The One Year Anniversary of... ME!

July 3 was my "first" birthday. This kind of confuses me because, though it was all kind of a blur, I seem to recall this whole "birth" thing happening about a year ago. To my knowledge, that was the first time that happened to me, so wouldn't that be my first birthday and this be my second? Have I been zero years old until now? Isn't the definition of "zero" considered a symbol that represents the absence of quantity or magnitude? I may be small, but I'm no zero! I can't wait until I can articulate questions like that verbally and ask them to Mom and Dad over and over. Others questions I plan to pose include "why is the sky blue?", "where does God live?", "why does the rest of the world not like our country?", and just plain "why?". That one will be my "go-to" question I think. You know, if asked with the right inflection, it can be quite a profound question... or statement even. Let that be your first lesson in Zen-Evieism. But for now, less questions and more me, sound good?

I'll start with the BEST part about my whole birthday experience: Mom and Dad took the week off! I got to spend the entire week with them, which is something I haven't been able to do since Christmas. We did all kinds of things. We went to the park, we went to the mall, we went swimming (in a big pool, in a little pool, and in a lake!), we slept in, and we played so much it made us want to sleep some more. We also said bye-bye to my bottles and formula since I'll pretty much eat whatever they put in front of me. Pickles have become one of my favorites, and re fried beans are really good, too. Of course the next day Mom and Dad don't seem to happy that they fed them to me, but a girl's gotta get her protein somehow. Yup, I had a blast with the folks. Pretty sure they had fun, too.

To celebrate my birthday, Fr. John Young offered to host a party at his cabin on Lake Michigan. I was so excited to see so many friends and family there, and his house was beautiful! There was a TON of food, and Grandpa Davey worked his magic on the grill. We played games, chatted up a storm, opened presents, had our cake, AND ATE IT, TOO (What a dumb expression, but I digress). Everyone was very thoughtful with their gifts; from books, to toys, to clothes, and all sorts of goodies. Paula had her mommy make me a beautiful quilt for my room...it even had a beach theme to match all of my stuff. Father John gave me a wonderful family Bible with pictures and stories. There were so many presents that Dad-oo could barely get them all in the car! What can I say, people dig me.

After the feast and the presentation of gifts, we headed down to the beach. Fortunately, Frankie and Annette weren't there breaking into silly songs and romping around with their goofball friends... I would have been annoyed. Nope, it was just us on a nice private beach. I tested the waters a little bit, but it was quite cold. Instead, I decided to build sandcastles and play in the sand. I was torn as to whether to build in an Art Deco style or Neoclassical. I'll do some pre-planning before my next beach excursion...maybe bring some blueprints. I must say that Aunt Barbara was a pretty good foreman, though. I'll have to keep her on staff.

Needless to say, by the time the day was over, I was wiped out. I was lucky enough to wake up in time for the greatest game of ladder golf ever played (tough luck Uncle John!), and then pooped out again on the ride home. Thanks to Father John for hosting us, thanks to everyone for coming, and thank goodness for sunscreen! It was a great first birthday... even though it was really my second :)

June 2007: Thank you I'll have another.

June came and went fast, but it was one of my favorite months so far. Since my birthday is right around the corner, June was my last first month (I'll pause for some of you to process that one----got it?----OK, I'll continue). I could write all day about all of the great things I did this month, but I thought it'd be better to sum it up through pictures. This way I spend less time typing and more time out doing cool new stuff to write about next month. Sound like a plan? I asked that question knowing that you would not be able to answer in time to change my mind, but at least I can say I made an effort. Anyways, here's my June:

Early in the month, I went to the Kalamazoo Art Fair with Grandpa and Grandma Buck. We saw some pretty things, some unique things, and some junk. Mom also let me get shot from a cannon! Nope, no "helicopter parents" here.

Later on, my Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Buck brought me my birthday gift a bit early... A NEW TOY BOX! Of course I helped put it together.

