Tricks of the Trade #4

This morning after I got Norah out of her crib we went into my room and I shared a very important trick of the trade (The Tricks) with her:

Trick of the Trade #4:
After you wake up in the morning and rub the sleep out of your eyes, make your bed.

Norah listened intently while I shared the fourth trick of the trade with her and it's importance.  After I was done, she said, "Me... Bed... Back....Kay."  To which I replied, "You're going to go make your bed now?"  "Yeah, kay.  Back." she said.  After one and half minutes she came back and told me to come into her room to observe the progress.  This is what it looked like:

By Golly, I think she's got it!  :)

Silly Eater

I know a Silly Eater.  I may even know two.  But I know one for sure.  Let us examine.

Above shows Silly Eater's eating strategy.

If you have a bowl full of something, you need to transfer the food onto your table and spread it around.  If that something in the bowl happens to be cereal, it's a good idea to transfer it to your table and back into the bowl several times if possible.  Food just tastes better if it is transferred to other surfaces to pick up the tastes of those surfaces.

If there is something interesting on your knee during a meal, you need to check it out for at least twenty minutes.  Losing focus on eating is important and this is just one way to do it.

Yup, I love the Silly Eater.

"My Baby"

Norah might be considered a bag lady to some people.  Last week I saw her carrying 7 different bags of all shapes and sizes at one time.  I wish I had a picture to show you.  But I do have photographic evidence of something else.  This morning she was mixing her two favorite things together: a bag and her baby.

I caught her in the act:

I'm so glad she keeps her backpack right next to her for handy access...  Can you find her baby in this picture?

Picture perfect family.

My Shoes on Wrong

On Fridays, Aliza and I stay at church while Norah goes home with her mum.  Our goodbye at this point is always a lot of Norah telling me, "Back, kay?  Back, kay?"  And I always assure her that I will see her soon.

Last time we had to say goodbye under these circumstances, I got an email afterwards telling me this:

"In the car on the way home Norah was so worried about you that she burst out with great clarity of thought and speech, 'Mamma!  Go back get KATE!'"

And that's why she's my "Shoes on Wrong".

Potty Time

Recently, Norah has been undergoing some intensive training.  Not ninja training or training to be a chef.  No.  Potty training.  And the thing I've learned about potty training is that you all have to be on the same team...

Norah, we're on your team.

Norah's Quiet Time

If I were Norah and I had an hour everyday to do whatever I wanted to in my crib....

Oh, the plans I would make.
Oh, the stories I would create.
Oh, the projects I would begin.

She has started to catch on....

She put her pajamas on over her dress and secured her baby inside for maximum motherly protection.
 

My Bubble

Gloria took some pictures of Shoes on Wrong and I this morning:

Shoes on Wrong was being my Bubble.

I call her  my bubble anytime she lets me hold and cuddle her.  If you know Norah, you know that she doesn't always want to cuddle.  So if the opportunity is given, you jump at the chance!  I'm so grateful for my lil' bubble.

It's Moments Like These...

that you want to capture forever.

Here's more of Norah's second birthday party!!!

J-Town showed up in style and alertness...

And so did some of our friends, The Jones.

I don't think they were counting on the party being so much fun though:

Sam especially had no idea, until Yaya and Liam started jumping on him.

But Sam made it out okay and got to see Norah blow out her candles!

And everyone ate cake!

Including Yaya, she needed it after she used up all her energy jumping on Sam.

Proof...

That the little meerkat turned two:

Birthday Cake!

Remarkable Resemblance

I was looking through my Al Ain zoo pictures this morning and found a remarkable resemblance...

These meerkats look like another little meerkat in my life:

Who turned 2 years old yesterday!