Yoga Nails?

Squeaker was getting her nails done this morning and decided 'Downward Facing Dog' was the way to go.





Alternate title: How many brunettes does it take to paint some nails?

Squeaker's Christmas Program

Here is the edited video from Squeaker's christmas program. She was a shepherd and part of the chorus. I had to cut it down some to get it to fit on youtube.



If the embedded video doesn't work, then click the link below.

Click here for the video.

Piano Recital

Squeaker has been continuing with her piano lessons and has been making good progress. The biggest difference from the Daddy person's point of view comes when she sits down at a toy piano to play. Instead of randomly hunting and pecking, she randomly hits the keys with her fingers in the proper position. Enjoy this video:


If it doesn't work, try this link:

Piano Recital

Outdoor Day

Sorry for the late post, but Squeaker and the Daddy person both had the day off from school, so we spend it outside (as you can see).

Soccer, that American game?

As promised, I have posted a highlight reel from Squeaker's first sports adventure. You should be rooting for #6, and better camera work next time!



This link: Highlight Reel might work better.

Have a good week.

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin design by Squeaker, carving by Uncle Dark. The daddy person is editing a soccer highlight reel and will post it soon!

Fall Beach Time

Squeaker, Beth, and the Daddy person are having a nice quiet weekend at the beach. Despite the chill, ocean front playgrounds are the place to be.

Quiet Weekend

The Daddy person enjoyed a quiet weekend with Squeaker, shown here climbing in a dogwood. We've got a couple of fun trips planned this weekend, so I will have a little more for next week.

Meet Beth

Sorry dear readers for not having posted the last couple of weeks. Big things have been happening here at squeakerpants.com and I, the daddy person have not quite been sure what to say about then on here.

Beth (the editors are still working on a nickname for her) has been spending a lot of time with us recently. If you watch closely in the workbook video, she's the one who is helping Squeaker spell.

Squeaker likes Beth, and has some suggestions for the Daddy person. Aside from drawing a heart in the sand for us, Squeaker took it upon herself to invite Beth to open Christmas presents with us this year.

When I questioned Squeaker about this idea, we had the following exchange.

Daddy Person - Squeaker, why did you invite Beth to Christmas? That's kind of a family thing. Are you saying you want her to be part of our family?

Squeaker - Yes Daddy.

(The Daddy person paused here for a minute and considered what to do next. He decided to press on with his questioning.)

D - How do you envision her being part of our family?

S - You should marry her Daddy.

It took the Daddy person a little while longer than she did, but Squeaker made a good case and so the Daddy person asked Beth to marry him.

So, look forward to her making some more appearances in the blog and we will be working on a nickname.

Squeaker at Five

I thought I would let Squeaker tell it like it is!

Five Years Old!

Squeaker is five!

Water Sports II

Enjoy a little more summer water action from our heroine. Happy Labor Day!

Water Sports I

These are two of the ten fish that Squeaker caught. She didn't cast for herself, but after the third she was doing everything else for herself.

Hurriquake hits. Squeaker Catches Fish

That does kind of say it all doesn't it? I am working on putting together a video with some fishin' and boogie boarding. It will be up soon.

That's Just Beachy!

Good morning! Squeaker and the Daddy person are back from a couple of beach adventures. I have some video of her boogie boarding, but for now here are some pictures of her out and about. And yes, we do make sure she wears sunscreen...

Beach Bunny

Sorry for the interlude. The daddy person has been having some computer issues and Squeaker and I have been on the road, so I have been unsuccessful in getting posts online. Continuing with the out of town theme, Squeaker and I are at the beach. I have batteries for my camera and will get some video of her fighting the ocean waves. Look for a post mid-week or so.

Swimmer Pants III

We have more pool videos, but they need to be uploaded still. This time we visited my college pool. Squeaker passed their 25 yard swimming test, and did it so fast the lifeguard and her daddy person were surprised at her speed. The point of the swimming test was that she be allowed to use the climbing wall and the slide in the background.

