December 20, 2007
December 3, 2007
November 19, 2007
poetry
I just found these two poems online randomly and I had to share them.
Took my breath away. No doubt Uma is a true goddess.
Took my breath away. No doubt Uma is a true goddess.
November 11, 2007
November 6, 2007
21 months and twinkle eyed
In the last month or so, Uma has taken her babbling to a whole new level. She is definitely smarter than a dog now. No doubt. For a while there it was a toss-up.
Upon waking, she loves to surprise me with her new favorite phrases.
The past few weeks she has woken me with "Uma's a rabbit, Ollyn's a bumble bee" (from Halloween), "Good morning, Kittycats!" and singing "Happy birthday to you.." in her sweet sing-songy voice.
Just in the last couple of weeks she has started speaking in sentences. "Zekey goes home eat dinner, Uma eat dinner, too", "Mama makes coffee, Mama drinks coffee", etc.
She is like a Jewish grandmother when she eats. She wants everyone to eat when she's eating, and if you finish she makes you go get more. I've had to stop gulping down my food so quickly because she shouts at me to keep getting more. "Mama, more!", she'll demand, pointing to the kitchen, waving me to go.
She loves saying making sure everyone is included "Everybody......
"Everybody eat pickles!" "Everybody ice pops!!"
Uma loves singing her little songs. Our little Nina Simone. She can sing "Sunny days, chasing the clouds away...", "I'm a little teapot", "Twinkle twinkle", "Ring around the rosie" , "abcdefg", and her absolute favorite, "Happy birfday to you".
She has the melodies down, and usually the first several words of each.
She still loves her signing time songs (this is a huge understatement).
Her current favorite is "I'm a GIRL! I'm a BOY!" which she changes up at a whim. She doesn't really get who's who but she has tons of fun trying to figure it out.
The other day, she totally floored us when she was banging on her piano and she counted perfectly from one to ten.
After that she threw in a seventeen and a two, but we were amazed all the same.
When Uma is happy, she opens her eyes real wide, puts on a foolish grin, and twinkles her little eyes for dramatics. She couldn't be any cuter.
She is so much fun.
She delights in dancing, and adores spinning rounds and round, squealing "Wheeeeeeee!"
She comes to my dance class with me and will dance now almost the entire time, engaging with other people, jumping up and down, rolling around with strangers, twirling, and doing her famous downward dog.
She loves finding her shadow and dancing with it. "Uma's shadow!"
Shannon is particularly pleased with her new skill of calling people "piggies" after they burp or fart, "Nay Nay piggie!", "Mama piggie!" with a squished nose. It;s especially cute when she burps and smiles and says "Uma piggie"
Shannon is also quite pleased that Uma continues to love poop talk,
"Uma poop, Zekey poop, Mama poop", ""Everybody poop!"
When she feels the urge, she'll yelp "UMA POOP! UMA POOP!" while she has her labor-like contraction. Soon-----the POTTY!!!
Shannon has also taught her how to steal noses, and she just loves eating other peoples noses and will agree to put them back when asked.
She loves writing with a pen, and sometimes we'll just sit together while I'm journalling and she's write for 15 minutes straight. She loves coloring, although she gets mixed up naming colors still. Once I asked her what color something was and she correctly stated "blue" so now everything is blue when asked. Actually, everything is now red when asked. It changes on a dime. It's just the last thing she got positive re-enforcement from saying.
After a lifetime of being told how much she is loved several times a day, she now will say to her dolls, "Uma loves you" and give them a big squeeze and a kiss. Cookie Monster was the first one that got this special treatment.
My twinkle-eyed little mama.
Upon waking, she loves to surprise me with her new favorite phrases.
The past few weeks she has woken me with "Uma's a rabbit, Ollyn's a bumble bee" (from Halloween), "Good morning, Kittycats!" and singing "Happy birthday to you.." in her sweet sing-songy voice.
Just in the last couple of weeks she has started speaking in sentences. "Zekey goes home eat dinner, Uma eat dinner, too", "Mama makes coffee, Mama drinks coffee", etc.
She is like a Jewish grandmother when she eats. She wants everyone to eat when she's eating, and if you finish she makes you go get more. I've had to stop gulping down my food so quickly because she shouts at me to keep getting more. "Mama, more!", she'll demand, pointing to the kitchen, waving me to go.
She loves saying making sure everyone is included "Everybody......
"Everybody eat pickles!" "Everybody ice pops!!"
Uma loves singing her little songs. Our little Nina Simone. She can sing "Sunny days, chasing the clouds away...", "I'm a little teapot", "Twinkle twinkle", "Ring around the rosie" , "abcdefg", and her absolute favorite, "Happy birfday to you".
She has the melodies down, and usually the first several words of each.
She still loves her signing time songs (this is a huge understatement).
Her current favorite is "I'm a GIRL! I'm a BOY!" which she changes up at a whim. She doesn't really get who's who but she has tons of fun trying to figure it out.
The other day, she totally floored us when she was banging on her piano and she counted perfectly from one to ten.
After that she threw in a seventeen and a two, but we were amazed all the same.
When Uma is happy, she opens her eyes real wide, puts on a foolish grin, and twinkles her little eyes for dramatics. She couldn't be any cuter.
She is so much fun.
She delights in dancing, and adores spinning rounds and round, squealing "Wheeeeeeee!"
She comes to my dance class with me and will dance now almost the entire time, engaging with other people, jumping up and down, rolling around with strangers, twirling, and doing her famous downward dog.
She loves finding her shadow and dancing with it. "Uma's shadow!"
