Look Mommy! I'm a BIG girl!

Here's a funny story!! A few days ago I went into the kitchen and found Amy on her hands and knees trying to drink water from the dog's water dish. I picked her up and said "Amy, you're not a doggie, you're a big girl. Big girls don't drink water like a doggie." And then I gave her a drink of water in a sippy cup.

Yesterday, I went in the kitchen and I found Amy sitting by the dog's water dish again, only this time, she HAD A STRAW, and was drinking from Tux's water dish again. She was quite pleased with herself. The look on her face told me, "Look Mommy, I'm a BIG girl!!!"

Look Who's Talking!

Amy has been babbling --talking nonstop for quite a while, but none of us could understand her....Now it's fun for us as we begin to recognize some of the things she's saying. Her first words were "Dad" and then Hi Dad" and "Bye" and "Soft" (when she's petting the dog and cat) That was all for a while, but now she's talking more and more. She says all kinds of cute things like: "Oh, Wow!", "Who is it?", (when she's pretending to talk on the phone) "Home", "NO!", "wha da?" (th)"is is ow" (this is owie) (pl)"eese" "more", "sss" (for cereal) and "Sis" and for some reason she says "Bob" we don't have anyone named bob....maybe it's "bub" for Bubba which is what Catherine called Richard. And finally finally she says "MOM!" I've been waiting for a LONG time for her to say that! She's trying to do a "k" sound but it comes out very guttural--as if she's German.....and tonight she said "pa" sound for the beginning of please! She's really working hard on her vocabulary and it's fun to see her progress. She uses quite a few Sign Language Signs--probably close to 70 different signs--including important words like, candy, cookie, milk, cracker, cereal, more, eat, finished, full, yes, and no, dog, cat, mommy, daddy, water, drink, and many more but it's very late.....I'll write more about Amy's adventures in talking tomorrow.

In Memorium

Puffalump Morrow

March 1990-February 2009

We got our tiny little kitten from Tony's secretary, Pat Schade,
who found her in the middle of the road and rescued her.

We had been thinking of getting a cat and Richard was
so excited when Dad brought home a kitten!

She went through quite a few names

until we told Richard he needed to pick ONE name.

He decided to call her Puffalump

after those very soft stuffed animals

because she was the softest thing Richard had ever touched!

Janet was a newborn baby when Puff arrived

And we have taken Puff everywhere!

She was a world traveler!

She flew through Amsterdam on her way to the Philippines.

She lived with us in Manila and in Singapore.

Puff didn't like company--she would hiss at visitors

when they tried to talk to her, or pet her,

but she was really very patient and tolerant with her family--especially

with each child when they were small

and learning how to be soft and gentle with animals.

Puff never scratched or bit the babies,

even when Amy would do her WWF smackdown body hugs!

Amy would grab Puff around the neck and then lay down on top of her

and give her a HUGE hug!

Puff would just lay there and flick her tail and wait.

Puff was a wonderful pet and

We all miss her very much.

Richard and Krysten

This is a cute picture of Richard and his girlfriend Krysten wearing 3-D glasses when they went to the movie Bolt. I think it's a good picture of Richard. Krysten is a cutie and we think she's cool because she loves Harry Potter! I like Krysten because she brings out the best in Richard. We hope to see more of Richard and Krysten!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Happy New Year Everyone!! Janet is back in Utah. We are enjoying one more play day before we get back to our regular school schedule for Catherine and Amy. Amy got some Sure Step orthotics (ankle braces) that will help support her ankles. She is a typical 2 year old who loves to say NO! Catherine has really enjoyed Christmas break--especially having Janet home to play the Wii. Bryan is working hard. Every time it snows, he's awake early doing snow removal for 8-10 Dependable Gardener customers. Have a great day!! Love, Esther

CHRISTMAS SURVEY

I’d love to hear about your Holiday traditions, too.
Here are the answers for our family:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper

2. Real tree or Artificial? REAL! We like to go and cut it ourselves!

3. When do you put up the tree? Hopefully early December--or when we get around to it....We just went and cut down our tree for Family Home Evening this week. It's up but not decorated yet.

4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day....or when we get around to it.....one year it was up until almost Valentine's day--but it was okay because it was a small artificial tree with red ornaments and bows...LOL

5. Do you like eggnog? YES!!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Esther--Easy Bake Oven, Bryan--???, Catherine--my first bicycle, Amy--last year she loved boxes and wrapping paper!

7. Hardest person to buy for? Bryan because he buys the stuff he wants for himself and doesn't leave anything on his list for us to buy for him...

8. Easiest person to buy for? Anyone under the age of 3 or AMY

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, several 1- Avon Porcelain collectible Nativity @- Avon Children's plastic Nativity set, and 3- Fisher Price Children's Nativity set

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail (in January)

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't think of a single one!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Mr. Krueger's Christmas with Jimmy Stewart

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Day after Thanksgiving

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? yes... usually for Uncle Itu's present game on Christmas day--it's Hilarious!!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies and chocolate

16. Lights, clear, all one color, or multi on the tree? Usually white or multi, but I think this year we will do all blue!

17. Favorite Christmas song? Anything by Harry Connick Jr. or Johnny Mathis

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home except the year when Amy was born. We traveled to Utah for her baby blessing so that more family could attend.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Absolutely! Dasher Dancer Prancer Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph!!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? On Christmas Eve, everyone gets new pajamas, (Esther's tradition) and opens one gift (Bryan's tradition). Christmas morning look in our Christmas stockings first, eat the cereal and juice from the stocking and then open all the rest of the presents!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Children who say they want something for months and months and then change their mind at the last minute when talking to Santa on Christmas Eve at Henry Ford Museum!?!?!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Patriotic--Red, White and Blue ornaments with iridescent stars on the lights

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Ham with all the fixin's

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? New Plasma HDTV!! (We've been saving for this one!!)

BUDDY WALK 2008

A Beautiful Day at Kensington MetroPark
October 4, 2008

These wonderful pictures were taken by Scott Langdorf

Annie and Chris with the Tiger Mascot, Paws

Esther and Amy











Amanda Kunz and Heather Leslie
















Walking the Walk!

Esther and Amy again....Amy didn't want to walk. Mommy carried her the whole way except for the last few hundred feet when Linda Wilson and Mommy held Amy's hands and she walked to the finish line...

Team Amy 2008:

Annie Langdorf, Chris Prevost, Sandy Langdorf, Scott Langdorf, Linda Wilson, Steve Wilson, Courtney Wilson, Amy Leslie, Ben Leslie, Emily Leslie, Katie Leslie, Heather Leslie, Amanda and Kevin Kunz, Mary Mendez,






THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR WALKING WITH US!!

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!