Big Blue, a redneck and some cheep thrills

Remember last month when I thought a my first red wagon was the best thing ever? Well, move over little red, big blue is in the house - and he's got horsepower!That's right, my parents got a tractor. So far only me and my dad have driven it but my mom says we'll be "tearing up the place" next week while my dad goes away on a "business trip" to Maui. Poor guy...Check it out, I even get a front seat for once!
And here's another cool thing we've gotten for the farm:Little baby chicks! They sure are cute. And they speak my language - high pitched chirps! I like to go visit them a few times a day. I could spend all day just pointing, staring and shrieking at them but my mom is worried I'll become a "chicken girl" - kind of like those girls who love horses in a weird way, but with chickens. I'm not sure what that means yet but I sure do love them:

Oh yeah, and Onay and Papa came for a visit in the middle of all this farm stuff. They helped out around the farm and helped celebrate my dad's birthday. They seemed happy but I overheard them saying they worried about my dad becoming a "redneck". I'm still not sure what it means but it may have something to do with his new style of dress:And yes, that's another one of my mom's cake creations. Here's a closer look:I promise more real soon now that we can go outside and start "working the land", whatever that means...

The Little Red Wagon and the Orange Owl

Guess who came to visit me last week? That's right, Onay and Papa! I was so busy showing them all my new skills that I almost forgot to take pictures. Thankfully, we somehow got a few.

The first day they visited they brought me some presents (as is to be expected from grandparents, right?). They were right on target with something I've always wanted, a little red wagon:
Onay was even kind enough to tow me around the house in it:
I can't wait to get out in the garden with my mom and my new garden tools and wagon. Of course, the weather is bad and I was bored so the first thing I did when no one was looking was stand in the wagon and run over my Cabbage Patch baby brother...
It was also Papa's birthday visit so my mom baked one of her special cakes. Papa seemed quite happy and began hooting like an owl. I was just confused, as I usually am when my mom bakes:
And why was he hooting, you ask? I guess it's because he likes owls...

Toys for Boys, Part Deux

Grab yourself a snack and get ready for some big and groundbreaking news...

Remember when I got my first Tonka truck and my mom posted a video of me learning to walk with it? Well, you know how she is, always submitting pictures and videos all over the place. I guess she submitted that video to Tonka and guess what? I am now the only first girl on the Tonka website! I'm not kidding, click here to see for yourself.

Did I mention I love dip?

Streaking, scratching and shrieking...

...Those are a few of my new favorite things. Here I am doing two at once:I have found it is quite nice to run around like a banshee after a bath, naked and free. Another thing I'm really starting to enjoy is being outside. Some days I just sit and look out the window and plan my day.Then I head out and get right to work. Here I am helping in the garden.
You may think I am not very fashionable in my overalls and hat, but to be quite honest, some days I like to dress up and run around the house avoiding getting my picture taken. Here I am in my fancy Baby Gap attire.

Oh Hi and the Belly

We took a road trip out to my mom's old stomping grounds the other day. It's a place called Ojai (pronounced Oh-Hi) and it's pretty nice. We went for a hike with some people called "hashers". No, they were not in lingerie for this one. Here I am at the start with my mom:

We walked for a while and then her friend Banana carried me up a big hill, where my dad was waiting at the top to volunteer to carry me down the mountain. My mom made some comment about something called "chivalry". Anyone know what that means? I guess it doesn't matter because it's dead. That's kinda sad...
Dad managed to carry me and his beer the rest of the way. At the end there was a big, nice dog that let me pet him.And of course I brought some beads so I would fit in:I had so much fun I decided to show everyone my belly. I am quite proud of it:
Pretty impressive, huh?

Catching up

Good grief, has it really been more than a month? The older I get the faster time seems to pass...

So grab a chair and get comfy so I can tell you what I've been up to. Ah, that's better. First, I headed up to Sacramento for Thanksgiving. My daddy even bought me a new outfit all the way in Spain for the occasion:Yep, I thought it was cute too, except this part was a bit much:I mean, really, did they have to get tights with a chicken on my butt? (Insert fowl and chicken butt jokes here) The things people do to children are just awful, aren't they?

Then again, I guess people who get toted around on other people's backs shouldn't complain about an occasional silly outfit, right?And then there was the snow incident. Have you heard about this stuff? It's white and cold and turns into water when you touch it. I found it quite unpleasant and cried while walking in it. Or maybe I was crying because I couldn't see anything in my big hat.
After the first snow, Christmas finally came. Boy was I happy with all my new stuff. I especially like my new chair, some old Mardi Gras beads, and my duck-walker.
Finally, in addition to walking more, I've acquired some new skills in the past month or so. I've learned to brush all nine of my teeth,
To help Mama in the kitchen,
That some people have machines that actually clean their dishes for them,
And that I love beads. Wearing them, carrying them, putting them in boxes, taking them out, helping others with them. They are so much fun. I just wonder where my mom got sooooo many beads?
Who knows what 2009 will bring? Hopefully more time to blog. I promise to try.

Green Acres Is The Place For Me...

They say country life is great for kids and I must agree. Forget SpongeBob and Dora and video games...I get to do my own exploring on the farm! Because, really, how many girls get to don overalls and run around in the dirt these days? And how many girls still get to help their daddy drive an old farm truck? And how many kids do you know that help gather wood for the stove at night?
And what about walking? Most kids learn indoors, on even ground. Not me, I run around chasing kitties in the dirt while learning the importance of balance, good footing and getting back up and dusting myself off when I fall (it's not you, the sound is not working):

Yep, when you think about it, a farm is a great place to live, learn and contemplate the big questions in life: