I am sitting here watching my brother play bakugan battle brawlers on the Wii and my mommy and daddy are wondering why I am TERRIFIED of the Wii...yes, terrified, throw myself down to the ground in hysterics every time someone turns on that Wii machine...unless I am sitting in some one's lap. Why you ask? why??? That is a secret you are all going to have to figure out. I am not telling.
A lot has changed over the past 4 months, so much I am sure I will forget something! I talk A LOT, saying words like Casey (dasey), ball, cracker, juice, up, more, bye bye, apple, all gone...the list keeps growing every day and I know lots of sign language too. I am a very happy girl, I love to eat, love to dance, imitate movement and facial expressions (uh oh...mommy fears I am like her with her crazy faces), make animal noises and actions (mommy's favorite is the elephant), sing, babble on the phone and chase my brother around, knock him down and steal his toys. The part with my brother is probably the most fun to me! I can be MEAN and I am determined to get what I want no matter what it is, that is for sure...all done with a smile and that devilish twinkle in my eye.
Daddy's business is doing quite well, just landed a pretty big deal, which is great...I just hope he won't work to late at night so he can come home and chase me around the house. He is mr. health nut now, eating well and going to the gym which keeps him busy.
Mommy is going crazy, but what else is new. She is still trying to figure out a way to do it all, ideally working part time at some point in the future, most likely when Ryan goes to big boy school this fall! We took the house off the market at the end of the year and since we are sticking around for a while, entered Ryan into a "lottery" to get into 1 of 2 top city schools that offer open enrollment. We will find out in March if he gets into one of them, and hope so because the school he is zoned to go to isn't ideal. One day we will move into the county, into a neighborhood where we can play with friends and into an area with great school systems...one day!!!!
Ryan is getting ready to be super busy big brother, playing soccer in the spring at school and through the YMCA and taking some karate classes in March! I guess I should be prepared for some karate chops to the face over the next month or so. I better turn on my charm with him now!!
Christmas flew by, Santa and family were very good to us all and we keep getting snow. I don't like the snow so much, but everyone else seems to love it. Maybe one day... Mema and Papa Prentice came for a visit in January which was fun, and we will be heading out west in a few weeks to see them again along with Aunt Jenny and the rest of the Brannen family. Ryan is super excited to ski with his Cousin Hensleigh and I just might try a bunny hill on my baby ski's...you just never know. I certainly have no fear!!
Speaking of skiing, mommy and daddy took ryan and his cousin Tyler and my Aunt Denyse to Snowshoe a few weeks ago while I hung out with my Ninnie (daddy's mommy) and LaLa. I heard they had fun skiing, even though it was a blizzard with 60 mph winds that knocked tyler down and almost knocked daddy down!
Overall, mommy says life is good, chaotic and stressful, but good. We all have our health and are trying to be healthier, more active and nicer to the planet every day. Sometimes it just seems like there is so much to do, and not enough time to do it. BUT, the way I see it...and am trying to get everyone else to see...is if you just slow down, breathe, realize what is important (for me, it is food, my blankie, my family and lots of love, hugs and kisses) and stop trying to fill the days with "stuff to do", or "things to get" or "people to please" life actually makes sense. If you stop trying to get everything done for everyone else, on everyone else's schedule and do what is right for ME (oops I mean "you" in general), then everything else will fall into place. So simple to me. I just don't get it, I would be so happy sleeping in, eating breakfast for 2 hours, sitting on my mommy's lap, reading books, playing all day, laughing, singing, giving hugs and kisses (ok and there is some crying involved, but hey what can you expect, I am 17 months old!) and doing all the things that are fun and that matter. Did I mention eating?
Well, I will let you get back to your busy lives now and I promise to write again soon.
Love you all,
Kelsey (ryan, mommy and daddy)
(sorry if you get this twice!)
