Turd in the Pool

6 Months

2012-01-26T22:04:00.000-08:00

Time seems to have sped up. Strangers in the grocery store or in the security line at LAX remind me how quickly their own kids grew up; how I should enjoy them at this age. I know from my girls how quickly time passes. They grow up too fast.

I look at Xavier and breathe a sigh or relief. He's still a baby.

But not for long. He's half way to one.Two teeth have emerged and he's getting stronger. Not crawling yet. Not even close and i'm relieved. Phew, still a baby. A sweet, smiling baby. A baby with eczema, who scratches his legs and head until they bleed but still smiles. And a baby that sleeps through the night now.

So thankful. So in love.

Christmas in Chicago

2012-01-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

After a few Christmases where my parents flew to LA, we finally sucked it up and decided we'd pack up our clan and brave holiday travel to visit them in cold, windy Chicago. Other than an absurd amount of luggage in a towering mound on a luggage cart, we managed to tackle LAX and arrive at O'Hare without any major hiccups.

We spent the first 5 days with my Mom, Mark and my sister in McHenry. My Mom retired just a month ago and is thrilled to be back in her home with the fat, puffy squirrels and the assortment of winter birds in her backyard. The girls loved looking out the windows at the critters and playing with Gran and Auntie Jennifer. We were total homebodies where we ate, opened presents and ate again. Unfortunately my Bro wasn't didn't to make it, but it was great to hang with my sister and Mom. Santa visited us there and Addie played Santa's helper. She could read the tags on the gifts and distributed every last one of them from under the tree.

The second half of the week we spent with Dad and Nanci in their condo in Northfield. If our time with Mom was about being cozy inside, our time with Nana and Pop Pop was all action. They took Addie to her first nutcracker ballet which is adored. This is a tradition in our family as I went when I was five for the first time. Her favorite parts were the Sugar Plum Fairy and Mother Ginger. We also went to the children's museum, saw the Jellies exhibit at the Aquarium and visited the Museum of Contemporary Art. It was Go Go Go!

Xavier was great during the day but at night he thought it would be great fun to wake up every 2 hours. After several weeks of this, I was on the verge of collapse. I wasn't even sleepy as much as I was a bundle of raw nerves and emotions. This did not make me the most patient parent or the happiest person unfortunately. Nonetheless, I loved seeing the girls play with their grandparents and it was great to hang with my family.

Next Christmas, it's LA or Bust. Come one, come all!

Christmas Eve bubbly in my Grandmother's gorgeous flutes. Don't you love the studio portrait of me and my sibs from 1987?!

Santa's helper

Exhausted and we had only opened the stockings

Christmas baby with a holiday carrot from Santa

Gran and Addie playing

On a cold walk

Pop-Pop playing with the girls

At The Nutcracker

Jellies at the Shedd Aquarium

Playing at the Children's Museum. I really wish we had something like this in West LA.

After several kid-focused events, I picked our adventure - The Museum of Contemporary Art. Minimalist art and toddlers are not a good mix as it turns out. Eliza wanted to touch or step on everything in site. We survived though as did the art.

Check out more photos from our midwestern Christmas here.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Fa La La La La

2012-01-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

Nothing is cuter than little kids singing. Or just standing there. Or jumping up and down.

One night Addie had Mit, Cap and I hold hands circling the Christmas tree to sing carols. It was mortifying but I pretended it wasn't. Aren't I a good mom?!

Seaweed Santa

2012-01-07T21:02:00.000-08:00

One of our advent calendar activities was to make a sand (snow) man at the beach. Some days our Advent calendar was just M&Ms or maybe a tiny toy. Other days it was something fun to do that would get us into the Christmas spirit. We were at the beach for Mit's birthday but the sun was rapidly setting so I quickly made this Seaweed Santa. No one was impressed but Addie loves the Santa hat and has worn it to bed on more than one occasion.

Papa Mit Turns 70

2012-01-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

On December 11, we celebrated Mit's big 7-0 with a family dinner at his favorite spot - Paradise Cove Beach Cafe in Malibu. After our feast, we ran out to the beach just catching the sun setting over the ocean. The girls stripped off their pants but kept on their parkas to play in the surf.

What would we do without Mit? We are so lucky to have him across the street from us. He is always on hand to help us out -- which turns out is pretty much every day. Have I mentioned that having three kids is really hard?! He picks up Addie from school, helps her with homework, plays with Eliza, holds Xavier and changes diapers. And, he even hangs out to watch The X Factor with me. I wonder if I can get him into American Idol too . . .

Mit - you are the best! Happy Birthday (again).

4 Months! (Okay 5)

2012-01-04T20:46:00.000-08:00

Yes, I realize he is 5 months now, but look how cute he is at 4 and a half months!

He also rolled over at from his back to his tummy - a feat with a big noggin like that. He was a week shy of 4 months. He started daycare down the street at 4 months, and then we got word that a spot opened up at Eliza's Montessori school. He started there this week and is taking all of these transitions in stride.

We've also been battling eczema these last two months. The big guy scratches up his head so badly, he is now under sock arrest. His hands are mittened and to protect him at night, I even sewed a pair into his pjs. I'm hoping that his dry skin is something he will outgrow - and soon. Even with his scratchy skin, he's still a smiling, laughing happy, little Bubba beloved by all - especially his sisters.

Weekend Away in Idyllwild

2012-01-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas and New Years have come and gone (I'll try to get caught up!), but here we are back in November over Veteran's Day.

We spent 3 nights in Idyllwild - a cute, forested mountain town 2 hours from LA near Palm Springs, where we rented a log house with the Hazlitts and Emmetts. 6 adults and 7 kids. It was mayhem. But fun mayhem as the kids could entertain each other and the grown-ups could talk and play cards (and maybe have a few glasses of wine). When we weren't nestled in the house, we were hiking (strolling?) in the woods where the kids got to see some snow . . .

. . . and horse poop

Snowball fight

Eliza has no problem adopting new parents . . . and beating them with a stick

Girlzzz

Crack kids

Baby transporters

Babies

Mud puddles

That Sunday, we packed up to head home and then decided to stop in Oak Glen for some apple pie. I had hoped to go apple picking but a May frost damaged the crop. Still, we did have pie and then went for a great walk past the orchards, around a pond and through the Oaks collecting acorns. Lovely.

Addie in the corn

Eliza inspected every hole in the wood boardwalk sure there was a spider living in each.

Making a wish

Catching Up

2011-12-22T13:19:00.000-08:00

So . . . Wow. It's been a while. I just noticed I still have Halloween Photos on the side bar.

Much has happened since my last post on Nov. 10. We spent a lovely long weekend with friends in Idyllwild over Veterans Weekend. Cap and I enjoyed a few weeks of Funemployment with Xavier until Cap started his new job with Amazon right after Thanksgiving. I went back to work. I got laryngitis. Thanksgiving happened. We battled Xavier's severe eczema. Xavier started daycare. Xavier turned 4 months. Mit turned 70. Xavier had the stomach flu. We enjoyed Eliza and Addie's holiday recitals at school. I got a gross infection in my nose and was on antibiotics (thank you little sleep and a weakened immune system for that). Xavier had his last day at daycare as he'll be moving to Eliza's school after the holiday, and I have 2 weeks off of work.

I've been home with Addie and Eliza this week and today I have all three kiddos while I pack. Tomorrow we hop on an airplane to spend 10 days with my family in the Chicago-area. I'm excited for all of the extra hands! It's been a hectic, exhausting and emotional winter as we juggle minor illnesses, new schedules and new routines.

And here we are -- all caught up. Just like that.

Bubbles

2011-11-10T09:57:00.001-08:00

There really isn't a story to these photos; they are just cute. The girls were taking a bubble bath together and Addie decided it would be hilarious to fill her mouth with suds. Of course Eliza followed suit. Look how totally, unabashedly, happy Eliza is in that third photo.

We are packing up for our long weekend away in Idyllwild. We've rented a huge log house in the mountains with friends. The last time we were in Idyllwild Eliza was Xavier's age. Rain is in the forecast but I'm looking forward to hanging out, eating, drinking, hiking (if weather permits) and playing with the kids. We are armed with board games and scotch. Can't wait to rev up that fireplace!

For Target

2011-11-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

I got caught up a little in the Missoni for Target craze. You may remember I did the same when Liberty of London came out with their collection for Target a few years back. I love their designer collaborations - total genius. Both times, people lined up before the store opened and the entire collection sold out in a matter of minutes with Missoni taking down an overloaded target.com. I wasn't waiting in line on opening day, but every time I go to target I scour the store for items people have returned and have found a few great items for the girls.

Here Addie is modeling items from both collections (it was her idea to wear the poncho). Boho gypsy haute couture I think. Oh and in these photos she's holding a dead roly poly bug she found in a spider web in case you thought she was getting too precious.

Trick or Treat

2011-11-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

Kapow! Bam! Smooch!

Addie wanted to be be batgirl this year which was perfect since Cap and I could resurrect our same costumes from last year. Hello Bat Family!

On Saturday, we all got dressed up and went to the Halloween block party which we've gone to every year. Addie insisted we go into the haunted house. She loves to be scared. She told me my scary stories weren't scary enough. "More ghosts Mommy!" She freaked about a minute in though and I had to carry her but she made it through unscathed.

On Monday we had a full day of festivities. I volunteered to lead a craft in Addie's class. I made glittered bat magnets with 25 kids at 8 am (on no coffee I might add). The project turned out pretty well and it was fun hanging out with her classmates. Then her whole school had a Halloween parade after an orange themed potluck. Our neighborhood is predominately Jewish and some of the kids in her class don't celebrate Halloween. Addie asked me on Sunday night if she was Jewish. I think she just wanted to know if she would get to go trick or treating. School was out early that day and we went home to rest before Eliza's school parade at 3:30. It wasn't a parade as much as it was two dozen kids in costume milling about the playground or clinging to their parents. Still cute though. This was Eliza's first year trick or treating and boy did she like it. She's a total sweet tooth too and both she and her sister (and their parents!) are still enjoying the spoils of Halloween night.

Check out more photos of our Halloween weekend here.

My black bats. The Dark Knight, Batgirl and Baby Batboy. Addie loved her costume and even wore the mask ALL day at school.

