On Vacation

We're on vacation visiting my folks. Uncle Nouri came down for the weekend to join us. Here we are with him enjoying a snack at the farmers' market. (Molly was practicing pouring her fresh apple juice into a little cup and then drinking it)

Molly's Three!

happy belated third birthday, Molly. You went to your 3-year checkup today and everything looks good. It's funny, looking back, I see that I often wait until the "official checkup" to write a "letter" to you. Maybe that's why last year's letter never really got finished. Between getting pregnant with Clara and waiting for the results of your MRI, it just didn't happen.

Anyhow, it's looking like this one will be written. First, I want to say how completely grown-up you seemed to me today. Okay. We say that every six months. But really! It's true! This time I am specifically comparing you to every other time I've taken you to the doctor. You were super today - following directions, talking to the nurses & to Dr. Saba, etc. I remember last year when they tried to measure your height you wouldn't stand next to the ruler even. And when they tried to take your blood pressure pre-MRI there was no way you would let that happen. And even in our recent visits for your various illnesses (earaches, vomit, etc) you were much more hesistant with everything, although I guess those were different because you were actually sick.

Anyhow, today the nurse tested your eyes (this was cool - they had an eye chart with line drawings of apples, houses, and umbrellas instead of letters). Then she weighed and measured you (by the way, you're no longer considered "obese" like you were last year - now you're just "borderline overweight"). Then Dr. Saba did more tests, but called them questions and games ("what's your name", "are you a girl or a boy", "how old are you", "draw a circle for me", "walk over here and get these stickers", etc.). She also said it's okay that you can't pedal a tricycle yet.

The funnest test was the hearing test. You sat on my lap and the nurse put earphones on you and asked you to raise your hand when you heard a beep in either ear. At first you just announced that you heard a beep and pointed to your ear, but it was neat watching you remember that she wanted you to raise your hand. By the end you were raising your hand on the beep like a pro.

Anyhow, why am I describing your doctor's visit in such detail? In a way, to me, it's a way to describe how grown up you seem now. Zach commented after your birthday that you suddenly seemed much older - the difference between 2-year old Molly and 3-year old Molly becoming apparent almost overnight. I agree with him but I've been struggling to come up with concrete examples, so, I'm using your checkup as an example.

But it doesn't cover some of the other things that are slightly more subtle - things like giving us sassy answers that are actually intended to be sassy. Or anticipating answers or events.

It also doesn't cover all the crazy changes that have occured in your life this past year: potty training, preschool, and let's not forget your little sister! Each one of these things are huge and I wouldn't say that they were easy for you, but you certainly did well.

So, Miss Molly - happy being 3! I know you're looking forward to "when I'm a grown up", but you seem to be doing a durn good job enjoying being a little big kid.

First Foods

After much anticipation, Molly and Clara shared a few bites of rice cereal this afternoon. Clara was a little confused, but excited and gamely sucked the spoon clean. Molly narrated the whole event and enjoyed chowing on one of her favorite foods, but later threw it up.

And with this, I suppose, we have to say goodbye to the breastmilk baby poops.

Reading Rainbow

Scene: Sofia enters Molly's room at the end of her afternoon "one hour rest" (she doesn't like to call it nap time lest she be pigeonholed into actually napping). Molly is looking at books in her bed.

Sofi: Your hour is over.
Molly: I'm reading books!
S: That's great.
M: But I don't know how to read!
S: That's okay, you can look at the pictures.
M: Can you teach me to read?

So much for my Waldorfian visions of letting her wait until first grade to read. I should have known I never had a chance with her dads early reading and my own self-starter reading pre-Waldorf first grade.

We proceeded to talk about letters having sounds, letters making words, etc. "Dhuh!" "Dhuh!" she says. "That's the sound that D makes!".

Zach suggested making letter cards, so we sat down and made a few cards with letters (she already recognizes them all) and short word/picture combinations on the back. Any other suggestions on how to channel this reading excitement without turning it into a chore? Or where to start with this?

Puke-o-Rama

Molly has some sort of stomach virus so we've been knee-deep in throw up over here. Just when we thought we were all done, she announced another round this evening. Other than the puking, though, she seems to be pretty much fine. With the first round, she gleefully exclaimed: "Guess who's sick?! Molly is!". And with tonights round, when she finished vomiting I had to hold her back to stop her from trying to do a slip-slidey dance in the stuff. Yum.