Shannon is particularly pleased with her new skill of calling people "piggies" after they burp or fart, "Nay Nay piggie!", "Mama piggie!" with a squished nose. It;s especially cute when she burps and smiles and says "Uma piggie"
Shannon is also quite pleased that Uma continues to love poop talk,
"Uma poop, Zekey poop, Mama poop", ""Everybody poop!"
When she feels the urge, she'll yelp "UMA POOP! UMA POOP!" while she has her labor-like contraction. Soon-----the POTTY!!!
Shannon has also taught her how to steal noses, and she just loves eating other peoples noses and will agree to put them back when asked.
She loves writing with a pen, and sometimes we'll just sit together while I'm journalling and she's write for 15 minutes straight. She loves coloring, although she gets mixed up naming colors still. Once I asked her what color something was and she correctly stated "blue" so now everything is blue when asked. Actually, everything is now red when asked. It changes on a dime. It's just the last thing she got positive re-enforcement from saying.
After a lifetime of being told how much she is loved several times a day, she now will say to her dolls, "Uma loves you" and give them a big squeeze and a kiss. Cookie Monster was the first one that got this special treatment.
My twinkle-eyed little mama.
November 5, 2007
October 23, 2007
October 22, 2007
October 6, 2007
peanut butter gang
Here is Uma with her two pals, Dylan and Ollyn. They are the three toddlers in our mama co-op baby swap.
They play together three times a week for several hours at a time.
Their favorite activities are eating, dancing, and fighting over favorite toys.
Dylan is super mellow and Ollyn is just as sassy as Uma.
It's perfect for the girls to get to hang out with someone equally as strong willed, to get a dose of their own medicine.
They play together three times a week for several hours at a time.
Their favorite activities are eating, dancing, and fighting over favorite toys.
Dylan is super mellow and Ollyn is just as sassy as Uma.
It's perfect for the girls to get to hang out with someone equally as strong willed, to get a dose of their own medicine.
October 3, 2007
20 months and full of it
Uma is talking up a storm. She's thrilled that she can now state everything that belongs to her- "Uma chair, Uma car, Uma house,Uma belly, Uma Mama". She has learned that the best way to get what she wants is not to scream "UMA JUICY! UMA JUICY! UMA JUICY!" but rather to cock her head while saying very softly "Mama. juicy please?" while rubbing her chest to sign and emphasize the please. It works. She definitely needs to be reminded to soften her tone, but this girl is no fool.
She loves to toast with everyone who has a drink as well, "Cheers! Cheers! Cheers!" We were at an art opening recently where she worked the entire room over.
Throughout the day it's "Uma hungry", "Uma thirsty", and her favorite, "Uma poop" (which means that she does poop, not necessarily at that moment though).The other night, she named every person she knew and asked if they poop, "Jackson poop? Zeke poop? ShiShi poop?..."
She is a constant mockingbird, in the last weeks echoing me twice when I cursed- certainly a wake up call for me.
She is finally getting over that walking pneumonia. It's been almost a full month of her coughing, gasping, and puking but now she only has a few episodes a day. The mountains of laundry I've done this month have been surreal. We've both had multiple costume changes a day as smelling like throw-up is less than attractive and I need all the the help I can get.
She's at the stage now where she runs everywhere. Her little feet can be heard clopping around the house, running to and fro. She delights in her Big Wheel, racing down the sidewalk, taking turns at top speed (Fred Flinstone style).
She now plays with two frinds three times a week in our Mama Co-op that I've dubbed "the peanut butter gang". It's an awesome set- up, twice a week I get 2 and a half hours off and one day I watch 3 toddlers. I've been taking yoga and Uma is learning how to share. Everybody's happy.
Most of all, the girl loves to sing and dance. She knows the first parts to many songs- twinkle twinkle, ring around the rosy, patty cake, sunny days, abcdefg, and she says "happy day" throughout the day. She even did ring around the rosy with one of her playmates all by themselves- holding hands. dancing in a circle, and throwing themselves on the ground.
Ironically, she adores this one song that is in her sign language dVds. I used to always skip it because it was all about moms, dads, grandmothers, aunts and cousins and she didn't really have a context for those concepts as we don't have any family around. One day in the car, the song came on and she went berserk, "MOM! DAD! MOM! DAD!", gleefully dancing and bouncing as she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Now every time we go on a ride she begs "MOM! DAD!"
Sometimes all you can do is smile.
She loves to toast with everyone who has a drink as well, "Cheers! Cheers! Cheers!" We were at an art opening recently where she worked the entire room over.
Throughout the day it's "Uma hungry", "Uma thirsty", and her favorite, "Uma poop" (which means that she does poop, not necessarily at that moment though).The other night, she named every person she knew and asked if they poop, "Jackson poop? Zeke poop? ShiShi poop?..."
She is a constant mockingbird, in the last weeks echoing me twice when I cursed- certainly a wake up call for me.
She is finally getting over that walking pneumonia. It's been almost a full month of her coughing, gasping, and puking but now she only has a few episodes a day. The mountains of laundry I've done this month have been surreal. We've both had multiple costume changes a day as smelling like throw-up is less than attractive and I need all the the help I can get.
She's at the stage now where she runs everywhere. Her little feet can be heard clopping around the house, running to and fro. She delights in her Big Wheel, racing down the sidewalk, taking turns at top speed (Fred Flinstone style).
She now plays with two frinds three times a week in our Mama Co-op that I've dubbed "the peanut butter gang". It's an awesome set- up, twice a week I get 2 and a half hours off and one day I watch 3 toddlers. I've been taking yoga and Uma is learning how to share. Everybody's happy.
Most of all, the girl loves to sing and dance. She knows the first parts to many songs- twinkle twinkle, ring around the rosy, patty cake, sunny days, abcdefg, and she says "happy day" throughout the day. She even did ring around the rosy with one of her playmates all by themselves- holding hands. dancing in a circle, and throwing themselves on the ground.