Eliza Batgirl or maybe our rapid bat. This girl is always in motion. I laugh when I see photos of other people's kids standing politely by the front door holding their trick or treating bags. Eliza? Standing still? That would be a good trick.

Here is our best attempt at a family portrait. It perfectly represents the chaos of our lives. If only we had super powers all the time.

20111102

2011-11-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

Palindrome Day!

Also, Xavier's 3 month check up. He's a healthy chap with a cold, dry skin and a large noggin - 90th percentile! Perhaps he will be telepathic like his namesake.

He also entertained us at the doctor's with his giggles. This was the first time we heard him really chuckle - total magic.

3 Months

2011-10-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

I have had "3 month blog post" on my calendar to do list with a note to write and post it today. Guess what. His 3 month birthday was yesterday. How have I already forgotten my son's birth date? It's the 26th, not the 27th. Maybe I get the 7 from July. Who knows. I hope I haven't been filling it our incorrectly on any forms.

So, Xavier turned 3 months yesterday. He has found his voice, cooing to everyone who says hello. "He's talking!" Eliza will say.

He enjoys smiling and looking cute, chirping, sucking on and/or staring at his hands and scratching off his scalp with his razor nails. His poor skin is also so sensitive and dry he feels like a squishy, toy lizard. Still, he's quite adorable. He also rolled over, so far only once, when I put him on his tummy. He scooched his bum up and then gravity took over.

Happy 3 Months, X-man. I can hear you squeaking from the next room. I better go give you a million kisses.

The Pumpkin Patches (yes plural)

2011-10-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

I feel like we've been gearing up for Halloween for so long that I can't believe it's actually Monday. Guess we need to carve our pumpkins this weekend. We've visited no less than two pumpkin patches this year with friends and the girls got to pet goats at both places. Here we are at Underwood Family Farms doing it up - pig races, petting zoo, pony rides, corn maze, hay ride, and a cow barrel ride. The weather was gorgeous this time as it's usually swelteringly hot out in the Valley. Addie loved everything as did Eliza (minus the pony ride which had her in tears). Check out more photos of our day on the Farm here.

Then the next weekend we went closer to home to Mr Bones Pumpkin Patch in West Hollywood. I guess there are usually celebrities there (we apparently missed Christina Aquilera by a day) so they have a corral for paparazzi cordoned off with hay bales. I wish I had a photo of the paparazzi time-out zone. Hilarious. The girls LOVED holding the chickens and we had to do a reprise of the awesome face painting from two years ago. If the first photo was the girls' debut album cover, this is their sophomore release. Check out more photos from Mr Bones here.

The Writing Journal

2011-10-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

As promised, I scanned in Addie's homework journal.

The Official Kindergarten Mug Shot

2011-10-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

We got Addie's kindergarten school photos back. Cute!

Slouchy too which makes me want to redo it on the make-up photo day. I feel that's something the photographer should be watching out for. Will I make her redo it? Probably not. Her teacher also gave us a progress report. She got check marks in the following areas and her teacher wrote in that Addie "is very creative."

- works well independently (thank you Montessori school!)
- is an outstanding student (she must get that from her dad)
- tries to do his/her best work (again, thanks to Cap)
- listens and follows directions well (obedient like her mom)

She had no areas that needs improvement according to the report, which is fabulous of course but I'm wondering if maybe she could be a little more challenged. Every Monday she comes home with her classwork from the previous week, her graded homework she turned in on Friday and a new packet of work due at the end of the week. Addie enjoys doing her homework but it is a breeze for her right now. They spent a week counting from 1-4 and this week it is 6-10. Really? Addie (okay, I suggested it) asked her teacher for harder homework last week but we haven't seen anything come home yet. Maybe we should just let her enjoy her beginning of kindergarten coasting period. She has a very long day spending almost 10 hours at school - longer than I'm at work. Just writing that makes my heart heavy.

She loves any assignment that involves coloring or drawing and can spend 45 minutes on it. We are still trying to work out the right time for Addie to do her homework. If she doesn't finish it in the after school program, she often isn't able to start it until 7 pm when Eliza goes to bed and a second parent is available to help. Eliza has also demanded that she get homework too so we set her next to Addie, if it's early enough, and Eliza will draw on paper.

Here are some of Addie's drawing and writing assignments. They have one a week that they do in the spiral bound journal. I need to start scanning those in since they are her best work - stay tuned for those!

Self portrait from her first day of school. I need a hat and shoes like that.

I found this on the back of one of her worksheets

A sea turtle making a hole for its eggs

I love this one. A tiger and a bear.

Watts Towers

2011-10-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

As I start to panic about my maternity leave ending in a few weeks, I am determined to get out of the house more often leaving behind unwatched episodes of 30 Rock Season 3 and Twin Peaks Season 2.

Wednesday while the girls were in school, we toured the exhibit Beauty Culture at the Annenberg Space for Photography. It made me rethink the vain desire for a tummy tuck, a solution my doctor suggested as the only way I was ever going to get rid of the pulled taffy gut I have. I should rebel against society's vision of beauty and walk around looking 4 months pregnant. When I get asked over the next dozen pre-menopausal years "When are you due?", I will answer, "Yes, a boy in July 2011." Don't worry though. I have neither the cash nor the desire to get chopped up right now.

Yesterday, it was an excursion off the 105 to see Watts Towers, something I've wanted to check out since moving to LA but hadn't ever gotten around to it. It's sort of a one-time, I can check that off my list sort of trip. Today, perhaps some retail therapy and a movie is on the agenda if Xavier cooperates.

The towers tiled in found ceramic objects and broken 7-Up bottles.

And for perspective, here they are plunked down in this residential neighborhood surrounded by a giant fence.

12 Weeks

2011-10-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

Today Prof. X is 12 weeks old. If I hadn't had so many complications with his delivery, I would be heading back to work this week. Not that I'd wish to have so much surgery, but I am happy to have the extra time at home. The thought of being back at work and leaving this little big guy bums me out. I am really digging being home with him and helping out in Addie's kindergarten class as a room parent. I have another month before reality strikes and I go back to work around Thanksgiving. In my modest dream reality, we would live in LA and be able to afford a 4 bedroom house with a yard and a dishwasher. Cap would have an awesome job he loves and sell a screenplay, and I could be at home and volunteer at Addie and Eliza's schools.

Xavier is still a mellow, smiling, happy lad. I just got out his 3-6 months clothes and he has already outgrown his bassinet. Cap and I converted our office space last week, which was probably the breakfast room in the apartment's original floor plan, into a little 63 ft2 room for him. It's in an awkward space between our kitchen and dining room so we couldn't really block it off without some construction and since we rent, that isn't a viable solution. Instead we hung curtains to divide the space, set up a crib, bought him a dresser and kept the mini convertible sofa in there. I got a little DIY crafty and made the window shade thanks to some cool cowboy fabric, a standard window roller shade from Home Depot and some fabric glue. I am having a crib sheet made in this rad bark-print fabric from a shop on Etsy where I had one made for Eliza. I can't wait to get it! I also want to make a mobile but am still brainstorming on a concept. I love hanging out in his little space; it's so calming.

I Ate My Tooth

2011-10-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

Addie lost her first tooth yesterday at school. She swallowed it. But don't ask her about it as she's a little sensitive on the subject.

Her tooth became loose over 2 months ago. So long ago in fact, that we were still a family of four. I was panicked her tooth would fall out while we were in the hospital and that I'd miss this important moment. I remember googling "how long does it take for a tooth to fall out." Apparently, it varies. I immediately ordered this cute pillow from Etsy so I'd be prepared. What I didn't do was manage her expectations for what the tooth fairy would bring. The going rate, at least around here, is $5 for the first tooth and $1 for all subsequent teeth. Plus, some kids get a bonus present with the first tooth. This is what I neglected to plan for or mitigate. Cap went to Walgreens at 10 pm last night to find a special surprise.

Addie wrote a note to the Tooth Fairy and, while there wasn't a tooth to collect in exchange, she woke up with Pokemon cards and $5 under her pillow. She's proud of her new smile which came just in time for school pictures today!

"My tooth fell out today during school. I want a surprise. Thank you. Love, Addie"

Her Tooth Fairy pillow

A sun with a loose tooth.

Soccer Mom

2011-10-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

Sure, I have three kids and drive a minivan, but a soccer mom? As far as I know, Addie has never played with a soccer ball and has to think twice whether its a soccer ball or a basketball. A few months ago she asked, "What's sports?".

While I'm completely lacking in any athletic prowess, unless speed eating is a sport, I do think it is important to cultivate an interest at an early age and then stick with it. I tried a lot of different activities as a kid but never persevered with any one thing long enough to get accomplished it. We have Eliza pegged as our soccer star but Addie's lack of interest in team sports may just be from a lack of introduction. We did, at her request, sign her up for tap class which starts on Thursday and she's still taking swim lessons. Right now she's working on perfecting her side breathing while doing the front crawl. Eliza is almost swimming on her own as her instructor removed her arm floatees last week. She's swimming with just one partially inflated on her leg for a little buoyancy while she gets comfortable. Go Eliza! I'm hoping that Coach Rio at Addie's school will help with team sports. Maybe this spring she'll be begging to play soccer and I'll get to earn The Title.

p.s. don't you love the motion lines Addie drew under my arms?

Toddlers and Tiaras

2011-09-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

Twice in 7 days, Addie has been to a birthday party that involved getting all dolled up like a princess. It's rather freaky in a JonBenet sort of way, but, no surprise, she loved it. Both times she was dressed as Princess Aurora.

Here she is at Disneyland's Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

And at a neighborhood party place that was decorated with your Aunt Mimsy's doilies, dolls and other creepy crocheted relics. In addition to the silk roses glued to the ceiling, there was a talking, taxidermied deer head called Princess Deeriana and a bust of King Elvis. Again, she loved it.

Princess Deeriana. Creepy.

2 Months

2011-09-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

XQP is 2 months today!

As you can see, he has started smiling which makes him just that much more cute! He continues to be a sweet baby and is much adored by his older sisters. Eliza calls him Baby A-vier and insists on holding him first thing in the morning. Addie fawns over him, whispering to him how beautiful he is. She said she loves him so much that she cries sometimes. I overheard her explaining to him that one day he would be old but not to worry because he would be young for a long, long time.

