"Meesh? Meesh, Mah Mah Mah?" (translates into, "Please? Please Mama? Can I have some Boob?"

First, a big "thank you" to Grandma Wright for her birthday wishes to Patricia. We weathered the Birthday Weekend well. Patricia had a few friends up for the night at camp, and that went smoothly. They enjoyed the lake, the horses, a campfire and general ambiance of camp. Unfortunately, Daddy wasn't feeling 100 percent, having come down with a cold the day before. He's only just getting over it now. I took Patricia's birthday off and the girls and I spent the day in Burlington doing some clothes shopping and generally having a good time together. We returned to Plattsburgh in time to get Daddy at work so he could join us for a birthday dinner for her. The folks at Lums (probably one of the only Lums left in the world) always treat us well and brought out a piece of fudge cake for her with candles in it.

Big news on the Brigid front: I got her to say "Please" on Sunday night (the 26th) Or at least a version of the word as best she can pronounce it. It comes out more like "Meesh?" She was very pleased with herself, but as stubborn as she is she says it on her terms. She's been saying a lot of new words lately, like she's had an explosion of development as she rounds the corner on 18 months. Again, they're her versions of the words, but that counts. Patricia has been watching a lot of "Blues Clues" with her (the same tapes over and over again) but she says, "Blue" and she sings the Elmo's World song when you ask her who Elmo is (La la la la, la la la la , Elmo's World -- but her La la's come out like Ya ya's) She also likes keys. My keys. Which she often wants to hold when I'm driving the car. Needless to say, that's impossible, so she gets upset. We fear she is entering into the 18-month realm of nastiness and frustration -- very independent yet not old enough to do things on her own 100 percent of the time, wanting things she can't have because she's not old enough, throwing herself down or throwing things down when she doesn't get her way. I read a good book when Patricia was a baby that told how it's not so much the terrible Twos but the terrible 18-months, the terrible 2 and a halfs, and so forth. That the development goes in hills and valleys. I've seen it in action with all three of the girls as they reach developmental milestones.

Brigid has become very clingy and whiney lately, and I think this plays into the 18-month milestone as well. She wants to be held very much, which is fine with me because I love holding her, but it's hard when you have to get dinner going. The other girls have been great because I can usually hand the baby off to one of them so I can get something done. But more and more, Brigid is entertaining herself for moments at a time, pulling her books off her bookshelf, playing with stacking boxes, playing in her room. She still asks for her "mah mah mah" (boob) when she's tired and has some boob time at night and in the morning. No sign of giving it up, but that's OK, too. With Patricia and Margaret look at returning to school next week, it makes me appreciate the fact that I still have a baby at home.