We Love Astrid

Handwritten lunch note

2010-10-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

Now that Astrid can read at 5 years old, I'm sending her off to 1st grade with a handwritten note in her lunchbag. Today she got her 1st one & asked me to keep it up. :)

Astrid is a gift

2010-10-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

I told my daughter tonight that she's a gift. A gift to the world & a gift to her Mama. She's an enduring source of happiness in my life.

I want her to know that and to be full of unconditional love always.

Astrid is learning to spell & read

2010-07-15T01:07:00.001-07:00

"Papa? How do you spell Dragon Tales ?"

U. shared with me tonight that Astrid was being clever, asking him how to spell Dragon Tales.
"I know she wanted the spelling so she would look it up on the iPad. She's sneaky like that & I love it."

Not bad for a 5 year old.

Silent Night (bedtime lullaby)

2010-06-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

I sang to Astrid every night at bedtime when she was a baby. Still at 5 years old I sing to her to ease her into the sleep transition when I see she needs it, or just to mix it up so it's not just a book & bed. She winds down, feels nice & cozy, and most of all loved.

Tonight after singing "Silent Night" to her she said:
"Mama you sing so beautiful when you do that one."

Oh, thank you. Good night sweetheart. Sweet dreams...of rainbows & butterflies.
Mama loves you.

Deep thoughts by a 5 year old

2010-06-03T01:15:00.000-07:00

After dinner tonight Astrid announced that she no longer wanted to be a mom & here is the conversation that ensued:

Astrid: I changed my mind; I don't want to be a mom.
Me: How come?
Astrid: I want to be a Veterinarian instead.
Me: You can be a mom & a Veterinarian.
Astrid: Are you sure?
Me: Yes, you can be both. And I definitely want grand kids.
Astrid: (whispering into my ear like it's a secret...) Are there still mans (men) in the world who aren't married yet?
Me: (laughing) Yes, of course. You're already thinking about that? You're only 5 years old. You shouldn't be worrying about available men in the world yet.
Astrid: (big mischievous smile)

And this is just a month after she announced that Elmo (on Sesame Street) is for babies, claiming she's a big girl now. I couldn't believe at 5 she's already outgrown Sesame Street. And now the mature conversation above. What's next?

Happy Mother's Day 2010!

2010-05-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

The first thing Astrid (5 yrs old) said when she woke up this morning was, "Happy Mother's Day Mama. Do you know what I wish for? I wish I was a mom today."

I guess it's all the presents, hugs, kisses & attention us moms get on this day.

Forever grateful I'm surrounded by my loving, little nuclear family. Mother's Day for me, now that I'm a mom, is really about enjoying the day with my family.

U. reserved a Mother's Day brunch for us and afterward I'm being treated to a massage. It's a good day.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers of the world.

I'm done! (aka please come wipe my butt)

2010-03-01T19:38:00.000-08:00

I have to jot this down, as one day Astrid will stop shouting this from the bathroom, and I'll have completely forgotten all about this sitcom situation with the little one.

Before Astrid goes to the bathroom she will tell U. & I that she is going pee and/or poop and then says she will tell us when she's ready. After a few minutes we hear "I'm done!" shouted from the bathroom. Meaning - Mama/Papa come wipe me!

Sometimes it's a false alarm and as soon as we rush to the bathroom we're met with "I mean I'm not done yet!" or "Just kidding!"

It's classic stuff. Sometimes U. & I will be eating dinner, or right in the middle of something when we hear "I'm done!" being shouted from the bathroom and we'll both look at each other - no words are exchanged - and one of us will say, "I'll go."

U. asked me by what age do kid's wipe themselves. I have yet to google this. Astrid has started wiping herself at school, but when she's at home she prefers Mama & Papa wipe her (and if it's #2 we prefer it as well.) But just like the diaper stage, it will be nice when the wiping stage ends, and then we're off to yet another stage.

Awww...parenthood.

Cat has 2 T's?

2010-03-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

Tonight Astrid (aka my 4 yr old spelling bee queen) was adamant that the word "cat" has two T's. I heard her arguing with her dad and getting so frustrated that she came upstairs to tell me Papa was not listening to her.

I got her to explain to me what she was saying and then of course agreed with U. that "cat" has only 1 T. But my role as mom (aka Sherlock Holmes) means that I must not rule anything out, especially if Astrid is so adamant about being right - experience has shown there's either a misunderstanding or some truth to what she's saying. That means not ruling out that cat has two T's.

So she said, " Yes! I'll show you!" And I was happy that she's at an age where she can show me exactly what she's talking about. Rather than having a tantrum she can explain it to me in a different way to make me understand what she's trying to say.

So Astrid went to get her little kid laptop, that has words and letter games. The word she pointed out was "kitten". Yep, it has two T's.

All in a day's work

2010-02-11T12:11:00.001-08:00

Every morning is hectic getting a preschooler ready for school (and myself ready for work), but especially this morning.

Never mind that I had reminded her 10 times at least to be ready, that I had an early morning meeting at the office to attend. And as I was getting ready in the bathroom, Astrid got into the diaper rash cream. I spotted her running to the downstairs bathroom with 2 very white hands and white stains all over her sweater. When I asked what she was doing she shouted, "Nothing!" I could smell the Desitin. I think she was trying to play with it with one of her dolls as she was telling the doll to go poop in the toilet just before.

Then, just as we were putting on our shoes & getting ready to leave the house, Astrid announced that she couldn't find the Valentine's Day card she made for her teacher Ms. Parima.

So as I watch my 4 (almost 5) year old burst into tears and refuse to leave the house without the card, my heart is racing because I know I'm going to be late for my meeting, and I'm weighing that with Astrid's preschool being closed Friday and Monday for President's Day - so if we were to bring the card on Tuesday, Valentine's Day will have passed. Plus my kid put all that work into making her teacher a beautiful card. So I made a split second Executive decision...

"Okay Astrid - let's go to school and after my meeting I will pick you up for lunch and we can come home, look for the card, have lunch together, and then you can give the card to Ms. Parima."

It worked. My kid happily agreed through her tears.

I had 3 back to back meetings this morning and when I looked at my watch it was 11:40, so I made a mad dash to Astrid's preschool to pick her up. We're at home now and as I was helping her look...she found the card! YAY!

