More random pics from Syd

This first one is a drawing Sydney did of a butterfly. With legs, so he can walk, I guess when he gets tired of flying.

Baby doll shot #1

Sorry Chris, I couldn't resist, this was just too funny! All pics taken by my budding photographer, Sydney.

Baby doll shot #2

Sydney's doing well in school. Aside from all the times she gets her name on the board, but oh well. She gets in honest I guess. We took her in for her last checkup on her leg and he said she's doing fine. Still limping a bit, but he said the muscle in her calf is still atrophied, so that could be the cause. She's started swim lessons again, so hopefully that will help. Now we just have to be on the lookout for growth abnormalities, namely her becoming knock kneed on that one leg. He said unless we see that happening, he won't need to see her again! Yah!

The clinginess that seemed to have come along with this trauma is in some ways getting better. I can now go downstairs to do laundry without her following me. Sometimes. But she still wants to know what room you're going to be in while she's in the tub, or in her room, or whatever. So, I'm hoping this passes. I'm sure it will.

Another lost tooth!

I realize she looks scared to death in this picture, but I couldn't get one where she didn't look like that. So, this is tooth #3 now. Tooth #4 is on it's way, maybe in another couple of weeks. My mom also taught her how to spell Halloween, which I was pretty impressed with, given it's such a big word. She's walking so incredibly well I still can't believe it! So I'm very happy about that. My life has returned to some semblance of normalcy. She's all the time calling my name from another room, and when I say "what?", she just says "I love you." It's so sweet! And I know it won't last! And that's why I'm documenting it here, so when she's a teenager and screaming "I hate you!", I can look back at this and remember my sweet baby.

A new fear

Badgers. That's her new fear. I have no idea why she's scared of them. We read about them in her High Five magazine and the next day she asked if "they were real in this world." And if they were scared of humans. (Like we've told her coyotes are.) I've tried to assure her that I'm sure they're probably not aggressive animals and they'd probably run from her if she ever encountered one. However, after reading this, I'm thinking I may have misled her...

"Badgers are capable of fighting off much larger animals, such as wolves, coyotes, and bears. Badgers can run or gallop (gallop, really?) at up to 16-19 mph for short periods of time."

So, now I'm envisioning my child running for her sweet little life while this fat badger "gallops" after her. It takes on coyotes? Bears? Seriously? I can't tell her that. NO WAY! This little thing sounds pretty vicious. I think she has good reason to be scared!

I'd like to say we've moved on from her fear of coyotes (or kye-dotes) as she pronounces it, but that fear is still there, we've just ADDED badgers.

The cast is off!

Well, the cast came off today. Nothing too surprising, there weren't any legos in there or anything. She took the longest bath ever tonight! Her skin is coming off, just dry skin from being under the cast. I think sitting in the water for a while helped get some of it off. Her leg wasn't all white and shrively and small like I thought it would be. It looks pretty normal. Unfortunately, she's not putting any weight on it. She still thinks it's broken. The wheelchair is due back Thursday, and I really don't want to keep it. I'd rather look into crutches or a walker. But we said a prayer tonight that God will help her leg get stronger so she can play with her friends at school and daycare, so I'm believing it won't be long!

Cast update and Christopher Columbus's ships

Look at this gorgeous picture! I love it. Wasn't planned at all, just happened. Anyway...

This is what her cast currently loks like. Dirty, worn out, and being held together by duct tape. Yep, that's right. Duct tape.

Just as a reminder, this is what it looked like the day we got it. I'm curious what her doctor is going to say tomorrow when we go get it taken off. I can't wait for this to be over!!!

So, replicas of the Nina and Pinta are currently docked close by and we went to visit them today. You can pay to take a tour, but as it turned out, we got there 10 minutes after the last tour got on. But one of the workers was nice enough to give us 5 minutes on the boats, no charge! And that's really all you needed. They're tiny!!

The blanket had to be in the picture.

That's all for now. I'll post more pics after the cast comes off tomorrow!

Festival Fun

My parents have some property at a nearby river and the association was having a first annual festival this year. Mom, Dad and Sydney

The old mill on the property and the river

Just a cool picture

Inside one of the cabins being built to rent out.

Sydney taking part in the kids area, painting. Isn't she so gorgeous?! I know, I'm biased.

The tongue being out is a required position for proper painting.

The old mansion on the property. It's been coverted to a bed and breakfast that rents out for the low low price of only $400 a night. Can you believe that deal? Ha!

My parents property from where the house will be sitting. One day. Like 15 years from now probably.

My dad and Sydney. We had a good time, and Sydney kept telling me after we got back that she really had fun at the festival.

Where the deer and the buffalo roam

Just so Mike will get off my case for a while...

We went to a local petting zoo if you will where some of the animals are just roaming free, walking along beside you and you can feed them carrots. I have never before seen an Emu eat a carrot, but they will. And they'll swallow it whole. Weird. Above is me and the gang and below is the rest of the gang...

Seriously, the largest pig I have ever seen. I think it belongs in the Guiness Book or something.

One of my all time faves (coming in second behind the pig) is the capybara
Yes, I realize it's just a giant rodent, but I think they're so cute.

Addison and Sydney

Look at these precious fuzzy llamas. We got to pet the baby one and she was super soft.

A white peacock. I didn't know they made those...

A regular peacock, up above us.

Addison feeding some deer. They make really cute noises. I was petting one and when I walked away it sounded like it was crying.

Chris petting a really old donkey.

Other donkeys trying to get that carrot!

awww

Cali pulling the girls. We took Cali here when she was Sydney's age (6 years ago) but she didn't remember it, so to her this was all new and she loved it. They all did...

The parking lot greeter. The emu who eats carrots whole. They also make very strange noises and scare the crap out of me. They look like they could just peck your face off.