No More Rain! Just Boogers.

Daddy got it in his head that he wanted to watch The Point with Baby Girl, because years and years ago, he watched The Point with Papa Den. Sweet Girl, on the other hand, had no interest in sitting still for such fare. Daddy wants to try again -- Little Monster liked all of the pointy shapes and contrasting colors, at least -- but he's resigned to the possibility that it might just be him watching this old classic by himself.

Right now, Little Werewolf is all smiles, but those smiles are 90 percent boogers. Sweet Girl is getting over her cold and just moving past a shot from the doctor's visit, so she's not at her best. It's resulted in a few cranky afternoons early mornings and early evenings, but she still has toothy smiles for everyone at some point during the day.

Sunday, Tickle Bug went to Dru's house with Mama and Daddy for a football party. There, she played with Ginger the dog and gave her kisses on the nose. So sweet! She also ate some pepperoni puff pastries, some of Oscar's avocado nachos, and even some sweets. She played with Daddy's beer and hung out with Fred a little bit, too. A lot of people came to Dru's party, and Giggle Girl charmed them all.

Tonight, Miss Madeleine had a box of raisins on the way home from Anna's house. When she got home, she had a little bit of tuna fish (some of which she wore on her eyebrows) and a little bit of her new favorite, sloppy Joes. If there's one thing this girl does well, it's eat, and Mama and daddy are finding clever ways to sneak additional vegetables into Little Monster's mostly meat-and-pasta diet.

Rain Can't Stop Miss Sunshine

Since she's started walking, Sweet Girl has truly made the house her own. In fact, she's so fearless and far-ranging that Mama has had to break out the baby gates in an attempt to corral the Commando Goblin from setting up ambushes all over the place. Little Monster isn't exactly clear on the game of chase — sometimes she chases, sometimes you chase — but she definitely likes to scour the entire range of the house in her hide-and-seek endeavor.

Little Werewolf scored major loot the other day. First came a visit to the doctor: In addition to being a little bit boogery right now, she is 23.5 pounds and 33 inches. Long and lean, so they say, with a runner's physique (plus a bit of baby belly). After the doctor and a few shots, Mama took Tickle Bug to a consignment sale, where she took home a nifty new rocking chair, a dinosaur playset, and some sweet new kicks. Just about time, too, since the Pedoodles Grandma Raye got for Wee Goblin are almost too small already! What a growing girl.

Today was a little dour. Georgia has been having terrible storms, and Daddy's road to work was delayed because of a mudslide and a collapsed stretch of pavement. He came home early only to find Mama worried that there was an animal upstairs. Daddy didn't find it upstairs, and he thinks its a squirrel, which Miss Fuss would enjoy no end. As it was, her sunny disposition lifted the dreary day, and she spent the evening after dinner reading a magazine and looking for pictures of puppy dogs.

The Final Word: We're Walking!

Who is this helpful girl you see? It's Tickle Bug, of course, and she's giving Daddy a hand in the kitchen. Little Monster really enjoys spending time in the kitchen, whether it's stirring things in her little pot, blowing on pasta steaming on the stove, or clamoring for her breakfast sausages. She's especially enthusiastic about the dishwasher, where she grabs silverware from its tray and hurls it into the interior. Let's hope she remains such a vigorous helper when it comes to chores several years from now.

But let's get down to business. Baby Girl is walking! She can easily traverse the whole house, from the living room to the reading room and back again. She's quite the explorer, and isn't afraid to poke around in Mama and Daddy's dark room when the lights are off, or in the bathroom where she takes her baths. It's a good thing there's a door in front of the upstairs staircase, because Daddy saw her climb a flight of stairs at the babysitter's place when he picked her up yesterday. Sweet Girl has a kiss for you at the end!



In case the idea of Little Monster trundling unassisted all over the place isn't scary enough, consider this little ghost's seasonal Halloween fright-fest. Boo!

Staying With Friends

Yesterday, Sweet Girl visited with Anna Rut and had a really good time. Anna Rut is the wife of one of Daddy's coworkers, who was kind enough to let Sweet Girl stay during the day. Baby Girl had a great time and didn't want to leave! She stayed with Anna Rut and Huni's son and daughter, Hafthor and Emilia.

Madeleine spent the day playing in the playhouse that occupies the living room. She especially liked opening and closing the red door, playing with the kitchen toys, and drawing on the easel. Here are a few pictures of her enjoying herself.



Oh, and here's a picture of Hafthor, "supplementing" his diet with some chocolate frosting. Baby Girl, don't let him trick you into eating junk food!

Sleep Later, Adventure Now!

Have you ever seen a goblin walk? It looks a little bit like this.



The past few days have been busy for Tickle Bug. She has stayed with Miss Jeanie, stayed with Anna Rut, helped Daddy with his fantasy draft at Serpas, played with a big dog named Digby, eaten sliders and chicken wings, made Daddy chase footballs, ridden all over the place with Mama, and stopped by the Brick Store for alphabet soup when Daddy got off work to see Mama.

Such a busy and tired girl! Mama has off the next few days, so she and Sweet Girl can play together without having to rush anywhere. With Daddy in Seattle and Mama working all weekend, the past several days have been a lot for Little Monster to handle. Everything has calmed down now, though, and after a much-needed bath, it's lights out and sweet dreams for Wee Goblin.

How to Eat Soup

Good heavens, what is going on here? I'll tell you what's going on here. Split pea soup night, that's what. When Daddy was growing up, split pea soup was one of his favorites, and if Little Monster's recent dining habits have been any indication, it's going to be one of her favorites, too. Of course, at this stage, she loves wearing it as much as she loves eating it, but that's okay. Every day is an adventure in the world of Sweet Girl.

In other news, Miss Fuss is learning to speak a little more each day. As of now, she's been perfecting saying "Baby," which she started when she saw pictures of herself in Mama's wallet. She also gives sweet kisses when asked (if she's in the right mood) and cuddles up when it's time for bed or when she's feeling especially lovey. Here she is modeling her new Halloween pajamas, which she picked up on her recent trip to Corpus Christi.

When Little Werewolf sees animals in the yard, she gets really excited. Now that she has a yard of her own, all sorts of critters come to visit her, from squirrels and birds in the big tree to the calico cat who sometimes comes by to say hello. That's all fine and good for now, but we certainly don't want Madeleine's animal friends inviting their less savory compatriots to come calling. No possums or raccoons, thank you! Maybe Sweet Girl has a dog in her future.