Now lunch with my daughter and then a mad dash back to the office to finish a few projects before my evening appointment.

All in a day's work...

Kid's Yoga Class

2010-01-30T05:42:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Astrid started taking an hour long kid's Yoga class every Sunday.

I've been practicing Yoga for a few years and Astrid likes to stretch with me "Let's do Yoga together mom!". And she'd do "downward dog" on her own. We had tried another kid's Yoga class (Family Yoga at the Y) where adults participated too, but there was very little Yoga being taught and more just running around and was a bit chaotic. We didn't go back. But this new class really teaches Yoga to the kids - the words as well as the poses, and it's for kid's only which is great.

Astrid at 4 1/2 is the youngest kid in the class but she holds her own - by listening to the instructor, following instructions and just soaking it all up like a sponge.

After last week's class she excitedly told me she learned "Namaste" today, and showed me how she did the "tree pose". So cute! And she learned a new mantra - "I am calm. I am at peace. I am focused."

She loves it and I'm happy she's being introduced to something she can do her entire life.

(We also signed her up for Karate classes on Saturdays. More to come on that. And she is continuing to take a Musical Theatre "Pop Star" class during the week.)

Birthday all year long

2010-01-22T12:51:00.001-08:00

Astrid has been talking about & planing her birthday constantly since her last one in April. She talks about where it's going to be, creates her list of invitees, and all the details. At first she didn't understand why everyday couldn't be her birthday. I tried to explain to her it's because a birthday celebrates the one day you were born & everyone has just 1 birthday which is celebrated once each year.

I've never seen any kid so obsessed about having a birthday party. I can understand after the birthday party being excited and wanted to talk about it. Or when your birthday gets close to want to start planning. But she has been planning her next birthday the day after her birthday and it has continued throughout an entire year.

"What are we going to do for my next birthday mom? Who can we invite? What kind of birthday cake should I get?"

It's kind of sweet in that I know we've created a very special day for her that she loves & gets excited talking about all year long. And looks forward to all year long. All her friends can come, they play, have cake, decorations just for her party, and everyone sings happy birthday to her. I even come to the school with cupcakes so her class can sing happy birthday & celebrate with her. And sometimes when her actual birthday falls on weekday, U. & I take her out to a restaurant for dinner.

All of this constant birthday chatter has made me look forward to the day too esp. when the date gets closer, and keeps me on my toes thinking about all the details...place, theme, goodie bags, cake, balloons, games, food, face painting.

For Astrid's 1st birthday we had a traditional Korean 1st birthday at our house & Astrid, myself & my mom were dressed in Korean Hamboks (traditional Korean dresses).

Birthday #2 - We celebrated her birthday at home with the family. Astrid & I baked a bran muffin in birthday cupcake wrappers & she got to blow out her candle and eat her muffin. U. surprised Astrid by blowing up a bunch of balloons to fill up the upstairs room just for her.

Birthday #3 - We had her birthday party at Peekaboo Playland (indoor & outdoor playground) & the theme was the circus. So much fun playing in the bouncy house with slide, dress up & coordinator to setup & cleanup.

Birthday #4 - We had her birthday party at Amy's Playground (indoor playground) & the theme was Hello Kitty. The kids had a blast running around and playing & we had a face painter there who painted a Hello Kitty on Astrid's cheek. This time I dressed Astrid in Hello Kitty socks & tiara.

Birthday #5 - Coming up in April - at the new Peekaboo Playland location on Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock. www.peekabooplayland.com. Theme will be butterflies.

So now her birthday is coming up in a little over 2 months - and this year I've already made all the arrangements. Astrid wants to have it at Peekaboo Playland, and since they moved to their new location it'll be extra fun for her. Same setup, but new location with more things to do.

I decided that this year I would rather pay a little more and have Peekaboo Playland take care of the goodie bags for the children, print up invitation flyers for me (rather than having to hand write them out for all her classmates in preschool), provide the plates (real plates with lady bug, monkey, elephants on them that they wash afterwards - more green earth friendly), utensils, tablecloths, food, juice & balloons. And again this year we are going to have face painting. New this year will be musical chairs, limbo & parachute games. I paid for an extra hour (3 hours total) since Astrid is a little older now & the kids need more time to play.

The only thing I need to do is buy the cake (and buy drinks for the adults). We went to our local bakery in Eagle Rock (Ruby's bakery) and picked out a cake - One with a rainbow & butterflies. Very whimsical & kid appropriate (without Disney commercial junk). So the theme this year will be "butterflies". I even picked out some really cool, big mylar butterfly balloons from Balloon Emporium.

When I tried to place my cake order at the bakery & put down a deposit - the lady behind the counter looked at me and chuckled and said it was WAY too early.

My kid is rubbing off on me! But at least we're all set & pretty much all the details are taken care of and my kid will have another great birthday this year. The most important thing is that she's surrounded by her friends and family who love & adore her.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

2010-01-21T23:18:00.000-08:00

Today Astrid was telling me what she wanted to be when she grows up.

Astrid: "I want to be a Yoga teacher, a classroom teacher, and a mom."
Me: "What happened to wanting to be a Veterinarian?"
Astrid: "Oh yeah. That too."

Martin Luther King Day (from a 4 yr old's perspective)

2010-01-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

Astrid: "Is today Martin Luther Day?"
Me: "Yes, it's Martin Luther King Day."
Astrid: "Is today his birthday?"
Me: "I don't think so. It's just a day to celebrate him & his life."
Astrid: "He says - No fighting, no hitting, we all need to get along with each other - right Mom?"
Me: "Yes, that's right. And everyone should be treated fairly & equally."

I could tell she's been learning of MLK in preschool. A pretty good way to explain his belief in non-violent protests by explaining it to preschoolers as "no fighting & no hitting", and civil rights as "getting along with each other".

Peace on Earth 2009

2009-12-21T00:26:00.001-08:00

Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday & happy new year!

(Photo taken at Pershing Square, Downtown LA holiday ice skating rink.)

Sleeping in her own bed

2009-11-24T22:08:00.000-08:00

Tonight as I was trying to sneak out of Astrid's bedroom she said to me, "Goodnight Mom. I'll see you in the morning. Can you turn the light off?"