More Swimmer Pants

Squeaker and spent some more time in the pool with the camera. The first clip on the video is her diving to the bottom to get the camera, then her dancing around because she wants me to stop backing away from her. The next one is her dancing to dance. The final clip is her swimming all the way across our pool, albeit because I kept backing away from her.



Enjoy!

Swimmer Pants I

Sorry about missing last week. I did finally get Squeaker and the waterproof camera to the pool. The video is a little grainy, because the camera is kinda old, but you'll see her swimming and playing one of her favorite games - trying to grab someone's toes.



Enjoy!

Squeaker, Blackberry Hunter

Since Squeaker and moved into our own place, one of her favorite things to do has been to go for a walk around the neighborhood. This fun activity has become an addiction for her since we discovered that every stand of trees that escaped the builder's wrath is full of blackberry bushes. Incidentally don't mention the location of any bushes to her, or I will be in trouble. Part of the fun is that the Daddy person has convinced her that they are out little secret. She has developed the idea that it is ok to tell people so long as the live far enough away that they don't wander over to pick our blackberries, but that we can't tell anyone who lives nearby.

I have no idea how much longer the berries will last, but there will be much sadness and gnashing of teeth after they are gone.

I still need to get the camera to the pool. Squeaker continues to progress from 'sinkerpants' to mermaid. Have a good week.

A little more music

Squeaker has been enjoying the pool and has made huge strides in the last couple of weeks. The Daddy person however keeps forgetting to bring the waterproof camera to the pool. Instead we have another musical number. Notice how the long walk...



Have a good week.

Recital

Squeaker had her first piano recital last week. Her lessons were the product of one of the Daddy person's better bids at a charity auction.



I should have taped the practice too. Squeaker had never played a grand piano before and she could barely be corralled to play her piece. Her main interest was in watching the way the piano created its notes. Enjoy the video and listen for her method of measuring a rest note.

Colonial Day

Squeaker and the Daddy person enjoyed a nice day of colonial games with Grammy and Granddad.

Memorial Day Fun!

Why hello friends! This is Aunt Brite and I've hijacked the blog this week along with our favorite little girl. Uncle Mack, Squeaker and I are in Ohio this weekend visiting family. We began our journey by stopping to see friends south of Pittsburgh. These sweet girls have only played a few times, but they are certainly kindred spirits. It was delightful to watch them jump right in where they left off last summer. The grownups enjoyed the time to visit together as well. We are so grateful that these dear friends live on the way to Cleveland.

We also had a wonderful visit with Dave's Grandma Z and Aunt Tina. How often do you get to see a 4 1/2 year old playing with a 89 1/2 year old? It was just beyond precious to see them enjoy each other so much. There was dress up time with a very life-like doll baby. We also chatted about Grandma's childhood with 8 sisters and 5 brothers. It was certainly very different from Squeaker's experience. They even had a mini piano recital and Squeaker got to play her little 12 note piece she's been learning. Oh it was so much fun!



















After a fun filled evening with Dave's parents, Little Squeaker and I headed to the playground together. It was a cool, crisp morning and the river below this bridge is swelled from extensive rain. She stood quietly looking at the water and listening to the sounds for at least 10 minutes. It am always amazed by how time in nature calms her down. I think she could spend hours just looking at flowers, seeds, and sticks.


Last night, we spent hours playing in the backyard. I think Squeaker threw the over-sized Frisbee 50 times. She also loved playing volleyball with the grownups. Of course, she slept like like a rock last night. She had a blast visiting, but she'll be so happy to see Daddy tomorrow!

On the Road

Squeaker and the Daddy person had a fine weekend, even if the Daddy person spent most of it grading or thinking about grading. Unfortunately the camera spent most of the weekend in my backpack. She and her Aunt Gidget spent most of the weekend dressed up as Disney princesses (Snow White and Rapunzel for those of you who are curious).

Have a good week!

Mother's Day

Squeaker and the Daddy person spent yesterday visiting our Mothers and in the process trekking around the state. Given some of her struggles recently the trip was a good one for her. These can pretty well be summed up by a conversation we had last week. Not the one about the paleontologist and soldier (but I will repeat that one later for those of you who haven't heard it).

