Dorothy's 3rd Birthday Party

Making the cake

Friends in the park...

Concern over the wind and the flames

Dorothy had a slice of cake

And a "decorate-your-own cupcake"

Jump!

After the party

Making my party sign

Happy 3rd birthday, Dorothy Jane!

And to my birthday buddy, Uncle Patrick, who turns thirty-something today.

Ages 3+

Maybe Candyland should wait until tomorrow

Decorating balloons

Play doh cupcake

Storm has passed, all is well

Playing during the rain and wind

Calm before the storm

Snooze

Pit stop on Evacuation Road (#Irma)

Rosy cheeks

Same glasses, same kid

Love-Love

You're invited

The Sunday Funnies

I close Dorothy's bedroom door at night until she says "red light", then I leave it cracked at the suggested width.  As she often does, Dorothy was pretending to be a baby, so just before I left the room I asked, "Do babies say 'red light' or 'gaa gaa goo goo'?"  She said in a high pitch, "They say wed wight in their wittle voice."

With our tacos for dinner I gave Dorothy a spoonful of refried beans; she tasted it, set the spoon down, and declared, "This is not tasty peanut butter."

Dorothy is in her dinosaur stage; she referred to her gummy vitamin shape as a "t'rex-a-saurus" (pronounce the "Tt" sound, not the letter).  Also, it's a "vitamint".

Playing outside:  "I am going to use this watering can and dump out the water to make the flowers happen."

We visited a friend's house to swim.  Dorothy walked into the backyard and saw the many pool noodles and floats in the pool; then she ran back to me, yelling excitedly, "Mama, this pool has all the things!"

Dorothy:  "More cucumber."**
Mom:  "You want MORE cucumber?!"**
Dorothy:  "I want to eat more cucumber until we run out of some cucumber."

"What can you do for me?"  This is Dorothy's prompt whenever she wants me to suggest a snack, a treat, a toy, etc.

Meeting Geoffrey, the Toys 'R' Us giraffe

Let's wash the wagon

Chameleon

The Three Bears

Dorothy, stand by the slug. Now look at the slug. I'm taking your picture. Touch the slug.

Dorothy, your hair is getting long again

The Sunday Funnies

Dorothy was playing with a rubber bouncy ball that got away from her.  It bounced across the floor and she said, "It's playing by itself!"

Dorothy saw someone juggling on t.v. and she said "They are playing."  I asked what they were playing, and she paused and then said, "They were picking up five things one at a time and moving them."

We put on our rainboots to go outside in the sprinkles and Dorothy unexpectedly went to the front door, which has a glass window screen; I said, "Why are you going that way?" and she said, "Cause it's raining out the front door."

"I used to do this but I am too young now."

Dorothy likes to offer an endless chain of "whys" and "whats":  Why do we eat food?  Why do we need energy?  Why do we need to move?**
I turned the tables.  While doing her hair I said, "What is a hairband for?"  "For putting in your hair," she said.  "What is hair for?" I asked.  "For putting hairbands in," she said.

All of Dorothy's clothes are supposed to be labeled for school, so on some mornings I grab a marker and write "DD" inside her socks.  Dorothy saw me do this for the 10th time and I said I was "writing 'DD' for your name."  She replied, "And after that if my name changes you can write FF."

Walkin' through the grocery store eatin' samples

Deck Man

Who needs a rolling pin?

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qk6WEVc2UM

Total eclipse of the phone

We were quite disappointed that we had 100% cloud cover in Savannah for the solar eclipse which was at 97% totality here.  15 minutes prior to peak, it began to rain, and 5 minutes later, the lightening started...so Dorothy and Mama climbed into the car to watch the sky turn to dusk.  What a bust!

We come in peace (happy solar eclipse)

The Sunday Funnies

Sarah:  Good morning, Dorothy!**
Dorothy:  Is it my birthday today?  Can I have a gummy dinosaur vitamin?  Can I have a marshmallow?

