More Legos

Missy loves Legos and that's exactly what Santa brought her this year.

I think you can pick any random box of Legos and she would be perfectly happy with it.

The box comes with 79 pieces!

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I love how they give you lots of ideas on the box. I just wish there was a space saving way to keep them.

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Halloween 2

Halloween is coming up soon. Missy would have been perfectly happy wearing last year's costume, Pooh Bear, however she no longer fits into it. She's not terribly disappointed though, not since finding an Abby costume! Abby is one of the characters of Sesame Street. She is looking forward to Halloween, she remembers it from last year. I think she'll have more fun this year now that she is a little older and better understands what to do.

Phone upgrades 2

Ever since we moved to our New City, we have not been able to get cell phone reception inside our house. We can walk outside our house and get some reception to make calls. Well that's pretty darn inconvenient!

We are in the process of changing our wireless phone service provider, and as a result, we had to get new phones. We received the phones today, one gray phone, one purple phone. I asked Missy, "which phone is daddy's?" She replied, "the gray phone." Then I asked her, "which is mommy's phone?" She said, "oh, your phone is in your purse!" Then I asked, "whose phone is the purple one?". She said, "that's MY phone!" Hmm. She's already getting ideas here...

The phones don't work yet, or haven't yet be activated. We're still waiting...

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Potty Milestone

Yay, after over a year's attempt at potty training Miss M, she finally pooped in her potty chair for the first time yesterday!!! We'll see if we can get consistent repeat performances in the potty chair. (Peeing in the potty has been fine for several months now)

We have been trying to plan a little getaway for some time now. It's been about 2 years since we took Miss M to Monterey, CA. During that visit, we stopped by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Miss M was so much younger back then, I'm pretty sure she doesn't remember the trip at all. One thing I remember clearly is that it took us 5 hours, with stops along the way, to drive from San Francisco to Monterey.

We've been thinking about another road trip for a while but never made any plans because we knew that we could not sleep in the same room as Miss M. She could never fall asleep if we stayed up later with the lights on. And DH & I do not want to go to bed at 8 PM.

We have finally made plans for another trip to Monterey. I think I've found the perfect place for us to stay; it has a "family suite". As I understand from the room description, there is a sofa bed in a separate room AND there is a door (very important!) between that sitting room and the bedroom. Hopefully this means we can put Miss M to bed around her usual time, around 8PM, while we can stay up later without distracting her from her sleep. Hopefully DH will manage to catch up on some reading and I can catch up on my knitting.

Christmas gift ideas

It's that time of year where we rack our brains to figure out what Miss M would like/should get for Christmas. We know she loves Elmo so I thought she would like a Tickle Me Elmo. I haven't actually seen what this looks like. He comes in a box, and there isn't a display model to see what it does. However I do remember that there was some big thing about it many years back, and I'm guessing Miss M would love it.

Miss M has also developed an imagination, so I think/hope she'll love this Lego set. She's such a lucky girl. I never had Legos when I was a kid. I keep looking at this box and wanting to open it up so I can play with it.

We also have a large Pooh Bear stuffed toy for her, you can see a photo of it's bottom here, from when we got it from the store and she managed to identify Pooh Bear from his bottom. Since Pooh Bear was probably a bit dusty/dirty from being in the store so long (don't wanna know), I wanted to give him a bath before wrapping him up and giving him to Miss M. When I brought him to the washing machine, I realized that he would not fit in the top-loading washer. So I brought him over to my MIL's house where she has a newer front-loading washer.

Now I guess I should get a head start on what her birthday present should be...

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Miss M is potty training now. We've been working on it for a while, sometimes she's interested, other times she's not. We had the Baby Bjorn Potty Chair (left photo) for the longest time; all she ever did was use it as a chair. However there was some success in it when she stayed overnight at my MIL's house. We leave this Potty Chair there now.

I bumped into a woman at the park a couple months ago who suggested I try one of those things that sits on top of the toilet. So I picked up the Baby Bjorn Toilet Trainer (right photo) to give that a try. Miss M seems more interested in using the toilet now. We try to get her to sit on it and do her thing. Sometimes she pees, other times nothing happens.

Another thing we just picked up was some pull-up diapers.

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Miss M is growing. Some of her 24 mos or size 2 clothes are getting small/short on her. She's started to wear her size 3 clothes. I think she's all set in that dept. The only thing I need to pick up for her are 2 more sets of long-sleeve PJs, and maybe some short-sleeve ones too for summer.

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Miss M is quite the chatterbox these days, and is getting pretty good at forming simple sentences (and commands too).


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Marisa's Size 7 Visual Clothing Inventory

M is currently wearing 24m/2/2T size clothes, but I'm getting a head start with larger sizes. This is just a visual inventory of M's clothes so I don't have to dig through boxes to see what she has.



LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS (14):





SHORT SLEEVE SHIRTS (11):

Note: 2 are identical




PANTS (1):




JACKETS (1 fleece):





VEST (1):




ANORAK (1):

This is the same anorak as her size 5/6 anorak, both pack into its own pocket. I figure it'll be great for keeping in the car.





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Learning pronouns

M is starting to learn her pronouns. She started by saying "mommy hold you" when she meant "mommy hold me". Now she's started to remember, from time to time, that she should say "mommy hold me".

And she's started to use indentifiers "this" and "that" in her sentences.

This was a book I got for Marisa a couple months before she was born. I got it signed by the author and illustrator. She's not quite old enough for me to read this to her. Too many words. She loses interest. It's a cute story with beautiful pictures.

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It was bound to happen

M took her nap this afternoon and then when we went to get her, we found her socks, pants, AND DIAPER off. There was a wet spot in her bed, and who knows what other secondary transfer there was. And of course I had just changed all her bedding in the morning, so I ended up washing 2 sets of her bedding today ... making a total of 3 loads of laundry today.

This photo was taken last week. It was her first time wearing 2 pigtails. It's hard to keep them on. Sometimes she moves around too much, other times she just pulls them off.
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Marisa's Size 6 Visual Clothing Inventory

Marisa is currently wearing 24mos/2/2T size clothing. I've been collecting clothes in size 3 and size 4, one item in size 5, and just started on size 6. I need a little help keeping track of what I already have. They all go into a box and I can't remember what I've already bought her. So this will be a Visual Inventory to remind me of what I have in the box. This will be easier than trying to go through the box cuz everytime I do that she will try to "help" by pulling everything out of the box. Then I end up having to refold everything...


SHORT SLEEVE SHIRTS (1):




LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS (2):




PANTS (10; 9 full lenth, 1 capri):







SKORTS & SHORTS (4) :




PAJAMAS (4; 2 short sleeve w/ long pants; 2 long sleeve w/ long pants) :



OUTFITS (1):

This cute top & skirt is from Vicki, she picked it up during her Shanghai/Hong Kong trip in May 2008.

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M Speak - May 2007

M is improving and refining her speech at an astronomical rate compared to what she was babbling in Jan/Feb 2007 and Mar/Apr 2007. She tries to repeat everything we say and she is putting several words together into sentences.

