Mi Animalia

Skinny Minny

2011-09-17T10:21:00.002-07:00

"You have to eat," Da tells Animalia, "because you're a skinny minny."
"I'm NOT A SKINNY MINNY!" she says, clearly angry. "LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THESE THIGHS!"
She points to her thighs. They're skinny. "Mom, do I have big thighs like my sister?"
"Yes," I tell her, trying to comfort her rage. "Your thighs are enormous."
I'm lying.

Teeth and other tricks

2011-09-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

Saying "dientes" makes Madi show her teeth.

Saying "caritas" makes Madi make this funny crumpled monster face.

She does both for food. She does everything for food. She throws tantrums for food. What can I say? She likes food.

Her top two front teeth are coming in.

Madi says...

2011-08-27T13:31:00.002-07:00

Madi says mama when she's sad or when she wants me. It's nice.

Frightful!

2011-08-27T13:28:00.002-07:00

"Amalia, make potty. I can tell you have to go."
"No! I won't go that way."
"Why not?"
"I have to pass Mads."
"What's wrong with Mads?"
"There's a frightful smell!"

More words?

2011-08-19T09:57:00.003-07:00

So Magdalena has been saying papa as in food for a little bit now and lately she's started to say ma papa. It could just be a new sound, although she's been saying mama when she cries for awhile now. But that seems like just a sound. Ma papa... I don't think she's saying mama. I think she's saying "mas papa." More food. All her first words are going to be food related. I bet she says frijoles before she says mama.

First word

2011-07-28T06:42:00.001-07:00

Her first word is..... Papa! Not papa like dad, papa like food. Of course it is, "teeny."

At first I wasn't sure. Maybe she was just making that sound, so I watched and waited. Sure enough, she started to say it again, pointing at a bowl, and then making that lip smacking hungry sound that some babies make. Papa. Really?

Eight month measurements

2011-07-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

20.25 pounds. 29.25 inches. Big.

She climbs now

2011-06-15T09:02:00.001-07:00

And now Mads climbs. Up flights of stairs. She's only seven months old.

Her first crawls

2011-05-21T13:36:00.002-07:00

On May 21, 2011, we saw her first real crawling "steps." She'd been dragging herself for about a month.

It happened right after storytime at the library. Made me remember that Animalia's first real steps, walking steps, happened at storytime too. Maybe I work too much. Or maybe these girls are just inspired by my amazing storytime skills.

Teeny bo beeny who eats like a weenie

2011-05-16T11:09:00.003-07:00

Animalia made up that title.

Mads is 27 inches and 17.75 lbs at her six month checkup.

She is no longer the tiny little thing we thought she'd be. No, she won't be her Nana when she grows up.

A week later

2011-05-14T13:38:00.004-07:00

A week later, Madi is sick or something. She hasn't really eaten for almost a day so I take her to the doctor. I explain the issue, no eating, etc., and she is weighed and measured. She's gained a pound and an inch and a quarter in a week.

The doctor says," Maybe she just stopped being hungry" and I can't help but laugh. This is now the punchline to many jokes about how awesome she's growing.

Almost crawling

2011-05-14T13:35:00.002-07:00

The almost crawling started, after rolling and dragging herself for a few weeks, a couple of days ago.

Mads pushes herself onto her hands and knees, rocks back and forth to gain momentum, starts moving her legs just right, but still doesn't know what to do with her hands. She falls on her face.

The actual crawling will happen soon. Sooner than we're ready.

My sunshine

2011-05-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

"Please don't take my sunshine away."

--Animalia, telling a visiting Tío not to take Mads with him.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T22:57:00.003-07:00

Post-Easter coma.

4 months

2011-03-14T09:00:00.001-07:00

At four months, Mads weighs 15 lbs and is 25 inches long. She's almost her sister's size at the same age. So much for being petite!

Anxiety

2011-03-12T13:49:00.003-07:00

Teeny has major separation anxiety. She has major crying fits, big tears and all, when I'm not with her. I don't even have to be holding her. As long as she can see me and maybe reach me with her big toe, she's fine, happy, relaxed.

These crying fits are a major source of anxiety for everyone but me. Her poor dad... poor nana... eh, I don't think it bothers tata as much. When she's into a fit, there's almost nothing that can distract her for more than a breath, although being taken outside seems to help some.

It makes it that much harder to leave her, knowing that she's torturing people who love her.

Teeny and Toony

2011-03-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

They're called Teeny and Toony now. Animalia made it up.

Grabby

2011-03-02T11:28:00.004-07:00

Mags is grabby now, grabbing her toys, making noise, trying to pull herself up on her bouncy seat using the bar that holds the toys. She grabs her sisters hair, my hair, and grabs onto blankets, pulling them either into her mouth to relieve the teething or covering her head (danger! danger!).

Animalia is mostly entertained by this, even by the hair thing, convinced that her sister is trying to get her. Getting her is something that is funny.

Teeny

2011-02-23T16:30:00.004-07:00

Teeny is still a little teeny. She recently, at about 3.5 months grew out of 0-3 month sized clothes into 3-6 months. I guess that doesn't sound like a big deal but really, I think Animalia was around 2 months old in that size. So back to Teeny... she is impatient, occasionally demanding, happy, active, and curious. She has been rolling from her tummy to her back for a couple of weeks now and we are all suitably impressed. She's grabbing things now too and sucking on them, I think to relieve the teething. That's right... have I mentioned that she's teething. What the heck?

Looking into the future, I predict:
She'll be into everything.
We'll have to watch her like hawks when she's more mobile.
Aya will be her first word. She loves her sister that much.

Logic

2011-02-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

So Animalia went to this work event with me. I was working and her dad was volunteering. Teeny tiny Magdi stayed with Nana and Tata. Animalia was thrilled to hang out with some big kids and watch the presentation which is really like the biggest best storytime/pizza party ever. Curious George was our special guest. The man inside the suit was Animalia's Nino Peter. That and the fact that all the big kids were saying that Curious George wasn't real led to this conversation:

Animalia: Mom, is my Nino Curious George?
Me (unsure if I should admit it, I mean, isn't it like saying the Easter Bunny isn't real): Mmmhmm.
Animalia: Curious George isn't real.
Me: No?
Animalia: No. Monkeys aren't real.

I see how she came to that conclusion. Now I'm going to have to take her back to the zoo and crush her world.

Poop

2011-02-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

Poop. Baby poop. My least favorite thing in the world aside from . Animalia didn't do it so much which later led to many doctor's visits and issues. Magdi does it regularly. I guess I should know exactly what it's all about but since I didn't see so much of it with baby #1, the whole diaper experience with baby #2 has been a rude awakening.

The last few weeks

2011-02-09T09:58:00.003-07:00

The last few weeks have been filled with me working part time, two sick kids, doctor's appointments, cuddling, and exhaustion. First Animalia got sick, then Magdi, then Animalia got worse, then Magdi did. I think I was sick in the middle there somewhere too but I didn't have time to dwell. The only one who didn't get sick was the dad. I'm inclined to add a curse at him here, resentful as I am, but maybe one day Animalia and Mags will read this.

So Mags is seriously a cutie. She has her sister's long eyelashes and dimples when she grins her huge toothless grin. And she does love to smile, that is until she's mad and her anger comes swiftly and with ferocity. The girls get along pretty well, Animalia still shows very few signs of resentment, mostly love and kisses and "Look at me baby, I'm your big sister!" Animalia continues to be very helpful and this is a source of great stress to me (no, don't pick your sister up!) but I guess I could be complaining that she's a secret hitter or something so things could be worse.

