Entry 3

Age 1

Daddy likes to take me to the park whenever he needs a break from school work. I wish I could have more freedom, but of course he needs to keep an close eye on me. A few days ago Daddy allowed me to crawl around on the ground for about a minute. Some ladies in matching ponytails passed by and giggled at me; I didn't pay attention but then I swear Daddy turned pink. Now was my advantage. While he was not looking, I charged towards something brown that was wigging in the dirt. Daddy was starting to talk to the strangers. I grasped the wiggling thing in my chubby hands and shook it it a few times as it wiggled. I wonder what this tastes like? I mused. I shoved half of it in my mouth. It tickled! Unfortunately, two rough hands grabbed me by my middle, pulling me up. My Daddy looked appalled, and so did the ladies, who gagged openly and turned away without saying goodbye.

"Katie, spit it out!" he shouted frantically.

I looked up at him, doe-brown eyes big. Daddy took his hands and reached into my mouth. "Come on, please, spit it out." I turned away, refusing to open my mouth for him. After about a minute, Daddy got the worm out of my mouth. The thing slowly crawled away. I was sad to see it go. "What am I going to do with you?" Daddy sighed, regaining my attention. I just grinned and made cute baby sounds. Daddy rolled his eyes and then carried me away. "Let's go shopping before we head home for nap time." I looked at him. What is it with him and nap times?

Entry 4

Age 1

"I thought you did that part on the essay? Dude! The teacher is going to kill us!" Daddy was saying worriedly into the phone as I rolled onto my back, reaching for my toes and looking at him as he looked at me. He paused for a second and then continued, more quietly this time so I could barely hear him. I slowly rolled back onto my feet and crawled around. I climbed over a messy t-shirt (I got stuck for a few seconds but I eventually won!) to the wicker basket of colorful balls. I crawled inside quickly and began to pounce through the balls, which cushioned my knees. After a few leaps I stopped; it really was no fun without Daddy. Something then caught my eye and I stumbled out of the basket, landing on my face with a little 'oof!' I scurried along the carpet and found a small black box, with a picture and words on both sides of it. I banged it against the floor a few times to see what would happen. It broke open, and something shiny and circular popped out. I tossed the black box aside with all the strength I could muster and moved to pick up the shiny thing. It took me a few minutes to pick it up. I hit it as hard as I could, getting really mad at it and pouting angrily when it did nothing. I looked up at Daddy, who was walking back and forth, still on the phone. "We need to hurry up, or we're going to get a bad grade." He paused again before exploding, "I know! I told you that." He looked at me and then turned around. I finally was able to pick up the shiny thing. I put it in my mouth and sucked on it. This tastes strange! I don't care, i just wanna stick thing in my mouth. I kept sucking waiting for someone to stop me. When he turned again, his eyes widened and he let out a little whimper. "I'll be right back, Coran." Then he dove towards me, prying open my mouth and setting the silver object on the counter. "Why am I doing this," he exhaled and leaned across the surface for a moment. I don't know. Why ARE you doing this? I still had my angry pout.

Entry 5

Age 1

One day Daddy took me into my room and slipped me into a sparkly green dress. This is normal when I go for bedtime. He's so weird. Daddy gave me the puppy dog eyes, begging me not to fight about the dress. I put up less of a fight than normal but I looked so cute doing it. He lifted me up and smiled before placing me on the changing table. What in the world-? I'm already changed! I started to bang my fists, demanding to know what he was doing. He looked up, giving me another cheesy smile, and then looked back. More diapers went into the ugly monkey-patterned bag. He was sure taking his time and I was already bored. I laid on my back, trying to touch my toes. This little piggy goes to the market, I screwed up my face in concentration. Entertaining myself was hard! My struggle did not last long, though, because Daddy picked me up and immediately strapped me into my stroller. A lion plushie was handed to me; I grinned at him and dropped it onto the floor. "Katie, no," he said, and leaned down to pick it up again for me. "You have to hold it." This time I flung it across the room and bubbled into high-pitched laughter when it smacked the wall. "Katie, NO," he repeated, even more sternly this time, and retrieved it once more. "If you throw that again, I won't give you a toy," he warned.

I threw it again anyway.

When he didn't get it back, I started to cry, leaving him no choice but to hand it back to me. We bumbled down the street in the hot sun; it was a humid day, but luckily my stroller has a lime-colored hood to cover me in shade. I chewed on the ear of my lion plushie as we went along, getting a bit of drool on myself to my disgust. When we stopped, I realized we were in front of the chalky steps of the Library. Daddy had to haul me up them in my stroller. I thought it was hilarious and purposefully dropped my lion on the way up. People around us looked sorry for him, but I don't know why.

