On the Road Again

Have you been wondering where I've been?? For a while there, I wasn't sure where home was! We're back at our new home in Georgia now, but I've been pestering my mother for almost 2 weeks to tell you all about my trip to Illinois. Finally!
I had a wonderful time meeting new people, seeing family, talking to animals, and experiencing all kinds of new things in Illinois. It was lovely at my great uncle & aunt's farm. It was so quiet, and there were beans and corn growing in every direction. Every now and then, a big dog (cow) would wander by. My favorite thing to do was to run off toward the barn, because that's where the other big dogs (horses) and the kitties lived. I loved the cats, and tried hard to catch them. That would have been easier if they had tails to grab onto.

I got to meet 2nd cousins, 3rd cousins, great aunts and uncles, and great great aunts and uncles. I attended my first wedding, and even helped myself to their very first piece of wedding cake! I studied my baby 3rd cousin, Jace, but didn't completely make up my mind about him. He was certainly cute, but I'm not used to being around someone smaller than me. My mother keeps saying that I should get used to it, but I don't know what she's talking about.

There are also many interesting machines on the farm. I "drove" this big tractor, and this 4-wheeler. I couldn't actually get them to move, but it was still pretty exciting for a girl my age to be behind the wheel!






My parents, dogs, and I are settling into our new home very well. There are still lots of boxes sitting around, but it's looking a little more like home every day. More soon, I promise!

P.S. Happy Birthday, Gram!

The Gracie went down to Georgia

We've packed up and moved out! The first couple days were not too bad... some nice people came and put our stuff in boxes, which made a fun maze of boxes for me. The third day, they took all our stuff, and the fourth day we had an empty house, and I didn't care for that so much. I hope all of my toys make it to our new home.

The real fun began on the first day of the roadtrip. My dad put me in the car, and there was my own little TV wired up in the back seat, and Yo Gabba Gabba! was on. Yes, in the car!! I was overjoyed. Just when I thought life couldn't get any better, Casey the gog jumped in the car and sat in the seat next to me! What more could a girl need besides her dogs and her favorite shows??

Casey and I really improved our friendship during the long drive. I shared all of my snacks with her, and she was very helpful in keeping my car seat clean. My parents memorized the 2 1/2 episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba! and the Sesame Street "Let's Make Music" special that I watched over and over. I watched those 2 DVD's at least 4 times each per day. They never got old. My parents tried to show me some others, but I really just liked those. The drive was long, but I behaved like a little angel. By Day 4, I was so delirious that I thought making noises by putting my toes in my mouth might be a good addition to my comedy routine.

We're in Savannah now, staying at a hotel until we can move into the new house. I love getting to spend so much time with the dogs, and always having my parents in the same room with me. And the best part of staying in hotels? Swimming pools. I've been having a daily swim, and quite enjoying it.

Next week, more travels: Illinois for my mom's cousin's wedding and to meet more family! Can't wait!

The Gracie Show

I seem to have a natural talent for entertaining whoever is around me. People are always laughing, clapping, and smiling whenever I perform one of my tricks. I've been working on some new acts.

Storytelling is one of my best performances. I hop up in my chair by myself, crack open one of my favorite books, and tell the story with my own special flare and commentary. My parents seem to especially love this one.



Walking without seeing where I am going is a skill that I haven't quite perfected yet, but amuses me quite a bit. The problem is that I occasionally trip or run into things and hurt myself. But most of the time, it's good fun! I know Aunt G really liked this part of the show.






Anything can go on your head. I'm still testing out which things are funny on my head. My mother does not seem so entertained when I put macaroni and cheese or mushy carrots on my head. This diaper made a very fashionable hat, as do many of my toys.






Last, I've been developing some acrobatic climbing talents. I can see a lot of potential for this act. I think this is just the beginning...

Is there a variety show in my future??

Touring with Aunt G & Uncle James

Aunt Gretchen and Uncle James stopped in Colorado last week as part of their mega-road trip. I had tremendous fun with Aunt G and Uncle James. Upon their arrival, I warmed them up with some entertainment during dinner. Then, I had several things I needed to teach them, such as how I ride my ladybuggy, and how to slide at the playground. They caught on very quickly. Aunt G and I are two of a kind, and I wanted to spend every second with her. I didn't even want her to go downstairs and brush her teeth without me!



