Rock Band

Evelyn has a new favorite video game: Rock Band. She can really play the drums! She does pretty well in practice mode; she can hit it to the rhythm. She's especially good with the cymbal. She gets a lot of extra hits in, though, since she constantly bounces up and down on the bass drum pedal.

When this game comes out for the Wii, we'll have to get it. And a Wii.

Snowdrops are coming down

This weekend brings the first snow of the year. Evelyn woke up, looked out her window, and saw snow everywhere. Boy, was she excited! We made a snowman. It's a leaner.

She went down the slide at the playground, making a big pile of snow at the bottom. Then she went down again -- fast, "like Lightning McQueen, the famous racecar!" She landed on her butt in the snow about four feet in front of the slide. Mama said, "That was awesome! Do it again!" Evelyn replied, "I'm ready to go home now."


Jorge taught her to make snow angels. She made lots of those, and threw many snowballs. Daddy helped her to slide down hills in the neighbors' yards. It's been great weekend.
Right now she's declaring, "I'm not cute. I'm big."

Here are some gratuitous pictures with Lindita in them:

Fame

Lindita's birth is national news.

Pajama Time

Normally, getting Evelyn's pajamas on is a nightly fight. We have to threaten her with timeouts to get her to step into the pull-up and hold still while we pull on her pajamas.

Last night, after their bath together, Linda needed pajamas too. I asked the magic question: "Who will get her pajamas on first, Evelyn or Linda?" Suddenly, Evelyn is asking for the pull-up, pulling it on by herself, and jumping up and down for Daddy to get her some pink pajamas. She put them on all by herself, while I very slowly snapped up Linda's sleeper. Evelyn declared victory and jumped up and down in triumph.

The same strategy works for getting Evelyn into her car seat and into the bath.

Sibling rivalry is working to our advantage right now.

Where bananas come from

"Evelyn, do you know where bananas come from?"
"From banana peels."
"Where do banana peels come from?"
"Marshmallows!"

She went on to say "...nooooo, bananas." I think the marshmallow bit was a joke, and a funny one!

Evelyn's Christmas List

For anyone who wants to buy presents for Evelyn, here is some info. If you like, post in the comments what you're getting her, so that no one else does.
- Dr. Seuss books: Hop on Pop, Sneetches.
- Dora movies. She has Animal Adventures and Shy Rainbow, and we're getting really tired of watching those two over and over. She also loves Diego.
- a swimsuit with animals on it.
- those foam letters that stick to the bathtub.

Linda would like:
- a black and white mobile, or else the Haba Butterflies mobile.

Shaking tail feathers

For Halloween this year, Evelyn was a fish (Nemo) and Linda was a skunk.



Evelyn shook her tail feathers for candy.

New Baby

Welcome to the world, Linda Estrella Kerr! She was born last Tuesday, 9 October. Read her birth story. Her name means "pretty star." Linda is after Nana Linda, of course, and Eric picked Estrella to go with it. Please address all mail to Linda E. Kerr or Linda H. Kerr.

Linda is doing all her baby duties: eating, sleeping, pooping, and peeing. Eric has taken two weeks off work, Nana went back home to Kentucky, and Evelyn is in Hannibal with her Pa-Pa and Mama Cat. We're having a lovely quiet time of bonding here.

Waiting

Nothing going on, really. We're waiting for the new baby to arrive; it could be any day. Look, baby, see all the leaves falling. It is October. It is time to come out. Never mind that it is 90 degrees outside.



Evelyn likes clam chowder.

Company

It was a big weekend. Lisa, Lauren, and Elliot came to visit from Chicago. Lauren is Evelyn's age, and Elliot is seven months old.



Mama Cat, Paw-paw, and Uncle Seth came to visit too. We all had a blast at the City Museum. Here, Evelyn and Lauren play on the roller slide in the toddler section. This was the only part of the museum where we could catch them on film.





... and finally, a gratuitous photo of Evelyn.

Let's fight!

