Nap time

Nap time, originally uploaded by James Hemsley.

Since giving up her nuks (see previous posts), Norah's naps have become more brief, and it takes her much longer to fall asleep. She has time to get up and put practically everything she owns in her bed before actually going to sleep. This is how I found her yesterday during her nap. Not much room for a little girl on this bed!

Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin!

Norah has been into hearing fairy tales lately. She really likes "The Three Little Pigs" and "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Goldiyocks and the Three Bears"

She knows them pretty much by heart, so when I am telling her the story of the three little pigs, she wants to say this part:

WOLF: Yittle Pig, Yittle Pig, yet [let] me come in!
PIG: Not by chin chin chinny chinny chin chin chin! I won't yet [let] you in!
WOLF: Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll BLOW your house in!

I know I am biased, but I think it's pretty darn cute to hear her say this!

Last night at dinner, she told Grandpa and Oma the WHOLE story of "Goldiyocks"--with different voices for the Daddy, Mommy, and Baby Bear--it was really impressive, if I do say so myself!

Got to get this written down!

Today, we were driving around town with Grandpa and Oma, and we heard Norah repeatedly singing a song. I tuned in to see what she was singing, and here are the lyrics:

Cheer up!
Cheer up!
Said the little blue bird in the apple tree.
Cheer up!
Cheer up!
For God loves (yoves) you and
God yoves me!

She could exchange the color of the bird for any color we wanted. It was really sweet.

Now, she is in her room (hasn't fallen asleep yet) singing the same tune. I asked her who taught her the song, and she says she made it up herself.

Niabi Zoo

May 2010, originally uploaded by James Hemsley.

James and I decided it was finally time to get rid of Norah's pacifiers (nuks). Yes, she STILL was using a nuk for sleeping until just recently. We got the idea from my mom to bring her to a fun place and leave have HER leave the nuks there at that place. Then, she knows they are gone, and she knows it was her doing, and she should (in theory) get over it more quickly.

So, we set a date for Saturday, the 1st of May to go to Niabi Zoo and give the nuks to the animals at the zoo. Whenever we would bring it up before the date, she would say, "That's so silly (siyi)! Animals don't need nuks!" But, she went along with it and was very excited when the big day actually came.

We had had 70 degree sunny days leading up to May 1st, but on May 1st, it was 43 degrees, windy and cloudy. We couldn't back down. We had to go regardless. That is why Norah and James are so bundled up in the photo. So, we walked around the zoo, saw all the animals that they allowed outside in the COLD weather, and then I hunted down a worker while James distracted Norah. I asked the worker to play along and accept the baggie of nuks, and could she also ask which animals they were for? The worker was happy to help, and Norah sadly gave her nuks to the worker, specifying they were for the wolves, the yamas (llamas), elephants, baby giraffes, and zebras. We left the zoo, and prepared to spend the next few days struggling with Norah over sleeping.

When we got home, she barely asked about them! She asked if we could go back and get them, but we said, No, we couldn't. She was fine with that.

Aftermath: shorter (or non-existent) naps, and she wakes up at the crack of dawn shouting "The sun is awake! Let's have breakfast!" I can live with that!

Would you believe me?

May 2010, originally uploaded by James Hemsley.

...if I told you she wrote that herself? Well, she didn't, but she DOES know all the letters in her name!

Norah makes her contribution

May 2010, originally uploaded by James Hemsley.

We scrounged around for some chalk and Norah found a clean bit of sidewalk on which to draw her W's and rainbows. She had a lot of fun!

Shuhui's favorite

May 2010, originally uploaded by James Hemsley.

Shuhui liked this swirly one.

One of my favorites

May 2010, originally uploaded by James Hemsley.

I liked the really saturated colors on this one. The artists were two college girls, and they were covered from head to toe in chalk. They were just finishing it up when we got there.

Norah and Shuhui

May 2010, originally uploaded by James Hemsley.

Here are Norah and Shuhui at the festival.

Norah's Favorite

May 2010, originally uploaded by James Hemsley.

Norah found a chalk drawing of Ariel, the Little Mermaid. She was thrilled!

Chalk the Walk 2010

May 2010, originally uploaded by James Hemsley.

Norah and I took our friend Shuhui to Mount Vernon, IA for the Chalk the Walk festival. They cordon off the main street, and artists from all walks and age groups get to use chalk to create beautiful scenes on the street. They also hire in one feature artist from CA each year, and here is her work (not yet finished). It didn't look like chalk at all...so realistic.

A fairy catching butterflies 2

May 2010, originally uploaded by James Hemsley.

Oh, and she loves to wear her fairy wings while catching the butterflies. Maybe they will think she is just one of them....

A fairy catching butterflies

May 2010, originally uploaded by James Hemsley.

Norah loves to go catch butterflies in the yard. For about a week, there were these very gregarious butterflies that would actually land on her net. As she would inch them toward her to get a better look, they would take off again. Hours of entertainment for her, to say the least.

Here she is calling, "Come down, butterflies!"

I told her I don't think butterflies have ears, but that didn't stop her!

Thank you all!

May 2010, originally uploaded by James Hemsley.

James and I would like to thank all those who came and helped us with our massive amount of yardwork this year (which I couldn't help with very much since I am so pregnant!). We split over 100 hostas, mulched all around the house and yard, cut shrubs down, bundled sticks, weeded, planted onions, cut tree branches, power-washed the patio, cleaned out the garage, and more! Thank you so much!
Here are our helpers:

Jim, Alessia, Ethan
Nicholas
Sandra
Jeri
Breeana

Here's a photo of the yard post-mulch. It has filled in much more since then!

Sneaky

May 2010, originally uploaded by James Hemsley.

Norah was singing (loudly) to herself one day on the patio, and I sneaked around the house to snap a photo of her. She saw me at the last second!