end of an era

squee!

It's finally happened.

I'm employed.
What does this imply? Well, for one I'm paying taxes again (that is, once I get my first paycheck after my 4th week or so grrrrrrrrr), and for another it means that we had to find an all-day daycare of sorts.

8/28: coloring yet agains

We're pretty ok with what we found. We did have to get physicals done and a dentist visit (at 2?? ah well). And finally, this week, it seems so is ME. It took some convincing--she loved the first 2 days when I went with her, but has cried every day for portions up until just this past week.

8/30: at the dentist!!
with Miss Kathy (who was sooo good with her)

ME really dug on the suction thing

 The place is in a school-type setting, sort of a "pre-pre-school". There is a curriculum but not really, just more of a schedule and smaller rooms than a true daycare. The downside is they rarely go outside, which leaves our little ME more confined than she is used to. The folks are supportive and, get this, they plan to start potty training soon!!!

telling another boy "don't cry". She later needed the same advice.

Huzzah, huzzah, complete with confetti and horns and dancing girls (of the toddler age).

9/1: ME in a basket: a new holiday gift for you and yours...

our newest version of vestibular torture: "do Meelya circles"

Since my last post, we've also had visitors! Last post, Nana had traveled from the wilds of Orange County. Then a few weeks later, during PopPop's birthday, Grrma, came by train to visit in order to enjoy the brief days of me post-exam and school and pre-work.

9-10 ish: new outfits and fun with Grrma

a fabulous game of doo-da-doooo!

cheez indeed

Just last weekend, Aunt Dana and Uncle Jason came for a few days (otherwise referred to as "uncle Dana" and "an Jason"...I almost think she swaps these on purpose). It was great to catch up and hangout for a few days.

9/25: with Auntie Dana

They were WONDERFUL guests--helpful in the cleaning and cooking and child-caring/entertaining departments. Unfortunately, the evil of daycare (the "petri dish" as doc Fred called it) is the illness exposure.

two feverish nappers

We all 3 got sick--first ME, then me, then D...just in time for our looked-forward-to weekend with D&J. Replete with fevers and last-minute babycare at home (thanks again Caroline, Aunt Kristy & Uncle Bill!) we were quite miserable. So during the Oregon-er visit, D was under the weather which was quite the bummer. Next time!! Maybe we'll get to hang with cousins nearer to ME's age in the Pacific Northwest. It's a goal.

As far as other random news, our good friends Eva and Rob L/L have tackled the wilds of pregnancy and brought forth one of the cutest babies ever just late last night! Sending Love & Congrats on your baby boy, guys!!

That's all I've got for now. Thought I should send out a post and pix. In a blog-review, I belatedly realized what happened: now with school over, I don't have anything to avoid with postings!! The volume has dropped off dramatically. I'm sure there will be protests and candle light vigils if I don't pick up the pace. Be strong, ya'll.

Hugs n stuffs.
 Enjoy various pictures from the past month. 

9/5: playing with Ezra--this was one of the few pictures of them sitting still.
There was a lot of hugging and squealing involved while we visited with Ez's new brother and folks.

how we play CDs here

watching the "puppy movie". Her new fave spot for viewing

see, she takes all her things off of her toddler bed, puts them on ours
then JUMPS on her bed

dang she's cute

8/29: o the mighty J!!

2 favorite objects

8/29: still diggin on the fa-fa (not allowed in school btw)

last night: watching MaryPoppins -- daily

 P.S.: First, no, not sure why no sound on our videos.
In light of the pumpkin famine, I have a treasure I found in the pantry (yes, it's still good too). Just a random gloat, here. 
 

"On top of mountain!" and other quaint phrases

 5-15

at my folks' 7-24

Sooooo this post was written a bit ago, like 2 weeks (today being Aug 27).  5-23 I've been a bit busy. As in studying and job finding (found!), daycare (preschool Found!), and dealing with Miss E's new tantrum pose of hitting her head on things in anger. Which I hate. Tonight, she even went so far as to scream til she puked. I think because I agreed to stop giving her the bath she Did Not Want. Let's just say on nights like this, she goes to sleep in 3 minutes. mixed emotions...

 6-1 her chore of feeding cats

We also had a family illness (not fun) consisting of E having an 104+ fever for a few days then all 3 of us (still) have cold-like ickiness. blarg. Then Gram Nana was here last weekend. 
E got to climb all over her, was gifted with books and a cute teddy bear, singing songs together, and lotsa love.

 at the B'hai temple

Today was a fun-one. Had a kid I used to sit for watch E for a couple hours while I studied, came home to a friend stopping by before moving to London (!!), and then a friend from class took E to the park while I took a practice exam. Probably why she was mad later, even with a Mary Poppins treatment.

I'm just going to plug in photos and post this sucker. Below are my ramblings from earlier...I know, y'all are here for the pix! xoxo

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Ok, ok! (which, by the way, is a current E phrase when she's really saying "no, but if you insist, I still won't do xyz")

Sorry to all the E fans out there: It's been a busy couple of months. Sure, I've had a bunch of downtime and could have written an entry...but there are these other things that I've been avoiding that preclude me doing anything fun as a procrastination device. Like this here blog. Oh, and I sorta graduated but still have to study for a huuuuuge exam before I can work.