I love these babies.

Back to work

2011-01-18T09:34:00.003-07:00

Starting today. Back to work. Part time for a month at least, otherwise it'd be too painful for words. It's already painful enough as it is.

Madi is now Magdalena Luna Lunera Cascabelera Cinco Pollitos, according to her big sister. What a nickname, no? This one is definitely harder to leave than her sister was. She's grown so much but is much more attached than her sister was, even at the tender age of 10 weeks. She needs me more for some reason and I say that knowing the absurdity of a 10 week old not needing mama, but Animalia was just less like that. Does that make sense?

Madi's 2 month checkup:
First vaccines (she cried and then fell asleep but was cranky for 2 days after), weight: 12lbs (catching up!), length: 22.75 inches (shorty!).

Everything else:
Getting used to getting ready in the morning is going to be rough. Dropping off Animalia at school and leaving Madi with Nana and Tata is going to be rough. Pumping during my breaks is going to be rough. It's all going to be rough. I'm exhausted already and it's only 9:30am and I've only done this once so far. Low grade panic setting in... breathe.... breathe.

In the last two months...

2010-12-12T22:15:00.002-07:00

In the forever since my last blog post there were midterm elections (mostly sucked), Animalia has learned many bad habits from preschool, I was frantic with the last days of work before maternity leave, and I gave birth to a new baby girl. Her name is Magdalena Luna and she is now a month old.

She was 7 lbs 4 oz and 20.5 inches long at birth. At almost 4 weeks, she was 8 lbs, 10 oz and 21.5 inches long. She's definitely smaller than her big sister. Maybe she'll catch up or maybe she'll be more me than her dad in the range of genetic possibilities. Not that I'm tiny but I'm certainly not a giant.

This baby is pretty good, sleeps lots. We wake up 2-3 times per night and sometimes only once. If it's just once it's at 4am. She's noisy and funny and occasionally demanding. When she's alert and awake she just looks around and makes sounds. When she needs a diaper change or is hungry, she wants it NOW. The hunger reminds me of her sister. Her impatience with diaper changes is her own. Animalia could marinate in a dirty diaper. Magdi just howls and grunts and groans and insists that it be changed or else she screams like she's being neglected. She has no patience for long walks unless she's being carried either. Animalia says I look like a kangaroo when I'm wearing the baby.

So Magdi or Madi is what Animalia calls her sister and I think Madi will stick but it could change at any time. Animalia loves her baby sister like crazy, likes to help, likes to hold her, wants to squeeze her hard but doesn't, is a little protective, is very proud. The helpfulness is a little scary, sometimes she's like a bull in a china shop so we watch her closely but so far it's been ok.

What else? I'm definitely more insulated or isolated than when Animalia was born. It sounds a little weird maybe but my gazing at the new baby time is more precious since there's less of it. The days just fly by and I realize that I haven't done as much as I meant to or returned all the phone calls, emails or text messages. I just want to sleep, eat and stare at my beautiful tiny girl.

More sooner rather than later. I just had to get some random thoughts in before I forgot them all... the last few weeks have been a pleasant blur with all the nesting going on.

3-year-old

2010-10-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

At age 3:

34.5 lbs
40 inches tall

Napuda!!!!

2010-10-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

I had to go backwards, searching many blog posts to figure out if I'd ever written about this word and I hadn't. Which is weird because we say it almost every day.

So the deal is that at some point a long while ago I started to yell out a made-up word, nakuda, when Animalia was naked, like in the middle of a diaper change or just after a bath. Nakuda, like naked. And when Animalia began saying it, she missed the k sound and inserted a p. Napuda (pronounced nah-poo-dah). Which still means naked. And can mean any form of naked. Dad wearing his boxers and a tshirt? Napuda! Me showing her my pregnant pansa? Napuda! When she's getting out of the bath she actually requests that her dad yells Napuda! at her.

Sometimes she abbreviates it to Naputs, especially when she's had a long, hot day and she walks in the house, stripping off her clothes and shoes immediately. Then she's naputs (nah-poots). And that's pretty much what she does the second she gets home almost every day. Naputs.

3 years old

2010-10-09T15:00:00.005-07:00

I'm so disappointed in myself for not blogging. Not really though. I'm just busy, braindead, tired, pregnant, working, mothering, laundering, etc. No really. I think I was asleep before 9pm more than once this week too.

Animalia just turned 3 years old. We celebrated some the week before with family that was in town for a couple of days at the same time as celebrating her 14-year-old cousin's birthday. Then we celebrated again at Disneyland which has to be it's own post with pictures. Then we celebrated with Nana and Tata on her actual day. Pretty low-key. Pasta, cake, ice cream. Would have been lovely but Animalia was really grumpy and fell asleep in my lap during the pasta. I only realized at that point that she had a fever. Poor thing.

So we went to Disneyland, got back, Animalia got sick for a few days, took her to the doctor who decided that she was fighting off an upper respitory infection for which she prescribed a nasal spray that wasn't covered by our insurance and cost slightly more than $100.

So there's all of that.

And then there's all of the stuff we're looking forward to:

Animalia starts preschool on October 11 at a new Reggio Emilia program mere blocks from home/work. It's half days. Bilingual. She loves the classroom and she cried when we left our visit. Later, she asked Nana if the teacher made her leave so that her mama doesn't hit her. Seriously. Sigh. She's trouble.

We're looking forward to the New Baby. Well, mostly me and a whole lot of it has to do with maternity leave and not being pregnant anymore and spending precious moments gazing into her eyes. Animalia, when asked one day if she was the baby, responded that the baby is in her mom's pansa. But she goes back and forth. Sometimes she points out a tiny piece of clothing at a store and asks if that was hers when she was born. On vacation she wrapped up a towel and said it was mama's New Baby and wouldn't let her dad touch it. I think she'll freak out everytime he touches the New Baby but maybe she'll not. I have no idea.

So everything is going fine. She's still really hilarious.

I'm being punished...

2010-08-25T09:56:00.003-07:00

For some terrible thing I did. Or maybe Animalia is considerately preparing me for the sleepless nights coming after The New Baby is born.

Last night, she fell asleep at 8pm, woke up around 1am, thrashed around in my bed for awhile, then at 2am decides she needs to go potty after which I drag her back to bed where she kicks and rolls around and puts various parts of her body on top of me. I think she fell back asleep around 3am but I'm not sure as I was asleep at some point. At least she fell back to sleep then and not at 6 again but I'm exhausted and so is she.

The last two days

2010-08-24T17:34:00.003-07:00

Have been torture. Animalia wakes up at 3 or 4am and is instantly and happily awake. I try in vain to put her back to sleep and she doesn't go to sleep. She wants to watch Scooby Doo and have a snack. This morning it was fruta, jugo, and Goldfish Crackers. See... at 3am or even 4am I shouldn't be awake. Waking up this early is bound to give me diarrhea or some other random and uncomfortable ailment. But there we are, in the "libbing room" watching Scooby Doo.

I don't think I've mentioned her love for Scooby Doo here. She loves him and I guess if that's the way we ruin our daughter then that's the way we do it.

Anyhow, there I am, eyes barely open. Then at around 6am she asks me to lay down with her on the couch. We cuddle, she falls asleep, I doze until my alarm goes off and I have to stumble around sleep deprived to get ready for work. I carry her sleepless body to the car where she seems awake enough for a brief conversation. Then she stops talking and I look back-- asleep again! I am terribly jealous of her, being chauffered around in a padded seat, comfortable enough to fall asleep. I take her to Nana's house and she continues to sleep as I arrange her on the couch.

