Time to check in with work

So, after a hard morning of eating, napping and dirtying up my pants, dad and I headed out to the deck to use some WiFi to catch up with the office and see if there was anything pressing that we needed to be addressed.

However, as much as I wanted to check my email, mom wouldn't shut up! So, I had to scream at her a bit, asking her to stop trying to stick berries in my mouth because I wanted to see my email!

Finally, dad and I were able to settle in and get some work done....

All right! Work day is over, I'm naked, someone take me to the ocean! We're going skinny dipping! Hey....why are you inside and I'm locked out! What did you do with my clothes!

Camera Case = Fun!

Have I mentioned that I'm a fan of the beach? Big time people! But, even though I love the beach like a fat kid loves cake, there are times when I get a bit bored ...luckily mom is one smart cookie! She let me play with a camera case! Yea!

Not only does she let me play with a camera case as the wind blows though my hairs, but she also bounces me on her knee as I play! So talented!!!

Who knew that a camera case could be so fun?!

Rain Rain so I play!

So, on occasion it rains....it happens I guess...not much one can do. So, what do I do when it rains? Well, there are lots of options for me here when the rain comes out to play the role of buzz-kill.
One of my favorite things to do is play with my cousin Leila! Here we are playing with my bus....good time there!

I do a little thing I like to call: the window smears. This little game is when I lick my hands so that the little bits of food on my hand are moistened and then smear them all the way down the glass, now that's fun!

Or, when nothing else is left to do, I play in my kiddy-pool. Ok, so its got no water in it, but I like to climb in and out and put a lot of my toys inside...then outside....then inside....then outside....you get the idea. I'm pretty sure that we'll get some water in this thing eventually.

But, one of my favorite things to do is sit in the laundry basket and make someone drag me around the house! Now, that's a good time! Aunt Maggie was a big player in the laundry basket push department! Thanks!

Thank you Berry much!

So, you might ask yourself what a girl like myself likes to eat? Well, everything! In fact, over the last few days I've have had so much to eat that my belly is in a perpetual state of FAT FAT FAT! So big in fact, that my inny has now become a outtie!
But, I digress....anyway, let's talk about my favorite eats!

Let's just look at this face....any ideas?

Berries! Fruit! Strawberries! Blueberries! Blackberries! Raspberries! Berries! LOVE THEM!

Passive Parenting

What you see below is a perfect example of what my father refers to as "passive parenting". You see, what dad does is that he finds something that might keep me interested, no matter what that object might be, and turns me lose on it. He'll let me play with pretty much anything, so long as it buys him some time to sit on his duff and do nothing. In this case, my dear father thought I might like to play with a...chair. A chair? Really? Sure, it had a towel on it, but a chair? This thing?

Ok, I see the object that you are talking about, but....what am I supposed to do with it?

Well...I can work on my squats I suppose. But, this gets kinds of boring after a little while...actually after a few deep knee bends I'm looking for something else to do...

Hmmmmm, now we're talking! This chewing thing...yes, I do enjoy it! You there, camera-woman, take a picture of me enjoying going to town on this towel! Chick, click, chick!

Mouthful of towel!

HA! Love this passive parenting! Sure, you are only like 1 for 47 with the objects you have turned me lose on, but still....this one was a hit! Big thumbs up!

Scooting along...because no one will help me....

Ahhhh...the beach....awesome! I love the beach, truly, I do. What I'd love even more is if someone would take me down to the water...being that there are about 8 members of my family all within about...5 feet of me, you'd think that someone would be willing to help a sister out...but, you'd be wrong. In fact, the only member of my family who you see is dad...and its just his feet...which is just as well because its not like he's using his arms to help me!

Anyway, so here I sat...wanting - as John Masefield so elegantly put it in Sea Fever - "To go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky"....but because my family is inherently lazy, I'm stuck here all on my own! Nevertheless, being the resourceful mo-fo that I am, I found a way, I like to call it the poop-shoot-scoot! Its great...well, when you have a slight decline anyway. I learned it from the dogs back home, they showed me how to do it on the carpet...very informative.

Anyway, scooting away, with great success...and as you see, dad shows up when the work was over....kind of like when he leaves right before the bill has to be paid! I'm not sure what I can even say about that man's timing..... Anyway, what's important here is ME! So, let's go over what I've learned: Scooting is cool. Adults are useless.

Fiber?

The other day when mom and Aunt Maggie got back from the store they were all excited about this new drink. I was not really sure what they were talking about, but they said all they had to do was mix this packet-thing into a glass of water and it would turn into pink lemonade and that it would also contain 10 grams of fiber.....? Um.....ok, I was with you when you said you had a glass of water, but after that you lost me. So, I decided to investigate....

First I studied the box that this magic lemonade/fiber came in.

After getting a grip on what the box was about, I broke into a fiber packet and started doing a bit of tasting....bad mistake.

