movie star

I hope Marie will post a picture of Victor in his wonderful little Elvis costume (that's his guitar E has above). We showed the kids off at work for a few minutes today. I didn't take E trick or treating. She just doesn't get it yet. I did lecture her that we were giving the candy away, it wasn't hers, and she was fine with that. She just made sure the trick or treaters knew that they couldn't take her blanket, paper, or crayons.

sigh

Good morning everyone and happy Tuesday. I would love to hunker down in Purple Blanket World today, but instead I need to go to work. It's been a busy few days. We visited Grandpa on his birthday on Sunday, while Aunt Kim and Uncle Bill were visiting. Granny Annie was there too, and (sadly) E was aloof with her - except when it came time to get tickles from everyone in the room. E went around and stood in front of each of us in turn, presenting her back, which I think is her favorite place to get tickled. Then she came around again and returned the favor, tickling each of us.

inside purple blanket world

I see why she likes it.

pictures for Daddy

bluffing about climbing out of the crib

waking up happy from a nap on Sunday

sleepy and fuzz-focused on our way to the sitter's Monday morning

You're coming with me, Grandpa

From a few weeks ago, trip to the children's museum with Grandma and Grandpa.

... if only I could get this door to close! (the museum staff ensured that it won't)

Update for Daddy, who's working out of town. E left you a phone message last night. She listened hard after the beep, then finally said "buttons" and "mm-mah" and kissed the phone, twice. On the second time she grabbed the phone in order to kiss it harder, and she pressed the "mute" button partway through the kiss. Also, I wanted to tell you that when you drove away on Friday, as your car pulled away she clenched her fist in the air after you as if to snatch the car back and she yelled with great intensity, "Mine!"

fall festival

Some pictures from a few weeks ago.

figuring out what to do with sidewalk chalk

Mine!

E's possessive shouts fill the air on the playground, in the children's museum, everywhere we go. She's also trying out the word "yours" a bit, trying to figure out its nuances, but it's clear she thinks it's a synonym for "mine" - which of course it is, when I say it. She hadn't seen Victor for over 2 weeks and on Tuesday morning when I told her she would see him again, her face briefly lit up but then immediately took on a worried expression as she announced, "Mine." A pre-emptive general claim for the day.

Victor came over here yesterday and a few times E shouted "mine, mine, mine!" until she got red in the face. David observed last night, "I guess little kids are naturally conservative: they don't like change, and they think everything is theirs." But Victor was so suave - E's shouts hardly fazed him. He just kept on playing while I intervened, or he went on to another toy. At other times E was desperately trying to get him to notice her, like when she put her head on the floor and looked back through her legs. She adjusted position a few times so he could see what she was doing, and she said, "Dit-duh, see!".

surprises

E surprised me when she learned her colors and shapes, and now yesterday she surprised us by counting! All the way to 4, then 5. (All subsequent numbers were 2.) She recently started noticing the words and letters in books. She called them all "E" or "M" but the gears are really turning. I've been trying not to push her, just letting her be a little kid and play, which seemed appropriate for the first two years; but she's learning so quickly from other people and our casual conversations with her. She is hungry for this stuff. I guess it's time for nursery school. Can't believe she'll be two in a few weeks. She is so not a baby anymore.

In Memoriam

My good friend Sue from London passed away on October 12th. She had breast cancer. We met 15 years ago - we both started temp jobs on the same day in November 1992, at British Gas headquarters in London. I remember that she wrote to-do lists on the back of her hand, something I had occasionally done. I decided it was okay to do since someone glamorous like her also did it. Sue was an actress, a writer, a cat lover, a horsewoman, and a world traveler. Trips we took together: Cyprus, Le Touquet in France, Hastings in England, the Outer Banks in North Carolina, Dublin in Ireland, Bruges and Brussels in Belgium. We shared a profound love of food. This picture was just in August when I last saw her, for a weekend trip between rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. We had an awful time meeting my train, and she waited with me until time to go meet her own train. She was absolutely exhausted, but determined to live life to the fullest possible extent. Sue was only 5 years older than me. She has friends all over the world.

we're back

Home from our trips. E had a great time with her grandparents, and they with her. A cat chewed through the cord that I use to upload photos from my camera, while we were gone.

E getting drunk

This is the last post for this week. E is going to spend a few days with Grandma Mickey and Grandpa Bud, while David goes with me on a work trip.

E misses V

Emma now understands when we're driving to the sitter's and I say Victor's not going to be there. She usually says, matter-of-factly, "home". But she still talks about him and asks to see pictures of him whenever I sit at the computer.

E flies a plane

(her mommy is trying to be funny)

little blonde Dutch girl

I brought E some wooden shoes back from Amsterdam in August, and she finally got excited about them last week.

This one is a good view of the shoes, if not the head!