She sleeps til 10:30. Of course that means that she didn't take a nap which could mean that she's in a terrible mood, an angry, vengeful mood. Or it could mean that she's tired enough by the day's end to fall asleep tonight without incident. Or she could wake up at 3am and be ready for her day again. And then I'll continue to be sleep deprived and diarrhea-ish.

Fixing it.

2010-08-17T20:50:00.001-07:00

"Stop picking your nose," her Dad tells Animalia.
"I'm not picking it! I'm fixing it!" she replies.

Best excuse for nose picking ever.

Alright.

2010-08-06T09:03:00.002-07:00

Alright. It's what she says when she's in agreement. Alright can be said with happiness and enthusiasm or with anger and resentment.

Last night, the Animalia was exhausted. She'd refused to take a nap and had an active day so at 6pm, about an hour before it's ok for her to go to sleep so that she won't wake up at 4am, she started to doze off. I came up with the brilliant idea that I would bribe her with a popsicle. That would surely keep her awake.

So I ask her, her tiny eyes closing, if she'd like a popsicle. Alright, she said quietly. I brought her a popsicle and opened for her. Her eyes were tiny slits but still, she took it. She held it for a second and her head drooped. Are you going to eat your popsicle? I asked her. She opened her eyes just a tiny bit. Alr...

She was done for the night. I removed the popsicle and put her in bed at 6:05pm. She slept til 5am. Alright.

Protein Monster

2010-08-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

Animalia loves to eat:
Carne which includes beef, pork, and all veggie meats. Hard boiled eggs, but mostly just the white part. Pollo. Frijoles. Greek yogurt (more protein than regular yogurt). Almond milk, any flavor. Avocado.

She also loves black olives, tomatoes, cereal and milk, corn on the cob, pasta, queso, and sopita.

There are other foods she eats too, but this list represents her true loves-- mostly, as you can see, protein.

When does practicality become hoarding?

2010-07-21T09:05:00.002-07:00

We sorted through Animalia's clothes the other day, me and Nana. It was something I'd wanted to do ever since we found out The New Baby is a girl. There were lots of clothes from the last two years, ridiculous amounts of clothes. Hoarding amounts of clothes.

I think was being both practical and lazy. Lazy? Maybe or maybe just busy. See, what happens is that there are lots of clothes. Animalia grows out of those clothes. I put them in a bag and put them in her closet for later sorting. I figured I'd sort them and keep some for any possible New Baby Girl or sell them for later clothes for Animalia or give them away to a friend or family member in need of baby girl clothes or donate them to one place or another. So I did that for over two years. Animalia's tiny closet was beyond stuffed. Then I pulled everything out into laundry baskets and said that I'd start the sorting project any day now. And I didn't, you know with little things like work and mothering and sleep getting in the way. And then one day Nana says that she has some things to go through, did I want to bring all the stuff over and we can do it together? Sure, I wasn't getting it done on my own. So I packed it all up. Three baskets and a trashbag full of tiny clothes. Nana had a couple of bags of her own. And we did it while Animalia napped on the couch.

The results? Poor New Baby. She has her complete wardrobe all set. No new clothes for her. She has her first two years wardrobe all complete.

Eighty-four Five

2010-07-14T09:41:00.002-07:00

Eighty-Four Five is the name she's given to her notebook. It's just a regular old steno pad, maybe it looks official? Eighty-Four One Five is the name she's given to the pencil she uses to write in the Eighty-Four Five. Those are her favorite numbers.... those long, hyphenated sounding, official looking things. Those and "two."

Jan Brewer

2010-07-06T16:23:00.003-07:00

You know the part of Sleeping Beauty where Maleficent, the evil witch, comes into the castle during baby Rose's (Sleeping Beauty as a tiny baby) baptism and curses her? Animalia asked me if Maleficent was Jan Brewer and if Jan Brewer was there to hurt the baby. So I said yes. What else was I supposed to say? No, baby, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, signer of the infamous SB1070 and HB2281, is a nice lady and wouldn't hurt anyone? I can't lie to her. At least not about Jan Brewer.

Animalia is relieved

2010-06-30T15:30:00.002-07:00

because The New Baby is definitely a girl. Definitely. No chance a mistake was made.

I am.

2010-06-29T18:28:00.003-07:00

Are you really happy? someone asked.

I am.

Really? The reply.

I like my life.

But you're stressed, she stated.

Mmmhmm. A 2-year-old. A husband. A full time job with another full time job on the side. A little extra money making here and there. Another baby on the way. The constant threat of lupus flare up. There's stress. But I'm happy. I like my life.

Love, true love

2010-06-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

"Mommy, thank you for loving me."

I don't love you

2010-06-25T09:29:00.002-07:00

"I don't love you," she tells me. She's irritated because it's time to get out of the shower and get ready for bed.
"But I love you," I reply.
"I don't love you. I love my daddy."
He makes faces from the other side of the bathroom door. Faces like he won something. Faces like he's gloating. I myself am trying not to laugh. I leave the bathroom telling him that he's on his own for the bedtime ritual. I start laughing and it takes awhile to catch my breath.

She's reasonable.

2010-06-15T17:01:00.004-07:00

The reasoning of a smart, defiant toddler goes like this:

"It's time to take a nap," says Nana.
"I can sleep with my eyes open," says Animalia.

"Let's go to the jumping castles, " I tell her in an attempt to take her to Pump It Up (where we've never been but it looks like she would love it).
"I want to stay home," she responds.
"Come on! It'll be fun!" I put a huge smile on my face.
"If I want to jump I can jump in your bed," she says, conversation over.

"Naptime!" I say.
"I will not sleep, I will eat my foot!" she yells.

These, and discussions like these, happen daily.

The New Baby

2010-06-10T15:15:00.003-07:00

The New Baby is what we're calling it. Not bean or bun or muffin or whatever food references people make about the things growing inside them. The New Baby. Like that, capitalized.

The first time we mentioned The New Baby to Animalia, we showed her the sonogram. She said, "That new baby is not coming in my house." She really cracks me up.

The last week or so, the response had been more positive. She says that we'll read to the new baby and walk her on the ceiling (because Dad walks Animalia on the ceiling) and protect the new baby. I'm sure that ceiling walking and protecting conflict a little but I don't contradict her. According to Animalia, The New Baby is a girl, not a boy, so that she can be a princess and be lovely and smart. Now that she's said that, I'm sure that The New Baby will most certainly be a boy or a tomboy and hate dresses with all the passion in the world. That's just how life is.

The Sleepiness

2010-06-09T17:33:00.003-07:00

I find myself nesting again, pregnant again, wanting to do nothing but gaze at Animalia while she sleeps. The problem is that she doesn't sleep like she used to. Naps still happen but mostly with a bit of anger and crying. Bedtime for the last few days consists of me putting her to bed, her sneaking off to be with her dad, me not hearing her because I'm asleep, and, the next morning, hearing Jimmy tell me that she played until 11pm and that's why she's so cranky. So basically, I'm tired. Animalia is energetic. And Jimmy is nice to both of us.

I just reread this and I realize that that's no way to make a big announcement. Hi everyone, I'm tired and pregnant. Exciting.

Ok... how about

We're having another baby in November. Animalia won't be an only child. We're thrilled. But really, we are.

Next post, Animalia's reaction.

Ambition

2010-05-15T12:44:00.001-07:00

"When I grow up I can be a robot. I can't have eyes. Only lights. And I can be a girl and not a boy."

