Anniversaries, pillows, and more...

Ever wonder where Sydney gets her
weird behavior?

It's so hard to believe...just a few years ago, Karen saw and became quickly interested in a particular guy...we'll just call him eye-candy to protect his true identity. He was funny, charming, and definitely handsome...and actually still is to this day. Of course, she couldn't resist him. So, we fast forward three years later and poof...Sydney exists. This post could be about many things, but since this blog focuses on Sydney and her family, it couldn't be helped but to write about two major forces in Sydney's life...her parents! I know you were thinking Starbucks and her shoes, but those are two 'other' important forces...ha ha!

So, this September 15th Karen and I will be celebrating our third anniversary. We've had an amazing journey together so far, and it just continues to get better.  Happy Anniversary babes...I love you!

In other news, there has been a recent purchase.  If Sydney had any doubt about where home was, that doubt was quickly laid to rest...no pun intended, with the purchase of a new pillow.  We recently got Sydney her first ever toddler pillow.  So, she's got a great reason to hit the hay every night, snuggling up with Kooky (her plush kookaburra), Mr. Hooter (her plush great horned owl), and her new soft pillow.  The first day we got it she was inseparable from her new pillow.  We hope this new acquisition makes for enjoyable sleeping patterns.

 

The Family at Jessica's 18th Birthday.



Upcoming...Sydney will make her Seattle Sounders debut...as a fan, of course, on October 2nd.  Seattle will be hosting Toronto, and Sydney will be making every effort to ensure the Canadian team returns home non-victorious.  This means she will engage in the chants, the taunts, and other behaviors that will send the rivals home beaten, battered, humiliated, and without an important three points.  Sydney has been working for several months on the songs...so we look forward to hearing that in action!  She may be painted blue and green or she may just show up with her feisty 1.75 year old attitude, but regardless...she will be a force to be reckoned with!!!



I think something is clogging the sink...
just had to share this picture.



We hope everybody has a great weekend!

The Council of Mothers...

What a cute face!

Every now and then history finds a unique gathering of sorts...one that has been rarely seen throughout time but where the purity of wisdom can only be imagined.  Is it mere coincidence, or are some mysterious forces at work that gathered these individuals on a holiday which just happens to be called "Labor Day."  While the pun is present but not intended, no greater truth is present than the fact that an extensive and raw collective knowledge of motherhood exists here.  While this gathering cannot accurately be named...if we had to title it, we 'd call it the Council of Mothers.

The council in session...

OK, so maybe that is just the dramatic way of saying that we had a Mother's BBQ.  I guess in Sydney's case, it was her grandmothers.  It was a fun afternoon, where Sydney got her dosage of grandmas, ya yas, nanas, and more.  It is great when they can all be in one place at one time :)  It is great to see that the generational relationship is strong and thriving...what could be better...

The group imparts wisdom to
the youngest.

Burgers, corn, potato salad, fruit salad and more marked the items for consumption, but interesting stories and entertainment provided by Little Miss Pigtails were the true entrees.  Sydney of course loved every minute of it.  She enjoyed showing off her new words and new skills.  She's quite comfortable in a group, and she often likes the attention of so many caring individuals.  We hope the Council of Mothers can unite again in December, over the holidays.

Exhaustion sets in... 

In other news, Sydney's vocabulary has grown exponentially in the past few months.  She uses new words on a daily basis, and in context with correct meaning.  It is too hard to even keep track of them now.  As parents, we feel like we have truly succeeded so far in her speech development, as she has never once used a swear word (despite her parents)...ha ha!!!

We look forward to other great upcoming activities.  Sydney will soon be traveling to Oregon to visit her Uncle Nathan and all of her cousins, and then she'll experience a life-changing event in October...her first Seattle Sounders game!!!  She's learning the skills needed to attend the game, such as the appropriate chants and holding her scarf high!

Have a nice weekend everyone!!!

Galileo or Picasso?

A sampling of Sydney's abstract art.

