Dr. Jekyll and Miss Hyde Party Time

Hi Everyone,

I hope the summer is treating you well-- the weather seems to have so much of our country in a big mess these days!

We keep getting socked or "almost" socked with rain here in Rhode Island. It is making it hard to plan for outside fun.

I am slowly getting Josie Dong Dong ready for her new routine in the real world-- the one outside of "me and Mommy," namely, Day Care. Yes it is a big Boo Hoo for me as well, but alas, we haven't found the winning power ball ticket as of yet, so, so far, it will be back to work for me in the next few weeks-- at least part time.

I think the timing will work for Josie. This week we started our play dates at her day care and Josie is definitely happy to see other toddlers she can play with. She is a little clingy with me, but that is less and less with each visit. She has a big smile on her face while we are there and today she started clapping her hands when we walked into the building.

Josie and I also had our first mommy and me swim class this week. Josie is by far the STAR of the class. She LOVES the water and had no problems dunking her head under the water (more than mommy wanted her to!), kicking her legs and splashing her arms-- not to mention jumping off the side of the pool into my arms! The class was filled with squeals of giggles from the little Dong Dong.

Josie is definitely starting to show more and more signs of a growing confidence in being independent. It all became very obvious this past weekend when we went to Auntie Michelle's Baby Shower.

I dressed Josie in a very pretty party dress that was given to me from my friend Jeanne at my baby shower (Thanks Jeanne!). Josie wasn't quite sure what to think of the fancy dress at first-- so she did what she always does in a new situation-- she broke-out her thinking thumb and gave it some thought.

I managed to get her thumb out and then a few giggles.

But everything went downhill after that when we tried to take a picture of her standing in her very pretty party dress.

"Where are my pants?!"

"I don't want to wear this dress!"
"I don't want to go to the party!"

Needless to say, I was a little worried about how the party was going to turn out with little Miss Dong Dong carrying on the way that she was.

But, at the party, she got to eat some yummy food (food always helps with Josie) and then she got a special party gift favor from Auntie Michelle-- of course the real treasure was the bag the gift came in.

"I have a new pretty purse."

The next thing I new, Josie Dong Dong was up and gone! She was walking all over the Hall greeting the other guests and showing off her new "purse."

"Does everybody like my pretty party dress?

I have a new purse too."

In the end, Josie Dong Dong did a complete 180 and had a great time at the party. She spent most of the time walking and running (sort of) around following the other big girls (ages ~6) who were at the party. Sorry I don't have more pictures, but Josie kept me busy chasing her around.

"I'm a Party Girl!"