Two Friends!

2010-05-13T11:07:00.002-07:00

Animalia was way too excited when I brought Ana (Raggedy Ann) and Petunia (teddy bear) to sit with her at her tea party last night. It was almost sad when she giggled, "I have TWO friends!" She played tea party with them happily but I couldn't help but think that she needs to see more kids. I need to put more effort into that.

Shump!

2010-05-12T11:04:00.003-07:00

Shump. The sound Animalia makes when she is fake eating something. But not something regular. Something delicious and sweet like tea with honey or ice cream. Shump, she says when she is pretending to eat something or when she asks if she can shump something "for her mouth."

Crunch. This means something is healthy. She crunches apples and broccoli because "they're healthy because they crunch."

Neee-owwwww. This is what airplanes say.

ROOOOAAAAR. This is one of her favorite things, roaring. She roars at other children. Sometimes they get scared and run. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes she's a dinosaur when she roars, sometimes a monster. She loves being scared and tells us so. Sometimes she whispers, "Let's scare daddy and see what happens. Ready, set, go!" and then she roars and he acts scared.

She beeps and bloops and ticks and tocks and sings to herself too. Not sure what exactly she's doing with all that but I love to listen in when she's busy.

The time she was trying to hide but got stuck between the couch and the wall

2010-04-29T11:17:00.001-07:00

She doesn't look upset but she was. All we did was laugh and take pictures.

Two dollars

2010-04-21T14:38:00.001-07:00

"Mama?"
"Yes, baby?"
"Did you buy me at the Target store? Did I cost two dollars?"
"Yes, baby. I bought you at the Target store. You cost two dollars."

Then she gave me a hug and told me that she loves me very much.

The Great Lollipop Shakedown of 2010

2010-04-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

Animalia, on her regular trips with Nana and Tata, visits an assortment of thrift and other stores and sometimes banks on a fairly regular basis. Many times, on these visits, she is given treats like lollipops by people working in these places. That is the backstory.

The real story is this:
Animalia walked into the credit union and asked for a lollipop. They didn't have any that day. She fake cried. A little while later she walked into a thrift store. She again asked for a lollipop. When she was told that they also had run out, she shook with rage. At both places, the person working at the counter apologized profusely. Terrible.

Easter 2010

2010-04-12T16:18:00.005-07:00

April 4th, Tia Lupita's house, playing with cousins, egg hunting, eating Eegee's, posing with Nana.

Sandbox Incident

2010-04-06T15:35:00.003-07:00

A few days ago, Animalia was at the Tucson Children's Museum sandbox with Nana and Tata. Apparently, she tried to kick some older kids out of the sandbox and then pitched a fit because one of them was using "her" tiny shovel. The kids were older, around 5 or 6 and not to be pushed around and after a few minutes of trying to get Animalia to share, Nana and Tata took her home and put her in time out. I guess she knew as soon as they took her away that she was in trouble, asking if she was in trouble and going to time out.

So today she explains the whole thing to Nana, telling her that her fairy godmother made her into a baby at the sandbox. I ask her if that's true and she just laughs.

It's time for preschool.

A bow!

2010-04-02T11:25:00.003-07:00

This is a bow that I made with my own two hands. It has a barrette backing and is intended for Animalia's wild tresses. It is also intended for her to wear when she wears her lovely Easter dress on Sunday. I am very impressed with this bow as I didn't know I was able to create something like this. I would normally just buy something like this... actually, I wouldn't normally buy something like this as bows like this cost $10. $10! For a bow! I also didn't know I was a bow making kind of mom. But I guess I am a recycling kind of mom (materials left over from other random crafty things) and I am a crafty kind of mom, even if I can never craft, what with having a kid and a job and doing random acts of community type things. So here it is. A bow.

Preschool Search '10, part 3

2010-03-31T16:07:00.002-07:00

We've hit a standstill on the search.

One school was awful. Super academic. Developmentally inappropriate. Viewed play with the whole "idle hands are the devil's workshop" adage. Sure, they were multiplying at age 3 but they weren't playing. They were being drilled. No decorations on the classroom walls because they're viewed as distractions from learning. I know quite a bit about early childhood brain development and this school was ignoring crucial things. You know, like real experiences in favor of rote memorization. Not for us.

Second school was good. Clean. Cute. Lots of outside time. Foreign languages. And then there were some alarming things on someone elses visit. Like dirty bathrooms. And elitist attitudes. Things I don't want Animalia learning, even if it's just filtered down through layers of administration and teachers.

Third school took my name and number because the program isn't quite put together yet. They're starting a Reggio Emilia based program, bilingual. Sounds awesome but I'm wondering when we'll know the details.

Fourth school never called me back.

So here we are.

Teeny tiny train vacation

2010-03-30T16:19:00.002-07:00

Leave Tucson at approximately 10:30 pm by Amtrak. Animalia is overly interested in the train, asking if it's her train and if she's on the train. Also, she needed to go potty. Many times. Midnight lecture was necessary. I think I told her that she needed to go to sleep around midnight in my most exhausted threatening voice. Then she asked me if she could talk. I said no.

Arrive in Los Angeles at approximately 7:30 am. No sleep, or very little, since Animalia was hogging. Drop off luggage, eat breakfast at Olvera St, deal with unanticipated issues, take bus to museums where Animalia sees dinosaurs, animals, airplanes, roses, and other happy things. She keeps asking if we're in California.

Check into hotel, conveniently located near many delicious foods in Little Tokyo. Animalia loves the hotel. Eat an early dinner. Buy some pastries. Head back to the room. Animalia falls asleep early, before dessert.

Next morning, wake up, get dressed, get coffee and pastries, head to Santa Monica. The beach! The rides! This is Animalia's happiest part of the whole trip. Hotel, naps, wandering around, late dinner.

Next morning, wake up, eat breakfast, go to large Japanese supermarket, check out of hotel, head to train station. Train departs at 2:30pm. It's slightly delayed, then we're delayed en route. Animalia has good times. Spends time in the observation car which she correctly names unless she's calling it the raisin car. Home at 12:30pm (about an hour late). Asleep by 1am.

Spend the entire next day tired, though Animalia was missing the hotel, train, and Japanese food. Have I mentioned that she loves Japanese food? Miso soup, sushi, cucumbers only slightly pickled in vinegar, soba noodles. All of it.

Miss Dramatic

2010-03-11T13:20:00.005-07:00

Getting Animalia To Sleep. Capitalized, as if it were the title of a nightly drama, played out by yours truly, Daht, and starring Animalia. I now think it's payback for having such a blissful infant and whenever friends would tell me that theirs wasn't sleeping, I'd smugly say "Animalia only wakes up once or twice per night." Well... now her brain is working like crazy maybe, or maybe she just likes driving me insane from sleep deprivation because she's been waking up several times per night giggling, calling to me, or talking about princesses. So I'm tired. But I hear her and I give her a stern "Es tiempo para mimis" and what does she say? "I understand Mom... I understand" in her most dramatic, saddest, most manipulative voice. Drama.

In the meantime, Nana and Tata have started to have the same problems with naptime. When Nana firmly tells her that she has to take a nap, Animalia wails, "Nana... why are you so mad at me?"

Drama.

Mandingo

2010-03-11T10:15:00.004-07:00

"¿Como te llamas?" Nana asks.
"Aya Castillo Mandingo," Animalia replies, laughing hysterically.

And it's all Nana's fault.