Here's a sample of what she's spewing out in May 2007:

ah-geh-teh = alligator

baby close ah door = baby close the door
baby get ah froo = baby get through (she likes to squeeze herself through tight spaces)
baby gin ah a-jay juice = baby drinking orange juice (she can't say the "d" sound for drink)
baby graw ah sum-ming = baby draw(ing) something
baby ree ah mag-zee = baby is reading a magazine
baby sit ah carpet = baby sit(ting) on the carpet
baby sit ah floor = baby sit(ting) on the floor
baby use ah green for = baby is using a green fork
baby walk ah floor = baby walk(ing) on the floor
bah-deh = spider
baff-tub = bathtub (she hasn't quite gotten that "th" sound)
banana = banana (she's starting to say the "bah" sound in banana now)
bee = bee
book = book
bookcase = bookcase
boon = spoon
bow = bowl
buh-fye = butterfly

com-peh-peh = computer
com-pyoo-peh = computer
cookie = cookie
cup = cup

daddy watch ah tv = daddy is watching tv
dvd = dvd (she used to say dee-vee-vee)

eye-keem = ice cream

for = fork
fun ah daddy = fun with daddy
fun ah gran-ma = fun with grandma
fun ah lie-beh-deh = fun at the library

goo-morning = good morning

hah-no = hello

if = leaf

kee = tree
keh-keh = crayon
keh-teh = carrot

lam = lamp
lie-beh-deh = library
liff = leaf

mommy kuh up ah keh-teh = mommy cutting up the carrots
mommy geh ah lawn-nee = mommy is getting the laundry
mommy geh ah out uh seat belt = mommy get me out of highchair (she calls anything that straps her in a "seat belt" cuz it's similar to the seat belt in the car)
mommy open ah win-noe = mommy is opening the window
mommy sit ah carpet = mommy sit(ting) on the carpet
mote = remote

pate = plate

reh a-gin = read again
rock-ah-cher = rocking chair

tama = pajama
tay-peh = table
tee-vee = tv
teh-phone = telephone
toe-seh = toaster

weh a reh shoe = wear the red shoes
wim = worm
win-noe = window

zert = dessert

Current book faves

Sorry no pictures of Miss M to share at the moment. I haven't had a chance to sort through photos. For some reason there's quite a "process" to doing that...

M cycles through favorite books. These are her current faves:

Bear About Town by Stella Blackstone. She currently really loves this bear series. She loves to point at things and name them, or ask me what they are.

Bear At Home by Stella Blackstone.

Bear in a Square by Stella Blackstone.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.

Ten in the Den by John Butler. This is a very cute book, and I think it's the repetition that appeals to her.

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Latest M-isms

M is definitely showing her preference for things, and has become very opinionated about things.

She's become a picky eater and will often veto foods I offer or suggest. Or she'll demand something specific. Lately this has been, "mac ah chee." (mac & cheese)

She's showing preferences in what she wears. It began with, "pih sock." (pink sock) Then it was which jacket, sweater, or vest she wore. She'll specify garment and color. And she's starting to do this with her shirts & pants also.

She'll tell you which book she wants you to read to her. Lately it's been one of the following: Sylvia Long's Mother Goose; Raffi's Wheels on the Bus; Raffi's Five Little Ducks; Raffi's Down by the Bay; Stella Blackstone's Bear at Home; Stella Blackstone's Bear About Town; Caroline Jayne Church's Do Your Ears Hang Low?.

She'll tell you exactly what she wants to watch on TV -- lately it's been "wito farty" (Wiggly Safari dvd) -- and which CD and sometimes specific songs to listen no while in the car.

She has some OCD tendencies, often pointing out crumbs on the floor/table or asking to have her hands wiped. That's not a bad thing, but sometimes she does it to an extreme. She's gotten into the habit of asking to have her hands wiped (during meals) before she picks up her sippy cup.

She clearly knows which bins are for garbage, and which one is for recycling. She will sometimes pick up something and say, "fro away," (throw away) as she is tossing it into the garbage can. And when I hand her paper and ask her to put it in the recycle bin, she will walk up to the recycle bin and place the paper in it. So she definitely knows the difference there...

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Updated template

Well, I've gone and done it... I've upgraded my Blogger template. Now I need to wait for the dust to settle, and tweak tweak tweak some more...


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Marisa's Size 5 Visual Clothing Inventory

Marisa is currently transitioning into 24mos/2/2T size clothing. I've been collecting size 3 and size 4, and have just started to collect size 5 clothes. I need a little help keeping track of what I already have. They all go into a box and I can't remember what I've already bought her. So this will be a Visual Inventory to remind me of what I have in the box. This will be easier than trying to go through the box cuz everytime I do that she will try to "help" by pulling everything out of the box. Then I end up having to refold everything...


LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS (17):





SHORT SLEEVE SHIRTS (17) :







PANTS (15; 13 full length, 2 capri):





SKORTS & SHORTS (2 skorts; 4 short) :





JACKETS (6; 2 fleece, 3 cotton, 1 other):



ANORAK (1):



Outfits (1):




Pajamas (5; 2 short sleeve long pants; 2 long sleeve long pants):





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Visiting grandma

M visited her grandparents this past weekend and had a great time. I think her memory is getting better. She didn't have her usual warm up period after walking through the front door. I think she remembers the house now and knows that it is not such a strange place anymore. She pretty much made herself at home immediately after we arrived, walking around everywhere, well, mostly up and down the stairs. She's getting so much better with the stairs.

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Pickles yum!

Marisa has had small bites of pickles now and then, never liking them at all. However today was the first time she took a bite into a pickle, liked it, and wanted more! They were Vlasic Zesty Dill spears.

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SAHM salary

Marisa has figured out that she doesn't have to remove her sunglasses. She can just push them up onto her head.

Marisa is still recovering from her cold which she got on Monday. I caught the cold on Wednesday afternoon, and DH caught it on Thursday. Poor girl can't breathe very well with her stuffy/runny nose. She sometimes wakes up crying because she feels awful. So we've had to get up, give her some medicine, and hold her for a while. I think she's recovering though.

Marisa is getting better in the speech dept, and starting to put 2 and 3 words together. I try to jot them down in this post here when I can remember her new phrases.

When we're sitting together, she will say, "mama sih-teh," followed by, "baby sih-teh," to which I will repeat/affirm to her, "mama is sitting, baby is sitting, we are sitting." Just trying to get her used to the sounds of these short sentences and concepts. We do a lot of short phrase repetitions similar to this, and then I can't help but think of similardrills in Lingua Latina or the Cambridge Latin Course. Roma in Italia est. Italia in Europa est. Graecia in Europa est. Italia et Graecia in Europa sunt. Hispania quoque in Europa est. Hisapnia et Italia et Graecia in Europa sunt.

Salary.Com has estimated that a fair wage for the typical stay-at-home mom would be $131,471 for executing all of her daily tasks. There's another interesting article here where this woman pretty much sums it up:

"People might think that stay-at-home moms are sitting around eating bon-bons and watching soaps, when in reality, we're working several jobs at once. And, we're doing it 24/7 with no vacation days, holidays or even sick days," said Jen Singer, creator of www.MommaSaid.net, a Forbes Best of the Web site for at-home mothers. Singer added, "many stay-at-home moms are on the job upwards of 100 hours a week. That would be a whole lot of overtime if we got paid."

There's a little Salary Wizard on Salary.Com, where you can adjust your salary based on your location & other specifics. Here's what my paycheck looks like. (You can click on it to see the larger version). I make $185,855. Too bad I can't cash it...