Oh my gosh, my daughter is a big girl now!

When she was born both U. and I agreed that we didn't want a baby sleeping with us in our bed. We'd heard horror stories from friends and didn't want that for ourselves.

We setup a routine as soon as we could and Astrid slept in her crib and then her own bed. Then over a year ago things changed. Astrid traveled with U. to Germany to see his dying mother and pay his last respects. She died not too long after that. Astrid had night terrors after that and was traumatized by the experience. She continued to have night terrors when she got home, so we let her sleep in our bed. That setup a bad habit. It was easier to let her sleep in our bed then it was to go through a whole ordeal and lots of tears and tantrums to get her to sleep in her own bed. We thought she would go back to sleeping in her bed, but realized unless we went back to the routine it would never happen.

So we started with baby steps, Astrid had to go to sleep in her own bed, and she could come into ours if she woke up in the night. We got her a dream catcher, and hung it in her bedroom window to help catch the bad dreams in the webbing, so no bad dreams to get through and they'd melt away with the morning sun. That helped a little. Until she had bad dreams again and told me the dream catcher didn't work. Then she would sleep and come into our bed in the morning. Whenever she would protest that she couldn't sleep all by herself, I reminded her that she did when she was a baby and she could as a big girl.

Friends of ours with a kid around the same age have the same issue. Their take on it is that their kid won't be little forever, and will one day not want to be so close to them, so they permit it.

It can be very sweet to sleep with your kid. They're warm & snuggly and there's so much love and tenderness there. To watch Astrid sleep takes my breath away sometimes, she looks so sweet an innocent, a little angel. But the reality is it never gave U. and I time to ourselves in the evenings, and one of us would end up on the couch when Astrid would crawl into our bed, because there wasn't enough room for all 3 of us to be comfortable. After a year of that things had to change back to the way we tried to hard to get to - her sleeping in her own bed.

In the process, she would cry like a banshee every time she heard me try to sneak out after she'd just fallen asleep - after hours of trying to get her to sleep with reading, songs, back rubs, her sleep sheep playing the song of rain. She'd cry out, "Don't leave!" I was getting frustrated, and more times than I'd like to admit I fell asleep in her bed - being exhausted and waiting for the moment when she would fall asleep - I'd put myself to sleep.

The past couple days she has slept through the night again in her own bed. I've tried to make her bed the most comfortable, cozy place on earth with a new blanket and pillow, and U. put up the canopy again that makes it like a kid cave. (We took it off in the summer when it got too hot, but now it's Fall and nights are cooler.) Recently my mom bought her a winter blanket that is pink and super soft, with a matching super soft, pink pillowcase. She crawled into bed and had no qualms about going to sleep tonight.

We're also reading "The Wizard of Oz". The book has great illustrations and it's long so I read pages to her each night, and we continue where we left off each night. She saw the movie with her nanny so she knows the story, which captivates her imagination.

And I sing to her which I've done since she was a newborn.

Keeping my fingers crossed that this sticks - so U. & I can get a good night's sleep and hope the little one does too in her own bed.

Great Idea

2009-11-18T19:41:00.000-08:00

At this age Astrid is able to tell me what she's thinking about, and she loves to share her great ideas with me like this one:

Astrid was telling me she had a great idea. That she could write a letter to Santa Claus this year.

"That's a great idea I thinked about in my brain," she said.

I made a pact with Astrid

2009-11-18T19:11:00.001-08:00

Astrid REALLY wants a baby brother or baby sister. I mean BADLY. She is so baby crazy. Just about everyday she asks me if I'm going to have one for her. So finally I sat her down and was like look here's the deal-

How can I have another baby if you act like a baby? Then I'll have two babies to take care of, and Mommy can't take care of two babies at once. I can only have another baby if you act like a big girl. You have to listen to mommy. No more temper tantrums.

Astrid responded, "Okay! Okay! I will mom! I promise!"

She'll do anything to get a baby. And she knows that in order to grease the wheel to get me to agree to have another child would be a major accomplishment - as I am definitely NOT baby crazy. I am perfectly happy with one child.

Now whenever Astrid acts up all I have to say is one of two things:
"I thought you wanted a brother or sister?" or "Are you acting like a baby or a big girl?"
Immediately she'll change her tune - smile and say, "Oh I forgot. Okay. Sorry I'll be good."

So lately my demands have been ramping up.
"You have to go to bed at night without any tears," I said tonight. "I can't have another baby if you cry every time I put you to bed. Then I'll have the little baby crying & you crying - and I can't handle two babies crying at the same time."

"No more crying when I brush your teeth Astrid. You're a big girl now."

Both those comments were followed by a smile and twinkle in her eye at knowing if she acts like a big girl she will get her baby. That's the pact we made.

Tonight she wanted me to get her string cheese from the fridge after dinner, and I said I would, but she had to wait since I was cleaning the dishes.

"Look mom. I'm being good. Can you give me a baby now?" she said.

Oh and I'm afraid she may have inherited my ability to negotiate because now she is demanding a baby brother AND a baby sister.

So we'll see how this goes.

Only Mama & Papa

2009-11-15T17:55:00.000-08:00

Astrid had a urinary tract infection earlier this year that cleared up nicely with antibiotics. But then a month later she had some similar symptoms - fever, nausea, and she was telling me that it hurt when she went pee. So I immediately took her to see the Pediatrician again. The tests came back negative, but the doctor wanted to examine Astrid.

That is when all hell broke lose. Astrid did NOT want to let the doctor examine her private area. She would not sit on the table. She would not let me pull her underwear down. No siree.

The peeing in the cup was bad enough, but she was kicking & screaming & completely hysterical when she heard the doctor wanted to check her out down there.

When I asked her about it afterwards she said, "I didn't want her to. Only Mama & Papa can do that."

In the end we just made sure no more bubble baths, just water and soap and we have had no more problems. But it donned on me that Astrid is old enough to know what inappropriate is - even if it's a doctor. And to understand the difference between what trusted people are allowed to do and strangers. I shared this with U. and he said, "It's good that she knows the difference."

And with all the cases that have come to light of children being abducted - I have had kid discussions with Astrid about strangers. If a stranger asks her to come with them - to say no and run away & get an adult. If an adult asks her for help looking for their dog or to find something or help them with anything - don't go alone - find Mama & Papa first. Never go with a stranger, even if they have a kid with them. If you think she's too young at 4 1/2 to understand - think again. Her response to me was, "Do they take you and put you in a cage?"

