Wednesday, June 24, 2009

She's Ready for Hell's Angels


For the longest time, Kasia struggled with being able to work the pedals on a tricycle.  Then, one evening (May 8th to be exact) she finally got it.  Everything finally came together and she was cruising around on her three wheeled bike like a pro.  Granted, she wasn't very good at steering and kept hitting things, but she had it down.
So we decided that maybe it was time we upgraded her to a real bike.  It took her a few days to figure out that you can't pedal backwards to go backwards on this bike.  She eventually figured out that her two choices were forward and stopped.  And now that she's got that, she is all over the place on her new bike.  Her steering is still somewhat shaky, and she feels the need to always ride in the very center of the street.  
Next year we're going to upgrade her again to a Harley.   Or maybe I'll upgrade myself to the Harley and Kasia can just watch from the sidecar. 

Kasia's New Game


Kasia has a truly unique talent.  She can spot a school bus, anywhere at anytime. She can spot a "baby school bus" (aka The Short Bus) a mile away, doing 70mph, on a different street.  Her abilities to spot a bus are so good that we've turned it into a game.  While we're driving in the car, the first person who sees a school bus has to shout "SCHOOL BUS" and whoever does it first, wins.  
When we first started playing, every time Kasia would spot one first, we would always say, "Oh  no, you got me."  Soon, Kasia started to inform us that she "got us."  She no longer says just "SCHOOL BUS" anymore, but "SCHOOL BUS!  GOT YOU!"  But when you hear her say it, she doesn't pause between the words. So it comes out "SCHOOLBUSGOTYOU!"  
And while Kara and I try to compete with her at this game, it's just not a contest.  Unless we know where the buses are parked, Kasia will lay waste to us, hands down.  It's amazing. 

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Confusion at the Gruetzmacher's

There is a lot of confusion around our house today concerning food categories.  It all started last night when I read an interesting bit of trivia.  Apparently a raspberry is not really a berry.  And neither is a strawberry, but that technically a tomato is a berry.  Huh?
I mean, I knew a tomato was a fruit, despite the urge to say it's a vegetable, but a  strawberry isn't a berry?  Not only that, but banana's and grapes actually are berries.  
It only got weirder from there.  After trying to figure out why the strawberry isn't a berry, we discovered that bell peppers are actually fruits.  So are squash and cucumbers.  I always thought these things were vegetables.  
The world has gone completely topsy turvy for me where up is down and left is right.  Just too weird.

Bye Bye Birdies


The era has finally ended.  Kasia's all time favorite Children's Play Area is soon to be no more.  After being members for a year and a half, we're having to say goodbye to Birdie's because they're shutting their doors forever.  
There were three different segments to Birdie's.  There was an indoor mini golf course.  There was the children's play area.  And there was a rental side for renting the giant inflatable play slides and such.  They've decided to let their lease on the building expire and focus all their attention on to the rental side.  According to their flyer, "this doesn't mean Birdie's is closing, but that it will be bigger and better than ever."  I fail to see the logic in that seeing as how they're eliminating two-thirds of their business, including the one that I actually use, and downscaling their operation.  
So it's time to say bye, bye to Birdie's.  Kasia had many, many hours of fun there.  She met Santa Claus there.  She went on her first Easter egg hunt there.  It's a sad and rainy day.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Best Friends


Kasia had a great time the other day as her "best friend" Gabby came over to play in her pool.  Gabby's mom was putting together a swingset for her, so since she watched Kasia while I was putting the Sky Fort together (see previous post), I was more than happy to watch Gabby.  To be honest, there's no need for watching really.  She and Kasia just play together so amazingly well that it's just plain awesome.