Water Bottle of Pennies

When MLO was born I decided that I would keep my old bottle of pennies in her room because it would be fun to look at and make noise with, etc.

It is one of those 3 (or 5, can't remember which and am too lazy to go check while I am writing this) gallon water bottles that you get from those water companies. I have had it since I was around 12 and kept my pennies in it.

It has been awhile since I counted them, but at last count there was about forty dollars worth of pennies in there.

MLO has just started showing a real interest in it. She tries to move it around (near impossible for me to do) and loves to put pennies into it. She also likes to look through the opening in the top and study the change inside (it is very funny to see a little girl with her head attached to the top of one of these water bottles, intently studying the pennies).

If she sees any change around she will steal it and put it in the penny jar. Then gets a little frustrated that she can't get them back out.

Hopefully this will lead to good money saving skills later.

Making piles of dirt

I mentioned earlier that MLO hates messes, except ones she creates herself.

Well a perfect example of mess that she makes herself and therefore doesn't hate is making piles of dirt on her legs.

She sits on the ground next to some fresh earth, picks up as much as she can in her tiny hands, and then watches it fall on her leg (usually panted leg).

She then happily looks up at me, says "mess" pointing at the dirt and tries to brush it off. Her version of brushing it off is really grinding the dirt into her pants or getting more of it in her shoe than one would think was possible, then picks up another pile.

I have tried to stop her, told her yucky mess and such but she just happily cleans it up (so there is no mess) and makes another one.

Yes, we have a lot of fun outside.

Getting in the tub

Story told to me by MLO's nanny:

Last night MLO was being prepared for a bath.

She loves baths and says "bath" and "bubbs" over and over while you are getting it ready.

The water is warming up, non-slip mat goes down and nanny runs into MLO's bedroom (right next door).

When nanny comes back, MLO was sitting in the bath-tub, FULLY DRESSED. The water was running and I am sure she was happily waiting for the bubbs (bubbles).

She got pulled out then stripped of her now drenched socks, pants and shirt. Took off what was probably a very full diaper.

When finally done, in she goes. Happily exclaiming over the bubbs and toys and starting her party and overall grand old time.

I see crawling out of cribs and over gates coming in my very near future.

Who doesn't want a nice purse for free?

Okay, more silly stuff but come on - who wouldn't want to win a cool Coach purse for free.

I do own plenty of purses and just recently bought a new one.

However I think they all came from Target or similar place so a nice fancy one so I can say I own something other than a Target purse would be nice :)

Messes

MLO hates messes. When I tell most people that, they are amazed and tell me how lucky I am.

I then have to stipulate that she hates messes she didn't create on purpose or someone else created.

Leaving her toys in a messy pile - that is okay.

However, if she spills her drink than this is not okay. She tries to clean it up with her hand (making it worse) and you can give her a paper towel and she will try to clean it up (you do have to help as she hasn't learned the fine art of cleaning something up just yet).

If her box of raisins spills, she will pick them all up, even double checking around her.

So, in this respect I am lucky and appreciate that I can just tell her to "clean it up" or "pick it up" and she does.

Now, if someone else makes a mess - this is a disaster. She cries and requires a hug and love (after it is cleaned up) to calm her down.

For example, MLO and I had left some sidewalk chalk out side after playing with it. Not realizing it was going to rain that night. In the morning, I start collecting them all up and cleaning it up. My mistake was putting the box (which was wet on the bottom) down on a table.

When I picked up the box and there was water left on the table, I heard "MESS!!!" over and over from MLO. This included pointing, jumping around and tears.

I had to quickly clean it up and then hold her and let her calm down on my shoulder.

This development has made me very careful when putting things away or "cleaning up".

It is all for the best, but seems very funny for a 19-month-old.

Tonight is Dancing night

Well, tonight the show "Dancing with the Stars" airs.

I would have never gotten into this show except the fact that MLO loves it.

Every time they dance, she does too. She holds one of my fingers and spins in circles. Or she waxes on and off with her little hands. Some times we dance together with me on my knees and us swaying side to side.

Every now and then I dip her or pick her up and spin her around.

She LOVES the show.

Whenever the music isn't playing and no dancing is happening she just keeps yelling at the TV "muss". The voting bores her and the commercials are just an annoyance.

Yes - I see TV the same way as she does much of the time.

MLO's favorite person

MLO's favorite person (besides me and hubby of course) is my sister.

MLO is always happy to see people she knows. She smiles and says hi and sometimes even runs over and delivers hugs.

But when my sis arrives it reaches a whole new level.

This first time this became very obvious was at her naming ceremony. The ceremony had started and MLO and I were up by the minister. Then my sis walks in and when MLO saw her, she practically jumped out of my arms and flew to her.

She keeps smiling and waving and trying to wiggle away from me. All she wants to do is get to her aunt.

When the ceremony was finally over I was given no choice but to deliver one very anxious MLO to the arms of her aunt. MLO pressed her face up against her aunts face and wrapped both arms around her neck. She didn't let go for quite awhile.

The rest of the day she kept her aunt in sight if not attached. If MLO got momentarily distracted and then looked up and didn't see her aunt she would be very unhappy.

Well, this sort of behaviors continues and we all love it.

Recently, my sis was walking up our driveway and MLO caught sight of her in the window. The screams of joy that came out could have been heard a mile away. She kept dancing around, running to the window, screaming again, dance around and so on.

When my sis opened the front door the flying almost happened again.

Yes, I think my sis (MLO's aunt) qualifies as MLO's favorite person.