In the shade

[March 9, 2008: Clara, fascinated by her sister; really fascinated; Molly sharing her sand-filled sock ("here! eat it! it's yummy! it's soup!"); More sock ("it's for you!"); Zach and his ladies.]

Minivans, explained

We don't have one, but I finally understand why they became so popular in the 80's (or was it the 90's?). Once parents were required to strap their kids into car seats, they could no longer fit three across in the backseat. So, if they wanted to go anywhere with more than four people (parents + 2 kids), like, say, a guest or a friend or perhaps even another child, they needed a third row of seats.

That is, unless you're Zach and you're okay wedging yourself between the carseats and sitting sideways (and that's going to protect you in case of an accident how?).

January Pics - Less Out (More In)

Jan 19, sisters; Jan 23, family in motion; Jan 11, Clara in a rare, non-swaddled sleep.

January Pics - More Out

More pictures from our day at Ardenwood with Nona.

January Pics - Out and About

Just after the new year (January 2) we went for a walk and enjoyed a trail that I worked on last Spring & Summer.

research-based parenting

When I finished graduate school I joined the alumni association as a lifetime member because they offered a ridiculously low one-time fee for recent graduates and because it was clear Zach and I were planning on staying in the area for a while. It hasn't actually been that useful, but two interesting/helpful things have come of it: 1) the lost key return program - When you join they give you a magic key chain. On one side it has the Berkeley insignia and on the other side it promises postage paid to return the keys if found. I figured I had nothing but my keys to lose and put it on my keychain. And guess what. I lost my keys (imagine that!), and they were actually returned! 2) they send an alumni magazine every month that is, as Zach put it, actually interesting. My point is not that I'm really happy that I didn't lose my keys permanently that one time. Rather, it's to point out something interesting I found in the magazine a few months ago: the Greater Good Science Center [http://peacecenter.berkeley.edu/]. This research unit at UC Berkeley is "devoted to the scientific understanding of happy and compassionate individuals, strong social bonds, and altruistic behavior" and committed "to helping people apply scientific research to their lives" (yes, there's a research center in Berkeley devoted to feeling good). Anyhow, the point of the article was to point out one of the research centers new endeavours - you guessed it, research based parenting. Through short videos and blog posts a sociologist "gives moms and dads practical tools for raising happy and emotionally literate kids." Turns out a lot of the information is useful for every part of life, not just parenting, but it's focused on kids (actually, parents). Recent topics have included forming good habits, and how to fight with your partner. Good stuff. :)

January Pics - Sofi + Clara

almost done with January Pics...

Clara & I on the couch at home; stopped on the side of the road to nurse; trying to get out of Tilden after a walk; trying again (some days we it seems like we never get anywhere. this was one of those days); and getting used to the Ergo.

and they all rolled over...

Including Clara!

(who still seems a little surprised when it happens)

First roll: Thursday, March 4, 2008 (showing off on her sister's birthday?). It now happens pretty much every time we lay her down and let her try. And that's the thing, we don't have many opportunities to lay her down and let her try, with the million other things going on in the house. No wonder her first roll was with Flor - she's able to slow down and give the girl some play-mat time.

sisters

She's a good big sister, that one.

This picture was taken on our way to the park the day that we had the "24 hour wait" drilled into our head. You know the rule: the child must stay home from school until they've been fever-free for 24 hours. We mistakenly thought that because Molly was feeling better and the fever was due to an ear infection she was clear for school. Now we know. Fever = no school for 24 hours. Sorry Molly.

In other news, I just tonight finally got around to taking pictures off my camera. Between kids getting sick, adults getting sick, life happening, etc., it turns out that I hadn't taken the pictures off since early February. Yikes. Hopefully, at some point I will actually get those pictures posted for our enjoyment.

sadie the cat

So our old friend Sadie the cat died peacefully in her sleep last week. It was a bit of a surprise - we had recently been to the vet who hadn't found any major problems besides her usual pudginess - but she had been lagging a bit lately. She was a well traveled cat, born outside of Eugene Oregon in 1997 and then living in New York City, Long Island, San Francisco, Oakland and finally Berkeley. She was a sweet and friendly cat who loved to be pet, often walking up to an unsuspecting hand and rubbing her head against it to "jump-start" the process. We'll miss you, Sadie.

m3

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