I don't know how these things work for you, but after my little self had this "wonder" drink...I had to make a quick run to the bathroom....and after round one with the toilet was over - which I lost by the way - I had to use the wall to hold myself up....it was not pretty.

When the fiber had finally worked its way "out" of me....I needed a bath....actually, maybe a power-scrubbing is more accurate. Anyway, I grabbed hold of the tub, tried to suck in my belly, and yelled at either mom or Aunt Maggie to get in here to clean up my mess! Who likes the color brown?

More People = Less Walking!

Kind of like P.T. Barnum said about a sucker being born every minute, I've found that there is always some sucker around who I am able to manipulate into doing my bidding.
Take for example dad's dad....nice guy, entertaining, and another sucker! Here you can see us down by the water and me telling him that I'd like to go back up the beach to where mom is...I even point for his benefit because he's old and I want to make sure he gets it.

Apparently he got it...but seemed to misunderstand that he was to carry me, and that I'm not so much interested in the walking!

Shells hurt my feet! Sand between my toes! Seaweed is nasty!

Ah...finally....now, up the beach fat man's father!

Get off your DUFF!

So, dad's back in town. Usually this would qualify as a moment that one could look forward to as expecting some form of interaction with one's father...wouldn't you think? Well, apparently the only fatherly interaction going on here is between dad and his dad! Hello people, I'm right here! Pay attention to me! Damn....you might as well go back to where you came from if that is the kind of attention I'm going to be getting!

So, as I sit here trying to find something to do with myself - as dad and grandpa ignore me - I'm left with pretty much sand, rocks, shells, and seaweed....snore!

But, I'm resourceful...so just give me a minute and I'll come up with something! Wait for it....

Rock Banging! Woo-hoo! Let's the party begin! I don't want to work, I just want to bang on me rocks all day! Yea! Come on people, sing along!

Boot!

This is my homey Aunt Maggie...or as - for some reason - her sister calls her Mag-Boot. Boot? Really? Like a big militaristic shoe? Why not a nice little pump? How about Mag-Strappy-Pump? Anyway, as I mentioned before, Aunt Maggie was in town for a few days before dad got back into town and we got to talk about all kinds of girly stuff with must us three ladies...it was dope!

Aunt Maggie was very patient with me as we discussed changes which happen to girl's bodies as they mature and what I might expect to happen to me over the next decade or two...it was fascinating!

Truly informative!

But, more than just a provider of vital information, Aunt Maggie also pulled up my pants for me....you see I've been eating A LOT of food as of late, and have been having some issues with my butt crack slipping out when my pants get pushed down by my ever-growing gut. Thanks Aunt Mag-Strappy-Pump!

To the beach!

So, after a tasty lunch and a bit of a nap, we headed back to the beach....I think I like this beach thing, but I'll have to let you know for sure.
Anyway, so when we arrived back I climbed up on a hill and tried to get the lay of the land...see what there was to do....so I looked around for my options...

First off I decided I would allow Aunt Shereen to rub my back....not really sure why, but when someone rubs my back, I go into a mild coma and kind of drool on myself....so comfy!

After my back rub, dad and I headed into the water where Leila and Aunt Shereen were already frolicking....my stay in the water was not all that long....like the beach, I'm not really sure how I feel about the water. I sit on the shore and stare at the breaking waves, but don't really want to get too close. So, needless to say, being in the water with dad was ok...for a little while.

So, once I told dad I was done in the water...loudly, he hauled me out and we toweled off a bit....now, let's role in the sand a bit to dry off...that's what the dogs taught me.

This is how you show love?!

So, dad's back and we all went down to the beach....and as dad and I were sitting there, dad started to dig a hole...well, I wasn't really sure what he was doing, but there was a lot of sand flying.....so I thought it best that I move back a little bit.

So, once I was a safe distance away, dad's project began to take shape...

As more sand flew and dad strained as the hole got deeper...a wall started to develop...what was he doing?

What was he doing?! HE and cousin Leila were making a Mallory proof wall! As the wall got higher and higher there was no way I could get to dad any more....dude? Dude! What's this conspiracy between you two? You two working on a wall to keep me out? To keep you in? What the hell are you doing? I think we need to reassess this relationship.

Apple para me?

As usual, I'm not a big fan of being left on the ground. I usually follow mom around the kitchen with my arms up in the air screaming for her to pick me up....eventually I wear her down and she picks me up. But, let's thin about it....who really wants to carry around a 21 pound dead weight? Apparently, not mom. So, do give her some time and to give me something to do, she plops me down on the cabinet and gives me an apple.

Can't really say I remember being allowed to have a whole apple all on my own, but she just hands it to me and walks off....cool. So, I take a couple chews on my apple, then put it back in the apple bowl and pick up another...chew and repeat! They all taste the same, but I really feel I need to put my mark on each of them.

Dad's Home! And he brought RED apples!