Weekly Update

Oh goodness!

I can't believe this week. L had a run of the mill annoying childhood illness last week that was no big deal, but still lasted the whole week and we were inside. Despite this setback, L seems to have learned a lot of things this week. You'll have to excuse that lots of our photos are pajamas.

The first thing she figured out was how to climb into her high chair. I was basically just cooking and she was running around the kitchen when I turned around and saw her sitting on the high chair. She then got down and got right back up. She's been sort of obsessed with buckles lately, and she'll sit in that chair for 20 minutes at a time working on that buckle. I'm not complaining!





It's too cute!

She's also learned to reply correctly when you ask her, "What does a cow say?" and "What does a Lion say?" and this week she added "What does a kitty cat say?" We noticed that she was following our cat james around and saying "ow" to him over and over and we figured out that she's saying, "meow!" It's so adorable.

She learned something else this week with the cats too. It started over the weekend with Brad. She was having a particularly naughty day pulling his glasses off. Each time he'd look her in the eyes and do the sign for "no" and say, "no." Then she started taking his glasses off and looking at him with her most serious face and saying, "doh" and doing the sign for no. It's cute in that exasperating sort of way. SO... back to the cats. She now follows either cat around the house and does the sign for no while telling them, "doh, doh, doh." I guess I spend too much time telling the cats no!

She also learned the sign for music this week and asks for it in her room before bed. She also learned the sign for fish. We've done this sign on and off for her (we don't see that many fish) and last week she saw one and just did it. It's very scary to think how much of all that we're doing she's remembering! Yikes!

I know I will have to take some video of this stuff. It's hard to remember to do, but I know it's going to pass by too fast not to!

We took a couple of random photos this week. I made macaroni and cheese with cauliflower for dinner one night and it was too oniony for L. So after we'd stripped her down, she only ended up eating a bagel.



What a happy girl!



It's pretty amazing to watch how independent she's becoming. L wanted to put her own coat on this week. We weren't leaving the house but she was just very much wanting to put her coat on.













(lets just pretend that my house is clean, okay?)



Finally after the entire season of wishing it would happen... we got some real snow! Brad even had to shovel the walk. L was not really sure that she liked snow, but she tolerated it well enough to snap a few photos. She most definitely did not want to venture off of the sidewalk into the real snow.





Daddy showed L how to make a snowball for a mini-snowman.



and L showed him what she does with stacks of anything...



She knocks them over!

As for this photo, cold ears? I'm not sure.



We'll see you next week!

Weekly Update

I'm not great with words, nor am I very political, but I have to speak about how I'm feeling today. I'm afraid my words are insufficient, so let me borrow words from a man who died not that long ago for his beliefs that we are all equal and that we are all deserving of equality.

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood."

"Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring—when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics—will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Do I think that all our work is done? No, most clearly it is not, but I do think that it would be wrong to allow the day to pass without expressing how important this day is for my family.

A man with skin the same color as my precious baby girl is leading our country.

Barack Obama is not only a black man. I don't think that the people of the United States elected him because he is black. I would hate to make it all about race, because it isn't.

It is important though. My daughter, who doesn't have a disney princess that mirrors her, can look at the head of our country and see two beautiful little girls that look just like her. No matter who won the election, L was going to grow up knowing that she can do whatever she sets her mind to, but what a glorious thing that she'll never remember a time before this. Just as I don't remember a time when there would have been a law barring our family from forming, or segregated schools (but my parents do), she will not remember a time before the first black president. What a glorious thing for her to experience.

I don't pretend to be an expert in race issues. I know that I didn't have a clue before L came to be my daughter (though I really really thought I did). I also know that there is a long long way to go. We see a little overt racism in our everyday experience, but mostly we see the little tiny subtle things all around us (for example, go to the toy aisle and check out the little people. notice the jobs that each of the little people of color have. strange, isn't it?). I don't think that racism will ever be completely destroyed, but imagining where we've been it gives me tremendous hope for where we're going.

I'm also deeply moved about how the country seems to be so united by Obama. He's so inspiring to so many people and regardless of how the next 4 years go, and regardless of whether or not he lives up to all our expectations, we are all so excited and buzzing right now. I've heard of so many people recording this so they could watch it when they get home from work. When's the last time anybody did that? I think we're all ready for some kind of change. At this point I think we're all just putting some hope in Obama that he can help steer us in the right direction.

So, I know it's not about race. It's about this inspiring man who has united the entire country in a way that nobody has for a long long long time, and that man just so happens to be black. We hear so often on the news about how terrible everything is. I'm just so thankful to sit back and think about what great news all of this is.

So that was my very poor way of trying to say how I feel about today's events. I'm sad I'm not down on the mall right now freezing my tail off and snapping photos for my scrapbook.

and now... onto the weekly update!

