Storm Trooper AD-421 - Ada

Sometimes we play Star Wars. It appears to be a deeper and more complex game than most, as I struggle to understand its intricacies. It has princesses, knights from Jedi, plastic extendable sticks called lightsabers, and squarish toys that require you to do all of the hard work of saying "Psshh!" Dada, Sissy, and I played it recently, and, since I prefer to play with the wooden stick that holds the back door closed instead of the lightsabers, I chose to be the bad guy called a storm trooper and chase Sissy and Dada around. Dada would, at times, turn around and tickle me with the lightsaber, but I vehemently told him no. The good guys are not to fight the bad guys, they are only to be chased by the bad guys. I might not understand anything else about this game, but I can at least control that part.

Vocabulary - Ada

My vocabulary continues to grow. I am able to communicate many things, including a few shown here. Whenever Mama asks about my diaper, I tell her "All dry!" Whenever I am told to say cheese for a photo, I say cheese. This video does little to show all of the other things I can say, such as "I hold medicine," "I go church," and "All done!" I can say many more sentences specific to the situation, including most of a prayer with very little assistance. What this video does demonstrate, however, is how adorable I am.

Leaves! - Ada

I love leaves. They are like rocks, but easier to carry and find, and Mama and Dada get as excited about me picking them up as I do.

10 Tips to Ruining a Family Photography Shoot - Ada

Tip 1: Start the crying as early as possible.

Tip 2: Cuddle. It seems like a good idea at the time, but it always looks awkward in photographs.

Tip 3: Mess up your own hair. If you do not have enough to mess up adequately, mess up your mother's.

Tip 4: Refuse to look at the camera. This can get difficult with the constant "Look over here, Ada!" so you may need to use props to help distract yourself.

Tip 5: Do not cease the complaining.

Tip 6: Just leave.

Tip 7: Only look adorable when everyone else looks ridiculous.

Tip 8: Lift up your dress.

Tip 9: Scoot just enough to one side to ruin the shot.

Tip 10: Scream every time you are picked up.

Rejoice in their defeat.

Eviction - Wesley

Up until recently, I had perfect accommodations. Just look at them:

Not bad, huh?  Sure, it was cozy and cramped, but I never let that bother me; I moved and stretched as if the walls were of no consequence to me. It was also very warm, and warmth is most important to me above all else. Thus, when the walls of my room began to close in and push me out, I would fight back until the squeezing would cease. This continued for some time until, suddenly, the warm liquid I was floating in left. Suddenly, my accommodations were more cramped than ever, and kept getting more cramped. I could feel myself being pushed out. I held on the best I could, but despite my best efforts (which included pretending that the eviction was causing my heart rate to drop) I was begrudgingly shoved into this cold world.

If it was not for the near immediate cuddles, I would have assumed that all was lost. As it was, I got warm fairly quickly with all of the snuggles, and my need for heat was placated. This is when I was able to meet the owners of the voices I had heard so often. 

I found it odd to discover that I had been living inside of one of them, but it bothers me little. They hold me close and keep me warm, so I might as well be inside them, anyway. Soon, more people came to snuggle me.

I am told they are my grandparents and thus very important to me. I figure that as long as they wish to keep me warm I love them very much. The only people I have met so far that cause me any worry are the two princesses who tell me they are my Sissies. It's not that they don't love me; it's that they love me a little...too much.

It was not, however, all cuddles and warmth. Periodically, a monster would enter the room and stab me. The picture featured below was just one of the stabbings - most were in my foot, and the monster admitted its purpose was specifically just to make me bleed.

Eventually, the warden said that the experiments being performed on me were complete and that we were allowed to leave.

Looking Adorable in Snow

It snowed the other day. Snow, for those who are unaware, is a meteorological event where Queen Elsa causes cold white flakes to fall from the sky, or so Sissy tells me. As the only two times I have seen snow recently have been during Elsa's movie and at Disney on Ice, so I must assume she is correct. I care little, however, as snow means I get to wear an adorable coat that turns me into a little red bear. 