 5-18

Most importantly, what has happened in the World of Miss E? A bunch. She is, after all, a toddler. Life is full of changes, new experiences, and a sh*t-ton of time-outs. First of all, she has managed, in 6 months, to gain ONE WHOLE POUND+. yup. She's also now grown to 33"(34.5" according to the doc on 8/24)-- a 2.5" growth in the same time.  6-23 

Wacky. We should be measuring her arms and thighs, which have gotten amazingly stronger. E likes to lift herself up between the table and couch, saying "big and shtrong!", her own personal training program between running hallway laps.  

Naps. O naps...they come and go. A new development, earlier than we planned, has been the introduction of the toddler bed. Not exactly fun, nor working out so well. E went from doing pretty good with crib sleeping to suddenly: BONK--falling out on her head. So we are now messing with this easy-access option instead.  6-6 bath time

Which then leads to…a delay in potty training. Really, an ideal time for that route (self-aware, I’m home a ton until work happens) but a) She ain’t buyin what we’re sellin’ and b) one change at a time. More to come on that as progress occurs. Wish us luck.

In the world of words, there is no where to start or end. E now has a huge vocabulary, and uses it. Some favorite phrases are the “on top of mountain” = for up high, “too heavy” = for anything she can’t/won’t carry, “please honey” = for any request (comes from me calling her honey a lot), “boo boo” = for any blemish on anyone, "Mama/Daddy sit. down. here."= for playing with her in a new place, "being careful Meelya" = when she isn't, and “DON’T WANT” = I think you get this one. O, and a favorite: “evreebuddee poops”. Pretty good use of please/thank you/bless you, I’m pleased to say.  Still not a fan of following directions (another reason to delay potty training). E will amuse herself for hours, unless she decides not to (like colors on the table, comes to tell us about it, and points at it going “wrong!” or “only paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa perrrrrrrrr”). Unfortunately, we are battling with hitting, and time-outs have mixed effects. She also likes to provoke (duh, she’s 2) and will jump up and down on furniture if there’s anybody watching (leading to a time out of 10 seconds and mixed success rate).

 lots from 7-2

Adorably, she loves to give kisses, play with stuffed animals, label her surroundings, cuddle, chase the cats (ok they don’t like that), giggle/laugh, sing to herself (twinkle twinkle, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and Wheels on the Bus get a fun mix).  
 7-3 Piglet from A. Kristy

The 2 of us went homeward to ole Milford to hang after my graduation  for 10 days, leaving daddy to his own devices (mostly, working a lot). Since there are multiple staircases, we played musical gates to try to limit head damage. Worked pretty well, E got a TON of lovin’. We got to play outside, pick blueberries, play with Corky , play in the washtub , go on the GATOR!, 

annoy tree frogs,  7-25 

pick up a snake, sniff a million flowers, watch the trees/clouds, go to the mall (thanks for the new shoes, PopPop!), read, play with Grrma & PopPop a LOT, eat (shockingly, this went well, especially corn on the cob), and generally have a good time.  In the meantime, I had 14”of hair cut off and an Egocentrix spa-day J 

with cuz Kathy 7-23

Daddy came to pick us up and have a moment of nature-love of his own.

As far as coloring and pre-writing skills go, E is progressing. She uses a finger tip pose, alternating right and left still, can copy lines, and colors a bit closer to one area at a time (not quite in the lines, but she’s thinking about it). Coloring is by far the BEST activity EVER – except for watching dolphins (“watch dophins? Ok.”). She can feed herself, and is better at that the more we relax about it (duh).  8-6

Miss E is finally getting more interested in other kids, having a blast at preferred-friend Ez’s 2^ndbirthday and doing more than always staring at other mini-humans when at the playground. 
Dan & Nancy here 8-14

 8-16 new bike, too big...

She is getting more daring, taking a frightening just-out-of-reach backflip onto the ground last week (still freaking out about that). E initiates playing with kids in random areas--Border's, the store, at Auntie Eva's house (hi Nolan!). This is awesome.

It is fun watching Miss E grow, learn, explore…and learning how to best support her in doing that (without hurting herself or becoming nasty) is our adventure. Seeing the world through new eyes (as my dad says, she misses NOTHING) is super fun stuff. 

XO

for your auditory amusement

Yeah, well, I thought I'd go in teh waaay back machine. I am posting a TON of movies, stretching all the way back to the spring of this year.
I couldn't find the file earlier, you see. Don't judge.
After this, I should be able to find more procrastination time to finish the other blog post that I wrote (get this) about 2 weeks ago. Yup. It's on hold.

Enjoy!
March 29, a writing sample.

4-12 rock out

4-17 how E used to read...she is much more detailed now:

ok, this set was hard to choose from. I chose at random. She was just being so darn extra sauce cute. In rewatching these tonight, E said "cute grrl". Ha. No ego there. 4-30:

on 5-3, just her usual poking around our nearby playlot:

on 5-4:

snork...5-18:

5-25 with dinner again:

joy in accomplishment, 6-1:

determination, 6-7:

6-19-typical:

awww 7-17

tub a tubtub 7-21:

7-25 treefrog!!

8-3 la la:

8-6 boots made for...trippin? -

8-9 Whee!

8-14 Nancy&Dan...& synchro-phone app:

8-16 bike! not that she can do it yet...

and that's it folks! more to come of course, both past and present :)