Cori is just a funny kid

Cori has always been pretty funny. In my opinion her verbal skills are way beyond that of a normal 3 year old. I thought i would share some of her more recent funnies with everyone.

Several nights ago, Adam was removing the safety railing from Cori's toddler bed. Cori was "helping" and i was "supervising." I took a look around Cori's "stuff" filled room and said, "When she is big enough for a twin, i have no idea where we are going to put it!" Cori immediately became excited and started jumping up and down. She said, "A twin! A TWIN!! Oh yes, i always wanted a twin sister!" Imagine her disappointment when Adam and i explained that we were talking about a bed!

A couple of days ago, Adam was swinging Cori around the living room. He suddenly stopped and said, "I need to stop. I don't want to pull your arms out of their sockets." Cori's reply, "Daddy, i don't wear my arms in my socks!"

And my favorite... As spring is approaching, Adam was discussing with Cori and i what he hopes to plant in the garden this year. After i made a few suggestions, we asked Cori what she wanted to plant. Her response, "Buffalo!" We actually plant our garden out at my Mom and Dad's house. They live in the country and have quite a bit of space. I can't wait to let my Dad know that we will be planting buffalo this year! I wonder if they come as seeds or if you can buy the starter plants?

I hate to Post Without Pictures

It's true. I figure, what's the point? No one really comes here to see what i have written about. You all just want to look at pictures of Cori and see what she is up to. Well, this time, you will have to use your imagination because - Yes, we have no pictures!

Cori sang in her preschool Christmas program in December. I was pretty proud of all of the preschoolers and the great job they did staying in their own spaces, keeping their hands to themselves, and singing most of the words and most of the notes at the right time and with the right intonation. Most of you know i am the director of Cori's preschool and as such, i had to select the program for the Christmas pageant this year. This year's program was entitled "Room Around the Manger" and described Mary and Joseph's journey on their way to Bethlehem. The song titles went something like this "What can you Carry on a Donkey's Back?", "It was a Long Way", "No Room", "1,2,3 People Needed a Bed" and "Quiet Lullaby." There were several more, but you get the idea.

Cori had a part in the program as that of Market Person #2. She had a costume, a speaking part and everything. Later in the program, I was in the sound booth helping with the recording when over the speakers i heard a very clear voice. I looked up and Cori had grabbed a hold of one of the stage mics and moved it to mouth level and was singing directly into it. She sounded great but still, i was a tad bit embarrassed. After the program was over, many people came up and asked me who the adorable little girl with the pink scarf was who had been singing so sweetly into the microphone. They were surprised to hear she was my kid! She is so like her parents!

Christmas was fantastic this year. We are blessed to be able to spend Christmas with both sides of the family every year. I have so many friends who have to alternate which side of the family they visit each year. We go to Adam's family Christmas right before Christmas and my family Christmas on Christmas Eve. We spend Christmas Day at home, all together, the three of us. (Unless you count Shelby and then it is the four of us)

Adam came down with gout on New Year's Day. My Dad has been teasing him about gout being an old person's disease. Poor Adam was off work for two weeks before the doctor released him. Now the outside of his foot hurts from walking on it to keep pressure off of his big toe. I have been a reading fool! Adam got me a Barnes & Noble Nook for Christmas and i love it! I am reading a book every two days now. Thank goodness B&N has free books available for download. I would have bankrupted us already!

Finding the Perfect Christmas Tree

Once again the family took off for Fulton Farms to find our perfect Christmas tree. Over 20 acres of trees to chose from. This year, there was snow on the ground! We love trudging through the snow to find that most wonderful prize, the perfect tree. Of course, it doesn't matter if the tree we look at first is the perfect one, Adam still likes to check all 20 acres to make sure there isn't one out there that might be just a little bit better.

Cori at Dance Class

She has more grace than her Mother, that is for sure. Dance class is really helping Cori with her coordination. I can't help but think that dance class is surely going to help her on the softball diamond some day. Is that wrong????? :)

Preschool Field Trip

Cori is having a lot fun at preschool. She is learning so much that sometimes i forget she is only 3 years old. One of the best days she had was at our preschool field trip to the working farm. I have attached pictures as they really do say 1,000 words!

