Cold Spaghetti

If you’ve spent anytime with Kate over the past month, you’ve noticed her favorite past-time. It goes something like this: she demands for you to pick her up, then directs you around with her finger and Klingon-grunts, imploring you to identify each and every object in sight. Apparently, she was studying. She is coming out with new words — like, out of left field — everyday.

Unless the object is in sight (i.e.: the picture of an octopus in a book), chances are you won’t hear her say the word. She sees no reason to say “butterfly” unless one is in plain view. Although she can be cajoled into a game of word repetition (usually with Paul) who can get out a few special ones before she realizes she’s been had.

Words include the standards: gato, agua, water (it comes out wa-wa right now), Dada, Mama, Binky (sounds like “Bay” with an “n” on the end), apple, ball, Elmo, and duck (ducks are just about her favorite things in the world, in a close tie with Elmo). These standards have been joined by “MINE” (think: seagulls in Finding Nemo), “octopus,” “fish,” “cow,” “cheese” (this one is still a stretch vocally for her, but she says “chhhhhssssss” over and over when she sees or is asking for a cheese stick), “dog,” “helicopter,” and “baby.” All of these are in modified forms of Kate-speak and are currently being perfected.

“No” is a favorite. It comes out when you aren’t expecting it. Like when I turned to Paul this evening and said, “I think Kate is making another poop.” And Kate, who apparently was listening, turned to us and said, “no.”

Kate gave us a brand new word this afternoon. Will was watching the 1969 lunar landing (a current youtube favorite) on my computer, and Kate came along and decided she wanted in on the action. With one problem: when Kate sees the computer, all she wants are clips of Elmo. So she started in on her demands, pointing to the screen and declaring “ELMO!” I corrected her, “Elmo, PLEASE” as if to say she could only have Elmo if she asked politely. She called my bluff. “Please,” she said, as sweetly and perfectly as she could.

The commercial is a little cheesy, but the second half is totally Kate. We figure someone must have been hanging around the house during one of her Baby ‘Zilla routines, ’cause several of those moves are 100% Our Daughter. Cue the Rocky theme.

Early last week, Will began telling us all about “My Boy,” a young tot whose true name “was a secret” and who possessed a staggering array of goodies including a rocket ship and a dinosaur, all of which he eagerly shares with Will. We made note of the new friend and life went on.

Over the weekend, two more friends appeared in his lexicon. “My Girls,” named “Alicia” and “Johnnie,” jumped into his conversation. In fact, he told us this morning that he was going to go play at “My Girls” house this afternoon with the “whole lot of toys” they have at home. He also told us that “My Boy” is named “Frank.”

There are a few clues to the details of his collection of imaginary friends (how he misses the girls next door, now moved back to their old neighborhood, as an example), but as a whole, we’re intrigued at this new development. It does tickle me a little bit that Will has not invented just one imaginary friend, but THREE.

Anyone have leads on developmental/educational literature (academic and other) related to the creation of imaginary friends?

Tampa was planned about a month ago in a last minute sort-of way, when we discovered that we had an outstanding credit that wasn’t properly applied to some of Paul’s travel. We were going to loose $300 if we didn’t both book and complete something travel-related by September 12th. We looked at cities that Southwest serves through direct flights and decided on Tampa (gulf coast beach). Matt and Laura were up for a couple’s weekend and with Laura’s skills with deals and destinations, planned the getaway.

It was the longest time I’ve EVER been away from the kids. I was still nursing Kate and at approximately 3 nights and 4 days (Friday morning-Monday night), it was the longest time I’d gone without nursing. Surprise: I didn’t swell up to gargantuan proportions during the absence AND, Kate quickly took back to nursing without incident. So much for that as a potential weaning strategy.

The kids stayed with my parents joined by my brother and sister-in-law. This provided the 2:1 ratio (two adults for each single child) as recommended when watching our kids. As we understand it, a great time was had by all… but by Monday they (the care-givers, not the kids) were looking forward to getting us back and taking very long naps. My Dad decided that Kate was Klingon (attributed to her grunt-speak) and took it upon himself to teach Will that his parents are “old,” a detail that Will lost no time in sharing with us. Repeatedly.

I am a bit embarrassed to say that while I certainly thought about the kids at every moment, I was happy to have some down time. The feeling must have been mutual, as the kids weren’t particularly distressed in our absence and took our return in similar stride. (Okay, I admit it. My heart swelled like the Grinch’s when we came in and they ran up to jump in our arms.)

It seems unreal that there were full days where I could sit and read pool-side, look for seashells, and leave the sliding door to the balcony open while running inside for a drink… all without worry. The company was more than we could have asked for — we made a lot of good memories and laughed all the time. A perfect way to vacation.