We saw some Colorado sights while they were here. We went to the Royal Gorge Bridge in Canon City. I walked (and rode in my stroller some) across a 1,260 foot long wooden plank suspension bridge, almost 1,000 feet above the Arkansas River. I went right up to the edge and looked down. I wasn't scared. I even rode in the Sky Tram, and I saw some bison and elk, and I touched a goat (aka "gog.") It was a lovely day trip.









Our other big outing was to the Olympic Training Center. I haven't decided for which Olympic sport I want to train. My dad says I'd be a great wrestler, but I don't know. The huge pool looked like fun, and I also really liked driving this bobsled. The other exciting part of this tour was meeting this mascot from the Beijing Olympics. I gave her a big hug and kiss, and people seemed really amused by my affection. I don't know why??


















I hope to see Aunt G and Uncle James again soon. As for my parents and me, our time in Colorado is nearing an end. Stay tuned for the final chapter of Colorado, and our exciting adventure to Georgia!

My new home.

You might be expecting to see pictures of me in front of a historical Old South mansion, at the beach on Tybee Island, or eating dinner with Paula Deen. No, that was not this trip to Savannah. But, my parents did take me to lots of empty houses, where I was allowed to run freely, open cabinets & drawers, and press my face against windows. I actually had a pretty good time.

We also had hotel dance parties, and I got to have my morning milk in bed while watching cartoons. That's what vacation is all about, right? I'll have to refine my ettiquette a bit if I am going to become a Southern belle.



My parents are getting me a nice house, too! I am going to have a big room, with a nice window that I can reach by myself, and a long flight of stairs to play on. I'm looking forward to it.



In other news, I am 15 months old. Here are my new stats:

* Weight: 22 pounds + 4 ounces. (42%)

* Heights: 31.5 inches. (82%)

* Noggin: 47 centimeters. (80%)

* Teeth: 7 in front, plus 4 molars cutting through! They're all coming at once, and it's making me a little grumpy.

* Travels: 6 states now. Pretty good for a youngster, and I was a model traveler.

More news soon... Aunt G is coming, so there is sure to be vast amounts of new photos next week!

My new home?

I think I am going to live at the Children's Museum of Denver. I had never been anywhere like it. It is the only place where I could run around, and pick-up and touch anything and everything that I wanted. Nobody told me, "do not open that!" or pried my prized objects from my little hands. I crawled on things, spun things around, and even grabbed things and carried them away. There were tunnels and playhouses and lots of people my age. There was a whole room of bubble-making gadgets, and a giant yellow dome filled with sand and toys, which I actually got to play in. (I did learn a valuable lesson about not feeding sand to other kids, no matter how much they annoy me.) I haven't talked to my parents about living there yet, but I think it's a terrific plan. If I can't live there, at least it was a very nice way to end Dad's vacation from work!

Zoolander

I've been keeping busy doing regular kinds of stuff. Mostly, I enjoy playing with my dad. How life has changed in the last month! Also, I'm becoming an excellent dancer, I've been to the Denver Zoo, and I enjoyed 4th of July.

Much to my surprise, there were not many dogs at the zoo. My favorite animals were the jaguar, sea lions, big fish, and lizards. They were the most personable. The ones that stood still, hid, and/or were far away, did not interest me much. We saw bears, lions, hippopotamuses, and monkeys too. It was a really great day.














On 4th of July, I was styling some red, white, and blue fashion, thanks to my Aunt G. I got to bounce in a jump house at Ironhorse Park. That was pretty cool, because just me, my mom, and one other person my age were in there. No big kids. Bouncing is really fun. I can also do some good bouncing on the couch if my parents will take the cushions off, but I digress. After jumping, we went to some friends' house and cooked outside and I got to play in the rocks. (Also, very cool.) We watched some fireworks, and I fell asleep. Another great day!

