Peace, Love, And Squeezing Every Last Second Out Of Summer

Don't Get Me Started on "Down"

There is absolutely nothing on this earth more adorable than a little kid with a Southern accent, but we don't live in the South. THAT is why I am very THOU SHALT NOT HAVE AN ACCENT when it comes to Alexis.

Full disclosure: it's possible that there is a shrink's couch somewhere with my name on it because HOOBOY do I carry around all of the paranoia about my own accent around with me. Although, I don't have an accent. SHUT UP. I DO NOT. There might be a word or two that I still pronounce the way a North Dakotan would, but that is only when I'm mad. You'll hear it if ever you anger me to the point of smoke coming out of my ears. If that happens, RUN.

Anyway, about ten minutes after I moved into the dorm my freshman year of college, a small crowd was gathered around me asking me to pronounce a certain word because apparently I had a funny accent. It was SO funny that everyone kept asking me to say that word again and again and no I am not telling you what word it was. Don't bother asking.

I worked very hard to lose my accent.

And I have.

SHUT UP I HAVE SO.

So, it is with much pride that I'm able to report that Alexis is mostly devoid of a Yinzer accent. She says "Picksburgh," but other than that, the girl has got that proper English pronunciation thing going on. She pronounces aunt, caught, caramel, creek, pecan, poem, jaguar, and crayon THE RIGHT WAY. Don't ask me what the right way is. Just know that she's got it.

Which, considering the husband has a very Hoosier accent, is no small feat. Between the Yinzers everywhere in her life, my little dose of NoDak, and the very prevalent Hoosier influence, it's really a miracle the kid gets most things right.

It's soda by the way. You pop a balloon. You drink soda. Alexis agrees, so it must be true.

 

I Think I Miss The Betchtubles The Most

I don't know if you have noticed, but I most certainly have -- Alexis is dangerously close to having only one chin.

I think those stupid front teeth are to blame. They are in a big hurry to show up. The more they come in, the more all that extra neck Alexis has always carried around is disappearing. Like POOF! It's gone. Just like that.

My friends the chubby cheeks are leaving, too. Just one year ago, her face was definitely still round.

Not so much now.

While I'm glad Alexis is finally starting to grow out of her baby fat (truly, I am -- she's at the age where kids make fun of stuff like that and it's always good to avoid the making fun stuff), it makes me think about all of the other things that have disappeared over the years.

Betchtubles.

The Mary Poppins phase, which happened to coincide with the frog umbrella phase.

Bubbles!

Sleeping Cutey

Dora, although I don't miss the Latina Whore AT ALL, unless we're talking about this version.

New things have replaced all of those things, but still. Poof! Gone!

At least she still has tiny munchkin feet and a need to make a silly face every time she sees a camera.