While we were in Grand Rapids one weekend, I got to go to the John Ball Zoo with Papa, Grammy, and my cousin Emily. Yeah, I touched a goat.

...then we sat poolside and relaxed a bit.

On four occasions, we packed up the old stroller and headed down to "Top of the Park", which is a month-long festival in Ann Arbor where they have concerts, performers, and ice cream...lots of ice cream. Our friends Paula and John came with us one time, and we saw crazy acrobats on poles. No kidding.

Yup, June was an action-packed month. I'm looking forward to July...especially my birthday. I'm hearing things about presents, parties, and a sugary concoction called cake. I'll keep you posted.

"Kitty"

I know that scientists have been classifying different animals and species into phylum through biological taxonomy for decades, but I have taken it upon myself to redefine and improve upon what others in academia have been unable to do. I have developed a new, stream-lined method in classifying organisms, and that is to call everything a "kitty" (or "Kithy" as I prefer to pronounce it). Whether it is a live animal, a picture in a book, a stuffed animal, or even a plant in the distance that looks like an animal; by classifying it as a "kitty", I have completely revolutionized the tedious work of classifying species. Once I learn how to speak in complete sentences, I plan to present this to the University's faculty for consideration. My guess is that they will grant me my doctorate on the spot. 'Bout time we had a Dr. Greenwald!

We've been keeping busy around here lately. Daddy is coaching baseball right now, and Mommy is always running me out to the store to get this, that, or the other. Last weekend, I spent some time with my grandparents in Kalamazoo. Grandma went out an picked me up a brand new pool, and we set it up out in the backyard. Mommy, Megan, and I spent the afternoon lounging poolside and soaking in the sun. Next time I'll have to order my bottle with an umbrella sticking out of it or a lime twist...I think that's what you're supposed to do. Anyways, we also hit an art festival while we were there. There was a lot of good food and a lot of neat things to look at. I had a lot of fun that weekend, and used a lot of sunscreen.


Last, but not least, I have a major announcement to make. I TOOK MY FIRST STEPS! I know none of you are the least bit surprised that I, Evangeline MacKenzie, would master this two-legged crawl that all of you seem to use to move from place to place, but I still feel that this was worth sharing. Mommy was very proud of me, and even sang me a special song based upon that theme. She tells me she learned it from a Mr. Rogers. Must be a nice guy, though his lyrics lead me to believe he's no Bob Dylan. Regardless, the gesture was appreciated. I am working hard to improve on this new form of getting myself around, and will surely keep you all posted.


'Til next time...

Oh Nature!

Over the past few weeks, I have spent considerably less time inside, and a heck of a lot more time outside... and I LOVE it! At daycare, I play with all of my friends in the backyard. I see birds, trees, green grass, and (my personal favorite) DIRT! Man, dirt sure is fun. When I get home, Mommy and Daddy take me for walks. Sometimes we walk around the neighborhood, while other times we go to "parks". Parks come in all shapes and sizes. Some have lots of trees, some have lots of grass. Some have lots of people, some have lots of squirrels. Some even have swings. It's a good thing I don't eat cookies yet, otherwise I might toss them when Dad's pushes me. Yikes.

So far my two favorite parks are Gallup Park and Nichols Arboretum (the "Arb"). They both follow the big river, and it's pretty neat to watch all of the canoes and kayaks go by. There are a lot of fun bridges, trails, and places to sit on a blanket and crawl around. Mommy always packs a lot of toys to play with, but I can usually keep myself busy just checking out the people walking by or playing with the grass and sticks that are all around. Worst case scenario, I crawl all over Dad-oo like he's a jungle gym until I've got enough drool on him that he's soaking wet. He has great shirts to chew on, and he's pretty understanding about this whole teething thing. He's good people.