Ironically, she adores this one song that is in her sign language dVds. I used to always skip it because it was all about moms, dads, grandmothers, aunts and cousins and she didn't really have a context for those concepts as we don't have any family around. One day in the car, the song came on and she went berserk, "MOM! DAD! MOM! DAD!", gleefully dancing and bouncing as she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Now every time we go on a ride she begs "MOM! DAD!"
Sometimes all you can do is smile.
September 9, 2007
obsessed
Glitterfy.com - Gráficos Portugueses
Uma is obsessed with Elmo. Sure, most breathing tots are smitten with this red furry monster but Uma is truly fanatical. Did you know that the puppeteer is a man named Kevin Clash??
Not hard on the eyes, eh?
I wonder if he's single because he sure would make Uma a very happy girl if he was available.
She awakens saying "ELMO", says his name about a hundred times a day...no exaggeration. ELMO ELMO ELMO ELMO ELMO ELMO ELMO.
If you're wondering what you can do to cheer up this little sick muffin , you know what to send....
September 8, 2007
September 4, 2007
August 26, 2007
August 13, 2007
18 months
It's been a sleep deprived summer. Not exactly as I had planned but probably better now than when I'm actually trying to be productive....
I feel like the little girl who called teeth. The teeth are coming! The teeth are coming!
Dag, with all that drool and sass, I'm sure something was happening but now......
drumroll....
HER MOLARS BROKE THROUGH!!
Thank you Jesus, Mary, Buddha, Krishna, Allah, Mohamed, the Goddess in her many forms......
and Thank you , Easter Bunny!!!
This has been a long time coming. I will be so damn happy when all of her teeth are in.
What will I have to blame her fussiness on then?
Will everything just be sweetness and bliss???
Oh, I can't wait till all those pearly whites are all in a row.
And to think that they all just fall out in a few years after all that hard work.
It AMAZES me that all mothers everywhere go through this teething business.
I hear for some kids that it's no big deal, but as you know, that is not our story.
There is much to report besides teeth, though.
Uma is talking up a storm- babble babble all day long.
She has a play phone conversation down-
"Hi! (giggle giggle fake laugh) babble babble bye bye!"
Very sweet.
She has some less charming phrases down too.
When she wants you to leave her alone so that she can do it herself or whatever,
she'll say "No! Bye!!"
She is a Mockingbird- today she kept saying "purple shoe" even through I don't think she knew what it meant.
Her favorite activities these days are - pushing her baby stroller and playing little mama to her dolls, playing with cars, reading books, drawing, trying to pedal her Big Wheel (very close), dancing, playing her pianos, eating berries, sliding, swinging (on the big swing), and doing everything HERSELF!!
On her 18month checkup, she is at 100 percentile for height and 89 for weight. I was so excited for her to grow for such a long time but now I want her to just be small forever. She looks like a 2 and a half year old. All the other mom's in the park are shocked to find her age.
I know I sound like one of thoooose moms, but she really is quite coordinated and socially aware for her age.
blah blah blah
So, she's advanced and crap but she is also BRUTE!!!!!!
It seriously frightens me to watch her sometimes. She is such a force to be reckoned with.
I'm starting to think God thinks that I'm very capable to handle a child with the spirit of Uma .
She is a tsunami.
At this age too, it's always hard to know whether to step in and help tots solve their problems
or to let them figure out stuff themselves.
She is great playing with kids of all ages- gentle with babies, running around with older kids,
but if she wants something and can't have it......
it's not pretty.
OR if she loves something and then it's gone.....
It seems that kids are such little Buddhas- displaying so clearly the suffering that occurs when we attach to something either positive that causes pleasure or negative that causes discomfort. Both bring the same outcome- suffering!
My little Buddha has gone 3 nights now with no nursing in the night. It has not been exactly easy but it has been very necessary.
This mama here is ready to stop the suffering of sleep deprivation. I really felt like I was on a very thin thread there for a while, going on 2-3 hours of sleep for days on end. This whole last month is a blur of sleepless nights. I understand how it could be used as a form of torture.
The end is in sight thought......
With no nursing at night and a full mouth of teeth (soooooon)),
we should be dreaming some pretty big dreams real soon here.
I feel like the little girl who called teeth. The teeth are coming! The teeth are coming!
Dag, with all that drool and sass, I'm sure something was happening but now......
drumroll....
HER MOLARS BROKE THROUGH!!
Thank you Jesus, Mary, Buddha, Krishna, Allah, Mohamed, the Goddess in her many forms......
and Thank you , Easter Bunny!!!
This has been a long time coming. I will be so damn happy when all of her teeth are in.
What will I have to blame her fussiness on then?
Will everything just be sweetness and bliss???
Oh, I can't wait till all those pearly whites are all in a row.
And to think that they all just fall out in a few years after all that hard work.
It AMAZES me that all mothers everywhere go through this teething business.
I hear for some kids that it's no big deal, but as you know, that is not our story.
There is much to report besides teeth, though.
Uma is talking up a storm- babble babble all day long.
She has a play phone conversation down-
"Hi! (giggle giggle fake laugh) babble babble bye bye!"
Very sweet.
She has some less charming phrases down too.
When she wants you to leave her alone so that she can do it herself or whatever,
she'll say "No! Bye!!"
She is a Mockingbird- today she kept saying "purple shoe" even through I don't think she knew what it meant.
Her favorite activities these days are - pushing her baby stroller and playing little mama to her dolls, playing with cars, reading books, drawing, trying to pedal her Big Wheel (very close), dancing, playing her pianos, eating berries, sliding, swinging (on the big swing), and doing everything HERSELF!!
