We love you very much!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Yes, this is the 10th video of Elena walking I have taken this week.
"Running" doesn't look quite as bad, but her walk is like an injured Frankenstein...
We interrupt this blog for a bout of extreme maternal anxiety
Drs. Hausfrau and Hildebrandt-- what is wrong with my child???
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Congratulations! It's a... manatee!
Happy Birthday, dear wonderful Elizabeth. I hope Brutus brings you great joy. Love, Ursi, Andrea and Katy.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The photographer: a self-portrait
So you probably guessed by now... I got Elena a super duper cheapo digital camera and let her loose for a day. She took 236 pictures and I weeded out about 200 of them. Here are a few that remain. This is a day in the life of a two-year-old.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Elena, the wonder child
Elena is amazing. Here are some comments she has made recently.
Obie was meowing loudly at the dog and Ellie was seriously concerned. "What's wrong with Obie? Why doesn't he like the dog? It's okay, Obie, we'll take care of you!" Kevin explained that cats and dogs don't like each other and honestly, her little lip started trembling and a tear fell. What compassion!
"This walking is bothering me. Can we go home now?" A big hill separates us from home: "We have to climb up the big mountain to get home. There it is! There is home! We made it!"
After explaining that we will get take her new toy camera (a $24.00 piece of crap digital camera for kids that broke within a half an hour) into the store to get it replaced tomorrow : "Okay, I will go to bed now, then wake up, then we will get shoes and socks on and go to the camera store and get a new camera."
"Juice! Juice! Juice!" I say to her, "uh-uh, that's not polite way to ask. Try again." She replies with sincerity and in a whisper, "juice."
Obie was meowing loudly at the dog and Ellie was seriously concerned. "What's wrong with Obie? Why doesn't he like the dog? It's okay, Obie, we'll take care of you!" Kevin explained that cats and dogs don't like each other and honestly, her little lip started trembling and a tear fell. What compassion!
"This walking is bothering me. Can we go home now?" A big hill separates us from home: "We have to climb up the big mountain to get home. There it is! There is home! We made it!"
After explaining that we will get take her new toy camera (a $24.00 piece of crap digital camera for kids that broke within a half an hour) into the store to get it replaced tomorrow : "Okay, I will go to bed now, then wake up, then we will get shoes and socks on and go to the camera store and get a new camera."
"Juice! Juice! Juice!" I say to her, "uh-uh, that's not polite way to ask. Try again." She replies with sincerity and in a whisper, "juice."
EXTREME baby
Jesse's temperament is really starting to blossom. He has always (well, since 6 weeks) been very cheerful and happy, but since he started crawling, I have discovered that this kid does not want to stop. Ever. The moment he wakes up, he is on the go. Seriously, he will not even stop for a diaper change or getting dressed. I literally have to chase him across the room with butt wipes and man-handle him to the ground to get his diaper on. When possible, I have Kevin hold him down so I can get one on him quickly. As soon as he is done eating, he squirms out of his high chair and almost slides on the floor unless I rescue him. We never ever used straps (high chair, stroller, etc.) for our mellow Ellie, but now I realize that they are a necessity! In the last week or so, he has even stopped lying down in the stroller for his nap-walk. He will sit up ram-rod straight and eventually fall asleep over the stroller bar. Putting him in his carseat elicits such screams it is like I am severing a limb. He will sleep in the carseat eventually, but he will NOT sleep if we are out and about-- at the grocery store, library, park, etc.-- even if he is exhausted.
On the other hand, he is also very much a sweet cuddly mama's boy. He wants to be held a lot and will come over to me and collapse so that his head is resting on my foot till I pick him up. He will pull up on my legs and tug my pants. He will fall on the ground and scream. He will arch his body and straighten his legs when I try and put him down in a sitting position so that it is totally impossible unless I put him on his back. Then he rolls over and grabs my feet in desperation and lets out a howl of anguish. He still loves loves to nurse, and treats me like a snack bar. He'll nurse a little, then look up and grin, then turn away and watch the action, then nurse some more, then grab my face, then nurse some more, then sit up and inspect me, then lunge at my chest and nurse some more. This baby!