I spent last weekend in Grand Rapids, and got to see a lot of family. Saturday we went to Aquinas to watch Uncle Mikey graduate. He got to dress up funny and parade around with a bunch of other people who looked like extras from a Harry Potter movie. What a goofball. As you can see by my "expression" in the picture here, the speaker was AMAZING (that's called sarcasm, boys and girls). I actually had fun playing with Grandma and Stacey, but that was a long afternoon and I required a nap. Good thing I slept though, otherwise I would have missed the feast that took place after the ceremony. Mommy has started to let me mooch a bit off of her plate... so the better she eats, the better I eat. Pasta, chicken, ice cream...yum.

We spent that evening with Papa and Grammy, so I got to go exploring all over their house. I always enjoy exploring new places and finding things that I'm not supposed to get into. Papa is much more lenient then Dad-oo when it comes to me making mess. Sucker. The next day we went to see my second cousin Nadia and congratulate he on her first Communion. She was dressed very pretty...like a little wedding dress. I have to get one of those. Anyways, all of my aunts, uncles, were there with my Great Grandma Greenwald. We ate a lot of food, but the best part was the doggie! This doggie didn't look like Spot, but it was cute none the less. As you can see, I got to pet her and chase her around. Doggie's are silly, but I prefer it when I'm getting all of the attention. Dogs tend to detract from that.

Until next time... you know where you can find me :)

Hey Boo Boo, where's our pic-in-ic basket?

Part II: Bath Time!!!

After a long day of playing...

... hiding...

...driving...

...discussing world events...

... and swimming with my friends...

...I can get pretty tired.

But before I go to bed at night... I always make sure I take a bath!

I always help get it ready...the water has to be just right.

An then when I'm done, Mom and Dad make sure I stay nice and warm.

Then it's time for bed.

That's my bath story :)

the end.

Part I: Day of the Bunny

A couple Sundays ago, we had a visitor. This visitor came at night, and entered our house undetected. Now, I'm not sure if Dad left a key out for him, or if he talked to our apartment manager or what, but that kind of creeps me out that he could do that. Anyways, this visitor was a bunny rabbit, and I guess he's kind of a big deal. Anyways, he left some toys and candy (which Mommy would not let me eat), so I guess he's good people. Everything in the basket was bright and colorful...unlike outside where it was grey, gloomy, and cold. What's so great about spring again? Yeah, I don't see it. Anyways, it was Easter.

That morning Mommy got me all dressed up, and Dad even tried to look nice for once. Then, right before we went to church, in came Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Mikey, and a very nice lady who was way too pleasant and attractive for Mikey to be hanging out with. We'll call her Stacey (because that's her name). We all loaded in a couple cars and drove of to St. Francis, where Father MacDougal does his little song and dance. After that, we went to brunch. For those of you who do not know, brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch. What this means is that if you're 6 months or younger, you can have a breakfast bottle or a lunch bottle. Lucky for me I'm way older than that, so I got to steal from Mommy's plate (Dad ate his too fast, so I didn't want to get a finger caught up in that). The best thing about the brunch was that all of my great grandparents came to see us. G-G Tom and G-G Betty came over from Dearborn, and Great Grandma and Grandpa Buck came over from Kalamazoo. It's always fun to play with them. I got to sit on just about every bodys' lap and check out the view. There were a lot of people there, but I was definitely the cutest. Seriously.

After the feast, everyone looked real tired...EXCEPT ME! Nope, no time to nap, too much to do! While all of the gluttons passed out around the house with their bellies full of ham and french toast, I decided to do a few laps around the place with Grandpa Davey. He let me get into pretty much anything I wanted to, which always makes for a good time. Finally, I wore him out, too, and it was time to say goodbye. I slept good that night.

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.

Peas, Pools, and a Sleepy Mommy

New year, new Evie! Yup, this year is pretty fun so far. I crawl around, I'm eating new foods, I'm taking swim classes, and I'm learning how to make new sounds every day. The only thing that hasn't changed is that Mom and Dad look exhausted every evening when we're home. Well, in the morning, too. OK, most of the time they look beat... but they always seems to find some extra energy to make me laugh and teach me things. I'm not sure why they're so tired... I mean I get to take naps all day, don't they?

