I can't believe my kids are this old already. Violet - such a self-possessed little imp. And Stella - such an independent and gregarious little imp.
Oh, and the helmet? 8 days it stayed on. Eight days.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Portraits
I'm so behind. Here are a few pictures I have been meaning to post.
I can't believe my kids are this old already. Violet - such a self-possessed little imp. And Stella - such an independent and gregarious little imp.
Oh, and the helmet? 8 days it stayed on. Eight days.
I can't believe my kids are this old already. Violet - such a self-possessed little imp. And Stella - such an independent and gregarious little imp.
Oh, and the helmet? 8 days it stayed on. Eight days.
Hiking. Erm, Friends.
I haven't blogged about my dear friend Dorothy and her family's adventures in adoption. Suffice to say, after a very long complex process, Stella's new best friend Isabel just came home to Kennebunk. That's "Ee-sah-bel" with the stress on the last syllable, Isabel being from Peru and all.
This week we all went hiking at the Rachel Carson preserve in Wells. Here is Dorothy with Stella and Isabel. Dorothy and I have coordinating Ergos, but Stella and Isabel had coordinating attitudes about wanting to hike on their own two feet. Four feet.
Not only do Dorothy and I get along fantastically, and not only has she recently provided Stella with a BFF, she also kindly provided Violet with her BFF. Violet and Evan have been friends since Violet was 3 weeks old and Evan was 4 months old.
People have mistaken them for siblings because they act so much like siblings. Playing, fighting, and, well, the talking on the phone is something I wasn't expecting till much later.
(from an actual conversation)
"Evan! Are you finished from Peru?!"
"Yup. Do you want to come play construction in my dirt?"
Ah, friends. I'm so glad we know Dorothy and her crew.
This week we all went hiking at the Rachel Carson preserve in Wells. Here is Dorothy with Stella and Isabel. Dorothy and I have coordinating Ergos, but Stella and Isabel had coordinating attitudes about wanting to hike on their own two feet. Four feet.
Not only do Dorothy and I get along fantastically, and not only has she recently provided Stella with a BFF, she also kindly provided Violet with her BFF. Violet and Evan have been friends since Violet was 3 weeks old and Evan was 4 months old.
People have mistaken them for siblings because they act so much like siblings. Playing, fighting, and, well, the talking on the phone is something I wasn't expecting till much later.
(from an actual conversation)
"Evan! Are you finished from Peru?!"
"Yup. Do you want to come play construction in my dirt?"
Ah, friends. I'm so glad we know Dorothy and her crew.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Toddlerhood
It's official. Stella is no longer a baby. She is a strong-willed, independent toddler with a mind that is definitely all her own.
It all started before dinner one night. She spotted her helmet in the mudroom and demanded it in her wordless-yet-unmistakable way, complete with head patting. So she wore her helmet to dinner (egg rolls dipped in ketchup, though she was just as partial to the fantastic ginger dipping sauce that was sooo easy to make).
And after dinner she watched a little Old School Sesame Street in the helmet.
Breakfast the next morning? You've got the idea.
This is her absolute favorite outfit. In fact, she might also forgo the diaper if I let her.
Playing in the yard with Mama. Be sure to notice the stompin' boots she also insists on. Not quite baby Docs, but seriously close.
Riding her quadricycle in the kitchen. That's a tiny red bowl of frozen chickpeas she's carrying around with her to snack on.
Sadly when we had to get in the car to pick Violet up from school her mean old Mama wouldn't let her wear her helmet in the car. (Isn't there such a thing as being too safe?)
But it all turned out okay, because all she had to do was screech for her helmet when we get to school, and her mean old mama suddenly relented.
We took Violet to OT and Speech, and Stella had fun on her favorite toy. Since I won't let her near our dilapidated stairs at home, Stella thinks this is a blast.
And not that it has anything to do with her helmet: Here is Stella talking to her friend Molly. We see Molly every week while we wait for Violet and she and Stella have gotten to be kind of chummy. And it's very interesting because Molly does not talk at all. In fact, she makes noises that could very well be scary to a toddler. And Stella only has a couple words, but Molly wouldn't really care even if she had more. Molly's aide, Kathleen, has told me that Molly generally doesn't like small children, but slowly over the winter Molly has gotten used to Stella. Now she generally sits on the floor with Stella (and Kathleen and I!) while she waits.
And what I love best is the kindness and empathy that is already blossoming in Stella's personality. She never goes too fast with Molly, she is never loud or aggressive. Maybe she needs time to get reaquainted every week as well. But it is an amazing and wonderful thing to see. Kathleen once told me Stella could be an ambassador when she grew up. Because she is so incredibly engaging and utterly open. I just love that she and Molly are friends.
It all started before dinner one night. She spotted her helmet in the mudroom and demanded it in her wordless-yet-unmistakable way, complete with head patting. So she wore her helmet to dinner (egg rolls dipped in ketchup, though she was just as partial to the fantastic ginger dipping sauce that was sooo easy to make).
And after dinner she watched a little Old School Sesame Street in the helmet.
Breakfast the next morning? You've got the idea.
This is her absolute favorite outfit. In fact, she might also forgo the diaper if I let her.
Playing in the yard with Mama. Be sure to notice the stompin' boots she also insists on. Not quite baby Docs, but seriously close.
Riding her quadricycle in the kitchen. That's a tiny red bowl of frozen chickpeas she's carrying around with her to snack on.
Sadly when we had to get in the car to pick Violet up from school her mean old Mama wouldn't let her wear her helmet in the car. (Isn't there such a thing as being too safe?)
But it all turned out okay, because all she had to do was screech for her helmet when we get to school, and her mean old mama suddenly relented.
We took Violet to OT and Speech, and Stella had fun on her favorite toy. Since I won't let her near our dilapidated stairs at home, Stella thinks this is a blast.
And not that it has anything to do with her helmet: Here is Stella talking to her friend Molly. We see Molly every week while we wait for Violet and she and Stella have gotten to be kind of chummy. And it's very interesting because Molly does not talk at all. In fact, she makes noises that could very well be scary to a toddler. And Stella only has a couple words, but Molly wouldn't really care even if she had more. Molly's aide, Kathleen, has told me that Molly generally doesn't like small children, but slowly over the winter Molly has gotten used to Stella. Now she generally sits on the floor with Stella (and Kathleen and I!) while she waits.
And what I love best is the kindness and empathy that is already blossoming in Stella's personality. She never goes too fast with Molly, she is never loud or aggressive. Maybe she needs time to get reaquainted every week as well. But it is an amazing and wonderful thing to see. Kathleen once told me Stella could be an ambassador when she grew up. Because she is so incredibly engaging and utterly open. I just love that she and Molly are friends.
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