Left brain...right brain...it'll be a fun to see which side Sydney embraces.  Whether it's art, or its the fundamentals of science, I believe Sydney will excel in both.  She is certainly genetically predisposed for greatness on both fronts!...ha ha!

Right now, Sydney enjoys both and we will encourage both.  She loves to have a deep conversation about quantum physics, but she also loves to draw, color, weld, and be creative through other mediums.  At daycare, she also gets plenty of exposure to art and the ability to express herself.  You should see her interpretive dance number....ha ha!  But, she is often creative at daycare and comes home with a number of 'works of art,' as can be seen from the pictures in this blog.

Nothing beats a good book!

In other news, Sydney has had a fun and enjoyable week.  She has spent most of her days with Nana from Montana.  She's loved reading, coloring, and playing with Nana.  She has also enjoyed playing with Nana's dog, Alex.

A collection of works from daycare!

On Friday, Karen, Nana, and Sydney all had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant.  Since Sydney is a well-refined and cultured little-lady, she tries to honor the eating traditions of the meal at hand.  In this case, she quickly learned to master the complexities of the chopsticks!  While she was waiting for her food, she managed a little maneuver only seen in Karate Kid...the catching of a fly with chopsticks.  She is a truly gifted child and will have much success...our young grasshopper.  OK, so in reality her chopstick use may have room for some improvement, but she certainly has no fear of trying something new, and in some cases she actually does a pretty good job picking up the activity quickly.

Her first run using chopsticks.

But if all else fails, go with the reliable

standby...the hands!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Forks and more...

Sydney enjoyed bouncing on
this contraption.

A fork...Sydney has been learning to wield the power of this important eating utensil.  The mastery of her skill has increased over the months, and now her growing ability allows her to pinpoint any target and stab it in the blink of an eye.  Olives, peas, and even grains of rice no longer stand any chance against this menacing predator sporting her four-pronged tool of precision and imminent destruction.  Fortunately, Sydney has only used her new trade on food, as opposed to other inappropriate uses (such as stabbing the cats, placing in light sockets, etc).

Donna brought Karen's old table and
chairs... from her younger years.

This more adept fork use certainly moves her up the utensil tier.  Spoons where her first love, but now her power has grown, and it is only a matter of time before she is able to also use a knife, and then to use her fork and knife in a harmonious partnership.  Of course, we never really introduced her to the spork, but that (to me) resides at the spoon level more than anything.

While we applaud this overall progression in her move toward more civilized eating, we won't be completely impressed until she gets full control over chopsticks.  That will be the true test that young grasshopper will need to accomplish...after that, the sky is the limit.

Nana Donna reading a favorite story
to Sydney.

Sydney has had a busy weekend so far.  Her Nana from Montana arrived on Friday and she's already had a great time visiting with her.  And on Saturday she got to picnic with her friends Maggie and Kate...accompanied by their parents Dave and Lili, and David and Sarah.  It was a great time, and we made good use of the playground.

Sydney's other Grandma, Gloria, works in the building just next to her daycare.  As Grandma works on the third floor of her building, she often gets a good view of the daycare and notices trips the little ones make out of the front of the building.  This particular day, she managed to catch a glimpse and snatch a quick picture of the little ones leaving the daycare to go on an adventure.  This kiddo convoy is certainly a spectacle, and it's extremely cute to see them in motion.  Sydney loves to spend time with her friends and her wonderful teachers, so it was probably a fun outing for her.

In other news, I also wanted to share a very short clip from her tumbling class.  She hasn't quite figured out that jumping entails your feet actually leaving the ground, but that doesn't stop her from having fun trying!!!

If she only had a pot to....

After flushing she always says... "bye-bye."

Well, fortunately, Sydney does have a little potty.  She's at the age where the fun begins and the potty-training is underway.  We fully expect it will still be some time before she is aggressively seeking the toilet when she feels the urge to go, but she has already demonstrated some success in this area.  She has quite a few times at daycare, and also quite a few times at home.  In fact, she had one stretch where she went at least four days in a row (one time each of those days...not for four straight days...hehe). 

A good book is necessary for the task at hand!