Then when he feeling good, he will crawl out the door and into the garden, scraping up his big legs and feet with reckless abandon and pop whatever horrible dirty object in his mouth then scream when I try and fish it out. He will crawl up to Obie and lunge at him in delight. He will grab Elena's hair and pull, hard. He will try to suck on her face and cries when she tells him no and leaves the room. If I am lying on the floor, he will come over to me and climb on top of me and burrow his head into my shoulder. When he sees Elena running, he will squeal with delight and clap his hands, then crawl after her as fast as he can. When he sees Kevin come home, he opens his hands so wide and makes the biggest toothiest smile you've ever seen.
All in all, a fabulous-- if bit extreme-- baby.
On the other hand, he is also very much a sweet cuddly mama's boy. He wants to be held a lot and will come over to me and collapse so that his head is resting on my foot till I pick him up. He will pull up on my legs and tug my pants. He will fall on the ground and scream. He will arch his body and straighten his legs when I try and put him down in a sitting position so that it is totally impossible unless I put him on his back. Then he rolls over and grabs my feet in desperation and lets out a howl of anguish. He still loves loves to nurse, and treats me like a snack bar. He'll nurse a little, then look up and grin, then turn away and watch the action, then nurse some more, then grab my face, then nurse some more, then sit up and inspect me, then lunge at my chest and nurse some more. This baby!
Then when he feeling good, he will crawl out the door and into the garden, scraping up his big legs and feet with reckless abandon and pop whatever horrible dirty object in his mouth then scream when I try and fish it out. He will crawl up to Obie and lunge at him in delight. He will grab Elena's hair and pull, hard. He will try to suck on her face and cries when she tells him no and leaves the room. If I am lying on the floor, he will come over to me and climb on top of me and burrow his head into my shoulder. When he sees Elena running, he will squeal with delight and clap his hands, then crawl after her as fast as he can. When he sees Kevin come home, he opens his hands so wide and makes the biggest toothiest smile you've ever seen.
All in all, a fabulous-- if bit extreme-- baby.
A visit from Petey, the dog.
A few days ago, this sweet little Chihuahua adopted us. He had no collar and insisted that we were his family. He came right in the house and made himself right at home. Obie was seriously pissed and tried to kill him. He might have if I hadn't saved the dog from his vicious bite. I carried him around the neighborhood knocking on doors but nobody had seen him before. A huge thunderstorm started and I brought him home for the night. I called the humane society and they said they would pick him up in the next day. He spent the night in our neighbor's dog crate in the mud room and spent the whole next day with us feeling right at home. The kids loved him and Kevin and I became very fond of the little creature. When the burly looking human society officer showed up the horrible looking dog prison truck, I had a hard time handing him over. Even Obie had gotten used to him! But as much as we fell in love with little Peter Pan (yes, I did name him-- Petey for short), I knew very clearly that this was not the time of my life for a small yippy needy dog. I have enough small yippy needy creatures in my life right now to last me a very long time. Amen, amen. But maybe someday after all small needy creatures are grown up and responsible independent lovely children we will be blessed again by an adorable dog. Godspeed little Petey! I hope your family finds you!
For your automotive enjoyment
This little car was free from some fellow who used to cut our lawn. Ellie has given it very little attention in the last 2 years. Jesse took one look at this thing and had to be in it. NOW. He tried desperately to climb into it and after a boost in, wouldn't let me take him out. Elena had a blast pushing him around the lawn.
Watch out world, here I come!
Check out those huge legs, feet and hands!! This kid is really a chunk. The other day, he tried to eat a dying bee and I thought he had been bitten because he started screaming (actually, Elena had tried to brush his hair at the same time and that made him scream.) I swear his hands are so big and fat that I couldn't tell if they were swollen or not.(Ostrich Ferns in the background)
For your fern enjoyment
Ostrich Fern. These are incredibly invasive and are growing everywhere!
Asparagus Fern. I actually bought this one at Home Depot because I thought it was so pretty.
(Pacific Northwestern) Maidenhair Fern. The star shaped pattern is really spectacular.
The sporangiia (reproductive sacs on underside) of the Sword Fern.
Deer Fern, my personal favorite. The dark frond are on the bottom, the green frond is in the middle, and the spiky guy goes straight up the top. Apparently, the spiky fronds are edible and Indians used to eat them to stave off hunger. I tasted one-- not bad!
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