Month: September 2007

Right before bedtime prayers, CDF and MDF usually talk about their favorite and least favorite things that day. Sometimes MDF will ask me too. Last night she told me that the worst part of the day was when “Mama mowed my cattail.” She had a sad look on her face, but I had to try hard not to laugh.

MDF likes to pick the cattail seed heads that grow in the ditch on the north side of our driveway (actually they are closer to Huntingtons where the ditch gets lots of water and sun). This year there have been very few, mainly from the mowing and weed-killer that the city has used to keep the ditches clear. So a week or so ago I picked the last stalk for her, she played with it a while but then left it on the front sidewalk.

So when CDF was mowing the front yard yesterday evening she didn’t see the catttail in time until a plume of seeds started spraying out from under the mower. Then she looked over and saw MDF crying. They did go to see if there were any more growing in the ditch, but there was not.

I told MDF that we’d ride the bike this weekend and see if we could find any more cattails.

Saturday morning I took the girls to the Burgaw park. I hooked the bike trailer up to my bike and we rode over. I was a little hesitant about riding on Freemont Street, but I found that I had plenty of room on the side of the road and even if one wheel went in the grass, I didn’t notice it much.

When we got to the park we found that the church across the street was having some sort of revival, and there were a number of youth groups parading from the pavillion down the street ot the church steps. MDF and CEF watched from the jungle gym, and while CEF danced to the parade music, MDF was discussing how she would like to join the marchers.

A little while later we went to the swings. The parade was finished and they were starting to have people perform on the street. A man set up two congas and played for a while. MDF and CEF both just watched and smiled.

Yesterday we went to a Portrait Innovations studio in Mayfaire to have CEF’s one-year-old pictures taken. While we were in the studio, CDF stood CEF for a picture and stepped away while the lady shot. CEF stood still for a moment and then put one foot out and took a step. The lady continued to take pictures as CEF took another step and then fell to a seated position. That second step was one of the poses that we ordered.

CEF can say some “words” now, including:

• Mama
• Dada
• Ba (for MDF)
• Dix or Da (for Dog)
• Bye bye
• Thank you
• and most recently: Uh, oh

She also laughs and babbles a lot — and screams when she doesn’t get her way.