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.

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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.

Nolan’s mommy, Heather is a couple weeks away from having her new baby. You learned that a baby is in her tummy and then wouldn’t leave her side… you kissed her belly, patted her belly, stroked her belly. Nolan looked on, used to this by now. He tried to hand you a phone even. Nothin’ doing. Get ready, No-No… you’re about to have some competition for Taite’s affection. But I’m sure you’ll still be her #1. Oh, and we like your hairclip, NoNo.

Aunt 'Cake' (Kate)

You were looking forward to the visit from Auntie Kate for several days in advance. I kept telling you “Auntie Kate is coming in x days!” and you’d look up at me angelically and say “Cake??”. Hence, Auntie Cake’s arrival was highly anticipated and, well… a picture says a thousand words. We took Kate back to the airport today and when we got home, I told you that Kate went on a big plane up in the sky. “Opa!” you said. (That’s where Oma went on a big plane…. to see Opa.). As soon as you would wake up in the morning you went pitter-pattering down the hall looking for your Auntie Cake. “Kate,” Kate would tell you, “my name is ‘Kate’. “Cake!” you’d nod and pipe back.

Face painting at Discovery Museum

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Your friend NoNo (Nolan) was in hospital and every day you were asking for him. Since you couldn’t see him in person, you decided to call him on your toy phone. It’s quite cute how you nod your head, pause and say “Ohhhh!” as you’re holding the phone. Phone call with NoNo — listen in!

We went to the Oakland zoo this week. You watched as a giraffe reached his neck high to the hay bin, and then to the water bin. His tongue flipped water in and around, up and down as he drank. After we had our lunch I asked if you were ready to go to the car or if you would like to see more animals. Your little tongue started darting around, in and out, up and down. We went back to visit the giraffes.

As we approached the alligator pit, other visitors were pointing at one of the alligators, and I overheard them saying that it was having a baby. You heard ‘baby’ and got all excited. Quickly I grabbed my camera to capture the baby alligator being born or hatched, I suppose. The alligator’s back was undulating and writhing. And out came a big poop. We all laughed, and you giggled “poop!!!” Just like in your book, Where’s The Poop, with all the animals pooping. Once home, you told dadda all about the zoo. Your tongue darting around like the giraffe’s. “What else did we see at the zoo?” I questioned. “POOP!!!” you squealed.

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