Multitasking

Making Dinner. Talking on the phone.

Pastimes - New and Old

Often my no's to the baby are very exaggerated. Like when she wants to walk around with a glass of grape juice I give her a very animated "Noooooo!" I shouldn't be surprised that she's picked it up and delivers it in the same obnoxious way I do it- face included.



Walking around collecting things. In her shirt.

Redemption

Eric's mother made Danica a frog hat. It is freaking adorable. We've only worn it out a couple times and it practically stops traffic with all the attention it gets. This could be the start of something.

Snow

Check out the snow we could see from our backyard last week.

10 More Days to Go

Here's Danica figuring out which present she is going to destroy first. I'm pressing my luck but I'm really going to teach her to leave them alone. So far, she's doing well.
Yes, we have a tree. I know, so against everything I have stood for for so long. It's amazing how quickly my convictions take a back seat to my kid's enjoyment. Eric and I loved the trees and presents as kids. How can we not give her the experience?

Escort Barbie

I would never actually buy my kid a Barbie of course, but she did get a little one in her Happy Meal once and I thought, "What the hell?" and let her keep it. She was holding it at dinner last week and I really took a good look at it. Since when did they make Coke Whore Barbie? Does this doll not look like she'd show up at your hotel room one night still sniffling from the blow she just did in the car on the way there? Not that I would pass judgment on the way a person chooses to make a living or self medicate, but this doll went into the trash as soon as the picture was taken.

On the plate- veggie patty, corn, cheddar broccoli rice. Almost none of it eaten. I make a dinner for Danica every night that I hope she'll eat and it's anyone's guess if she'll even touch it. She takes after her father. Picky eaters. I don't understand them. Not hungry? What does that even mean?!?

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving in Borrego Springs. We had a great time. Eric bought Danica a little electric quad. She can't peddle her tricycle yet but apparently, a throttle is a lot easier to operate than a set of peddles. Our friends' daughter Kristi spent a lot of time teaching Danica how to ride it. It rained briefly on Thanksgiving day but that wasn't a big deal. It dried up quickly and we still had a delicious dinner. The best part of the rain was the amazing double rainbow that followed. None of us had ever seen one before.
It was really funny that Danica was scared of Eric when he was all geared up. She couldn't get away from him fast enough. I didn't ride my bike this trip. There was something wrong with the idle so I rode the Rhino with Amy. It was hard to believe how well that little vehicle climbed hills and sped over rocks. Scary and super fun.
If you're wondering what Danica is doing, she is doing a handstand with her feet up on the back wall of the trailer. I was impressed with her upper body strength.

Dog Lover

Danica is a dog lover. She spent the whole trip petting, poking, and pulling on Riley (above) and Sandy (below). I finally had to draw the line when she licked Sandy's face.

Men Can Breastfeed

I just read this article. http://blogs.static.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/20193.html

Surprises

My wise friend Emily asked me if I had been surprised by any aspect of motherhood. My habitual and sincere answer since Danica was born was, "No." I reasoned that realistic people of realistic age have realistic expectations. Since then I've been rethinking my knee jerk reply. Now that Danica is almost two, I realized that I can no longer refer to sleepless nights and leaky diapers. These days, every minute is a marvel. It seems like her little brain is developing in a way that I never could have predicted. To watch her encounter a problem for the first time (How can I see what's on the counter?) and then engineer her own solution (I will pull over my chair and stand on it) is a small miracle that I am privileged to witness on a daily basis. Watching her discover her own joy at splashing water at the beach literally made my heart ache with love and gratitude. I am overwhelmed with the responsibility of her experiences. She is a perfect little being with all the potential in the world and at this stage in the game, her father and I are pretty much the only ones who can screw it up. The pressure of the last statement is outweighed only by the melodrama....
I used to tell myself that I was going to stimulate her mind at every opportunity, every "teachable moment." I would practice all the latest and greatest child rearing methods gleaned from the many stacks of books I've read on developmental theory. The reality? I try to socialize her by taking her out in a variety of public settings but she often gets dragged around with me on my errands when I'm in too much of a hurry to let her explore her surroundings. I stifle her curiosity and autonomy with my fascist demands that she not touch things because they are potentially messy or dirty. I often stick her in front of the TV for huge chunks of time so I can get work done. Imagination Movers, Backyardigans, and Back at the Barnyard. Those are her favorite shows where she is least likely to call for me and my business calls must all fit within those three shows each day.
I can't say it's the best I can do but I'm a pragmatist. I am surprised that I have this attitude about my baby, the most precious thing I have ever been responsible for in my life. But I've got at least 16 more years of this responsibility ahead of me and I am only human.