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Nursury Rhymes, Songs & Finger Plays

Here are some of the nursery rhymes and songs Marisa enjoys. M can recite some of the words in these rhymes & songs. It is simply amazing how I have many of these memorized, as we also recite them in the car or elsewhere while we are out and about. M also likes to do a lot of finger plays which she learned at Musical Lapsit.

It's going to take me a while to type them all up. This list was last updated on 4/6/07.

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M likes this sung to the "twinkle twinkle little star" tune; just repeat the first two lines again at the end.

Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.
One for the master, and one for the dame,
And one for the little boy who lives down the lane.

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Bow, wow, wow!
Whose dog art thou?
Little Tom Tinker's dog,
Bow, wow, wow!

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M requests this by saying, "kak-koe kak-koe."

Cackle, cackle, Mother Goose,
Have you any feathers loose?
Truly have I, pretty fellow,
Half enough to fill a pillow.
Here are quills, take one or two,
And down to make a bed for you.

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Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe
Get it done by half past two.
Stitch it up, and stitch it down,
Make the finest shoes in town.

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Curly-locks, Curly-locks, wilt thou be mine?
Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine,
But sit on a cushion, and sew a fine seam,
And feed upon strawberries, sugar and cream!

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Dance, little baby, dance up high!
Never mind, baby, mother is by.
Crow and caper, caper and crow,
There, little baby, there you go!
Up to the ceiling, down to the ground,
Backward and forward, round and round,
Dance, little baby and mother will sing,
With the merry chorale, ding, ding, ding!

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Diddlety, diddlety, dumpty,
The cat ran up the plum tree.
Half a crown to fetch her down,
Diddlety, diddlety, dumpty.

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Do your ears hang low? Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot? Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you throw them over your shoulder like a continental soldier?
Do your ears hang low?

Do your ears hang high? Do they reach up to the sky?
Do they wrinkle when they're wet? Do they straighten when they're dry?
Can you wave them at your neighbor with an element of flavor?
Do your ears hang high?

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M is starting to warm up to this song. It's on one of her CDs, plus we sometimes sing it at Musical Lapsit.

Five little ducks went out one day, Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only four little ducks came back.

Four little ducks went out one day, Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only three little ducks came back.

Three little ducks went out one day, Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only two little ducks came back.

Two little ducks went out one day, Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only one little duck came back.

One little duck went out one day, Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But onen of the five little ducks came back.

Sad Mother Duck went out one day, Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
And all of the five little ducks came back.

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Hey diddle diddle! The cat and the fiddle.
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed to see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

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Hickory, dickory, dock,
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickroy, dickory, dock.

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Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses, and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.

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Hush-a-bye baby upon the tree top,
When the wind blows the cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby, cradle and all.

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Jack Srpatt could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean.
So 'twixt them both they cleaned the cloht,
And licked the platter clean.

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Little Betty Blue lost her holiday shoe,
What shall little Betty do?
Give her another to match the other,
And then she'll walk upon two.

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Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
And can't tell where to find them;
Leave them alone, and they'll come home,
Wagging their tails behind them.

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Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn!
The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn.
Where is the boy that looks after the sheep?
Under the haystack, fast asleep!

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Little Jack Horner
Sat in a corner,
Eating a Christmas pie.
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
And said, "What a good boy am I!"

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Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating some curds and whey.
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

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Little Robin Red-breast
Sat upon a rail,
Niddle, naddle, went his head,
Wiggle, waggle, went his tail.

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Lucy Locket has lost her pocket,
Kitty Fisher found it;
There was not a penny in it,
But a ribbon 'round it.

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M says, "may may may," when referring to this rhyme.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
Silver bells and cockleshells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

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Old King Cole was a merry old soul, and a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl, and he called for his fiddlers three.
And every fiddler, he had a fine fiddle, and a very fine fiddle had he.
Oh, there's none so rare, as can compare with King Cole and his fiddlers three.

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Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To get her poor dog a bone.
But when she got there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.

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One, two, buckle my shoe.
Three, four, knock at the door.
Five, six, pick up sticks.
Sever, eight, lay them straight.
Nine, ten, a good fat hen.
Eleven, twelve, dig and delve.
Thirteen, fourteen, maids a-courting.
Fifteen, sixteen, maids in the kitchen.
Seventeen, eighteen, maids a-waiting.
Nineteen, twenty, my plate's empty.

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One of M's favorite finger plays...

Open, shut them, open, shut them,
Give a little clap clap clap.
Open, shut them, open, shut them,
Put them in your lap lap lap.
Creep them, crawl them,
Creep them, crawl them,
Right up to your chin chin chin.
Open up your little mouth,
But do not let them in.

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Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

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Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater,
Had a wife, and couldn't keep her.
He put her in a pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.

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Pussycate, pussycat, where have you been?
I've been to London to see the Queen.
Pussycat, pussycat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under her chair.

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Ring around the rosies,
A pocket foll of posies,
Ashes, Ashes, we all fall down.

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Rock-a-bye, baby,
Your cradle is green.
Father's a nobleman,
Mother's a queen.
And Betty's a lady,
And wears a gold ring.
And Johnny's a drummer,
And drums for the king.

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Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

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Musical Lapsit always begins with this song.

The more we get together, together, together,
The more we get together, the happier we'll be.
For your friends are my friends,
And my friends are your friends,
The more we get together, the happier we'll be.

The more we sing together, together, together,
The more we sing together, the happier we'll be.
For your songs are my songs,
And my songs are your songs,
The more we sing together, the happier we'll be.

The more we read together, together, together,
The more we read together, the happier we'll be.
For your books are my books,
And my books are your books,
The more we read together the happier we'll be.

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This is one of M's favorite songs, and she is getting better and better at singing along.

The wheels on the bus go round and round,
round and round, round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
all around the town.

The wipers on the bus go swish swish swish,
swish swish swish, swish swish swish,
The wipers on the bus go swish swish swish,
all around the town.

The driver on the bus goes, "Move on back!
move on back, move on back!"
The driver on the bus goes, "Move on back!"
all around the town.

The people on the bus go up and down,
up and down, up and down.
The people on the bus go up and down,
all around the town.

The horn on the bus goes beep beep beep,
beep beep beep, beep beep beep.
The horn on the bus goes beep beep beep,
all around the town.

The baby on the bus goes, "Wah wah wah,
wah wah wah, wah wah wah."
The baby on the bus goes, "Wah wah wah,"
all around the town.

The parents on the bus go, "Shh shh shh,
shh shh shh, shh shh shh."
The parents on the bus go, "Shh shh shh,"
all around the town.

The wheels on the bus go round and round,
round and round, round and round,
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
all around the town.

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There's a neat little clock,
In the school room it stands,
And it points to the time
With its two little hands.

And may we, like the clock,
Keep a face clean and bright,
With hands ever ready
To do what is right.

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There was a little girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good, she was very, very good,
And when she was bad she was horrid.

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There was an old woman who lived in Dundee,
And in her back garden there grew a plum tree.
The plums they grew rotten before they grew ripe,
And she sold them three farthings a pint.

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Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the traveler in the dark
Thanks you for your tiny spark;
He could not see which wayto go,
If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark
Lights the traveler in the dark,
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

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Typical 2 yr old behavior

The photo above was taken when we visited the Cap Karma Ladies last week. You can read all about it here.

