Spooky!

This spooky piece of artwork is all Addie from conception to execution. We were going to cut out bats as a project. I was thinking I'd download some bat template and cut them out of construction paper. Addie however delved right in cutting out all the pieces to create her own bat mosaic. It was also her idea to draw ghosts and cut them out too. I just love the result!

Nana and Pop Pop are arriving tonight to spend the weekend with us and the girls. Can't wait!

BOO!

The Hunt for Orange October*

This is our third year to Underwood Family Farms. We went first when Addie was a little bit older than Eliza is now. We didn't go last year. I can't remember why. It's always hot and crowded and sometimes I get more overwhelmed than the kids, but goats on elevated boardwalks, tractor rides and lots and lots of pumpkins always get me into the fall spirit.


Content on the tractor ride.


Addie loving the pony ride. All smiles.


Eliza brushing a sheep. I have never seen Eliza so happy. She absolutely loved the animals and took her job as groomer very seriously. I think she was like, you mean those photos in books you keep showing me are REAL??!!


Seeing a horse for the first time.



Riding in the cow named Sarah. She thought that was pretty funny.


Facepainting. Seriously i could have done this myself and we waited in line for what felt like an eternity. But Addie was patient and pleased with the outcome.


The corn maze. I was totally lost.


Eliza lost a shoe during lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon roaming the pumpkin patch in her socks.



I had to bribe Addie with the promise of a treat in order for her to stop and let me take her picture. She ended up picking gummy worms and I ate most of them.


This slide was so fast that when I hit the sand I flipped forward. Awesome.

*Blog title by Cap

The Resnick Pavilion

On a wet and muggy Sunday, we snuck out for about 45 minutes right before my Aunt Susan arrived for a visit to check out the newly opened Resnick Pavilion at LACMA. My firm did the engineering on it so I've been wanting to check it out even more so.

We quickly walked through the Resnick's costume collection and then did the fastest drive-by of the Olmec collection as Eliza kept falling down and didn't want to be in her stroller. There is something about the coating on the concrete floors that had Eliza toppling over every few steps. That and the fact she's one. Outside Addie decorated a mask and a paper headdress to resemble women's elaborate hairstyles. I love free crafts at museums.

Sunday Art Section: Should I be Worried?

Addie continues to paint and draw, more so at school then at home because of a particular little sister who loves to grab things, eat pens and knock over glasses of water.

Addie drew this on Friday. She explained there was a tree with cherries in it and an umbrella flower. Oh and a little girl who was caught in a net and her Mommy was reaching out to try and save her. There is also another tiny girl and a small mommy who are in the same predicament. I asked her why the girls were in nets and she said that a tractor got them. I couldn't figure out how the tractor fit into the scenario but it turns out she meant that there was a bad man who is the Trapper that caught them.

I was freaking out that this was stemming from a brief comment I had made to her a week ago about making sure she can see me whenever we are outside so a stranger doesn't take her. It could be that or perhaps this is coming from the comic books she reads about the web-slinging Spiderman and all of his evil villains. Maybe it's not a window into her soul but a page out of the next blockbuster movie.


The Princess running from the bad boy.

In case you think levity is a thing of the past, here is a lovely floral watercolor and a mermaid painting.

Soft as a downy chick

Mama and Dada have a new featherbed mattress topper. Happiness.

13

13 months.

New foods? Got the okay from her pediatrician to introduce diary, eggs and fish. Thanks goodness! She is getting a little better about not putting everything in her mouth but eating leaves and paper remains a favorite past-time.

New words? Favorites are Ah-Da (Addie) and nana (banana). Mama is way behind even cracker. Dada however is high up there and often used for both of us.

Teeth? She almost has all four molars in. She also continues to pull Addie's hair and thinks biting is a rather hilarious activity.

Height and Weight? Not sure since I can't find the paper from the doctor but she's average weight and at the top of the charts for height. She should enjoy her stature while it lasts.

Clever? Of course. She loves figuring out how things fit together - pen caps, legos, lids. She can identify a few things if you ask her to point. Where's your nose? Where's the duck? And of course Where's Addie? I forget how knowledgeable they are way in advance of their verbal skills.

Loud? Yup. Gets frustrated when she can't do something she wants to either because she's not allowed (like eating a cactus) or if she can't manipulate a toy the way she wants. The stupid rectangular block won't go into the rectangular hole. I think I'll throw myself on the floor until it fits!

Cuter? Of course!

Happy 13 months birthday little Eliza!

96

We celebrated (great) Grandma Vede's 96th birthday on Saturday night at the 22nd St. Landing in San Pedro where we had also celebrated her 95th. A 4 pm dinner reservation meant that the girls could run around without disturbing too many of the salty dogs that were dining.

Addie had her first unexpected sip of a gin and tonic and promptly spat it out into my dinner side salad. Poor girl probably thought she was sneaking some Sprite. Eliza had her first taste of fish and wolfed down red snapper, mixed vegetables and pretty much anything you put in front of her. Eliza believes in the clean plate club and if she's had her fill, she makes sure whatever is remaining is wiped off her plate and onto the floor with a flourish.