Speaking of naps, that's my second favorite hobby. Right now my first is trying new foods. I'm becoming a regular connoisseur when it comes to mushed up fruits and veggies. Bananas, peas, carrots, peaches, prunes... you name it and I've tried it. I love 'em all, but the pears can be a little tart at times. Still, nothing beats a good bottle to cap the night off right. Dad mixes a heck of a formula in case you'd ever be interested. Be sure to ask him to keep it on the warm side...I promise he won't disappoint.

One of my favorite times of day is bath time. I love to splash the water all around and get Daddy as wet as possible. Mommy let's me float on my back and try to grab the water that's filling up the tub. This past week, I got to go to a new tub. A HUGE tub. There were tons of babies and their parents, and we all swam around and had fun. I got to swim on my back, on my tummy, and I even went underwater like Paula and John's fishies. I can't wait to go back. It's probably a good thing we go to this other tub, because all of those people wouldn't fit in ours very well.

Time for bed, but I'll talk to you all soon :)

Happy This, Merry That... Can I Stop Wearing Red Now?

Drive, eat, take toys out of boxes... at first it seemed as if this is all that these "holidays" were. As the week went on, I realized that it was a bit more than that, but being that I'm still a baby I tend to generalize. One thing I did notice was that Christmas is not like it is on TV. There was no white stuff on the ground or falling from the sky; there was no crisis to threaten the very arrival of the festivities, only to be saved at the last minute by some miraculous occurance; and nobody broke into song in the middle of a conversation. Ho, ho, humbug.

First stop was Papa and Grammy Greenwald's. We were there for three days, and we saw Great Grandma Greenwald and Aunt Ethel while we were there. Aunt Carrie, Uncle Billy, Andy, and Emily came by on Christmas Eve. This was my first chance to open presents! The tree had about a million boxes, bags, and other objects wrapped in colorful papers. Here's what I don't get: people spend hours ellaborately wrapping these gifts and making them look so pretty, and then they just get torn open a few days later. Someday I'm sure it will make more sense. Anyways, I had so much fun. I got a musical train from Papa and Grammy, a neat rattle from Aunt Carrie and Uncle Billy, and a BIG dinosaur from Mom and Dad.

That evening, we went to Papa and Grammy's church. There were a lot of people there, and the music was very pretty. Towards the end, the lights were dimmed and everyone held a candle. It was neat to see all of the little lights being held in the air as everyone sang. I sang, too.

The next morning we woke up very early and drove down to see Grandpa and Grandma Buck and Uncle Mikey. Upon our arrival, Mommy notified me that there had been a guest there the night before, and that he left some things for me in a big old sock above the fireplace. Turns out that Santa Claus (once thought to be a fat Kenny Rogers) came and brought us all gifts. How he knew I'd be there that morning is beyond me, but I hear that he has elves that used to work for the CIA or something (Quick background on that: It seems that upon the end of the Cold War the capitalist elves were out of work since there was no reason to spy on the communist elves anymore. Santa hired them up a short time after and his naughty/nice intelligence has never been better.). After we looted the Santa presents, we headed to church. This was good news for me because it gave me a chance to sing again. Everyone must really think I have a great voice because they all turn to look at me whenever I do.

After church...more presents! This time from Grandpa and Grandma. The best was an American Girl doll from Chicago. I named her Lucy. Lucy and I get along great, and I told her I thought we should be roommates. So far she's kept her stuff pretty neat and has not been too loud. I see this as a start of a beautiful friendship.

Later on, Great Grandma and Grandpa Kneffel came over with Aunt Barbra and Uncle John. Everyone had a lot of fun, and ate a LOT of food. I stuck to my peas and formula (see above). Great Grandma and Grandpa Buck came by that evening, and I got to meet my Uncle Ron, Aunt Robin, and second cousin Kara. Dad told me that they were "cheeseheads" because they lived in Wisconsin. Now maybe I wasn't looking in the right places, but I checked their heads thoroughly and did not find an ounce of cheese. Kara smelled a bit of gouda at times, but I never found any evidence.