Happy 2 month birthday Xavier!

Our Kindergartener

2011-09-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Addie has been settling into kindergarten quite well. There were no tears - from her or me - on the first day although right as Cap and I left her classroom, I knew she had on her bravest face. After our goodbyes, I couldn't get out of that classroom fast enough. In a stampede for the door, I was pushing and shoving through the other parents with their kids in iron-armed hugs. Move it lady or my daughter is going to start crying! With the exception of one boy from her Montessori school, it is all new faces. We love her teacher Mrs. Carman and Addie was their first Happy Helper in the classroom. She got to sit in the teacher's chair and everyone in the class drew a picture of her and gave it to her in a booklet at the end of the day. I'd like to think she was selected because of her maturity and leadership skills but it could just be Adelaide is the first in her class alphabetically.

We took these photos before we left for school and Addie wouldn't let anyone, even Nana and Pop-Pop watch. It was a private photo shoot. I volunteered to take headshots of her classmates later that afternoon which gave me the opportunity to stop by their classroom again before the end of school. I took pictures of the girls and another mom was in charge of the boys. I can tell who is the chatterbox and who is, what Addie has since identified, the bad kid. I've got my eye on him.

I'm excited to get involved in her school. Beyond being a co-class photographer, I've volunteered to be a Room Parent and am on the Thanksgiving Food Drive organizing committee. I've offered to help prep classwork and signed up to read a book to her class in a few weeks - a luxury I wouldn't be able to do if I wasn't on maternity leave and had Papa Mit available to watch Xavier. Assuming we stay in this school district (a big assumption), I could have a kid in this elementary school for 11 years. I'm ready to take on the school system! (spoken like a true delusional, naive parent of a kindergartener who will have to return to a full time job soon)

Happy Birthday Eliza!

2011-09-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Eliza Wren!

Today we welcome Eliza to the twos, terrible and not. Saturday we celebrated with a birthday party in our backyard with family and 4 of her pals from Montessori school. It's amazing that with only 4 kids on the invite list, we had a total of 21 people when you include siblings and parents. It definitely felt like a party. With Eliza being the bouncy little gal that she is, we had a bounce house, bubble machine, punch balloons and balls of all sizes to play with in the yard as well as a polka dot ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins (thanks Nana and Pop Pop!). Eliza was in heaven.

This morning we presented her with a balance bike which is a tiny bit too big but she had me zooming down the hallway with her on it anyway. Tonight, Addie and I are going to make cupcakes and sing Happy Birthday on last time.

You can see more pictures from her bouncy bash here.

First Haircut

2011-09-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

Bangs and a bob.

Addie's first haircut was around her second birthday and we thought it was about time to do the same for Miss Eliza. She was not happy about getting her hair trimmed but after crying for a bit eventually resigned herself to the scissors. I think she looks rather cute - too bad she also wasn't in the mood for getting her photo taken either.

This expression is so Eliza. It's her mad face when she doesn't like something. When I showed her this picture, she made the same face.

First Bath

2011-09-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

Five weeks old and we finally give the dirty little dude a bath. The girls both oversaw the cleaning of their brother which lasted long enough to rapidly shampoo and rinse his head as the water drained out of the sink. We need to find a secondary drain stop.

Eliza also had her first hair cut and Addie starts her first day of Kindergarten tomorrow. A week of firsts!

1 Month

2011-08-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

Happy 1 Month Birthday XQP!

Xavier is a pretty mellow baby - thank goodness! With three kiddos and me recovering from surgery, not to mention just being really sleepy, I'm oh so thankful for his laid back demeanor. I'm also thankful for Gran and GranJanne's visits and excited for my sister's arrival this week and Nana and Pop Pop's visit the following week. Xavier eats and sleeps like a champ for the most part and is rarely cranky unless he's hungry, at least he has been. As Cap said yesterday, Xavier is coming out if his newborn stupor and with this new alertness we expect increased fussiness. Growing up is tough.

I swear he has also started to smile at me showing off his dimples which are usually hidden in his chubby, yummy cheeks. "He is super duper cute!" exclaimed Addie. She and Eliza adore him and often fight over who gets to hold him in the morning. This seems sweet except it's 6:15 am and Cap and I are exhausted and pretending we can get a few more minutes of shut eye in bed. When feeding, Xavier makes these purring inhalation noises which Eliza imitates, hhmmmm, hhmmmm, hhmmm. His eyes are turning blue too like his sisters and he has soft, fuzzy ears. Adorable.

I Heart You

2011-08-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

Xavier is a strong baby -- and a big one! He is almost 12 pounds now putting him in the 90th percentile for weight and, at 22 inches, 75th for height.

While he's a healthy boy in general, Xavier was born with a slight heart murmur. The cardiologist at the hospital told us if you are going to have a complication, this is a good one to have as it will probably close up on it's own. Of course we worry anyway.

This week we visited Xavier's cardiologist again. X was an excellent patient and slept through the tests. The doctor couldn't hear the murmur anymore through the stethoscope but the echocardiogram showed a 3mm gap between his left and right ventricle. She was pleased with what she saw though and assured us that it would almost definitely close up on it's own and she didn't anticipate any complications. Phew! We'll be back close to Xavier's first birthday for a follow up.

We sure love this little guy with all our heart.

23 Months

2011-08-12T16:10:00.000-07:00

Why walk when you can run? Eliza always seems to be moving in fast forward. Her energy is boundless as is her affection. Eliza is intelligent, curious, affectionate, energetic and sensitive. Since returning from the hospital, Eliza will run up to me and pause, point at my tummy and say "Owie?" My Mom, who Eliza calls Dan instead of Gran, can't believe she's only turning 2 next month, not 3.

Gran heads back home tomorrow after 2 weeks of helping out with the girls, Xavier and me. We are all going to miss her immensely, especially Addie who is going to miss baking with her. We are excited for GranJanne coming on Sunday followed by my sister in late August and Pop Pop and Nana over Labor Day week. And we are all super duper excited that Papa Mit is moving from Pasadena to our neighborhood right across the street! Oh how we have plans for you Papa Mit!

Four Food Groups

2011-08-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

Addie has been learning about the four food groups at school and brought this assignment home to finish. In the margins of the worksheet there were drawings of various foods, some of which she copied but many she drew from her imagination.

Can you find the cheese stick, artichoke, carrot still in the dirt with various bugs, ham sandwich, and the yogurt with spoon?

Our Family

2011-08-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

Addie, spelling everything herself phonetically, wrote this at school when we were still in the hospital. Papa Mit and Gran were staying with the girls and got high billings here.

2 weeks

2011-08-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

Xavier is two weeks old today. Hooray!

He's really such a sweet baby, totally mellow, and of course we think he's completely adorable too. We have been working on day/night reversal walking him up every two hours during the day with the hopes of getting 3-4 hours of continuous sleep at night. Last night was rather successful. His umbilical nubbin fell off so we are enjoying dressing him in his enormous collection of 0-3 month onesies with the anticipation that he may not fit in them much longer. He's already outgrown his newborn diapers which he never really fit in anyways. He's our big boy!

Happy two weeks X! We love you!

Adjusting

2011-08-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

All in all, the girls are handling the arrival of their little brother rather well. Both love to hug and kiss him and pet his head which Addie has declared "as soft as a chinchilla." While the girls were great when we were in the hospital, they definitely want to keep their parents in site now that we are home, especially their Daddy as Mommy is somewhat of an invalid. Eliza insists on being carried by Cap everywhere he goes and wails when he goes outside even for a moment. Cap has been Super Daddy though spending as much time with them as possible including taking them for a spin on the back of his bike - a first for Eliza. She loved it. It's been an odd summer with my being enormously pregnant for the first half and then housebound for the second. It hasn't really felt like summer. Then again, maybe it's always summer in LA. I can't believe Back to School clothes are already on the shelves in stores and that Addie will be starting kindergarten in a month.

My mom is still here with us for this week - thank goodness as she's been an immense help! She, Addie and Eliza are all bunking together, Addie enjoying the inflatable mattress. We've already kicked Xavier out of our room. He's shacked up in his bassinet in the office at night. Life in a two bedroom apartment!

Welcome Xavier!

2011-08-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome Xavier!

Born July 26, 2011 at 7:44 in the morning
9 lbs 12 oz
21 inches

We are crazy in love with our little boy!

D-Day

2011-07-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today is my due date. I'm 40 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby boy that may - or may not - weigh 11 lbs.

This has been some week. It started out with the stomach flu on Sunday night and contractions that made me pray I wouldn't go into labor under these circumstances. Thankfully Thor stayed in and I was feeling fully recovered by Tuesday when I painted our office with the thought that maybe we could make this the nursery. Then on Thursday I got rear ended driving to buy a baby album which resulted in my being completely hysterical after the accident, getting my blood pressure taken by an extraordinarily handsome fireman, minor damage to my car (the other guy's car was totaled), and a full fetal diagnostic at my doctor's office and then the hospital. Baby and Mommy are both doing fine and the nurse gave me some of that post-partum fruit juice nectar with the crushed ice that I remember so fondly.

While getting Thor checked out, I learned from the ultrasound that he is measuring 10 lbs 12 oz already. My doctor strongly recommended that we schedule a c-section to avoid any possible risk of shoulder dystocia associated with delivering a big baby which could result in paralysis of his arm. Tuesday is the Big Day. This was a tough decision as people have big babies all the time that pop out healthy and the ultrasounds notoriously overestimate the size, but this is a decision between my doctor and myself in the interest of bringing my healthy baby boy into the world. I don't much care for risk. After much worrying and deliberation, I found the many stories and words of encouragement from other c-section mamas to put my heart and mind at ease. Now, what I'm most anxious about is no longer the surgery or the recovery but being away from my two little girls for 4 nights. Cap's dad is taking on the monumental and saintly task of watching both girls while I'm in the hospital before my Mom comes on Friday night and I get released on Saturday.

Unless I go into labor before, we'll be celebrating the birth of our baby boy on July 26. Til Tuesday . . .

