Marielle update, 28 months

Anyone who dares complain about my lack of recent posts will soon find themselves writing my posts for me. The following was written by my dad.

After spending ten days with Marielle, most of which were while her parents were in Europe, Grandpa C (alias She-shaw) compiled the following list of fifteen things that Marielle really likes (in no particular order).

1. Eating blackberries—Give this girl a plate of blackberries and she won’t cause any trouble at all, at least until she wants more. Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries are also big hits with her.

2. Eating kiwi—Grandpa found this out when she swiped some from a piece of pie. After that, kiwi was a regular part of the daily menu.

3. Lemon meringue pie—Who doesn’t like this?

4. Honey on waffles—Grandpa learned that when you give a two-year-old a waffle with honey on it, soon you will be shampooing that kid’s hair.

5. Picking dandelions and smelling them when helping Grandpa walk the dogs--Of course, you end up with a very yellow nose by the end of the walk.

6. Running to Grandpa, leaping into his arms, and having him spin you around several times until you are both really dizzy.

7. Rolling down the slanted mat at gymnastics.

8. Helping put things in the shopping cart at the grocery store--Do not attempt to put Marielle in the shopping cart, since that is for babies who are incapable of walking beside, behind, in front of, or somewhere near the cart.

9. Taking lengthy baths with two containers full of bath toys--Having the walrus squirt you on the belly makes this even more hilarious.

10. Playing with Little People—In the car, at the table, in the living room, downstairs, or in Mommy and Daddy’s bedroom, Little People can be a constant source of amusement.

11. Reading the Puzzle Bugs book--every night. Sometimes twice a night. So what if the hundreds of other books on her bookshelf go unread.

12. Blowing bubbles with her Elmo bubble toy—Of all the presents that her mommy left for Marielle to open while her parents were gone, this was definitely her favorite.

13. Watching the DVD which teaches you about the colors--It is imperative that the five stuffed animals that live in the box in the living room be brought downstairs to watch this DVD each day.

14. Having a tea party with three stuffed bears and one stuffed rabbit. Of course, after the animals finish their tea party, they must all lie down on the floor and take a nap.

15. Wearing her pink nightgown--Woe be unto the person who tries to take it off her in the morning. I thought the nightgown went rather well with the pants, socks, and shoes she wore with it to school that day. I believe that Marielle’s teacher probably considered calling social services, especially when we inadvertently picked out a cute ladybug pajama outfit which she wore to school the next day.

Six things which Marielle really doesn’t like.

1. Taking off her pink nightgown (see above).

2. Taking off her fuzzy green bathrobe—Rather than become engaged in a lengthy struggle, Grandpa let her sleep in it one night. That was the night she stayed awake until after midnight, singing, talking to her dolls, playing with her light-up ladybug, etc. She even got out of bed and put on her pink shoes, which apparently match the bathrobe.

3. Greek olives--This was the closest she came to putting a vegetable in her mouth when Grandpa was there. She found the olive to be incredibly disgusting and made the most unforgettable face as she was spitting it out.

4. Diet orange soda—Grandpa was having some, and she probably thought it was some of her daddy’s delicious orange juice. WRONG!

5. Tomato dipping sauce on bread sticks or pizza—Actually, Marielle dislikes anything on pizza except cheese.

6. Having her hair rinsed—Until Grandpa forced her chin upward, she insisted on looking down so that the shampoo ran into her eyes. Grandpa explained the concept of gravity to her. Marielle’s mom says that she now looks upward when it is time to rinse her hair, so the science lesson was successful.