Lucia - first day of school

A video of Lucia's first day of "Children Learning Center". It's school/day care. Just the mornings. The pretty blue dress is the uniform. She did great! Didn't cry at all.

Diego has been in school for two weeks. Also LOVES it! Here are some pics and a video from his first day. Pre-Kindergarden.

He comes early with me and hangs out in my room for a bit - watching netflicks on the ipad usually. The first day Lucia came along.

Guess What We're Doing?

Christmas

So behind - so lets start with Christmas. We had a wonderful Christmas road trip which started with one night in Arden, our small family Christmas in Kingston, a Tang family Christmas in Markham, an Abbot family Christmas in Thornbury, an amazing visit with JanMarie and family in OwenSound, a chance to check out Jenn's new house in Duneden and then New Years in Toronto with the Fry-Standards. Wow! Are we blessed with so many wonderful friends. Thanks for sharing the holidays with us. Here is a short video from opening presents in Kingston.

Lucia 15 months

Dear Lucia - you are 15 months old now. That means we're heading towards two and I wouldn't have believed it except that in the last week or so you have catapulted into 'little girl'.

Somewhere around the beginning of this week you decided that you were ready to walk. I knew you had it in you and were just biding your time. I was like that - not wanting to try new things till I was SURE I could do them well. You are cruising all around the house and back yard and rarely fall. It feels like with your walking your words have also started to flow too.

In signs you are saying: milk, more, again, food, baby, sleep, food, juice (the sign + "juuu" for jugo and ahhh for agua), cracker, work, fan, light

In words you say:  "Spiderman" (this is your most recognizable and reliable word), "wow wow" (dogs), Mama and Papa when you are really upset or need something. You are also using recognizable sounds for Diego, elephant, cow, duck

You are very insistent when you have something to say and are really good at communicating in general. I think Papa will find that, like me, once you have enough words he does not have the 'nice quiet girl' he thinks he does.

You love to play with your brother and your shining eyes and excited screams now that you are able to chase after him are an absolute joy to watch and hear. Diego loves you too and just this morning he told me "Close the door mama and I will play with my sister". The two of you played together in your room for 10 minutes perfectly happily. This is a great sign of things to come. I hope you will always get along this well.

In two weeks I start back to work and you go into daycare full time. I hope you enjoy it as much as you did during our test run in the spring. I have had a wonderful summer watching you turn from baby to toddler.

All my love: Mama

Physical Milestones

Diego can now hit a ball when it is thrown, with pretty good accuracy.

Lucia is walking - or at least thinking about it. She can go pretty far although still chooses to hold hands or 'scooch' rather than risk it.

These 'videos' are compilations of pictures taken on 'sports' mode in the camera. Fun!

One Year (and a bit)

Dear Lucia - you are one year old now. (OK - a month and a half ago, it's been busy!) Just before your birthday I went back to work, somewhat unexpectedly, and so you have had a busier month that we had originally planned.

You learned to be at the daycare. With very few tears or fussing (one unhappy day and a few sniffly mornings) you settled into your new routine. You have learned the circle time routine is just a few weeks and will now ask for "Itsy Bitsy" and then move right into "Two Hands Up". It's so fun to watch you enjoy music. You have even let me come and visit you at lunch, which was the best part of my day at work. I come in for 10 minutes or so at 11:00 and then go and let you each lunch. Like all things, you take these visits in stride. With only a little bit of whimpering when I go, near the end you would even wave and go off on your own to find Tracy so she would read you a story. You are so chill!

We also found out this month that you have an egg allergy. After throwing up egg twice, our family doctor recommended that we take you to an allergist. The skin test came back positive and so you are now the proud owner of an epi-pen. We have cut egg out of your diet completely and we are hoping that you will outgrow it. We are now exploring baking without eggs or gluten. It hasn't fazed you at all and you continue to eat anything I put in front of you.

You are more relaxed than your brother, but also more cautious. You have been standing and cruising for a while but have not taken the leap of faith to let go. We have caught a few hesitant steps - I think, mostly, when you forget that you can't walk. Yesterday you did take two steps for me to capture on camera. You're like me little one - I also like to be really sure I'll do well before venturing into new projects. I didn't learn to ride a bike till I was 10 and could teach myself. We can be cautious together while the boys run around and jump off of things.

Your communication has also taken a big leap. You are signing for 'milk' and 'more/again' and 'book' very clearly. With some prompting we have also seen: play, sleep, apple, and Cherrios. You are making lots of sounds and pointing to make requests but not too many words yet. Like the walking you are just waiting till you can do it well. I won't be surprised if you don't talk much at all until one day you come out with: "Mama, can you pass my cup please."

You have also learned to kiss (with sound and all) and are using it to win over the boys. Kisses are forthcoming and frequent for both Papa and Diego. You tried it on my one night as well to put off bedtime. It's hard to say "No more kisses Lucia - you have to sleep!" Speaking of bedtime, you are not nursing at night anymore and are mostly sleeping through most nights. This has been a great gift to your father and I. 

I'm off for the summer now (hence the time for this very late letter) and am so looking forward to the extra time with you and your brother. We plan to go to the park in the morning and then have a nap. Happy year and a bit little girl... and here's to lots more together.

Mama.

Lucia

cuteness - eating melon for the first time.

Videos!

Diego's Birthday

Vacation Quotes

Getting of the plane: "Papa, aqui no hace frio!" (It's not cold here.)

Asking for the evening Novenas..each evening the nine days before Christmas, a short service and singing in front of the nativity scene. "We have to cantar a (sing to) baby Jesus."


Conversation with one of the staff at the hotel:
D: "Yo soy de Cartegena" (I'm from Cartegena)
S: "Tu no eres de Cartegena"
D: "Yo soy de Cartegena"
S: "Tu no eres de Cartegena"
D: .. pregnant pause... "Yo soy de Canada. Alla hace mucho mucho frio" (It's cold there.)

Just before nap: "Juan David can have Oso y Mari can have Nana" (sharing comfort items spells total cousin love)

In A&W - after having tried to race into the parking garage after me, being held back by grandma, crying for Papa, hungry, in the bathroom, congratulated for NOT peeing in his pull-up despite 4 clogged bathrooms in the airplane and no bathroom in site in the baggage pick-up.... "I was sad with Grandma but now I am happy with chi-chi!"

He's a champion traveler.

From the Archives - a Train Trip

Here we are on our train trip to visit Kendra and Len.

Big kids

Big day here tomorrow - it's Diego's first day as a preschooler. He's going back to daycare two days a week. While it's been a great summer and easier with two than I had feared, I am looking forward to having my Mondays and Wednesdays to do some mama and Lucia time. He's also on day 6 of no 'accidents'. He's a big boy!

So she doesn't feel left out - Lucia is also getting bigger. Here is a little talk she had with her Papa at our recent family reunion.

New video camera!

There is some major construction going on at a street near us. Great excitement. In mama's world - I just purchased a new digital camcorder and I love it! All the little files get saved like pictures - with the date attached. And, of course, you can upload them easily, making both organizing/archiving and editing so much easier. If this upload works - there will be more 'sound bites' from our family.