Chatterbox

Kate can't stop talking, and it's the best.  Here's a current list of her fun words and phrases (yes, phrases!).

out

don't do it!

cut it

take it

no paper

mine!

'kay

yeah

please

thank you

welcome

bess you (bless you)

sorry

Zach

Wexi

Date (Kate)

Ranch (the dressing--haha)

hey! (after a perceived injustice)

shower

bunny

bye-bye, see ya (together)

haha (when she wins tug-of-war, takes a toy, etc.)

glasses

hand hurts

chawkick (chocolate--my favorite)

doggie scawy dweam (in the middle of the night)

Ode you (hold you, which means hold me)

Kate has a sense of humor.  Her full-tilt run is so darling. She loves dresses and usually likes having me fix her hair. She loves swings and slides and parks and anything with wheels. She has to ride in our stroller at the store because she can get out of the cart seat. This girl is also a true Bartle, having developed a talent for mischief.  Her latest tricks: moving stools and chairs to access high places (including door knobs), and closing my bathroom door while she raids my make-up.

On the day Kate hurt her hand, while I was making dinner, I realized things had been too quiet for a while.  I checked the bathroom first, but she wasn't there.  She didn't respond to my calls, and pretty soon the whole family was looking for Kate in the house and yard.  It had probably been 20 minutes since I had personally laid eyes on her, but with five other people in the house, I assumed someone was with Kate.  When I started questioning kids, Lexi said, "Kate just walked down the street."  My heart stopped.

So everyone started running around the neighborhood, calling her name.  No Kate.  I had circled the block, and Garry had circled another direction, and I was on the verge of calling the police.  That's when Zach ran out the back gate and said he had found her sitting in my laundry basket in the closet.  Words cannot express our collective relief!  

We all hugged Kate a little tighter that night.  We're so glad she is part of our family!