Dear Mom,

Sorry I spilled that leftover popcorn all over the kitchen/living room.

At least I helped clean it up by sweeping it off the kitchen floor onto the living room carpet.

Plus, I know you can't stay too mad at me, since I like to make faces like this:

Also, could you buy some more of that root beer stuff? I only siphoned a few drops from the empty bottle Dad left lying around, but, let me tell you, it was good.

You know, Mom, you sure are smart, but it seems the art of subtlety is lost on you. I don't think you get it that when I sit on the vacuum, I am trying to tell you to stop vacuuming.Same as when I put things in front of the vacuum or just stand right in your vacuum path. It's all the same.
I like it when you let me do my own thing. Like walk around looking like this:
Or play with stickers (and Dad!):
Or put on your deoderant (or Dad's!):

Or line up my toys on the couch:

Or pick my nose:
Sorry about that last one. I know you think it's gross.

Even though sometimes you tell me not to do things-- like pick my nose or play with the garbage and old diapers-- I have this sneaking suspicion that you have my best interest in mind. But I also think you should know that the tantrums I've been throwing lately (like when I scream and cry for Elmo multiple times a day) are just the beginning. Remember, I'm not even two yet! Ha ha ha. Just you wait until I'm 13!
But I sure love you Mom. At least, that's what I hear you telling yourself when I'm being particularly feisty. But don't forget this face:
I know it makes the frustrating things (like coloring on the walls, the floors, the tv and the doors) not so bad.

Love,
Bria

Bria McDonald Had a Farm

I have been trying to get some videos of Bria lately to capture her recent explosion of language (she said four new words yesterday alone). But whenever the camera comes out, she just yells "show me! show me! show me!" I finally got her to demonstrate some of her animal sounds the other day and captured it on tape. Enjoy.

Cornucopia

I am thankful for so many things this year. The list is too long to post (believe me, I started typing it out). So, here are pictures of the two things I am most thankful for this year.









yes, that was mostly just pictures of one thing, but Sam is featured in there once. believe it or not, sam and bria are tied for first in things I am most thankful for.

Home Sweet Home

Two weekends ago we had absolutely gorgeous weather. We decided to take advantage of the wonderment and walk around D.C. (it's a good thing we did-- the following week was cold and rainy). We quickly learned that every other human in the area had taken note of the weather as well. We wanted to walk around some of the memorials, but there was absolutely no parking anywhere near the memorials, so we decided to park by the National Air and Space Museum. Museums have taken on new meaning now that we have Bria. Museums are now more a new, bigger area to run around than they are places to enjoy learning new things. So we just let Bria roam free around the museum-- which she thoroughly enjoyed.

After the museum, we went outside to one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. We walked a little between the Capitol and the Washington Monument just soaking in our beautiful new surroundings.

When I'm just home or at the store, just doing my daily things, it doesn't feel that different. But getting to walk around such an amazing city, riding the metro, seeing all the trees, and this amazing autumn weather feels a little surreal sometimes. We're definitely still settling in-- it can take a long time for a place to feel like home, but we are so glad that this is the place we are making our home.

Dress-Up

I often find Bria, hmmmm, how should I describe it? In character throughout the day. The other day she insisted on going out to the car wearing the cowboy hat, my sunglasses, and carrying a purse. I didn't fight it. And the Darth Vader helmet? Well that special gem makes an appearance every. single. night.

using her words

The other day I was reading the weekly email I get telling me about Bria's development, and I learned that 18-month-old babies pick up ten or more words per day. Those who are especially focused on speaking skills will pick up a new word every 90 seconds. Zounds! I am constantly amazed at the miracle of being a human. Bria is learning and growing at an astounding rate, and it really is fascinating, thrilling, and amazing to be a part of it.

One word that Bria has down pat is "shesha." What-- you don't know what that means? That's ok. I don't either. But Bria is constantly asking for shesha, pointing to shesha, and telling me all about shesha. (that's a short e sound, by the way.) I am dying to figure out what it means, because it causes great distress to Bria when she keeps asking for shesha and I can't figure out what she means. She even says please, or rather, "peas shesha!" With this very cute, very sincere, very puppy-dog look on her face. I think shesha actually means several things-- which is part of the problem. I do know it can often mean Hunter, one of her cousins. And one time it meant pretzel. So you can see where some of the confusion lies. If I only knew what it meant! I would never mean to deprive my daughter of her beloved shesha-- unless, of course, shesha turns out to mean permanent marker, or scissors, or super glue, or electrical outlet.

Spooky, Scary

For Halloween this year, we wanted to avoid Bria having to wear a costume made for a dog, so we thought about our costumes several weeks in advance. We decided to go as a rock band. However, making our decision lulled us into a false sense of security, because we got to Halloween and realized we knew what we were going to be, but not what we were going to wear. So even though the execution wasn't exactly spectacular, at least we were all wearing human clothes.

We went to our ward's trunk-or-treat the night before Halloween and had a great time. Bria didn't really understand the concept and just wanted to play on the church steps, but it was still fun to meet more people in our ward.
Ok, so this picture is kind of weird, but I think Bria's face is too hilarious to not post.

The next night we decided to trick-or-treat with Sam's brother Marc's family. So the older kids did their own things while Sam, Bria, and I went around with Marc, Jenn, and Colin. Bria quickly picked up on what was happening, and then she was off! She loved it. She would run up to houses with Colin (Jango Fett-- am I spelling that right?), climb the steps to the door (she would not let us help her), knock on the door, quickly grab as much candy as possible, and then yell thank you (or "da do" in Brianese) and bye-bye as she quickly ran off to the next house. She lugged her bucket behind her the whole time, even though towards the end of the night it may have weighed more than she does.
It was a really fun Halloween-- perhaps the most fun Sam and I have ever had on a Halloween. I'm excited to start thinking of our costumes next year, although I'm sure by then Bria will have her own ideas of what she wants to be and I won't be able to subject her to my crazy ideas.