A Stroll with BFF Mea

Gabrielle took “Mea” – her American girl doll and newest BFF – out for a stroll during dinner at South Beach’s Smith & Wollensky.

Cousins Andrew and Arianna now have some (inanimate) competition for super duper best buddy status.

Welcome to Miami

Gabrielle and her e x t e n d e d family watched the Miami Heat muddle through a win over our hometown Chicago Bulls over the holidays.

Great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, cousins, aunts and uncles enjoyed the game almost as much as the desert cart.  Smores cake, popcorn, chocolate chip cookies and M&Ms helped us wash down the cheese burgers and french fries.

Gabby (and I) looked (a little) like a basketball by night’s end.

Gabrielle with super duper best buddy Cousin Andrew

Gabby’s most recent effort

A huge fan of art class at Miami’s Children’s Museum, Gabrielle finished impressionism last week.  She is now very focused on her favorite artist and subject.

Gabrielle as Marilyn

Yesterday and Today

Major major developments in our little munchkin these last two days.

1)  Water is no longer “wa-wa”.  It was wa-wa one minute.  And the next, it was “wader wader wader”.

Brought tears to mommy’s eyes.

2)  Gabrielle read today.  A book.  A whole book.

Here’s what happened:  Mom put three books on the bed for daddy to read before bedtime.  Gabby grabbed them and passed on Counting “Kisses”.  Then, picked up her favorite, Sandra Boynton’s “Moo, Baa, La-La-La”.  She opened to the first page, and started reading.  Not with daddy, but TO daddy.

Reading all by herself, following along with the pictures, at the ripe old age of 17.5 months!

We plan to audition Gabby as the next Etrade baby!

P.S.  We promise Miami pictures very soon. We apologize.

Contest: Translate to Win!

First one to translate the following four key words in Gabrielle’s vocabulary wins an all expenses stay in Miami (you provide airfare – we provide the rest!):

1)  Okum

2)  Foffee

3)  Nogurt

4)  Mities

Hint:  One is a food, two are “drinks” and another is a verb.