Pennies

Baby Bella took time out her busy schedule to "help" big brother put all of his pennies in his new Baseball piggy bank.

A couple of future bankers? You just never know. Daddy spends a lot of time speculating on what these treasures will choose to do with their lives. Honored to be along for their journey and having fun watching the process.

2 Hour Blessing

I recall a favorite hymn from my childhood - "Sweet Hour of Prayer." Yes, it is!

But the sweet hour of prayer is not the only blessing we give thanks for today. Today, we are sooooo grateful for the Blessed Two Hour Predictable Nap. (if you're a song writer - feel free to steal that title.)

For all of her glory, Baby Bella has not been as good a napper as Skyler was. And most certainly not on a predictable schedule. Mommy and I are rejoicing over the new predictable, high noon nap. Sometimes an hour but mostly close to two. This is major progress and reason for celebration in the House of Cain.

Search and Seizure

This girl cracks me up! Baby Bella tried to hide the ball by putting it inside her PJ's. Threw her hands up when I asked "where's the ball?" - as if to say, "I don't know. I don't have it, you can even search me."

She walked around for thirty minutes with the ball safely zipped up. Then whipped it out like "got you!"

Who needs a TV when you have this kind of entertainment in the house?

French Fry - What?

The wacky food antics of one Baby Bella continue...

Unlike most kids, Baby Bella has yet to develop a taste for potatoes. Mashed, sweet, boiled, baked or fried - no matter. Her lips are locked shut and her nose is turned up. Until tonight.

Daddy ventured out with the kids so Mommy could catch up on a few things. As ventures out go, this was a brief but good one. The kids were mostly watching their P's and Q's and happy to be together.

Baby Bella consumed her diced apples, meat sticks and milk without incident. As I stood up to reach for the coats, Baby Bella took a french fry from my plate. No, she didn't just eat it. That would be too easy.

She picked up the french fry, dipped it in the ketchup, wiped the ketchup off on her shirt and proceeded to eat the entire french fry.

WHY?

Why would you choose to eat your very first french fry this way? Why would you choose to eat any french fry this way?

As I said to Dad not more than 24 hours ago, "The good Lord had my humility in mind when he made Baby Bella." And gladly so.

Pencil Her In

Baby Bella finding ways to entertain herself while waiting in the car with Mommy and Skyle. It is made all the more fun by her knowledge that those are Skyler's pencils and he if freaking out in the seat beside her.

Hair Appointment

Mommy made a valiant effort to trim up Baby Bella's golden locks. Our little Aveda diva enjoyed most of the process but especially the water bottle.

Having watched the event unfold, I have decided that anyone brave enough to use scissors around a squirming nineteen month old should be awarded a medal for bravery.

Mommy....we salute.

Just a Shoe Thang

Who wears frilly socks and patent leather shoes with jeans? Baby Bella, that's who.

We long ago lost control of the decision making process involving what shoes our little fashionista wears. We get her dressed and comb her hair but when it comes time for socks and shoes - Baby Bella takes command. "SCHOOOOOS!" "SCHOOOOOS!", she screams.

And then she bolts for the shoe drawer as if to say "out of my way, you poor slob. I must select my own glass slipper."

These days the slipper of choice is the black patent leather variety. The pink glitter flats run a close second. Am I really talking about a nineteen month old?

Something tells me we are in big trouble. Or as Skyler said to me yesterday, "Daddy, one of your kids needs a time out and it's not me."

Behind the Ears

OOOOOOOOOOh, my gracious! Baby Bella's hair is now long enough to put behind her ears. As if she wasn't already cute as pie.

Daddy is just smitten with this new look. And Bella? She knows it. Surrender. Daddy is done. Toast. Stick a fork in me. Better yet - elect me President of the Baby Bella Fan Club.

Freaky Thursday

It was a freaky food Thursday for Baby Bella. First, she stole my banana and proceeded to consume all but two bites.. Somehow, those two bites are all Daddy managed from the last banana in the house.

This was a first for our little fruity pebble. Generally, she's loves fruit but draws the line at banana's - or at least she did. Now, apparently, she's a fan. Nice to know that after she eats the last one.

And once again proving that she possesses some of Daddy's DNA, she stuck her hand in a bag of white powdered doughnuts and began to...lick them. No, not eat them. Lick them and put them back in the bag.

But who could blame her? After all, it's white powdered doughnuts. But something tells me we won't be buying them again anytime soon.

Chapped Cheeks

It may look like Baby Bella was entering the greased baby contest but she was, in fact, just trying to heal her chapped cheeks. These cold and windy days have been hard on her little cheeks.

We have applied cream to her cheeks so often that she now takes great delight in applying it to our face. She has such a sense of fairness that she insists on helping us prevent chapped cheeks every time we help her. (I'm glad she doesn't extend that to the diaper change.)

Daddy was working late in the office so the girls sat down by his desk and enjoyed their bedtime snack. I just can't imagine a prettier site.

And yes, those are satin house slippers. What else would a princess wear?

How 'bout Them Cowgirls

Oh, my! George Strait had it right..."how 'bout them cowgirls..."

...Boys ain't they somthin'
Sure are some proud girls
And you can't tell them nothin'
And I tell you right now girls
There may just be seven wonders of this big, old round world
But how 'bout them cowgirls

Baby Bella has become something of a wild cowgirl herself when she hops on Silver Star. No longer do we wait for Daddy to push us, now we hurl ourselves forward and lean back on the roll to maximize the fun. She rides tip-to-tip or she don't ride. (Notice how high the front and back of the rocker are when she peaks.)

Bella doesn't know it yet but she would go head first if we weren't there to keep Star from flipping over. And no, she isn't catching a fly. She now says "WOOOOOOO" on the way up and on the way down. Correction, she now screams "WOOOOOO".

How 'bout them cowgirls.

Snow Angels

The family was excited to see snow - especially five inches of snow. We celebrated the biggest Tennessee snow since Bella was born by playing outside.

The snow was too powdery to use the sled on a hill so Daddy pulled the kids around the neighborhood. The sled is a throw back to good 'ole days - it belonged to Mommy when she was a little girl.

With every one's toes sufficiently frozen, we made our way back to the house where Daddy made hot chocolate the old fashion way - real milk, warmed on the stove, in a glass coffee percolator. Just the way Grandma Cain made it when Daddy was growing up.

You can't, of course, just make hot chocolate. You have to explain the family tradition. Skyler was so impressed he asked if he could have my glass coffee percolator when he grows up. Hmmm, me thinks I better shop the yard sales to find a duplicate piece for Bella Bloomers.

By bed time, no one had trouble going to sleep. It wasn't visions of sugar plums but dreams of more snow in the forecast. Come on, Snow Angels. Another five inches wouldn't hurt.