It took her 14 months, but she got on that horse.

It was 34 degrees and raining when P left for work this morning. SS and I did what we now like to do on cold, rainy days. We cranked up the heat, got out our shorts, and pretended it was summer. What can I say, SS is as much a sun child as P and I. JJ used to be, but the traitor is now accustomed to that lousy bay weather. SS found her cowboy hat (aka the giraffe visor) and stunned me be requesting help getting on her horse. That same horse she received as a Christmas gift in 2008 and has scared her senseless since.

I have no idea why we did not store that horse in the garage. Initially SS would cry when she saw him. The next step was to press his ears and when the noise began, SS would flee like a bat out of hell. After that she summoned us to hold her on our laps while she pressed his ears. After a few months she was content pressing his ears and standing next to him by herself. About two months ago, I began to find SS caressing the horse, and combing his mane and tail. She asked to get on it a few times and quickly asked to get down.

Not this morning, this was the morning for SS to take her final step. She got on and stayed on for quite a while. Even better, she seemed to enjoy herself and hopefully this is really her final step. SS is such a funky creature, she throws herself into some scary situations with reckless abandon and no fear. Swimming comes to mind, something that was so foreign to her before coming home. Then the superficially easy things, swings, a toy horse, completely paralyze her with fear. Then it takes her forever to get to the point most kids her age are. There is no middle ground with SS, fear/fearless, love/hatred, fire/ice that's our girl. We wonder how this aspect of her personality is going to play out in her future endeavors.

SS is missing her JJ something terrible, seeing him everywhere. She babbles endlessly about how JJ is at his house, how he needs to come back, and about his car. That and that T went in the car with JJ. That was back in October and SS won't let that go. JJ and T are probably a couple as far as she is concerned. It just dawned on me that SS never said JJ's ex-girlfriend's name, yet after one meeting, she has not forgotten his roommate. We Skyped today, but JJ's video camera stopped working halfway through our call. SS was devastated and we were sad to find out that JJ won't be able to join us on a little adventure this weekend. We planned it with both of them in mind, but such is life.

During lunch, I could not figure out why SS was so hyper. It was one of the worse spells of hyperactivity I have witnessed from out tiny dynamo. Just as P was about to leave, equally confused and after SS managed to head butt him too many times, it hit me. Chocolate milk, stupid me! I usually give SS chocolate milk as a treat on Wednesdays (story time) and have no idea how she talked me into it. Blame it on the rain. After my epiphany put SS's behavior in perspective, Sunshine had a great laugh at my expense. Because, seriously, I was as dumbfounded as he was, except that he had not loaded her with sugar and caffeine. Another golden moment in motherhood for me.

In the food department, SS has discovered pepperoni and can't get enough. Sausage was her all time pizza topping favorite, but that is so two year old and SS is almost three. She ate 18 slices yesterday, I had no idea she had it in her. That is in addition to cheddar cheese and R*tz crackers. Go SS feast stage! Today she requested, guess what, the same for lunch.

SS and her cowboy hat, is she ready to be a cowgirl?

YEHAA!!!!

So what if I'm the slow to warm up to things type?

Goodbye sausage, hello pepperoni.

SS's pepperoni sandwich.

Getting her gear ready.

The joy of cooking, let's see if it holds when we ask her to pitch in in her teen years.

Not the best video I got of SS on her horse, but she actually requested it, said "say hi to Baba," and pointed to my purse camera (I was using the D60). The purse camera is used at home only for video. What a little Diva. She has also begun to get testy yells "no pictures," while placing her hand in front of her face. It has to be tough living with a paparazzo.