  
I was so excited to see the snow, but I was even more excited to wear this coat. Normally, I do not like wearing coats. I do my best to convince Mama that the cold does not bother me anyway, but this coat is an exception. Every time the hood fell, I insisted it be put back up, as I look best that way.

I insisted on taking my mneow mneow outside to see how good I looked in the snow, too. I am sure that she appreciated it.

The snow has since left, but it was nice for me and mneow mneow to look at. My coat, however, has not left.

Trick-or-Treating, or, Simply, "Tweat!"

After many preliminary events leading to Halloween, we were finally able to do the very activity for which Sissy and I have prepared for months: candy solicitation. Sissy, Dada, Aunt Kay-Key, and I went from one residence to another, asking for candy. Aunt Kay-Key did not dress up, which confused both Sissy and me, as we were led to believe by Mama and Dada that all were to wear costumes for this holiday. I, again, went as "Ba'Ma'!"

We did a test run at Gramma and Papa's house. I was led to believe on this experience that presents would be presented at each house, and that all those providing candy would give hugs and pose for pictures. Thankfully, this was not the case. 

When we first started on the actual trick-or-treating, we were given the suggestion of trying a particular street. Dada carried me between the houses, but I was allowed to stand and ask for choc-cha on my own. Occasionally, I would even quietly mumble "tweat" and "dangkoo," but I, for the most part, allowed Sissy to do the talking for me. I did, however, always give a loud "Bye!" as I departed. I continued my previously mentioned strategy of holding out my bag when candy was proffered, but refused to go any closer to the provider than necessary. My favorite house had a mneow mneow. It was oddly shaped, however, was missing an eye, and made noises which, Dada later stated, was meant to terrify people, but to me it was a delightful mneow mneow. That house also allowed me to choose my own choc-cha. I could have stood there forever grabbing choc-cha from their bowl and putting it in my bag, but Dada eventually intervened. Most houses gave such little choc-cha that I cannot help but wonder if there are easier ways to get sweets. I am positive, however, that any other way would involve far fewer people commenting on how cute I am.

Disney on Ice

Dada, Sissy, Aunt Kay-Key, and I recently went to see Disney on Ice. It was a production of normally animated characters performing interpretive dances on a surface that never allowed them to stand still. We, of course, dressed up for the event.

While I had been to this even previously, I could not remember, and was uncertain what to expect besides cuddles. There were many cuddles, especially since Dada would not let me walk. We arrived early, and thus had to sit in our seats and listen to music. Sissy was certain that we had missed seeing Anna and Elsa, but thankfully they did arrive eventually, after she had asked many times about their whereabouts.

When the show did start, I was uncertain what was happening. People I had never before seen were dancing to music I had never before heard. Dada said this was because neither he nor Mama appreciated a song about diurnal shuffling. As I cannot shuffle without falling over, I see no purpose of doing daily. The people performing, however, were able to shuffle much better than I had ever seen before.

I saw many characters I knew from movies, including Belle. She and her prince (who had, for some reason, turned back into the Beast on this night) gave a brief reenactment of how they had fallen in love. I enjoyed the performance, even the part with the evil queen from Snow White, but I became fearful when Mickey began enchanting broomsticks.

From that moment on, I remained snuggled into Dada, even while nearly all of the princesses came out to dance with their princes. Rapunzel and Ariel danced in the sky, which did not make Dada happy. When we arrived at the intermission, Sissy's requests for popcorn could no longer be ignored. It was suggested that Dada leave me with Aunt Kay-Key, but I used tears to express my disinterest in that plan. I have nothing against Aunt Kay-Key, I was just comfortable and up past my bedtime. Dada got a drink and popcorn which, for some reason, came with an octopus hat.

After sitting through some more adventures snuggled into Dada, Anna and Elsa finally arrived. I stopped snuggling Dada and sat up for that part, so that I could pay better attention. Their performance was, of course, flawless. It was incredible to see Elsa use her powers in person.

The performance then concluded, and we went back home. It had been so warm in there, however, that the cold did not bother me anyway.