Spring Sprung...Then Got the Heck Out

One morning I woke up. I do that every morning, but this morning was different. I could see light coming through the blinds on my window, and I could hear "tweet, tweet, tweet." This was unusual, so I decided to make a lot of noise so Dad would come in and get me up. Sure enough, he stumbles in looking like he just got out of bed or something... I mean it was 6:30 in the morning on a Saturday... isn't everyone up by then? Nope, not Dad-oo I guess... he hadn't even brushed his teeth (yuck).

Anyways, I'm getting away from my story. So the window, the tweets, yada, yada, yada. Dad walks me into the living room and opens the blinds and POW!... The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the squirrels were running around and wrestling each other. Man, did they wrestle. Mommy came in and told me that this was "Spring weather." I saw no springs, trampolines, or other similar types of devices. This being said, I was intrigued.

After we all ate and got dressed, it was time to go outside. Oddly enough, mom didn't bring out the usual coat. No, no, this was different. I got to wear a coat with no sleeves, my silly hat, and some things over my eyes that make everything look like our house when daddy needs to put in new light bulbs. I tried to tell them I'd be cold, but they never listen. When Daddy started for the door, I braced for a cold wave to hit...but when he did, nothing happened. Instead, I felt a light breeze, and everything smelled like, ummmm, well, like something good (give me a break if my vocabulary isn't stellar...I'm 8 months old). They popped me in my stroller and we were off. We walked all over Ann Arbor me's thinkst. I saw kids playing, people on bikes, people washing their cars, and more squirrels wrestling (silly squirrels). I had a lot of fun.

We took walks each of the next few days...and I even took a nap or two. Dad told me I'd like the fresh air (that's that word I was looking for... FRESH! Go back and reread that part about Daddy opening the door again and this time insert the word "fresh". It'll sound better.) and he was right. I couldn't wait to do this everyday with Mommy and Daddy. Well, Wednesday came and I was ready. I couldn't wait to play at daycare, come home, and go take a walk. As we were getting ready to leave the house that morning, I saw my winter coat out again (affectionately called the "Muppet Coat" since it looks like it's made from Muppet hide). They put me in it, and I knew something was wrong. Dad opened the door, and I could feel the cold shoot up my spine (and out my nose). IT WAS COLD AGAIN! There was snow everywhere, and I could see my breath. Mommy said, "That's Michigan for ya." Yeah, well I say this weather should get right out of Michigan (it could probably hitch a ride with the jobs and economic prosperity that seem to be making their way out of the state on a regular basis these days).

So I've been reassured that the nice weather will be back soon...and eventually stay. I'll believe it when I see it. In the mean time, I just hope the squirrels find a warm place to wrestle.

Here's me pulling Dad's hair out (not like it needs help).

Holy Schnikies...I'm Beat.

Uncle! Uncle!

Man...Mom and Dad are wearing me out lately. It seems like right when we get home from doing one thing, it's off to do another. Don't get me wrong, I always have fun... but a girl's gotta nap. I'm not as young as I used to be, ya know?

I spend a good part of my day crawling all around home and daycare getting into whatever they don't want me to get into. Every time they tell me, "no, don't go in there" or "stay away from that," I figure there must be something that they're hiding...something they don't want to share with me. Of course that makes me want to go back and check it out even more. All this back-and-forth can wear you right out, but it seems like important work. Don't you all worry, I won't let the establishment hold me down. I'll get to the bottom of this and get the word out to the people when I do. It probably has to do with some corporate conspiracy or government cover-up. Call me Woodward (Snoopy can be Bernstein). We'll get to the bottom of it all and write a book.

Another reason to get into mischief is to emulate my idol: Spot. Who's spot? Spot the puppy of course! There are a whole series of books out there documenting the life and times of this heroic figure. One volume covers his trip to the beach, while another tells you all about his visit to the farm. I found that to be a very pivotal point in his life, but really see it as a metaphor for the Third World debt crisis so many nations are facing (the horsey represents Africa). Spot is an absolute genius, and I admire his ability to make you "think outside the box" (unless of course he's hiding IN the box).

Now that I'm forming opinions and learning so many new things, I think it's about time to start sharing it with the rest of the world. Yes, I already have a blog to do that, but that requires Dad to set up the computer on my highchair, get me all logged on, blah, blah, blah...it's time consuming. It would be much easier to be able to communicate through variations of noises and sounds coming from my mouth. It is this hypothesis that has driven me to learn how to talk. I believe that if I could learn how to make the same noises and sounds that Mom, Dad, and everyone else makes when they are around other people, that I could somehow express my thoughts and relay messages. So far, I have tried "Ga," "Ca," "Buh," and "AAAHHHH." This week, I finally had a breakthrough. I have found that Mom responds to the noise "Ma Ma." This comes in very handy when I want something or am sad. Now I have to figure out what sound Dad goes by...

Finally, swimming is still a favorite hobby of mine. I'm getting pretty good at this whole splashing thing, and I move around the pool pretty fast. I see this Olympian, Michael Phelps, around Ann Arbor quite a bit since he trains here, and (between you and me) I could take him. He's too concerned about his SUV and hair products these days, anyways. But I'm getting off topic. The way I see it, I've now conquered land and sea. Now if I could learn to fly like the birdies or Powdered Toast Man (that's a 'Ren and Stimpy' reference for those of you who are not savvy to classic cinema), that would pretty much cover all my mobility and transportation needs. One thing at a time, though.

Ok, time for a nap.