McDonalds

Two fun facts about McDonalds in Asia.

1. They have happy meals in Asia!

Annaka was thrilled to get a cute little blue plastic headband with her nuggets and drink. Yep, you heard me right Happy meals come with zero french fries. Since that is mainly what Annaka eats when we go to McDonalds, Clint and I took over most of her nuggets and gave her several our fries.

She wore that headband until it was time to climb into bed!

2. They have a really cool disco room for birthday parties! We walked in the other day and saw about fifteen girls dancing in a room with glass walls. The lights were off and there were sparkles gliding over the walls and the girls from the hanging disco ball. Every once in a while the girls would run out into the middle of the restaurant and sing happy birthday to the birthday girl.

Annaka Nuggets

Burp...

Do you now the sound you can make when trying to sound like a frog. No, not the word Ribbit but when you suck air in and make a funny sound. One of Annaka's favorite things right now is to do that and then look around, giggle, and say "excuse me" with a big grin. She is pretending to burp. Newsflash little princess....girls are supposed to pretend to curtsy to twirl or diaper your baby doll....not burp!

Dogs...

Also, whenever she hears a dog barking she informs me that Clifford the big red dog is barking at her. We have had to have the conversation a few times already that we do not run up and try to pet every dog we meet on the street. In fact we really dont want to touch them at all. We should just wave.

Language...

We have been here a week today and Annaka (i think) has already picked up a word and used it correctly. Playing with play dough with Clint earlier today she looked at him and said "good good" but not in English! Somehow she has picked up studdering (the week before leaving) in English and is picking up language here. This will be quite an experience to see how her mind works now. (p.s. the sudden studdering thing sent me on a huge google-fest trying to see what is 'wrong' and what to do....found out it is normal around 2 or 2 1/2 and shouldnt last long....any advice? )

Sense of Humor...

She is developing a sense of humor all of her own. Making up stories, even using a different voice when telling me what someone (or something) says. She saw a squirrel hopping along and told me that he was looking for his mommy and was saying 'mommy, mommy, hold you me mommy' Yes the squirrel had his own voice.

Our sense of humor...

Sometimes it is just us that ends up rolling in laughter. I feel we laugh many times a day at what she says/does but this is t he only one that comes to mind as I am sitting to type this. She was supposed to be taking a nap the other day. I was laying by her in the bed and Clint walked in the room. I told her to tell Papa to come join the party. She then sat up, shouted with a smile "Papa, its party time!" I guess she figured I had to mean she did not have to take a nap if I mentioned a party!

Anyway, I had better go for now. Trying to log a few things in this blog so I remember them later. We are in a hotel room that literally has about three feet on three sides of the bed (which has luggage stacked in it) so there is no baby book or notebook at easy access to write these in!

Sorry, no pictures today:( Come again another day.

Getting old...

You know you are getting old....(will be 30 in a matter of months)... when you have to google every time you see several letters in a row that you dont know what they mean. Come on now people. Cant we use full words. Help us old people out. Am I really that out of touch already. In a way, I am kinda ashamed how often I find myself on google....then feeling really dumb once I find out what they mean. There are some I would rather not have looked up.

Anyway, here is a picture of the biggest lollipop ever....

...its from MeeMaw. Annaka loved it!

must. get. back. to. packing......its 2:34am and I have taken a 4 minute break. Back to work.

Guiness World Reccord For Making Cookies

I think we should win the world record for the longest time it takes to make a batch of cookies. Half a batch at that! I am used to doubling or trippling the recipe at Christmas time...this time it was cut in half so it should have been quick!

MeMaw gave Annaka a toy mixer. We have aquired many toys the past two months since being here in PA and can not take them all, so today we played with many of them. Papa came in and took some fun photos:)

Annaka had so much fun with her very own mixer!

First she helped me measure everything out, then she dumped everything into a large bowl for Mommy to mix. We both got our mixers (hers with water in it) and we mixed.

Had so much fun! She even tasted her 'mixture' in her bowl.

She even got to ice them herself!

Lastly, we went and 'delivered' them to everyone close by. She carried the plate and we delivered cookies....matching aprons, uneven icing (icing on the back of some cookies) and all.

What a fun day!

A run in the rain.

Today I went for a run in the rain.

It was good. Wonderful. Relaxing. So great that as soon as I came inside (soaked), sat down, I wanted to go outside again. It has been a long time since I have played in the rain. I guess today was my version of playing in the rain. I thought it would be a time for me to shut down my brain....news to me...time alone, with no cute little two year old at my ankles, is not when my brain decides to turn off. My brain turns off when I need to remember something or when I am trying to gather my purse or bag to go somewhere (especially the bank or post office...I go, then realize I only accomplished half of what I set out to do there) or even worse, when I am trying to have a phone call. Why is it that I cannot turn off my brain when I choose to. Oh well, I am looking forward to my run tomorrow and will bring an agenda to think through:)

Annaka has started standing holding her lower back for pictures. I have no idea why....many times she is lifting up her dress at the same time. We said stand here for a picture and this was her pose.

She loved looking at and smelling the flowers.

Staring contest with the eagle.

By far, our favorite activity of the day was chasing the fountain. Up and down the ramp. Annaka and her friend she met at the fountains would run up and down chasing the quickly moving water.

Then she got all too comfortable with the water...sticking her hands, arms in the fountain.

This has nothing to do with Annaka...just a wierd looking venus fly trap plant I think looks cool.