What, No Turkey?

From Park Play Nov. 2009

Piper, et. al. spent thanksgiving being thankful for spending thanksgiving with piper, et. al. If no traveling, no hosting, no turkey and no football sounds a bit bah humbugish to you, rest assure that et. al. took off an extra day from work, went back to the park and enjoyed braised short ribs. The true spirit of thanksgiving was there, just not the traditional green bean casserole and hangover.

From Park Play Nov. 2009

This Thanksgiving, Piper is thankful for:
1) swings
2) bumblebees
3) et. al.
4) blocks
5) braised short ribs

From Park Play Nov. 2009

From Park Play Nov. 2009

Piper is sitting very well, and can stand if she holds on to something - et. al. or her latest activity cube do just nicely. She is sleeping well, but has gone back to the pacifier at night. With 11 hours of sleep though, et. al. cannot complain. Piper is grabbing Cheerios and if they do make it to her mouth she gets very excited. And of course she still loves to dance!

Finally, here is a new song Piper likes to sing in the mornings:

Good morning, good morning.
How are you today?
Would you like some toast and jelly
before you go out and play?

Pancakes and waffles will chase the hungries away.
Good morning, good morning.
How are you today?

From Park Play Nov. 2009

Monkeys (I mean Girls) Just Want to Have Fun

From Park Play Nov. 2009

S-w-i-n-g-i-n-g,
s-w-i-n-g-i-n-g
why don't you swing with me?
I like swinging, swinging among the trees
I once was a banana junky,
now I'm a swinging monkey.
So come along,
and sing along
with a swinging monkey like me!

(sing to the tune of Daisy Bell)

From Park Play Nov. 2009

From Park Play Nov. 2009

From Park Play Nov. 2009

While not yet big enough for a tandem bicycle, Nora and Piper enjoy a swing built for two. The two are quite a pair, singing and dancing and generally acting like little monkeys, I mean little girls. Here is another song the girls like to dance to -

From Piper and Nora

Piper is a monkey,
she likes to kick the donkey,
then she goes to monkey town
where she gets her party down

From Piper and Nora

Monkey monkey monkey town
part party party down!

From Piper and Nora

Nora is a monkey,
a real banana junky,
then she goes to monkey town
where she gets her party down

From Piper and Nora

Monkey monkey monkey town
party party party down

From Piper and Nora

Monkey monkey monkey town
party party party down ...

From Piper and Nora

I'm Not A Snail, Not A Slug

From Halloween 2009

I am a spotty dotty lady bug.

No ghouls or ghosts this Halloween, piper, et. al. celebrated all hallows eve with a lion, a lion tamer, a Noe Valley mommy, a dragon, a princess, and a sensitive daddy.

From Halloween 2009

From Halloween 2009

We strolled to NOPNA's neighborhood party, and then to the block party. While the party was choc full of parents and kids, the block was an expansive prairie, where we could roam and run without fearing modern man and his car. Next mission: Mission.

Piper showed Minerva her dance moves, before meeting up with Christina.

From Halloween 2009

From Halloween 2009

Piper recognize Christina right away, while Nora was not so sure this wicked witch could be the same Christina. Piper, et. al. headed home, and our spotty dotty lady bug went to sleep.

In the Sink?

Piper and Nora have become quite the friends lately. Besides hanging out in the same kitchen sink, they enjoy dancing, howling like wolves, and being tossed in the air. What do you enjoy?

New Jersey!

From Piper's Pics

Piper, et. al. mixed business with pleasure, boarded a plane and headed back to the land of Edison, Williams, Springsteen ... Bon Jovi. Based in the Hyatt, New Brunswick, piper, et.al. braved the humidity and traveled the turnpikes and parkways to visit family and friends.

From Piper's Pics

Holed up at the Hyatt

The Johnson's graciously opened their Keyport compound, hosting a good old fashioned pool party. Although there were only three brave swimmers, the number of attendees swelled to include grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins and family friends.

From Piper's Pics

Back in New Brunswick, piper, et. al. spent time with Aunt Nancy and Grandpa Joe walking the campus, eating ice cream, enjoying dinner parties with John and Georgianna and playing with the keys to the animal shelter with little regard for the actual animals. Simply put, we enjoyed each other's company.

