I know, don't even start with the "You haven't updated the blog since...." I have a very socially active 3 year old, so I don't get a lot of time that isn't devoted to play dates, arts and crafts, bike rides or Backyardigans.So, what's been going on?
Petra is now completely independent on the potty. She tells us "Leave me alone" if we try to keep her company. We don't complain.
Petra has a "Big girl bike" with pink streamers and training wheels. Now, if we only had bikes so we could keep up with her. We haven't had time to shop for them!
We visited the Getty Villa for art, music, and story time (arts and crafts including making a bead necklace and a Greek helmet).
Oh yeah, and there was this Christmas thing that she was all excited about for some reason. We continued our tradition of walking to the nursery and bringing a tree home in the wagon. Petra insisted that we get a small tree so she could decorate the whole thing (and that's pretty much what she did. Great job too!). The advent calendar kept her primed all month long ("Can I open a little door now?"), and she wanted it to be Christmas every day (heck, with Petra, it IS Christmas every day!). She scored big, of course, with a digital camera, iPod (w/aforementioned Backyardigans videos), and baby doll and stroller being big hits.Somehow, Petra has managed not to get bored, even over the break when school was closed. We've had playdates galore with Jenna, Jessica, and Katie. She also had unscheduled run-ins with Eden, Emma, Abigail and more. Farmer's Market for the big tree and the pre-Christmas shopping scrum, Franklin Canyon for hiking and "fishing" (Petra wanted to catch "a whopper"), World City Chinese Puppet theatre, Japanese new year's with arts and crafts (Petra made a Daruma and an Origami crane decoration), Disneyland for the Christmas parade and fireworks, Friend's birthday parties, Natural History museum (where she made an undersea diorama, and was spooked by an 8 foot T-Rex that wandered into the room. The life-size puppet made her bury her head into me, and she kept it down until he left), Christmas lights festival (and closing IKEA afterwards!), Work Christmas parties (where, of course, she was adored).
We spent New Year's eve with Jenna & Family (and traditional Japanese new year's food. Yummy and weird at the same time! We celebrated live with New York, but the girls didn't get to bed until 10pm! They loved the party horns, and my ears still ring (and not just from the Champagne).
Petra (with some coaching) managed to lure a shy cat to her to receive a petting. She started out too eager, and the cat kept running away. But she showed great patience, and was able to sit still and stay quiet enough for the curious kitty to finally come and bump her. She was absolutely thrilled. There are only 3 other cats she's ever managed to touch- "The Ambassador" who will let ANYONE touch him, Zoe a sweet catloaf if ever there was one, and Rockstar, who said "Pet ME!" then scratched her. She liked this one much more, and named it "Kitty."