Preschool Search '10, part 2

2010-03-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

So I thought I loved the second school and then decided, after someone else visited the next day and reported that the bathrooms were filthy and some other major stuff, that I don't love it anymore. I'm not a clean freak by any means but filthy bathrooms are a deal breaker. Also, a certain elitest private school attitude that won't serve us well as we're hoping to put Animalia in public school for 1st grade. At least that's the current plan. Have I mentioned that this is really hard?

Left message at two other schools. One will get back to me when they have their Reggio Emilia-based program completely in place, the other, a well-known and -respected place, hasn't bothered to return my call.

The Great Preschool Search of '10

2010-03-04T11:19:00.003-07:00

Realizing that my daughter was going to turn three this fall has sent me into a fevered frenzy of preschool searching. Actually, my fevered frenzy is more like "umm... I heard this one is ok, maybe I should call them." And then I tell myself that for a few days until I actually do it. So anyhow, this is hard and also time consuming, and, once a school is chosen, will be expensive. I guess I didn't realize that preschool is almost $500/month full time and although I'd like her to just go 2-3 days/week for the first year, I think full time might be good for her second year. Then, it's kind of weird, but it seems that either the schools are super structured, sitting at desks, doing worksheets and not being fun at all, or free and easy, hippy dippy, barefoot. It might be nice to find something somewhere in the middle. Then there's all these methods and philosophies and rules and registration fees and waitlist fees and... it's enough to make me just want to start school in kinder and skip all of this. But I know she'll love it and I know she needs just a little extra structure and variation in her life at this point. So I'll get through it.

So far I've had one visit and one upcoming appointment. I think I'm going to call two more places and make appointments with them. Results to be announced but I already know it isn't going to be the first school. That one was pretty terrible.

Princesa

2010-03-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

"This is my princesa. It's a princess. But daddy doesn't say that word, princesa. Daddy doesn't say it en español."

--Animalia, playing with her very treasured Cinderella doll

The Big City

2010-02-25T17:13:00.002-07:00

"Can we go to the big city?" Animalia asks. Or sometimes she tells us about "when I was in the big city." The Big City. I think she means downtown Tucson with all the cars in motion and all the people walking from one place (the office) to another (lunch, probably, or back to work from lunch). It's funny for us because our street is so quiet, just south of "bustling" downtown, that she probably doesn't realize that we're pretty much downtown all the time.

When I was a baby...

2010-02-17T09:12:00.004-07:00

Animalia is lately obsessed with making the distinction between herself and babies. Example: she found a pair of tiny shoes in a bag of stuff I was giving away and showed them to me, saying "Are these my shoes from when I was a baby?" She does that with anything small too. Like doll dresses, play food, and things she doesn't want to wear. Like pants. "They're too small!" she cries, "from when I was a baby!" Even when they're not... just because she hates pants.

But sometimes, like this morning, she still wants to be a baby, asking me to carry her "like a baby because I'm born."

At 2 years and 4 months...

2010-02-12T15:43:00.003-07:00

At two years and four months, Animalia loves:

-dolls of any shape or size.
-her dog Cooper. She calls him "Cupa Coop," "Mr. Cooper," and "Zippy." The rest of us are only allowed to call him Cooper.
-making. Also known as cooking.
-yarning. Also known as cutting with sticks. That's knitting for the rest of us.
-books, especially Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara, Art (Petit Connoisseur) by Karen Salmansohn, Princess Baby, Night-Night by Karen Katz, and In Grandma's Arms by Jayne C Shelton and Karen Katz. Also, anything Maisy, anything with princesses, anything about dragons or dinosaurs.
-making pipis and popos in the potty, not like dogs or cats. According to Animalia, they do it outside because they stink.
-her ABCs and knows them well enough to purposely replace letters in the sequence. Hilarity ensues when she sings A-B-C-D-I-O-P or a similar sequence.
-to count.
-to tuck herself into bed when it's not bedtime. Of course, she doesn't love to tuck herself in when it is bedtime.
-being funny, making jokes, being tickled and everything else related to laughter.
-drawing. "Not on the books, only on the paper."
-dancing. She especially loves dancing in the kitchen to the oldies.
-humming random tunes.
-sopita.
-being scared. There are probably few bigger thrills for her than having someone jump out and scare her. Really.
-her family. Her happiest times are spent "together, with the whole family." She especially loves it when her mama, daddy, nana and tata are all in the same place at the same time.

Yarning

2010-02-11T15:32:00.000-07:00

"Mom, I'm relaxing and yarning a scarf for my fadder"

-- Animalia, sitting on the stairs at Nana's house pretending to knit.

time out

2010-02-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

So here's what happened:

I was moving laundry from the washer to the dryer. Animalia was actually helping me until the bag of dog food caught her eye. Then she started playing with the dog food. I told her to stop. I know, playing with dog food isn't the end of the world but she's acquired the bad habit of also torturing Cooper with food items, so I feel the need to retrain her to leave Cooper's stuff alone. Anyhow, she's sticking her hands in it. I tell her no. She does it again. Etc. When my hands aren't full of laundry, I physically move her away from it and she stops momentarily. So.. major plot point.. this is a rainy day. Some of the laundry needs to hang dry, so I scoop it up and start to hang it in the bathroom. She follows me and closes the door. I'm in the bathroom, hands full of wet clothing, and she's in the laundry room. Alone. I hang up the laundry, calmly, but irritated. I walk out of the bathroom when I'm done, only to find her standing in a puddle of dog food. Laughing. She's testing me. And she thinks it's funny. I'm irritated. I tell her that I told her no and she didn't listen so she's gotta go to time out. And I take her to a chair in the children's paradise that is our living room. And I sit her in it. And she cries. And cries. And wails her objections. And cries some more.

Two minutes later...

I tell her she can leave time out. She cries some more and stays in time out. Another minute or so later, she walks over to me, gasping. "Mommy, I'm sorry," she says. I say something parental, like "You got time out because you can't play with Cooper's food." She says something like, "Mommy, I'm really really sorry." She's dramatic, my child is. Then she asks for a hug and I give her one. Then she asks for a kiss and I give her one. The kiss part is weird because she grabs my face, one of her tiny hands on each of my cheeks, and squeezes me a little, and kisses me really hard. I can't help but think that this is the kiss of death, that my tiny child is some sort of mob godfather and I'll be smothered in my sleep tonight by a paid hitman. But I digress. So she gives me a kiss. Then she says, "Little girls don't play with Cooper's food." And I tell her that she's right.

Hair OR Things I don't know how to do

2010-02-05T11:34:00.004-07:00

I was once told I was "blessed" with hair "como India." Until my teen hair experimentation years (dyeing and bleaching) my hair was blacker than black, thick, and so straight that it resisted most styling and rarely tangled. My hair could be, unlike the hair of many of my friends, combed when wet, then air dried, and look lovely. I didn't even really learn how to use a blow-dryer til I was well into my adult years. Curling irons and round brushes are still something of a mystery to me.

Fast forward to now. My hair, due to hormones and the previously mentioned chemical treatments is no longer as straight, nor as dark. There's a little wave in it that occasionally panicks me, but I mostly still wash, comb wet with a little product, then air dry.

And then there's Animalia. Her hair. Her fine, reddish brown, curly hair. I didn't need to bother with it for awhile. She was pretty bald for awhile, with a few tiny curls. Recently, though, her hair has come in full force, lots of it, lots of curls. I figured it out though. Her hair regimen. Earth's Best shampoo is great, I discovered with much trial and error. Then comb out tangles when wet. Then air dry, with some anti-frizz hair serum. Then pin bangs back with barette. If this is followed exactly, her barette can come out and her hair stays mostly out of her face, the back bouncing into little ringlets. If it isn't-- well, we have a frizzy, crazy, staticky mess. A bird's nest that looks crazy and disheveled and dirty, even when it's sparkling clean.