Squeaker and I were riding in the car and without any preamble she ask "Will you get married again Daddy?" I answered successfully, with a question, "Would you like me to get married?" Her answer, and the crux of what has been bothering her much the few months was "Yes, that way I will have someone I can call Mommy." Our striking out on our own has disrupted her balance. Even though she's spent almost as much time with Brite as she did before the move thrown this absence into focus (not that I think it is every that far from her mind). As perceptive as she is, as organized as she is, and despite having a classmate with two Moms, she is having more trouble with the absence than she's had in a long time. Squeaker seems sure, with a child's perfect logic, that being able to call someone Mommy will fix the problem.

I think we are coming through it though. We had a wonderful afternoon at the Garden yesterday. We, which is to say she, picked out some flowers to last the summer. It was a colorful bouquet with purple, orange, teal, and at least two shades of pink. I claim credit only for the purple roses and the credit card. Squeaker still being four, one of the pink roses came home with us, too (technical difficulties - having started the video recorder in time to get seven minutes of pocket time mean that we will be all text this week). After we arranged the flowers, we spent a long time wandering the garden. She asked often about people and with the exception of an AAF Sargent, I was unable to provide her with much information.

On that note, Friday I was putting her in the car when she asked about the suit bag hanging in the back. I responded that it was for a funeral later. I told her that funeral was for a soldier who was killed in Afghanistan. Her response was "That's why I want to be a paleontologist and not a warrior. No one ever died from a little sand in their eyes."

It is hard not to smile at that and hard not to smile for her. Have a good week.

Rough Week

Squeaker is having a bit of a rough week. She's fighting off a spring cold right now, so she's sleeping a fair bit, but Squeaker is also having a little trouble adjusting to the new situation.

Kids Club

The biggest toy in the Daddy person's room is his rowing machine. Squeaker always wants to play on it and as it turns out, they have a kids club for children under six. So this one goes out to Kimmy.



Have a good week!

On the Road

Squeaker, shown here getting ready for face painted day at her school, is off in faraway Tennessee visiting family. The daddy person has done a little hiking this weekend and much unpacking of books and is looking forward to her return.

Coming Soon

I have a nice little video, but internet problems this morning prevented it from getting posted....

New Adventure

As you can see by these pictures, Squeaker and the Daddy person (not to mention Aunt Brite and the whole gang) have been busy! Not that we built the house, but the editors have been really busy trying to get everything ready for us to strike out on our own.



Aunt Brite had the idea last summer of letting her put stickers (removable) up in her room to make it hers. Believe it or not the stars, planets, and space craft were her idea...

Enjoy the week, sorry for the late post. We should be back on a normal schedule now. Maybe we'll even get back to what I have posted in my calendar (pancakes and posting on Saturday).

Squeaker and I spent the weekend with Grammy, Granddad and her Aunt Gidget. One of the high points of the trips (other than March Madness) was a trip to see one of her cousins play lacrosse. After the game she made the better part of three laps around the field. I'm not sure what her Aunt Gidget is doing...

Have a good weekend. Big changes coming soon...

Watch Out Lance!

Squeaker and I are into new adventures these days and one of hers is shown here. I have some video to edit. She's not a prodigy, but she can get back on the bike when she falls off (no video of that though).

Swinging and Singing

That's all I have to say about that.

Singer-Songwriter

Squeaker had fun writing a song and playing guitar for some dinner guests. I will try and get the audio punched up and post the video later today. Until then, enjoy the lyrics.

Hint: While Squeaker's spelling is as imaginative as the next girl, some of the words (like the first one, spanish for red) aren't in English.

Riding the Rails

Squeaker and I took our first train trip this weekend. It wasn't a long trip, but it did let us hang out a museum and build a submarine. The Daddy person perhaps enjoyed that adventure more than she did. However, she really enjoyed riding on the train.

Picture Post

Squeaker and the Daddy person had a nice time touring this weekend, both on foot, on bike, and through museums. Most of these pictures were her idea. And no bunny ears!