Playing in the backyard

Daddy and Madeleine flying a kite in the backyard. The kite was one of those "you get what you pay for things." It cost 3 bucks at Wal-mart and it's not going to make it up in the sky again.
Here's what I was doing when they were flying the kite. I just LOVE my clothesline!! Thank you Freecycle!!

Here's what John Paul was doing at the time - hanging out on the deck enjoying himself. Does he just get cuter every DAY or what? :) The other night this kid was UP every HOUR through the night. He was just talking and kicking for hours on end. If I put him in bed with us, he moves so we look like an "H" - he's the middle line with his head touching me and his feet touching Ken. And then he gets so excited he just kicks and kicks and kicks poor Ken in the head :)

This was in the bride's room during mass. He HATES public bathroom changing tables. He starts screaming when he even sees it! Then it takes me 15 minutes to calm him down. And God forbid someone flushes those loud toilets in the church bathroom. So I was changing him in the bride's room and snapped a picture. Lots of great memories in that room. I got dressed for my wedding in there, and Madeleine got dressed for her baptism in there. I also made his shirt. Don't ask me how it turned out so well. I really don't know how to sew that well, I just had this fabric and I thought it would look so cute and I tried this pattern and it worked out! Believe me I was as shocked as anyone. Sew did the buttonholes for me - thanks Sew!

I call this one, "MOM, she's touching me!!"

Weekend of firsts

This weekend, Madeleine flew her first kite, ate her first s'more, saw her first bonfire and caught her first firefly. I'd say it was a pretty great weekend for her! Last night Ken had a gig and our friends invited us over for dinner. We had a great time just talking and sitting outside around the fire. On the way home Madeleine kept pointing out the fireflies, so when we got home, I got the kids both changed into their jammies and decided to go outside and catch some! She was thrilled beyond words, the kid LOVES bugs. And she's especially fascinated with the lightning bugs she sees out her window every night. Let me tell you, God sure does have a sense of humor. Come on now, who would think of a bug's butt lighting up??

I did take some pictures but I'll get to them tomorrow. Ken cleaned out the entire screened porch today, including windows, scrubbed down the hot tub (which has never been used in the 5 years we've lived in this house), tables and chairs and the biggest job.... he got rid of all the BUGS in there! It looks fabulous and I'm looking forward to eating out there more often. So after all that he needed a break so he went to the gelato place to read his book for an hour. While he was there, Madeleine, John Paul and I went to this great Antique mall in the town just north of us. I was a little nervous about taking both kids there but they did great. John Paul fell asleep in his Moby Wrap and I pushed Madeleine around in the stroller on the ground floor. We were looking for things for her new playroom we're working on, specifically a little tea set, a kid size table and chairs maybe, or some other things that we couldn't live without. I found this great wooden high chair for her dolls, complete with a flip up tray which I just couldn't pass up. It looks really old (which I think adds to it's charm) and she absolutely loved it when we got home. We set up her folding table and chairs and she "fed" the baby all kinds of food for an hour or so. She also got a Minnie Mouse pez dispenser only because the high chair was less than $10 and I couldn't pay with a card unless I was spending over 10. She was pretty fascinated by that pez dispenser. Madeleine did really well at the antique mall. When we went upstairs I told her she wasn't allowed to touch anything (because we had to leave the stroller downstairs), but that if she wanted to show me something she could tell me and point. She did exactly that! She told me what she wanted to look at and didn't touch anything unless I told her she could. She had a blast at the store, I'm sure seeing all those things she's never seen before was fascinating. I LOVE looking around Antique malls, maybe this will be something we can do together.

Also I had bought a great little wooden toy box a few weeks ago at a garage sale. I spray painted it white and we ended up using it for a bookshelf in Madeleine's room. It looks great but the only place for it is next to her crib.... and she likes to get all the books off of it and put them IN her crib. I'm SO glad to get all her books off the floor in her room.

Hope you all had a great weekend too!

My first 7 quick takes

I'm not really sure what these things are. Just 7 random things I'm thinking? Ok here goes.

1. We spent the day with my cousin today WAAAAYY out in the country. It was great and relaxing. They have a beautiful old house with lots of character, and Madeleine had to be pried out of their toy room. She spent the entire morning alternately feeding a baby doll and putting it to bed. That is one fat, well-rested baby. We finally went outside after lunch and she spent the rest of her time there hugging, kissing, and putting a hula hoop around their very patient cats.

