*¡vendida!

*I think that's how you say sold.... goodness, my Spanish is fading :(

We were in Salt Lake briefly this weekend to pick up the remaining things left at our house and to sign the papers to close on its sale.  I had been there for a quick weekend with the girls in October too and felt like I dealt with the sadness/weirdness of it all then. This time for the most part I felt normal and just happy to see our friends.  I will say that as I walked through the house once last time I couldn't help the tears... hearing the girls voices echo through the empty rooms was pretty heartwrenching.  There is just so much about place.  The place we moved to as a couple and left a family of four.  I have always thought about Wendell Barry's book about place [haven't read more than the first ten pages, but feel like I know what it might say anyway - haha isn't that academic of me?] - there is just a connection.  Anyway....... I was just meaning to post some pictures of our trip.

I am awfully sick of roadtripping.  This is our 5th long trip since the end of August and we have one more coming up next week.  I was thankful this time to be driving my parents' suburban equipped with a DVD player.  Unfortunately [yes I supposed it is a good thing], Edie still doesn't have the attention span for a whole movie, but it was still good for a bit of quiet.  The way there she didn't nap at all and the way back she closed her eyes for literally 90 seconds before waking up to scream at the top of her lungs.

This was the view of our neighbor's backyard the day before we left. I love this picture:

A big storm blew through over the couple days.  This was our Utah house the morning after we arrived:

We stayed at Tia's which was wonderful, but sad as she was gone the whole time!  I stood in for Tia and got a pedicure from Vera:

We did see a lot of friends and I regret that these are the only two pictures I have:

tea at the beautiful Rose Establishment with Shannon:

3 sad amigos.  unfortunately this was shortly before one amigo got sick.  We brought that sick home with us - another story :/ :)

Driving away - bye-bye eleven-seventeen...

 

sad, but hello some $$ in our bank account!!!

[in case you are wondering - we sold it for about 6K less than we bought it for in 2006, which is pretty good considering the economy.  We left with some down payment and equity and are very thankful. I am glad to be rid of this house before some massive plumbing disaster breaks our bank!]

*dat be bad!!

I just want to remember this about Edie lately.  The last few nights when I put her to bed she stalls a bit and says, "Guess what, Mama? Fall down from he-ya (here)... dat be bad!  go hopical (hospital)! yeah. give kiss, all betta. need bad-aid."  Ok, Edie. Yes, good-night. 

Just now I had already put them both down but heard them talking. Vera appeared at the door [remember our house is very small] to tell me Edie wanted me - to relate the whole hopical story.  I see people posting on facebook about struggles with kids keeping each other up talking at bedtime - I think we are entering that stage! 

*la tarea

Vera had some homework to do today before school.  Edie freaked out a little wanting to write her name on the paper.  Vera obligingly and sweetly made Edie her own homework- copying the whole thing onto another sheet.  It's not always easy having a little sister - especially a feisty 2 year old little sister.  Vera has her moments, but for the most part is an understanding and accommodating big sister. It really made me happy and proud today.  So Vera went checking off the circles, squares, triangles and rectangles she found outside while Edie contentedly thought she was doing the same.
 

*she paused here a moment to listen to the wind and to watch the blowing leaves.  A blustery day for sure :)
** Vera had her first parent-teacher conference yesterday. She got a 4 - exceeding expectations - for effort. I totally saw that today, so focused and excited to find her shapes!

*little chef

I was a little lazy today and had the food network on in the background most of the afternoon.  After watching Barefoot Contessa and Paula Deen [yes, I should have turned the TV off by then!], Vera had the amazing and fantastic idea of creating a recipe!!  She excitedly told me how we would get some chocolate chips, melt them in the microwave, something something and then something with ice cream.  Eventually Ben took her to the store and they created "Frozen Cream" together, melting the chips on the stove, adding ice cream, butter and milk. They froze that and then she mashed up some strawberries and froze them too.  We used it as a topping on vanilla ice cream.  She is such a creative, motivated kid and I love that about her!!

* I should add that one of her favorite shows is Chopped :)

*otoño: dos mil doce

 *I love our backyard*

It has been a gorgeous Fall - not one of those disappointing ones where the leaves turn from green to brown and then just fall off.  The colors have been just beautiful, the weather has been cool at night, crisp in the morning, warm during the day [until today! cold and windy - just right], clear blue skies...

Everyone got together to rake up the 2 square feet of leaves that had fallen [had they waited until today...] and took turns running through.  So great :)

 Mills Park - hadn't been here in like..... 15 years!   

