Opening Chapel Extravaganza

Every year, opening chapel is quite an extravagant event. It begins with a parade of flags that represents each state or nation in the student body. The band plays the Olympic Fanfare.
Here's Kevin at the end conducting March Grandioso. He was supposed to conduct the band in an intro to the Alma Mater and then someone else would start the a cappella singing. But, the person just went right into the song and skipped the band. Kevin was on the podium with his arms up ready to start and then had to quit. He handled it well and we are laughing about it now.
There is also a big tribute to America with the Pledge of Allegiance and Star Spangled Banner and this huge flad is supposed to drop down. This year, it didn't. . . just got stuck like this. See below (from last year) for what should have happened.

"I wa wa!"

Today during breakfast, I said , "I love you!" to Jenna and she repeated it back, twice, " I wa wa." I was shocked and not quite sure that I heard her right as I think that I was half asleep. She didn't say it again all day despite my attempts to get her to try. Then when Kevin got home this afternoon, during snack time, she said it again and then several times this evening. "I wa wa!" (sometimes she substitutes a "v" sound instead of the "w," but always matches our "I love you" tones) - it's the best sound ever!This could possibly be my favorite picture of Jenna. Plus, you can kind of see her 2 new teeth (bottom molars) which she got on Monday, Aug. 18th.

The Big Purple Debut Pep Rally

Jenna clapping to the music!

Busy

Jenna has been very busy lately and therefore, so have I! A lot has happened since the last post. . .

Aug. 1st - she says, "eese" which means "shoes." Aunt Heather will be thrilled to know that this girl LOVES shoes! The other day I went in to get her first thing in the morning and she was saying "eese, eese, eese." She had to have her shoes on first thing! She still, often asks for her "eese" first thing in the morning or after naps.

Aug. 3rd - Jenna stands up on her own without pulling up on something.

She's telling me all about the "woof, woof" on her card.

Aug. 11th - We have an official independent walker! She still likes to have a good place to hang on fairly close, but her distances are getting longer and longer. Also, on this date, she does a giraffe imitation.

Aug. 12th - Says "mou" (mouth). I said to her,"Jenna, we're going to have lunch with our friend, Jenni." And Jenna says, "Nenni, Nenni!" This must be a fun word for her to say because her face lights up and she smiles, it is so cute! Now, why can't she say Jenna?

This is how she pushes up to stand.

Aug. 13 - I'm singing "Old MacDonald" to her and pause trying to think of the next animal to do. Jenna fills in the pause with"ducks." This is the only animal name she says so every time we sing "Old MacDonald" now, he has ducks! She also says "knee" and "marble" today.

Aug. 14 - She sees a kitten at a friend's house and says "meow, meow." (I had been trying to get her to say this for weeks, I guess she needed to see a real cat!) At bedtime we asked her if she wanted to hear a story from her Bible and she said, "bauble, bauble," excitedly. We should all be so excited.

Aug. 15 - Does turtle and alligator imitation. Repeats, "Datie" when we point at Aunt Katie's picture. Asks for "Ma-ye" (her friend Mallory) all day (actually she does this every day). She thinks every little girl with dark hair is "Ma-ye." At bedtime we asked her if there was a song she wanted to sing and she said, "Baa." She loves "Baa, Baa Black sheep" because of this great book from the Bookers.

So, this past week she has become an independent walker and learned about two new words every day. Another thing she started doing sometime in the past week: when I go in to get her out of bed she doesn't want to come to me because she is busy pointing out all the animals on her sheets and making their sounds. Funny that she is just noticing them now (after they've been there a year)!

Band Camp kicks off this evening with pizza and games. Practices throughout the day and activities every evening. Looks like we'll stay busy for a while!

Hoarse Horse

We have been to San Antonio and back. Kevin let us tag along while he was at a conference. We had a great time, should have taken pictures. Jenna loved the ducks on the riverwalk and all the people everywhere. Lately she has equated saying hi with blowing kisses, so anyone who said hi to her also got some kisses blown their way. She loved all the attention! She learned how to make an elephant sound when we were eating at the Rain Forest Cafe.

We got home Wednesday and she woke up around 10pm with a 102 degree fever. She still had a little fever Thursday morning and was pulling her ears so I took her to the doctor. No ear infection, just a virus.

At lunch time on Thursday, she was babbling in her high chair and her voice sounded weird. I said, "Jenna, you sound a little hoarse." So, she gave me her best "neigh." Hoarse/horse. What a comedian! I guess I need to get used to her "literalism."
This is the new face she likes to make. It's also what she looks like when she giggles. I call it the giggle face. Yesterday, when I was rocking her for her nap she popped her thumb out of her mouth and looked up at me with this face. I couldn't help but laugh, which made her laugh, so we laughed for a while. I love this silly girl!!!