I don't want to scare her, but I want to give her the tools to be able to see through a ruse and to have that in her head in case she's ever in that situation - to be prepared.

She also tells me when we're holding hands, crossing the street together, "Only cross the street with Mama & Papa. Never run out into the street by yourself." Exactly.

Just want my little one to be safe.

Angel

2009-11-13T00:53:00.000-08:00

From the back seat of the car, Astrid explained to me that there were Tooth Fairies around Santa Claus.

I had no clue what she was talking about until I noticed she was staring at an Advent calendar that we bought from the German market, and there were creatures with wings around Santa. She kept asking me if they were tooth fairies, holding the Advent calendar up so I could see it in the rear view mirror.

I told her I thought they could be fairies or Christmas angels - but I didn't think they were tooth fairies. Then of course she argued with me that they were indeed tooth fairies.

Me: "Who lost a tooth?"
Astrid: "I don't know."
Me: "Isn't the tooth fairy supposed to come when a kid loses a baby tooth?"
Astrid: "Oh yeah."

Astrid: "I think they're angels."
Me: "Could be."
Astrid: "Just like me. I'm your little angel."
(So sweet. I do call her my little angel.)

Astrid: "But I don't have wings. And I can't fly."
Me: "You don't need to fly. You'll always be my little angel."
Astrid: "I know."

Family TV watching

2009-11-13T00:20:00.000-08:00

I'm not a bit proponent of TV. I'd much rather Astrid be painting, or doing a puzzle, or playing - than watching the boob tube. In fact I did not allow her to watch any TV before the age of 2. Even though those Baby Einstein DVD's were all the rage. And even after we rationed & heavily censored the shows we did allow her to watch. We made sure they were educational shows like Sesame Street, more geared towards her age on PBS with no commercials.

But now as she's getting older (she's 4 1/2), for the first time we are allowing her watch 1 TV show with us that is not a kid's show or a cartoon made for pre-kinder children. That show happens to be Survivor. It's a reality TV game show, there's beautiful scenery/nature/wildlife, and there's just enough going on that keeps the little one interested.

We all cuddle up under a blanket on the couch on Thursday evenings and enjoy the show together as a family.

Astrid stays up later now. So long gone are the days she went to bed at 6:30 every night. Those were nice in that U. and I had time together after the baby was asleep. But the reality is now we don't even get home until 6:30 (from work/school). Then there's dinner to cook & eating dinner together. We want to be able to spend some time with her before she goes to bed and goes to school the next day, rather than rushing her off to bed.

U. and I are getting sick of watching kid shows & it's nice to be able to watch a show as a family. We can actually watch it live while it's playing on TV. Whenever one of us leaves the room to go to the bathroom or kitchen or wherever - the other family members shout out "It's on!" after commercials. Kind of fun.

Tonight's episode, one of the contestants killed a rat and they cooked it and ate it. So we had an interesting conversation with Astrid about why the girl did that - she was starving & it was food, etc. She told us, "No it's not! It's a mouse. It's cute." And she's right of course. At least she's old enough to question things and talk about it.

Funny thing is she must enjoy it too, because she'll ask for "the show with people" - Survivor during the week and we keep trying to explain to her that it's only on Thursday, just once a week. She keeps insisting we watch it everyday, not quite getting the concept of a weekly TV show.

Astrid is now 4 yrs, 6 months, 3 weeks & 4 days old

2009-11-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Where has the time gone?

I look at my little baby who is growing into a beautiful little girl. I remember when she was just born and how small and delicate she was. Now she has long, strong legs and it's no longer easy to hold her in my arms like a baby.

Tonight she fell asleep on the couch while I was holding her. U. & I argued over who should carry her to her room to put her to bed. U. claimed it wasn't good for his injured back. I argued I wouldn't be able to lift her up in her bunk bed. She was sound asleep so she was dead weight. In the end we compromised. U. picked her up off my lap to chest level, and I took her from there. She woke up a bit so she crawled right up into her bed. This is the same baby that U. used to hold in one hand while bottle feeding. Now look at us - 2 parents claiming our kid is going to break out back.

Last night as I was singing to Astrid at bedtime, she smiled at me as her eyelids got heavy. She looked so sweet and innocent, just like a doll. I stared at her face, taking in every detail, just like I did when she was a newborn. Marveling at what a beautiful creature she is. Blessed to be her mother. And forever thankful.

Astrid wants a baby (our conversation over lunch)

2009-09-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

Astrid and I had an interesting conversation over lunch today. There was a family eating close by with a crying baby and Astrid got very serious and told me she wants a baby.

Astrid: Mom, I want a baby.
Me: Astrid, you have lots of babies.
Astrid: No, no not a doll. I want a REAL baby.
Me: Why do you want a baby?
Astrid: I want to feed it and take care of it and put it to sleep.
Me: What if the baby cries for hours and won't go to sleep?
Astrid: I'll hold it and rock it back and forth and sing to it so it goes to sleep.
Me: Remember when we babysat Maddox? All you wanted to do was feed her, but when she wasn't hungry you weren't interested.
Astrid: I'm older now. I'm a big girl. I can take care of a baby. Please can I have a baby?
Me: Where are you going to get a baby?
Astrid: Maybe someone will give one to me.
Me: You think someone is going to leave a baby outside for you to come pick it up?
Astrid: (laughing) No. Hmm...we need to think about how I can get a baby.

Okay I'll get right on it.

The new face of Summer

2009-08-23T23:51:00.001-07:00

Photo taken by Astrid's Godmother today.

The movie "Up"

2009-07-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

I took Astrid to see the movie, "Up" today. We got home at 6:30 and it was sweltering inside the house. I got an idea to go to the movies - for the cool air conditioning - and also because I had heard people raving about "Up". It was playing at 7 PM - so Astrid and I jumped in the car and went and saw the movie.

And this is what my 4 year old got out of it:

Astrid: "Why the man hit him on the head and make blood come out? And why the police come?"

Mama: "Well he didn't want the man touching his mailbox and he got really angry. But you can't just hit people, or you'll get in trouble."