Cottonwoods are my absolute most favorite tree - everything about them makes me happy and filled with all sorts of nostalgia.  However, I am aware that they are a bit dangerous and so it's nice that we have these ones just behind our house, yet over on the neighbor's side :)

*halloween slash nevada day

It was a fun Halloween this year - a little hurried as we had returned from California the night before.  Vera had made a little flower headband from a gifted kiwi crate and I convinced her to use it with last year's Tinkerbell dress to be a "garden fairy."  She and her friend, Greta, have been playing flower/garden fairies [with paper dolls made with the kiwi crate too!], so it was perfect. Before school we took an old pair of wire wings, reshaped them and stretched over some new nylon.  She snipped little fake flowers off the branches while I hot-glued them on. She is in such an art project phase right now and it was so fun for her to really help!

Edie was a little fairy at school drop off.  She refused to put it all back on prior to trick or treating so I quickly went through the dress up box and she went as a little chinese man/Confucius character :)

We went to Greta's for pizza before going out.  They were SO excited and so adorable. I just loved watching Edie get the hang of it.  She was so mini :)

Around the Governor's Mansion has always been very Halloween-y. It is way MORE so now than when I was little - like blocks and blocks of super-decked out houses, roads blocked, policemen patrolling on horses...  We went by my old house, but it was all dark.  I actually felt a little badly that we didn't go out earlier and that we went by some pretty creepy places.   I snuggled with her for a while at bedtime just in case she had been affected. 

* and happy Nevada Day!!! 

I was so bummed to miss the parade the year I am finally living in Carson :(

*in-training

¡undies!

I have been anxiously waiting for Edie to show signs of readiness to be potty trained - we are plain broke and I don't want to buy more diapers for trips and I am done washing and buying detergent.  She just didn't seem to get "letting go" until the day before we left for California - a very inopportune time to potty-train.  So the night we got home I put her in undies to just save a diaper before bedtime. She ended up going #2 on the potty for which she received two m&ms and a whole lot of high-fives and jumping up and down excitement.  I hadn't planned anything, but just decided to go for it and put her in underwear the whole next day.  She had no accidents - even out trick or treating!  One poopoo accident when I was on the phone and not paying attention.  So far it has been really easy!!  She's even ok going on the big toilet, at the store, holding it in the car...  A couple times I think to myself what on earth are you thinking: things were so easy and now I just handed myself a level of stress.  I am going to be very easy-going about it though and not freak out if she decides she doesn't want to do it and I am preparing myself for major regression at some point.

Anyway, that's the story :)  I know most people aren't interested in these things, but I like to document it and remember how it went.  It really is so cute to see her mini bottom in undies too :) and the way she makes a big sigh before she goes - that's how I tried to get her to learn to 'release' haha.  Also the huge smile when she goes - just so cute.  ok, that's all!

*CA

Vera: "We're not going to San Diego, we're going to California!!!"

We drove down to Southern California this last week to attend the wedding of a good friend/almost family member.  It was also an opportunity to spend some time with Ben's Granny who is now living with the Caters.  Además [that's the word that came to mind :)], we never pass up any chance to spend time with Ben's family - we just love them all.  I am such a lucky girl to have married into this family!!

Anyway, here's some pictures. I do apologize to all our friends - it was a family-full weekend and I wish there would have been time for friends too!!  Next time.

First of all, the drive was spectacular. We left at 7am just when the sun was coming up and the snowstorm was lifting.  The first four hours down along the Sierras were just breathtaking.

Here is Vera and Edie super excited to finally arrive:

The wedding was at the Hotel del Coronado. I keep trying to type words to describe that place... if you've been there, you know what I mean!

After dinner we snuck up to the room [had a babysitter for the girls] to get Vera so she could dance and have cake. She was on. I wish I had a video of her dancing and just loving it all.  Jessie and Ben's nephews were there and they just love Vera, and she them. It was so adorable.

When I lived in San Diego we would come weekly to the Del to eat ice cream and walk around.  I literally got a little choked up when we got in line [that may have also been the vodka tonic I just had...].

[earlier in the room getting fancy and enjoying cocktails]

***

I feel like I had more pictures of everyone from back in Tustin, maybe on Ben's phone.  

I just love this one of the girls and Granny.  She has really declined in just the last couple weeks and it is difficult to communicate with her. I felt like they had a little connection here cleaning up the almonds that Edie spilled :)  I could tell Vera was a little unsure at first how to talk to Granny, but here I was so proud of her - speaking loudly and with such kindness in her voice.

so much fun :)

*la fiesta

We had a little party here on Edie's birthday with a few neighborhood families.  It was really simple, but all the kids seemed to have fun!  Edie was so different than I remember Vera being.  Vera has always been very... exuberant and lively and so excited about her birthday.  Edie seemed to get more inward and embarrassed every time you said happy birthday to her!  She didn't seem into the party at all until my mom showed up with the cupcakes - she then sat at the table and looked at them until it was time to sing and eat :)  Afterwards, I think the chocolate got to her and she opened up a bit and played.  I imagine much of it has to do with the fact that most kids she hangs out with now are older than her.

Anyway... here are some pictures from her little party:

 my mom made the cupcakes - they were, of course, delicious!!!

 chocolate-frosting buzz

2!

