You’re growing so fast. I think I am getting used to the idea that I will never have enough time to do all I want to do. To be the mom I want to be to you, even. I had visions of playing the piano and watching you dance to Old MacDonald or Itsy Bitsy Spider and  you’re almost too old for those songs already.  Most days it feels rushed and I’m afraid to look over my shoulder and realize I missed something while you’re growing so fast.

A song I love… Raffi, “I Wonder If I’m Growing” — oh, too fast. We also love to sing

Five Little Frogs
5 green and speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs. Yum! Yum!
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Then there were 4 green speckled frogs…

Papou, Mommy and Me

We had Papou and his fiance Maggie (Milky) visit with us this month. We went on the Choo choo and had a picnic in the park. You made a quick friend of Milky, and would follow her right to the bathroom. You remembered high-fives with Papou, he was the first one to do that with you.

I love our new home... I get to sleep in the same room as mommy and daddy!

We drove to Ukiah last weekend and stayed at The Hampton Inn, which had an outdoor pool and koi fish pond. You loved this big new home of ours, especially that you got to sleep in the same rom with us. We went swimming in the flooded Lake Mendocino, you jumped off picnic tables buried under water.

You’re enrolled in swim lessons at Almaden Valley Athletic Club Swim School, and love on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to go to the ‘BIG POOL!’. You take one of your bath dolls with you, she’s now called the ‘Big Baby’… I think because she goes with you to the Big Pool. She is a good sport. You toss her in the water, as far as you can throw her, then you kick kick kick and do ‘big arms’ and go to rescue her. Turning her over, you instruct, “kick kick kick!”.

You’re staying up waaaay to late these days. I’m not happy about this. Tonight it was 10p.m.. But you are getting better at putting yourself to sleep, and getting less reliant on being patted to sleep or having daddy in the room until you fall asleep. You have a little diatribe, talking yourself to sleep at night, often reviewing what happened in your day, “big pool, baby, nana, nap, home” or repeating the monotonous rhythm “Night night Mamma, night night Mamma, night night Mamma” until you drift off.

It’s summer, finally. It was a slow start this year. But now that it’s here I’m convinced you are going to grow gils. It’s ‘puul’ all day long. Typically we go in 2-5 times a day. One–two–three–GO and then you jump with the wildest look of joy on your face!

One, two, three... GO!

Sometimes I look at you and you seem so grown up already. This was the second time doing your hair in pigtails, you will sit still now just long enough to get the elastics in.

Going swimming, you’re so excited you don’t want to stop to go inside to go potty, so I ask if you want to do a “nature pee”. You pull down your swimsuit and go over to the grass and squat. You get the concept that you can’t pee in the pool, you’ll scramble out to do a nature pee without prompting. Every day you swim, like a little fish. If you had a choice I think you’d stay in all day. “Puul!”

Phone conversations are getting longer, even the ones you make up. “No-no (Nolan) … Ohhhh…. park! Ummmm…baby Nattie? Nap? Ohhhh. Ollie nap? Snack. Ummmmm… Bye!” You hang up and then you will tell me what he said.

At last day of class at Mulberry, we had a park playdate at Jack Fischer park. When the water came on, you were just tickled. Didn’t mind a tad that it soused you. 

We’ve been so busy do-ing that I haven’t been blogging. Sorry.

We’ve been to Roaring Camp Railroad (historic steam train in Santa Cruz mountains), on our first class fieldtrip with Mulberry to Palo Alto on CalTrain, and today to the recently opened Happy Hollow. Here are some anecdotes. Things that made me laugh or moments of warmth in my heart.

First, the feeling these days, the bursting in my chest, when I see you running down the hall towards me, arms outstretched, with a look of glee. You leap in my arms and hug me all tight. Ohhh, so nice.

You are doing well putting words together to tell stories. After the trip to Roaring Camp Railroad, you told Nana “chi chi. wuf wuf.” You were upset that you weren’t going to Nana’s after school one day. “Nana. Snack. Nap” you told me with a stern look.

Animals you know:

• Giraffe – tongue laps in and out, like the giraffe we saw at the zoo
• Elephant – your hand extends upwards from your nose
• Hyena – “heinie”
• Cow – “moo”
• Horse – “horsee”
• Dog – “woof woof” or “mup”
• Cat – “kitty” or “meow”
• Lion – roar (commonly done when you’re hiding in hide and seek)

“What’s a horse say?”
“Moo” you reply. Then “Nooooooooo!”