2. Now that I have seen how much fun she had in the toy room, I want to make one in our house. I'm thinking of getting rid of our huge Anakin Skywalker couches that I LOVE but are really too big for our room. Then we can move the other two couches in the family room and turn the other room into just a toy room. They had a little table and chairs set up that she loved. I could make a tablecloth for it and we could have tea parties. I could also get some stuff to hang up on the walls and maybe a bulletin board for some of her artwork? Hmmm.... I feel some thrift shopping coming on....

3. I'm REALLY excited for my friend Megan to get here with her kids. Her daughter Quinn is a really sweet little girl who Madeleine loves. In fact, even though she hasn't seen her for a few months, every time her daddy asks who she played with that day, she says, "QUINN!!"

4. Madeleine has been REALLY into her letters lately. First we taught her the letter M. That's still her favorite. She points out "Ms" everywhere we go - on trucks, signs, my shirts, etc.... She looks through books and finds all the big Ms and little ms. We were reading Daniel in the Lions Den the other day and she learned the letter D. She could point out all the words that said Daniel, and she also learned G for God. She is constantly asking what words start with and I love it.

5. After we visited my cousin today I drove up to my University, which I haven't been to since I graduated in 2001. What a trip down Memory Lane! I stopped by the Newman Center for just a few minutes and saw Fr. W and another lady who still works there. We chatted for a few minutes and it was great! I wish I could have stayed longer but both kids were asleep.

6. Unfortunately John Paul started screaming his fool head off when were about an hour from home. I pulled over at a gas station and fed him but he was NOT happy about getting back into his carseat. So we listened to screaming baby for about 40 minutes and he calmed down right when we turned into our neighborhood. Screaming baby in the car = STRESS.

7. I could really go for some ice cream right now. Oberveis, Rocky Road. But I'm going to bed.

So how did I do? :)

Beauty and Sadness

Please join me in prayer for my friend Sew. Her faith in this trial is just beautiful. May God be with her.

Catholic names

Yesterday I went to the grocery store. I was wearing a sleeping John Paul in my moby wrap and had Madeleine in the basket. An older lady approached me and asked to see my baby. She oohed and aahed over how cute they both were (can you blame her? haha!) and then asked their names. I told her Madeleine and John Paul and she said, "John Paul! What parish do you go to?" I told her and she said she attends a parish down the road. We chatted for a minute and then went our separate ways.

So then I was thinking. John Paul is probably one of the only names where people will absolutely know we are Catholic because of our child's name. There are plenty of great saint names but that one is definitely "Catholic" sounding. How cool is that? He's named after one of the greatest saints, and both of his parents actually saw Pope John Paul and took his picture! How many people can say THAT about their patron saint? (By the way, he should be beatified on April 2 of this year, and canonized on April 2 the year after that. I really wanted John Paul to be born on April 2 for that reason, but had to wait almost 3 more weeks!)

One of the reasons I love his name so much is because I often think, when I'm doing all the tasks that come with caring for a baby, that Pope John Paul's mother did the same things. She changed his diaper, she rocked him to sleep, she nursed him and made him smile. All the while she had no idea she was holding one of the greatest leaders of the Catholic Church who ever lived. One of the holiest men who ever followed in Jesus' footsteps. A person who inspired the whole world. And I wonder, what kind of man will MY John Paul be? I can only hope that he answers the call to holiness in his life, like his patron saint did. And I hope, like Pope John Paul's parents, we can inspire this love of Jesus by our faith and actions in our children.

Professional photos I keep forgetting to post

John Paul was one week and Madeleine was 25 months. I just got these uploaded :) I love Olan Mills!!

Happy 3 months John Paul!

Can you believe this child is 3 months already? It seems like it was just yesterday we were waiting for him. What joy he brings to our lives! He is SO smiley and such a happy boy.

He is SO "talkative!" I can't believe it. He's just like his dad and sister! I won't be able to get a word in edgewise in this family! My mom says he talks in complete sentences. Ken thinks he's really trying to mimic sounds. He really tries to say "Hi" when we say it to him. It sounds just like hi! And when we tell him to say "hello" he tries to say the short e and the o sound. He's a genius haha! Plus he's already said Mama. He did!

