Signs are to eyes what words are to ears. ~ Ken Glickman

I always admired families with little ones that knew how to "sign" to let their parents know what they wanted.  It was something that I was sure that I wanted to do when I became a parent.  It takes some persistance and lots and lots of repetition (and patience!)... but it does help cut down on frustration on both the child and the adults! See the video below of all the words Makenzie can "say":

Makenzie is building both her verbal vocabulary and her signs daily. She currently can verbally say about 15 words and can currently sign 3.  The next sign we want to work on is "hurt".
   I just hope she doesn't learn the universal sign for "screw you"!

If, after the first twenty minutes, you don't know who the sucker at the table is, it's you. ~David Levien and Brian Koppelman, Rounders

Check. I see your 50 and raise you 50. Burn one turn one. She’s bluffing. Your big, your small. Upping the ante. River. Flop. Bad beat.

These are terms I love.  Do you (reader 12) recognize them? I’m talking poker here people! Texas Hold ‘em if you don’t mind. I love the game. I love the comrodery of getting together and playing with friends and especially with people I’ve never met before.  I don’t like playing with newbies and I’m too scared to play in a tournament in Reno. It’s the middle of the road people, that know enough to not play stupid, but not sharky enough to scare you out of every hand, that I enjoy the most. 

  Friday we went to our friend Bob and Brandy’s house for Brandy’s birthday – poker party.  Buy in was $5. We’re cheap. There was drinking involved, but when I play poker, I don’t like to drink and usually don’t like to play with drunks.  They make stupid decisions playing on a  7 – 2 (worst hand in poker) and then the damn flop (first 3 cards laid down) comes out with something like a 7-5-2. Such crap, so now my pair of aces is bunk.  Nobody said poker was fair right?  Out of 16 people playing (two tables of 8) I got 5^th place. I was pretty disappointed… not my best night – I blame it all on one particular drunk, that I was getting so angry at for taking forever – probably because he was inbetween passing out in his chair during every round.  I’m still bitter at him and his damn 7-2.  We had fun though and I was pleased with who won first place – the birthday girl!!!  By the time we got home at almost 3 in the morning I was exhausted but I had a great time. 

  The next night I was still having poker fever so Matt and I went and bought our own clay chips, a new deck of cards and a faulty card shuffler (matt hates to shuffle) and we played just the two of us... who do you think won?

Imagination is More Important then Knowledge ~ Albert Einstein

   There is something about watching a child experience something new that brings a smile to my face and my heart.  Kenzie started walking when the weather started turning cruddy, but today was warm enough to let Kenzie explore her backyard for the very first time.  She was a little hesitant to step off the concrete patio and on to the grass, so her daddy helped her - and once she felt comfortable with the new texture under her feet she was off and running. Literally. 

  I can't wait to watch my little girl grow up in that back yard. I look forward to someday getting her a swing set and perhaps a play house and being able watch my little girl pretend she is an astronaut when she swings, a deep sea diver when she slides down her slide, and a mommy when she plays in her little house. I daydream about watching her play hide and seek, tag, and red rover with Brylee (the baby next door who is only 9 months younger then Kenzie) and whatever else the besties come up with.  I am excited to watch Makenzie and her daddy set up the tent in the back yard and go camping... knowing that if the stars keep them up they can come in to their warm beds. I look forward to setting up a sprinkler and watching my little bathing beauty run and splash.  I picture my little girl and her dog playing fetch, chase and exploring the gardens. Our backyard will become whatever my little girl can imagine it being and you (reader 12) know that I will be right there with her, exploring it through her eyes.