crayon is out of line, you meticulously replace it along with the others. You do this with crayons, pens, blocks, figurines, cups, etc. And, golf tees at Cracker Barrel. Most of the time, you line them up by colors too.

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Riley, you are very girly. You like baby dolls, ballerinas, princesses, and pampering yourself. Aunt Sara had the honor of painting your fingernails today. But seriously, I have to paint fingernails and toenails at least twice a week. It’s ok, though, that’s part of my job.

Which reminds me, I' haven’t been able to sleep the whole night through since we moved you to a big-girl bed. Sometimes it takes 4 or 5 attempts to get you to stay in bed to even fall asleep. Then, at 1:00, or 2:00, or 3:00, or 4:00 - you don’t seem to care, you’ll come walking in our room to join us. This would be just fine, except for the fact that you sleep like a bucking bronc. You constantly flip and flop and kick, and you really like to use my body as a stool while you are laying down. This is perhaps your most comfortable position, and my least comfortable. Your Daddy, however, sleeps right through all this. I’ve been known to switch beds with you and leave you and your Daddy to sleep in your own harmony. The easy thing to do is just let you stay with us, so it’s taken a lot of discipline on my part to walk you back to your bed every night, sometimes multiple times a night. This too, is part of my job.

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And anyway, you are still very sweet and caring. You don’t like to see me cry and you love to snuggle and give sugars. Of all my jobs as your Mommy, my most favorite is to get your sugars. I’m so proud to be your Mama.

Love you so, so much.

Love, Mama

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Here…

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Here to paint your finger nails for as long as you will let me.

You make my life matter.

I love you

Mama

Friday, February 4, 2011

Snow Part II

Dear Riley,

This morning at 5:00 a.m. I received a phone call that school was cancelled; I didn’t have to go to work. I was happy that I would be able to spend an extra day home with you and quickly fell back asleep. Two hours later when you came and got in bed with me, I remembered the reason school was cancelled: SNOW!

It’s already snowed once this year, but that was nothing compared to today’s dusting.

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It was cold today! About 20 degrees. You didn’t seem to mind though!

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Dad’s boots didn’t have good traction in the snow; just ask the ground.

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We had a great time running around our yard and playing in the street. The only way I could entice you to go inside was to offer you ice cream – snow ice cream.

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1 cup of milk
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp of vanilla
1 egg

Beat until frothy. Add enough snow to dissolve mixture. Serve and enjoy!

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It was so sweet and yummy! All three of us loved our snow ice cream!

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And then you took a 3 hour nap.

Love you sweet girl!

Love, Mama