Pre-Baby Maternity Leave

2011-07-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

With Addie I worked past my due date. With Eliza I took a week off and then she came 6 days late. With this guy, I promised myself I would try to take more time to relax and get ready. With two wild little girls I need this. Of course I don't know when the big guy is going to make his debut, but the plan is to take 3 weeks off before my due date.

While on pre-baby maternity leave, I was expecting more time lounging around the house in my pjs watching daytime TV but that hasn't been the case - yet. I guess that's for when the baby is here and I'm a slave to a milk sucking podling. Instead, I've been busy checking things off my To Do List, going to the doctor and, yes, seeing a lot of movies in the theater. This has been a priority. I've seen 6 movies, the last one being Super 8 where I was the only person in the entire theater. I've been loving the time to myself.

I've taken the girls out of the aftercare program at school so I pick them up at 3 and pretend I'm a stay at home mom for a few hours. Also within the two weeks I've been off, Addie was home sick from school one day last week and then Eliza today (no movies for me). Maternity leave isn't reality though as no one expects me to "keep house." If this was my job, going to the movies every day probably wouldn't fly. Right now, I'm carrying a gigantic baby (more on that below) and can barely walk across the house without needing to sit down so if I want to go to the movies, I go to the movies.

One of the activities we've done at home is painting Mommy. We bust out the face paint and I let the girls use me as a canvas. It's win-win. I get to sit down for a while and they can exercise their creativity. In this belly masterpiece, there are two flowers and a girl with long, long white and silver hair that circles my stomach.

So about this big baby. Today my doctor gave the baby a label - macrosomia - perhaps a term you have heard used in the news lately in regards to a particular record-breaking behemoth of a baby born in Texas. Am I freaking out that I'm going to have a 16 pounder? No, but there are certainly health risks involved if the baby is larger than normal. My doc said he thought everything would be fine and I'd have a normal delivery but he did warn me that if there is any concern, he would do a c-section. I'm going in for another ultrasound next week where we'll know more. He told me some horror story about a baby getting stuck and it's shoulder becoming dislocated resulting in paralysis of that arm. No thank you! I want the baby out in whatever manner ensures his health and safety, and mine. My doc also thought the baby wouldn't come early. Looks like I might get another week of movie going.

22 months

2011-07-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

While baby brother hasn't emerged yet, this is the age that Eliza will become a Big Sister - 22 months.

Eliza continues to grow into a joyous and confident toddler. She talks so much more often now, although I think only her teachers and family get to hear it. Right now, she should have been asleep an hour ago, but she's alternating between singing and shouting Happy Birthday from her crib. Other favorite songs include ABC and Patty-Cake. She wants to do everything her big sister does, and we are hoping this will mean getting potty trained early. I'm not holding my breath.

She has taken a fondess to the baby doll, which Addie named Freddie when she was 2. Eliza changes Freddie's diaper, gives her a bottle and races her around the house in the stroller. I'm hoping she'll be as caring to her little brother because she is going to be in for a big surprise! Currently, I think she believes that my belly button (which she calls a belly butt) is named Baby Brother.

Happy Fourth!

2011-07-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend it really started to feel like summer. We swam, played in the backyard, hung out with friends and ate cupcakes. Let me tell you, floating in a pool at 37 weeks is a treat.

I miss fireworks, something I've found ellusive in LA, but otherwise it was a fine holiday weekend. Ironically Addie insisted on having a tea party on Independence Day.

I'm also grateful that Cap decided not to attend his 20th high school reunion in Oregon this weekend as we all rely so much on his help and support as baby Thor makes it harder and harder for me to get around. I went to my doctor today and was told that Thor decided to flip around and is now feet first - not good. I'm pretty sure he did that yesterday as I felt like a bobcat had been trapped in my gut. I go back for an ultrasound on Thursday and am hoping he'll decide to rotate on his own again before I go into labor.

We stuck the slide in the splash pool in our backyard.

And I wonder why we keep finding leaks. Eliza insisted on wearing her sister's swim cap in our yard.

Thor

2011-06-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

The baby is measuring 7 lbs 6 ozs right now.
This is the size of 50% of all newborns.
I'm 35 weeks along.
Will the baby come early?
Probably not.
That means I'll have a 9 lbs baby.

The weight predictions are often off but since Addie was 7 lbs 12 oz and Eliza a chubby 8 lbs 8 oz, I'd say that 9 lbs might even be a low estimate. The good news is of course that he's totally healthy.

I have 5 days left of work before maternity leave begins. I plan on reading, napping, going to the movies, sorting boy clothes, sorting girl clothes to give away and maybe I'll actually crack open and fill out Eliza's currently blank baby album before her baby brother arrives. Once he arrives, it's just breastfeeding, diaper changing and napping.

I'm also taking the girls out of the extended day program so I'll be picking them up at 2:30 instead of after work. I'm wondering if I'm crazy for doing this during a time when getting up off the floor is an 8 step preparation for me and fatigue is the name of my game. Add a newborn into that picture and I'm trying to imagine life at home with just me and my brood.

I know these ultrasounds are almost impossible to decipher. The top is of baby Thor in profile and the bottom is a face shot with his cherry nose and kissable lips. We watched him smacking those lips. He was probably enjoying his root beer flavored amniotic fluid. I can't get enough root beer these days.

Little Me

2011-06-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of me back in 1975 looking, I think, pretty much like Eliza. I'm her age in the picture. Notice the bells on my white shoes.

This photo was taken on my first day of school in Tokyo, 4 months shy of my 5th birthday. There is something in my expression that reminds me of Addie.

I wonder who little brother will look like - hopefully like his handsome Daddy. One more month (plus 6 days if he decides to follow the trend of his sisters).

21.5 months

2011-06-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

During the last month we started Eliza in swim lessons. She spent the first 4 lessons crying "Mommy!" at the top of her lungs for 20 minutes while we hid behind a one-way glass window. After almost giving up, last Saturday we had a break-through. No tears after the first 10 minutes. Thank goodness! We started Addie when she was 3 years old. She was afraid of the water and clung to James, her instructor. He still reminds us of him getting clawed and beaten by Addie. Eliza at 21 months happily bobs around in her arm floatees but was not at all interested in hanging out with James. Different ages, different kids.

Eliza is also mastering two word commands her favorite being "Sit down!" where she then emphatically points to the floor expecting us to sit and read her books or play with her toys. There is also "this way!" pointing to where to she wants us to go with her and most recently "My turn!" as she learns to share with Addie.

And I really need to get this on video but she's started to sing. She yodels "Happy Birthday" incessently and sometimes her own version of the Alphabet song. Very cute.

She cracks me up all the time but also has the power to push my buttons when she refuses to get into her car seat or thwacks me over the head with a wooden spinning top. What can I say. She's a toddler.

Last Day of School

2011-06-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Friday was the girl's last day of school for the year. They were both back on Monday though for the summer session so our routine hasn't changed. Nonetheless, the day marked the ceremonial end of Addie's pre-school career. Addie's friends will all be attending different schools in the fall and some will be with her a little longer this summer.

We attended their Spring Recital where Addie sang out from the back row (no tears this year!) while Eliza stood motionless and expressionless for the duration of her recital - similar to her Christmas performance. Maybe Eliza thought the parents were the show and she was the audience.

School Pictures

2011-06-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

What is there even to say? School photos crack me up. I get them dressed, make sure they have a clean face but after that, anything can happen. It's sort of the fun of school photos. Last year we were out of town for photo day so I'm super excited the girls made it into their classroom group photos this year. I think these were taken way back in March.

Today was the last official day of school before the summer session starts. We love their Montessori school which goes up to Grade 5, but with our growing family Addie will be making the transition to our neighborhood public school for kindergarten. It's pretty highly ranked (thank goodness!) and I finally turned in the enrollment forms. Eliza will continue at Montessori for at least three more years if not four since she'll just miss the cut-off for kindergarten by 12 days with her September birthday. And then Baby Brother will be starting in the Winter.

On Monday we had their end-of-year parent/teacher conferences. Here is what their teachers had to say. Addie is one of the oldest in her mixed-age classroom and Eliza is one of the youngest. I think Addie is an introvert like her Mom and Eliza is the extrovert. Addie loves art and told me she wanted to grow up to be an artist and a builder. Eliza is completely fearless and confident and both girls have a great sense of humor. We're pretty darn proud of our little girls.

Dirty little Addie feet

2011-06-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

I'm the worst with videos. I rarely take them and when I do they are neglected either left on the device or downloaded into video obscurity on our computer. I haven't a clue how to edit them either.

I found this from a couple of months ago. I like that it shows the fickleness of a toddlers moods.

The Campout

2011-06-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Cap and Addie decided they wanted to try some backyard camping. Cap busted out our tent which we bought in 1996 when we spent the summer after graduating from college back country camping around several national parks. We were 23. We are not 23 anymore.

This was Addie's first time sleeping in a tent. After Eliza went to sleep at 7, the two of them changed into PJs, gathered up their pillows, a flashlight and the ipad and headed out the tent to watch Barbie: A Fairy Secret snuggled in their sleeping bags. Addie was so excited I could hear her yakking away until close to 9. Addie finally fell asleep and was woken up the next morning at 6 am by Eliza and I who were peaking at the campers from our bedroom window. Guess we weren't being very stealthy. Addie had such a fun time she announced that sleeping in her regular bed gave her a stomach ache and she needed to sleep outside in the tent.

Maybe one day we'll all go camping as a family. I'm not quite ready to try it with Eliza and the little guy. When we do though we'll need a bigger tent. A much bigger tent. Actually I really want to rent an RV once in my life. It's on my 40 under 40 list I'm mentally compiling -- 40 things I want to do before I'm 40. Any suggestions?

31 weeks

2011-05-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

Today I'm 32 weeks. Baby is the size of a jicama, my stomach a watermelon. In these photos I'm 31 weeks. I've moved into the third trimester, don't have gestational diabetes after passing the second screening with such flying colors that my doctor said I could have as much cake as I wanted, and can no longer run after Eliza which is sort of a problem since she enjoys trying to escape down the sidewalk or into the school parking lot.

We're spending our Memorial Day weekend close to home with plenty of friends and playdates scheduled. Hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend!