We've compared notes with Ashish (in North Carolina) and Saadia (in Sunnyvale), two people with toddlers around the same age. Both reported that their toddler does the same thing that M does! And all this time we had thought this behavior was just an M-ism...

Barking orders.
M has gotten very good at barking orders. Pointing at a location and telling someone to "sit". "Sit mama", "Sit gagm (grandma)", "Sit floor", "Sit Carpeh (carpet)", "Mama cheh (chair)". Demanding that something be fetched for her.

Saying "no" when they really mean "yes".
"Do you want some grapes?". "No". Take the grapes away, and you get borderline-about-to-cry protesting. "Do you want grapes?". "Uh" in affirmation.


I think there was something else, but I can't remember what it was. I'm sure it'll come back to me later...

French CDs ousted from car

Slowly, one by one, my French CDs are being ousted from the car. It began with one of M's CDs, then another, and another. So out went Jean Jacques Goldman. Out went Francis Cabrel. Now they're all her music. That's not too bad. I don't mind listening to her CDs, but it does get a little old when she wants to hear one specific song (currently "Mommy & Me" from Mommy and Me: More Playgroup Favorites) repeatedly. She does that I'm about to cry thing when track #2 starts and goes on for too long. Needless to say, I finally figured out which button to press to automatically repeat one track...

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We've been very busy lately because we have spent most of our weekends house hunting. Last weekend was a perfect example and I am still surprised at how much we accomplished...

Saturday morning was spent getting through morning breakfast and then rounding up M for Musical Lapsit at the library. I think it is one of the highlights of her week. Ann (the Childrens Librarian) does finger plays, reads books, and sings songs. All the kids love it. Then it's back home to fix M some lunch before heading out to look at Open Houses in Sunnyvale (an hours drive away). After all the running around, we are pretty exhausted when we return home. Sunday was spent visiting the inlaws in Fremont (also an hours drive away), where M could show off her new M-isms. She is talking a lot more now, and also speaking her mind. With all the go-go-go of the weekend, it was a surprise that I even managed to 5(!!!) loads of laundry and some other misc house things. I felt like I blinked and the weekend completely passed us by. We saw two Open Houses in Fremont, in the same neighborhood where my inlaws live. We liked one of the houses and thought about making an offer on it. They were asking $960k. Unfortunately we were not able to make an offer because when we called the selling agent on Tuesday, he told us that the seller accepted the first offer he received on Monday. So it was back to looking, looking, looking...

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We went to look at a house in Sunnyvale this past Friday and we liked what we saw. After perusing the disclosure package, we decided to make an offer. So we met with our agent to sign all the paperwork required when making an offer. Offers are due Monday (tomorrow). We heard that there will probably be at least 10 offers. It is not looking hopeful for us. But we are trying our luck. I hope we get the house. Living in Sunnyvale will definitely cut down DH's daily commute.

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We had a little more excitement than normal this past Thursday when our water heater decided to leak at 4pm. It for fortunate that my mom had come over and happened to be downstairs in the garage when the water heater started leaking, otherwise we might not have discovered the leak until much later. We went into panic mode because water was leaking and it was flowing towards a bunch of storage boxes in the garage. As a result we totally forgot about the hot water shutoff valve. Instead, we turned off the water main, which helped slow down the leak. So I immediately plopped M in front of the TV with The Wiggles while I went to move all those storage boxes out of the path between water heater & drain and my mom mopped up the water on the floor.

We called a water heater repair company to see whether they could come over to take a lookie. Fortunately they were able to send someone. Due to meet current codes, we had to elevate the water heater by 16 inches. A regular height water heater would not have enough clearance, so we would need a "40 Shorty" type water heater. Unfortunately they guy who came said that they only carry one of those on the truck and he had already used it earlier in the day. He had to come back Friday morning to install the replacement.

On the upside, he was able to turn off the hot water so we could turn on the water to the house and have cold running water until the replacement was installed. Cold water is better than no water at all.

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Wednesday is free day at the zoo. DH is planning on taking the day off so we can take M there. DH hasn't seen the zoo yet, however M has gone there twice so far. She seems to enjoy it, especially her last visit when she discovered the playground. I just hope it does not rain on Wednesday...

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Cackle, Cackle, Mother Goose

Cackle, cackle, Mother Goose,
Have you any feathers loose?
Truly have I, pretty fellow,
Half enough to fill a pillow.
Here are quills, take one or two,
And down to make a bed for you.

M has a thing for pens and tries to get her hands on one whenever she can. She knows how to pull the cap off. Unfortunately she's not very good about keeping the tip of the rollerball away from her clothing. I have to do a lot of spot cleaning and hope it comes out in the wash. She also knows how to push the button on the ball point pens too. She sometimes likes us to hold her hand to help her write the alphabet. She isn't quite ready to write them on her own.

We spend a lot of time doing Mother Goose rhymes, it has really helped her speaking skills. She's picked up a lot of words, and is getting better at pronouncing things and imitating what we say. She is refining a lot of the words she says. For example, she can now say "wah-ter" where she used to say "wa-wa".

She makes requests for specific Mother Goose rhymes. She wants to hear Cackle, Cackle, Mother Goose when she says, "kah-koe kah-koe." She wants to hear Mary, Mary Quite Contrary when she says, "may may may." And she wants to hear Rain, Rain Go Away when she says, "ray ray ray ray."

She's getting better at saying her ABCs. She still skips a few letters here and there, but her memory for the sequence of letters is so much better now. As for numbers, she knows 1 through 10, and recognizes 11 through 20, although she can't quite say these numbers yet.

We've been playing a CD I checked out of the library, Mommy & Me: More Playgroup Favorites, which she loves. She tries to sing along to familiar songs like "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes". She'll say a word here and there, and she is saying more words as she listens to the CD more frequently. I've been playing another CD, Raffi's Quiet Time , during nap time in the car. I don't know if it helps, but I think the slower softer soothing music can't hurt. She'll sing along to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".


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Exploding Vocabulary

M's vocabulary is exploding. She is getting better at trying to imitate what we say. She can put two words together. She mostly has to work on pronunciation.

You can see some of her vocabulary words from Jan/Feb 2007 here:
http://coindesmariek.blogspot.com/2007/01/m-speak.html

This post will contain some new words she is saying now. I didn't want to keep adding to the first list indefinitely. This second list should make it easier to see how her speech has progressed. Like the first list, this one will be a work in progress...

We're starting to teach her our names and has the right idea but needs to refine her pronunciation. I figure it could possibly come in handy in the future, for example in the situation where she gets lost and needs to tell someone who her mommy & daddy are. It doesn't help others if all she says is "mommy" and "daddy".

This last was last updated on 4/21/2007.

