Horsey Ride

Tori spent 45 minutes at the orchard riding the ponies. She cried hard every time she had to get off and wit another turn in line. Her dad had to take her to another part of the play area to get her away from the ponies. She played just as hard as Ollie and fell asleep on the way home. She got up happy and played some more outside.

Daddy seems to be her pick. She likes hanging out with him, always has. Daddy's girl, and although Huts might not admit it, he likes that fact that she is a daddy's girl. He took to her from the very moment she was born. I will never forget passing the nursery and seeing him cuddling Tori in a rocking chair. The look of contentment on his face made up for the fact that he was nowhere to be found while I was in recovery (Daddy's note, they never told me she was in recovery so I could see her!).

Mimic

Tori pretty much talks now. She also mimics positions and conversation. She serves as Ollie's echo and likes to stand, sit and eat like all of us. She is getting better about sleeping. In fact, I mistook an owl outside this morning for her moaning. Silly Mama. This morning, Tori talked all about Kylie who comes to the babysitter's in pajamas. No wonder Tori doesn't want her pajamas removed in the morning! She wants to go to Sharon's just like Kylie does.

Huts and I are going to do the Christmas shopping for the kids next weekend. Wish us luck. We are getting each of them seven presents, and Tori's list is short. She doesn't get fixated on anything. Just moves from one toy to the next in the store, making it difficult to pin down any gifts she might like. She is starting to develop an interest in dolls, though, so a stroller and baby doll are on the list.

The Mimic

Look out, world, Tori is our new parrot. Whatever you can do, she can do better. Stand in the shower with your feet crossed, and she can do it too. Scratch your chin and demand ice cream, and she can do it too. Sit on the couch and watch TV, and she can do it to. She repeats nearly everything, including Daddy's slip-up with a nasty word. She's a great mimic.

Tori Dance-a-Thon

I have gotten sucked into the TV show Dancing with the Stars, and Tori enjoys putting on a dress and dancing with Mama. She loves being swung around, scooped up, tossed low and so forth. She also likes watching the dancers on TV and demands we dance with them. Sometimes I get lucky and the action stays on the ground. Most of the time, I'm swinging Tori all around or giving her a piggyback ride when I can't take it anymore. Maybe Tori will take dance like her aunt Lucy.

Dad the Ottoman

Tori seems to be getting her 2 year molars in, but they are in no hurry to come in completely. I say 'seems to be' be cause we really can't tell. She won't open her mouth long enough for us to look and if we try to stick our fingers in to feel them, they come out like a gnarled piece of jerky.

Last night was a bad night for her. She woke in the middle of the night and slept with me in our bed while her Mama took her bed. She tossed and turned and couldn't get comfortable even after medicine. She stuck to me like Velcro for most of the night. At one point, she made me into an Ottoman. She was thrashing about and she ended up perpendicular to my chest with her feet on top of my chest. Apparently that wasn't too comfortable because she quickly moved. A few times I had to tell her to settle down and go to sleep. I also had to try her drink, no drink, straightening her in bed, pillow, no pillow, anything I could think of to get her comfortable enough to sleep. She finally settled down around 4 or 5, just in time for us to get up for the day. She's like dad, more of a night person, so she was a wee bit crabby getting up. She was fine once she got to the sitters. Maybe tonight will be a good night in the cycle. She's definitely getting medicine before she goes to La La land tonight.

Tori the Chatterbox

We have a loud chatterbox in our midst and she likes to stick around when we are watching TV and tell us all about the world. She spends the night telling us what is going on and checking on Ollie and talking with him. She speaks in full sentences now and knows everyone's names. Soon she will telling us that we are wrong, just like Ollie does.