This is my penance for my many years of negligent hair care.

Lyrics

2010-01-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

She's making me change lyrics to our made up songs. Where I normally say "baby" she wants me to say "little girl." Needless to say, this is difficult as it kind of screws up the rhythm of many songs to insert that extra syllable.

Directing the parent

2010-01-26T12:20:00.003-07:00

While I was at an evening meeting...

"Daddy, I need to go poop in the potty. Right now. You need to take me." orders Animalia. So he does. Once she's finished what she needed to finish, she tells him, "Daddy. Now I need to eat dinner. Right now."

He says he felt like he was being reprimanded for coming up short as a parent. I reminded him that she's only two.

Fashion!

2010-01-20T09:59:00.002-07:00

This fabulous little number was assembled by Animalia herself and consists of a Hello Kitty dress from Target, a ballerina dress, origins unknown, and some Hello Kitty rain boots, also from Target. Jewelery provided by Nana, who, helping Animalia dress, was asked, "Nana, am I fashion?"

The accident

2010-01-19T11:07:00.002-07:00

This happened about a month ago.

One day Amalia, distracted by fun things like toys and playing, had an accident. I knew, as I approached her, that she'd done something. She was sitting in the middle of the living room floor, kind of frozen in position... and then I noticed her wet bottoms. I remember stripping her down and leading her to the shower. She kept covering her face with her arm and whispering "You don't go pipi in your chones, only in the potty." I felt so bad for her. I couldn't punish her or even say stern words. She was punishing herself. Then her Daht found the major puddle hidden under one of her doll's blankets. She knew. And she was ashamed. I was so sad that she was so sad.

I'll have to tell her that story one day, tell her that we didn't need to punish or chastise her, that she did it to herself.

So it's been a little while...

2010-01-14T15:30:00.003-07:00

...since my last real post. In that time, Animalia has celebrated Christmas (she loves Christmas, she says), a new year (Happy New Beer! she says) and her Dad's birthday (Happy Birthday to cupcakes! she says). The holidays were happy and exhausting and I'm still sad that it's all over, all the extra time off, Nina Amarisa going back to DC, having us all together as a family more of the time. But here we are, 2010.

It's going to be a good year. I can feel it.

Holiday photos

2010-01-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

Christmas morning. That blanket draped behind her is hiding a play kitchen!

Sometime after Christmas, holding Lito like a baby.

The B-Word

2009-12-22T09:44:00.002-07:00

It's not as bad as it sounds. In fact, it's not bad at all.

The other night, Animalia was sitting on the floor coloring. For some reason I was freezing so I was wrapped in a blanket on the couch. She looks up at me, and in her sweetest voice says, "Mommy? Will you play with me?" But I'm cold and tired. I try to make an excuse. "Play with me! Play with me!" she orders. I try to make it up to her by drawing while sitting on the couch. "No, mom! Sit with me on the floor!" Sigh. I'm gonna do it but aside from cold and tired I'm also very slow. She stands up, walks over to me, and tugs on the blanket. "Take off the B-word and sit with me!" she says, her patience gone. "B-word? What's that?" I ask her. "The blanket, mom," she says, practically rolling her eyes. And, cold, slow and tired, I do. I take off the B-word and color with her. Not because she's the boss of me. But because I was really impressed by the appropriate use of "B-word."

I told you.

2009-12-19T09:27:00.003-07:00

Mommy?
Yes, baby?
I told you.
What did you tell me?
I told you about robot monster cows.
What did you tell me about robot monster cows?
They're not very scary at all.

Mommy?
Yes, baby?
I told you.
What did you tell me?
I told you about boys.
What did you tell me about boys?
No more boys, mom.
Is daddy a boy?
Noooooooo. He's a dad.
What's his name?
Daddy the dad.
Is Tata a boy?
No... he's Tati the tata.
Is Uncle a boy?
No... he's a buncle.

Oh Christmas Tree!

2009-12-17T16:35:00.002-07:00

We bought a Christmas tree last night and decorated it as a family. Actually, Animalia wandered around with half a candy cane that she'd pilfered (she called it a "candy can") and got her hands all sticky, stopping occasionally to hand us an ornament and point out where it should go. She's a big helper, which is why, this year, we got some "unbreakable" ornaments. They're actually pretty and don't look plastic, which is nice. It's also nice because this year, Animalia is actually occasionally defiant. Last year, telling her not to touch something actually worked.

I'm waiting til the last minute to put presents under the tree as I'm afraid I'll walk in and she'll be surrounded by wrapping paper shreds.

A princess girl

2009-12-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

Animalia is a princess girl. We fight with her to put on jeans or pants of any kind. She says they're "gross." No kidding. Actually says "gross." And then there's crying and pleading, mostly on her part, but sometimes on ours. In fact, once, given the option to play outside (which she loves) but with the condition that she had to wear pants, she said, "Let's watch a movie."

Advertising... yum!

2009-12-11T13:33:00.003-07:00

Here in lovely Tucson, AZ, there's an intersection nicknamed Five Points where Stone Ave, Sixth Ave and 18th Street all meet. There are a few billboards at this intersection, one of which was recently advertising Burger King with a BIG GIANT picture of a cheeseburger.

One day, Animalia, sitting in the car at a red light with her Daht, asked him what it was. "A BIG GIANT HAMBURGER!" he said. She stored that information in her brain. A few days later, she told me that it was "A BIG GIANG HANGURBER!" and then said "Let's tell Daddy. We can eat one." That night we had turkey burgers. "Yum!" she said, "I LOVE HANGURBERS!" And everytime we passed through that intersection she'd point out the BIG GIANT HANGURBER.

Now the billboard has been replaced and she misses the Burger King ad. She says the "BIG GIANT HANGURBER went ba-bye." The Safeway billboard just isn't as appealing to tiny people with its big red bow and a billion price tags advertising new lower prices.

Good job on that ad, Burger King. Though I must say that toddlers are easy-- when she asks for hangurbers, we don't actually have to take her there. A veggie burger will still suffice.

Singing together

2009-12-09T09:03:00.003-07:00

Animalia's latest thing is that she wants to sing together. She says "Let's sing the ABC's. Together. Ready, set, go!" And then we sing. And I'm supposed to sing a certain way. If she's singing silly, like making her voice really low, I'm supposed to do it the same way. Or we'll have to start all over again. "Ready, set, go!"

Follow the leader

2009-12-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

The scene: Nana's backyard. I'm there during lunch time. Nana's there. Tata and Uncle are taking a break from working on a project. Animalia is playing.

She tells us all to be fishes. We be fishes, making a fin with our hands and saying glub, glub, glub.

She tells us all to flap our wings, saying flap, flap, flap.

Now jump, she says. We jump.

Now run, she says. Ready, set, go! We all watch her run a circle around the yard.

Shake your booty, she orders. We all shake.

We're doing some sort of modified toddler aerobics according to the orders of a two-year-old. I wonder what the neighbors think.

The Evil Mudder

2009-11-27T16:56:00.000-07:00

So Nana tells Animalia not to do something, I can't remember what, and Animalia says, "Leave me alone, evil mudder." And we laugh. And then Nana asks her who the Evil Mudder is and Animalia says, innocently, "I don't see the evil mudder. She's not here."

