Chasing Butterflies

More like chasing Sydney.

Schedules aligned, so Brian and I took advantage of a free day to meet Julie for lunch in Indy, then take Sydney to the butterfly exhibit in the White River Gardens.

Brian's fine photography skills at work here.


Brian and I took turns netting Sydney.


Sydney admires a bamboo fountain in a pond. I admire Sydney.


Sydney's attention span toward the butterflies was flighty. Syd preferred the outdoor gardens. She had more room to run away.


If you can't beat them, join them. We played hide-and-seek.





The outside gardens at White River reminded me of one my favorite kid novels, The Secret Garden. There were little sprouts of green and life emerging from the ground. Some color was beginning to show too. Signs of life were everywhere.

I really didn't mind chasing Sydney through the garden.

Purple, Pickle & Puppy

These are three of Sydney's words. Puppy is so yesterday. She started saying 'puppy' about a month ago. Then, everything was a puppy. Puppy this. Puppy that. Last week it was 'duck.' Duck this. Duck that. (Yes, I made sure it was duck.)

Brian and I play with words everyday in our jobs. I'm such a dork that I even subscribe to an online dictionary that sends me a word of the day. These words are often unusual and complicated, but lately I've taken more of an interest in Sydney's word engineering. I never thought much about the word puppy ... or purple ... or pickle, but I now find these words captivating too. I don't feel this way about all of her words. I mean a pig is a pig.

Sydney's language acquisition can also be credited to her student sitters. That's where puppy and purple came from. Pickle is from Sydney and I reading Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Speaking of words ... this photo is of Sydney reacting to my sister Julie saying "moooo."

Sydney is a very happy baby, but it's not often she combusts into a fit of giggles. Usually, she only finds the situation funny once. Then she moves on. Her first moments of unbridled laughter were from me panting like a puppy and us rolling masking tape off a lint roller.

The photo is from Dec. 28. Julie was watching Sydney and while doing so, she discovered Sydney loved it when she moooed. Sydney is laughing at Julie, and I am laughing at Sydney. Three months later, Sydney has yet to laugh at a mooo again.

This photo is from early January. Love that smile.

Sydney surveys her Easter basket.

The "Easter Bunny" found that adorable giraffe at the Smithsonian.


Easter Bailey helps Sydney survey her goods.

Sydney and Grandpa.

Who needs an Easter basket when you escape with Easter tissue paper?


Sydney was enticed back with her new Easter bunny that plays the traditional Easter hymn by Little Richard, 'Tutti Frutti.'


The Easter Egg hunt. Her 'basket' is actually her new watering can. Sydney and I are planting a tomato garden this summer. I say planting, because I am not sure if I can grow anything. My plant of choice is usually found in the drought-resistant section of the nursery.
We're growing tomatoes because Sydney loves salsa. We might add some peppers and cilantro too. Sydney also received her first stickers so she can personalize her watering can.

Competitive spirit? Or, masquerading as the Easter pig.

Tastes like orange.

Sydney's puppy book. She first said puppy while reading this book.

Brian and I are still in awe of this little person toddling around our house. Some nights we get in bed, then hop out, so we can look at her, again.

Let us ...

Sydney helps with dinner ... I mean Sydney holds a piece of lettuce while I make dinner.


Irony: Brian spends almost five days in Washington D.C. covering the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament and has no luck spotting any politicians, elected officials or lame ducks in office. Less than 48 hours back in West Lafayette he gets to hear a former president (Bill Clinton) talk at the West Lafayette High School. Too funny.

Norton

Unfortunately, Norton passed away today.
He had been sick these past few months. He will be missed.

Norton playing with Brian.

Norton in the bathroom that he locked himself in by jarring a drawer so the door could not open.

He never understood his limits.
He always tried to fit in places that he did not fit.

Norton and Vader sunning.

Norton thinking.

Both cats like to drink from the faucet.

Norton used to sleep on a shelf in our closet.
Another example of not knowing his limits.
His 19-pound frame destroyed part of the closet.

Ham.

Brian's buddy.

Walk, Don't Run

Sydney's not quite as graceful as Cary Grant, but she is making strides. She's evolved from walking from person-to-person to room-to-room. These recent mobility moments have been captured via camcorder and not camera, so I'll just describe her efforts.

She walks with her arms extended like Frankenstein. Usually, her tongue is hanging out of her mouth and she's bug-eyed. Her smile is so big, it seems that her cheeks are bursting with ping-pong balls. When she lands - reaches her destination - she is overcome with relief and sometimes giggles. We're hopeful she'll outgrow the Frankenstein impersonation ... if not, she'll have a Halloween costume ready for next year.

Just a fun, post-bath photo below.