Kinley: Tod 2's Roving Reporter

Hello all! I'm Kinley, Tod 2's roving reporter. Tod 2 is short for Toddler 2, and it's where I see my friends while my Mommy and Daddy are at work.

At Tod 2, we learn new things every week. We practice counting and learn our numbers, the alphabet and our colors. My friends and I like books about animals, and we are about as good as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir when it comes to singing, "Old McDonald Had a Farm."

I don't personally know Old McDonald, though I like to sing about him. But when my friends and I were discussing farms and barns, I told them that I had a connection. I could visit my Grandma's and Grandpa's house on a Kansas farm.

Good reporters make firsthand reports. So Mommy and Daddy brought me to the farm during Mother's Day weekend. I brought my boots along. You can't just sit at a computer screen to get an up close and personal report. You have to get your boots dirty. (Plus, I see the big girls wearing their cowboy boots with their dresses. Since I'm going to be a big sister, I'm well on my way to being a big girl. I thought I might as well dress the part.)

Anyway, today I'm going to report back to all my friends at Tod 2. It's always good to have reliable sources when you are working on a news story. My Grandpa is my farm expert. I've been excited about checking out a barn in person, so that's where we started.

Grandpa said that the cows and calves are sometimes up in the corral getting a drink of water. But even though my Mommy helped me climb high on the gate, I couldn't see them. So my Grandpa took me to the pasture. There they were!

And you won't believe it! The books have it right. The cows really do say "Moo!" Since I was safe in the pickup, I didn't mind how loud those cows were.

I liked watching the babies run in the pasture because I am a good runner, too. Even though the calves have four legs, I think I'm pretty fast on two legs. See? I am faster than Grandma. I could catch her.

But, back to the babies! Besides seeing baby calves, I saw some brand new baby kittens. Three of them were hiding in an old stone cook chimney in Grandma and Grandpa's backyard. Even though the Mama Cat had them way back in the back, Grandpa helped me see them. He said he'd use a "kitten catcher" to get those babies. My Grandma said it was a hoe. I don't care what it's called. It helped me to meet the kittens.

There was one other kitten in the window well. I called him the noisy kitty because he made quite a racket! His fur was soft, but his voice sure wasn't!

While my Grandma was at school playing the piano and my Mommy was at school giving a program with Power Panther, my Grandpa and Daddy let me take the littlest kittens on a stroller ride in the house. I hope their Mommy didn't miss them too much. I think they had a good time.

Even though I really like the animals on the farm, my favorite thing is probably the swing. It's hanging from a big old tree. My Mommy says she and Uncle Brent used the same swing. I kept saying, "Higher! Higher!" I think I was as high as the sky.

I thanked my Grandpa for giving me a personal tour of the farm. He says his best payment is a kiss from me.

My Grandma thought she needed a new picture with me. Since it was Mother's Day, I decided that would be a good gift to go along with the cat spatula I'd picked out just for her.

I also helped my Uncle Brent celebrate his birthday. I'm glad he chose homemade ice cream and cookies for his birthday treat.

Well, I'd better go. I have to report in with my friends at Tod 2.

Until next time,
Kinley Marie