We were looking after Nolan for the day. I was changing his diaper, and you noticed that he had parts that were different than yours. You pointed. Looked at me. Then raised your hand to your nose and extended it upwards. “Elephant”.

You don’t like bugs and are quick to point them out. After a bath, I pulled the plug and you noticed a bug like object, and scurried from the tub. It was lint.

Pretending you’re a baby, like Nolan’s sister Natalie, you crawl, pretend to take a bottle, and pretend to breastfeed, when I have you in my arms. “I baby” you declare. Then “waaa waa waaa”.

When Nolan was over, I asked “Who wants to make some chocolate pudding?” Neither of you have ever had chocolate pudding but the word ‘chocolate’ had you both scrambling up the ‘elevator’. Nolan leaned towards you and planted a big kiss on your lips. You grinned. We made the pudding then covered the kitchen table with wax paper and you both got to finger paint with it and eat it. You had it all over your face. Nolan managed to eat most of his fairly promptly.

Favorite books:

• Big Bear, Little Bear — what daddy reads to you every night before bed.
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear – you call it the “Mia” book, after Mia at school. There’s a page with kids and you name them all. “Lulu (Santa Cruz Mountains), “Mia” “NoNo” “Natalie” “Nut” (Hazel-nut)

You don’t watch TV, but the one show you know is Big Bear Little Bear and once in a blue moon you’ll point to the TV and say “Big”.

“Nolan was deeply missing Taite yesterday.   First of all I had to lie to him to get his shirt on, I told him that Taite would be at the party so he had to get dressed.  Then we arrive at their house, he looks out the window realises where we were and went ballistic!! TAITE TAITE, HOME HOME HOME.  I had to promise him cake to get him in the door.  Luckily Veronica made individual small cakes so he was able to have one right away to calm him down.  Then there was this face painting lady she was dressed up like a fairy.  Nolan seemed to really like her and I asked him if she was as pretty as his girlfriend.  The fairy says “oh you have a girl friend”.  Well Nolan looks at her like “well yeah of course I do” and then he says “Yes, Taite” haha.” –Heather Rollins

A day I always cherish. I love being your mommy. Today and every day…
Daddy BBQ’d a turkey and made a nice meal for us and several friends and Nana and Papa.
Mother’s Day photos, also first day dipping in the pool this year, and some shots from Mulberry this week. The blue nose shot — you were doing a painting activity with a baloon that had paint on it. It bounced up and hit your nose. Everyone was quite amused. So were you!

Oma and Opa were due to arrive in two days, en route home to Canada from San Miguel, Mexico. I point to the bed in the front room and tell you, “This is where Oma and Opa will sleep.” For the next two days, you walk by the room and point “Oma. Opa. Nap.” And everytime you see a plane fly overhead, “Oma. Opa!”.

Suffice to say, you were pretty excited when it came time to actually go to the airport to pick them up. Daddy and I stopped at an Italian restaurant for dinner beforehand. You took two bites, declared “Done” and then “Oma, Opa!”. You ran to Oma at the airport, before proceeding straight to the ‘alavar’  (escalator), Oma’s hand in yours.

We got  home and you were all hugs and kisses for Oma and Opa. Finally! They were ‘home’.

The hard part was waiting until it was birthday cake time. You had been practicing singing Happy Birthday to Opa and Papa for a few weeks now. And here it was… the big day. And Opa and Papa even let you help blow out the candles.

Oma and Opa had to leave three days later to return to their home in Lake Caledon, Ontario. You woke up and they were gone. I asked if you had a good time playing with Oma and Opa. “Oma. WOLF!” you declared, all big-eyed and happy. Yes, your Oma was a Big Bad Wolf and chased you around your castle. You and Oma and Opa had a very good time.  And Opa bought you your very own little suitcase, which we will be packing up in three months to go and visit our Canadian families in July.

See more photos.

Your buddy Nolan is asleep in our room, and you’re asleep in your room. His mommy is going to the hospital to have their new baby in the morning, so he’s staying the night. We ask you if they are going to have a pink (girl) baby or a blue (boy) baby and you alternately say pink. Blue. Pink. It’ll be a surprise. We’re all excited. You painted her belly tonight with NoNo and then kissed it.  

Sometimes I wish that we could have another baby, but now I’m 45 and we were very lucky to get pregnant with you, three years ago so I don’t think it can happen now. We’re getting on…and it’s kind of nice to have you all pottty-trained and able to do more things on your own… but I also miss the baby days and I get emotional when I see really small pictures of you. I wonder if you will be okay, grown up, without a sibling. Will you be lonely? Will it make you sad not to have one? Sometimes siblings are friends and sometimes they are not close at all. There are no guarantees, anyway. You will have friends and other people close to you. You have cousins, although they are far away. Will you visit them? Will you all stay in touch? I hope so. I hope that you will find family in who you partner with, or in the really good friendships that you form.