Mudder

2009-11-24T13:21:00.002-07:00

Mudder, or mother, to those of us with the ability to use the "th" sound. Mudder. It's what she calls me, her mother, but also Nana. She understands the difference, knows that it's her grandmother she's calling, but she is constantly playing with words. The only problem with it is that when they're out and about, and Animalia is calling for nana's attention, saying "Mudder! Mudder!" that people give my mom looks like "what is that woman doing with a child that age?!" Actually once someone asked my mom if that was her granddaughter and she said yes, only to get an odd look when Animalia started calling out "Mudder!"

She's funny, my kid.

From gchat

2009-11-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

Marisa (nina): Why is it hilarious that Amalia, age 2, has a long black skirt?
She is your child.
Everyone who I fwded the Halloween pic of Amalia in the witch hat thought that was her costume
Because she was in all black
I was like, "No, that's her style"
me: She dresses herself.
This morning it was a yellow longsleeve shirt with a colorful animal picture on the front
a matching pink skirt
(I know, doesn't sound like it matches but it totally does)
AND THEN she started with cute pink sandals that totally went with the outfit
but was distracted when she saw her knee high black boots
she ended up going with the boots "so my feet are warm and cozy"
Marisa (Nina): Why is it it hilarious that Amalia, age 2, has knee high black boots?
Do you not see the humor?
me: They were on sale and I had a coupon.
She also has black patent ankle boots.
She's her mama's girl in many ways.
This means that the next kid won't care about fashion at all.

I've been working.

2009-11-17T09:26:00.005-07:00

I've been working. The regular ol' job plus some extra, on-the-side work teaching digital storytelling to some lovely ladies for some vacation money plus dentist and doctor's appointments. There have been repercussions to this. The blog is sorely in need of updating as there are many cute and hilarious things that Animalia is doing lately, so I'm catching up, finishing blog posts that I started but didn't finish and quickly writing new ones about things that I don't want to forget. Also, Animalia is clingy. She fights with people when I'm around, trying to steal precious moments for herself. This past Saturday, she even pushed her Tata away, saying "Get away from me! I'm with my mom!"

So yesterday was my first real day off all alone with Animalia in almost two weeks. We slept in and then spent most of the day cuddling and hugging and giving random kisses. She sat on my lap and we read lots of books and at one point she said, "It's mama and Aya. Me and you. Me and you together." I squeezed her and gave her a kiss and felt love and guilt and happiness and sadness. I've been neglecting my baby a little bit for the greater good (I guess) but I may not care about the greater good at her expense.

Parades.

2009-11-12T09:34:00.002-07:00

On Sunday we took Animalia to the All Soul's Procession. She loved it. She loved the "scary monsters" and the drums and the people all dressed up. She loved the dresses and the hula hoop-ers and the big puppet heads. She loved that her dog was there, and her mama and daht and nana and tata. She loved all of it so much that when we left she screamed her little head off. She talked about it the next morning too, telling me about all the "skeleton people and girls" and that her dog was "a good boy with the monsters" and "I love lots of drums and people." Clearly she loves a spectacle as much as I do.

A couple of days later, I took her to the Veteran's Day Parade. I got her all excited by telling her that we were going to a parade, a term she'd heard to describe the All Soul's Procession. So she was thrilled. Then we got there and saw the military jeeps and old cars and flags and she says "Parade... where aaaare youuuuu? Are you right there? Noooooooooooo! Are you right there?! Nooooooooo!" She's cracking herself up at this point and I'm a little embarrassed because her words are crystal clear and people around us are giggling. So we go home. And next time I take her to a parade it has to have lights and fire and dancers and costumes and makeup and drums, lots of big big drums. Maybe the holiday parade?

More words of wisdom

2009-11-05T08:54:00.001-07:00

"My mama is a very good eater. Yay!"

--Animalia, watching me eat a piece of toast for breakfast.

Halloween

2009-11-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

There was trick-or-treating in the morning, Animalia not yet in her costume but wearing a mostly black outfit and a Hello Kitty Halloween t-shirt. We had gone to Joann to buy some ribbon to put a bow in her hair (yep, I was still forcing Dorothy on her) and she found herself a witch hat that she wouldn't let go. It was on clearance. I bought it for her. So it was the mostly black outfit and the hat. She went to Nana's house and we told her to say trick-or-treat and she did and Nana gave her an M&M. We went to Uncle's house and she said trick-or-treat and got candy there too. We saw one of the Tías Grandes and I covertly handed her an M&M and Amalia said trick-or-treat and Tía dropped it in her plastic pumpkin.

Later, we got dressed and went to a Halloween party in a fun neighborhood with lots of decorated houses and hundreds of trick-or-treaters. Animalia, in her Dorothy costume which she loved (I'm the Dorothy girl!) went trick-or-treating. And, right when we needed her to say it, the thing we'd spent all morning rehearsing, she clammed up. Whatever, she got plenty of candy anyway and saw some "Scary monsters!" and some skeletons. She loved the whole experience. All the dressed up kids. The scary noises. The whole thing.

Then home to bed for her and horror movies for us, the grownups. Next year we'll decorate the house for her.

Pre-Halloween

2009-10-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

Animalia is to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz for Halloween. Got her costume. Got her sparkly red shoes. But everytime I ask her if she wants to be Dorothy, she says "I'm the scary, scary witch!"

Alas, this may be struggle.

TWO! Birthday party, part 2.

2009-10-14T11:53:00.005-07:00

9:00 am-ish.

Drop off Animalia at Nana's house followed by arrival at the park, covering the tables in the ramada, putting up balloons (clear ones to reflect the bubble theme), etc., etc., etc.

10:30 am-ish

Some guests arrive.

11:00 am-ish

Food is served. Birria and beans and macaroni salad and salsa and tortillas.

Many of the expected guests aren't there.

A few call. They're sick.

noon-ish

Piñata then cupcakes then presents (if memory serves) then thank yous and a quick clean up.

We're done. Til next year.

Words of Wisdom, part 3

2009-10-14T11:52:00.001-07:00

"I'm too cute!"

-- Animalia, after putting on her new footie pajamas for the first time.

Treats!

2009-10-07T11:14:00.002-07:00

Apparently the nudge that Animalia needed wasn't the Potty Gods nudging her. It was Nana and a couple of M&Ms. I swear she's just squeezing it out when she doesn't even really need to go. Just to get an M&M.

She's just like her Uncle Buncle. Nana had to bribe him when he was Animalia's age. But I guess it works. He's 28 and still using the potty. And he doesn't even have to be bribed.

Potty update

2009-10-06T16:40:00.002-07:00

Shortly after I made my potty training update, Animalia started showing interested in the potty again. Today she even pooped in it.

Apparently all I had to do was say it out loud and the potty training gods would step in and nudge her. So. There it is. Wherever they are, whoever they are: Thank you.

TWO! Birthday party, part 1.

2009-10-06T15:47:00.005-07:00

Yesterday, 12:36pm, Animalia turned two. Two. TWO!!!!

