daddy donald

just a quick post to document violet's latest love affair. she's been watching mickey mouse clubhouse for about a month now to the exclusion of nearly every other show, and she has zeroed in on donald as her favorite character. i'm sure some little girls take a shine to minnie's affability or daisy's daintiness, but our little girl cherishes, above all, donald's raw fury. the angrier he gets, the funnier it is. i don't think this bodes well for kevin and me in her teen years.

after keeping a lookout for donald all day at disneyland, i'd given up on seeing him. why is he never at his boat? (why did i not realize there would be a character finder on the mousewait app? there is! i just looked at it, and he's in toontown as i type! they think of everything!) violet knew she had a gift card from grandma linden and purchased her new donald toy accordingly. (when i told her that she had enough money left on the card for one more toy, she replied, "tomorrow, my card is going to get more money on it!") then, as we were literally 20 steps from the exit gates, there he was in town square! we only had to wait about five minutes to see him, but the whole time violet kept repeating with delight that i cannot possibly capture, "i'm going to tell him, 'you have a temper!'" when it was her turn, donald was thrilled that he had a true fan on his hands, and he grabbed her toy and started playing with her.

i'm terrible at planning for these things, but i thought to switch to video just in time for violet to cajole him into the hot dog dance.



yes, this was a different day than the photo at the top of this post. that one was taken a few weeks later. there were several characters available in town square that day, and i told violet that we were only going to wait for one. i honestly thought she might pick mickey. absurd, i know.

i've been meaning to mention for awhile now that i've realized one more reason why kevin is the best dad ever. his voices! some of you probably don't know that he has taken voiceover classes and is really talented, and now that violet has discovered that he can talk like pretty much any character she wants, she rarely lets him talk as just daddy. many of his requests these days aren't met with compliance until he himself complies with hers: "say it in donald's voice, daddy donald."

i had the MOST ADORABLE video ever of one of their exchanges, and i cried for days after i accidentally deleted it when i went to edit it. i tried for a redo the next night, but you know it's never the same. you get the idea though.



donald is literally the only "voice" that i can do. that was a few weeks ago, and violet has started to do her own donald impression now. i've tried to capture it on video, to no avail. i'll stay on it.

just your average month

hanging with friends.

drinking cocoa on a chilly afternoon "in pineville" with jingle the husky pup.

eating grapes on safari with my baby simba in his sling. (mom note: her sling, sorry. HER sling.)

AUNTIE COURTNEY BOUGHT ME LICORICE!!! if you want a $24 cat toy with a manufacturing cost of six cents, the american girl store has you covered. I KNOW, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT EITHER!!!

auntie also bought me these minnie ears, counterfeit version $6 at the farmer's market. doesn't dad look fab? disneyland sells them for $20.

good thing auntie recouped some cost because she needs more shoes. i went into her closet for the first time and - completely unprompted - screamed "SHOE PARTY!" before helping myself. my mom, as i love to say, "looked a little nervous."

i also enjoyed a jewelry party in nana's dresser. my mom remembers this drawer as being off limits for her entire childhood. i guess nana just trusts me more.

i watched the kentucky derby with poppy. i wanted to put all my money on a horse named charming kitten, so i guess it's a good thing i don't have any money. who needs it when everyone just buys you shit all the time, am i right?

i could totally be a jockey, if i ever get up to 114 pounds. only 90 pounds to go! i was obviously born to wear goggles.

i surprised mom by writing this on my easel. i may only be two, but i know that my signature will increase the market value of this study for a work i call ants playing ring around the rosy. can you say masterpiece? i can't yet.

(mom note: i have actual stories to tell, but regrettably this is not the week. in the meantime, wishing you all a happy mother's day with your loved ones. i still can't believe this adorable child was once, like, a mutant in my stomach.)