After ten minutes of making Daddy work, we went inside the Library's huge birch doors. It was bustling with people, and shelves of books. I leapt forward in my seat in an attempt to get out and explore. I started to get fussy, hoping daddy would let me out. He kept walking. He waved to a young man who had orange hair and a considerable mustache for someone who appeared to be nineteen or so. He got up and waved, making sure Daddy saw.

"How you doing?" he said with a beam, and then bent down to look me in the eyes. "This your daughter? She's a cutie-pie!"

I like this guy already!

"Yep to both," Daddy chuckled.

Is it strange that I just wanna pull that orange hair coming out of his face? Give it to me, give it to me. Daddy and Coran just kept talking and all they heard was me making baby garble. "Well, come along then, we need to get moving," Coran declared. Daddy nodded. "Hold on, I'll be right back." He wheeled me to a nearby section filled with building blocks and pink and blue baby books; a lady with blonde hair took me out of my straps and placed me in a sunshine-yellow pen on the ground, where there was only one other toddler. What? I don't wanna play! I want to explore. Daddy walked back to his table with Coran and they began to work.

I glanced over at the toddler in the prison cell with me; he gazed back dumbly with bright blue eyes. I said something in baby talk and he giggled. Can't he see I am not enjoying myself? And this lady is strange, getting on her hands and feet and acting like an animal. Daddy, can't you see me miserable?! I jumped up and down on all fours, but he kept focusing on his friend. The blonde woman leaned down and booped my nose, making me recoil.

"Aww, someone's getting fussy," the woman cooed.

You think?

The woman laughed, an annoyingly pretty sound. There was a metallic ding from behind one of the kid computers that caught her attention. "Just a sec!" she hollered, and climbed over the pen with ease. I watched her leave enviously. Why am I not as big as her? Life is not fair!

I crawled over to the other toddler who seemed content with playing with the wooden ABC blocks. "I need your help, we are going to bust out of here and be free," I told him. He just clapped the blocks together, making me wince. "I see you're no help… fine." I crawled away and attempted to stand up against the yellow bars. I fell down on my butt but I tried again anyway, gripping the poles tightly and staring at Daddy. I tried to squeeze through the gap, but it hurt so I stopped.

Maybe I could use the other kid as a stepping stool.

"Hey, you. Come here."

The boy blinked at me.

"I said come here."

He tilted his head and smiled again. I glared fiercely. "Come here or I will knock down your tower!"

Finally, he crawled over to me.

"So you do understand me."

"You're mean," he said back.

"I want freedom," I replied as I gently climbed on top of him. I hoped nobody was looking."Hold still." He wasn't very sturdy, despite my instructions, and almost caused us both to ram our heads into the bars. "Hey! I said hold still!"

"Stop yelling or I won't help!" I could hear him starting to cry and I felt a little bad.

The woman was starting to head back, so I hurriedly launched myself over the bars. "Cya later alligator!"

"I hope not."

"Watch it." I crawled at top speed towards the trashcan, curling up behind it. The lady didn't seem to notice my disappearance. She must have assumed that Daddy picked me up while she was attending to the ding sound.

When the coast was clear, I hurried further into the Library, just walking by, no one noticing me as they were all busy studying. That's right, nothing to see here folks, just go back to your work. Something caught my eye, a dark cave. I hurried forward, hearing footsteps behind me... I crawled in and found myself surrounded by books. Boring! I thought, just sitting there. Just then the cave started to move, squeaking underneath me like it was on wheels. Wee. It only lasted a minutes before they heard me making a racket (meaning I threw one of the magazines out.) The man apparently pushing the book cave picked me up.

"How did you get here?" he asked.

Hey, put me back!

The man carried me to the front desk and started to talk to the gray-haired woman there. She pushed a button and her voice boomed. The man held onto me as I attempted to wriggle out of his grasp. "We have a one-year-old girl with light brown hair at the front," she echoed. "Please come get her. We don't accept abandoned children."

Everyone looked at each other as they heard the voice. Daddy sighed and got up, sauntering over. "What happened this time?" he asked them. I looked at Daddy. They spoiled my fun, that's what. The man gave me back to Daddy and then told him what happened. A minute later I saw orange boy again and wanted to pull his mustache hair more badly.

"She's a rebel," the orange boy grinned.

"What am I going to do with her?" Daddy pinched the bridge of his nose.

Some milk would be lovely, I am hungry. And change my diaper too.

TBC please review