Pumpkin Updates

Whew! I wasn't aware of how long it had been since I last posted. My how time surely does fly. Here in the Pumpkin Patch, we're bustling with Christmas activities. The cards have been mailed, the decorations inside and out are in place and the tree is up. Pumpkin is so far enjoying every minute of it all, saying "no touch" (with a shaking finger) regarding the tree and "pretty." Tonight, she even took a book of hers and pretended to wrap it in her blanket, complete with pretend tape. (I mean, DUH MOM, of course you need tape to wrap!) After bath time, she began her pretend time by taking her blanket from her crib and pretending to pull things from it. Her "stash" included necklaces, hats and shirts for Daddy and me. This was her first real pretend play and she was delightful.

Speaking of delightful, Pumpkin told me the other night at bedtime, "I love you, Mamma." Talk about weak in the knees! I'm quite certain I floated rather than walked out of her room that night. For days now I've replayed the words over and over in my head and it's joyous each and every time. Pumpkin is talking more and more each day, with new words all the time and longer sentences, too. Mind you, I'm the one who understands most of her language, but Daddy catches enough to be entertained. For example, tonight Daddy was fastening a bookcase to the wall in Pumpkin's room and she was behind him ready to climb the ladder for assistance. When I lifted her out of the corner she was stuck in, she promptly told me, "thanks." Or, there are the many times when you ask her something and she'll answer with "yes" or "um-hum," or "I like/love it! I like/love it!" She can be very expressive, sometimes emphatic with her words to the point of her veins bulging in her neck!

We've also begun serious potty training and this afternoon was a major milestone as Pumpkin went to the potty on her own and did a poo-poo. She's dry most days, although yesterday she backslid with three accidents. It's hard on my patience, but she's only been at it for two weeks and by and large, she's doing fine. Our goal is to have her almost trained by Christmas. I recognize fully, however, that we can't rush anything and that she will train in her own good time. So far, though, she's been doing pretty well.

That's the latest on the Divine Miss P....our own little Christmas Miracle, delivered to us by an angel from a faraway land.