Anastasia's friend Lily, who lives across the street, is going to be moving to Africa soon. We're sad to be losing such great neighbors and friends, but excited for the adventure that they're about to start on. We've started talking to Annie about the fact that Lily is moving far away, but I'm sure she won't get it until they're actually gone.
So, it was great to see Lily and her brother, Noah, at the playground today. The girls had a blast playing ring around the rosie, which evolved into an impromptu game of tag.
After chasing each other for a while, they noticed a drain, and became very interested in what was down in the bottom. Noah joined in the fun shouting down the hole and listening to the echo.
Before we left the playground, I asked the girls to sit next to each other for a nice picture. They opted to lay down instead. The result is a very cute picture of them at their silliest.
We'll miss them, that's for sure, but we'll be following their adventures online.
She's at the age when she starts to come out with some real jems. Just a couple examples:
Playing Doctor:
At the doctor's office, we were playing make-believe in the examination room while we waited. Anastasia took the role of doctor to Orlando's patient, and entered with:
"My name is Lipstick Sunglasses, but you can call me Lipstick."
True Love:
This week, Anastasia asked for two treats after dinner, and I said "Yes, you can have two tonight, because I love you." Last night, she asked for two treats and I said no, just one. Her response, "Oh, because you don't love me?" Ouch. So, I should carefully consider my reasoning for every decision.
Nicknames:
Yesterday, Anastasia and I were talking about nicknames: how her's is Annie, her friend Katherine's is Katie and so on. Then she says, "but I have two nick names, Annie and Annie Banann-y, right?" Of course, two nick names.
Where do lions live?
Lately, we've been working on pronunciation. For example, at night, I ask her what her favorite part of the day was, and she replies, "My favorite park was..." so I'm trying to get her to realize that the ending sounds are different and that makes them two different words. A few weeks ago, we went to the zoo, and it was there that we discovered what is possibly the most embarrasing mispronunciation in her repertoire. See for yourself:
Murphy is settling in well. He's a very mellow dog, with a sweet, albeit curious temperament. Since all three have been getting along, we've been leaving Murphy out when we're only going to be away for a short while.
But, the puppy's not really getting the potty training thing. He does go outside, when he's told to, but if we're not completely on top of him, he'd prefer to use the floor in the dining room, or behind his crate inMyney's living room. Having mopped the floor twice today, I'm in favor of him figuring this out quickly.
So, this week, the easy treatment ends. Starting tomorrow, he goes in the crate when we're not here, no exceptions. And next weekend, all of his naps will happen in the crate. He's probably not going to like it, but hopefully, this will help him to understand that the house is off limits for his personal business. We've dealt with Chase's bladder issues long enough that the idea of having another dog that goes in the house is just too much to handle.
Basil has already happily welcomed him into the fold, happy to have a pair of ears to lick at all times. And, every morning, Chase seems to warm up to him a little more.