Other than that, I've been going to the playground, working on my dance moves, teaching dad new games, and telling my mom what to make for meals. I do this by taking what I want out of the cupboard or refrigerator, and running around the house with it. My favorites are grapes, mandarin oranges, and uncooked spaghetti. I'm working on words too. My newest words are "up" (as in pick-me up!), "Daddy" (as in Dad, let's play!), and "what is it?" I also said "fish" at the zoo. I say LOTS of other words, but they have secret meanings that only I understand. I've got 5 teeth now, and I'm working on 3 more. More news soon!

Fun in VT, Part Deux

The object of this game is to see how many times the boys would pick up my cup for me. I thought it was hysterical. I could've played all night. I've tried playing it with my mom since we've been back home, and she must not be as smart as my cousins, because she just puts the cup where I can't reach it. Duh.


Here I am bouncing on the trampoline. I didn't jump very high, but I've been practicing on the couch at home this week.

This is Riley and me on the swing at the playground. We got along great. I wish she lived closer! I also loved that blue rubber mulch stuff, and I did NOT eat it.

Here, I am trying to climb up a steep tunnel to get to my mother and the other kids. I finally made it with a little help.

Me and the guys, studying up on farm animal noises. Aren't they sweet?


Trying out the tire swing at Uncle Steve & Aunt Becky's house. Riley and I kept it low-key, but next time I visit, I'll be swinging high and spinning fast!

Can you even handle all the fun I had???

Adventures in Maple Syrup Land

Life just gets better and better. I had the time of my life in St. Albans, Vermont, aka the Maple Capital of the World. I may have so much to tell you that it will take me a couple entries to share all the fun that I had there.

In addition to seeing Gram and Uncle Steve again, I finally got to meet cousins, aunts, uncles, and various other family members who I had been waiting a very long time to meet. Cousins are the coolest, and I've got a bunch of them. I love them all, but I had the most fun with the ones that aren't full-grown yet. I really, really wanted to keep up with "the big kids."
I saw them digging in the sand and swinging really high, and running and jumping around, and I wanted to do it all! They did a really great job of including me in the big kid activities, especially Riley. She made sure the boys didn't get too wild with me. Jarrett, Shawn, and Eric were tons of fun. I played a game with them that made me laugh so hard! I'll have to show you all soon.

I got to spend a lot of time outdoors, and my mother was right... it's much more fun to play outside when I don't eat things that I find on the ground. (I only tasted a couple of things). We had cook-outs and I got to swing and bounce on the trampoline. I went swimming in an outdoor pool, and went to a fabulous playground right by Lake Champlain.The playground was super fun, because all the big kids played with me. I went down the slide, played in the blue rubber mulch, and did lots of swinging. It was wicked awesome. (They say "wicked" in Vermont. It makes my mother giggle). We had more cook-outs, and I got to meet more cousins, aunts, uncles, great aunts and uncles, 2nd cousins, friends... it was really wonderful.

We went to New York to go shopping! So, that's one more state I've visited in my young life! The weirdest part was that we drove our car onto a boat and went across the lake to get back home. We did not see Champ the lake monster. Maybe next time.

My dad was a little obsessed with "Cree-mees." I think my parents each had at least one per day for every day that we were there. I tried one, and I did not care for it. My parents say they are going to open a Cree-mee stand in Georgia, and become zillionaires.

It's past my bedtime. Check back soon for footage of my hilarious cup game with my cousins!

The Return of the Daddy

I've been having so much fun with my Dad that I haven't taken the time to give you all the big update! My Dad came home from Afghanistan on Friday. My mom and I waited and waited and waited. I tried to entertain the masses while we waited for all of the Daddy's to arrive, but it was a huge crowd, and they couldn't hear my jokes.

Finally, lots of music and cheering and applause, and all the Daddy's appeared!


It was really exciting, but I still wasn't sure about him at first. I watched him really closely that first day. I studied everything he did. I came to the conclusion that, yep, he's my Dad! Now I follow him everywhere he goes and play with him every chance I get.
One of the first things he did was to get me my very own car. We've been driving it to the playground, where we swing and slide. He's taught me to blow kisses and ride my ladybug too. Got to go play with Dad now! More soon!