Fall Fair

Cori, Daddy and Mommy worked very hard this summer preparing, planting, tending and then harvesting our very large garden. Once the fruits of our labors were ready, we picked our produce and froze it to use this winter. Adam has been industriously baking pumpkin pie, bread and cookies for the family to enjoy. That's right, ADAM has been baking! And he is a pro!

Cori was able to enter some of our vegetables in the Fall Fair. Grandpa's class puts on a Fall Fair every year that the high school. I have attached pictures of Cori with her goods and her ribbons.

Halloween Pictures

Cori was a Ballerina for Halloween. Of course, by the time we added all of the accessories she wanted, she was a Fairy Princess Ballerina! We were super spoiled for Halloween this year. She got to go twice with her preschool class, once in Piqua and again with her cousins in Englewood. It is nearly Christmas and we STILL have Halloween candy!

The Cheese is on the Top Shelf

Cori went to the allergist yesterday and all of her tests came back negative, which is actually a positive. She can have milk and eggs again. (in moderation to start) When we came home from the doctor's office, Cori requested scrambled eggs for dinner. So we had scrambled eggs. Today she is having grilled cheese. She was so excited that she ran to the fridge and let Adam know that the "cheese is on the top shelf!" Even though she hasn't been able to have cheese for so long, she never lost track of where it was in the fridge!

Both the allergist and i agree that while Cori showed some symptoms of milk allergy, the tests don't lie. Although he agrees with me that the milk, or whatever may be IN the milk could be causing her red bumps on her arms. Maybe it is time to switch to a more organic product. Maybe it is time to research the levels of hormones that are allowed in dairy products. Looks like Mommy has some research to do!

First day of school and dance classes

Cori started her first day of school on Wednesday. It looks like she will be going 5 days a week. As i am the director at the preschool, i have to be there every morning. Seems silly to get her a sitter when i can just take her to preschool. Although, i am a little worried about her going 5 days a week. This seems like a lot for a 3 year old.

Cori likes her classmates and she likes her teacher. They have already done some interesting things and she is getting some really good reinforcement on her manners.

On September 13, Cori starts dance class. She has been talking all summer about wanting to take ballet classes. We were lucky to find a dance school in Troy that teaches a creative movements class for 3 and 4 year olds. We have to go get some ballet slippers and a leotard with tights. If this goes well, we will sign her up for soccer this summer. Softball will be right around the corner i am sure!

The County Fair 2010

Our Miami County Fair is shrinking every year. I am waiting for the rides and games to be cancelled and the whole week just referred to as a livestock show. But here are some pictures of Cori having the time of her life!

Camping, Algae and "What's that Noise?"

Over the 4th of July weekend, the fam went camping at Grand Lake St. Mary's. Our little family slept in our three room tent, complete with screened in porch. The other two families we went camping with were decked out in mobile hotel rooms, complete with air conditioning!

I wasn't a ton of help, as i still have lifting restrictions in place after my surgery. Adam had to do most of the heavy lifting and that included taking Cori to the playground so she could swing. I was in charge of food. That is a very important thing to be in charge of!

Cori loved camping. She loved roasting hot dogs, visiting the nature center and playing with the other kids. We had 6 kids at our campsite. Cori was by far the youngest and all of the children catered to her and helped her and doted on her. What a rude awakening Cori had when we came home and it was back to routine as usual! hee hee Swimming was out of the question. The lake has been taken over by a turquoise colored algae. When the temperature gets warm, the algae "blooms" and it is pretty disgusting. I can't describe it to do it justice.

To stay cool, the kids would play games or be crafty in the campers with the A/C on high. For whatever reason, the adults stayed out doors and sat around the fire talking and just sweating our butts off. The kids were certainly the smarter group in this instance!

At night it took Cori forever to go to sleep! That kid heard noises from everywhere! And ever time there was a noise, there was a question from Cori, "What's that noise?" The third night we got smart and let her fall asleep in a camper watching a movie. Then all Adam had to do was pick her up and carry her to the tent. Next time we will know better.

