*parte dos

We also got to spend a couple days with Julie and Eva!!! It was so much fun - just about the cutest little mama/daughter pair you can imagine :) Vera had a hard time as the week went on going to bed late, meeting all sorts of new people + places, so she sadly wasn't quite herself. I could tell though that these two girls love to play and be silly and would be the cutest little friends. Julie started things off well by letting Vera help make chocolate chip cookies on the floor - making as big or little a mess as she wished. When Eva got up from her nap, they stood at the little table dipping warm cookies in milk.. I wish I didn't forget the camera that day!!! I'm pretty sure I can remember in my head the picture of those two cuties with chocolate smeared all over their cheeks :) Vera also warmed up a bit playing in Eva's adorable cardboard house as well as ring-around-the-rosies outside. Shoot, why can't we live by all our friends?

... how cute is this little face?? she really knows when you're taking her picture :) ...

... I suggested they held hands.. a little awkward and forced, but still cute :) ...

... see here for a similar picture exactly a year ago ...

*parte uno

As always, it was so good to be in Seattle!! I knew a highlight for me was going to be seeing Vera interacting with her cousins and it was. What a lucky little girl she is to have such fun, sweet, happy cousins too - and me the lucky Auntie :) Obviously I took a million pictures over the week [and also obviously few to none of the adults..], so here's part 1:

... teaching Vera to dance ...

... walking home from the bus stop : a daily highlight ...

... sidewalk chalk! I have to get some ...

... Marie and Vera got to spend quality time while the big kids were at school ...

.... I loved how she looked up to Tyler!! He played this little letter computer game with her and she'd look up for his approval. she'd also go stand in his doorway and hold up the game while he was doing homework. soooo cute :) ...

*He is risen!!

1 Peter 1:1-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade...

We had a wonderful wonderful Easter. The kind of service at church where you can't sing the hymns because you keep getting choked up.

We did let a little traditional secular Easter in too of course :) Yesterday we went to pet the baby animals at a local ranch-supply store. I kind of regret not buying one of the bunnies - can you imagine her extreme excitement waking up to a baby bunny hopping around the living room?! Or my extreme excitement? Anyway, today before church we hunted Easter "eggies" in the front yard with our next-door neighbors - Vera had so much fun!! I decided to save the dress I'd made for another time, because I wanted her to wear the jacket and bonnet that I wore when I was one and a half. She looked just adorable in it and surprisingly kept the bonnet on the whole time. I didn't realize my camera was on a weird setting and the pictures didn't turn out as well as I'd like :(

***

[Easter Sunday 1981]

Tomorrow we're headed off to Seattle!!! ICANTWAIT. I wish Ben could go, but he's going to take advantage of a week of toddler-free studying - his comprehensive exams are at the end of the month.

*afuera

Last weekend a friend and I went to hear Richard Louv speak at our library. He's the author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, which I haven't read but am definitely going to at some point this summer. I've always held memories of my childhood very dear. Memories of exploring every inch of our neighborhood with our BFFs .. the field across the street next to the witch's house [poor lady, she just didn't want us in her yard] with the mysterious fenced off spring; another empty lot with a fantastic climbing treewhere we played Little House in the Big Woods-style, someone always pretending that a bear ate her leg; the big pine tree that created it's own enclosed and secret fort; every nook formed by the roots of the huge cottonwoods and the wonderful crunch you could get riding your bike over the fallen cotton seeds, my mom's garden beds that provided wealths of plants and flowers to dissect and inspect... all this not even to mention the Ranch [which -if you know me- know to be, well, one of the most special-to-me places in the world]. Anyway, I so value my nature/exploration/outside-centered childhood and have always been sad at the 'changing of the times' that seems to say my children just won't be able have that independent, nature-steeped experience that I did [which was already a far cry from both my parents' ranch upbringings!].

[Sigh. I just interuppted writing this to check CNN which I should NOT have done. Lead story about a little California girl killed one afternoon hopping from friend's house to friend's house. How incredibly sad and sickeningly horrible. I can never get these stories out of my mind. Louv talked how one big problem with kids getting outside these days is the parents' fears of such things. He actually said abductions are down in past years, and the majority of them are actually by family members or acquaintances. The media repeats these stories (like I just read!) over and over and gets them forefront in our minds.]

So what do we do?? I know Ben and I will have no problem getting our kids up onto hiking trails and playing in the creeks, but what about the independent neighborhood roaming that I remember so fondly? Is the danger really that much bigger or is it that we are hyper-informed to every single tragic event that happens now? I don't really know the answer..