She's always been good sitting on her little toddler toilet, but usually 'sitting' was the extent of her activity.  But now that there is action to accompany her time on the miniaturized throne, her parents are pretty excited.  Her initial successes have mainly come in the form of #1, but we fully expect that she'll put it together when she needs to 'doo' the duty.  And I fully expect we'll know when she needs to go...since I'm assuming that particular sign is when she's heading to the bathroom with some light reading...perhaps the Babies 'R Us catalog or something of that nature.  So, while I can see the time-saving benefits (and perhaps fun) of peeing and pooping in your pants, there is a lot of excitement around the fact that she is getting the idea of using the bathroom.  I wish I could say that it felt like there is a light at the end of the diaper tunnel, but I fear that when she graduates to pull ups, and then to no diapers at all, it will be replaced by a second little person that will start the process all over again for us.  Good thing we're well trained up now for when that day happens!

Sydney likes to try out different
hairstyles, including the unicorn look.

Well, as much as I enjoy talking about bodily fluids, I thought it also important to point out that Sydney is doing great in tumbling class.  She enjoys the class and tries to take some of the new behaviors home with her.  Sydney also continues to talk at an alarming rate.  In fact, Dad has already lost in two conversations with her....apparently Sydney takes good notes when she sees momma always winning conversations...haha!

A picture from January.  Look how
young she looks!

Have a great weekend!!!

Doppio Espresso Per Favore!!!

While many parents do the wrong thing and give their kids pop or juice (neither of which is particularly good for them), we strive to be better parents and give Sydney appropriate guidance and direction...so, we just give her Starbucks...haha!  Ok, she's not actually drinking coffee in these picture.  But, having said that, when people ask what she is drinking I usually tell them she likes a good double-espresso straight up.

While we were in Australia, cafes usually offered what they called a 'babyccino.'  A babyccino is just a little bit of milk, a little bit of foam or froth, and a little bit of chocolate, all placed into a small cup and ready for enjoyment.  They were also usually free when purchasing your own beverage.  I thought babyccinos were a creative way to include the little ones.  And since Sydney can already say 'Starbucks,' I thought it would be good for her to have her own Starbucks experience.  And because she can also say chai, she is all set to order on her own :)  You can tell a lot about a person from their preferred beverages.  In this case, I think Sydney is at least starting out with a strong foundation that she can build from. 

I thought it would be fun, once again, to share a picture of Sydney from when she was newly born.  It's just a nice reminder every now and then...and helps us to remember how quickly they do grow, and to enjoy it along the way.  From the womb to sitting at a table at Starbucks, sharing a scone and a beverage with her...pretty amazing what a little more than a year and a half can do! 

Have a great weekend everybody!!!

Stumbling or Tumbling?...Tumbling of Course!!!

Sydney, like other toddlers, is still in the process of gaining her fine-tuned agility and coordination.  Although her motor skills are still 'under construction,' it doesn't mean that she is dissuaded from any physical activities.  In fact, she loves the new tumbling class that she recently joined.  She loves to do somersaults, jump on the trampoline, and walk the balance beam.  And the fact that her BFF Maggie is in the class just makes it that much more enjoyable.  While I think Sydney did great in her first week, I am a little concerned about how well she will perform on the uneven bars scheduled for her third, and the rings on the fourth week...haha!  We'll have more to report on her progress in the class over the next few weeks. 

Ok, so what kid doesn't enjoy bubbles (with the exception of those created in the bathtub)?  Sydney recently got to experience a flurry of bubble activity at a recent wedding she attended (first picture).  She just couldn't get enough of them.

Despite her affection for the spherical wonders, she is not very good at creating them.  In her eager anticipation to create the objects, she often blows with too much force and vigor...which of course creates no bubbles and in it's place sends a big stream of soap hurtling toward the nearest object (it took two of her attempts for me to learn not to be that object).  Perhaps with time and patience, she will learn the subtle art of bubble making.  Until then, she can just enjoy the activity of chasing down each one and try to pop them.

Have a great weekend!!!