eLLe - sweet 16 months, part II

Oh, Bubba

Your seventeenth month was not very welcoming.


I know... Grrrr. For starters, or maybe for starters and middles and everything in between, you're teething. I mean, teething. I had no idea teething could really be so bad. You've had your two little friends, Pokey and Buddy, in your bottom gums since month 11. And then suddenly four top teeth are descending from your upper gums and two more are protruding on the bottom. And you're a mess. And suddenly your mouth has eight teeth instead of two. And then you had a runny nose that lasted for about 2 weeks. But, because of this runny nose, you've learned to use a tissue to blow your nose, and it's actually quite hilarious.

I'm sorry I am so late in writing this post. I've been kind of preoccupied. With the wedding. Which is two weeks from tomorrow. As you know, sine you've been living in Tissue Paper Wonderland for the last six months, I'm doing almost everything myself for this wedding, which is going to be in our backyard. The invites, save-the-dates, flowers, favors, gifts, programs... anyhoodle, I've been busy. And I've been putting of the blog. But I'm back.

I have to admit that as excited as I am about the wedding and the following honeymoon to Mexico (hooray!), I find that I can't think about it too long or I get really sad. About leaving you for nine days. You're going to be awesome and amazing for your Grams, who is coming up from San Diego to stay with you, but I feel the pain of missing you for so long is going to make things really difficult. So I guess I should think about it more, and think about how much fun you're going to have with Grams and with Tutu, and how they're going to shove you into my arms at the end of nine days, and then go take a long nap.

Because you're a fireball. You're a nonstop motor boat steam engine firecracker bucking bronc. Your days are filled with exploration, games, screeching, and learning, and you fall asleep readily each evening at 6:45 and don't wake up for 13 hours or more.

You still nap every day for a couple hours, too, which is what you're doing right now. You still take your binky to sleep, and you are officially attached to your green "blanky."


Over Labor Day weekend we went with our friends the Highlands and their son, Jenner (your future husband) to their family's acreage in Eastern Oregon. We went last year, too, when the two of you were only a few months old and we plopped you in a playpen during the day and used the generator in the evenings to listen for you on our baby monitors. This year was quite different, with the two of you walking around in the dirt, but we had so much fun.

You are still not using many words, which isn't to say you're not communicating. Oh yes, you get your point across very well. Besides the squawking, you've learned gestures, my favorite of which is when you turn your palms face-up and shrug when I ask "Where is it?" And while there are some thing about you I can't understand, like why you grab a fistful of food and then run your hands through your hair, or why you like to poop in a fresh diaper that I've just finished fastening, I can certainly understand your wants and needs, and which game you'd like to play next.

And the night before last you initiated a game which still brings happy tears to my eyes when I think about it. You were in the tub, splashing around as is your favorite thing to do,

when you hefted the soaking washcloth over to where a rubber ball was floating. You placed the washcloth over the ball and picked up both items in one arm. Then you looked at me and turned your other palm up, and I realized we were playing Where's The Ball? and so I asked you that very question and you let the ball drop from the cloth and squealed with delight. We were playing peek-a-boo! And you kept doing this again and again, always hefting the big washcloth because it kept getting more sodden, and sometimes you couldn't quite cover the ball, or the ball was just on top, but each time you'd turn to me without a sound and make that gesture, and I'd say, "Where's the ball?"

That very same day you made another remarkable achievement: you told me you pooped! I've been working on bringing attention to the fact that you're pooping each time it's obvious that you are, and the other day you stood there are grunted for a bit then turned to me and said "bhuuf," which, naturally, is "poop," and then you led me into your bedroom and waited next to the changing table for me to hoist you up and change you. Time to get a potty seat!


My Luciya, I hope you know that even though I have been busy as a squirrel in an autumn oak tree the last few weeks, it is you who brings me sanity and joy and strength and calm. And you don't even know it.

I love you, Luciya!!

Love,

Mama

dooce 2008

Heather Armstrong's blog, dooce.com, is a lot of what inspired me to start blogging. She is fresh and irreverent and hilarious and talented and uncensored. She writes a newsletter to her daughter every month, which are what inspired me to write my letters to Luciya.

Her post a couple days ago really struck home to me, and a lot of what she managed to put into words, especially in the last paragraph,  totally reflects my own sentiments.

You can read it here:

And...boom

Let me know whatcha think! (She has already received more that 2100 comments and, apparently, death threats.)

Vote Obama.

"finger"painting

Proudly displayed!!

mother goose 101

Ton-Ton: "Little Miss Muffet sat on the tuffet, eating her curds and whey..."

Shemmy: "Go on..."

Ton-Ton: "Her fleece was... white as gold."


