Fourteen Months

I'm not sure what Cassandra is up to here but I'm not sure I'll like it.

 Cassandra likes board books in general but there are a couple that she really likes.  Aside from "the Monster at the end of this Book" that I mentioned previously, Cassandra likes the Oscar the Grouch book "Yucchy! Yucchy!" as well as "A Picnic with Monet" and "Little Polar Bear."  However, her favorite new book is one Uncle Greg got her to help Mommy and Daddy, "The Going to Bed Book."  I caught her hunting for it before dinner.

She puts her book down temporarily to smile for the camera and then play a little peekaboo with her zebra.

 OK, time to get back to the book.  It is really funny to see her sit down in her chair and thumb through a book on her own.

Wild Child

I just had to post this series of photos.  It looks like Cassandra reads her shirt "Wild Child", contemplates the meaning of the words, gets an ornery idea, and then proceeds to implement it with abandon.  In this case, she seems intent on rocking the rocker until it goes completely over. 

   

Mommy has suggested removing the rocker part for Cassandra's safety but I'm not keen on doing so because of how she might react.  Also, wrapping a child in cotton doesn't do them any good in the long run because they need to learn.  On the flip side, reason just isn't very effective on a toddler.  Perhaps enough saying "No" with her hurting herself will teach her some caution.  I can already hear some of the snickers from the peanut gallery.  "But Andy, it didn't teach you caution."  I'm pretty sure Janice is one of those laughing the hardest.

Your Spoon Is Not Too Big!

Well, we've decided to try and see how Cassandra does with a spoon.  We got a bending spoon so that we can teach her how to use utensils without it being too awkward.  Since she really likes strawberry yogurt, that seemed like a good place to start...

Not all of it stays in the mouth but she is trying.  We still have to work with her to see the spoon as a spoon, not a stick that you put in your food.  She seemed really excited about the whole thing, almost as if she knew she was doing something that only big girls can do.

New Skills And New Toys

We were able to catch the Empress unwinding after a tough week.  Part of the reason she is so happy is that she is done with the antibiotics for her ear.

She has become really good about smiling for the camera.  We don't really have to do anything other than point the camera in her general direction and we get a smile.

Smiling for the camera.

What does this button do?

High five!

Cassandra was basically overloaded on her birthday, especially as it was only a few days after Christmas.  We opened a lot of her toys but kept a few items back.  Well, today Cassandra got her first workbench.  After all, Daddy will have an easier time working on the house if his helper knows how to pound a nail or run a drill press.

Look At Me!

Cassandra has become more of a dare devil of late.  She has been trying to climb into the chairs but was having trouble getting her leg up high enough.  Well, it seems that her growth spurt has finally given her the vertical reach she needs.  She climbed up into my chair today.  Of course, this means she can continue to climb if no one is around to stop her.  That means the family room is no longer as safe as it used to be.

Cassandra is very proud of herself.

She needs to rest after the effort expended to climb the chair.

Happy Valentine's Day

Cassandra wants to celebrate in her Valentine's Day outfit.  I'm not sure what she is happier with, the holiday cookies or her ear infection starting to let up thanks to a new course of antibiotics.  She is a real trooper.  The biggest outward sign from her is hitting her head like she has fluid in her ear.. 

Valentine's Day Cookies

Mommy decided to make sugar coolies for Valentine's day.  It is not something we normally do but we had a heart shaped cookie cutter, a bunch of sprinkles/colored sugar/balls to decorate with and thought Cassandra might enjoy decorating cookies.

  

 Of course, after all that hard work, one needs to rest...and what better way to rest than to try one of the cookies.  After all, you don't want to offer any to other people if they taste like soap!