Geez, I need to turn my thoughts back around [I hate the news!].. On a more positive note, I've been making it a point in the last week to visit some of the more natural parts of our park - let Vera (+Stella) collect leaves and dandelions, sit under the cottonwoods, look for baby ducks, etc. It's really been calming and peaceful. What's more, when I took these pictures the other day, Vera firmly told me "no", that I was "all done" with both camera and phone! Apparently she wanted a bit of pure nature too :)

*we love these guys!

...and missed them while they were gone!! they're all so grown up now - calling each other by name, playing together and all. looking forward to a fun summer.

*

...Vera loooves her animal friends...

*la siesta

So Vera hasn't taken a nap for a WEEK! I put her down like usual and she either talks and reads for a bit, followed by 20 minutes of mommy?mommy?mommy? or she screams her way out of the whole thing. I know I tell myself that "phases come and go", but is the nap phase gone forever??? She's not even two!! And it's not like she happily makes it all the way to bedtime. She is crazy, insanely tired and grumpy and the past 3 nights has been hysterical as I try to put her down. I just can't bring myself to take her for a nap-drive every afternoon, but I need to do something! Yesterday I set a timer and told her when it 'dinged' Mommy would come get her.. I guess that's what I'm going to do for the next few days, and hopefully she'll fall asleep at some point. Only thing is I don't want the *ding* to wake her up if she miraculously sleeps. Any ideas? Please??

*the drummer

Last night Ben found some videos on YouTube of his old band days. It's really strange trying to imagine him at that time since I met him years after he'd 'retired'. The really strange thing is that I was at one of his shows. I saw the Supertones in Visalia, California in like '97 or so and his band [Value Pac] opened for them! How far from my thoughts was it that I would one day marry that drummer on stage???? Craaaaaaazy. But good :) I'm going to watch this video over and over, try to really see that cute boy there on the drums:

*más speesees

In case you were wondering [I doubt it :)], I'm still an official marketing mom for Speesees. My returns on the first 3 months were pretty sparse, but I'm still in the game :) They seem to always have some sale going on, and right now is [obviously] the Easter themed sale! Enter code REDBUTTE for either 15% off or free-shipping [with sale items, I'm not sure... if it doesn't let you enter it in the coupon spot, enter it in the message space]. Anyway, their stuff is supercute, soft, adorable and oh-so-environmentally conscious: www.speesees.com.

*me aburro

So when I texted my good good friend yesterday that I was bored, I knew exactly what she'd tell me. I always remember her saying that she doesn't let herself get bored. There's always something you can be doing with yourself. I guess she didn't have to tell me that - I even have a list on my fridge for those moments titled "What can I do?" with things like make those cards, organize this desk, research this one thing, etc. So I guess my problem is usually that I'm lazy and don't feel like doing anything except sitting - which my small child doesn't let me often do. So I texted back and promised to make something that night - even if I did just be lazy for the afternoon. Not sure if she got the end of my text [sí?], but I said I'd take a picture as proof. So here, I made a skirt! I'm quite proud of myself for just doing it - so easy too, I made it in less than 2 hours and then even finished A Tale of Two Cities [albeit a day late for book club]! What a productive evening, I should do this more.

It's a little too big and looks a little silly over her big diaper, but will be perfect for this summer. She would not stand still for me to get a good picture!! I think she was busy here trying to balance a small button on her shoe...

...though just to see if I could get her attention, I asked where her belly-button was :)




[and yes look at that mess in the background! there's something I could be doing...]

*1.67 years

People often ask what has been my favorite stage, and the truth is, every stage feels like the most fun at the time, and then the next comes along and I decide that's even more fun! The past few months have been awesome just watching her grow and change into a little girl. So here's what she's up to at 20 months. I'm sure you'll find this boring, but they're things we'd like to remember:

She's talking a lot and her pronunciation is better seriously every day. In couple months she started adding an 's' for plural and possessive: Mommy's, Daddy's, books, cats, etc. It's so crazy how they just pick these things up! Come to think of it, she's easing up saying "no!" but did start saying "my!" the other day - oh boy. Her most repeated words are too! and two! [as in mommy's eating too! mommy, sit here too! two socks! two dogs!], new! [as in put on a new (another) diaper, shirt..] and big/small [last night apparently she looked up at Ben and said, daddy, eyebrow, big. :)] Also, in the last couple months she's started actually talking to whoever is on the phone, answering their questions [she'll say "yeah" or "no"] and saying the words they ask to hear, giving a kiss if they ask for it, etc.