Ah-beh Dor = open door
Ah-da-doon = okey dokey
Ah-done = all done (with food)
Ay-Jay Juice = orange juice
Ah-mor-eee-sin-ah-geh-tah = The More We Sing Together (a song she loves to sing, she says this when she sings it or when she wants us to sing it)

Baby-boll-chee = Babybel Cheese (the little round ones in the red wax)
Baby-Car = I think she's saying she wants to go into the car, or she's looking for her car.
Baby-sit-ah-chair = baby sit in chair
Bah-deh = spider
Bear-ah-gare = Bear in the Square (book)
Bear-home = Bear at Home (book)
Bear-town = Bear about Town (book)
Big-Mowf = mig mouth
Boo-beh Wah-foe = blueberry waffle
Boo-guy = blue sky
Bruh-ah-tee = brush teeth
Bye-deh = spider

Car-Key = car keys (she loves playing with my car keys and the turtle key fob that is attached)
Cell-foe = cell phone (she's starting to say this instead of cell-yo)
Come-Hair = comb hair
Cor-Fake = corn flake cereal

Daddy = daddy (she said this for the first time on 4/19!)
Dah-doon-neh-annie = Daddy name Andy
Dah-doon-sih-teh = Daddy (is) sitting
Dee-eee-wah-boe = Diablo
Die-Per = diaper
Duh-(ah)-buh-deh = Dust Buster

Ev-Vee = heavy, usually said when she's slipping while you are holding her

Fih = fix (as in "fix hair")
Foll-down = fall down, usually referring to her pants falling down
Fooit = fruit
Fow-wer = flower (a refinement of her previous, "wa wa.")
Fry = fries
Fum = thumb

Gah-veh = garbage
Goo-mor-neh = good morning
Goo-nigh = good night

Han-rail = hand rail
Heh-Heh = hanger
Ho-Vo = hold me

Ip-Boe = lip balm

Lie-down = lie down

Kam-Mah = Camera
kay-kay = Stand (I want to stand)
Keem = cube (rubik's cube)
Keh-Teh = carrots
Koe-Beh = Koda Bear (stuffed bear; the one on the right in the photo above)

Lawn-nee bah-kit ih bak = laundry basket is black (she's starting to form full sentences!)

Mac-an-chee = Mac & Cheese
Mah-Sah = Marisa (she is starting to refine how she says her name, she said this for the first time on 4/9/07)
Make-ah-beh = make the bed
Make-ah-toe = make toast
Mama-ho-vo = Mama hold me (pick me up)
Mama-neh-seh-tah = Mama name Stella
Mama-sih-teh = Mama (is) sitting
Mah-Goo = Mother Goose (she wants you to read mother goose to her)
Mah-Neh = Marisa
Mah-Neh = monkey
Mah-Neh-Goo = Mother Goose
Meh-Neh = morning (as in, "good morning")
Mit-Boll = meatball
Mor-Gip = more grapes
Mor-Keem-Kor = more cream (style) corn
Mor-Sai = more slide (she loves the slide at the park)
Music-ih lyap-sit = musical lapsit (at the library on Saturdays)

Nih-Poo = Winnie the Pooh

Oop-pee = oopsie

Pay-Peh Towel = Paper towel
Pee = please
Peh = pen (bah-peh = black pen)
Peh-Peh = pillow, Pooh pillow
Pih = plate
Pih-Sah = pink socks
Poo-Beh = Pooh bear
Pur-Poe Boe = purple bowl
Pur-Poe Cup = her purple plastic tumbler
Pur-Poe Pih = purple plate

Reh-Booh = read book, she wants you to read a book to her
Reh-(ah)-Gin = read again (she likes you to read a book repeatedly)
Reh-Juice = red juice (berry/grape flavored juice)
Roll = California Roll
Roo = Roo (stuffed kangaroo)

Sah-Beh = strawberry
Sah-Beh-Teh = strawberry
Sah-Gat-Teh = sunglasses
Sih-Sak = sleepsack
Some More = some more (when she wants more of whatever she is eating)

Tah-Toe = calculator
Teh-phone = telephone
Teh-teh = container
Tih-kel Meh-Seh-tah = Chicken Marsala
Tofu = tofu. (yes, she can say this!)
Too-bruh = toothbrush
Tur-Toe = turtle (sometimes referring to the turtle key fob attached to my car keys)

Wah-ah-boe = wash the bowl
Wah-ah-dair = walk up stairs
Wah-ah-teh-teh = wash the dishes
Wah-ter = water (she's modified her pronunciation from "wa wa")
Wee-toe-far-tee = Wiggly Safari DVD
Wee-wee-bah rown-eh-rown rown-eh-rown = Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round (book)
Weh-At = wear hat
Weh-Gato = wear jacket
Weh-Sun-Gat-Teh = wear sunglasses
Wep-High = wipe hand (she's asking for a napkin or baby wipe to wipe her hands clean)
Why-sah = white sock

Yellow teh-teh = yellow container
Yummy = yummy

Zah-Foo = Zoboomafoo (an animal tv program)
Zip-Boe = lip balm



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Fluorescent green house

I saw this house across the street from the old front entrance of the Zoo (viz. Sloat). Well, I'm sure it makes it easy for them to give directions to their visiting buddies. Just drive down Sloat until you see the fluorescent green house with the bear face.

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San Francisco Zoo

M visited the zoo for the second time. Fortunately for us it was not a cold and rainy day, so it was much more enjoyable for her.

M spent 1/2 hour at the playground in the zoo. She loves the swing and slide. I think she liked this playground because there were so many other kids to see.

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M loves her fries, and has figured out how to dip them into ketchup. She also knows how to use the fries as a means to get the ketchup; sometimes she just licks/sucks the ketchup off before dipping it again...

M wants to drink out of cups & bottles like Big People...

Here are some of the things we saw today. M got tired after the bears, so we didn't stop by the sections we saw on our last trip to the zoo. We'll try to hit them at our next visit.

This is the carousel at the zoo, although I don't remember it being call that when I was there as a kid (decades ago).

Here's what it looks like inside. Not very exciting, it looks just like many others. Sorry so blurry, I'm not very good with taking photos of moving objects.

Guinea pigs ...

... and rabbits.

Prairie Dog. Aren't they cute?

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Of course I had to take some photos of these guys for V who is into Meek Rats.

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Meek Rats love to dig...

There was an area with a bunch of large birds....

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In some ways it is nice to view them out in the open, however, it seems a bit cruel to have them attached to chains. They can't really wander too far from their perch...

This was tho only one who decided not to sit on his perch. He was sitting on the ground by a tree near his perch.

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Domestic turkey, I think.

Ducks near the petting area...

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Wild turkey...

There was a peacock by the playground area. She closed her wings by the time I got close enough to take a photo. :-( But she's still very pretty and graceful. There were these stupid kids who tried to touch her or chase after her, so she'd try to run away from them. That certainly doesn't help encourage her to spread out again.

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Kangaroo...

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Bear on his way to join his buddy...

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Polar bear...

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This bear was walking towards the big tub of water where another bear was relaxing...

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... and decided he wanted to get in too!

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"Hey, whadya think you're doing? There isn't enough room for both of us!!!"

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The bear that was originally in the tub was ousted ...

Oops! The supplanter overturned the tub...

There was apparently some object inside the tub that he was trying to get at.

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"Now look what you've done! Neither of us can use the tub now..."

"Guess we'll just have to find something else to amuse ourselves with."

Pair of polar bears...

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Giant Anteater who was pacing back and forth...

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Just some daffodils I felt like taking a photo of...

Flamingos.

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House hunting again...

Now that the holidays are over, we are starting to house hunt again. Looks like more houses are on the market too. We spent a day looking at 9 houses this past weekend, nothing jumped out at us. Their were mostly non-offensive, neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. After looking at so many houses (mostly before M was born), we pretty much have a good idea/feel for what we want and thus pretty much know immediately whether we like a house after walking in. Perhaps we've gotten more efficient at the whole process.

