Alex still sucks on her two fingers on her right hand - not as much as she used to but it is her comfort habit. The other day I asked her if her fingers tasted good and she said yes. I then asked her what they tasted like and she said Gummi Bears!
On the second day of our Vermont trip we played outside in the morning and then went to the beach again in the afternoon after Alex’s nap. Alex loves playing in the sand and the water so much!! Alex also went out for ice cream and had corn and green beans for dinner - her favorite.
Yesterday I couldn’t figure out what Alex wanted for her afternoon snack - everything I offered her she said no to. I offered her yogurt, hummus, apple sauce, crackers, bananas, etc. She finally looked at me and said chips and salsa. I thought that was a little strange but since she actually told me what she wanted I gave it to her. And she loved it - she was dipping her tortilla chips into the salsa!!! She also wanted strawberries … not a combination that I would want to eat.
A month or so ago Alex didn’t want to eat her vegetables so I tried putting Italian salad dressing on them so she would eat them. At the time I also called it Shake-Shake - little did I know what I was starting. Now she asks for it without almost everything she eats but especially pasta, cucumbers and green beans. And the way that she asks for it is really funny. She moves her arms up and down and says Shake-Shake, Shake-Shake over and over until I say ok and then get the bottle. Sometimes when she wants it on something ridiculous I just pretend that I am putting it on.
The weather was wonderful this weekend and the three of us had a really good time - and Alex had a lot of fun playing outside. (It’s been a long winter). Saturday morning we went to the park for about an hour - Alex had so much fun running around and playing with Marc. She’s gotten so good and climbing that we don’t have to stand right next to her every second that she is on the jungle gym. She also really likes swinging - this is new because before she would get sick of it after a couple of minutes. It wasn’t quite as warm as I thought it was going to be so really only stayed at the playground for about an hour. We got some coffee and then decided to go to the thrift store nearby - and we found some good stuff. We each got a pair of pants, I got a shirt, a brand new pair of converse high tops for $3, a Pochohantas movie, and a Little Golden book about Bambi. By this point Alex was getting sick of being in the stroller and moody so we decided to go to a restaurant at the end of the block and have lunch. We got middle eastern food - I thought Alex was really hungry but she didn’t really eat anything and was busy saying hi and bye to everyone who walked in and out of the restaurant. After we ate we headed home - Alex was really tired and couldn’t wait to take her nap 
Sunday was even nicer out than Saturday so we decided to go to St Johns where we used to go to church - we hadn’t been there in almost 6 months!!! Alex was really good until after the sermon and then was tired of sitting still so we took her into the back to play. This is a little harder to do at St. Johns because the church is a lot smaller than the one we’ve been going to. And Alex decided that she didn’t just want to play but that she wanted to run!!! A couple of times she got halfway up the aisle before we could catch her. But overall things went well and I realized how much I miss going to that church every week. After church we went to Rittenhouse Square and had a little picnic lunch that I brought with us and Alex ran all over the park playing and having a wonderful time. Because the weather was so nice there were a lot of people out and it was fun to people watch. Alex was playing with her little stroller - she likes to put baby doll in it and push her around - when eventually she climbed right in. We figured that was the signal that she was tired and ready to go home. Again, she couldn’t wait to get into her bed and take her nap. (It’s so funny when I think of hard it was teaching her to go to bed and night and take naps when now she knows when she is ready and she LOVES to sleep.)
Yesterday (Monday) was SO beautiful. It was sunny out and in the 60s. It the morning I took her to the park for about 2 hours. It was wonderful for us to be out in the warm sunshine and not be all bundled up in coats, hats and mittens. It was so warm that I took Alex’s jacket off and let her run around in her sweatshirt. There were a lot of little kids there and almost all of her friends. So because of the weather and being outside so much we had a great couple of days. (Unfortunately, it is raining today.)
A year ago today Alexandra had her first taste of solid food - rice cereal. Here’s a link to the entry and a funny photograph.
First Cereal
While Alex and I were in Vermont in August we discovered that she LOVES corn on the cob and yellow string beans. She will even hold the corn cob and chew the corn off by herself. It’s like sustenance and entertainment. The farmer’s market here still has both because we have a longer growing season and the crops were a couple of weeks behind so I am still buying both of them for her whenever I can. I’m glad that she likes string beans so much - other than peas she doesn’t really like too many vegetables. She will sometimes eat carrots and she likes chickpeas, which isn’t a vegetable but close.
Alex is finally feeling better - what a rough week. I, on the other hand, still don’t feel well at all and can’t get rid of this congestion and sore throat. Everyday I keep hoping I’ll feel better tomorrow.
We had fun yesterday for Marc’s birthday. Alex and Marc both slept in until 8 and after they work up a little Marc opened his gifts, which he really liked. We did some chores and then went out for lunch at a Thai restaurant called Pattaya Grill near UPenn. The food was great but Alex was fussy - I don’t think she was feeling 100% and was getting tired. We did discover, however, that she really likes oranges. We got a couple of things at the grocery store, some mochas and then we headed home. After we got home Alex went right to bed and napped for almost 3 hours so she was definately worn out. The rest of the day was quiet and fun - kind of just like any other day. The party continues today - Marc’s Mom and sister and Jon are coming over for a birthday party. Alex should have fun - she always has a good time with her Grandma and Aunt. We were going to go over to Alma’s but Alex never naps when we go there and since she is just starting to feel better and I don’t want her to go all day without getting rest.
All you have to do is feed her her two favorite foods and she will be your best friend for life … bananas and goldfish crackers. Alex especially loves bananas - she gets excited when you pick one up to start peeling it. It’s a good thing I found a store that sells four pounds of bananas for a dollar
This morning I really realized that Alex will not be a baby for much longer … this was during breakfast because she was eating cheerios, yogurt and mango. No more baby rice cereal for her … she doesn’t like it anymore - I think because it is too bland. She seems to like things spicier and with more flavor like I do.