The Classroom Birthday Celebration

2011-05-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

For the first time, Cap and I had the opportunity to witness the birthday celebration in Addie's classroom, sneaking away from our own offices in the middle of the afternoon. Addie as the birthday girl was the earth. Ms. Amy, her teacher, lights a candle representing the sun. For each year of her life, a new candle was lit as Addie walked around the sun and the kids sing a song about the earth going around the sun. Very cute. Afterwards, Addie handed out fruit popsicles to her classmates. She was the last one to get one but the first one finished. So much like her parents!

The Big 5

2011-05-24T06:01:00.000-07:00

Adelaide is FIVE today!

Recently she's been telling people she's four and a half and three fourths. She's so excited to be five and knows everyone in her class who has already had their fifth birthday. Usually I have to bribe her with candy to get her to take a photo but when I told her she cold paint her hand, she was game. She totally got into these photos and did her own poses. This one she called the peacock.

We celebrated Addie's fifth birthday on Saturday with a party in our backyard for 12 friends. We ate pizza, made ice cream sundaes and then after sunset we cozied up under blankets on the grass to eat popcorn, drink chocolate milk and watch Tangled on the big screen. Perfect.

Earlier that day we had her swim lesson as usual (and Eliza's first lesson but more on that another time). Addie got the Swim School Birthday Treatment which she tried to hide from underwater but James, her instructor, wouldn't let her get away so easily.

Happy Birthday Adelaide! I love you!

20 Months

2011-05-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

20 months. Over the last month Eliza has really jump made a giant leap towards being two. When she feeds herself it's now more likely to end up in her mouth than on the floor which is appreciated by us and the rug. Two word phrases are becoming the norm like Poo-poo Ew, Bath hot, Daddy's shoe. She's left-handed, can hop and run like the wind, and boy oh boy does she want to do everything her big sister does.

This also means refusing to sit in her booster seat for meals. We used to let Addie eat at the coffee table but for the sake of our rug (and because it's just a terrible habit) both girls now eat at the dining room table. So grown up!

Saturday Eliza starts swim lessons and will join in the after swim routine of a trip to the donut shop. Whatever Addie gets Eliza wants. Eliza also seems to have much more of a sweet tooth than Addie. Addie doesn't really like most desserts. She's not interested in cakes, cookies, pies or pastries. Candy? Now we're talking. Eliza loves chocolate ice cream and can wolf down a cupcake like a champ. And everyone likes chocolate donuts.

Mother's Day

2011-05-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

I hope all the Mothers in my life had a lovely day. Now I know how much we deserve it!

My day started with Cap getting up with Eliza letting me sleep in. Only problem is that my body doesn't like that plan anymore. I'm lucky if I can sleep past 6:15. Once something wakes me up (usually Eliza) I can't go back to sleep. Still, lying in bed is a luxury so I did that until Addie wished me an exuberant Happy Mother's Day.

Cap took Eliza with him to get delicious bagels which I devoured toasted with butter and cream cheese. I used to eat them that way when I was in elementary school in New York and, I must say, it's darn good if not highly caloric. We spent the morning at home and the girls gave me their hand-made presents - carrot seeds in a decorated pot from Addie and a picture frame from Eliza. I opened cards from my family and Cap gave me a subscription to Sunset magazine and an enormous bouquet of gorgeous flowers.

I got to nap too - another luxury. Then Addie and I made chocolate cupcakes and we all headed out with a picnic lunch to Roxbury Park for the afternoon. Eliza got stung by a bee and was a total trooper. The good news is that she isn't allergic. After the park it was bubble bath time for two very dirty, sandy girls and take-out for dinner.

Thanks to my family for treating me like a Queen for a day. Next year though I wouldn't say no to a full day at the spa all by myself.

My loveys

The Buff-flies

2011-05-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

We adopted two caterpillars again this year - Apple and Strawberry. Here are they are in their caterpillar stage about 2 weeks ago. I thought they'd like the colorful Clinique bonus gift bag as a backdrop. Strawberry, who was Addie's, emerged from her chrysalis first on Saturday followed by Apple the next day. Fearing what would happen after too long in captivity, we released them from their shoebox bungalow this morning before I left for work. Neither flew away so after a while of watching them just chill, we left the box and the buff-flies (as Eliza calls them) to their own devices. Tonight Addie inspected the box to make sure they had flown away. She discovered that Strawberry had left part of his caterpillar self behind when he made a chrysalis. "My caterpillar left his head!" I told her it was probably his bum since they hang upside down which she thought was pretty funny. "My caterpillar's bum fell off!"

Big

2011-04-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

This photo is pretty dorky but I haven't taken any of me with the giant belly.

I started to write this post at week 20 but here I am at week 27 and the above photo is week 26. My belly was gigantic at 20 weeks. It's enormous at 27. A woman at the post office asked me if I was having twins. And the cashier at Target: "You're due in July? Me too. You are way bigger than me." Too true, too true. From Chipotle: "You are the tiniest pregnant lady!" Wow, that's a change in comments. "When is the baby due?" Uh not until July. "Oh. You have a loooong way to go." So, strike the tiniest part I guess. One advantage of the baby being cantilevered over my feet is that he isn't squashing my diaphragm or kicking my ribs. The bright side, right?

A few months ago, Addie said my stomach was going to get so big it was going to explode and then I would die. Poor girl started to cry and said she wished she had never thought that and now she was sad. I reassured her that my stomach was not going to explode and that the doctor said the baby was healthy.

Addie is definitely playing the responsible Big Sister role. She has told both Cap and I separately that the new baby is "going to be a lot of hard work. Mommy has to watch the baby and Daddy has to watch Eliza." I told her we would all take care of Addie too and still play lots of fun games, do projects together and read books. We are a family and we can help each other out. That's what families do.

Easter!

2011-04-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

By 8:30 this morning, the girls had followed the jelly bean trail from their room to their Easter baskets, consumed copious amounts of sugar and chocolate, ate a real breakfast, gotten dressed in matching floral ensembles and hunted down a dozen or so eggs in the backyard.

At that point Addie wasn't much interested in sitting for a sisterly portrait.

The girls had Good Friday off from school so I took the day off and celebrated with 3 vaccinations for Miss Eliza followed by ice cream. That afternoon, Cap got off work early too and Addie's friend Rya and her family came over to dye eggs.

This was Eliza's first time to get in on the action. She successfully colored 5 eggs and 2 hands.

Once she figured out you could eat chocolate bunnies, she was totally on board.

Addie plays the bunny. Saturday she told me that at her swim lesson James was teaching her the backstroke. It's a secret though and I was only supposed to tell the Easter Bunny because he can keep a secret. He IS a secret she said. Obviously Mommy can't.

Jelly bean score during the egg hunt. She was content to find one egg and when pressed to find a second, this time a real one, she preceded to crack the egg and eat it right there.

Multi-tasking. Egg hunting, chocolate bunny eating and you may notice a roly-poly bug on her right thumb which she escorted around the yard.

And Easter just wouldn't be the same without the Easter Slug. The only difference this year is that it's not a snug. I miss snugs.

Is that scary?

2011-04-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

Addie goes goth warrior, and little Eliza is not so sure she likes the transformation.

19 Months

2011-04-12T19:58:00.001-07:00

She loves the water. She drinks stagnant water from puddles, bird baths and even from the petting zoo animals' water dish. Obviously totally disgusting. She loves playing with the water in the sink and her pink watering can. She loves bath time and seems perfectly content lounging on her belly and blowing bubbles.

We've started to take Eliza to the pool during Addie's Saturday morning swim lessons. With arm floaties on, she bobs around in the shallow end watching the other kids in their lessons. Cap usually gets in with her because I look like a lopsided buoy in a bathing suit, but with Cap out of town last weekend (Seattle) and again starting tomorrow (Rio!), I'll be on full time kid duty which will mean pool time too. I think she's just about ready for swim lessons of her own.

Happy 19 month birthday little fuzz head. Kisses!

Spring Caterpillar

2011-04-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

Addie told me she made the antennae into a heart because she loves Eliza.

Oh No! Watch Out!

2011-03-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

Addie's class at school is studying volcanoes, and she drew this picture of lava erupting and a girl in her house shouting, "Oh No! Watch Out!"

Addie is learning to spell phonetically which is pretty cool. What I love the most though is the burst of confidence it has given her. In the past when she wanted to write something, she'd have us tell her each letter and she'd write it or we'd write it out and she'd copy it. Now she adds captions to her drawings without consulting anyone. The learning process reminds me how completely ridiculous the English language is to read and write!

Tucson: Botanical Garden

2011-03-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

Our last adventure in Tucson was a trip to the Botanical Garden with Nana and Pop Pop to visit the butterfly house. I took waaaay too many photographs of butterflies. Addie also visited the carnivorous plant exhibit where she drew a picture of a plant that eats lollipops.

Nana had a stowaway. Can you believe this is the same butterfly with the blue wings as the one in the photo above?

I definitely want to get the girls a sandbox. Eliza was so content.

That's it for our Tucson trip. Already feels like a million years ago.

Tucson: The Desert Museum

2011-03-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

No trip to Tucson would be complete without a visit to the Desert Museum in Saguaro National Park West.

Dad power

Big horn sheep

The look out

Eliza saw not one but two owls that day. A favorite bird - and word for her.

Addie petting a snake

Addie claims that the dinosaur dig is everyone's favorite part.

Sleeping Eliza

Tucson: Tohono Chul with Nana and Pop Pop

2011-03-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

By Thursday, Nana and Pop Pop had arrived from cold Michigan. Nanci and I spent the morning getting massages and manicures at the spa before meeting up with the Big Boys and the Little Girls for lunch and trip to Tohono Chul park - a first for us. The outing was cut a little short after Addie stepped in the stream soaking her shoes and got a cactus needle stuck into her thigh.

The baby carrier arrived in the mail and Pop Pop gave it try.

Addie reading the map. She insisted we all walk behind her.

By the end, Cap was carrying two cranky girls on his back.

Tucson: The Zoo

2011-03-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

GranJanne lives down the street from the Reid Park Zoo - a perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Addie's favorite part was the peacocks who roam about and hang out in trees.

Sisters in a log.

Play time.

Tucson: The Desert Of Course

2011-03-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

And of course, there is the desert that I love.