.

eLLe - sweet 16 months - part 1

Playing Dress-Up from shemmy on Vimeo.

spoony tunes - a limerick

I ate breakfast today with my spoon

'Course, it took me til quarter past noon

At first it was fun

But then I was done

To clean me, we'll need a monsoon!

wading for a star to fall

So last night, about 8:30, I noticed the pool was a little low and I put the hose in to top it off a few inches.

Well.

This morning John let the dogs out at about 7 and came into the bedroom and said, "We may have a small problem."

He's on cleanup duty. I gotta go teach.

big girl room #2

Yes, at 15 months old, Luciya has outgrown her itty bitty "big girl room." That, and the fact that we decided our new office space didn't need room for a futon, convinced us to switch the two rooms. 

After Eryn left I worked for a few days on painting the office "Sensitive Tint." It's a lilac shade that I actually really, really like (I've found that you have to be careful with purple as  room color). It's sooo much better than the horrible paint job that is now covered up forever. It looked like Kermit the Frog had puked all over the walls.

Before:

After:

Isn't it lovely? It looks like a little girl's room! I was so excited to get a video of Luciya's reaction when she first saw the room (she stayed the night at Tutu's house so we could finish moving furniture and revamping), and she was just like, "Oh, sweet, there's my bookshelf. I think I'll read a book now. What? What's the big deal? Got any power tools I can play with?"

surprise! it's your new big girl room! from shemmy on Vimeo.

sister!

Luciya's sister, Eryn, and her friend Christina were just in town for a week. As was the case on Maui, I love it when people come to visit, because we get to take the opportunity to do all the fun outdoor things we wouldn't do otherwise.

This time, we did so many fun things! We went boating, white water rafting, and ATV riding, swam in the pool, and ate lots of yummy food. We were having so much fun that I forgot to take many pictures. The only day I really got to take any was when we went boating (and we had a waterproof camera on the river, but those aren't developed yet). So, enjoy!

Eryn catches some air!

Last Monday, which was Christina's 17th birthday, we went on a long bike ride along the whole length of the greenbelt, which is - in my humble opinion - one of Boise's best features. We followed it all the way out to Barber Park, which is where we rented tubes upon which we floated the Boise river.

Christina grins and bears it.

The day was a lot of fun... in retrospect. Our first bad omen was when John's bike got a flat tire on the greenbelt. Right by the golf course, where the shade completely peters out. Naturally, it was a 96-degree day. Thankfully, John the Prepared One had his tire repair kit with him. Unfortunately, after 30 minutes of trying, it didn't work. So he hitchhiked with his limpy bike, got a ride immediately, and the girls and i finished the ride to meet him at the park.

I love it?

Tubing the Boise River is something that always sounds so fun and relaxing. Somehow I always forget that there is a lot of work involved! Especially when you have a terrified, freezing, 17 year old California girl who has never done anything like this in her whole life. Poor Christina. She got hung up on a rock on the second little rapids we went over and was stuck there until Eryn - who turned out to be the hero of the day - rescued her by struggling upstream with her tube, getting Christina into it, and throwing her own body on top of Christina.

Sisters. (Someone is so sleepy!)

From there on out poor child gritted her chattering teeth adn closed her eyes on every rippling rapid we came to. But she made it! Happy birthday, Christina! And way to go, Eryn! You showed your courage the whole day through.

Hooray! She's out like a light!

It was so nice, as always, to see Miss E. She's going to be a senior this fall. None of us can believe it -- even me! I first met the spicy little thing on her 11th birthday! Wasn't that just last year?!

Where's Luciya?

Eryn, your dad and I hope you have a wonderful senior year, that you make the right choices and take advantage of all the opportunities that present themselves to you. You are bright, kind, and good-hearted. Don't forget to let your light continue to shine on other people. You have the ability to be a great day-maker.

The Family Unit.

the gnomes were lonely in summer

A while back I got Luciya a plastic swing, which we hung from the large branch of our apple tree in the back yard. Child loved it.

Then, one day a few weeks ago, we came home from a quick afternoon trip. And the whole branch had fallen down. There was no warning - no creaking in the boughs, no crazy raccoon family gnawing away for days... John had actually swung like a monkey from this branch to make sure Luciya's little swing would hold.

And then it was gone.

So, naturally, we looked to the wisdom of the ancients to help us in our next step. I believe it was Confucius who said, "When life gives you fallen tree branches, make little gnome fortresses."

So, we did.

nah, i already saw that one

Ton-Ton: "Hey honey, do you want me to record 200-pound Tumor?"

eLLe - 15 months

Dear Luciya,

Hello, sweet muffin.


Yes, that's a little tear under your left eye; just moments earlier you had opened your dresser drawer onto your face and it really hurt! But, true to your resilient and tenacious nature, the upset lasted all of 36 seconds. And I do it admit it's so nice to be your mama. To give you immediate comfort. There, there.