So overall, my first Christmas was a lot of fun. I liked spending time with all of my family... but it was nice to come home to relax a bit. I'm spent. Time to kick back, roll around, and finally figure out this crawling thing...I gotta figure out how to stop going in reverse.

Happy New Year!

Wow, I'm Going to Have a Lot More Friends :)

Mom and Dad just found out that I'm going to have more friends around real soon. Brendan and Nikki, Brian and Julie, Doug and Elizabeth, and Mark and Mandy are all having babies soon! I can't wait to meet them all and tell them about how things work. I pretty much have this place all figured out by now.

Strange Traditions and Rituals are Afoot!

So ever since it started getting cold outside, it seems like Mom and Dad have me doing some weird stuff. Strange outfits, colorful decorations, and big meals have been a weekly thing it seems. Though it's been fun, I don't seem to quite understand the point if it all. I'll talk to the kids at daycare about it and see what thay know.

So a while back, when the trees were all different colors, we drove over to see Great Grandpa and Grandma Kneffel. Mom put me in a funny outfit. It was soft and fuzzy... and Dad kept taking pictures of me in it. While we sat and talked, people kept coming to their door and Great Grandpa Tom kept giving them candy. This went on for a few hours. The people looked really funny, and sometimes I wasn't even sure if they were people at all. It was silly, but kinda scary. I had fun.

A few weeks later we headed over to Papa and Grammy's house in Grand Rapids. Right when we got there, I noticed that it smelled really good. Papa and Grammy were running around the kitchen with all sorts of bowls and plates of things. Then, out came "the bird". It didn't look like a bird, but everyone kept calling it one. Aunt Carrie, Uncle Billy, Andy, and Emily all came over, too. They all ate a lot of food, but I couldn't keep from thinking that that "bird" looked like it could use that outfit Mom had put me in a few weeks before... it must have been cold. Dad and Papa were also busy putting trees and lights all around the house for a couple of days. I've never seen a tree inside before, but the lights were very pretty. From top to bottom, Papa and Grammy's house was covered in green and red, light and glitter, and some chubby guy with a beard. That Kenny Rogers guy really let himself go.

So the day after the feast, Grandma and Grandpa Buck drove up and met Mom, Dad, and I at a big mall. Now I'm no stranger to these "malls", but this was different. There were A LOT more people than usual, and everyone seemed either in a real big hurry, or they were just standing around in a long, long, long line. Dad told me that this was capitalism in action. Ok, Dad...whatever you say (Dad says silly things sometimes... I don't have the heart to tell him he's nuts). Anyways, we were out there all day, and it was fun to see all of the commotion. I had to take a couple naps, but all-and-all it was fun.

It seems as if this idea of bringing trees inside has caught on, and Mom and Dad brought one inside the other day. I like looking at all of the little toys and shinny things on it...it's pretty. There's a little town undeneath it that lights up, too. Mom told me that this Kenny Rogers-looking guy's going to come around to everyone's house and give them things. That's great and all, but I just hope I don't get his CD. Dad plays alot of great music for me, but "You Decorated My Heart" is a song I could do without. I'll stick with the Coldplay, U2, and that other band the kids seem to like these days.

We'll I can't wait to see what other crazy stuff I get to take part in over the next few weeks. This is all quite strange to me. Next thing you know, they'll be talking about giant rabbits going around and giving candy to kids, or little angels who shoot people with magic arrows. Ha, now I'm just being silly.

Yuck, My Nose is Leaking

I have not had a chance to write for a while now. Instead of writing, I have spent a lot of time having Mom and Dad wipe my nose and bundle me up. When Dad walks me to the car in the morning, I see smoke coming out of his mouth, and the windowns are all white.

At night, I cough a lot. I don't know why. Nobody had taught me how to stop coughing yet... I'll ask someone at daycare if they know how. Now I hear Mommy and Daddy coughing, too. It's a yucky month so far.