Retreat

The whole family went on a retreat last weekend at Mark Twain Lake. Evelyn spent most of her time riding bikes with Carter.



She enjoyed eating Carter's dinosaur birthday cake, too. They fought over the threehorn until they realized that the tyranosaur roared; then they fought over him.

Preschool

This morning I dropped Evelyn off at preschool for the first time. She wasn't quite sure about me leaving, but she gave me a kiss and went off to play.

Why Nanny is a Sucker

Dinosaurs

Labor Day Visits

For the holiday, we drove to Hannibal. Evelyn was thrilled to go to Hannibal to visit Mama Cat and Paw-Paw and Uncle Seth and Aunt Bunny and Rachel. She had a blast, especially playing with Seth. She went fishing and caught a little tiny fish, and Daddy caught a bigger fish.

And guess who came to visit? I'll give you a clue: he's sleeping on the couch right now. He fell asleep watching the Hurley episode of Lost, his birthday present from Rachel and Seth.

Happy Birthday Mama

I am thirty! Evelyn made me a cake.

Nanny Sucker

Today, Nana Linda and Evelyn were walking through the neighborhood.
Evelyn: "Carry me."
Nana: "You think Nanny's a sucker, don't you?"
Evelyn: (sweetly) "No."
Nana picks her up.
Evelyn: (laughing) "Nanny Sucker!"

Meet the Teacher

Today Evelyn's preschool teachers came by to meet her. They go to the house of each new student so that the kids meet the teachers in a familiar environment before classes start. In two weeks, Evelyn starts preschool, two mornings per week. I think she'll love it. Her friend Carter currently attends this preschool, with the same teachers, and he highly recommends it.

Her teacher asked to take her picture, so Evelyn dutifully said "cheese" when asked... then smiled for the camera. That was a first! She actually smiled for the picture. She must like her teachers.

Bellystick

Last week Evelyn had a little too much fun with a melted lipstick.

Nombres de nenes

We can't tell you the gender of the baby-in, but we can tell you the names we've picked out for each possibility. Of course, all name plans are contingent on the baby looking like that name.

A boy will be Corwin James. Corwin is a name Eric has always loved, and his dad and grandfather are both Kerwin, which is close. James, of course, is after my grandfather.

A girl will be Linda, after Eric's mother. The middle name for this one is up for discussion. I wanted Grace or Faith, after my aunts, but both of those sound rather plain with Linda and a one-syllable last name. A Spanish middle name would be much prettier! We could go with Gracia (grace), but not Fe (faith, pronounced "fay"). My current favorite is Sofia, which means wisdom. Any other suggestions?

One Yard High

She is now as tall as the yardstick and weighs over 28 lb. She is not quite as tall as the bike pump, though.

Two and a Half

Evelyn is now two and a half years old!

Not a baby anymore

Evelyn has passed a milestone: instead of asking us to "hold you" she moved on to "hold-you me" and finally, "Hold me." She sounds grown-up. She is working on saying "Evelyn Joy Kerr" when asked her name instead of "Emelyn Joy Kerr." The v is a difficult sound for her, but she can do it when she concentrates.

Her other recent accomplishments include clipping her own fingernails and toenails; wearing big girl panties most of the time, even on outings; and dancing like Pocoyo.

Cousins

A few weeks ago, Evelyn and I visited Chattanooga with Mama Cat and family. Evelyn loved her cousins, Faith and Ellie and Nick and Liz. She thought they were the best. Nick was her favorite chaser. Faith and Ellie each played with her for hours and hours.
Also in Chattanooga, she visited a park where she rode the carousel three times. She ate blue ice cream. Mama Cat: "What flavor is that?" Evelyn: "Mine!" She played in the fountains a little bit, but mostly wanted to splash Paw-paw.
She misses her cousins. Hopefully she'll get to see them again while she still remembers them this time. Come up for Christmas, cousins! We certainly aren't going anywhere this year.

