She's Expressive

June 1, 2010

As Canaan grows (she'll be two on June 26th!!), so does her expressive nature. Which makes itself known in all forms--her loud voice, her funny faces, her "boneless" tantrums, and the force of which she throws her toys across the room.

Our first example was when we took Canaan (and her cousin, Courtney) sailing for the first time. As picture here, Canaan's expression tells us, "Not only is this hat strangling me, but this boat does not look like a blast."

But after cruising around on the lake, taking a swim in the water, and helping her dad "steer", she decided that sailing was a blast after all. And that she should have worn that hat because the sun is pretty bright.

While preparing our garden this year, Canaan dons her "bug hat", gets her Elmo shovel, and helps till the garden. Specifically this squash plant. Expression: pure cuteness.

And after finding what seems to be a poopy-substance in the garden, Canaan's expression turns from "pure cuteness" to "I may be eating this shortly."

What would Spring Evenings be without a BBQ with friends? While sharing a meal with Gracie, Joy, and Marin, Canaan's expression reads: "No time for pictures, mother. We've got business to attend to. Got to spread more ketchup on my face while Gracie is makes more room in her mouth for corn."

With the warmth of Spring and Summer, the baby pool comes out. Complete with water slide. Canaan's expression in this picture, "Who would have imagined a two-and-a-half-foot-perilous-drop into 48 degree water would have been so much FUN?!?!"

We also took Canaan to her first Braves Game!! She had a cute shirt and a red bow to match. Here, Canaan is amazed at the size of the stadium, the amount of bratwursts being grilled, and the fact that the family made it through Atlanta traffic with an hour to spare!

Since Braves-Stadium-Rules-and-Regulations-Safeguarding-Against-Terrorist-Attacks-And/Or-Misuse-Of-A-Drink prevented us from bringing in our commemorative Coke bottle (saved for just such an occasion), we had to quick drink it right outside the gates. Canaan is busy concentrating on getting the very last sip since this is one of the few times she gets a soft drink. Expression: "And why wouldn't my parents let me drink more Coke? I'd be willing to give up the milk and water if that's what it takes. What health-sticklers."

"Now if my parents would let me drink water from a gushing water spigot every time, I'd be willing to reconsider the Coke issue."

In this picture, her turned back tells it all, "I'm far too busy pushing this baby around while in the tu-tu my mother made me to stop and take a picture. There are so many places to go with a stroller when you're naked." Sometimes, she listens to her parents, sometimes she doesn't.

In this video, we were lucky to catch the "sometime she listens" on video...singing the ABC's!

On Mother's Day, we played kick-ball with the Big Goodwin side of the family and then our little family went to Piedmont park for a picnic and kite-flying extravaganza. Here, before we headed off to play kick-ball (I might add that a 6-month-pregnant-woman can and will kick some butt at kick-ball), Canaan is expressively telling me that she is sick and tired of the dog trying to eat her rock.

The following video documents how Canaan's "sick and tired" expression will soon snowball into "the Boneless Effect" whereas she apparently looses all control of the bones in her body, rendering her "boneless" and on the floor. After which she will cry or yell or throw a toy until someone can talk her down--much like "The Negotiator", some of the day is spent talking her out of this "The World is Coming to an End" phase of the tantrum. I've documented it here.

Good thing we diverted the dog and Canaan's attention and Mother's Day was saved from any tantrums.

After kick-ball and resolving the dog and rock issue, we headed to Piedmont Park. There are many things to explore at a place like that: a tree...

...why our 8-inch by 8-inch kite won't actually fly...

..and finally, to answer the age-old question posed by every two-year old, "How loud can you actually yell while holding a small stick?" Answer: Very Loud.

Mother's Day 2010: fabulous.

And finally, to conclude the documentary on Canaan's expressive nature, we have a picture of Canaan and Andre in the pool, their faces conveying a message of pure confusion: "So, what you're trying to say is that we need to spread out a little more before we can start a game of Ultimate Frisbee Baby Pool Style?"

How I love Canaan's friends that both understand and share her expressive nature. Canaan's friends: we love you and pray for you!