So we looked at 9 houses (we had 10 on the list, but didn' t have time for the 10th one since we started the day late, a side effect of rounding up the traveling circus). The sad thing is that they ranged from $749k to $998, with most of them being $899 and up. :-( The price we pay for house hunting in the San Francisco Bay Area. There are plenty of houses over 1 Mil, but we've excluded all of them.

Since the house hunting is on again, it seems like weekends should be 3 days long:

Day 1 (Saturday): Half the day is "go go go" due to taking care of M, rounding her up for Musical Lapsit at the library, coming home to prepare M's lunch, then DH's lunch while he tries to get M to nap. So half the Saturday is gone. The rest in "work" in the form of house chores & errands, maybe even a Costco run.

Day 2 (Sunday): House hunting. It takes us an hour to get to our destination city, then a few hours of getting to all the Open Houses with one or two comfort stops (food, restroom), then another hour to get home. We're tired at the end of all of this.

Day 3 (Extra weekend day): Veg day. I rarely feel like I have any down time. DH, has been working long hours at work (he often gets home after 7pm, usually closer to 8pm), then he often works after he gets home. After getting M through her nighttime routine and hopefully into bed between 8 pm to 8:30 pm, it's time for us to shower, cook & have dinner. That only leaves us with 1/2 hour to an hour of veg time before bedtime. So we would really like to have a day to veg. DH really needs it after his long & stressful week at work; he likes to spend it playing computer games (currently Empire Earth). And of course we like to have some quality family time together too. :-)

On second thought, there should be a 4th extra weekend day, every other weekend, for visiting the inlaws. M likes to see her dai nai nai, nai nai, yeh yeh, goo goo. She often asks about them at home, and I have to tell her we'll see them soon.

Oh, let's just flip flop the weekdays and weekends ... I vote for 5 days of weekend, 2 days of weekdays. How does that sound? Well, either way you spin it, it's the same amount of "work" for me ... I'm working around the clock 7 days a week, and always "on call".

M has surprised us today. Twice. Both times involving fruit.

M bit into an apple! Whole! She was fussing to get her hands on an apple. So I gave her one thinking she was just going to hold it, maybe drop it. It would be the sacrificial toss around apple for the rest of the day. Boy did she surprise me when she started biting into it!!! Where did she learn that? She's never seen us eat an apple that way, and we always cut up her apple. She ate about 1/3 of that apple.

The other thing she did was eat a grape whole. When she was really young, I would remove the peel and then cut it into smaller pieces. When she became a better solid food eater, I started to peel them and cut them into larger pieces. Then later I would leave the peel, but cut the grapes in half. Today she put a small grape into her mouth and had no problems biting into it, and knew she should chew it instead of swallowing it whole. I guess this is to be expected for someone who will be turning 2 yrs old in less than 2 weeks.

Oh, this is her "movie star" pose... :-)

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Drinking out of a cup

Here's M in her comfy position in the glider. She loves to get her hands on the remotes...

M is able to drink out of a cup now. We got her a small plastic tumbler so she can practice some more. It's fine when she's sitting at the high chair, but she also likes to hold the cup after her meal and carry it around with her to other parts of the house. Unfortunately she hasn't figured out gravity and how liquids have a tendency to spill out when the cup is tilted. Thank goodness we have towels and stuff on the sofa. This was from the early days of spit ups & diaper blowouts. We just kept them there out of habit. The other day she was trying to hold her cup, which had a bit of water in it, while climbing onto the sofa. Needless to say the towel on the sofa got a few wet spots. We still have some spillage with her sippy cups despite the valve that is supposed to prevent that. When the sippy cup is turned downwards at just the right angle, liquids can trickle out. This happens when she leaves the cup upside-down, sometimes in the house but usually in her car seat.

It's a good thing we cover the sofa & glider. We sometimes find crayon/ink on them. :-/ I think we just need to cover everything in plastic, LOL.

There's lots of good stuff in her car seat ... usually cereal, goldfish, rice cake crumbs! Thank goodness for the Dust Buster!!! :-)

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M is still a big fan of The Wiggles. We've recorded some episodes onto Tivo for her to watch. She also has the Live Hot Potatoes DVD, which we haven't yet made it completely through. She used to be fine with the concert version of "Where's Jeff", but something changed one day. Now she will always cry when that one starts, and we have to fast forward through that song. Perhaps it has something to do with the big Jeff balloon that gets deflated at the end of the song.

We've watched a few DVDs that were checked out from the library. She loved Toot Toot. We currently have Top of the Tots, which she seems to like just as much; we have to return that one to the library soon. We had checked out Wiggle Bay a long while back and she seemed to be ok with that, but I think she likes Toot Toot and Top of the Tots more.

There's only one Wiggles DVD we checked out that was a complete flop, The Wiggles Magical Adventure. It didn't work out for her because it is like a movie and she wasn't old enough to follow the story. There wasn't enough singing. She was bored...



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Forward Facing

We switched M's car seat from rear-facing to forward-facing today. She was getting way too big/tall to get her into her car seat rear-facing. And she had been sticking her leg out towards the door to stretch out and I was always afraid of slamming the door on her foot. We tried out the new arrangement today. I think she enjoyed the new view. I can't see her as easily through the rear view mirror, partly because I'm short. When she was rear facing, I could somewhat see a reflection of her through a mirror we mounted onto the car's head rest.

We were trying to keep her rear facing as long as possible since I had heard that was much safer than front facing. We could have switched her over to front facing a long time ago, the only requirements in this country is 1 yr AND 20 pounds. She met the age requirements first, but not the weight. But we still did not switch her over when she finally met the weight requirement.

One thing I noticed was how much easier it was to get her into her car seat with the new arrangement. There is just more room to work with.

M has quite a learning curve now to avoid dropping things onto the car floor. Before, things would just get wedged by her foot against the vehicle seat, and she would use her feet to pick things up again. Well, now they will just roll off her seat and onto the floor (or vehicle seat). She'll have to learn that Mommy can't pick things up for her while driving.

Sorry, no photos of her in her new car seat arrangement yet. Didn't have the camera with me in the car. However I did take a couple shots of her using the cell phone camera. Unfortunately, I have no way of getting it off the camera and onto the computer...

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Combining Words

M is combining words now. Usually when she's requesting food or barking orders:

more cellyo = more cereal
more gip = more grapes
more gogo = more goldfish (crackers)

mama sit = mama sit wherever she is pointing
mama floor = mama sit on the floor
mama cheh = mama sit on the chair

ah dun = all done

For a long time, M would say "neh" to refer to herself when she sees herself in the mirror or in photos. Now she's beginning say, "mah neh." Not sure if that is supposed to be my name or Marisa, however that is her response when we ask what her name is.


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Nooooo!!!

M is still recovering from her cold. She's still congested, but doing better. Her spirits are back to normal which is a good sign. DH is practically recovered from his cold. I'm still congested, but feeling much better than last week. I'm still keeping Kleenex in business....

M is becoming quite the chatterbox, and tries very hard to repeat what we say. She's picked up quite a lot lately. She will dig through my purse for the car keys and say "ka kee", then run around the house trying to fit the key into the keyholes under the doorknobs (we have those old style doors with the bogus keyhole holes in them).