Our camping adventure was fun although HOT. So fun in fact that we are looking at campers. Nothing fancy, just something that will keep Mommy and Daddy from sleeping on the ground. And ok, i admit it, something with some A/C so we can play cards without the cards melting as we play!

The air is blinking!

Yes, the air IS blinking! Blinking with lightning bugs. Cori is the world's best lightning bug catcher. She has her little bug net and she zooms through the grass in her bare feet. Every time she catches one she yells, "Mommy i got it! I got it!" We put them in a tupperware container and watch them blinkity blink. Oh to be young and excited over lightning bugs!

Daddy and Cori have been going over to the Ostendorf pool for swimming. Mommy has another week before she can be in the water. Drat! Whose idea was this to have surgery during summer anyway??

Tried camping in the back yard last night. Unfortunately, our neighbors (two doors down) were have a pretty loud outdoor birthday party. We tried and tried to put Cori to bed in the tent but the noise was bothering her. Finally she told Adam that she just couldn't sleep with all the noise. Next thing you know, i hear Cori hollering from inside the tent, "Well i guess camping is over!" She was pretty mad. Neighbors kept at it til after 2:30 am. So no one slept in the tent. Boo Hiss In my younger days i would have done one of two things. #1 joined them. #2 yelled across the fence for them to shut up. Last night i just wanted to call the cops! Must be getting old.

Swimming and Swimming

We've been doing quite a bit of swimming around here. As the weather permits, we have been making the very long 1 and 1/2 block trek to the Piqua Pool. Cori nearly vibrates with excitement when we are getting ready to go. I don't get much actual swimming in. My job is to constantly be nearby in case Cori's floatation vest suddenly stops working and to be at the end of the water slide to "catch" Cori when she comes down. Usually that means getting splashed to death while she is have a WONDERFUL time! Now if the weather would only cooperate a little more.

I have surgery on Tuesday the 15th of June so i don't know when i will be able to take her to the pool again. Hopefully, Adam will take her.

Oh and p.s. Hennin has been stuck in a tree for 3 days. Send help!!

The Hennin Report

Cori has a friend. His name is Hennin. He lives a rather interesting life. Yesterday he was fishing. Today he is at a ball game in blue pants with a blue shirt. Hennin gets to do a lot of stuff that Cori either wishes she could do, or stuff that she is not allowed to do. Oh, did i mention that Hennin is imaginary? Prior, we thought his name was Himmen. We were wrong!
Yes, Cori has an imaginary friend. She doesn't play with him or ask us to make him lunch or to make room for him in the car. But every day we get the "Hennin Report". We get to hear all about what her friend is up to.
I am not concerned at all. Most of what i have read has indicated that imaginary friends are healthy and helpful. I know that i had an imaginary friend when i was Cori's age. Actually, i had an entire imaginary family. They lived in the climbing tree in my front yard. The tree even had bedrooms, a living room and kitchen. I loved that tree and my tree family.
My niece, Erin had a couple of imaginary friends. The one i remember the most was named Robin. Poor Robin. I was always sitting on him! My other niece, Molly, even had a friend who was a can of chicken noodle soup for a little while. Yes, an actual can of chicken noodle soup!
We will keep an eye on Hennin. He could become rather useful. Yesterday, Hennin was fishing, i have a feeling that Cori would like to go too. She really enjoyed that last summer. If Hennin is at the ball game, i have no doubt it is because Cori wanted to go watch her Grandpa's team play softball. We didn't go and she was pretty upset about it.
I am thinking that Hennin could bring some insight to what Cori would like to be doing. I know, i know, i could just ask Cori what she wants to do, but keeping track of Hennin seems like so much fun!