God's Country

We're finding that the city of Corona is super conservative; much more than we knew. The first clue was all the yellow “Yes on 8” signs that popped up like dandelions on everyone’s lawns prior to the election. Neighbors who seemed kind and sane turned out to be raging bigots. Last week Eric went to check out the local library. He likes to check out the financial books and at the HB library, the finance books take up a whole floor. At the Corona library, he found there is only a small section filled with titles like “God and Your Money” or “Financial Freedom through Jesus.” He actually had difficulty finding a secular piece of literature. What did we get ourselves into?
I look forward to January when we will be delivered from the dark age of ignorance and violence. When our government returns to the pursuit of intelligence, science, and tolerance.

Representation

I have been looking for an Asian doll. On the shelves at our local Toys R Us, there are dozens of white dolls, a dozen black dolls, and even a few brown dolls. Asian doll count = 0. I thought we'd have at least one doll on the shelf for this coming holiday season? After all, there might be a few Asian people out there with $30 to spend on a doll.
A quick online search shows my options. If I don't want my doll to look like an alien or a raver, I can expect to spend $60-$90 for a well crafted representation. For any less than that, you get the same stock plastic molded face with slits for eyes. I'm not even going to get into the other idignancy of just how much porn comes up when one types the phrase "Asian doll" into the search bar. (Whole other issue.)

Or maybe we are such the Model Minority, that we aren't expected to complain.

Halloween

Our little fairy didn't go trick or treating. We thought she'd enjoy passing out candy instead. It was just as well that we didn't go out because after about five minutes (just long enough to snap some photos) she was over her costume.

She was great at passing out candy. She loved seeing all the kids in their costumes and even wanted to hug some of the little guys who were her size. She grabbed handfuls of candy and painstakingly got each fist into various pillow cases and buckets. The kids were very patient and sweet.
Throughout the night, Danica kept dumping the candy bucket on the floor so she could pick all the pieces up. I thought this was a great way for her to entertain herself while working on those fine motor skills so I let her have at it. It was this morning while picking through the leftover candy that Eric noticed all the candy had bite marks in them. I don't even want to know what people will be thinking but I'm pretty sure they'll figure out who did it.

High Heels

I didn't know this would start at 22 months. My flip flops she's been wearing for over a year now but digging my heels out of the closet was a surprise.

Princesses

Here are Izzy and Danica playing dress up. In the first picture, I crouched down for the shot so they did too.
Adorable.

First Jump, First Party

We had our first party here at the new house. It was a first for me cooking for more than eight people. Although I don't know if this counts since we barbecued and I didn't actually cook.
Danica played in the jumper for the first time. She's seen lots of them but has always been afraid to go in one. I guess having it at her own house made a difference. It was also a big confidence booster to see Isabella jump right in there. Isabella is three and gives Danica lots of good ideas.

Hollywood Values

Chad showed me this very disturbing website http://www.conservapedia.com/Main_Page. If you enjoy rubbing lemon wedges on your sunburn or listening to W speak, you may find this site informative. I enjoy neither of the above yet I was compelled to look; much like a train wreck. I read the entire entry on Hollywood Values. I couldn't stop myself.

First Pose

This is the first time Danica knowingly posed for a picture. I said, "Go stand by your bike so I can take a picture," and she walked over and posed.
As soon as I took the picture, she walked over and wanted to see it on the camera.

Getting Started

We'll see how it goes.