Astrid: "Yeah you can't hit people. You're supposed to say - 'Please don't do that that.' Right mama?"

Mama: "That's right."

Astrid: "I say sorry when I push people at school sometimes. And they supposed to apologize to me too. When you hurt someone on accident you have to apologize."

Who knew there was a built in proverb?

Astrid translates

2009-07-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

Astrid was telling me about a phrase her one male teacher sometimes uses - "knock it off". Having never heard it used before she deduced what it meant as follows.

"Mr. Sabat says, 'Knock it off'. That means stop. He says that when everybody is doing things that they're not supposed to be doing."

I thought that was pretty good for a 4 year old.

Child Observations

2009-07-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

"Mama - look she has a BIG tummy!"

Astrid will point out the obvious thinking it's funny & doesn't want me to miss out on the funny sight. I know there's no malice or mean intentions to any of her observations, but she says it so loudly that the person can overhear her, so at that point I have to put on my mom hat and "shhh" her and remind her to be nice.

We were sitting next to a couple with a little girl who had the oddest features. Big eyes with a bushy uni brow and an oddly shaped mouth with an overbite. Astrid kept trying to point her out to me (obviously I saw her right away) so I kept trying to distract Astrid. Finally Astrid said, "Look mom - she has a funny face! Hahaha." Oh boy - the kid's parents were sitting right next to us. So embarrassing. She's going to get me in trouble one of these days.

As a kid she comments on everything she sees. Like "Why is he in a wheelchair mom?" I don't mind explaining to her that maybe he/she got into an accident or maybe they were born with a disability and can't walk. But I try to minimize the finger pointing and exclaiming really loudly - telling her that she can hurt someones feelings by doing that. She can whisper to me and I'll explain it to her.

Usually after her pointing and exclamation - after my reminder not to be so loud and to be nice - she'll whisper to me, "Mom - look at that man. He has a BIG tummy." Okay that's better.

Astrid wearing Mama's hat

2009-06-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

Cutie cutie.

U. took this photo of Astrid. When they came home Astrid grabbed my hat that was on the chair and put it on. I love how she's looking straight into the camera like she's talking to you. That's my daughter alright. Looking at this photo make me want to hug her and kiss her cheeks.

Barcelona trip without Astrid

2009-05-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

U. and I decided to fly to Barcelona for his birthday today. We will be back in 6 days, and with such a short international trip we decided it best if we made the journey just us 2 adults without Astrid. A second honeymoon of sorts.

This is only the 2nd international trip we've taken without Astrid. The first time was to Amsterdam in December 2008 when Astrid was 3 years old, and only for a few days. She had already accompanied us to Europe including Amsterdam just a couple months previous in October 2008, so she wasn't missing anything. This time the trip will be little longer with us being gone for 6 days. It feels so strange to not have her with us (as I'm sitting in the airport lounge typing this). Last night she stayed at her nanny's house since we had pack and leave the house by 5 AM - and I kept catching myself "listening" for her. To hear her if she woke up. Habit I guess.

Astrid begged to go on vacation with us. The plane, the food, the adventure - Astrid inherited our wanderlust and love of travel. I would love to take her but not this time. Mama and Papa need some alone time too. "Next time I'll go on vacation with you," Astrid declared.

Astrid will be staying with her nanny Beate and her family - which includes 2 kids that Astrid adores. She told me on the drive home from school yesterday, "I love Claire and Noah." She was so excited to "sleep over" at their place and get to see them and play with them for days in a row. In fact when I dropped her off last night she immediately ran upstairs with Noah, leaving me behind. I had to call up to her and ask her to come down to give me a hug reminding her that she won't see me for awhile. Her response was classic kid, "I know!" Quick hug and kiss and off she was running again to play with the kids.

The days preceding our flight I was giving Astrid more hugs and kisses and feeling that gnawing feeling in my gut - already missing my baby. She's been sleeping in our bed recently and both U. and I did not fight it - in fact welcoming it just so we could be close to her and hold her all night. I'd also been preparing her with lots of conversation about being away but we'd always be thinking about her and when we would be coming home and the situation with her staying with her nanny, etc. Also told her when we got home she'd get a surprise (hoping to find a Spanish doll for her). Also that both her Papa and I loved her so much and she's always on our mind.

Yesterday evening as I was finishing up in the office, Astrid sat on the floor of my office and colored and enjoyed listening to my music playing on the iPod. I e-mailed U. and told him how much I would miss her and what a good little girl she is. He told me he felt the same way and felt guilty about leaving her. I marveled at how much we love our little one that it kills us to be apart from her, even though we know she's in good hands and will be having a great time. Her nanny has all sorts of activities planned including going to the beach, and we'll Skype so we can talk to Astrid and see her on the webcam.

But I still miss her and would love to hold her right now and look into her smiling face and kiss her sweet cheeks.

Thinking

2009-05-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

Lately Astrid is thinking a lot - and telling me all about it. It's a wonder how her brain works and is developing so fast.

She will tell me she was thinking about something last night while she was lying in bed, or she'll stop and tell me she's thinking about something, or ask me to help her name whatever it is that she's thinking about.

Lots of thinking going on over here.

File under "Things my 4 yr old says"

2009-05-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

I'm ready Freddy!
When I grow up am I going to have big boobs like you? (My answer was: "I hope not.")
Aye aye Captain! What's that mean?
Let's rock and roll!

Astrid and Maddox

2009-05-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

Astrid spent some time at her Godmother Jill's house playing with her 5 month old daughter Maddox. Too cute seeing my baby with a little baby. Astrid looks like her older sister. Maddox can wave now!

Vomit & Lack of Sleep

2009-05-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

Had one of those nights/mornings where I barely got any sleep taking care of a sick little one.

Astrid's normally a good sleeper but she had a hard time falling asleep last night. Even lying in my bed, where normally she'll fall asleep in a nanosecond - she would cry every time I got up. I don't think she got to sleep until around midnight. Then she started complaining about an ear ache in the wee morning hours. I thought it may have been swimmers ear since she'd been swimming in a salt water pool earlier in the day. That was followed by vomiting. But at least she let me know she felt like throwing up, so we could run to the bathroom together.