We painted easter eggs this morning with Daddy, Nana and Tania.  Yesterday we went to the beach and you played in the sand, building castles and stomping on them. You’ve been a good help this week with putting in some flowers in the front garden. “I, Taite” when you want to do something.

“Hokey hokey” when you want to dance the Hokey Pokey song.

“I-E-I-O” when you want to read or sing Old MacDonald had a Farm.

“Home” or “Mamma home!” or “I back” when you come  home or want to stay home.

“Bye Bye Nona, bye bye Mia, bye bye Nuka” as you’re winding down to go to sleep. I don’t know who these people are but you seem to. When I ask you “What’s her name?” referring to a doll you like to say “Nuka” and giggle.

As we drive uphill, even a small hill, “Up, up up”. When we go over a railroad crossing you get particularly excited. “Bump bump” I’ll say as we go over the raised portion.”MORE!” you request. If we are driving and you don’t see a car for a while, when a car comes you say “ohhh, Car!”

Reviewing what you enjoyed each night at dinner.. “Did you have fun at the park?” Nooooo, with a sly smile. “Did you have fun at school?” Naaaoooo, more sly smile. “What did you do today?” “No-No” you giggle, but you didn’t see Nolan today.

Eating dinner, when there’s something you really like, such as noodles or rice or avocado, you’ll sneak your fork across to daddy’s plate to eat his. Today while painting Easter eggs you swapped your mac ‘n cheese with Nana after you had eaten most of yours.

“Up mama!” you say, poking at me in the morning. You and Daddy are earlybirds. Mommy’s not.

You love to look at photos on the computer. You saw a picture of yourself and then started pointing at your chest. Nana and I were confused for a moment, then Nana realized you were wearing the same shirt in the photo that we were just looking at.

We were baking some ‘Nana banana bread’ (Nana brought over some homemade banana bread one day, which you loved, hence the name that stuck) one morning this week. You poured the flour mix in (hey, it is a Monday morning, I’m not making anything from scratch!) and some spilled on the counter. You hopped down off your ‘elevator’ (Learning Tower) and disappeared around the corner. A few seconds later you traipsed in carrying your little broom. You were going to sweep up the mess on the counter!

Here are some photos from the week, including a dinner with The Isbells, and an afternoon with Tania (Aunt Nania). Tania has a fractured knee and you were very worried about her, and gave her lots of kisses on the knee to make it better. Compassionate girl.

After the Rollins baby shower, Nolan was saying goodbye. We suggested a hug or kiss. He pretended to run away down the hall. He comes back, puts his arm around your neck, and plants a big one right on your lips. Daddy was surprised, and so were you… here’s your look of surprise!

I woke up in the morning to your tapping my elbow. There you were, standing buckaroo by the bed, you’d removed your wet diaper and fleecy footed PJs. “Cold” you said.  You snuggled in. “Mamma. Daddy. Taite” you say, wiggling in between us.

It’s all about trains these days. Sunday we rode the carousel and  train at Vasona Park. “TooToo” you coo. Home again, we found trains and crossings on YouTube and now you come to my computer and say “TooToo”.

I asked you, like every day, “What was your favorite thing today?” “NoNo” (Nolan) you replied, but you didn’t see Nolan today.

“Ohhhh!” you like to exclaim when you see something you like.

You got a new Pottery Barn Classic Kitchen stove and fridge to replace the plastic one in your bedroom today. Quite the happy little cook you are.

You’ll now watch a bit of TV here and there, occasionally if mommy’s trying to get dinner ready. You hunker down in the little green chair from Oma and Opa and say “Nuts”. Trying not to encourage a bad habit…

When the phone rings, depending what time of day it is, or who’s home, you declare “Nana” or “Daddy”.  Nana recorded her voice on your play cell phone one day when i picked you up at their house. You listened to it all the way home, nodding, “Nana!”.

Your first three word sentence today, “Daddy no home”. I was putting you down for a nap, and usually daddy does and will lie on the floor with you. So I was doing that, and you slowly but surely told me… “Daddy no home”. Then “Mommy. Taite.”

You went with Nana today to the park and picked all the dandelions and brought them home for mommy. Sweet girl. Yesterday I taught you how to blow the puffy seeded dandelions. I didn’t say I’d always be a good example.