'Mere Ok!

If there was an award for "Best Kitty Ever" it would certainly go to Oscar Brown. And he would have earned it!

Take this photo, for example. As you can see, Suzanne has him in her toddler death grip. Oscar knows that if he just sits and relaxes, he'll be able slide out momentarily and be on his way. Now, I don't think Oscar is the brightest bulb in the box (he keeps coming back for more...and more.... and more), but he is so gentle with her. Suzanne is learning to be gentle with him and is also learning a new word, "Dentoll, Ok, dentoll..."

Last week she fell asleep in one of the recliners and he snuggled up next to her and snoozed as well. Oscar has clearly decided the she is his person and he is her kitty. It isn't unusual for me to find him on her bed or in her room. He likes me, too, but he really likes Suzanne best. Emmy, on the other hand, has assigned herself to Greg and will only pay attention to the rest of us if he's not at home. She clearly has forgotten that he was the meany who took pictures of her after she, with cat-like grace, fell in a full bathtub.

We've had some rather nice weather lately and Suzanne decided today to explore the back yard. Oscar was right there with her, playing with her and generally keeping an eye on her. She ran his legs off and now they're both having a nap. Hope that flower she ate isn't poisonous...

Suzanne Speak

Suzanne is a multi-lingual child, I think. For the longest time she sounded like she was speaking Russian, but we decided perhaps not when she was sitting next to some Russian folks and they didn't seem to know what she was saying. Then we started to think it was French, with all the jzshhing she's been uttering. Unfortunately, we don't know any French people.

Lately, however, I have noticed an increase in actual words that I think are english. Or at least "Suzanne English." Here is a list with translations....

Milk = Mill
Kirkie = Gookie
Oscar = Ok
Come Here = Mere (as in 'mere Ok)
Cookie = Cookie (no question about this one!)
Juice = Jzshoos
Shoes = Shooooooz
Socks = Toks
Jacket = Shacket
Train = Tain (Usually Tain! Tain! Tain!)
Bus = Sus
Boom = Boom
Bear = Beer
Karissa = Rissa
Hilary = Hilly
Grandpa = Bampa
Grandma = Bamma
Please = Weese
Thank You = Tank ooo
Excuse Me = Skoo me

This is by no means an exhaustive list--she pops out with new words every day. She'll see something and say the word and if you aren't listening closely, you'll miss it. You particularly have to watch for her patting her fanny and saying "boop." Any doubts as to what that means?

It's like a flood gate has opened and she can't get them out fast enough. She still sounds french, but at least the words are english. I guess she was destined to speak french, since her name is french and means lily. Pretty name for a pretty girl and pretty soon we might even understand her!

Happy Valentine's Day - TURN UP YOUR SPEAKERS!

We are having a fun Valentine's Day this year. I got to make valentine's for Suzanne's preschool class, which is a nice little milestone for her. She really liked the stickers, but she wasn't much help in putting them on the valentines. She preferred to stick them on her clothes instead.

Kirk waited until the last minute to do his valentines, but he finished and took them to school this morning. He a moment of greed when he decided to keep all the pirate tattoos and not put them inside, which is what he was supposed to do. Guess we need another lesson in sharing. On the other hand, he asked for advice on how to ask a girl to be his valentine. He wants a girl to be his valentine, but he doesn't want to be rejected. I explained that most 7 & 8 year old boys are goofballs and won't ask, so he pretty much could get any girl in class to be his valentine and probably all of them. I tried to impress upon him that it is the boy who asks who gets the valentine, and the boy who doesn't gets zip. He ran my advice past his father to make sure I was telling him the truth. I did notice that this morning he took extra time with his ablutions, wore a nice shirt and his good jeans, and smashed his bed head down in the back. Reminds me of my nephew, Max...

Kirk also wanted to make sure that we had some valentine cookies...for Suzanne, of course. I suspect Suzanne will be encouraged to share her cookies with Kirk, and because she loves him, she will.

Speaking of love, here is one of my favorite pictures. When I tell people that Kirk has always loved and protected Suzanne they don't always believe me, but I know it's true. Even if he doesn't get brave enough to ask a girl, he'll still have his very first Valentine, Suzanne.

Gotta dash...I'm delivering Valentines to Hilary, making cookies, and getting Kirk a heart-shaped pizza for tonight.

Oh yes, enjoy the music...these are two of Suzanne's dancing favorites!