From Piper's Pics

A special treat for piper, et. al. was time with great grandma. True to her reputation, piper proved quite kissable, and our time together was truly a joy.

From Piper's Pics

From Piper's Pics

The Garden State continued to provide a cornucopia of family. Next visit: piper, et. al spent time with cousin Douglas, et. al. The only thing better than the classic New Jersey italian sandwiches was the company. Douglas and piper hit it off great, and et. al. (s) enjoyed time catching up.

From Piper's Pics

The week ended as all weeks do, and et. al. headed back home to more business and piper headed back to more pleasure.

From Piper's Pics

Let Me Tell You What's What.

From Piper's Pics

First of all my name is piper, but you can call me pipes. Et. al. sometimes call me Princess Pipsqueak McEgghead. But again, you can call me pipes.

What I did on my summer vacation, by piper, et. al.

I spent my summer visiting, and being visited by some of the most interesting and wonderful people.

There was family ...

From Piper's Pics

From Piper's Pics

From Piper's Pics

From Piper's Pics

From Piper's Pics

And hanging out with my friend Nora ...

From Piper's Pics

Of course there was the beach, piper still thinks she has sand in between my toes. Which is more than can be said for et.’s toe. Speaking of toes, piper enjoys sticking them in her mouth when she is not too busy making raspberries and coos with et. al.

Piper, et. al said goodbye to the summer with an outing to the Zoo and said hello to the fall with a vertical panda cookout.

From Piper's Pics

From Piper's Pics

From Piper's Pics

Until then, upward and onward.

The Beach

From Piper's Pics

Piper, et. al. went to the ocean to see the piping plovers and magpies up close. Piper, et. al. went to see the sand, family and friends. To feel the hot, humid Carolina air on our necks. To listen to the waves crash, children (and parents!) laugh. Piper, et. al. went to the Beach.

Here are just a few pictures ...

From Piper's Pics

The cast of characters!

From Piper's Pics

Breakfast served three ways!

From Piper's Pics

Chargin Charlie mistakes another object for a lawnmower!

From Piper's Pics

A cooked crab is a happy crab!

From Piper's Pics

I wonder why my fingers taste so salty!

From Piper's Pics

Hmmm, perhaps it has something to do with this?

Stay tuned, more pictures and tales of beach to come.

SS Get Me Out Of Here

From Piper's Pics

Some pictures are worth a thousand words. This one can be summed up in two -Thank You.

Thank you Uncle James, Aunt Hae and Cousin Jacob not only for the inflatable pink duck raft, but also the singing pink elephant. Of course thanks for all the other great gifts as well.

This Blog Is Making Me Thirsty

From Piper's Pics

And tired. And a bit gassy. So much has happened since Father’s Day, though you wouldn't know it if you were only getting your information from piper, et. al. Admittingly, posts have been few and far apart recently (Le Tour de France started in July, coincidence?) – but trust us, piper, et.al are in full force.

It started innocently enough with a visit from a trio of texas cousins – Tamber, Steve and Julia. Piper, et. al. enjoyed the hanging out time over dinner, lunch and a trip to Golden Gate Bridge.

From Piper's Pics

Grammy Suzie arrived and instantly confirmed that Piper is indeed a cutie. No argument from et. al. (and none from Piper for that matter as well) as all agreed she is a bona fide keeper.

From Piper's Pics

Piper Quiz!

1) Piper now enjoys:

a) looking at herself in the mirror

From Piper's Pics

b) kidding around with Nora Pants

From Piper's Pics

c) being held

From Piper's Pics

d) all the above

e) none of the above

f) some of the above

2) Fill in the blank: If I was a Piper, I would _________________.

3) What is the difference between a Piping Plover and a Magpie?

4) True or False:

a) Piper likes to take a bath.

b) Et. al like to give Piper a bath.

5) Name five words that rhyme with Piper.

6) What happened here?

From Piper's Pics

Bonus Question:

How many days did et. al. leave the band aid on Piper’s thigh from her shots at the doctor’s visit?

Please turn in your answers at the end of class, and as always it is important to show your work.