I love the little toothless grin. He is very firmly in 3-6 month clothes, even wearing some 6-9 every once in awhile. He's got chubby thighs! I love chubby baby thighs.

He loves taking baths. A few nights he's been very fussy for one reason or another (maybe overtired) and a bath calmed him right down.

He is a SLEEPER! He takes about a 2 hour morning nap and usually a 4 hour afternoon nap! He sleeps great at night too. It gives Madeleine and I lots of time together. But we both love it when he's awake. Madeleine is already playing with him and talking to him and making him smile. They have conversations! I'm so happy that she has a little brother. It's true what Pope John Paul 2 said, "the best gift you can give a child is a sibling." I totally agree. What a gift they are to each other! It makes me want a bunch more.

It's the natural course of things...

If you have an older sister,

You're eventually also going to have a purse and a pink bracelet.

But you won't mind, because you'll also always have a hand to hold.

And someone who always tries to make you smile.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!

God Is Good!!!

Lazy Summer Days

Have I mentioned on this blog how much I LOVE being a stay at home mom? And I love summer too.

I got a new clothesline on freecycle a few weekends ago and I don't think I've used the dryer more than 2 or 3 times since! I love going outside in our backyard and hanging out the clothes. I put in a load when I first get up, and then after breakfast John Paul goes down for his morning nap. Madeleine and I go outside and hang out in the back yard. I hang the clothes, she plays on her swingset. Then we make clover necklaces for each other. The she plays in the sandbox and I sit outside in the sun and drink iced coffee or iced tea and watch her play. We talk and she tells me stories. She's getting really interested in letters so she is always asking me what different words start with.

When John Paul wakes up we usually try to go somewhere, either story hour, the library, the grocery store, the pool, the playground, the splash park, or just a walk around the neighborhood. Sometimes we have playdates. Sometimes we hang out with Grandma. Madeleine wears adorable dresses every day since she can't keep any shorts up! I love watching her walk along with her curls bouncing and shining in the sun, and we stop and look at every little thing that catches her eye. She sees a lot that I would never notice!

We usually come home and eat lunch, and she goes down for a nap. Sometimes John Paul sleeps at the same time and I get a little free time, and sometimes I just spend a little one on one time with him. Either way it's a good day. Sometimes I get a bunch of stuff done around the house and sometimes I get nothing done but cuddling my sweet baby. And that is just fine with me.

Madeleine wakes up and we watch a Dora episode together. If John Paul is sleeping we'll go outside in the backyard again. Sometimes we make popsicles in the morning so they'll be ready after nap. We're doing the Summer Reading Program at the library so we read a lot of books.

We make supper and Madeleine colors or plays playdoh in the kitchen with me. John Paul likes to be in there on his bouncy seat and she talks to him and reads him stories. She LOVES to hold him, wipes his mouth and holds his hand. She loves it when he talks and smiles at her. She gets a huge smile on her face. It's really great to see them interact. I hope they will be great friends.

When Ken comes home, we all eat supper together, and then usually go on a walk. John Paul goes in his wrap and Madeleine gets to walk by herself. We usually go to the church playground and occasionally John Paul and I will walk to the adoration chapel while Madeleine and Ken play. Then we come home and if all goes well, everyone's asleep by 9pm and Ken and I get a little wind down time.

Just a few years ago it was so hard to imagine that this would be my life. Several times during the days I think of the words, "She kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." Now I really know what this means. I am so thankful for my life right now, and I hope I will always remember these days.

It was bound to happen sooner or later...

Madeleine climbed out of her crib last night. We heard a thud and then when Ken went up there, she was just standing outside the crib.

She got a very stern talking-to about how dangerous that is. She is so scared of heights, falling, etc that I'm surprised she tried it! She hasn't done it since - not at nap or bedtime tonight.

I need advice. I am SO not ready to move her out of the crib. I don't want her wandering around. Even her room is not completely baby proof. She gets into EVERYTHING. I was hoping she'd stay in her crib until she was at least 3. What should I do??

I can't keep it in any more.

You're about to read one big fat vent, and this post could self destruct anytime.