It hasn't really been a very exciting week. We've gotten lots of random photos though.

We met with our playgroup at a local mall to get the kids out of the house. L loves the play area there and had a great time.





We also took a few random ones just around the house.





yogurt face (excuse the bed-head):



Kissy, kissy:









L is obsessed with her belly button. She just seems to remember it every once in a while and then has to check it out and make sure it's still doing okay.



We also got our first snow this week. It melted in about 30 minutes, but it was there! L played by the window all day watching it come down. It was too cute.

A peculiar little half smile:



Pointing at the snow:





L is little miss imitate lately. Last night we picked up a kitchen for her to have to play with and she wanted to help her daddy put it together. It was very cute.





... and that's it! Thanks for hanging in there and we'll see you next week!

Weekly Update

It's been a big week! Nothing too exciting has happened, but we seem to have taken lots and lots of photos. It's going to be a long one...

Between the trash, recycling and yard waste pickup days, we have the big red trash truck coming around most weekdays. L usually just has time to eat some breakfast and get dressed when they come around. She doesn't like to miss it!

She'll stand at the glass door and watch them go all the way around our cul-de-sac.











After the truck has moved on to pick up other people's trash, L goes back about her day. I love it when she sits like this:



That afternoon (Tuesday) we played with L's friend E. I can't believe I didn't get any photos of the two of them! L and E play together at least once a week and have such a great time. Don't worry I'll get some photos soon!

Wednesday we had our regular playgroup and then L and I went to L's friend T's house. T is 3 months younger than L and is the closest in age (I think) to L in our church group. It's been fun to watch them grow together and see how they interact differently as they grow. It doesn't hurt that T's mama Brooke has to be the nicest person to visit too. Her house is completely L-proof. :o)

Brooke and L drawing:



T had an awesome mini-atv that was a big hit.



T also had a super cool cardboard house that was also a really big hit.





T even has a pet horse that's fun to ride.



I thought for sure that L would be EXHAUSTED from a double playdate morning, but she was the opposite. She took a tiny catnap in the car and by the time we got home she decided it was time to be up. I think we all went to bed early.

Thursday we mostly took it easy. L actually ended up with two naps (which she hasn't done in MONTHS) that day, but between them I decided to try something new and fun. I dumped out a big can of oatmeal on a cookie sheet and put some measuring scoops, etc out and let L just go for it. She had a blast.



She really seemed to enjoy playing in it.



She also enjoyed throwing it out of the cookie sheet onto the floor.



Every once in a while she'd taste some.



... and realize why we don't really eat raw oats. :o)



She enjoyed scooping and spreading them and just having fun.





... and then taste some more...







The oats weren't too messy, except for the dust. L had a runny nose that day and it's funny how the dust was all sticking to her face.





Eventually she branched out to play with the container, too. (notice the oats ALL over the floor)





and then she had to make sure that she still didn't like the way it tasted...





She briefly toyed with the idea of dumping the oats out.



but it was too heavy, and then she found the baby in the oven.



It was very cute. She had a great time running up to her reflection and then running away and back and forth.

I asked her if she was all done with her oats and it turns out she wasn't.



We tried to take a photo of ourselves.



Then it was time to pick up. It was too much fun!! I'm sure this will become a regular activity around our house.



While I picked up L played in the living room with her ball popper.

Everyday L does something new and amazing to me. I can't believe how sometimes you can just SEE her figure something out.



She started out by playing with her ball popper just the way it's meant to be played with. She'd push the buttons, the balls would fly out, she'd chase them. Then the little magnet (on the floor in the above photo) caught her eye and before I could say anything down the hole it went.



Fortunately it came right back out with the balls. L sat for a moment and then quickly got up and ran to the kitchen.



She then came back in with a magnet in each hand from the fridge.



Down they went.



I was just so surprised that she decided to put more magnets in the thing and then went and got them and did it. She's growing up!



I have even more photos, if you can believe it!

These are from breakfast on Sunday morning. L's been working on that spoon, and almost demands one whenever she's eating anything. Yogurt is particularly good for her to eat with the spoon because it's thick enough to stay on.







This one is random. We were at our very most favoritest grocery store in the whole world and found these cookies. We had to get one so we could show it to aunt Lisa who has a soft spot for photos of baked goods. ;o)



It looked better before it was smashed in the bag with the other groceries, but you get the idea. I can't wait until L is older and we can make a big deal about things like presidential inaugurations and every holiday. It's sort of lost on her now, but like I said... she's growing so fast!

... and finally...

Today we went back to T's house because we had so much fun last week. As expected, everyone had a wonderful time and T and L had a particularly good time with this wagon.







Even after T was done, L sat in the wagon like a little queen waiting on someone to come and push her around. It was pretty cute!



What is it about big ole baby eyes that just melt your heart?



I hope everyone has a great week and we'll see you soon!