I finally fell asleep only to be woken up with Astrid shouting, "Mom I threw up on the floor! It was an accident!" So I spent the next hour or so cleaning up, doing laundry, and trying to get the little one comfortable.

I had an appointment this morning to take a tour of a nearby school - and yet when I called for Astrid to come to her room to get dressed, she was sound asleep. Rather than wake her, I decided to cancel the appointment and let the little one sleep.

So here I am completely sleep deprived and the little one is in good spirits and well rested.

However she did tell me after our whole ordeal, "Mama, I love you so much. I don't miss Papa anymore. But I love him too."

We do have to leave the house to take my dad to the VA hospital for some pre-surgery tests and prep work. Caffeine will be my friend today.

Astrid thinking about her Papa

2009-05-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

U. is away on business for a conference in Austin, TX. It's difficult to explain to a 4 year old where their other parent is, as they don't understand a) where they went, b) why, and c) when they're coming back - no matter how many times you try and explain so they understand.

An example of that is this conversation I had with Astrid tonight:
Astrid: "Where did Papa go?"
Me: "He's in Texas honey."
Astrid: "But why?"
Me: "He's there for work. He'll be back on Tuesday."
Astrid: "Where is he going to sleep?"
Me: "He's staying at a hotel."
Astrid: "Is he going to sleep in a bed?"
Me: "Yes, the hotel has a bed in his room."
Astrid: "But does he have a refrigerator?!"
Me: (laughing) "A refrigerator? Why would you ask that? Why does he need a refrigerator?"
Astrid: "So he can eat and cook food mama!"
Me: (still laughing) "Don't worry honey, he's in the city - not out in the boonies of Texas. There are plenty of restaurants. Don't worry about Papa. He'll be just fine."
Astrid: "Are you sure Mama?"
Me: "Yes I'm sure."

So U. if you're out there reading this, you may want to send us a pic of you eating so your daughter knows you aren't starving in some remote part of Texas.

A day at the Circus

2009-05-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

The circus is in town & we were there! Circus Vargas 2009.
They had a pre-show for kids. Allowed them to come down to the main ring and showed them how to do circus acts - like this balancing act with a Peacock feather. The ringleader told the kids that the trick was to look at the top of the feather while balancing it on their noses.

There were even kids in the show - children of the circus performers. Astrid kept asking me about them. Why they were performing, and why we saw them at the refreshment stand. And where they slept and went to school. Hope she didn't get any ideas about running away and joining the circus.
Under the big top, enjoying her snowcone in a raver cup with blinking lights. Fascinated by that cup. It is pretty cool.

Astrid's first time under the big top. (Only other time she saw a semi-circus was at Circus Circus.)
I mentioned before that Astrid is scared of clowns. So the whole time Astrid kept asking me where the clowns were. Until she saw this clown performing with the show doggies and kitty cats.

"Is he a clown mom?" she asked. "Oh, I'm not scared of clowns anymore mom! I like clowns!" she exclaimed.

She even liked this clown. He was equipped with a whistle and Astrid kept asking me what he was saying. I had to explain to her that he wasn't "saying" anything. That he was using his whistle and body movements to mean different things - like "Good job!" when he gave the thumbs up and a whistle.

During the 15 minute circus intermission Astrid went on a pony ride.

Trained Arabian horses and ponies.

Motorcycles zooming around inside a globe. This act always scares me. First one motorcycle zooming around inside, then two motorcycles, then two motorcycles and a woman standing in the middle. I have a hard time watching and I'm so relieved when it's over and everyone is okay.

Astrid was so proud of herself having overcome her fear of clowns. Although at the end when all of the performers were standing at the exit to greet and take pictures with the visitors - she flat out told me she liked the clown but did NOT want to take a picture with him. Oh well, at least it's a step in the right direction.

Astrid and I had a great time. The best part for her I think was the pre-show kid activities. I loved the Arabian horses & ponies. So well trained and the trainer was very kind and sweet with the horses. At the end of the show the one horse even bent his knee and bowed. Wow. I felt like a kid again sitting under the big top with my kid. Definitely worth the drive out to Simi Valley, and a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Strawberry Festival in Oxnard, CA

2009-05-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

Astrid and I went to the 26th Annual Strawberry Festival in Oxnard today.

It takes place one weekend only every year in May when the strawberries are harvested. Last year they had 60,000 visitors and this year they're expecting even more.

Click here for more info.

Here we built our own strawberry shortcake.Astrid and I sitting on a bale of hay with our strawberry shortcake.Choo choo train time.
A perk about the festival is that kids 4 years and under are free.And they have a number of activities for kids. Including a magic show, clown show, music, and face painting.

(Although Astrid is still afraid of clowns. No matter how much she says to the contrary that she's not afraid of clowns anymore - the moment she sees one she runs in the opposite direction. I don't know what it is that's so scary. Maybe just a face that's painted. I was thinking about taking her to the circus tomorrow. Circus Vargas is in town, but I told her if she's afraid of clowns we can't go because there will be lots of clowns there. Astrid assured me she'll be fine and she's not afraid. We'll see.)My little strawberry. Astrid thought it was hilarious that the strawberry on her shirt was wearing socks and shoes.

Taking a ride on the merry go round.Expect long lines, but once it's your turn you tend to forget how long you had to wait.All of the rides inside the festival are free.

U. is in Austin, TX for a conference so he wasn't able to join us. Next year though if we can all go as a family I'd like to try the strawberry champagne and strawberry beer. One of us can stand in line while the other goes with Astrid on a ride. =)

Looking cute

2009-05-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day 2009! (Solvang, CA)

2009-05-10T18:59:00.001-07:00

A colleague of mine owns miniature horses bred at Quicksilver Ranch near Solvang, and she offered to set us up with a handler one weekend to take us out to see and pet the babies that were recently born. So I thought it would be fun for the whole family to make an outing up to Solvang for Mother's Day.

The whole family together. Happy Mother's Day!

U. is giving the little one a massage. Mama and baby miniature horses.The little ones are the size of a large dog and are super friendly. When they spotted us, they walked right up to us (again like dogs!).These little babies (foals) were born just last month. While the foals are super friendly, they're super curious too and can nip so you have to watch them.How cute is this? They're the perfect size for Astrid.