Case in point - here you are 10 seconds later:


Naked time! Woo-hoo!! Time to pull all the clothes out of the dresser! Yes!

It's been especially lovely lately since you've been the world's biggest snuggle bunny. You cuddle and hug and nuzzle and sigh and sometimes we just stand there for minutes with your warm soft head under my cheek, swaying. You cuddle with your "dada," too. Lately you're his biggest fan. In the past 2 weeks you've said your first two sentences, in fact - both regarding your Dada: "Hi Dada" and "Dada ba-ba" (bye-bye). You've calmed a bit, and the shriek fests are less common and of shorter duration. You understand more and can communicate with more confidence, and I think this helps alot.


Your new favorite word - and thing - is "hat." You point to mine when I wear one to teach and you reach for yours when we head out into the sunshine. "Aa," you say. That's "hat." "Aa." You can put yours on and take it off. You love it.

It really is amazing to watch your little mind grasp and understand different things. The other day I had left the door to the garage open and I said, "Luciya, can you please go shut the door?" and you walked right over and pushed it closed. You're brilliant.

Today your daddy said to me, "You know it's not normal for 15-month-olds to sleep from 6:30 pm to 8:00 am - straight - and then take a 2 hour nap each day." And yes, I do realize this. And yes, it rocks. You are a WONDERFUL sleeper. You are a good eater, an active player, and well-loved. Of course you sleep well. It's so funny to think that just a few short months ago I was sobbing right along with you, as you refused to go down in your crib (well, I guess "funny" isn't necessarily the right word, since it certainly wasn't funny at the time).


Last weekend your daddy and I left you for the first time ever. It was hard! As soon as we sat down on the plane in Boise I thought of you, and I burst into tears. But naturally you were a wonderful little girl for your tutu all weekend, even though you got a terrible diaper rash - the worst you've ever had - and it made you scream in pain when you passed a particularly acidic poop. But that's all cleared up now. We can smile again.


Summertime is our new favorite thing. It's warm - oh so warm. We take bike rides and play in the parks and splash and splash in the water. You run through the grass and turn your face to the sun. Yeah, you bask. Basker.

I love you, Luciya!

Love,
Mama

far and away

It's quiet.

Mila is at my dad's house, Luciya's tucked in at my mom's and Harley the albino polar ferret dog is in a kennel a couple miles away. The house feels empty and lonely.

John and I leave early tomorrow morning for San Francisco. Technically, it's a business trip to meet with investor clients of the property management company we're in the process of buying. But I think we may be able to throw in a little pleasure while we're there.

This will be the first time we are leaving Luciya, and the first trip we've taken, just the two of us, in over a year and a half. We'll be gone through Sunday night! This will be our first trip to the city since John proposed there in Dolores Park on October 21, 2006. Awwww.....

We do love the city and are excited to have some good food, some sightseeing, and some quiet. I think. I miss little Luciya already! But she's in the very best of hands. And so is Mila (thanks, Mom and Dad!) As for ol' pinkeye weasel pup, I'm sure she'll be okay, too.

Everyone's going to be fine, right?!

Right.

words that feel good in my mouth

Luciya's favorite word lately is "dada," even if (or especially if) her Dada isn't anywhere near. I guess it's just a word that feels good in her mouth.

I have some of those, too:

My favorite words to say:

* Elixir
* Bliss
* Cornucopia
* Cake

What are your favorite words?

greetings... with love

My best friend Kelly sent me this touching message tonight, in honor of John's birthday, which was earlier this month.

You can see why we're friends.

Don't send a lame Birthday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

eLLe - 14 months

Dear Luciya,

Well.

Look at the big, beautiful fourteen-month-old!

I'm kind of holding my breath as I write this, because you napped today without a pacifier and I was so inspired by that that I just put you down for bed without one, too. And you're quie-- wait. Okay, there you go. You're wailing. Darn it! Okay, I'm debating. I'm - shoot. Be right back.

So, maybe the sudden cold-turkey thing isn't the way to go with this. (Is there another way to go cold-turkey besides sudden?) I just went in to your room to see you standing up, clinging to the side of your crib in red-faced desperation, crocodile tears streaming. Let's start this a little more slowly. One day at a time. Forgoing naptime pacis first. Hush.

What a wonderful time to be 14 months old! The weather has been stupid-gorgeous. Like 90+ degrees gorgeous. We've been swimming in the pool and sliding in the park (on the shady side, of course -- no stuck-burned-bottoms here).


You are embracing your toddlerhood - vibrant, vivacious, and very, very vocal (you can say mama, dada, dog, and bye-bye). You're the squawky screamer at Stroller Strides, and the adorable, precocious charmer who's not afraid of strangers. You love to dance and move. You're on the verge of running. You point at everything and hiss. Yes, you hiss. "Sss." I think you're saying "wasssat?" You point at the ceiling, the sky. You point both hands at once, in opposite directions, and look in a third direction. Your first top tooth is starting to make its painful, jaggedy appearance. You tumble. You toddle. You snack. You climb.