Considering that Matt is a professional photographer and I am a wanna-be, it makes perfect sense that neither of us managed to get a group photo. But I did get some good tips from Matt, got to play with his impressive camera and super-wide lens, and had Paul scared stiff that I was going to want to switch to Nikon. (It’s okay… I love my D400!) Artsy-fartsy playing with the camera pictures from the weekend to follow.Rose petals from a beach-side wedding ceremony.
Morning walk along the surf… with the birds.

Scruffy sea dog hanging out while his owner fishes in the Pass.
I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I seem to be obsessed with shelling. Me and all the Florida retirees, stooped over at the foamy edge. Next I’ll be wearing black calf-height socks with my sandals and shorts. New obsession: making jewelry with found objects.
Showy gulls.
Matt and Paul (below) in the few moments we had almost sailing. The outboard motor died before we were out of the Bay (it had an existing problem with water in the engine that hadn’t been worked out yet) — leaving us in the middle of the channel in a dead calm. We had to be towed back to shore. Good thing it happened before we were really far out, otherwise, those jokes we were making about Gillian’s Island could have come back to haunt us. And that would have sucked since I completely forgot my MaryAnn outfit.

This is as far out as we got. Notice the sea wall? We didn’t have a lot of time to drift before needing a tow.
This is where we were trying to go. Next time we’ll make it!
Sunsets were gorgeous.


Beautiful beautiful sky, beach and sea!

After a whirlwind visit to D.C., a week helping my Mom, and then a blissful weekend in Tampa with friends (more on that later), we are HOME.

And bounced right back into life. Kids, lunches, school, meetings. I had a productive day of recovery-agency-related focus groups, learned a lot, and enjoyed it. Paul spent the day in a work snafu. After a great visit to school seeing the faces of many people we love, we made plans for dinner out. We took our friend and babysitter-extraordinare, Michelle, to Frankie and Johnny’s and were able to bring along the consultant who hired me for the focus groups. In other words, it was a good New Orleans day. After that blissful weekend on the beach, we need a few more of these NOLA-moments to remind us of how and why we love this city.

Our number-one NOLA moment for the day: Kate reaching over to pick up Michelle’s oyster po-boy and before we could say boo — taking a HUGE bite. Twice. And then proceeding to grab oysters off the plate and shove them into her little mouth. That’s our NOLA girl!

Friends Randy and Katherine spent Labor Day with us — fun lunch at Rivera’s (Peruvian) and an afternoon on the National Mall taking in some of the big sites at the Smithsonian museums. It was a gorgeous day — absolutely perfect — and we were so thankful to have such great company!Will LOVED the Air and Space Museum — which I understand is the most visited museum in the world! He was especially taken by the space exploration exhibits, the lunar capsules, and related planetary models. Kate was similarly engaged. She fell in love with Randy and demanded that he carry her everywhere, pointing eagerly in the direction she wished him to take her. She liked the planetary exhibits as well. Any round object that was red she called “apple” and any round object that was not red was “ball.” Randy went from picture to picture asking her “what’s that?” and found her to be quite reliable in her answers.
Some artifacts from National Archives were being displayed at Air and Space while Archives is under renovation. (Isn’t it always under renovation?) This was an added bonus and allowed us to see Lincoln’s Top Hat, Louis Armstrong’s cornet, costumes from The Wizard of Oz, the original C3-PO and R2-D2, and Jim Henson’s Kermit, among other things.
Above is a sample of the original penicillin mold. Way cool.

The bracelet was worn by Alice Paul. The charms are each of the 13 states that ratified the ERA in 1972. Click on the picture to read the text, if you can.
Katherine shows Kate the original Teddy Bear.
Above are Archie Bunker’s Chair, Carrie Bradshaw’s Computer, the “Puffy” shirt from Seinfield, and Mr. Rodger’s red sweater. (Couldn’t help but think “one of these things is not like the other.”)
Will in front of the Capital. And this time, he’s AWAKE!
Such a pretty day — and I loved the big red tour bus driving across.
Randy with Kate.
Will explains to Randy the finer points of walking. Or something. Randy must have been exhausted by the end of the day.
This time, Will was much more enthusiastic about the dinosaur bones. But he still liked the aquatic creatures much, much more than the land-dwellers.
See Randy and Kate walking toward the castle?
Pictures of the four of us in front of the Capital.

Great day, great friends, great visit!

These were the few that don’t feature someone with an airway being blocked, a finger up a nose or in a mouth, and eyes generally looking in some sort of almost the same direction.

Paul and I enjoyed an evening in downtown Fredericksburg. Short stroll around Caroline Street, Dinner at Sammy’s T’s, ice cream at Lee’s Homemade Parlor, and some artsy-fartsy photography. It was like getting a mental massage — so nice to be out, without the kids, look out the camera, and just enjoy the view.





Book binding. Fun local bookstore where I found copies of two fun kids’ books — used and on sale — for a bargain! I wish we could have spent more time there. This manager was nice enough to let me photograph him as he bound a book.