Saturday, October 23, 2004

When I sneeze, Naomi sings me a little song which ends with Atchoo Atchoo Mammi. It is really sweet and funny that wherever she is in the house she will start to sing it. So much more charming than saying bless you anyway.
She played out in the rain for an hour today and it was really funny. She kept wanting me to come out too but it was cold and rainy. then she told me she was watering my plants with the water that had collected in the pool. Like they needed it! We also made cookies today. YUM!

Thursday, October 21, 2004


Julia found "Magenta" in her crib and she loves it. She reaches for her as soon as she wakes up. Posted by Hello

Dr. Naomi is helping Daddy get better after his knee surgery Posted by Hello

Naomi used her paints to make herself into a cat. Posted by Hello

Princess Naomi Posted by Hello

I don't know how Julia sleeps like this, but she does Posted by Hello

Orange Bear in the sling Posted by Hello

Friday, October 15, 2004

2:44 PM This just in: Julia can roll from her stomach to her back now. She just did it a couple of times. SHe has done it before but now she is clearly practicing it...
I've been reading operating instructions by Ann Lamott and it is really a very good book and very funny and validating at the same time. It makes me realize that it is really still OK to be tired and overwhelmed sometimes. The other day I said to Adam that I couldn't imagine why I was so tired since Naomi had been at school all day and I hadn't really done anything all day besides the general home upkeep. Then I realized that I was still doing all that with an infant in tow and plenty of people find that tiring enough.
Naomi's favorite thing lately is to tell our days. After lights out at bedtime we talk about our favorite part and our saddest part of our day. Sometimes she tells things from other days and sometimes she just tells me her favorite part is what just happened. "My favorite part is that you got Julia from her crib" or "My favorite part was turning out the light."
She was full of vim and vigor this morning and came to wake me up to tell me something which I have forgotten already and which may not have made sense to me at the time, but then she hopped out of our room and down the hall. It was so funny and happy at the same time that I actually felt like getting up at that point.

Here is another sentiment that helped me from the parents Tao Te Ching:

There are many ways to get children
to behave as you wish.
You can force, plead and bribe.
You can manipulate, trick and persuade.
You can use shame, guilt and reason.
These will all rebound upon you.
You will be in constant conflict.

Attend instead to your own actions.
Develop contentment within yourself.
Find peace and love in all you do.
This will keep you busy enough.
There is no need to control others.

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Where have I been? Adam had surgery on his knee and is pretty well recovered right now. In the meantime my mom and Carol have been here to help me while I was driving Adam everywhere and while he was unable to help out with Naomi and Julia. That is where I have been.
Naomi is practicing conjunctions. She likes to use sentences with "and" and "but". It is actually pretty funny although it sometimes rubs me the wrong way. I have to keep reminding myself that she doesn't mean to contradict me and that she is just practicing language.
Julia still only rolls one way but she is getting used to having to be on her stomach.
I have been doing a lot of gardening. Here it is the season for planting and so plant I did. Naomi likes to help me though she can be quite rough on plants and it is not the quiet and serene activity that it would be if I were doing it alone. Tonight she was dragging the shovel around as well as the hoe and turning up soil. Luckily in a place where there are no plants. We also planted snow peas which I hope will encourage Naomi to eat some vegetables.