Who needs dirt when you can have mud!

Before I delve into my newfound mud-digging prowess, I will offer an apology from my dear papa. Last week, maman was in Ottawa for three days and he was rather busy with a cute little girl, oh wait that's me. This week he was incredibly busy because he is going away for a few days and had to work hard enough night. Poor papa.
I would also like to mention that this is the 100th post on Elle and Belle's Excellent Adventures. I realize that some blog entries have been better than others, but I hope we've kept you informed and amused about life here in Fredericton.
Anyway, back to the blog.

The last week has been nothing but rain here in Fredericton. For days I've been staring out the window looking to see Belle, Gribouille and Toulouse falling from the sky. Although I haven't seen that, I have seen what happens when soil meets water. It transforms into a wonderful substance known as mud. Amazing, where has this mud been all my life?

Maman and I were replanting some flowers and then I realized that not only could mud be thrown, it could be eaten, rubbed into your jacket, placed on the dog and moved from one pot to another. Mud is quickly turning into my favourite new toy, although I'm not quite sure papa agrees. Both he and maman were laughing pretty hard -- at what I'm still unsure -- but he kept cringing when he noticed mud in a new location. Like, papa, really, you should chill out a bit. Maman, meanwhile, was quite impressed with my complete fixation with the gooey substance.

But if you really want to see papa rip out his hair, tell Belle to start digging holes in the backyard. Belle is muzzle deep in grass and dirt and papa is chasing her around the lawn. I'm not quite sure if he realizes how silly he looks. Belle thinks the whole scene is hilarious, I concur.

Single papa translates into slow blogging

To all those frequent readers, papa has been slow blogging this week but for once he has a valid excuse. Maman has been in Ottawa for the past four days and I've been keeping him rather busy. However, in the next day or so I'll tell you all how his birthday on Sunday also turned into my birthday!

Mmmm... Dirt

Why is it that everything that I think is fun to play with, maman and papa are always trying to take away? Let's take dirt, for instance. Maman was transplanting a few plants on the weekend and I thought it was completely within my rights to eat dirt. And it wasn't really dirt, it was potting soil, so there were tons of nutrients in that black gold. But was I allowed to play on my own? Hardly, in some grand Orwellian gesture, I was blocked from consuming any more soil. Tragic.

The last few weeks have brought endless playtime epiphanies. As just one example, I've really started to appreciate soil and sand. Snow was fine in the winter, but now that spring has sprung I'm constantly finding new ways to play outside. My new sandbox is a constant source of amusement and I'm starting to really dig the entire concept of gardening. Belle is also helping me explore the great outdoors. I just wish she would remember that she's three times my size and it hurts if she steps on me. Then again, I don't feel bad because pulling her ears can be fun when you're bored.

Princess in her Castle

Papa finally caved in and I bought me a castle! I had played on similar slides when I visited Chloe or Bella but whenever I arrived home the only thing I could slide on was the dog and she tends to move after the first attempt. I knew something was up when we were walking through Wal-Mart on Saturday afternoon (Papa hates going to Wal-Mart0 and we stopped and gawked at the slide in its box. But then suddenly and somewhat tragically we left and my heart sank. How could they tease me like that? Are there no laws forbidding such behaviour? An hour later, however, I was playing in my sandbox and all of a sudden papa was walking up the stairs to the back deck with a big box with a slide inside.

I waited as patiently as a baby can while maman and papa finally set it up. Once it was fully constructed, I must have run up and down the slide about 500 times and if you think I'm exaggerating, you should come by and watch me. You can test your luck by climbing up the slippery part of the slide (although you should consider wearing your sneakers because if you step on your pants you will likely slip down) or you can walk up the cool green steps on the other side. Once you get on top, you can stand a laugh at people, play with the wheel as if the castle is actually a ship or you can go for a slide.

We've set up the slide in what is poised to become my new playroom. Papa has graciously given up his office so my new brother/sister and I can have a big place to play. And before he had a chance to rescind his offer to pack up his former office, maman and I went to Kent and picked up paint. Not only are we changing the pale, yucky yellow, we're going to add some zip to the walls. We've got a bright red, yellow and blue for the walls and we have a funky green to paint accessories.

Elle and friends

This is my buddy Bella, she's pretty cool. I'm jealous of her cute little ear rings but maman and papa said I could get some when I get a tad older. It seems I'm being told I can get a lot of things when I get older. I fear this will be a reoccurring theme for much of my childhood. We're supposed to be heading for a picnic this afternoon if only the sun comes out. So if anyone has any control over weather systems, it would be wonderful if they could move these clouds away pronto!

My future's so bright...

Yes, all the cliches apply when I strap on these shades. Babies wearing sunglasses provoke a similar reaction with people as babies (and dogs) wearing funny costumes: everyone smiles. It's like an automatic reflex, I put on a pair of sunglasses and people laugh. I love it.
In the aftermath of yesterday's blog about how my maman rocks, I'm being deluged by fans asking for another top-five list. So here it, the (next) five reasons why I have the coolest maman on the planet.
5: Can you touch your toes to your nose? Now can you do it six months pregnant?
4: Do you have the heart to tell papa to stop watching The West Wing?
3: Two words: Credit Card.
2: No one else can translate as many Disney Babies books in her head and remember the exact translation every single time.
1: The woman knows how to shake what her maman gave her!

Weekend visit to Bouctouche

Ok, so this picture wasn't taken this weekend in Bouctouche. It was from last weekend, but it is showing off the new chair that grand-maman and grand-papa got for me in Florida. Pretty cool 'eh.
I had such a blast visiting Bouctouche on Saturday and Sunday. It was the first time the whole family had a chance to be in Bouctouche for far too long. I had a chance to play with grand-maman and grand-papa and of course they spoiled me. Why can't I have grandparents around more often? They are far more generous than my parents. In Bouctouche, we played outside with Belle and grand-papa showed me the new gate he built around the pool. I'm a pretty lucky baby, now I get to play all summer on the deck and no one, including me, will be freaked out about me falling into the pool.
So I started to think this weekend about how cool my maman is, it's not like I've just discovered it but I don't think I tell her enough. I admit over the past few weeks I have felt sick and that's meant I've kept maman and papa awake. That said, I've compiled a quick five-point list on why maman is the coolest maman on the planet.
5: She tells papa his jokes suck when I don't have the heart to do it myself.
4: She knows that I need something before I know I need it myself.
3: She knows how to put little pigtails in my hair.
2: Unlike papa, she can change me quickly and not stretch my neck like a giraffe every time she takes off one of my shirts.
1: Well, for about 15 months she was my sole source of life and since that time she's helped me develop into my own little, (increasingly) independent person.

Je t'aime maman!