On her 18month checkup, she is at 100 percentile for height and 89 for weight. I was so excited for her to grow for such a long time but now I want her to just be small forever. She looks like a 2 and a half year old. All the other mom's in the park are shocked to find her age.
I know I sound like one of thoooose moms, but she really is quite coordinated and socially aware for her age.
blah blah blah
So, she's advanced and crap but she is also BRUTE!!!!!!
It seriously frightens me to watch her sometimes. She is such a force to be reckoned with.
I'm starting to think God thinks that I'm very capable to handle a child with the spirit of Uma .
She is a tsunami.
At this age too, it's always hard to know whether to step in and help tots solve their problems
or to let them figure out stuff themselves.
She is great playing with kids of all ages- gentle with babies, running around with older kids,
but if she wants something and can't have it......
it's not pretty.
OR if she loves something and then it's gone.....
It seems that kids are such little Buddhas- displaying so clearly the suffering that occurs when we attach to something either positive that causes pleasure or negative that causes discomfort. Both bring the same outcome- suffering!
My little Buddha has gone 3 nights now with no nursing in the night. It has not been exactly easy but it has been very necessary.
This mama here is ready to stop the suffering of sleep deprivation. I really felt like I was on a very thin thread there for a while, going on 2-3 hours of sleep for days on end. This whole last month is a blur of sleepless nights. I understand how it could be used as a form of torture.
The end is in sight thought......
With no nursing at night and a full mouth of teeth (soooooon)),
we should be dreaming some pretty big dreams real soon here.
August 12, 2007
the truth about mamahood
Most of you who check Uma's blog are here for pics and fluff.
Admit it.
I know this, and yet I have been really yearning for a place to express all the other stuff that isn't sugar and spice and everything nice.
Shocked that we have poopy days? Please....
Likewise, I have felt strange writing about myself in Uma's blog since it's about her and not me.
So.... I created an alternative blog that's just a place for me to keep it real. It's called The Truth about Mamahood
There won't be many pictures, mostly just me discussing the nittygritty- sleepless nights, temper tantrums, wondering if I'll ever date, wondering what I'm going to do with my life, etc.
If you come for the fluff, don't worry, I'll keep it coming.
Admit it.
I know this, and yet I have been really yearning for a place to express all the other stuff that isn't sugar and spice and everything nice.
Shocked that we have poopy days? Please....
Likewise, I have felt strange writing about myself in Uma's blog since it's about her and not me.
So.... I created an alternative blog that's just a place for me to keep it real. It's called The Truth about Mamahood
There won't be many pictures, mostly just me discussing the nittygritty- sleepless nights, temper tantrums, wondering if I'll ever date, wondering what I'm going to do with my life, etc.
If you come for the fluff, don't worry, I'll keep it coming.
July 28, 2007
July 9, 2007
June 26, 2007
June 13, 2007
freakshow
Okay, everyone knows how incredibly gorgeous Uma is. Here is a slide show of her looking less than pretty. She LOVES taking these distorted pics on the MacBook. Shannon has amused her plenty of times and has taken some amazing shots. It is a little disturbing, but really hilarious.
June 8, 2007
June 3, 2007
a year and a quarter
What Uma LOVES (in no particular order): WATER, cheddar bunnies, sand, Toots and the Maytals, cell phones, birds, pens, crayons,riding toys, buckets, books,olives, babies, DANCING, trees, shoes, puddles, graham crackers , BABY SIGNING TIME videos, string cheese, sitting in big chairs, peanut butter, apples, BUBBLES, balls, berries, mirrors, sitting on the stoop and greeting strangers.....the list goes on and on
What Uma hates: not getting what she wants.
That pretty much sums it up. The girl loves what she loves and if she doesn't get it when she wants it...you're gonna hear about it. She is what they call a "spirited child". The girl is SO happy when she's happy but when she's pissed, it's not very pretty. She has such a spark to her. A woman said the other day that she has diamonds in her eyes....
She is such a devilish angel. So many tricks up her sleeves now. She's talking up a storm, all day long making a sing-song commentary on life. She speaks in gibberesh sentneces all day long, where she clearly knows what she's talking about because she'll nod her head or shake it . She points out things all day long and signs them all day as well- tree, dog, water, shoes, baby, cat, book, ball, truck- there seems like one of the above is always in clear sight.
Some of her favorite ramblings are wawawwawawawawawawawawa and MOMMYmommyMOMMYmommy MOMMY.
She now knows how to say her name and will sit in front of the mirror, singing her name to herself- oomaooomaoomaoommaaaaa.
Other uttering you hear all day with Uma are "uppy" for up and "uh-oh" as she throws most things overboard.
She is outright obsessed with the Baby Signing Time DvDs we get from the library. She will wake up and first thing she'll do is say "baby?". She's run to the TV and sign baby with such passion. She adores it. I have to admit I like them too. We've learned a bunch of signs by now, and the silly songs are so darn catchy that everyone in the house has them eternally stuck in their head. Who would have thought that I would be driving down the road, jamming out to a song called"These are the pets I love"?
The girl has some new moves too- she now has a booty shaking dance that I adore. Her moves include stomping , wiggling, and twirling to any resemblance of music. She has a rubber band-legged run that she uses in any type of store that has wide aisles- boy does she love running amok in stores. Makes you realize that there's a very good reason for all supermarkets in town have those clever racing car shopping carts.. They work. I came to this stark realization one afternoon after school when Uma was upset (see reason above) and a kind stranger saved us with his cart and escorted us to the check-out. I almost cried I was so thankful.