I just happened to catch the show 16 and Pregnant on MTV. It almost made me cry. These two teenagers were shacking up with their baby. I felt so sorry for the mother. The father went out with his friends every night and when she begged him to take care of the baby for awhile so she could finish her homework, he just laid the baby down and went to sleep. He screamed and the mom ended up taking him. They way they were both holding him I could tell there was no bond, just obligation. This innocent human life isn't loved and cherished like he deserves to be. The parents are so selfish.

The baby on the show was the same age as John Paul. As I nursed him I watched the parents feeding their baby a bottle without even holding him or looking at him. They changed his diaper but didn't kiss his tummy or make him smile. They held him but didn't love him.

BABIES DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS!!!! I think that if teenagers are stupid enough and make the choice to get pregnant, they need to do the right thing for their babies and place them with a stable family who will love them like they need to be loved. They need both a mother and a father who love each other and love them.

Update and disclaimer. I'm calmed down a little now. It was mostly the show and this situation. Believe me, I do NOT think that all kids raised by single parents turn out bad. Some single parents are wonderful. Many many people raised by single parents turn out great. And also I'm not saying that it's only teenagers who have this problem. There are lots of adults who get pregnant and neglect their children. I'm just specifically talking about people who have babies and don't care about them or neglect them.

Sleep

John Paul screamed for about an hour last night for some unknown reason, until I finally gave him a bath and fed him and he fell asleep around 9.

THEN HE SLEPT UNTIL 6:30 AM!!!!!!!

Do you know that Madeleine did not do that until 13 months??? And he has actually slept 8 hours 3 or 4 times. Can I say how much I love this baby????

I got to meet my friend Jenny's baby but I will wait to post pictures until she does on her own blog. She is so adorable it almost makes me want another newborn. And my kid is 11 weeks old :)

Oh I just noticed she DOES have a picture up! Go over to Delightful Journey and see!!

Outtakes

At least one of them is looking.

Over HERE.

Is she going to punch him? Or me?

My baby looks a little scared.

I'm not even sure what happened here but it makes me laugh every time I look at it!

Happy 4th of July!

Yesterday we went to our local 4th of July festival where Madeleine got to bounce in one of those big blow up things for the first time. As you can see she quite enjoyed herself!
After that we had some great, but unhealthy, fair food. YUM. I could live off this stuff - if it was good for me! Some of our friends are in a band and they played at the fair. Here's John Paul enjoying the music with my dad - acting silly!
Madeleine's friend Olivia - they were dancing in front of the stage! Olivia and her brothers and sisters love Madeleine - and she loves them! It's been nice lately seeing her playing with other kids. She is really good most of the time - she is very patient and waits her turn, and seems to really care about other kids.
My sweet boy in his 4th of July outfit. It was a gift from my cousin who didn't know this kid was going to chunk up so fast! It was a romper but there was no way I was getting those snaps snapped. So a few stitches and cuts and it turned into a cute shirt!
My attempt at a photo shoot - you should SEE the crazy pictures I took of these two! How hard is it to get ONE DECENT PICTURE of the two of them?? This is the best I could get. I might post the "outtakes" tomorrow - some of them are hilarious.

A boy with his toy

John Paul played with a toy for the first time today! This was Madeleine's favorite toy, and Ava's as well. Very easy to hold on to. He is also getting SO close to laughing. He smiles all the time!

He won't enjoy this someday, but this picture just cracks me up! Sorry John Paul!


You know how I said in the last post that there was no itching going on? Well that wasnt entirely true. Last night we went out to eat at Red Robin for our anniversary dinner. We were almost done with our meal when Madeleine started itching her hands with a tortilla chip. (I know, what the heck?) I looked at her hands and they were red and swollen and she started getting hives on her hands and arms, and around her mouth. I have NO idea what caused it because she has had everything she ate last night before - tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, chicken and fries. Anyway, the manager said that he thought there might be some kind of peanut flour or something in tortilla chips. So we took her home and gave her benadryl and a bath, and she was fine. But I did call her allergist today and he wants her to come in for more testing, so we have to go in August. Poor girl.

No itchin' over here....

Happy 7th anniversary Ken!! Love you!!!

Big Boy!

John Paul had his 2 month appointment today. He is 24 inches and 13 lbs 12 oz!! He's in the 90th percentile for both height and weight. I looked up Madeleine's height and weight at her 2 month appointment (gotta love the blog!) and she was 12 lbs and 23 inches.