Astrid now wants a horse. Not just any horse but she tells us she wants one "this small" and shows us with her fingers about an inch tall. Getting a bit carried away with miniatures.U. getting into the petting action as well. Super cute mini-horses.

U. trying to hold the little ones at bay from nipping us.

Enjoying her 1st taste of split pea soup.

After the horse ranch we drove back to Solvang for lunch and ate at the Solvang Restaurant.

Astrid and Mama (me!). Astrid thought that Mother's Day was like a birthday. She kept asking me if I was going to have a cake.

Last Mother's Day was special because it was the first time Astrid could wish me a "Happy Mother's Day" by actually saying it. This year it was special because she can understand the concept of me being her mother and giving birth to her and caring for her and she understands this is a day to celebrate that. And no matter how many times U. tried to tell her my gifts were a secret, she couldn't help herself by telling me. She was excited about the day and woke up exclaiming, "Today is Mother's Day!"After lunch we took the horse drawn cable car tour around Solvang. Here we are in a Danish town in the United States with a Mexican tour guide. Only in America.

Astrid sitting on U.'s lap. Even though it was Mother's Day - Astrid wanted to be close to Papa.

Our tour guide proceeded to tell us about the history of the town, and she lost us when she gave us some trivia about Europe and told us Denmark is so close to Germany and Holland that when you take the train you have to stay awake or you'll miss your stop and they'll unload your luggage. Lots of laughs from clueless tourists, but U. and I gave each other the look. Um...sorry lady but I've been to Europe many times and taken the train and I can assure you it's not THAT close, and NO ONE handles your luggage. Hot and miserable at the Ostrich farm at the entrance to Solvang.

We eat a lot of Ostrich (since it's a red meat substitute and leaner in fat than turkey), so we thought we could buy some and take it back with us. Unfortunately they only have a smaller cooler with frozen Ostrich that's more expensive than the kind we buy from the butcher.Feeding an Ostrich. You have to be brave because these guys WILL bite.Pellets in a bowl glued to a dust pan.Ever seen an Ostrich chew their food?Three in a row with their long necks reaching over the barrier to eat.Gives you some perspective on how tall and big they are.They roam free and it's quite a sight to see them like wild animals out roaming on the playa.Don't even think about eating my food!Since U. didn't want his picture taken, neither did Astrid. But I still got a few.

It was a long day, but I'm glad we were able to make it to Solvang and enjoyed a full day there together on Mother's Day.

Astrid's Multicultural Spring Recital

2009-05-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

Astrid's preschool had their Spring recital and the theme was "Multicultural."
In order to celebrate diversity and have all cultures represented, they asked us parents to dress our children in traditional dress, red/white/blue Patriotic American, Hawaiian, etc.
Astrid had a speaking part at this recital as well. (Her first speaking part was at her Winter Recital last December.) I was happy to see Astrid's name listed on the 1st page under "Opening Speech". (Last year they left out her name in error.) Astrid dressed as an "All American Cowgirl".

Bonus: I didn't have to go out and buy anything new. Astrid had the dress, and I had the scarf, and I borrowed the black cowboy hat and boots from her nanny. They fit perfectly. Yee-haw!Howdy partner!

Standing with the kids backstage. There were lots of Indian and Chinese costumes, as well as Hawaiian shirts and dresses.

See this a lot with a finger in her mouth & have to remind her to take it out.

They had posters around the auditorium about different countries and cultures. Funny that Germany and South Korea were right next to each other - since Astrid's heritage is German & Korean (American).

Our fearless little one standing on stage next to her microphone, ready to give her opening speech.

She looked so adorable!

There were 2 kids speaking ahead of Astrid, so I was all set to hit "record" with her speech which was the 3rd. But the 2nd kid either got stage fright, or took a bit too long to start and Astrid started. So I missed the beginning part of her speech. U. has a better video. (Which *ahem* he still needs to give me.)

Her speech went like this:

Buenos Dias.

Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you.

Try saying Pledge of Allegiance loud and fast - it's a mouthful. I was so proud of her. She said her lines perfectly.

Another video - with a bit of choreography.

It's a Small World.In her element on stage. She loves singing and dancing and performing.

Cute little cowgirl.

I sat down in the front to get some close up pics.

At one point she spotted me and waved back. All the kids on stage.

After the show was over, Astrid posed with one of her teachers Ms. Kimberly and some of her classmates.

Astrid posing with her friend Leah.Astrid posing with her friend Diego.

The school was closed for the day, for the recital. (Even daycare was not available in the afternoon, which is a bit annoying for working parents.) So I took the day off and we went to Amy's Playground (where Astrid had her birthday party) afterwards to play and spent the rest of the day together.

Starting to speak German

2009-05-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned on my blog previously that we've tried to raise Astrid bilingual - English & German. However since my German is rusty and I've forgotten a lot of vocabulary words, and the predominant language spoken is English - Astrid would question her dad's spoken German.

"It's not Weinachten! It's Christmas" she would say.

Then U. would get down on himself for not speaking enough German to her on a daily basis.

But now that we have a German nanny that is changing fast and we're noticing that she's starting to not only understand German but also to speak it on her own (not talking about just repeating what was said back). And she's singing songs in German. Her nanny Beate's two kids also speak German so whenever Astrid is around they speak German to her. It's helping big time.

The other morning I made Astrid breakfast and after she took her plate from me she said, "Danke Schoen!" (thank you). I wasn't expecting it and so after I got over my initial shock I said, "Bitte Schoen" (you're welcome).

Then this morning she kept saying what I heard to be "moody". "Moody what?" I couldn't understand what she was trying to tell me, until she finally asked, "What's tired again?" Oh "Muede"! That's German for "tired". Duh!

She got all excited and asked me to tell her more German words. So it became our little game.

Auto - Car! she shouted.
Deutsch - German!
Essen – Dinner! (close enough – the verb means to eat and the noun is food. Dinner is actually "Abendessen".)
Hund - Dog!
Katze - Cat!
Soenne - Sun!

It's a start and I'm so happy to see it happening. I was worried that my being American and her not growing up in a household that spoke solely in German (to combat all the English she hears in school and outside of the home) would stunt her German development. Now I needn't worry because having a German nanny and her 2 German speaking kids is helping Astrid's German language development.

However Astrid does claim to speak 4 languages: English, German, Spanish, and Korean.