She is such a big girl now. She loves sitting in big chairs and reading books. She'll have no highchair or little bites portioned for her- she wants the whole enchilada. She wants to eat only with a fork or spoon, and she prefers the big ones, thank you very much. A friend said to me today that I can expect that stage to last another 18 years.
She strung her first two words together a few weeks back, "bye-bye, baby". She repeated it over and over when she learned it, so tickled with herself. It is pretty darn cute when she says it to Meshi or Shannon.
In other news, I finally came out to my students and parents at school and told them I wouldn't be returning next year as a full-time teacher. This year has really stretched my human potential. Sleep deprivation plus a very chaotic/creative school filled with "spirited children" is quite a combo.
It was so hard to tell my little clan of kiddoes, but I know in my heart that I want to spend as much time as I can with Uma, and create a pace that invites relaxation, calm, and openness to our next step in life.
p.s. still no new teeth.
What Uma hates: not getting what she wants.
That pretty much sums it up. The girl loves what she loves and if she doesn't get it when she wants it...you're gonna hear about it. She is what they call a "spirited child". The girl is SO happy when she's happy but when she's pissed, it's not very pretty. She has such a spark to her. A woman said the other day that she has diamonds in her eyes....
She is such a devilish angel. So many tricks up her sleeves now. She's talking up a storm, all day long making a sing-song commentary on life. She speaks in gibberesh sentneces all day long, where she clearly knows what she's talking about because she'll nod her head or shake it . She points out things all day long and signs them all day as well- tree, dog, water, shoes, baby, cat, book, ball, truck- there seems like one of the above is always in clear sight.
Some of her favorite ramblings are wawawwawawawawawawawawa and MOMMYmommyMOMMYmommy MOMMY.
She now knows how to say her name and will sit in front of the mirror, singing her name to herself- oomaooomaoomaoommaaaaa.
Other uttering you hear all day with Uma are "uppy" for up and "uh-oh" as she throws most things overboard.
She is outright obsessed with the Baby Signing Time DvDs we get from the library. She will wake up and first thing she'll do is say "baby?". She's run to the TV and sign baby with such passion. She adores it. I have to admit I like them too. We've learned a bunch of signs by now, and the silly songs are so darn catchy that everyone in the house has them eternally stuck in their head. Who would have thought that I would be driving down the road, jamming out to a song called"These are the pets I love"?
The girl has some new moves too- she now has a booty shaking dance that I adore. Her moves include stomping , wiggling, and twirling to any resemblance of music. She has a rubber band-legged run that she uses in any type of store that has wide aisles- boy does she love running amok in stores. Makes you realize that there's a very good reason for all supermarkets in town have those clever racing car shopping carts.. They work. I came to this stark realization one afternoon after school when Uma was upset (see reason above) and a kind stranger saved us with his cart and escorted us to the check-out. I almost cried I was so thankful.
She is such a big girl now. She loves sitting in big chairs and reading books. She'll have no highchair or little bites portioned for her- she wants the whole enchilada. She wants to eat only with a fork or spoon, and she prefers the big ones, thank you very much. A friend said to me today that I can expect that stage to last another 18 years.
She strung her first two words together a few weeks back, "bye-bye, baby". She repeated it over and over when she learned it, so tickled with herself. It is pretty darn cute when she says it to Meshi or Shannon.
In other news, I finally came out to my students and parents at school and told them I wouldn't be returning next year as a full-time teacher. This year has really stretched my human potential. Sleep deprivation plus a very chaotic/creative school filled with "spirited children" is quite a combo.
It was so hard to tell my little clan of kiddoes, but I know in my heart that I want to spend as much time as I can with Uma, and create a pace that invites relaxation, calm, and openness to our next step in life.
p.s. still no new teeth.
May 12, 2007
springtime video!
You gotta see Uma in action in this video. The first several takes were captured by her nanny, Jess, in the nursery at school.
I tried, somewhat successfully, to have Uma show off some of her new skills as well. She is more like a cat than a dog, however, and does just as she pleases....
I tried, somewhat successfully, to have Uma show off some of her new skills as well. She is more like a cat than a dog, however, and does just as she pleases....
wild child
I was talking with a friend the other day, telling her that my child was not mellow. "Why did you think you'd have a mellow child?"
"I'm mellow!" I screeched.
"Exactly" she replied.....
Uma is such a stinker. I think they made her so cute because they just knew what a stinker she would be. So FULL of it. "It" being lifeforce, gusto, bravado, passion, and determination. All wonderful qualities that will serve her well when she runs for president one day.
Uma is a wild child. Ever since our trip to Mexico she has been a force to reckon with. You can take the girl out of Mexico, but you can't take Mexico our of the girl. She uttered her first "no!" on our last day of our trip and in the last month has perfected her use of this word. She schools everyone in the nursery.no, no, no, no. She tells the cats "no!".....It's frightening.
Apparently the terrible twos start at 14 months.
She is learning very slowly the concept of sharing. It is absolutely horrifying to see her walk up to a child, grab something of theirs and then refuse to give it back. It's the "caveman" mentality that all one year olds possess but embarrassing nonetheless.
She tempers her caveman side by being the most precocious flirt. She used to always be the kissee but now she is the kisser. She'll pucker up and give away the wettest kisses.
She is such a hoot these days. She is so fun. She has dozens of words now-hi, bye, up, uh-oh!, shoes, apple, book, ball, bird, wa-wa (water), door, meemee (milk), Ow for cat, and her absolute favorite word- bubble....
She knows all of the names of the kids in the nursery as well as our neighbors.
It seems everyday she has a new trick up her sleeve.
She now does sign language for many animals and she just mastered "thank you".
Gotta teach them manners while they're young!