So John Paul has grown 3 inches and over 5 lbs in just two months! His shots weren't fun, but definitely not as scary for me the second time around. It doesn't seem to be bothering him anymore either.

Madeleine is loving her new swingset! Thanks Fuzz! She is able to climb the ladder and go down the slide by herself, and she loves swinging on the big girl swings. Monday night we took her out into the backyard and she was so excited to see it in the yard! Then yesterday morning when Ken got her out of bed, he pointed to it out the window and said, "What's that?" She said "Swings!!"

So, this Sunday is my friend Jenny's wedding shower and I'm in charge of the games. She's not a big fan of games that involve toilet paper or gum or stuff like that, and it's in a very nice restaurant. I do have something in mind, but does anyone have any ideas for great wedding shower games? I'm open to suggestions. Jenny you are not allowed to read the comments until after Sunday! :)

2 months old!

At 2 months John Paul is so much fun! I can already tell he has a totally different personality than his sister. He just goes with the flow. He's always happy. He loves to cuddle with mommy, but also loves his swing and sleeps great in his cradle. Ok, last night he slept from 8:30pm to 6:30am!!!! Do you realize that Madeleine did not do that until 13 MONTHS!!! I am loving this! God had mercy on me! (PLEASE let this continue!)


This is one BIG boy! I'm guessing he's around 13 lbs and we'll find out at his 2 month appointment on Wednesday. He is wearing 3-6 month clothes now! He's really long too. I'm guessing he'll pass up his sister in a year or so - in weight at least!

He is really smiley and starting to "talk" to me. I love love love this age!
I know this picture is blurry but I just love his face. And miss Sew embroidered their outfits when she was here last week. I sewed them together and they turned out SO cute!! I love them and I think I might go get their picture professionally taken in them, especially since I can't seem to get a decent picture of them together!
I just have to say that I'm so happy we named him John Paul. It fits him perfectly!! I'm so proud to tell people when they ask his name, even though I get some mixed reactions. Like one girl said, "John Paul, wasn't that the guy who made all the perfume?" Um, no.

That was the best birthday gift EVER, Ken! Let's do this every time :)

Splash Park!

Who thought of these things?? And where were they when I was little? We've been to two different splash parks in the past two days, and they are SO much fun. It's just a huge series of pipes and tubes with water squirting out. Madeleine has such a great time since she loves getting wet, and boy does she take a great nap after that!

Doesn't John Paul look thoughtful? He is two months old today, so there will be more pictures coming up. I think he gets cuter every day, maybe that's just me :)

Love this outfit, Aunt Jenni!

It's water, I might as well have a drink!

Ok, this is one of the best playgrounds I have ever seen!! They had so much new stuff, as well as plenty of regular stuff. I got in this thing with Madeleine and Ken spun us around. I was sad when it was time to go!

Where did she get those eyelashes??

Oh and thanks for the swimsuit Jenny!

Sew Much Fun!

Miss Sew and I had such a great time this week! As you can see, Madeleine and John Paul loved her! Madeleine woke up crying from her nap today and when I asked her what was wrong, she said, "I wanna go to the store with "Sew."

It was really great to meet her in person and just hang out. The whole week was really relaxing. We got some great naptime sewing in, stay tuned for pictures after Sunday (when my kids will be wearing their new outfits!)

Thanks for coming and hanging out with us Sew! And thanks for being so loving with my kids - not everyone will get down on the floor and play tea party with a 2 year old, not to mention hang out at story hour!



So, we are possibly having some issues with milk. Madeleine has had stomach issues since her weekend of ice cream every day! And since I've eaten ice cream, John Paul has been pretty fussy in the evenings, which is not usual for him. So we are all going to take a few weeks off and then possibly try it again. *sigh*

Highlight of her weekend!

First Ice Cream!

Madeleine's blood test for dairy allergy came back negative!! She was able to try ice cream for the first time yesterday. We walked to Dairy Queen and she got her very own cone. She probably only ate 1/4 of it if that, and so far there's been NO reaction!! Can I just tell you how much my life is going to change?? I'll be able to cook totally differently, shop differently, I won't have to read every label of what I give her searching for milk, casein, whey, etc. I'm so excited! And John Paul doesn't seem to be reacting to milk I'm drinking either. I cannot WAIT to make her mac and cheese. Homemade of course!