We celebrated with:
A long walk to Roma Imports with Daht, Nana, and Tata, where we purchased lasagna and bread for dinner. We walked back home a different route and hit a small park and Dairy Queen for ice cream. At DQ, Animalia got a little vanilla ice cream in a cup and sat, legs crossed, like a lady to eat it. When we arrived back at Nana's house, Nina's sister was there to deliver some balloons from Nina. Animalia giggled happily when she saw them. Then she asked if they were Adelina's or Lito's. We told her no and she wandered around holding her ballons "by self" and saying that they weren't Adelina's or Lito's.
After our walk, we baked a cake (from cake mix) at Nana's house. Animalia stirred it "by self" and also said "hold the bowl so I can stir it." "Stir it" sounded like steeew it. It was cute.
After our cake baking we took her home and took naps.
After our naps, we picked up Tío Javier (Animalia now calls him Javiert) and went to the mall. Animalia got some chocolate brown Converse All Stars. Then we went to Build-A-Bear. She was given a name tag stating her name and that it was her second birthday. After loving on all of the empty shells, she chose a bear. We were asked if we wanted to add sound and pressed a few buttons with Animalia, trying them out, but we elected not to add sound after one of them said "What's up, girlfriend?" and we decided we couldn't listen to that over and over again. Animalia was scared by the stuffing machine as it was almost as loud as a vaccuum cleaner (and she hates those). She liked the beating heart, so we added one. Then she became distracted by a little red convertible. We chose a couple dresses and had her choose one. She went back to trying to climb into the little car. It was time to finish up, so she helped me press the buttons on the computer, until she became distracted by a different computer. I panicked and chose the name "Petunia" for the bear. And so it was. The birth of Petunia.
After the bear building, we went back to Nana and Tata's house for dinner with Tío and April. Animalia laughed hysterically and forcefully every time anyone said "Petunia" and played with her balloons some more and finally, when we asked whose birthday it was, answered "It's MY birthday!" We ate dinner and cake and unwrapped presents. She got clothes and a book and Robin Hood and a Tee Ball set and a baby doll that has a tuberculosis cough and comes with a play doctor set and a miniture grill along with wooden shish kebab and s'mores. She was impressed and happy. We were happy and tired.
After her small birthday party, we went home.
After we got home, we relaxed and, finally, slept.
After Animalia woke up in the morning, she asked for Petunia. And laughed.

Birthday party, part 2 will be posted sometime after her October 11 party. Pray for my sanity. Please.

Mi Animalia in a Wordle

2009-10-01T10:10:00.002-07:00

Potty training strike

2009-09-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

There's this unpublished post, a long one, that details our trials and travails with potty training. It was long. It was detailed. It remains unfinished.

The basic story is this. Animalia started potty training on her own initiative somewhere around 18 months. She just decided that she wanted to go and she did. Not all the time, but regularly enough. Then a little more than a month ago, she was going at Nana's house once or twice a day and most of the time when she was at home. "Wooohooooo!!" I thought. "We'll be out of diapers by two!!!"

And then, a little less than two weeks ago, she quit. She now refuses to go to the potty. She's on strike.

Crap.

Cupcakes

2009-09-29T17:00:00.002-07:00

"Aya needs a cupcake," Animalia says, peering into Nana's refrigerator.
"There are no cupcakes," Nana and Mama both say, almost in unison.
"No cupcakes, " she whispers, almost as if she's giving herself a reminder. "The cupcakes are at Nina's house."

Nina bought her a cupcake during our visit in August and apparently it's made it into her long term memory.

Potions.

2009-09-28T17:05:00.001-07:00

I'm watching Animalia in the shower. She has appropriated a couple of shampoo bottles, empty ones, and some plastic containers to pour water from one to another. Then she delicately mixes it with her finger. She's very busy.

All I can think about is when we were young, me and Nina and Uncle Buncle (Tío Javier). Nina and I used to lock ourselves in the bathroom and mix potions from random liquids we found in the bathroom cabinet. Nasty stuff-- alcohol and hydrogen peroxide and various shampoos. Javier would be banging on the door, begging to play with us, and after the potion was ready, we'd open the door. We'd tell him he could play with us if he drank our potion. He'd drink the stuff. And then we'd lock him out again. We were rotten. In retrospect I'm surprised we didn't kill or poison him.

So I'm watching Animalia play with this water and I imagine her with siblings. I laugh.

I love you, Daddy!

2009-09-25T09:27:00.003-07:00

Daddy says, "Give me a beso," and starts leaning toward Animalia. Animalia starts backing away. "Give me a kiss, " he says again, pushing his face toward hers. She's struggling slightly, trying to get away from his beard. She puts her hands up, blocking him. She shakes her head. "I love you daddy, I love you, I love you, I love you." But no kisses today.

Words of Wisdom, Part 2

2009-09-24T09:45:00.002-07:00

"You're done."

-- Animalia to Tata, irritated at the way he was reading to her. She took the book from his hands and closed it.

Words of Wisdom, Part 1

2009-09-23T15:27:00.003-07:00

"She had a major occurance and now she needs to go through the car wash."

--Tata, describing a particularly disgusting poopy diaper

The bed.

2009-09-22T13:31:00.004-07:00

Lately, the Animalia's favorite place to play is the bed. Any bed. It can be Nana's bed, Mama's bed, or even "the playpen bed." So once she's in a bed, she wraps the blankets around herself and lays down on the pillow. She scrunches her eyes closed. Then she announces that she's asleep, that it's nighttime, that she's "dreaming in the night." She pops up to a sitting position and laughs. "Aya's awake!"

The dreaming thing really gets me. She talks about dreams, sometimes, when she actually wakes up from actual sleep, she tells us what she dreamt. "Aya's dreaming about Daddy," she told me one morning when she woke up and found that her dad had already left to work. "I dream in the nighttime," she tells us when we ask her. "I want to have dreaming!" she says when she's exhausted and desperate to go to bed.

Last night, she woke up in the middle of the night. I think she had a nightmare. "Dreaming!" she said in a half cry, "Bad boy!" I scooped her up, kissed and hugged her and she fell asleep with her head against my shoulder. In the morning, I asked her about it. "Did you have a scary dream?" "Dreaming is bad boy. No, no, no dreams!" she said, in broken toddlerish.

Two is just around the corner.

2009-09-18T09:05:00.004-07:00

Time flies. My baby now calls herself a "teeny tiny girl." She walks and talks and demands. She plays and "reads" books. She sings and dances. She chooses her own clothes, mainly dresses. She can put on her own shoes and pull on her own zapetas. She can identify the doctor's office and the credit union when we pass by in the car ("the doctor girl's house" and the kangaroo's house). When she wants to go somewhere she says "Take my hand." On her tippy toes, she's tall enough to reach the lower mail slot at the post office and loves to push the mail in. She has imaginary friends, still The Boy, plus some random others that she talks to occasionally. She can buckle herself into her stroller and she does, when I'm in a hurry and I just throw her in. She loves to go to the store, any store and she makes up names for stores she wants to go to (The Dancing Store!). She continues to look more and more like a kid and less and less like a baby. She makes jokes. She's bossy. She's lovey. She loves hair and clothes and zapatos.

It makes me happy, my baby being so healthy and smart and beautiful. It makes me sad that she's headed away from being a baby.

My baby is turning two in a little more than two weeks. We'll have a quiet "Happy Birthday to You" at Nana's house on the actual day, then a bigger, more hectic "Happy Birthday to You" at the park the following weekend. Bubble-themed. And then it's goodbye to One.

Teeny tiny frustration is hilarious.

2009-09-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Frustration, from the self-labeled "teeny tiny girl" is so funny we can't help laughing. It begins with a shriek or a complaining noise, possibly a whine, and then ends up with her saying, "WAIT A MINUTE, WAIT A MINUTE!" while stomping. The demands soon follow. And then sometimes a scream or two, or a fake cry where she actually says, "AYA'S CWYING!" It's really hard not to laugh. Especially after being told by a not-quite-two-year-old to wait a minute.