Despite all of my claims that I would never be called "Mommy", she now does exactly that. I have no idea how she got that ,as I always refer to myself as "Mama". I hate to say that coming out of her mouth, it does sound terribly sweet.
To quote my pal Paula Noel,
having a baby is like getting the most intense butt kick from the world's most gorgeous angel.
"I'm mellow!" I screeched.
"Exactly" she replied.....
Uma is such a stinker. I think they made her so cute because they just knew what a stinker she would be. So FULL of it. "It" being lifeforce, gusto, bravado, passion, and determination. All wonderful qualities that will serve her well when she runs for president one day.
Uma is a wild child. Ever since our trip to Mexico she has been a force to reckon with. You can take the girl out of Mexico, but you can't take Mexico our of the girl. She uttered her first "no!" on our last day of our trip and in the last month has perfected her use of this word. She schools everyone in the nursery.no, no, no, no. She tells the cats "no!".....It's frightening.
Apparently the terrible twos start at 14 months.
She is learning very slowly the concept of sharing. It is absolutely horrifying to see her walk up to a child, grab something of theirs and then refuse to give it back. It's the "caveman" mentality that all one year olds possess but embarrassing nonetheless.
She tempers her caveman side by being the most precocious flirt. She used to always be the kissee but now she is the kisser. She'll pucker up and give away the wettest kisses.
She is such a hoot these days. She is so fun. She has dozens of words now-hi, bye, up, uh-oh!, shoes, apple, book, ball, bird, wa-wa (water), door, meemee (milk), Ow for cat, and her absolute favorite word- bubble....
She knows all of the names of the kids in the nursery as well as our neighbors.
It seems everyday she has a new trick up her sleeve.
She now does sign language for many animals and she just mastered "thank you".
Gotta teach them manners while they're young!
Despite all of my claims that I would never be called "Mommy", she now does exactly that. I have no idea how she got that ,as I always refer to myself as "Mama". I hate to say that coming out of her mouth, it does sound terribly sweet.
To quote my pal Paula Noel,
having a baby is like getting the most intense butt kick from the world's most gorgeous angel.
May 11, 2007
May 7, 2007
uma's pals in the nursery
If you'd like to see all of Uma's pals in the nursery and her goddess nanny
just click here
There is a ton more to write and share. Very soon......
just click here
There is a ton more to write and share. Very soon......
April 21, 2007
April 4, 2007
Sayulita
 |
| mexico! |
Click the pic above to see gorgeous pictures of Uma's first trip to Mexico!!
Hola!
Uma and I have just returned from a phenomenal trip to Sayulita, Mexico. We went with a band of merry folks including Shannon the super nanny, Luta- the grannyola, Josiah- the wonderboy, and other wonderful friends. We rented a gorgeous house for ten nights. It was called Casa des Angeles- it was a lovley casa with a gigantic yard filled with bouganvillas, coconut trees and almond trees.
Uma LOVED Mexico- she was so free and alive! She relished in her senses- tasting and touching everything imaginable. Her appetite for life is so amazing! By the end of the trip, she seemed like a real mexican kid- running around the zocolo, filthy, making friends with everyone, devouring avacadoes.....
She was an incredibly mellow traveller considering what a stinker she can be. She slept the whole way there and back, taking a bit of time to flirt, but otherwise unconscious.
The village of Sayulita was perfect for us this trip. It was filled with families and like-minded travellers ( many from Oregon). The town itself is pretty tiny and after thirteen days we felt like we knew it pretty well. Our days rolled in and out with ease. Our rhythm was pretty simple. We'd wake, eat, beach, drink, eat, explore, eat, drink, and sleep. It was perfect- days filled with flowers, sun, water, mangos, avacadoes, pineapples, japonese nuts, fish tacos and mexican doughnuts.
Uma adored the beach- she revelled in the sand. She loved the tactile experience. She chased the ocean for hours on end. She let us hold her in the waves and she delighted in spinning by the seaside. She couldn't get enough of it. It was so wonderful to see her in the elements- so alive and vibrant. In the afternoons, she would run around the city center plaza- the zocolo- chasing pigeons like a madwoman. She made up her own bird-dance as well. In the evenings she would lead us around the zocolo by hand, flirting with biggest and scariest men and making friends with tots her size as well. The mexican women especially loved her. We were stopped all the time with "Que bonita!".
After about 9 days, Uma was eaten alive by mosquitos. She had huge lumps on all over her face and arms. I felt horrible but she hardly suffered at all. By the end of the trip, we joked that she looked like a kid we found in the streets that we were taking back to the states.
She was covered in bumps, absolutely filthy, with a wild look in her eye.
On our very last day, Uma learned the word "No". Actually she says "nononononononononono" and it is frightening.
This girl is such a force. She will miss the sweet freedoms of Mexico, but she will return.
March 19, 2007
March 18, 2007
March 14, 2007
Photo Booth
My camera broke last month, so here are a bunch of pics taken on with the photo booth on my laptop.
As taking pictures of Uma is my very favorite past time, a replacement will be found very soon.
Just click on a picture to enlarge it.
As taking pictures of Uma is my very favorite past time, a replacement will be found very soon.
Just click on a picture to enlarge it.
 | Cool Slideshows |
13 months
It's SPRING here in Portland. Wonderful, beautiful, gorgeous spring!
Everything is blooming. It's yellow and pink all over.
Uma is now 13 months old! I have been such a poor blogger, and my excuses are many. Let's just say this- being a single working mother is OVERRATED!!!
It makes one entirely too busy. I could go into details, but I'll spare you as it's an archetype we all know in this culture.
