Her First Trip to Riverbanks Zoo!

McCanless loves animals and we knew she would love the zoo!

The elephants were her favorite!

McCanless didn’t like feeding the giraffes at all! As we walked away from them, she said, “Bye-Bye cows!” (as if to say good riddance) Maybe that is why she was afraid of them..she thought they were strange cows!

She even fed the goats. After she held out her hand to feed them, they licked it. She turned to me and said, “they licked me” then she smiled and licked it too. oh well…so much for germs.

PINK “FA-Mingos!” as McCanless said. She loved them, but I think she was a bit confused at first because they quack like ducks. She also had fun trying to stand on one leg as they were doing.

We rode the carousel over and over! She loved it, and cried when we had to get off. (actually, it was more of a fit)

What a day! Mommy and Daddy had a nice, quiet ride home.

A visit to Mimi and BaPa’s house!

Just outside…McCanless’ favorite place to be!

To order pics, go to www.mccanless.shutterfly.com!!

Cheese!

It never fails, when we undress McCanless for her bath, she takes off running around the house!

Little mommy…

McCanless still loves her babies! Here she is teaching her doll how to play the piano. She grabbed her doll’s hand and pressed down on the keys. She is so funny with her dolls. I feel like I’m watching a mini me. I’ll say, “Come on McCanless, let’s go to the store.” A few minutes later I’ll hear in a high pitched -little voice, “Let go, baby….REA-DY?” She’ll tuck her baby and a baby bottle under her arm and follow me out of the door.

Her first pedicure!

“Miss Chrissy” at school decided to give McCanless a pedicure! Daddy wasn’t too thrilled, but McCanless loved them. She didn’t want to wear shoes for two days!

Splish, Splash! I was takin’ a bath!

The latest…

Recently, I was in the yard with McCanless and began my usual pity party. I was almost in tears watching her run all over the yard in her little pumpkin dress, and thought that surely by tomorrow she will be graduating from med school and married by the end of the weekend and my life will be over. My prissy tomboy toddler will be grown and gone forever. My bow laden chatterbox sidekick will no longer need me. Then with her scratched knees and disheveled hair (yet another bow lost) she walked right up to one of our very old, very tall pine trees. She began at the base of the tree and slowly began to follow the bark right up to the top. She threw her head back, arched her back and pointed her dainty finger as if to trace each branch.

In that instant, I realized how tiny my precious “big girl” really is. Her little body was staring up at the massive tree. She seemed so small and fragile at that moment. I wanted to scoop her up and hold her and protect her from the big giant world.

I ran up to scoop her up as my “daydream” had allowed. I wanted to hold her and never let go, I wanted to stop the clock… but she heard me coming. She sheepishly grinned at me and took off running as fast as she could, assuming that I was playing chase, as we so often do. As she giggled and yelled, “Can’t catch, can’t catch,” I laughed and played her game. I always let her think that mommy just can’t catch up with her. Suddenly our game of chase ended with a tree stump, a scratched knee and a face full of dirt. My “big girl” needed me. As I scooped up the screaming mass of pumpkin dress, legs and sweaty hair, I realized that my “big girl” really isn’t growing up too fast. She will still need me for a while to come.

Besides, who else can apply pink elephant “BanG-aids” in just the right spot?

The Hartsville Homecoming Parade 2005!

McCanless loved the band! She actually sat and watched the parade from her stroller!! (A major accomplishment…she never sits still in her stroller)