Our neighbor, Jose, gave Alice a gift card for Christmas that we finally used.  She got a camping set that included a tent, sleeping bag, chair, flashlight, compass, and a rolling tote to carry it all in.  When we got home from the store, dad immediately put the tent up and she didn't come out for hours.  She sat inside watching TV and eating popcorn with her new "mankie" (interpreted "blankie" or sleeping bag).  We let her have fun with it for a few days and then had to put it away--we couldn't walk through our front room with a tent in the middle of the walkway!  There are pictures--check them out.

 

On the Saturday before Easter, dad was flipping through channels and found the Lawrence Welk Easter Show reruns.  Alice jumped up and started dancing to the music played by the band.  She was going nuts.  We thought she might tire of it after one or two songs.  Oh no, she enjoyed the whole program.  Strange kid...I thought only older people were supposed to like Lawrence Welk?  I guess it is for all ages.  Grandma and Grandpa Hodson came over later that evening and helped Alice color easter eggs.  Well, it was more like we colored them and just tried to keep Alice out of the egg dye.  She kept wanting to drink the "juice". 

 

Easter came and went and Alice acquired more stuff she probably doesn't need--or rather, that mom doesn't have space for.  She was mostly interested in her candy though--shocker.  We went to dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's.  It was a nice day...there are easter pictures that you can check out.

I guess one of the most exciting things about having a kid is that they really do surprise you every day.  She picks up on so many things that we don't give a second thought to.  Of course, we are American Idol fans and watch each week.  One night we were discussing how we thought one of the contestants, Bucky, didn't perform very well that evening.  Alice yells out, "Bucky!"  Now, you have to understand that she is funny about "b" words.  She calls a bunny--munny.  She calls her blankie--mankie.  But, she can say Bucky.  We don't understand it.  Now, if that wasn't weird enough, every week when Bucky comes on stage she yells, "Bucky!"  Apparently he made a big impact on her.  The cowboy hat probably how she identifies him.  I guess that is sad that our 1-year old knows people on TV by name.  And they say kids that young shouldn't even watch tv.  Boy, are we bad parents!

 

But, tv can't be all that bad, can it?  Alice knows most of her letters and can count to 13.  Now, I can't really take much credit for that.  Thank you Sesame Street.  With all the flack they have been getting lately, I want to give them a thumbs up.

 

Alice has become very chatty lately.  She is beginning to put sentences together.  Her favorite questions are, "What ya doin'?" or "What ya watchin'?"  She was playing near the tv yesterday and bonked her head.  She turned to dad and whimpered, "I hit!  I hit".  Of course, the phone is one of her favorite things.  She loves calling Grandmas and Grandpas and anyone else who will talk to her.  She usually gets on the phone and says, "Hi Gamma!"