Summer Days

Hello! It's been awhile!

August and September have flown by - much like the rest of the year. Is it just me or has time speeded up dramatically?
Let's see if I can remember some of the highlights of this summer...
Samantha, David and I have gone camping *twice* and Sammy appears to love it as much as her parents do. Finding ferns, playing in the dirt, looking at caterpillars through the magnifying glass and shining the flashlight on everything are some of her favorite activities.

There's that 'smile' again

At the end of July, David and Samantha went down to the beach and I got to spend some nice quality time by myself.

I know that Grandma Helen and Grandpa Jack enjoyed spending time with Sammy. I think their favorite time was when they took Sammy to church to show her off to all their friends!

During my time alone I spent evenings with friends drinking margaritas, went to the car dealership and started the process of buying our Forester and spending a day luxuriating at the spa - using the gift certificate David ad given me for my birthday. It was wonderfully rejuvenating.

When Sammy and David got back it was promptly her 2nd birthday. We had been ambivalent about doing another party and, in the end, decided a night with her family and grandparents was just the thing.

The third week of August found me back in Texas again. This time I travelled by myself so my evenings were spent window (and otherwise) shopping and reading in my hotel room.

When I returned David got right down to business and started preparing for a grueling audition for the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Up at 5 am to get some practice time in, stealing minutes during the day and practicing well into the night, he was dedicated! Though he came in second place, he was extremely proud of what he had accomplished and how well he had played. I am so proud of him.

This high level of practicing has lead to Sammy's quote of the summer: "Daddy play horn!" This is said 1) during his practice sessions, 2) any time she hears a horn in a piece of music (which, actually, was pretty cool - she could hear the different insturments and knew when they started, etc), 3) anytime we got in the car - her way of telling us she wanted to listen to the classical music that David was using as a rehearsal tool, 4) any time she heard other music - as in, put on the classical music, 5) any time she walked by the music stand, the metronome, the horn or the horn case, and 6) at any other time that something needed to be said.

Her second favorite quote these last couple of months has been " Sammy play Thomes!" or usually following this first statement "Where's Thomas ?(or Scruffy or Culdee; whichever engine she was looking for at the time). We bought her a Thomas the Tank Engine set belatedly for her brithday and, thankfully, she still enjoys it.

This month (or two) has also been filled with getting Sammy into a pre-school. A trying experience. The last words we wish upon anyone is "Waiting List". Finally, and by sheer luck, we found a great co-operative. The teacher seems wonderful: music and children's theater is her background and she loves to PLAY - can't ask for anything more! David, as the participating parent, has a job as the Parents Association Council Liaison. Should be interesting! We will go to our first Parent Education course next Monday night - since it is part of the Community College we are considered students of Parenting.

To sign off...

I had read an article about recording your daughter's growth by photographing her every birthday in an adult sized bathing suit. As the years go by and her body and personality changes it can be pretty revealing, no pun intended.

So, I present, the first two installments of Sammy's Birthday Suit: