I'm the Baby!

Lately Babykins has been all about the animals.  Not only does she just about jump out of her stroller with excitement when we pass a puppy, but she starts calling, "Woo, woo!" - Babykins speak for Woof, woof!  Along with puppy noises, Babykins has started saying, "Baa!"  She knows it's the sound that sheep make, but she's also convinced that goats and horses should say, "Baa," too.

With all of the excitement about animals, one of our new favorite games is naming animals in books so that Babykins can find and point to them.  Her favorite animal to find is the rooster.  She'll pick up the book, flip quickly through the pages, and frantically point to the rooster while calling, "Ca, ca!"  Short, of course, for Cockadoodledoo!

So last week we were looking at a page that had a fish, a puppy, and a baby.

"Babykins, where's the puppy?"  I asked.

Babykins pointed to the puppy and yelled, "Woo, woo!"

"Can you find the fishie?" I asked.

She pointed to the fish.

I finished up with, "Babykins, can you point to the baby?"

At which point Babykins looked up at me, gave a big smile, and proudly patted her own belly!

Babykins says...

I know it's summertime, but that's no reason to stop studying!

Real Hawaiian babies prefer bathing al fresco!

Even a baby can appreciate this view!



I'm ready for the beach!

Shake it like a Polaroid picture...

One of Babykins' favorite games when we travel is pulling all of the clothes out of the suitcases that we've just finished packing.  Last weekend, in an effort to keep Babykins entertained and our bags packed, Hubbykins flipped through the TV channels looking for some music.  It was 8 am on a Saturday, and there weren't a lot of choices, so Babykins ended up watching "The Week's Top Dance Hits" on MTV (I know, I know - MTV - judge us if you must).

As Babykins sat on the sofa, she started to bop along to the music.  Her typical dancing style involves bobbing her head up and down, followed by swinging her arms back and forth, and culminating in a full body wiggle.  After a few music videos, however, we looked over to see Babykins with both hands in the air above her head, bouncing up and down in a perfect imitation of the hip hop dancers.  After laughing for a minute, Hubbykins and I paused, looked at each other, and immediately reached for the remote.

Seeing Babykins wave her arms in the air like she just don't care is cute, but it seemed prudent to change the channel before she started suggestively wiggling her diaper.

Days later, I was sitting on the floor singing "Baa, Baa Black Sheep" when Babykins suddenly threw both hands up above her head and started bouncing.  It seems the new dance move has stuck.  All I can say is, "Whoop, whoop!"

Happy Memorial Day!

I know it's been a long time since I posted (going back to work has really cramped my blogging style), so I'll try to make this a really good one...

We travelled to the Big Island for the weekend, where we stayed in a tiny town called Volcano Village.  With only 2,500 residents, Volcano Village actually makes the Q look big, and is nestled at the foot of Kilauea Volcano.

We were just going for 4 days, so we tried to pack light.  We were a little worried about whether we'd be able to take all of our luggage on the plane, though...

Whew!  Luckily, Babykins fits perfectly.  Looks like she can come with us!  First, though, we'll have to catch her...

On Friday, we went to Volcano National Park to do some hiking.  Babykins was undaunted by the long walk stretching before us...

Never fear - this road's been closed to traffic for years!

She was fascinated by the steam that was coming up from a fissure in the ground.  "Mama," she asked, chewing nervously on her fingers, "Is there a dragon down there?"

The next day we went for a 4-mile hike through the Kilauea Iki volcano caldera.  Hubbykins carried Babykins in a Snugli the entire way.  They stopped to explore many interesting things along the path...

It's a good thing they were there to hold up this ledge!

After visiting the volcano, we went to see Tree Molds.  These are created when flowing lava hardens around a tree before the tree burns up.  There were 5 or 6 in the field.  "Look!" cried Babykins. "I can see my shadow!"

We finished up our holiday with a trip to a Japanese garden.  It was a beautiful day, and Babykins had a wonderful time running around in her usual Hawaiian outfit...a diaper and shoes.

After a fun filled trip, it was time to head home.  Babykins entertained herself on the short flight by reading up on Bonzai...

Happy Memorial Day, and Thank You to all who serve!