I miss my days of lounging around with Uma and taking long walks and smelling flowers. Ahhhhhhhhhh. Dag, I enjoyed myself so much on my maternity leave. I relished in every moment. I knew that going back to teach school this year would be an experiment, and I knew it wouldn't be easy but I had no idea the toll it would take on me. I love the kids, my co-workers, and the entire school community, I just wish we had 3 day weeks. A two week vacation every month would be nice too. Teaching itself is a huge job, it takes every morsel of your energy...combine that with sleep deprivation and chasing after a babbling one year old and it's not very pretty at times.
I just miss spending all my time with Uma.....
Uma, however, is fine. She loves school. She gets so much attention, it's ridiculous.
She is doing so many amazing things.
She blows kisses and waves (now without any prompting).
She does sign language for more, milk, eat, sleep and all done. She pets the cats gently.
She says WOW appropriately.
I tell you, the girl is a wonder. She loves to dance, and to passionately throw herself into furniture.
Her greatest joy these days (besides kissing herself in the mirror) is opening and shutting things over and over and over again. Putting lids on things, taking them off.
This is a stage that lasts a while apparently. It keeps her real busy.
She has all of these new expressions...she knits her brows together in a scorn (pretty funny), she pops her eyes out in excitement, she cocks her head when she is looking at something.
The girl is non-stop entertainment.
She is such a stinker. So firey and determined yet so absolutely adorable and beautiful.
She's even getting her top two teeth!!!! If you've been following the blog, you know she's been kinda behind in the teeth area of development, so we are anxiously awaiting the newbies.
This teething business is such a trip. I swear it's been my excuse for everything since she's been 2 months old. No one told me that the first 2 years of every baby's life are spent in fevers and illnesses induced by these bone daggers. Who could imagine that we humans could be so poorly designed? I know that it probably is perfect as it builds our immune systems or something, but the sleep deprivation is something else. I felt like I was hallucinating a few weeks back after a week of "teething".....
But it will all be worth it to see her smile with four whole teeth.
Everything is blooming. It's yellow and pink all over.
Uma is now 13 months old! I have been such a poor blogger, and my excuses are many. Let's just say this- being a single working mother is OVERRATED!!!
It makes one entirely too busy. I could go into details, but I'll spare you as it's an archetype we all know in this culture.
I miss my days of lounging around with Uma and taking long walks and smelling flowers. Ahhhhhhhhhh. Dag, I enjoyed myself so much on my maternity leave. I relished in every moment. I knew that going back to teach school this year would be an experiment, and I knew it wouldn't be easy but I had no idea the toll it would take on me. I love the kids, my co-workers, and the entire school community, I just wish we had 3 day weeks. A two week vacation every month would be nice too. Teaching itself is a huge job, it takes every morsel of your energy...combine that with sleep deprivation and chasing after a babbling one year old and it's not very pretty at times.
I just miss spending all my time with Uma.....
Uma, however, is fine. She loves school. She gets so much attention, it's ridiculous.
She is doing so many amazing things.
She blows kisses and waves (now without any prompting).
She does sign language for more, milk, eat, sleep and all done. She pets the cats gently.
She says WOW appropriately.
I tell you, the girl is a wonder. She loves to dance, and to passionately throw herself into furniture.
Her greatest joy these days (besides kissing herself in the mirror) is opening and shutting things over and over and over again. Putting lids on things, taking them off.
This is a stage that lasts a while apparently. It keeps her real busy.
She has all of these new expressions...she knits her brows together in a scorn (pretty funny), she pops her eyes out in excitement, she cocks her head when she is looking at something.
The girl is non-stop entertainment.
She is such a stinker. So firey and determined yet so absolutely adorable and beautiful.
She's even getting her top two teeth!!!! If you've been following the blog, you know she's been kinda behind in the teeth area of development, so we are anxiously awaiting the newbies.
This teething business is such a trip. I swear it's been my excuse for everything since she's been 2 months old. No one told me that the first 2 years of every baby's life are spent in fevers and illnesses induced by these bone daggers. Who could imagine that we humans could be so poorly designed? I know that it probably is perfect as it builds our immune systems or something, but the sleep deprivation is something else. I felt like I was hallucinating a few weeks back after a week of "teething".....
But it will all be worth it to see her smile with four whole teeth.
February 20, 2007
cell phone pics!
my camera is on the fritz so I thought I would share some of the best pics caught on the cell phone recently. no particular order...
look at my teeth!
here Uma asleep in the Cadillac of all carseats...
Uma at the Urgent care (she had a ear infection!)
February 8, 2007
January 31, 2007
January 20, 2007
January 19, 2007
after the thaw
We are thawing from the HUGE SNOW FLURRY 2007
where we got a whopping 3 inches of snow that shut our dear city down for 3 days.
It was great fun.
Portlanders are weary of snow but they sure are serious about playing and creative locomotion.
Everyone in town is out playing in the snow it seems.
You can see folks on home-made dogsleds. cross country skiers going down the street, snow shoers, and bikers braving the snow. Kids and adults alike sledding down the middle of neighborhood streets.
A few folks may go out and shovel with their garden hoes but the city hardly owns a single plow.
We just shut the city down and play.
A walk around the hood will find dozens of snow-creatures, and even a giant igloo!
Yep, P-town even had snow fun go awry with a snowball stabbing, fatal inter-tubing accident.
Keep portland weird!
Ms. Uma had a ball during the storm as she just started walking a few days prior. It was days of running around the house, dancing up a storm and taking trips in the wagon. Uma even did a little sledding of her own in a huge Tupperware container pulled by twine.