At Saguaro National Park East, we learned quickly that alternately keeping Eliza away from the cacti and carrying her was enough to get me onto Amazon that night and order a backpack baby carrier.

Plus, hiking takes a lot longer when Eliza stops to investigate the gravel. Eliza called all the cacti "ouch!"

Lizard hunting

Addie and the biggest, oldest Saguaro we could find

Tucson: The Children's Museum

2011-03-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

How did I not know that Tucson had a children's museum? It was the perfect place to let the girls run wild and escape the drizzle outside.

Eliza practicing being the Big Sister in the play doctor's office.

Tucson Time

2011-03-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

In my usual behind the times fashion these days, I'm finally posting photos of our relaxing trip to Tucson during President's day week. We stayed at GranJanne's lovely new house, lounged around, ate take-out and went on some sort of adventure each day between Eliza's naps. Addie loved helping feed the mourning doves in GranJanne's back yard which involved lots of spinning and showering of bird seed in all directions.

This is Eliza's favorite perch, watching the birds and dogs from her window spot.

Eliza was also fond of the bird bath where she would lick the water off of her hand. Gross.

I'd love to come back in the spring when the desert is blooming. Maybe next year!

We miss you GranJanne!

(I'll be posting photos of our Tucson adventures and fun with Nana and Pop Pop soon!)

Face Painting

2011-03-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

I bought a face painting kit several weeks ago. Addie painted a colorful sleeve on both arms and then I painted a caterpillar and wrote her name on her cheek. Her other cheek has her friend Danika's name on it even though Danika wasn't even over at our house that day.

Danika did come over recently, however, for a playdate and brought her little brother Kieran along. Eliza and Kieran are in the same toddler class. How cute are the two of them together. It's officially Eliza's first playdate.

One and a Half

2011-03-12T19:10:00.000-08:00

18 months today!

Eliza is all energy and curiosity. She's figured out how to pull the step stool up the bathroom sink and turn on the water. She can be found standing on a chair, the coffee table or trying to scale the dining room table. She opens the caps to all our pens and markers and threatens to fall off our bed at every twirl. No is a favorite word and is the answer to all questions. Did you have a good day at school? No. Are you hungry? No. Is your name Eliza? No. When she doesn't get what she wants she screams and throws herself on the floor. We call her Tyrannobaby and Baby Menace.

Still she can be sweet as tapioca pudding, bringing you an animal book to read and sitting herself down quietly in front of you or on your lap. Her vocabulary has doubled at least in the past month and mainly consists of animal words. She's switched from calling me Mama to Mommy which is what greets us at 6:15 am in the morning from the next room over. She has moved out of the infant room at school into the toddler room where she sleeps on a mat and baby bottles are banned. She refuses to use a sippy cup but I'm hoping with persistence that will change. Her smile transforms her face. She adores Addie. She's confident and loving. She has no idea her life is going to change in July when her baby brother is born.

Happy year and a half Eliza Wren! You make me laugh and I love you.

Snickerdoodles

2011-03-06T19:01:00.001-08:00

I plan on giving up sugar again for lent this year so in preparation I'm devouring it now. Addie and I made snickerdoodles as a birthday gift for a friend today. These are great cookies to make with kids because they are very tactile. Addie helped make the dough, roll it into balls and then dredge them in cinnamon sugar. A bowl of cinnamon sugar was a standard on our kitchen counter when I was growing up. There is nothing quite as comforting as eating cinnamon toast curled up on the sofa.

The birthday girl is a lovely, single gal in her early thirties and the party guests were more her demographic. I think the last time I was at her place was two years ago and I was pregnant with Eliza. There was another mom with her two year old in tow, otherwise we were the only family and with our two kids and a third on the way I felt a little like we had rolled in from the farm. We lasted thirty minutes before Eliza terrorized her cat, the girls fought over a toy pony, Eliza ran off with the entire hunk of smoked gouda and left a trail of crackers in her wake like Gretel.

I'm wondering if the homemade cookies, instead of a bottle of wine, might have been a little too June Cleaver of me.

It's a Boy!

2011-03-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

Really, I'm shocked. Ecstatic too.

Addie was right as she was with Eliza. I'll spare everyone the boy parts ultrasound photos but we are 100% sure that baby #3 is a boy. And, he looks totally healthy which is the best news.

Addie really wanted to come with us to the doctor's but woke up this morning feeling sick. Poor girl barfed on the way to the appointment (poor Cap's car too) but smiled when she found out she was right. She is going to have the baby brother she had instructed my belly to produce when she yelled at it, "Hey baby. Turn into a boy!" She can be rather bossy.

So long staycation

2011-02-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

You may recall, or maybe that was on facebook, that I was complaining about spending Christmas break at home for 11 days. By day 6 I was done and ready to book a last minute, red-eye to New York. I completely climb the walls and panic that I'm wasting precious time off from work.

When MLK weekend came around, I was adamant that we would go out of town. Both Cap and I had the day off and the girls' school was closed. I looked at San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ojai before settling on Palm Springs where the pools are heated and we had an unseasonal high of 80. After searching through several three star options, I said screw it; I want a hotel that has it all. We booked three nights at the Hyatt Grand Champions in Indian Wells after getting the second night half off. We had a huge room and there were 6 pools, a hot tub, a water slide and pool side beverages on demand.

I love the desert and I love Palm Springs. It was perfect.

It's another three day weekend but we're taking the whole week! We flew off to Tucson on the 19th for our annual trip to visit GranJanne and see her new house. Pop Pop and Nana will also be there for their annual desert sojourn. Mmm. Love that desert air.

Palm Springs Photos:

Addie feeding a giraffe at the Living Desert zoo.

Addie riding a camel for the first time. This zoo seriously rocks.

Grooming a goat. When I think about how many times our city kids have combed goats, I have to laugh.

Sheep gazing

Addie and Cap on the water slide

Eliza and Cap on the water slide.

Taking a break from swimming to have some water and watch a movie on my phone.

Finally trying an infamous date milk shake from Shields. Delicious. Eliza liked it too.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T19:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our day started with Addie serenading us in bed with a Valentine song and ended with sharing strawberries and chocolates with the girls while opening Valentines galore from classmates and family.

A Valentine message from Addie as she told us over the weekend: "I am the Queen of Love!"

17 months

2011-02-13T07:35:00.000-08:00

Miss Eliza Wren is creeping up against half a year, celebrating her 17 month birthday yesterday. She continues to grow into a feisty, exuberant little girl. She's running around, climbing up on everything, playing peek-a-boo, and taking her shoes and socks off. Exhausting! Favorite words include uh-oh, nose, shoe, more and making animal sounds. When she hears or sees a bird she says, "Caw, Caw" and a dog is breathy "woof woof". She'll only read books about animals and prefers to be outside rather than in. We frequently have to rush to Addie's aid after Eliza has tackled her and grabbed fistfuls of hair. I think Eliza might enjoy a toddler tumbling class! While scrappy, she's also very loving. She greets all the grown-ups at school with hugs whether they are teachers or parents and if you say, "Eliza, can I get a hug?" she'll rush up, wrap her arms around you and lay her head on your shoulder. Total cuddle bug but watch out, she bites.

Since I missed her 16 month post due to a pregnancy induced hibernation, here is a photo of her from a month ago.

Stuffed Animals

2011-02-04T06:18:00.001-08:00

This is going back to Christmas when my Mom was visiting when we were most excellent LA tourists making the rounds to the local cultural institutions. This is our second visit to The Natural History Museum and I forget what a great place it is for kids. Both Addie and Eliza loved it and because it's not crowded they could run around in the giant halls. Plus they have a gorgeous, light-filled discovery room and the T-rex show is amazing - and scary!

Eliza knows her animals by sound so here is her looking at a "Rawr!"

The Official Announcement

2011-02-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

My blog has been neglected for two months as I've been in bed around 8:00 after the girls are asleep. There isn't much time for anything other than getting ready for work, work, and then getting the girls picked up from school, fed and in bed before I crash myself. And here is my official excuse.

I'm having a baby!

Yes, baby #3 is on the way. I'm 16 weeks along, due at the end of July. After getting over the shock, I am really quite excited. Sure it will mean the massive expense of a new car and eventually a new place to live, but it will also mean a new little person to love. I can't believe Eliza is going to be a big sister as she's still a baby in my eyes at 16 months.

Addie is very excited and while she said she wanted a baby brother, she understand that you get what you get, and you don't get upset - a maxim taught to her by her God-sibs in Colorado. A few weeks ago she put her face up to my belly and yelled, "Hey baby! Turn into a boy!" If I was going to bet though, I'd put my money on a little girl. We don't find out for a few more weeks but that hasn't stopped me from compiling lists of girl and boy names.

My apologizes for the neglected blog, but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

16 weeks in 2009 with Eliza. Looking rather similar these days. Now, if only I could find where I stored my maternity clothes . . .

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-01-27T19:46:00.001-08:00

Gee, it has been a while!

On Tuesday, I celebrated my 37th birthday. Can't believe it really. Addie made me this lovely card. It's the most I've seen her write using lowercase letters which is exciting. The top shapes are her baby tooth with her grown-up tooth coming in behind it.

She saw an x-ray of her teeth when we went to the dentist a week ago. We could see her new molars as well as her adult teeth ready to move in. Her dentist thought she might even loose her first tooth when she is 5. She also mentioned that Addie will most definitely need an orthodontist in a few years. As someone who saw an orthodontist from 4th to 12th grade, I was not in the least surprised.

Christmas

2011-01-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

Ah Christmas. Seems like a long time ago already even though the neighbors across the street still have a festive fanfare of inflatable Christmas creatures in their front yard. I haven't written thank you notes yet either so the season isn't officially closed yet.

We had a lovely Christmas celebrating with my Mom for a week. After she left on the 29th I started to go a little stir crazy at home wishing I could go on vacation myself. It won't be too long though before we are in Tucson! We were excellent LA tourists though visiting the park, LA Zoo, aquarium, Skirball center, LACMA, and the Natural History Museum in between getting ready for Santa and Christmas Dinner for 12 at our house. Family and friends did their part to keep the US economy going as Addie and Eliza were definitely showered with presents. This will be the last year that Addie will get to open the advent calendar and all the gifts on behalf of her sister.

