May 28

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”.

May 24

“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

May 12

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!

May 07

At the Robbins ranch, Rancho San Antonio

You saw a plane in the sky this afternoon. “Oma, Opa” you said, as usual, pointing up at it. “Are Oma and Opa on that plane?” I asked you. “Nooope!” you replied, shaking your head.

The other day I referred to your bottom as your “hiney” and you giggled a lot repeating this funny new word, while patting your derriere. That night, rocking in your chair and softly reading you a book with animals from South Africa, I pointed at an animal and told you it was a ‘hyena’. Very sleepily, you raised your bottom and patted it, “hiney” you nodded. I held my breath not to burst out laughing.

You climb into bed with me in the morning, planting a big kiss on my cheeks or lips before my eyes are even open. Such a nice way to wake up. After about 45 seconds of cuddling, it’s “Up, mama, up!”

Favorite new song: Hokey Pokey. You ask Teacher Bonnie at Mulberry for it each week. You call it “hokey hokey”.

After witnessing Nolan’s baby sister, Natalie, breastfeeding you figured this is a good idea. You nestle into me and stick your mouth into the middle of my chest, as if you’re going to clamp down. You say “I baby” and like to crawl, or you will hold your fisted hands up to your eyes and say “Waa waa waa” with your mouth wide open like a little bird.

“Gummies” are your Yummi Bear Vitamins. You get very motivated to eat your breakfast when they come out. (And no, I’m not beyond bribing you. You’re a good eater in general, but there’s just too much you need to do these days to sit long enough to eat, it seems.) There’s Ian and Dee (Vitamin E and Vitamin D) and you play imaginatively with them before popping them into your mouth. Then you’ll look at us when we ask “Where did they go?” and you open your mouth wide and point to the back of your mouth.

We play hide and seek, still a favorite game. But now, when I come in the room looking for you, and say “Where’s Taite? Is she in the closet???” you pipe up in the littlest voice imagineable “no” from wherever you are hiding. Other times you’ll reply with a “Roarrrr”.

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