Blueberries and Pony Rides

Morgen has been busy the last few weeks. And I've been lazy. I feel much more tired and cranky at this point in the pregnancy than I did the first time around - and while that is no excuse for leaving our distant friends and relatives wondering if Morgen would ever climb down from the swing set, it has contributed to my lack of enthusiasm for the blog.

So here are two quick shots: one of Morgen looking happy with her dessert (semi-frozen blueberries), and one of her shouting "yippee!" while taking her first ever ride on a pony. His name is Spur. When the ride was over, Morgen said "Thank-you Spur," and "Bye-bye Spur!" and then she pointed to the next pony and said "That one!" We had to explain that, unlike the swings in the park, you don't get to ride the ponies one after another until you've tried them all...she took that pretty well, all things considered.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year...although I confess I couldn't quite make it to midnight last night. Perhaps you fared better?

Love to all from the growing Lovett Hammel family. We're looking forward to many adventures to come in the year ahead.

Up! Up! Up!

Morgen loves her big purple snowsuit, and the blue boots she inherited from "Roro." But Saturday, when we went outside to play, she lasted about five seconds in the backyard before insisting on being carried. Nothing changed her mind, not even watching mommy make a snow angel. Morgen doesn't like the snow. Doesn't like the way it sticks to her mitts. Doesn't like the way it comes up the sides of her boots. Maybe next year she'll be jumping into snowdrifts and tossing snowballs around. This year it's all about being carried and waving at the camera.

Those who do and those who don't.

Every morning Gavin and I corner the child, interrupting her very important toddler business. One of us (usually Gavin) holds her down while the other (usually me) wrestles with her locks. She then admires herself in the mirror for a few minutes, and sometimes likes what she sees enough to do a little happy wiggle. But even if she doesn't like it, Morgen doesn't really mind. I think it's because she knows that she's only a few hours away from school, where one of her teachers has been improving upon our efforts. Seriously. Every day, Morgen is bound to come back from daycare sporting a superior style. Today, she left the house with something similar to the picture on the left, but she came home with two tiny french braids neatly tucked behind her ears. I have to admit, this rankles a bit, especially since we considered this morning's effort such an improvement over our usual (see below, our version of the Cindy Lou Who "do"). I'm not sure which of Morgen's teachers has been giving her these fancy upgrades, because I've never been there to see it happen, but I have a theory...and I wonder how she gets the kid to sit still long enough to do it? It's yet another reason for the awe I feel when I think about the people who help us raise our daughter.

Introducing ...

Just in case the antics of one little Hammel were not enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, the producers of this blog (i.e. Jess and I) are proud to officially announce for your blogging pleasure that our third season, which commences around the end of March/beginning of April will feature ... a brand new cast member! Currently, this yet-to-be-named addition to the Lovett Hammel cast is about 10.5 inches and 3/4 of a pound, but we are certain she - the sonographer was about 90% certain about the sex - will grow considerably over the next few months. And as you can see, despite her small size, she is already extremely photogenic.

We are sure you are all as excited as we are to see what this latest plot twist will mean for our little drama, and we, the producers, will do our best to keep you informed. In the meantime, don't touch that mouse!