While I was pregnant, I had some preconceived notions about what my child would not do. I remember going to the lab to get some blood drawn (oh gosh, that's all they did while I was pregnant, poke, poke, poke) and seeing a toddler, in the waiting room, who was going through his mom's wallet. I thought to myself that I would never let my child do that. Ha! M goes through my purse and pulls out stuff all the time. There are times when I can't find the keys when we are about to go out. They could be anywhere in the house. Sometimes she puts them back in the diaper bag, but in the wrong compartment, so it takes me a while to find them.

It's really cute when you ask M to find something. "Where is Ojo?" She'll say, "mmmm," as she thinks about it before she goes about trying to find the Ojo (or whatever object you asked her to find). She says, "aaahhh," when she finds the object.

M has recently decided that her favorite word to say is "no", which is definitely not my favorite word for her to use! I'll ask her if she wants some spaghetti. She'll answer, "noooo!" I'll ask her if she wants to go out. She'll respond with, "noooo!" It's very frustrating.

It's still quite challenging to take photos of M. Once she sees the camera, she will immediately stop what she is doing to walk towards me (as you can see in the photo above) and try to reach for the camera. And that girl just can't be still enough to take clear focused shots.

As you can see, I've been fiddling around with Microsoft Photo Editor. I used the smudge tool in the first picture above, I think it draws the focus on M. She looks pretty good in that photo, one of those rare shots of her sitting still. She's wearing the Swirl Hat I made for the Cap Karma Project. This is what happens to my knitting. M gets a hold of it, then it disappears, then it gets rediscovered at a later date. I've already "lost" the dark green Embossed Turtle Cloth, I'm sure it will turn up someday. At least some things are consistent. When the tea tin full of crayons is empty, I can always find where she put them... they're always behind a specific box in the dining room. I have no idea what compels her to drop the crayons behind this box, but she does it all the time.

I used the sandstone texture tool in the high chair photo. I was thinking about reinstalling Photoshop on my laptop. I hadn't yet gotten around to reinstalling it when I switched from the Compaq laptop to the Sony laptop. Do I really need that time sink? I can spend hours fiddling around with Photoshop and have nothing to show afterwards. It's very frustrating.

Getting M into the high chair is quite a challenge for me. I can probably get her in the chair 1 out of every dozen tries. It is almost the same with the car seat and stroller. DH OTOH usually has no trouble at all.

M can sign more words now, including hot and cold. I need to learn more words.

She's pretty good at saying "go go" (goo goo, for auntie in Mandarin), "poh poh" (grandma in Cantonese), "nai nai" (grandma in Mandarin), "yeh yeh" (grandpa in Mandarin), "mama", and "dah doon" (daddy). She even says "gag-m" (grandma) and "annie" (auntie). She can sign aunt, mommy, daddy, and grandma. We're currently working on saying "goo poh" (great aunt in Mandarin). This will be a pleasant surprise for her Great Aunt Katie.

She's quite the picky eater lately. She vetoes most of what I offer her. I think she's entering a texture phase. She had tortilla chips for the first time a couple days ago and loved them. She asks for pizza rolls ("pee roll"). She still likes cereal. She never refuses fries. She is rejecting noodles more frequently now. I think she's just into more crunchy foods, and moving away from the mushy noodles.

M is starting to become more bossy and barking orders. She'll say "cheh" (chair) and "sit" to tell us to sit in the chair. She has even said, "cheh, floor," to me while pointing at the spot on the floor where she wants me to sit. She can say, "come," to indicate that she wants you to follow her.

DH & I normally dislike reality shows on TV, however we do indulge in American Idol each year. It's mindless fun, when you don't want to watch something as intense as 24. I recently discovered an AI blog, which is a hoot to read. http://idolingalong.blogspot.com/ We don't actually watch AI live. We let Tivo record it, and then we chip away at it in the days following. So this means we won't have an opportunity to vote. Our poor Tivo is almost running out of space with all the crap we record and the limited time we have to catch up with the shows (24, American Idol, Battlestar Galactica, Bones, CSI, Las Vegas, Naruto, NCIS, Scrubs) we have recorded. Then there's the oddball stuff I record which DH doesn't watch with me (such as Cadfael, Masterpiece Theatre, Mystery!, Rosemary & Thyme).



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Grape Leaf Inn - Mourvedre

DH & I had a quickie 1-night getaway since my MIL had Friday off and could babysit M for the night. So we packed half the house, so it seems, with all of M's necessities and dropped her off at the inlaws. Had a little bit of lunch, and left Fremont at 1:45 PM to head up to Healdsburg. We had not anticipated Presidents Day holiday weekend traffic on top of the usual Friday afternoon traffic. It was a long drive up to Healdsburg in mostly stop-and-go/crawling traffic. Quite painful, however slightly ameliorated by having Jamba Juice with us during the drive. I was expecting to arrive in Healdsburg around 4PM, however due to the holiday traffic and what not, we arrived at 6 PM. We got stuck in heinous traffic around Santa Rosa, and I was worried about making thi 4-6 PM check-in. I called the inn while we were stuck in Santa Rosa and they informed me that they would be there until 7 PM.

The pics above are of Grape Leaf Inn in Healdsburg, CA. We stayed in the Mourvedre room, which you can see in the 2nd pic. It's the room on the left on the upper level. The room is Octagon Shaped.

Here's what you see as you walk through the door:

This is the bathroom. There's a nice 2-person spa tub. :-)





This is the fireplace. I probably should have turned it on before taking the photo.

It's a nice cozy room. I love the shape and the high ceilings. I wouldn't mind staying in this room again.

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Since we arrived at the inn so late, we only managed to briefly check out the wine/cheese tasting in the Speakeasy, and enjoy some tea & cookies while we relaxed a bit before our 8 PM dinner reservations at Ravenous just a few blocks away from the inn. The place is always crowded so you have to make reservations ahead of time. The food is delicious. I had the sea bass, and DH had the veal. We were too stuffed to have dessert afterwards. I was hoping to get a little bit of knitting done during the trip, but only managed about 18 rows on a scarf.

DH & I both had colds, so we weren't feeling our best during this trip. We brought all our drugs with us and drank lots of liquids. Since my symptoms have migrated from sore throat to painful cough & chest congestion, we picked up some Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom caplets along the way. It wasn't until we were going to take it that we noticed the directions explicitly stating that we should "swallow whole - do not crush, chew or dissolve". How weird, I had never noticed such instructions before. Well this didn't jive with me since I have never learned how to swallow pills; I always chew mine. So I took some Theraflu instead. On the way home we picked up some Robitussin CF, which goes down much better for me since it comes in liquid form.

Didn't have time to do anything in the Healdsburg area other than taking a brief walk in the neighborhood before we checked out. It seemed like we spent more time packing M's stuff and on the road than actual veg time at our destination. Not counting sleep time, all we really had was 6:15 pm to 10:30 pm and 7:30 am to 11:00 am. DH & I were both feeling miserable from our colds. And it definitely wasn't quite the relaxing romantic getaway we envisioned having, with a possibility of working on baby #2...

The drive back was also slow due to traffic, some in Santa Rosa, but most of it stop & go between Richmond and Oakland. When we returned to the inlaws house we discovered that M definitely had a full blown cold. She had been feeling a little off for weeks with mostly a runny nose, however there was no mistaking her cold now ... she was clearly congested and had difficulty breathing & speaking. Poor girl.