It's starting to smell like Christmas! Cap and Addie make an apple pie.

Reading the Night Before Christmas narrated by Pop Pop and Nana before heading out to Christmas Eve dinner at Aunt Karen and Uncle Peter's house.

Exploring what Santa brought in their new owl PJs.

Oh Tannenbaum

Nesting owls

Her very own pony

A woodland critter house

Trying on a tutu

Reading with Gran

Even Rapunzel had her own place setting at the Christmas dinner table.

Eliza-safe fireplace

Carrying on the Q family anglophile tradition of paper hats from our Christmas crackers.Yes I make everyone wear them. (and that is crazy good scalloped potatoes Addie's eating.)

You can see all of our photos from Christmas here.

Kidspace

2011-01-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

Dusting for dinosaur bones

I'm going back in time on the blog and eventually we'll hit Christmas!

So, on New Year's Eve, after an aborted trip to see Noah's Ark at the Skirball Center, we switched gears and headed to Pasadena. Next year we are going to ask Santa for a membership! Addie knows this place well and for the first time Eliza really got to explore it on her own terms.

Pretending to be an ant, climbing the giant tree

Drawing

Inside a radio

Watching the bees

Not so into a helmet but eager to ride a tricyle. Too bad her legs are too short to reach the pedals.

Eliza face

Addie and Cap: Battle of the Bugs

Look! Snow! Good thing Addie has on her snow boots.

Happy 2011!

2011-01-02T06:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

We celebrated with a visit to the Kidspace Museum in Pasadena followed by a very cold, brisk walk to see some of the Rose Bowl parade floats before heading over to Papa Mit and Grandma Vede's house to warm-up with Indian take-out and champagne. We were home in time to ring in the new year with New York although we turned on the TV about a second after the ball dropped much to Addie's disappointment. Let me tell you that HD on a 42 inch screen was a bad idea to see revelers smooch. Mega-gross.

Cal Poly float. the green and black parts of the rocket are eucalyptus leaves and seaweed.

Camelot (I think)

Trader Joe's

G-bread House Party

2010-12-23T06:37:00.000-08:00

We hosted our second annual Gingerbread House Decorating Party. It's a great opportunity for Addie to hang out with her old daycare pals, and Cap and I to catch up with this group of parents who have really enjoy. Plus the Mom's like to get crafty ourselves on the houses once the kids have run off to play. After Addie left I went peppermint crazy on the back of her house and now she likes to come up to it and like the candy. Gross.

Yes, the Dads were in attendance too but they migrated out the backyard.

My mom arrived last night and the sun came out. Should be a most wonderful Christmas!

A Colorado Thanksgiving

2010-12-18T10:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, I finally got around to downloading and then uploading my photos from our fabulous trip to Colorado over Thanksgiving. Our trip was filled with wonderful friends and lots of snow.

Addie and Arden enjoying the hammock at our rental house in Salida where we showered our high school friend Dara with baby gifts.

Eliza trying out life with her snow hat.

Feeding the ducks

Sawyer, Arden and Addie on the run

Drive-by photos of fuzzy cows. Eliza was enamored of course.

Plenty of static electricity

Sunrise and moonset behind Reid's house in Grandby

The big kids doing a lap on the nordic ski trail.

So proud of our little California girl.

Donut time. Addie and Eliza loved getting to play with Sawyer and Arden at their house for a whole week.

Eliza's new best friend, Duncan.

Two girls in a sled

Snow angel Addie

a true ice pop

Reid and I. We got to talk and talk and talk and talk. Poor Cap.

Street sledding

Addie being Addie

The Godlings

Eliza and Cap take on the sledding hill

Taking a moment to relax.

You can check out all of our Colorado photos here. And a HUGE thanks to Reid for opening up her home and heart to us. Love you!

Addie Sings

2010-12-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

You may remember Addie's first holiday recital followed by the spring recital. But this year all parents were in attendance, in the second row not the first and Addie was all smiles. There is nothing like 40 kids singing about peace to make you all warm and cozy inside. It was really adorable and she was next to her friend Danika.

Addie was invited to her first sleepover party for Danika's 5th birthday on Saturday night. 15+ kids in PJs attended the "pretend sleepover party" and a few close friends, Addie included, were invited to an actual sleepover. I dropped Addie off at 6 and went back at 9 to check-in and make sure she was still okay with the idea. When she saw me she got all teary and said "But you said I could stay all night!" Of course you can my little independent sprite. Mommy just came to give you a hug and a kiss goodnight. And that was that.

Out of the 5 girls invited to spend the night, two decided they weren't ready before their parents left and one had to have her parents pick up her at 10 pm. It was just Addie, Emi and Danika which was probably the best for Danika's parents! Those three girls take swim lessons together on Saturday and are good friends. Bonus - we like their parents too! Sadly, all three girls will be heading to three separate kindergartens next September. Just when we start to make close friends we get to start all over again. My new year's resolution is going to be to proactively spend more time with friends; invite people over for dinner, guitar hero, playdates and adventures.

15 Months

2010-12-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

After coming home from Colorado, I've been neglecting my poor blog. Neglectoblog. The Christmas season has hit me over the heat with a frying pan after returning from an amazing, lovely week visiting wonderful friends over Thanksgiving. Eliza's 15 month birthday though has motivated me get back on the wagon.

Friday was the girls' holiday recital at school. This was the first one for Eliza. She melted my heart in her little cat ears. During the entire recital she sat quiet as a lamb not moving an inch, looking a little like someone had hit her with a Stupify! charm. Afterwards, several parents told me what a hugger Eliza is. I guess she hugs all the parents. She still seems to gravitate towards men but no, I was told she hugged the Moms too. She really is super cuddly and has really gotten into books lately, coming over with an animal book and plopping down in my lap ready to read. She continues to love animals, especially dogs, and was in heaven in Colorado getting to be around first two dogs who would rather she went back where she came from and then Reid's dog Duncan who was such a sweetheart and let Eliza follow him around. Eliza is such a joyous child that she oozes life. I'm feeling pretty darn lucky to have two amazing girls. Gooshy enough?

Oppositeland

2010-11-19T06:04:00.000-08:00

We leaving in less than an hour for the airport to spend Thanksgiving week with Reid and her family in Colorado. Addie is super excited to see snow, go sledding and "maybe we'll go ice skating!" which would be a first for her. I'm excited to spend an entire week with my dearest friend from high school and celebrate the imminent arrival of a little baby girl of another wonderful Madeira friend (and wear my new LL Bean duck boots). Cap is hoping to snowboard, and little Eliza has no idea what she's getting into.

Good-bye beach! Hello snow!

14 months

2010-11-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

A coworker brought in her 18-month old daughter who is probably the same height as Eliza but resembled a miniature girl. Eliza still looks like a baby, a giant baby that walks. I know Eliza could have taken her in a fight. Eliza even tackled a 7-year-old boy at Disneyland yesterday who was wearing a Nemo hat. The tackle is one of Eliza's characteristic moves often sending Addie flat out on the floor with her sister landing on top of her.

Nevertheless Eliza is learning to be gentle and is a big cuddle bug. She goes nutto for dogs and every time she sees one she points and says "dug, dug!" She powered through an extremely long day at Disneyland and fell asleep on my shoulder after the second water slide in Pirates of the Caribbean. It was fun to watch her eyes get huge during the rides. She loved the Jungle Cruise the best and had her mind blown in Haunted Mansion. Addie was a totally delightful Disneyland companion not once complaining about the lines and also quite brave going on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad twice and Splash Mountain for the first time. If you saw my facebook post you'll know which one of us had their eyes shut! (Speaking of Facebook, The Social Network is one the best movies I've seen in ages.)

Happy 14 month Birthday Eliza. You sure are turning into a fun little girl.

A trip to Franklin Canyon

The Big Sister Surprise

2010-11-11T06:31:00.000-08:00

The girls have off from school today for Veteran's Day. We are going to surprise Addie with a trip to Disneyland as a reward for being such a great big sister. Obviously.

The Hundred Board

2010-11-08T06:31:00.000-08:00

Addie's first Hundred Board. I love those happy, curvaceous, backward nines.

Last week she counted how long we were on the freeway and she got to 140 (with a little help). It was only one exit so not bad. Addie has this thing with freeways. She hates them. Every time we get in the car she asks if we are going on the freeway. If we aren't, we are either going the "regular way" or the "fast way." She's definitely an LA girl if she already knows that the freeway isn't always the fast way.

Sunday Art Section: Cloud Girl

2010-11-07T06:58:00.000-08:00

Can you spot a cloud Addie? Hilarious.

Rapunzel with a crown as long as her locks.

I love taking Addie to the movies and I'm looking forward to Tangled not because I think it will fantastic but because I bet Addie will love it. Today we are going to Megamind with her friend Erica. Yay for popcorn and soda treats!

Body Art: Hand and Foot

2010-11-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

These are school projects the girls came home with. I love the idea. Maybe we'll do this again next Halloween!

Addie's ghost

Eliza's ghost

Eliza's bat hands. or hand bat.

Dia de los Muertos

2010-11-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Day of the Dead!

For Jamie's birthday we did a Girl's Day Out, spending three hours at the Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica learning about Mexican Sugar Skulls. There was a little too much listening for our taste and not enough crafting, but we had a blast decorating our Mexican sugar skulls once we got started. Now I want to go to Oaxaca, drink Mexican hot chocolate and learn cake decorating.

I must have been watching too much Toy Story as this has an odd resemblance to an evil Buzz Lightyear.

Our Mexican sugar skulls

More photos here!

Peace Keeping Forces

2010-11-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

Holy Halloween, Batman!

The caped crusader family

Wonder Woman!

Supergirl!

Sister Power!

The Masked Midwesterners

Weekend festivities included:
Halloween parade at the girls' school attended by Nana, Pop Pop and Cap.
Halloween party at my office attended by Wonder Woman and myself.
Grown-ups only Dinner at Katsyua Hollywood with Nana and Pop Pop.
Addie's swim lesson.
Malibu beach trip.
Halloween block party with Addie's old daycare peeps, attended by the entire crime fighting family, Nana, Pop Pop and Papa Mit.
Day at LACMA.
Halloween party and trick-or-treating at Bobo Fet, Dorothy, Snow White and Mr Banana's house, attended by the caped crusader clan and the masked midwesterners.