I made these felt penne, tomatoes, spinach and cheese for Edie and am a little proud of myself :) Only $2.80 and it was so easy!  Vera made her several adorable cards and a paper iphone ♥

playing in the girls' room

a delicious and fun birthday lunch with Tia at Finca - it is fun to share a birthday [almost] with my little girl! Edie is opening her first very own laptop [my 'peeta!]

*me two!

What a fun age this is still... I think I've been writing that since she was 10 months old.  I guess I just love the discovering the world-learning-to-play-and-talk-and-understand stage!!

This 2 year old: 

... is in a bit of a shy phase with other people. It makes me sad they don't get to hear her true jabbering, energetic, silly little self!  They ask her a question and she just stares or says the answer super quiet to me.

... had one more well-visit with Dr. Katie.  It was pretty funny - she wouldn't budge and answer a single question. Dr. Katie did elicit one awesome giggle "looking" for her hands and then tickling under her arm :)  She weighed 23 lbs (12%) and was 32.75" (22%). 

... loves "la playa" book - a bilingual story about going to the beach.  We read it every day and I try to switch to the Spanish often :)  She also loves Dogger [please get this at a library if you haven't read it!],  Are you my Mother, Panda Bear Panda Bear [I hear her reciting this one to herself], If you Give a Pig a Pancake, Little Mommy....

... loves to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Super Why and whatever Vera watches, though thankfully she doesn't have a long attention span yet.  She'll ask: Gickey Mouse o(n)? Check? Doc 'Suffins o(n)? Check??

... is a pro at the iphone and has been for months. so crazy.  I try to keep it out of reach but she finds a way!  They both love the Toca Boca games..

... does not have [[yet]] the huge hysterical tantrums Vera used to have.  She does sometimes SCREAM at the top of her lungs and will pull hair, hit, bite scratch if she doesn't get her way.  She does seem a little horrified afterwards and gives a sincere sorry and kisses.

... sings her ABCs about 50% correctly and counts about the same - a lot of it is just mimicking her sister : )
 
... wants me to sing Cristo Me Ama and You are my Sunshine at nap/bedtimes.

... is a stubborn little eater.  If she loves it, she eats a lot. If she doesn't want it, she pushes it away and says you eat it!  She loves macaroni and cheese or any pasta dish, pancakes, eggs and ketchup, anything dipped in ranch, apples, choc iclee (chocolate ice cream), shablablas (strawberries), lummy logurt (yummy yogurt), booties (pirates booty)...


... still hides Puppy in the craziest places. Just now I finally found him in a cupboard- in a pot with the lid on. She will put him in the dryer, in drawers, zipped up in a couch pillow.  Whew it is exhausting.


**here's a link to when Vera turned 2

*FELIZ

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our sweet, cuddly, spunky, feisty, stubborn, silly, adorable little stinker of a 2 year old :)  Eden Violet Siu-Lan Cater, we love you SO MUCH and are so happy you are in our family!!!!

*cheese!*

[this is from a couple weeks ago, but is one of my favorite pictures!!  

btw Melissa (aka Uncle Matty-lisa) designed her little Lucky Brand sweater!]

*big sister

This morning was quite a treat and I wanted to record it.  Vera has [[thankfully!]] been going to bed a lot earlier, and so waking up around the same time as Edie. This morning she got Edie out of her bed by herself, got her some milk in her blue tup [Edie's special blue sippy], got herself some cheerios and basically just took care of her little sister for about an hour while Ben and I slept in!!  I could hear her reading Pinkalicious and other books, talking so sweetly and just being an awesome, amazing, responsible big sister.  I only heard one scream out of Edie - I think Vera wasn't letting her have glee booties [veggie booty] for breakfast.  It was so cute!  Vera was so proud  :) 

They get to watch two shows this morning for being so good:

*

We have a vacant lot out behind our house and the girls went out to explore it for the first time yesterday.  It made me beyond happy to see them traipsing out with their baskets, ready to explore and collect "berries" or whatever else they could find under the cottonwoods.  I told Vera how I used to play in a lot with my best friend, pretending we were the Ingalls family - bears and panthers out to get us :)  I am so happy my kids get this kind of small town childhood, at least for now!

*hawaiian day

Hawaiian Day at school - Vera was in the top 5% for school spirit.  When we get to school, we always walk through an area where older kids are in line for their lunch. Vera always looks a little self-conscious and proud walking through - especially if she has her bike or today, her grass skirt. It's cute.  

a few classmates. yes this girl second from the right is the tallest in her class!!

they both love to walk along this bench... still so crazy to me that Vera goes to Fritsch!  

I didn't go there by the way, I went to St. Theresa's - we drove by the other day, such nostalgia! It's not yellow and brown anymore, for those of you who didn't know.  and there's a fence blocking you from entering the playground!  I remember going back with my friend, Marie, years later - incapable of believing how small everything was and how filled with memories!  Anyway, that was a tangent...