The drive home was ok while she napped. I could hear her difficulties with breathing, then she woke up crying because of her congestion. Going to bed was also a bit of a painful experience, she woke up at night, and then managed to fall back asleep. She sounded bad when she woke up in the morning, and she has been spending much of the morning napping.

There is a family dinner tonight to celebrate Chinese New Year, it doesn't look like we're going to make it. M is definitely not going to survive a trip over to Fremont to have a late 6:45 PM dinner which would mean being up/out past her bedtime. Not a good thing for sick baby.

Time for me to stick my nose over some hot tea. Today I am enjoying Peet's Jade Mist Organic tea...

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Bad signage

I thought I'd share a sign I saw in a nearby shop window. It's a small clothing store that caters to people who understand "remold close" and "new arrive", I guess...

M has discovered a new comfy spot. She climbed up onto the recliner, then asked for Ojo (hidden on her right side), then Stitch, then Roo, then her water sippy cup, then the remote, then her hat, and finally her Pooh pillow. She's all set now...

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Strange morning

A loud noise woke us up this morning at around 6:20am. It was a loud hum, and after a minute, we figured out it was a low hovering helicopter. It wasn't merely passing through. It hovered in the area for about 40 minutes. Later on we were able to distinguish 2 different hums, so there were definitely 2 helicopters out there. Very strange for the "suburbs" of SF. And the noise even woke M. Grrr! I think I have seen too many movies or something, cuz I couldn't help thinking that they were looking for some escaped fugitive who was loose in the area...

I have had a cold for almost a week now. I thought it was getting better when I woke up yesterday morning, but I definitely feel worse this morning. My voice was going yesterday afternoon, and it still doesn't sound very good this morning. Drinking lots of Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat, this stuff is great! And taking acetominophen and phenylephrine(sp?), your basic pain reliever & nasal decongestant. I'll be ok as long as M doesn't ask me to do too much reading and singing.

M is putting two words together. When we went to the park yesterday afternoon, she said "mor sai" which means "more slide". She wanted to go down the slide again. She can also put two words together when she's eating, to indicate what she wants more of to eat.

M is pretty good at counting from 1 to 10 now, however she has gotten into dropping 6. She'll say: reh, too, fee, for, fie, se-ye, ate, nie, teh.

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Strange neighborly behavior

I first mentioned our X neighbors last month. Well, they're still doing strange things. Tonight at around 10:25 PM, we hear a weird knocking/thunking sound. We were in the computer room and the sound seemed to come from outside by the front of the house or downstairs. So we went to the living room and peeked out the window overlooking the street. What do we see? One of the X neighbors walking away from our house while holding & twirling a long object that looked like a golf club. Where he walked away from looked like he had been standing close to our garage door area (which the upstairs living room overhangs a bit). DH's car is parked in the driveway, so this is even more reason why someone wouldn't normally just stand or hang out in that area. Very strange neighbors they are indeed, loitering around our house in such a surreptitious manner as that.


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First trip to the zoo

M went to the zoo for the very first time today. It was a cooler overcast raining-on-and-off kind of day, not exactly the idea kind of day to go but we went anyways. It was raining as we walked towards the entrance. She didn't seem to mind the cold or wet day. She probably finds rain interesting. However her main goal was to get her hands on grandma's umbrella.

I think she enjoyed being at the zoo, however she didn't really show much emotion while there. I think she just didn't know what to make of all the animals she saw there. She insisted on sitting on this hippo after seeing some other kids do the same. The she loved it even more once she figured out she could slide off of it! Yeah, she loves the slide at the park too... :-)

The San Francisco Zoo really looks like a ghetto after having seen the San Diego Zoo. :-( I look forward to taking her to San Diego when she's a bit older...

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M is absolutely thrilled that she has finally learned how to count from 1 to 10. I'll be driving in the car when she spontaneously decides she wants to count from 1 to 10 repeatedly, clapping in delight each time she reaches 10: reh, too, fee, for, fie, sih, se-ye, ate, nie, teh!

She can identify specific books and search for them. I'll start singing Itsy Bitsy Spider and she'll decide to look for the book, and she can pull that book out from the big pile of books she has! I'll start singing Wheels on the Bus, and she'll find the book! Since she has such a good memory on which books she has, I worry about what will happen after we have to return one of her favorites back to the library...

Of course I also worry about the day when she discovers that letting go of a helium balloon means it is gone forever...


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Marisa's Size 4 Visual Clothing Inventory

Marisa is currently transitioning into 24mos/2/2T size clothing. I've been collecting size 3 clothes, and have just started to collect size 4 clothes. I need a little help keeping track of what I already have. They all go into a box and I can't remember what I've already bought her. So this will be a Visual Inventory to remind me of what I have in the box. This will be easier than trying to go through the box cuz everytime I do that she will try to "help" by pulling everything out of the box. Then I end up having to refold everything...



LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS (13):







SHORT SLEEVE SHIRTS (13):









BODYSUITS (4):

I also have two other bodysuits without pictures, another one like the light pink one, and another in the same style in a darker pink.




PANTS (17; 15 full length, 2 capri):








SHORTS/SKORTS (4; 2 short, 2 skort):





JACKETS (4; 1 cotton, 1 fleece; 1 outerwear 4-in-1 jacket; 1 other):







This blue jacket is reversible.



This purple one is a 4-in-1 jacket. You can wear the Outer layer by itself. You can wear it double-layer with the Inner layer inside the Outer layer. And the Inner layer can be worn on its own, and it is reversible so you can choose the smooth nylon side out or the soft fleece side out.

DRESSES:


PAJAMAS (6; 4 long sleeve long pants, 1 short sleeve w/ shorts and long pants; 1 short sleeve long pants; 1 pj pants):









DRESS (1):




HAT (1):

(right side)

(left side)



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Marisa's Size 3 Visual Clothing Inventory

Marisa is currently transitioning into 24mos/2/2T size clothing. I'm starting to collect size 3 clothes. I need a little help keeping track of what I already have. They all go into a box and I can't remember what I've already bought her. So this will be a Visual Inventory to remind me of what I have in the box. This will be easier than trying to go through the box cuz everytime I do that she will try to "help" by pulling everything out of the box. Then I end up having to refold everything...

I think I'm pretty much set with Size 3 clothes.... perhaps a few more short sleeve shirts, short sleeve bodysuits, and pjs (both long sleeve for winter & short sleeve w/shorts for summer).


LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS (17):


Yes, I somehow got two of the same cupcake shirts...



SHORT SLEEVE SHIRTS (16):








LONG SLEEVE BODYSUITS (7):




SHORT SLEEVE BODYSUITS (3):




PANTS (20):

It's hard to see with the bad lighting on the photos with the black/white comforter in the background, but there is a coral colored pant that is exactly the same as the other coral colored pant taken against the brown coffee table. Dupes happen...



JACKETS (5):





SKORTS (1):




SHORTS (2):






DRESSES (5):




I'm not sure what size this Minnie Mouse dress is. It is from Taiwan and the label says "100". I'm guessing it's about size 3, cuz I don't see M wearing this at 2 yrs.




This is a 2-piece outfit consisting of a dress and a jacket. It's from Hong Kong and the label says size "2 1/2 yrs". It looks a bit big for her at 2 yrs.




PAJAMAS (5; 2 long sleeve long pants; 3 short sleeve w/shorts; 2 short sleeve w/shorts and long pants):







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