First Day at the Big Pool

My whole extended family was pretty busy this weekend with their own things and Adam had to work, sooooooooooo, Cori and i went to the Piqua Pool today. Little did i know that the pool was nearly not even opened this year. WHAT?! I guess the City Manager was complaining that Piqua (like every other town in the country) is losing money. Apparently, the pool hasn't turned a profit in the last 5 years. Hmmm, you mean since Troy opened it's amazing municipal water park 5 years ago, the Piqua Pool (23 years old) has been losing money? Go figure!
But our ever community conscious council members over-ruled the city manager and the pool opened on schedule. I figure those city council members were thinking that the kids who normally go to the pool would be terrorizing the neighborhoods if the pool was closed and they didn't want that to happen.
It was a beautiful day for a trip to the pool. Did i mention the pool is a block and half from our house? For $5.50 Cori and i had all the water fun we could handle! The pool has 3 water slides. One for tots like Cori, one for older children and the Eviscerator (Ice Age 2 reference) for the adventurous. For now i have convinced Cori to stay with the tot slide. We will see if she has graduated to the larger slide by the end of the summer. Ain't no way i am taking her down the HUGE slide. Maybe Adam will do that for her.
Cori is such a social butterfly. She says "Hi" to every kid she passes. It doesn't matter what age they are. If they are breathing they are fair game for Cori to introduce herself to. She even tries to make conversation with the adults. At one point i felt bad for the lifeguard who was assigned to the area of the kiddie slide. I had to tell Cori that the lifeguard was busy watching the water for potential drowning victims and didn't have time to listen to her stories or play her game of 5million questions. Shy she ain't!
If the weather holds out, we are going back tomorrow. Cori wants Daddy to go with us. Should be a good time!

What???

Tonight Cori put on her best pouty face and announced rather loudly the following: "Mommy doesn't love me. Daddy doesn't love me. Shelby doesn't love me. Nobody loves me!" She then drug her feet to her room with her chin upon her chest and slammed the door. Adam and i both said, "What??" A minute later the door to her room flew open and she ran out hollering, "Everybody loves me! YAY!!" She is 3. I thought insanity didn't show up until much later.

Yesterday morning she came into our bedroom at 7am and announced that it was now time to go swimming. What??

And earlier today Cori told me that her friend Himmen and his pet rhinoceros were coming over for dinner and we needed to have peanut butter and jelly, carrots and dip and jello. WHAT??

She must be Adam's kid.

And so it begins!

Summer officially starts the first day Cori is in a pool. So i guess that means that yesterday, summer started. Cori and i went to K-Mart and picked out a little pool. It amazes me what $9 can buy. I am sure it was made in China and full of lead and tainted baby milk but hey, it was $9 what do you expect?

We were filling it up when Adam arrived home from work just in time to save us from droopy pool side disaster! By 6:30 we were adding some hot water and Cori was swimming. The water was freezing and her lips started turning blue but she was having a blast! It was 90 degrees outside so i am guessing the cold water felt good. Can't wait til the Piqua pool opens and she can really swim!

1....2.....

I was putting Cori down for her nap today as usual, and i read her a story, as usual. I have to stop at 1 story and be firm about it or Cori sets out to demonstrate the old addage, "give an inch, they take a mile." While she knows she gets one and one story only, this doesn't stop her from asking for two once in a while. When she asked today, i said, "No Cori, it is naptime." to which she replied, "Don't make me count to 3 Mommy."

I know that my Mother is laughing her head off somewhere as she reads this and is thinking that payback is a ..... well, you know what it is.

Allergy Update

We just returned home from the allergist. He interpreted the blood tests Cori had several weeks ago and informed me that in reality, the allergy antibody numbers were pretty low. He discounted the grass pollen allergy altogether. After listening to what i had to say about her positive reaction to the elimination diet she was on and then doing a skin test for 14 different allergens, he concluded that Cori must stay away from dairy products and "pure egg" products. She can have products with milk or egg in them as long as they are baked in. I have a list of foods that are off limits due to milk or egg content.

This is really good news for Cori. Many of the foods i had eliminated from her diet are now available to her again. I still need to be watching labels for content and noting any reactions, but i feel a lot better than i did before we met with the allergist.

Bring on the pasta noodles and pop tarts!

Random Photos taken by Budding Photographer who is 3

Cori's pack

Self portrait of feet

Mommy's pack

Cori socks

and of course, Daddy!