Piggy is Full

"Piggy is full" Ally said the other day. Remeber I said she has been "feeding" him every day. Finally he was full and could take no more coins.

Ally holding her full piggy bank.


dumping out the coins into a container

She loved doing this.

Showing off all of Piggy's food. It is safely in a container and now she is back to feeding him every day again.

Belated Mother's Day Post

This is over a week late but the warm glow from it is everlasting...

I bought Becky a gift (a small Keurig Coffee Machine) for Mother's Day and wrapped it in plain brown paper for Ally to decorate. I explained to her that it was a gift for mama for Mother's Day and we talked about how Mother's Day was to celebrate moms and do something special for them. She colored the card I got her to give Becky and wrote her name on it and had a good time decorating the package. Here is Becky with the wrapped gift.

The next day Ally asked me how to write my name. I thought she meant Julie but she said she wanted to write mommy. So I wrote it down. Then she asked how to write Happy Mother's Day. So I wrote that down too.

And a warm feeling just filled up my heart.

I ran to get the camera and started taking pictures of Ally writing.

All on her own she thought of this. Becky did not prompt her. I just could not believe how thoughtful and caring she was. There was a gift for mama and Ally wanted Mommy to have a gift too. (the envelope she wrote it all on was a "gift" she made me earlier in the week. She made me a picture and Becky crafted an envelope/wrapping for it. Then on Saturday morning before Mother's Day Ally asked me to get the gift, so she could then address it to me.) Is that the sweetest story? Gosh how I love her. And wow she is growing up.

Another Milestone Reached

We reached another milestone this weekend. One Becky has been trying to accomplish for weeks now. I am a bit worried I will jinx it by blogging about it but NO MORE PULL UPS!!!!

Ally has been dry all night for months - since February - and we talk a couple of times a week about how it seems she is ready to not wear pull ups anymore, but every time she says NO.

Finally she was ready and said she would try it.

This is Ally in the morning. She was so proud of herself and so happy to have me take a picture of her.

This picture also shows our official weekend morning routine. I get up with Ally whenever she wakes up and I get her a sippy cup of chocolate milk and a bowl of dry Cheerios and turn on a PBS show for her to watch; Curious George, Berenstain Bears or Cat in the Hat are her current favorites. On Saturday morning I call my mom and chat with her while Ally watched 2 shows and then on Sunday I read the paper. 2 shows is our limit. I have to admit I never realized how educational these shows are. At least once a week Ally says something and Becky and I ask where she learned that and the source is always Curious George or Cat in the Hat, for example we were walking down a street recently not near our house and there was bamboo in a yard and Ally stopped to touch it and I said "that is bamboo" and she replied emphatically "I KNOW THAT" both Becky and I were giggling silently and asked how she knew that and she said "Cat in the Hat". Who knew?

Our Saturday

A fairly typical Saturday for us:

Birthday party in the morning. There was an entertainer who made balloon animals for all the kids- Ally chose a turtle bracelet.

After the party it was nap time and then we took the T downtown. Becky and I did some Spring clothes shopping and afterward Ally rode on the Carousel - her first of the season!

Ally started on a horse - pictured above but before the ride started she switched to a bunny. Becky took this picture while the ride was in motion!

Ally was delighted to discover a field of dandelions.

She has been waiting for them to turn white so she can pick them and blow them.

Here she is trying to blow the "white stuff" off.

We are having a great month of May. Mothers Day last weekend, school is good, Ally is doing amazing gymnastics, work is good for me, we've been healthy. Life is moving along so fast and I am trying to take some time and enjoy the normal and the wonderful and everything in between.

More Swimming

Weekly swimming lessons mean lots of pictures. This week we brought the good camera so the pictures came out better.

Practicing her back stroke

A special treat was putting on life jackets and jumping in

then swimming across the pool on her own!

Bursting with Pride

This is the post where I completely brag about my daughter. Please don't read unless you can not judge me for my pride and amazement and please don't think less of me for this post. This blog is The Life of Ally and a huge part of it is documenting Ally's childhood. It's the way I keep track of all the things I don't want to forget and the stuff I want Ally to know. Most of the time that is good stuff, sometimes not so good and this time it is WONDERFUL good.

At preschool Ally's class has had a special music class once a week. There is a local music school that uses Ally's class as their student teaching assignment. When I parent helped last it was on a music class day. I was so amazed - it was really cool how the class worked and it was very clear that Ally loved it. Afterwards I introduced myself to the professor and she told me "Ally is very talented...she should take music class" I smiled and thanked her and mumbled something like "maybe...." she went on to tell me how important it was that we support Ally in her musical endeavors.

Pretty neat, right? She probably says that to all of the parents she meets. But we have known for sometime now that Ally likes music, my mom has been encouraging us to have her in a class of some kind for years now. But gymnastics and swimming and school and play dates and we really haven't wanted to get too scheduled.

But I kept thinking about it.

So I emailed the professor, introduced myself again in email and asked if she had any suggestions for a music class for Ally. She wrote me back and thanked me for getting in touch and wrote "Ally is SO musical, bright and a pleasure to teach." (her emphasis, not mine).

Well every time I think about this I just grin. How can I not be proud of Ally?

"A pleasure to teach"- what a fabulous compliment.

Every day I think she is a pleasure to parent.

Charlo's Garden

Our friends Paul and Charlo have a great backyard. In the spring and summer we enjoy going to their house for breakfast out on their deck. We always try to get some pictures of Ally with the beautiful flowers. Last time we were there Ally was not in to pictures but I managed to get a couple.

Posing with Seba the cat.

Ally and Mama