The girl is screeching up a storm. She does her little robot/frankenstein shuffle across the house, screaming at the top of her lungs like a little girl;. Fitting, eh? She is very pleased with herself, that is for certain. It's as if she's yelling "I'm doing it"
I think one of the motivators for her to begin walking is the fact that she can now hold many things AND locomote. She loves having something in each hand while she walks and scream. Damn, that makes her happy. The girl is certainly driven, that's for sure. She is very steady on her feet now, after just a day or two of walking she made huge strides (literally). When we finally got back to school after the snow melted, she was a pro.
It's so bizarre to see her walking around. She's such little person now. It kills me.
The last 2 weeks or so has been a huge leap for Uma cognitively. You can almost see little lightbulbs going off for her. It's so delightful to watch her become aware of the world around her and to watch her personality develop. She is such a stinker!
She now says "DK" for Duke, our big black cat. She generalizes this for all the cats now (formally, the kkkttts). She even said "DK" while petting some soft fur in a book she has. So smart!
She also definitely says "Nene" for Shannon,and she exclaims "WOW" and "ooohhhhhhhh" in appropriate moments. Hilarious.
Her favorite item, the cellphone, is rarely eaten now as she now prefers to pretend talking on the phone. This is ridiculous. She holds the phone up to her ear and pushes out her lips and then "merp merps" strange pretend-talk noises. It's so funny because these noises are obviously her mimicking adult talk, similar to the wahwahs of Charlie Brown's adult voices. She does the same trick without the phone too.
Uma loves music. Uma does her signature head bobble/stevie wonder sway at any little ditty, showing that she registers the presence of music (even if it's off tune). She shakes her head, jumps up and down and shimmies. We spent a lot of time dancing together on those snow days too. I love that I have such a fun dancing partner!
She is such a baby cub, rearing up, throwing back her head and pouncing, tumbling into bodies. She throws her head back with such momentum that she nearly falls backwards. Luckily for her, there has always been someone or something soft to break her fall.
She loves to initiate play. She hides under tables and in corners so that she can jump out and peek- a- boo. She is such a stinker. The open/shut and in/out games delight her.
Whereas Uma has been the recipient of many kisses, she is now the kisser. She loves kissing other babies, especially her pals in the nursery at school. She gives big sloppy wet ones. She likes to leave her mark. She also loves hugging her dolls and balls, swinging back and forth as she holds them tight.
Her first birthday is in two weeks. It's so incredible. This year has been the most miraculous year of my life.
where we got a whopping 3 inches of snow that shut our dear city down for 3 days.
It was great fun.
Portlanders are weary of snow but they sure are serious about playing and creative locomotion.
Everyone in town is out playing in the snow it seems.
You can see folks on home-made dogsleds. cross country skiers going down the street, snow shoers, and bikers braving the snow. Kids and adults alike sledding down the middle of neighborhood streets.
A few folks may go out and shovel with their garden hoes but the city hardly owns a single plow.
We just shut the city down and play.
A walk around the hood will find dozens of snow-creatures, and even a giant igloo!
Yep, P-town even had snow fun go awry with a snowball stabbing, fatal inter-tubing accident.
Keep portland weird!
Ms. Uma had a ball during the storm as she just started walking a few days prior. It was days of running around the house, dancing up a storm and taking trips in the wagon. Uma even did a little sledding of her own in a huge Tupperware container pulled by twine.
The girl is screeching up a storm. She does her little robot/frankenstein shuffle across the house, screaming at the top of her lungs like a little girl;. Fitting, eh? She is very pleased with herself, that is for certain. It's as if she's yelling "I'm doing it"
I think one of the motivators for her to begin walking is the fact that she can now hold many things AND locomote. She loves having something in each hand while she walks and scream. Damn, that makes her happy. The girl is certainly driven, that's for sure. She is very steady on her feet now, after just a day or two of walking she made huge strides (literally). When we finally got back to school after the snow melted, she was a pro.
It's so bizarre to see her walking around. She's such little person now. It kills me.
The last 2 weeks or so has been a huge leap for Uma cognitively. You can almost see little lightbulbs going off for her. It's so delightful to watch her become aware of the world around her and to watch her personality develop. She is such a stinker!
She now says "DK" for Duke, our big black cat. She generalizes this for all the cats now (formally, the kkkttts). She even said "DK" while petting some soft fur in a book she has. So smart!
She also definitely says "Nene" for Shannon,and she exclaims "WOW" and "ooohhhhhhhh" in appropriate moments. Hilarious.
Her favorite item, the cellphone, is rarely eaten now as she now prefers to pretend talking on the phone. This is ridiculous. She holds the phone up to her ear and pushes out her lips and then "merp merps" strange pretend-talk noises. It's so funny because these noises are obviously her mimicking adult talk, similar to the wahwahs of Charlie Brown's adult voices. She does the same trick without the phone too.
Uma loves music. Uma does her signature head bobble/stevie wonder sway at any little ditty, showing that she registers the presence of music (even if it's off tune). She shakes her head, jumps up and down and shimmies. We spent a lot of time dancing together on those snow days too. I love that I have such a fun dancing partner!
She is such a baby cub, rearing up, throwing back her head and pouncing, tumbling into bodies. She throws her head back with such momentum that she nearly falls backwards. Luckily for her, there has always been someone or something soft to break her fall.
She loves to initiate play. She hides under tables and in corners so that she can jump out and peek- a- boo. She is such a stinker. The open/shut and in/out games delight her.
Whereas Uma has been the recipient of many kisses, she is now the kisser. She loves kissing other babies, especially her pals in the nursery at school. She gives big sloppy wet ones. She likes to leave her mark. She also loves hugging her dolls and balls, swinging back and forth as she holds them tight.
Her first birthday is in two weeks. It's so incredible. This year has been the most miraculous year of my life.
January 17, 2007
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