Big Girl

Happy New Year! My New Year's resolution is to let my kid sister have one blog post... enjoy:

Hey, blogosphere, it's me, Mary. What should I talk about... well, how about how hard it is having a big brother? Sometimes it can be hard to express my femininity.

And sometimes he gets real territorial and I have to put the hurt on him.

Then I kick him outside to play baseball in the snow. This is my house. Don't bring that weak action in here.

And while the boy is away, the girl does play... with all of his tools! Extreme Rental Home Makeover!

I guess you could say I'm getting pretty big.

But not THAT big - yikes!

Holidays?

Okay, listen up. I pity the fool that still follows this blog. You like the new layout? Yeah, you bet you do, because you don't want to have to mess with this -

So here is another update! Still have some catching up to do. One great activity that we've found to, you know, release our destructive impulses is to blow, and then blow up, bubbles.

Maybe it is just a little bit of cabin fever setting in, because it has been a long winter. If you've been reading this blog, you might be confused into thinking it is still pumpkin-patch season... not so much.

In fact, Christmas has come and gone with many exciting visits and presents. Some geared toward the chores we are growing into:

Mom and dad say that the dustpan is the "new hot item" this Christmas. So exciting.

There is also our new kitchen set where we can hone our other domestic skills. Homemade (if you can't tell by looking at it) and you'll notice there is no microwave. We're like time travelers to the past! Best Christmas ever!

And what's a kitchen set without dishes! Mom says, "Clean," but we say, "Boring!" Tea parties (not the political kind), here we come!

More to come!

So behind

As this blog has been badly neglected, and much time passed, I suppose the best place to begin this post is where I left off:
At the end of summer we finally got a few eggplants to show for all our hard work in the garden. Mom made Mary pose with them hoping it would give the illusion that the eggplants were larger than they really were.

After visiting with Uncle Will this fall he informed me plaid was "in" this season. So after rummaging through my dresser drawers I put together this little outfit that I sported all fall.

Mary has been busy, playing the part of "family princess" quite well. She keeps all of us on our toes and insists that I pull her around the yard in our wagon...I believe she has put on a few pounds too!

When the weather got colder we turned to new forms of play indoors. (Mom really seems to hate this game.)

Another new game is our mechanic shop. Mary is the assistant, but I don't have the heart to tell her a saw is highly unnecessary for an oil change.

My favorite storybook this fall was "The Five Little Firemen". Here Mary and I are reading it first thing in the morning. Since Mom and Dad are tired of reading it, I am trying to commit it to memory.


We met our newest baby friend. Mary and I have what Mom calls "baby fever"!

While visiting a pumpkin patch we took a ride on a school bus,

cannon-launched pumpkins,

and made regular fools of ourselves.

We've learned a lot this fall too, but most importantly how to play together.

And pose for the camera.

Family Excursion '09

Mother and Father packed our little car full and we went on a trip. It was both educational and recreational. Here we are in a city made famous by a 19th century author.

Here I am in another city, at the home of President Abraham Lincoln. (Mother and Father must be great friends of his because we were given a tour of his house.)
Here we are at the couch where President and Mrs. Lincoln were married. Can you imagine being married while sitting on a couch?!
Here we are playing in the Lincoln's backyard. Too bad they don't have a slide.

Here I am between attempts to climb to the top of this boy. I know I could have gotten to the top if Dad would have stopped pulling me back down.

Here we are at the old capitol building. One of the many buildings I ran around in.
And this is President Lincoln's tomb. There are guards stationed in here at all times, so I'm on my best behavior.
Here I am in the hotel room, ready to crash after a long day....don't let my smile fool you.
Here we are in the steepest, shortest cable car in the United States. Mary is doing her impression of Cousin It.
At the very top it is very sunny.
Thank goodness Mom and Dad purchased a round trip ticket. This incline looks too hard for Mary to walk down.
After many days in the car we made it to the Northern Woods.
However, Mary was banished to a baby pool for fear of her safety.
Also in the interest of safety, Mary was banished to wearing this ridiculous costume when on a boat.
A family outing on the lake was a paddle boat excursion.
And there was lots of time to try out my new fishing pole.
Mary was spoiled with attention.
We even went to a aqua show.
I had lots of fun with my G-ma and G-pa.
I think Mary got in trouble with Uncle Kris again though.
After many days in the cold up north, we finally made it to the Land of Large Chairs...

to see some dear friends...
and their new baby. I can already tell we're all gonna be best friends.