I'd say her favorite things to do are play with fake-food or her tea-set: feeding mommy, daddy or a line-up of animals friends and dolls. She also still loves to put on any hats, mittens, boots, shoes + belts that happen to be lying around [she put on a pair of pants by herself just once, and is working on it..] She's more attached to Bunny than ever and includes him in everything. Yesterday he handed me the clothes out of the basket one-at-a-time to fold :) He's not allowed to go outside to the park or anywhere he could possibly get lost, so we leave him in the crib to take a nap. She's good about telling him to "stay" :) She also has Bunny do things she's not allowed to, like turn on the TV or touch the hot oven or even hit or push Mommy! It's hard not to laugh, but I let her know it's not ok. She also loves to run. Run through the living room-bedroom loop, run into daddy's arms and then back up to do it over again, run pell-mell [like the Poky Little Puppy, remember?] through an open space - yelling and hearing her voice bounce. She loves to visit our neighbors, Tio & Tia - walks in their house like she owns the place and pretty much has them wrapped around her little finger :)

I still put her down for a nap around 1:00, but at least 2-3 times a week she doesn't fall asleep. She'll play or read quietly for 1/2 hour and then say mommymommymommymommy for the next 1/2 hour. It drives me CRAZY, but she is going to have to learn that we all will have a quiet time whether we sleep or not!!

I think that's it?

* ¡lo hice!

I did it! I made Vera's Easter dress! It was surprisingly easy - it only took me 3 nights of leisurely work and I didn't even have to call my mom once for help. I found the pattern here [thank you Jenny!]. I think I'm really going to like sewing - even if I don't like/am not patient with the ironing and having to be precise part. It's really so rewarding to see the finished product and I already have several more projects in mind :)

Thankfully she didn't have a fit when I put it on her [she's awful picky about what you make her wear these days], but obviously wouldn't sit still for a photo shoot. And she's wearing some 3-sizes-too-big shoes. Still, here it is:

("elbow!")

*

Vera often wakes up from a nap, not just grumpy or sensitive, but hysterical. I'm always jealous of those people whose babies wake up sweet and quiet, talking softly to themselves in the crib [we do have that a couple times a week...] I'd love to hear any thoughts, but there doesn't seem to be a pattern - she'll be that way after a short nap, a long nap, with a full tummy, ready to eat, having gone down easily, doesn't matter. Today was especially bad. I finally got her to calm down saying we'd take the umbrella outside for a walk in the rain. You have to be careful though, because the littlest thing will set her off again. First it was that [I think, hard to tell], I handed her the umbrella instead of holding it myself, then our neighbor invited us in to give Vera some specially baked mini banana muffins [so nice :)] and she fell apart when I left the umbrella on the steps. Then she fell apart again when I picked her up going up our steps - I think she wanted to walk herself. Goodness, I couldn't do anything right :) I learned for the most part to just go along with it, try my best and have a sense of humor in the midst of the hysteria.

So anyway, today after dropping the umbrella off back at home and eating a couple muffins, we went for a nice little walk down our street. She was just so cute and sniffly with her hands in her pockets that I had to take a few pictures.

*

I would just like to report that Vera has had a really good day!! Our few days of summer weather were brief and we woke up to rain and snow this morning. I knew it could be a potentially long day not being able to go outside, but everything went so well! I think it's key to keep the "strong-willed child" busy [I've heard this several times...]. I gave them rides around the carpet in the fruit box [notice Vera waiting patiently for her turn - I didn't even have to ask!], read some books, they jumped in the crib, played with some tupperware, cooked in her kitchen, - all in a happy, nice, sharing spirit.

When I lay Vera down at night, we always say a prayer. It usually goes something like this: "Dear Jesus, thank you for this day, thank you for Mommy and Daddy and Vera and... Thank you for our friends, help us to be nice and love them. Please be with them tonight... Amen!" The other night she had trouble going to sleep and so I went in to read another story. In the middle of it, she looked up and said, Mommy, nice. Daddy, nice. Desta, nice. and patted her arm showing 'gentle'. It was so sweet! I really want to get at the heart of all this you know? Teach her to understand why and how we love others.

Today was good - thank you LORD! Help me to be patient even when it's difficult...

[of course bunny got a turn too]