From Monkey to Fairy Princess

So I found the CUTEST monkey costume for Draya at Stupid Store. Just $10 for a really nice toddler vest with an adorable monkey head hood. Only trouble, Draya screams and cries when we put it on her. Still cute but I hate to torture her. Anybody want a monkey costume - $10.

We all dressed up last night to go to a Halloween party at L&A's place. Mommy & Daddy were Naughty & Nice and Draya was a Fairy Princess. We were ready to go by 7:30 with plans to stay out till 10pm. Draya would fall asleep in the car on the way home for sure and we'd just carry her up to bed. Only problem, the car lights were left on after an excursion to the mall in the afternoon. No power left... no car... no going out... no party. AMA came by 8:30 but by then it was too late.
Oh well, Draya can wear her wings and pink tutu at Halloween Hoopla on Tuesday.

Stop!

One of Draya's new favourite words. And I really would like to respect her wishes but she has to...
...get dressed
...sit DOWN in the chair/stop climbing where it isn't safe
...have her face and hands washed

Sorry baby, you can't always have what you want, especially if it's a pen to colour on everything with.

A Few Quick Stories

As life speeds past, our favourite little princess has been constantly coming up with more cuteness! Here are a few recent stories…

When daddy and Draya were in the hotel washroom in Red Deer, Draya want all the way along the aisle, stopping to open each stall, point and say ‘potty’.

At the restaurant in our hotel she started calling every older gentleman who entered ‘papa’. Well, she has quite a few papa’s of her own (2 actual, 2 chosen and 2 great) so I can she how she might think it means everyone!

Draya has learned how to turn on the CD player. When she wants to dance she will turn it on, wait for the music, dance a little bit by herself then approach mommy, holding her arms out, saying ‘dance’. She also likes to dance with her dolls and teddy bears. She holds their arms, sways and turns around in time to either a CD or the tunes some of her toys play.

Draya’s new words are to numerous to mention! A few that stand out are ‘water’, 'book' and 'please'. She has also started putting more than one word together sometimes.

When Draya wants the straps on her booster seat or highchair undone (after she has done them up herself – not when she is sitting in the chair) she says ‘beep, beep’ until someone fixes them for her.

Draya has started swim lessons again. So far so good but she still hates it when we try to make her float on her back.

One of Draya’s new places to play is under her high chair. She will steal a set of keys, stick one into one of the chairs exposed screws and pretend she’s driving.

Draya has been eating more recently. She’s probably about to have a growth spurt. The other night she ate two (small) slices of pizza without spilling any and wanted more. Asking insistently for ‘pizza, pizza’. We were all out though and she had to settle for angel food cake instead.

Caption Contest

Okay there's actually nothing to win but this photo of Draya and her cousin Graham needs a cute/witty caption. Are you up to the challenge?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Draya and Bunny - October 8th, 2006

Mommy finally had some time to download the camera while Draya napped today. Last night she went to Grandma & Grandpa's for turkey and Grandpa's birthday. Tonight we are going to Nana & Papa's. It's also a weekend of Great Grandparents as she saw two last night and two more are here from Winnipeg and will be there tonight (all week actually so she will see them lots!).
Below are some cute photos from the past 4 weeks...

One of the few times she sat down when we went to visit her new cousin G at the hospital on September 13th.

Eating all by herself at her very own little table on September 25th.

Eating at the grown-up table on September 30th (she's sitting on a phone book).

Rocking with J on September 30th.

Speaking & Reading

Today Draya learned to say the word 'pizza', so we had pizza for lunch.
When we ask her if she wants to go wash her hands, she says 'hands' and toddles into the bathroom. I hold her up to the sink so that she can run her hands under the tap and help her with soap and rubbing them together. Then, she tilts her head and tries to drink from the tap. After we are done she goes finds her little towel that hand at the side of the counter and dries her hands by herself. Then I help her dry them a little bit more.
Draya has MANY favourite books. We have at least 2 story-times a day and more on weekends. One book that she is currently very fond of is The Old Steam Train. Each page has a little yellow duck hidden on it and she knows where at least half of the ducks are and can point them out all by herself.