Let me tell you it's been a rough two years with no dairy. It was extremely hard for me to give up while nursing her, and it's been hard cooking dairy free. I have learned a lot though. But it seems to be over and I'm SO glad!!

No luck on the videos

I have tried several times to post a video of the ordination, but have not had luck. I don't know why? I'll try again tonight though. I don't know if the file's too big or what.

We have some great friends coming into town tomorrow for the weekend and I'm so excited!! Their daughter is almost 3 and she is our Goddaughter. Ashley has been one of my best friends since high school and her mean old husband made her move to Iowa! :) Still not so happy about that! But they'll be here all weekend and I can't wait for the girls to play together. And I haven't seen them in 2 years!

Then on Monday, Miss Sew is coming to visit! I can't wait for that either. I'm sure we'll have some great pictures to post soon! She has so much energy now she might just wear us out!

So, I had a great new surprising result on the Reliv that I am so excited about. I just can't believe this stuff! Go check it out on my Reliv blog.

Ordination

My friend Jenny (see sidebar - Jenny and Doug are getting married!) and John Paul and I drove up to Lafayette on Saturday to attend the ordination at the Cathedral. Madeleine stayed home - there's no way I'd bring the little tasmanian devil! There was one priest ordained and 4 deacons. The man ordained a priest I've been friends with since high school, and I've known the deacons for several years as well. It was so beautiful. We got balcony seats and they were the best seats in the house! Next year we decided we're going back to the balcony for sure.


So, there was an older, grandmotherly type lady in the balcony who offered to hold John Paul while I took some pictures and videos. She walked around up there with him for a while, and I could tell it just made her day. She told me that she thought he had a vocation to the priesthood. I told her I'd be thrilled! She said she prays for vocations every day and she was going to put him at the top of the list :)

This reminded me of a few years ago at another ordination - Fr. W, who prayed over us before we conceived John Paul. I had the honor of playing guitar at his first mass. (I use the word "Playing" loosely, as I was crying so hard during communion I could barely see the music!) I was so touched during his mass. Afterwards we were able to ask him to pray for any intention we wanted. I asked that he pray that we have a son who is called to be a priest. *

This is Fr. Shocklee kneeling in front of the bishop.

John Paul hanging out with Jenny in the balcony.

*It's no secret that I'd love a son who is a priest. It doesn't have to be John Paul, don't worry I'm not going to push him that way! It doesn't matter what vocation my children have as long as they answer the call to holiness.

I got some great videos too. They sang my very favorite Litany of the Saints. I'm going to try to post a few this week.

Big Girl Walk

Lately Madeleine has wanted to do everything "all by herself." (Except go to the potty, but that's another story.) She's also been staying up later at night since it's so light in her room when we try to put her to bed. So the other night, I had the brilliant idea of taking a walk, and letting her walk by herself. (Gotta wear this girl out!) We laid down the rules at the beginning of the walk, since she had never been allowed in the street before. We told her that she had to stay right next to us, and if she saw a car or heard a car she had to hold our hands. She did fabulous following the rules. We live on a very quiet street in the middle of a quiet neighborhood, so we probably saw 2 cars the whole time. No one even comes down our street unless they live on it. We walked all the way around the block, which is a long way for those short little legs! She had a great time and talked about it the whole next day. She stopped and looked at flowers, and different things we found on the street (like a rope?) She saw the dogs and birds and people's houses. I hope we make this a summer tradition!

Here's John Paul in his Moby Wrap.

Madeleine walking "all by self."
And the tired boy after bath and in his jammies when we got home.

These pictures are from my phone, so not the best quality but I loved them! How cute are those lips?? And I am thinking I might get a chubby baby this time!

Potty training?

Today Madeleine was being "naked girl" with just a dress, and she usually does great on the potty like that. She had a friend over and I saw her sit down on a hollow block. I looked and she had PEED IN IT. What the heck????

The other day she said, "I have 3 carebears (fruit snacks) and I ate two, and now I have one." The kid can subtract but can't go to the potty.

Today we went out with our friends to Qdoba and she sat in a booster seat for the first time. She did great and thought she was such a big girl. She has also enjoyed sitting in the big comfy chairs at Barnes and Nobles with us on the weekends. She just hangs out and reads books and drinks her chocolate milk. A kid after my own heart!