Dorothy watched me sweep a big pile of dirt from the kitchen floor, and then said, "I want to do that!  Make it messy again!"

Mama's favorite words (video):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAyNCAXI0MA

Weekend trip to Kohl's

Stuffed animal toy dog with batteries

In Target, I changed my mind and turned the cart around.  Dorothy asked why.  I said, "That's just my MO.  I make a wrong turn and then turn around."  She said, "My MO is I say, 'Mommy, I want to go this way', and then you make the cart go that way."**

She found a battery-operated stuffed animal dog that barked at her from a shelf.  We took it into the cart and returned it to the shelf before we checked-out.  Dorothy wanted to take the dog out of the box, and I told her we couldn't take it out.  She pointed to the picture of the girl on the box playing with the dog and said, "But she took the dog out."**

Dorothy said, "When we get home, I want to pretend to be a dog." We continued shopping.  Five minutes later, she said, "When we get home, I want to pretend to be a dog and you can put me in a box and then you can go shopping and take me off the shelf and play with me in the box."  See photo below.

"Look, the light is making the Cheshire Cat's smile"

Let's do another blessing

Video:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8MNy5kksR0Y

Afternoon thunderstorms

Dorothy's first movie

I told Dorothy we were on our way to Toy Story and she said, "I usually call that the kids' section."**

When the Disney logo appeared on screen, Dorothy announced, "Hey!  That's what happens on our t.v.!"**

The movie begins with the character Andy playing with his toys.  10 minutes into the movie when Andy exits his bedroom, the toys spring to life.  Dorothy saw Woody sit up and speak and she yelled in the theater, "He's real!"

The Sunday Funnies

Dorothy, out of the blue:  "My teacher says she will think about my ideas."

Dorothy, playing with letter magnets:  What sound does this make?**
Sarah:  Zzzzzzzz, like zipper.**
Dorothy:  No, not like zipper.  Like sleep.

Dorothy uses an eraser to "un-rase" her pictures.

Dorothy was spitting, and I said, "Don't do that!  What would your teachers say?"**
Dorothy sheepishly replied, "I only do it at home."

Dorothy picked up some ViewMaster reels and asked for the ViewMaster toy so she could "take pictures".

Sarah:  Kids don't usually like spicy things.**
Dorothy:  I like those spicy colorful things.  [Sour Patch Kids!]

A month after eating s'mores on our Kentucky vacation, I offered Dorothy a marshmallow.  She said, "This time I don't want to eat them in fire."

At the botanical gardens, Dorothy asked about a sign that had a picture of a snake and a warning.  I told her that the sign says there are snakes in nature so you should keep an eye out for them.  She said, "If you change the words on the sign, it will say there are no snakes in nature."

Dorothy picked up a wooden alphabet block with the letter D and said, "Look!  Dean for Dorothy!"

Dorothy showed me the numbers she punched on a calculator and said, "Here, Mom, I paid the bills for you."

Can I do it again?

Video:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0NR800x_Z30

A cure for hiccups

Chillin' Poolside

Lunch to end the weekend. Pic by Mom.

Lunch to start the weekend. Pic by Dad.

The Sunday Funnies

Dorothy:  Mama, I washed my hands!  Now I can watch the movie and touch things!

Mom:  You need to go back to bed.  I will check on you in five minutes.**
Dorothy runs back to her bedroom, and loud fake crying begins.**
Dorothy appears again in the living room:  I need a Kleenex to dry up my tears because I am crying.

Dorothy consistently uses the word "simply" to mean "accidentally":**
"I simply tripped on the carpet."**
"You simply gave me blue instead of red."**
"I simply spilled my milk."

Brian turned the kitchen island after mopping the floor, and the next day, Dorothy circled the island, saying, "Now where is that little door that leads to the play-doh?"

Brian was reading a picture book in Spanish.  Dorothy told him, "No, say the right words."

Another angle

Vortex