Little Tiny Fish

Evelyn had a big time over the 4th of July with her Paw-Paw and Mama Cat. On the 4th, she saw a parade, a festival, a carnival, and fireworks. By firework time she was tired and ready for bed. She loved the parade ("I got candy") and the carnival, especially the plane ride. I loved that other people took her to fireworks and I went to bed early.

The next day, Daddy and Mama went back home and Evelyn stayed with her grandparents. They took her to Going Bonkers in Quincy, where she went bonkers in the indoor playland for hours. The following day they took her fishing. She wanted to catch a little tiny fish, and she did! Paw-paw caught great big fish, which he fried up on Sunday -- yum. Evelyn ate Mama Cat's meatloaf and mashed potatoes every day during her visit. She played with Uncle Seth and Aunt Bunny, chasing endlessly around the house. She was not ready to come home with Mama on Sunday, but she consented, and very quickly fell asleep in her carseat in the minivan.

Mid-day Mole News

This is the latest from Nana:

After we came back from "Dora's" awhile ago, there was a little bitty dead mole on our walkway. Mole may or may not have been taken down by the Goddess of the hunt. Anyway, Evelyn took a liking to the mole and she has been stroking it and telling it all her secrets ever since. Hope that is ok.

New van

Our stroller doesn't fit in our car nicely, so we bought a new van to drive it around.

We spent weeks looking at minivans. The Toyota was our favorite, but it was too expensive. We almost bought a Mazda, but the price wasn't quite right. Buy it anyway? I prayed about it, and heard "no, not yet." So I prayed that the right van would come up for sale in the next four months. The right van is red, with power doors and driver's seat and a sunroof, and maybe a power tailgate for bonus.
The very next day, I randomly check Craigslist, and poof, right at the top of the page is a 2006 Toyota Sienna in red with all the features we want and more, for less than the price of a base 2007 model. Surely it's sold already. But no, it is still available! The next day we drive far, far south to see it. And lo, it is the perfect van!
Buying from a person is lots more trouble than buying from a dealer, especially when you're financing. We looked at the van on Friday, and now the next Wednesday (after much paperwork) it is sitting in our garage awaiting temporary tags. Soon, very soon, we will be driving it. I can't wait!

Mama Cat and Aunt Bunny

My mom and sister visited for four full days over this weekend. Wow, that was fun! It is great to have my mom around when I'm pregnant. On Saturday we went shopping, first all the girls to Crestwood Mall (the carousel is gone! how sad!), then just Mom & I to the Galleria for shoes. We stopped at the tea store that I've been itching to visit for months. Last night, Mom and Eric and I stayed up late playing a game. Aaaaah.

Aunt Bunny played with Evelyn almost the whole time, since Evelyn wouldn't give her a minute alone. "Where Aunt Bunny? Aunt Bunny, come back! I want Aunt Bunny." and if Aunt Bunny didn't respond, she called for Rachel. Evelyn liked riding in Rachel's car, red with bird poop on it.

I'm going to miss them a lot.

New stroller

On Saturday we purchased this stroller:

We assembled it (just the single buggy, not the second seat yet) and Evelyn is in love. She describes the color as "blue, with clouds." She loves to climb in it and buckle herself. She loves to lay in the seat when it is fully reclined. She wants the hood up all the time, and plays peek-a-boo through the little sneak-peek window in the top.
Yesterday we pushed her for almost four miles, and then she was really ready to run. On this walk, she got to pee in a port-a-potty ("I want to pee in it again") and jump on a trampoline. It was great!

Where babies come from

The other day, Evelyn and I read a book about dinosaurs. It showed the little baby dinosaurs growing inside eggs.
Me: "Do we grow our babies inside eggs?"
Evelyn: "No."
Me: "Where do we grow our babies?"
Evelyn: "In our bellies."

Thank you very so much!

Last night a package arrived from Hanna Andersson (my favorite clothing store) containing new shoes and dress for Evelyn, and matching ones for Nora. She is thrilled with the shoes because they're purple and turquoise, her two favorite colors. They're her first pair of slip-ons. She wore them all evening, even when walking only a few feet. She said, "Thank you very so much!"