We watched sea lions frolic, herons perch and Granda Vede enjoy her birthday sundae. On our way out to the parking lot some rather intoxicated fisherman were hauling Ahi tuna larger than Addie out of the back of an ice packed pick-up truck and into wheel barrows which kept falling over. Good think we don't eat the skin of the tuna otherwise it would have a hint of asphalt on it.

Grandma Vede loves watching her great grandkids and we're lucky to get to celebrate her birthday with her. Happy Birthday Grandma Vede!

I Made It!

I made both this adorable (if I do say so myself) wool felted toadstool as well as successfully navigating a weekend as a solo parent with both girls while Cap was in NYC for work. I rewarded the Girl Gang with a trip to the ice cream store at the end of the weekend.

Jeannine and Jamie came over to entertain me on Saturday afternoon while Clara and Addie ransacked the house. Jeannine taught the grown-up girls how to felt wool critters. Jamie made a luscious red-lipped fish, Jeannine adorned a sweater for Chloe and presented Eliza with a cute little purple felted bird which is already covered in slobber. It's so easy and oh so fun. Be prepared if a little elf sends you something woolly for the holidays!

On the temporary single mom home front, I actually got Addie to her swim lesson, fed both girls more than cereal, went grocery shopping for such necessities as bananas and white wine(got carded, woohoo!), learned a new craft and even, yes, even took both girls to Mother's Beach all by my self. I went to bed last night at 8:30 to recover.

So glad Cap is home now, reading books to Addie while I sip white wine and tippity tap away at the computer. Next weekend I'm thinking I should slip off to a spa. Aren't I spoiled?

Pen Pals

Addie continues to send Great Grandma Kathy little drawings every now and then and sometimes she gets a letter in return. Grandma Kathy drew Addie pictures of her doggies Imp and Rascal and even a self portrait. I admit though that I'm stumped by the bottom one.

Afternoon Worker

I wanted to capture a photo of the girl's first day of school. Really, it's just like any other weekday since they are both in school full time, year-around and neither of them are switching classrooms or teachers. Still, I thought it would be a good idea to record the day. Or try to.


Oh Eliza, look over here! Where's Addie? Addie!


Girls! Look over here at Mommy!


Hey, Sillyhead! Can you smile? Eliza - look over here!


Ok! Sit by your sister. Can you do a regular smile?


Regular smile please! Can you sit a little closer?


Well, that's a pretty good smile. Eliza, what's wrong? Addie let go of your sister!
Oh forget it.

A week or so into the new school year, Ms. Amy announced that Addie was ready to be an Afternoon Worker. This means no more naps and during that time she can pick some work to do on her own. This could mean painting, language lessons, math or whatever she chooses. Addie thinks this is quite an honor and is very excited.

I had to go pick the girls up early last week when Eliza had a fever. I went into Addie's classroom and her entire class was sitting in a circle in the foyer listening to a story. Where was Addie? "She's with Ms. Amy." said Ms. Layla. I thought, uh-oh, she's in trouble. Instead, she was in the very back of the classroom quietly working in watercolors at a table while Ms. Amy prepped the classroom for the afternoon. Ms. Amy said that she frequently likes to spend some time alone while the other kids read. Her teacher keeps a special tray just for Addie in the closet with watercolors, brushes, sponges for blotting and a cup for water. It was really so sweet to see her concentrating on what she loves in the peace of her classroom. Addie's a pretty amazing little girl and I love that her school encourages her interests. Go Montessori!

The Birthday (Tea) Party

"O Looking-Glass creatures," quoth Alice, "draw near!
'Tis an honour to see me, a favour to hear:
'Tis a privilege high to have dinner and tea
Along with the Red Queen, the White Queen, and Me!"

For Eliza's first birthday celebration, we had a tea party -- of sorts. Plenty of homemade sweets and dainty tea sandwiches adorned the pink table but instead of tea we drank champagne with our friends and family. We gave Eliza a cloth bound book of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with the intention of adding to the collection over the years as a birthday tradition. The birthday girl was pretty sleepy during the celebration but stuck it out to enjoy her first taste of sugar.

I was lucky to have my Mom here to plan and execute the panne cotta, creme brulee, mini birthday cupcakes and sugar cookie birds we prepared as well as the delicious smoked salmon and cucumber, radish and fresh mint cream cheese tea sandwiches. Thanks Mummers!



Cake fingers


Addie helps with the party decorations. She even learned how to use the paper cutter!


Addie also helped glitter these little pink birds.


Pretty tea sandwiches


The kids table with tea-sized peanut butter and jelly sandwiches


Panne cotta and lots of hand made pink tissue paper flowers


Pink frosted sugar cookie birds as party favors


The after-party

Happy Birthday Eliza! Check out more photos of her birthday party here.