Just this morning, you climbed up onto the couch! Granted, it was the low futon, but sure as you're born you heaved and hefted, and the next thing I knew you were sitting there next to me, pleased as punch.

Oh boy. Here we go.

Your Auma Kelly was here last week and we basked in the glory of Summer. We took you boating and put you in a life jacket.

Yeah, you loved it? Um, no. No you didn't.


You're napping once a day, sometimes for 3 hours, sometimes for an hour and a half. Today was a short-nap day, and I ended up putting you to bed about 20 minutes early because you were facing a serious meltdown. You're sleeping a solid 12 hours at night, which is a dream (no pun intended.) You wake up happy and babbling, and your sweet, genuine smile is such a nice way for me to be greeted each day.

You have a new friend coming over every Thursday for four hours in the afternoon so mommy can get some work done and run errands. Her name is Renee and she speaks the language of babies very well. I've left you alone with her twice, and next Thursday I may even have her stay later that 6:00 so I can go to a Mom's Night Out. Fun! You seem to really enjoy her. The two of you have been going to the park and playing outside and reading your ever-expanding collection of books.


You still love books. You don't necessarily want to hear the actual story on the pages. You want to see a picture here and there, hear some funny words, and flip the pages yourself. Then you wriggle off the reader's lap and on to the next acitivity. You are nonstop.

Non. Stop.


You're a veritable locomotive of a child. I think that's why you haaaaaaate being in the stroller - God forbid anyone try to hinder you from exploring the world! The world that is all yours. The rest of us just live in it. I think I'm going to have to start disciplining soon, because as far as you're concerned, nothing is off limits. If you want to play with someone else's toy, too bad if they happen to already be playing with it. It's yours. If you want to eat that bug in the dirt, well, that's why he's there - to be eaten by you. You are brash to the point of ruthlessness, daring to the point of insolence... and lovely to the point of tear-jerking.


And you are still awed into quiet wonder by nature. I recently found this video of you from nearly a year ago, and I was stunned by the quiet bliss in your little body.


nature babe - 3 months old from shemmy on Vimeo.


You are still amazed with the green earth and calmed by her gentle breezes.

And energized by water.


gurgle from shemmy on Vimeo.

What a difference a year has made in you, my sweet. My butternut. My monkey face. My blessing. My joy.


I love you, Luciya!

Love,
Mama

class of 2008 -- go birds!

This past weekend the 8th graders at Haleakala Waldorf School on Maui had their graduation. When we moved from Maui last year, I had planned on returning for this day, because these children all hold a special place in my life; I began teaching them when they were in third grade. It was such a gift to watch these incredible young people grow over the span of five years, and I wish them all the best. They are in my heart forever.

Though we didn't get to make it back to Maui, someone else had a graduation ceremony from the Little Gym! Luciya has been in the "Birds" class with other 10-to-19-month-olds since January (before that, she was a "Bug."). The Winter/Spring session ended last week with a celebration of the kiddos' achievements, complete with a presentation of a medal on a ribbon.

Luciya LOVES the Little Gym. We started going when she was four months old, mostly for me to find a way to socialize and meet other moms, and find little friends for Luciya. It wasn't about getting her to have improved balance or to be an early walker, but I do think that the Little Gym has helped with these things, along with making her totally fearless. Child will jump on, push over, or climb up anything, and this makes me happy. (I seem to recall that I was a bit of a scaredy-cat babe.)

In class Luciya gets to somersault, climb, bounce, play with balls, and swing. She has even made a few little friends, even though they're all still at the stage where they pass each other like ships in the night and only seem to play together accidentally. 

Luciya really loves to somersault. 

There's a little chant we sing - "Hands high to the sky, hands down on the ground, smell your belly and roll!!" Say the first few words of this at home (or anywhere, really), and Luciya assumes the position.

At the graduation, parents and grandparents came equipped with cameras and video recorders, and of course we were no exception. 

Well. Good thing we captured every moment.

world's best mom from shemmy on Vimeo.

Our little monkey is such a funny free spirit. Every class starts with a circle on the big red mat, and while most babes sit obediently in their parents' laps, my child is off exploring the gym - bars, balance beams, mats, and bouncies.

And when we're instructed to walk or run in a circle with our babies, Luciya prefers to stand in the middle of everyone and twirl.

here we go 'round from shemmy on Vimeo.

Congratulations, big girl!

life view

"If you want to be a good hitchhiker, you've got to think outside of the thumb. Don't just stand there when you could be dancing."

- Creed (The Office)