Lake trip

For Memorial Day weekend, we drove down to Table Rock Lake (near Branson, MO) and shared a cabin with Sydney and her parents. What great fun! Evelyn rode on a boat, threw rocks in the lake, and played. Throwing rocks in the lake was her favorite, although she enjoyed the boat ride and the playground. When we returned home, we missed Sydney. Having a playmate around makes it much easier for Evelyn to stay entertained.

When Evelyn is particularly happy with me or Daddy, she says, "You are my best big brudder."

Trains

Evelyn loves to play with her train set. I love to build new tracks for her. Mom's mural makes a great backdrop. The trains go up, down, under the traffic signal, stop at the water tower for a fillup, and into the little house. She likes Thomas Train the best, because he is her favorite color. She carries him around with her, and keeps losing him.

Best Friends

Evelyn and Nora are best friends. Today, Nora came over to Evelyn's house. Then they both rode bikes over to Nora's house, and then they walked back to Evelyn's house. They both cried when we made them part for dinner.

Daddy came home

Yesterday, Eric returned from yet another work trip. Evelyn is happy to have him back. In the middle of the night, she said, "He's snoring like elephant." Then, "And he is Eric. And he is Daddy. And I love him. And I love you." Aw, my sweet daughter!

Goose Egg

Evelyn fell and hit her forehead on a table leg last night. She got a big ol' bump. It didn't break the skin, thank goodness. She was running and playing again fifteen minutes later. This morning she's a little sluggish, and she says it still hurts, but she's okay. She has a colorful handkerchief tied around her head for a bandage.

More danger

Last night, on the walk...
Me: "You are too cute."
Evelyn: "No, I'm dangerous."

Be careful, Moon

Last night on the walk, Evelyn was happy to see the moon. It has not been visible much for the last few weeks. She admonished it, "Don't go behind clouds again, moon. It's too dangerous."

Count the Butterflies

One butterfly

Two butterflies

Fun and frolic

After a beautiful March of running around outside, the first two weeks of April were very cold, and Evelyn was unhappy. Now it is warm again, and we are all joyous. Yesterday I came home early from work, after a prenatal visit. Evelyn consented to wear a dress long enough to run to the playground. There she found Oscar, the three-year-old who lives down the street. They played and played, in wood chips and mud puddles and running up and down, up and down the sidewalk together. Evelyn showed Oscar how to pee in the grass and on the sidewalk. It was a great time. The only tragedy was that it had to end, because Oscar had to go eat his dinner.

What's that poop's name?

Evelyn loves to ask everyone's name these days. Yesterday while playing in the stream, she squatted down and took a poo, producing three turds. She pointed at one and asked Nana, "What's that poop's name?" Nana had to name them: poop #1, poop #2, and poop #3. Then Evelyn tried to pick them up. Then she went home and dug into Daddy's spaghetti with her bare hands. "She washed her hands, right?" he asked plaintively. "Well, yeah," Nana replied, "in the stream."

Panties

Two weeks ago, Evelyn started peeing in the potty regularly and refusing to wear diapers. She want to wear panties! And not just any panties. They must be either blue or printed with animals. Suddenly we do less laundry (no diapers), but more frequent loads (to get the blue panties through). Conveniently, she considers training pants to be "panties" too. Conveniently, training pants can be purchased individually, instead of in packs of multiple colors. We only need the blue ones.

Her favorite color among blues is turquoise. Her clothes are starting to coordinate more as they converge on this one color.

Do you like the new "baby on the way" widget on the left sidebar? The countdown part bugs me, because a due date is probably not the day a baby will arrive. I should just ask Cheri... Cheri, what's your guess for the next baby's arrival?