Now it's time to eat all of the Milky Ways out of Addie's candy pumpkin and pass out on the sofa. Crime fighting is tough work.

Check out all the photos from Halloween 2010 here!

Spooky!

2010-10-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

This spooky piece of artwork is all Addie from conception to execution. We were going to cut out bats as a project. I was thinking I'd download some bat template and cut them out of construction paper. Addie however delved right in cutting out all the pieces to create her own bat mosaic. It was also her idea to draw ghosts and cut them out too. I just love the result!

Nana and Pop Pop are arriving tonight to spend the weekend with us and the girls. Can't wait!

BOO!

The Hunt for Orange October*

2010-10-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

This is our third year to Underwood Family Farms. We went first when Addie was a little bit older than Eliza is now. We didn't go last year. I can't remember why. It's always hot and crowded and sometimes I get more overwhelmed than the kids, but goats on elevated boardwalks, tractor rides and lots and lots of pumpkins always get me into the fall spirit.

Content on the tractor ride.

Addie loving the pony ride. All smiles.

Eliza brushing a sheep. I have never seen Eliza so happy. She absolutely loved the animals and took her job as groomer very seriously. I think she was like, you mean those photos in books you keep showing me are REAL??!!

Seeing a horse for the first time.

Riding in the cow named Sarah. She thought that was pretty funny.

Facepainting. Seriously i could have done this myself and we waited in line for what felt like an eternity. But Addie was patient and pleased with the outcome.

The corn maze. I was totally lost.

Eliza lost a shoe during lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon roaming the pumpkin patch in her socks.

I had to bribe Addie with the promise of a treat in order for her to stop and let me take her picture. She ended up picking gummy worms and I ate most of them.

This slide was so fast that when I hit the sand I flipped forward. Awesome.

*Blog title by Cap

The Resnick Pavilion

2010-10-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

On a wet and muggy Sunday, we snuck out for about 45 minutes right before my Aunt Susan arrived for a visit to check out the newly opened Resnick Pavilion at LACMA. My firm did the engineering on it so I've been wanting to check it out even more so.

We quickly walked through the Resnick's costume collection and then did the fastest drive-by of the Olmec collection as Eliza kept falling down and didn't want to be in her stroller. There is something about the coating on the concrete floors that had Eliza toppling over every few steps. That and the fact she's one. Outside Addie decorated a mask and a paper headdress to resemble women's elaborate hairstyles. I love free crafts at museums.

Sunday Art Section: Should I be Worried?

2010-10-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

Addie continues to paint and draw, more so at school then at home because of a particular little sister who loves to grab things, eat pens and knock over glasses of water.

Addie drew this on Friday. She explained there was a tree with cherries in it and an umbrella flower. Oh and a little girl who was caught in a net and her Mommy was reaching out to try and save her. There is also another tiny girl and a small mommy who are in the same predicament. I asked her why the girls were in nets and she said that a tractor got them. I couldn't figure out how the tractor fit into the scenario but it turns out she meant that there was a bad man who is the Trapper that caught them.

I was freaking out that this was stemming from a brief comment I had made to her a week ago about making sure she can see me whenever we are outside so a stranger doesn't take her. It could be that or perhaps this is coming from the comic books she reads about the web-slinging Spiderman and all of his evil villains. Maybe it's not a window into her soul but a page out of the next blockbuster movie.

The Princess running from the bad boy.

In case you think levity is a thing of the past, here is a lovely floral watercolor and a mermaid painting.

Soft as a downy chick

2010-10-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

Mama and Dada have a new featherbed mattress topper. Happiness.

13

2010-10-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

13 months.

New foods? Got the okay from her pediatrician to introduce diary, eggs and fish. Thanks goodness! She is getting a little better about not putting everything in her mouth but eating leaves and paper remains a favorite past-time.

New words? Favorites are Ah-Da (Addie) and nana (banana). Mama is way behind even cracker. Dada however is high up there and often used for both of us.

Teeth? She almost has all four molars in. She also continues to pull Addie's hair and thinks biting is a rather hilarious activity.

Height and Weight? Not sure since I can't find the paper from the doctor but she's average weight and at the top of the charts for height. She should enjoy her stature while it lasts.

Clever? Of course. She loves figuring out how things fit together - pen caps, legos, lids. She can identify a few things if you ask her to point. Where's your nose? Where's the duck? And of course Where's Addie? I forget how knowledgeable they are way in advance of their verbal skills.

Loud? Yup. Gets frustrated when she can't do something she wants to either because she's not allowed (like eating a cactus) or if she can't manipulate a toy the way she wants. The stupid rectangular block won't go into the rectangular hole. I think I'll throw myself on the floor until it fits!

Cuter? Of course!

Happy 13 months birthday little Eliza!

96

2010-10-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

We celebrated (great) Grandma Vede's 96th birthday on Saturday night at the 22nd St. Landing in San Pedro where we had also celebrated her 95th. A 4 pm dinner reservation meant that the girls could run around without disturbing too many of the salty dogs that were dining.

Addie had her first unexpected sip of a gin and tonic and promptly spat it out into my dinner side salad. Poor girl probably thought she was sneaking some Sprite. Eliza had her first taste of fish and wolfed down red snapper, mixed vegetables and pretty much anything you put in front of her. Eliza believes in the clean plate club and if she's had her fill, she makes sure whatever is remaining is wiped off her plate and onto the floor with a flourish.

We watched sea lions frolic, herons perch and Granda Vede enjoy her birthday sundae. On our way out to the parking lot some rather intoxicated fisherman were hauling Ahi tuna larger than Addie out of the back of an ice packed pick-up truck and into wheel barrows which kept falling over. Good think we don't eat the skin of the tuna otherwise it would have a hint of asphalt on it.

Grandma Vede loves watching her great grandkids and we're lucky to get to celebrate her birthday with her. Happy Birthday Grandma Vede!

I Made It!

2010-09-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

I made both this adorable (if I do say so myself) wool felted toadstool as well as successfully navigating a weekend as a solo parent with both girls while Cap was in NYC for work. I rewarded the Girl Gang with a trip to the ice cream store at the end of the weekend.

Jeannine and Jamie came over to entertain me on Saturday afternoon while Clara and Addie ransacked the house. Jeannine taught the grown-up girls how to felt wool critters. Jamie made a luscious red-lipped fish, Jeannine adorned a sweater for Chloe and presented Eliza with a cute little purple felted bird which is already covered in slobber. It's so easy and oh so fun. Be prepared if a little elf sends you something woolly for the holidays!

On the temporary single mom home front, I actually got Addie to her swim lesson, fed both girls more than cereal, went grocery shopping for such necessities as bananas and white wine(got carded, woohoo!), learned a new craft and even, yes, even took both girls to Mother's Beach all by my self. I went to bed last night at 8:30 to recover.

So glad Cap is home now, reading books to Addie while I sip white wine and tippity tap away at the computer. Next weekend I'm thinking I should slip off to a spa. Aren't I spoiled?

Pen Pals

2010-09-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

Addie continues to send Great Grandma Kathy little drawings every now and then and sometimes she gets a letter in return. Grandma Kathy drew Addie pictures of her doggies Imp and Rascal and even a self portrait. I admit though that I'm stumped by the bottom one.

Afternoon Worker

2010-09-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

I wanted to capture a photo of the girl's first day of school. Really, it's just like any other weekday since they are both in school full time, year-around and neither of them are switching classrooms or teachers. Still, I thought it would be a good idea to record the day. Or try to.

Oh Eliza, look over here! Where's Addie? Addie!

Girls! Look over here at Mommy!

Hey, Sillyhead! Can you smile? Eliza - look over here!

Ok! Sit by your sister. Can you do a regular smile?

Regular smile please! Can you sit a little closer?

Well, that's a pretty good smile. Eliza, what's wrong? Addie let go of your sister!
Oh forget it.

A week or so into the new school year, Ms. Amy announced that Addie was ready to be an Afternoon Worker. This means no more naps and during that time she can pick some work to do on her own. This could mean painting, language lessons, math or whatever she chooses. Addie thinks this is quite an honor and is very excited.

I had to go pick the girls up early last week when Eliza had a fever. I went into Addie's classroom and her entire class was sitting in a circle in the foyer listening to a story. Where was Addie? "She's with Ms. Amy." said Ms. Layla. I thought, uh-oh, she's in trouble. Instead, she was in the very back of the classroom quietly working in watercolors at a table while Ms. Amy prepped the classroom for the afternoon. Ms. Amy said that she frequently likes to spend some time alone while the other kids read. Her teacher keeps a special tray just for Addie in the closet with watercolors, brushes, sponges for blotting and a cup for water. It was really so sweet to see her concentrating on what she loves in the peace of her classroom. Addie's a pretty amazing little girl and I love that her school encourages her interests. Go Montessori!

The Birthday (Tea) Party

2010-09-12T09:52:00.001-07:00

"O Looking-Glass creatures," quoth Alice, "draw near!
'Tis an honour to see me, a favour to hear:
'Tis a privilege high to have dinner and tea
Along with the Red Queen, the White Queen, and Me!"

For Eliza's first birthday celebration, we had a tea party -- of sorts. Plenty of homemade sweets and dainty tea sandwiches adorned the pink table but instead of tea we drank champagne with our friends and family. We gave Eliza a cloth bound book of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with the intention of adding to the collection over the years as a birthday tradition. The birthday girl was pretty sleepy during the celebration but stuck it out to enjoy her first taste of sugar.

I was lucky to have my Mom here to plan and execute the panne cotta, creme brulee, mini birthday cupcakes and sugar cookie birds we prepared as well as the delicious smoked salmon and cucumber, radish and fresh mint cream cheese tea sandwiches. Thanks Mummers!

Cake fingers

Addie helps with the party decorations. She even learned how to use the paper cutter!

Addie also helped glitter these little pink birds.

Pretty tea sandwiches

The kids table with tea-sized peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

Panne cotta and lots of hand made pink tissue paper flowers

Pink frosted sugar cookie birds as party favors

The after-party

Happy Birthday Eliza! Check out more photos of her birthday party here.