reaching out

E surprised and delighted me last night. When I said she could play by herself while I fixed her dinner, I expected the usual loud whining protest, "Mommy, play, me!" (accompanied by attempts to grab me by the leg and drag me to the living room). Instead, she had an idea. She said, "Daddy play". I said, "Oh, yes, I bet Daddy will play with you! Go in there and ask him. Say 'Daddy play with me?'" She was already heading toward his office. She walked in eagerly and said sincerely, "Daddy, play, me?" I translated for him and then she added, of her own accord, "please!" (It sounds like "BEEZE".) He said, "What do you want to play?" She went and got her little play toolbox and indicated she wanted to play on the waterbed. I got to fix dinner in peace.

This was such a delight because for a long time E has been so rude to her Daddy when I'm around, not wanting him to pick her up when she could have me instead. She's fine when I'm not there, apparently, but it's been really annoying and hurtful. This is the first time I've seen her reach out to him, unprompted, in my presence. And she even went into a different room from me and played with him for a while without looking for me or mentioning me (I think). I keep telling both of them that one day, E will think Daddy is more fun than Mommy.

birthday part 4

David reminded me I misreported E's birthday sequence of events: she threw up before opening presents. So she's clean and a bit subdued in this last selection of pics.

"luggage - just what every two year old wants!" (hey, it has zippers)

Happy Happy Birthday, E!

Next up... Thanksgiving

birthday part 3

E was not pleased to be deposited in a cockpit for a photo op - what kind of plane was it, David?

Luckily B was an enthusiastic pilot and kept the plane from crashing.

At our 5 pm dinner David brought out glow jewelry for the girls. Dinner was kind of rushed but the conversation was good. Nice to eat out with other parents of small children. We exchanged objects-in-nose stories and got potty training advice. The girls were very tired and E wouldn't eat. So we ordered the cake.

Mommy blew out the candles while E made a wish.

Everyone was a good sport about wearing birthday hats!

E and her goofy parents

You'll have to wait for the picture of Uncle Calvin in a birthday hat.

air show bonus picture

birthday part 2, air show day 2

We got to the air show around lunchtime on the Saturday. Met up with David's friend and his family. The little girl, "B", who's 3 years old, was very excited that it was E's birthday and gave her a present -- E's first My Little Pony. E was sleepy and not sure what to make of B's enthusiasm, but she wasn't as defensive as usual and let B hold her hand as we walked from the cars into the show. David and Craig took lots of pictures and I'm sure they were glad to have each other to talk to about the planes.

B is more into airplanes than E is.

Because I hated the noise of the Blue Angels jets on Friday (I know, I'm a wooss, however you spell that!), on Saturday I escaped with E to the adjacent aviation museum when it was time for them to start. We ate lunch in the cafe at 2:00. I had brought a peanut butter sandwich for her to eat when we first got there, but she refused it. She ate a buttery grilled-cheese instead. Before that she pressed on her stomach and said "hurts" -- first clues of what was to come. I wondered if it was just hunger.

Then she played in the children's area of the museum, staking her claims on all the toys.

An assertive preschooler overcomes E's territorial concerns and teaches her how to doodle. E is not fighting her for the pen here; she's allowing the girl to guide her hand.

The girl also happens to be a qualified flight training supervisor.

B and her mother joined us after a while and played while we waited for the daddies. More later.

E's birthday, part 1

Dear readers, thanks for your patience waiting for birthday pics and explanations. We drove to Florida on Nov. 8th and back on Nov. 11th, spending 2 days in Pensacola, Florida. We stayed with my uncle Calvin and went to the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show on the 9th and 10th. On the 10th, E's birthday, we met up with David's friend from Mississippi and his wife and 3 year old daughter. They went to Ruby Tuesday's with us for dinner and birthday cake after the air show. It was a lot of fun. After that, we opened presents back at Uncle Calvin's house and E threw up her cake! (Her vomit smelled like chocolate.) That was the only blip in a good, long, day. I can't believe we have a 2 year old. But then some days I can't believe she was ever a newborn! She has such a personality. I've written about the "mine" stage. That was my main reason for not trying to give her a birthday party. She'd feel too stressed by the other kids. A family trip was a better idea. And it might be the last year that she doesn't know what she's "supposed" to do on her birthday - no social pressure! She did, however, already know that cake has to be involved.

Here is how she started her birthday:

appreciating a pop-tart breakfast

practicing unlocking and locking the car

appreciating the fine Florida sand in the yard

birthday nap: 15 minutes in the car on the way to the air show

air show day 1

2 years old!

E had a happy birthday on Saturday. We had nice weather for the air show, and she wore the ear muffs! (thank you God - that eased my stress). When I got her up on Saturday morning and told her it was her birthday, the first thing she said was "Cake". The next thing she said was to sing three notes quietly, "-day to you..."

more later...

E has something to say

ggggggggghhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjlj/

m; gjjjjjjjvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjvvvvvvvvv
vvvvvvv
;;;;;;;';;;;;;;;pppppppp[

We are going on a family trip this weekend.
.
-- ,'] ]' ; nl;bj0uhh4q,LK ;;;;;IP L

To Pensacola Florida. E turns 2 On sA TURDAY.

MMMMMMMMMMMMM,
wE'LL REPORT ON mONDAY!

counting girl

Here's E counting pieces of cheese toast.

a moving story about adoption

http://relativechoices.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/test/

Read this! With a tissue handy. The power of knowing one's story....

sleeping through the night

E sleeps through the night, but I don't. I was undisciplined about caffeine yesterday, and though I fell asleep okay around 10 pm, when I heard her talk in her sleep at 4:12 I couldn't go back to sleep. She called out, "No, Mommy Mommy" and of course I had a little adrenaline surge, but before I could get out of bed she was quiet again. So for the last hour I've been making a long to-do list and reading about picky eaters and toilet training on babycenter.com. I can see my free time eroding even more over the next year!

Last night we went out to eat and there was a baby who stared at E the whole time. She watched him too, and said with her little concerned eyebrows look as she clutched her basket of fries: "MINE! Baby... take it?!" There's a certain inflection she has that I don't know how to describe in writing. It's kind of an alarmed whine. She says it every morning on the way to the sitter's: "Banket... Victor... take it?!" My friend who babysat Friday night with her 1 year old said that after she put E to bed, after she was quiet for about 15 minutes, her toddler dropped a toy in the kitchen and made a loud noise. They heard E's sleepy voice call out from the back of the house, "MINE!"

birthday dinner

Today is my birthday and my parents took us all out for dinner last night. My dad made this video of E twirling her fork and enjoying fettucine alfredo.