Spooky Cave

Potty Progress

Yesterday Evelyn peed and pooped in the potty all day! She wanted to wear panties, and so she did. She wore a diaper to church, but didn't pee in it. She waited to use her little potty at home. Several times without prompting she pulled down her panties, waddled to the potty, sat down, and made a deposit. Hurray! The only major problem occurred when the blue panties were dirty and she only wanted to wear the blue panties.

Last night for bed, Daddy tried to put a diaper on her. This did not go over well. We compromised and brought out the training pants. She likes these "animal panties" (they have a jungle animal print) very much.

Today she visited the doctor for her 2-yr-old well-baby visit. She is at the 75th percentile in height and 50th in weight. Her verbal skills are excellent. She was fairly cooperative with the doctor, and the doctor kindly let Evelyn push 8 on her keyboard several times. 8 is her favorite number to type.

Warm nights

Last night was the first night in months that it's been warm enough to take Evelyn for a walk after her bath. She wasn't excited about it until she saw Eric put on the back pack. Then she helped me put away her game and climbed right in, clutching Cute Lemur. On the walk, we saw a digger and many cars. The moon hid behind the clouds, occasionally peeking out. A few blocks into the walk, Evelyn announced, "This is awesome!" Later, she shouted, "There that silly moon!" She can spot a moon.

Teething Begins Anew

Evelyn was sick last week, with a high fever. Finally on Friday night the fever left, but the grouchy clingy baby remained. It looks like she's working on her two-year-old molars. Wow, is she ever a mama's girl when she doesn't feel good!

While she's sick, she watches more movies than usual. Little Einsteins is her favorite by far. She sings the songs and plays along with the little games. She talks about a spooky cave with bats and spiders, a little red train, and a caterpillar who turns into a butterfly. She sang a Little Einsteins song to a toy butterfly yesterday, a very sweet song.

Happy Birthday Evelyn

Evelyn is now 2! She had a big time yesterday on her birthday. Nana gave her a doll to take in the bath, and a new Little Einsteins DVD (which she has already ruined). I gave her a stuffed animal of the Cute Lemur from Madagascar. In the morning, she got to eat two vitamin bears instead of one. Ooooo. She danced and jumped around.
In the evening she went to Crestwood Mall and rode the Carousel. She climbed around in the play area, rode a fish and a train, put money in the candy machines and ate candy, rode around in a fire-engine car, watched Spongebob in the Family Lounge, and ran shreiking up and down the mall with her Cute Lemur. It was a good time. She slept well.

Height: 34 and a quarter inches
Weight: 28 lb, by measure-with-mom-and-subtract, since she stomped and jumped on the scale when we tried to weigh her individually.

For Daddy

This morning Evelyn woke up before Daddy did. After checking his bellybutton for fuzz, giving him a zerbert on his cheek, and pointing out many of his facial features, she climbed down off the bed. There she retrieved a small object. Next she climbed back into the bed, saying, "For Daddy! For you, Daddy!" She put the small object right in front of his face. "Daddy, for you!"
What was it? Why, it was a plastic letter D. D for Daddy! It is the only letter she recognizes.

Biiiig mess

Miss Evelyn has a cold these days. She refuses to nap, goes to bed early, and has trouble sleeping. Good thing she is still adorable.

This morning she climbed out of her clippy chair on the counter to reach the butter. She eats butter. While on the counter, she knocked the bowl of eggs (ready for scrambling) onto the floor. She announced, "That's a biiiiig mess!" ...and it was.

Welcome back Mama

This week I took my first trip away from Evelyn overnight. I travelled to Oklahoma City for three nights. Evelyn did just fine; she talked to me on the phone in the evenings. "I go Gym'ree," she exclaimed. "Is fun!" When I came home, she jumped a lot. That night she slept very well, with her hand twisted up in my hair.

Thursday morning before work, she dragged Daddy and me from the kitchen to the living room for "Ring roun' Rosie." After a few games of that, we switched to marching around in circles, singing "Pop! Goes the Weasel." That was a hit. "Mama, I wan' more fun circles!" she dragged us back over and over for "Pop! go a weasel."