When I asked her what Korean words she knows - she was stumped. But then I remembered one:

"What does Bpobpo mean?"

"Grandma always says, 'Gimme a Bpobpo '.

"Kiss!" Astrid shouted.

Ding ding ding. Correct! =)

Sydney & Brooke's birthday party

2009-05-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

We were invited to Sydney & Brooke's birthday party. My friend Beth had both her daughters on the same day. That's right, they both have the same birthday! So we made a trip down to OC to see them and help them celebrate their birthday in the park.
It was a princess party. Here the girls are walking with Princess Jazmin.
Astrid watching Sydney get her face painted and waiting for her turn.
It was a beautiful day for a kid's birthday party in the park. The sun was out but it wasn't too hot. Here the kids are sitting in a circle with Princess Jazmin as she plays with a puppet. Look who's sitting next to the princess.Had to tell the princess something. It probably had to do with telling her she has puppets at home too. The beautiful German inspired ones that her German nanny Beate made for her birthday. Cake time! Cupcakes and birthday cake.

Sydney and Brooke blowing out their candles.

Astrid getting a crown painted across her forehead.

Sydney the birthday girl.

Astrid and Sydney played so well together. I thought with the 1 year age difference they might not, but it really didn't seem to matter.

Two sweet girls. Astrid had a great time and can't wait to play with Sydney again.

Discovered a new use for my Snuggie

2009-04-30T21:58:00.000-07:00

Oh yes I did. I purchased a Snuggie. And I love being curled up in its soft, warm, goodness on chilly evenings.

Tonight Astrid was having a hard time falling asleep. So I had an idea.

Me: "Astrid? Do you want to sleep with mommy's favorite blanket?"
Astrid: "Oh yeah."
Me: "Okay but you have to close your eyes and go to sleep okay?"
Astrid: "Okay mommy!"
Me: "Here's mommy's favorite blanket. It's called a Snuggie and it's really soft and will keep you warm and safe so you can go to sleep okay?"
Astrid: "Oh it's so soft. Thank you mommy"

Five minutes later she was asleep. Thank you whoever invented the Snuggie!

"Opening" - Vocabulary & preschool

2009-04-30T21:27:00.001-07:00

While putting Astrid to bed tonight we were talking about looking for another preschool for her. Her class has grown from around 15 kids to over 35. They've added teachers, but it's just too many kids for a small school. More kids equals more noise, more aggression, and less individual attention.

I've been hearing "I don't want to go to school" from Astrid lately which has concerned me. And tonight it was, "I don't like Pasadena Montessori School." Yes, she loves to say all three words that make up her school's name. Very sad for a preschool kid to already dread going to school. So tonight I made up my mind to start looking.

Although her preschool is right across the street from my office and is so convenient, I'll drive a ways to make sure she's thriving and happy in a better environment.

So we were talking about that tonight at bedtime, and she smiled and asked if she would be going to a new school tomorrow. I told her it would take some time to look at different schools, to meet the teachers, and to find a school with an opening for her.

To which she responded, "Opening? Like opening speech?"

She's 4 and talking about open speeches. What a character.

Now let's hope I can find a school mid year with an opening for her and her opening speeches.

Happy Birthday Astrid (actual birthday)

2009-04-19T22:57:00.000-07:00

Today is Astrid's actual birthday. It was also our last morning staying at our Palm Springs vacation home that we were renting for the Coachella weekend. U. got up early as usual and took the kids with him for morning coffee. He let all 3 kids (Astrid and our nanny's 2 kids - Claire and Noah) pick whatever they wanted. And back at the house we all sang happy birthday to Astrid who is 4 today.
Astrid sitting in front of her birthday muffin with a lit #4 candle.
Sweet little angel wearing her favorite rainbow shirt.Looking at mama (me). You can see my reflection in the sliding glass doors.Taking a deep breath.Blew out her candle and her wish comes true.

U., me and Astrid. We are family.

Enjoying eating and chatting with the kids.

Using her butter knife upside down to cut with the dull side. She wouldn't let anyone tell her otherwise and since it was her birthday no one argued with her.

Hehe.

We drove back home that morning and it was a scorcher. I took Astrid with me to pick up some party supplies and she got an ice cream. The deal was she had to wear her hat. I'm always concerned about the sun and protecting her skin.

The birthday girl enjoying her sherbet ice cream.

For dinner we asked Astrid where she wanted to go for her birthday dinner and she chose "The Coffee Table" her favorite restaurant in Eagle Rock. She always gets a lemonade and either a grilled cheese sandwich or a cheese quesadilla from the kid's menu. Today she got a special cupcake to blow out her candle after Mama and Papa sang happy birthday to her.

Four candles to blow out this time.It's her special day and it's not over yet with her upcoming birthday bash with her friends at an indoor playground.

Astrid painting on her easel that she got as a birthday present.The artist on her birthday. She turned to her father and I and announced, "I'm an artist!"

The sun is starting to set.

Astrid sitting on her Papa's lap, winding down after a long day.

Happy birthday sweetheart.

Birthday Wishes for Astrid

2009-04-19T14:08:00.001-07:00

A Star is Born - she loves to sing, dance & act

2009-04-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

Astrid woke up a little past midnight, and I could hear her singing "It's A Small World" from her bedroom. It's one of the songs she's practicing at school for her next recital. It's was the sweetest thing to hear her singing, but what in the world was she doing singing at midnight?

After she was done singing she came into the room to find me and started performing in front of the closet mirror.

This reminded me how I need to record on my blog how much she loves to sing and dance and perform. She picks up songs quickly. And she's always doing commercials and skits in front of the mirror. For example: "This is how you brush your teeth." She acts out the entire scene in the bathroom mirror like she's acting in front of a camera. And she's always singing one song or another.

I've been singing to her since she was a newborn - and she picked up as soon as she was able to hum or sing along. Now she tells me not to sing, that she'll sing for me. She has no stage fright. She just loves performing on stage.

I mentioned in a previous post how much she loves her school recital and we recently enrolled her in a musical theatre class. They sing and dance and practice for a big performance on stage with costumes, typically a musical (like Annie). The class is called "Pop Star" which sounds awful, but after reading the description I knew it would be something that Astrid would really enjoy.

Prior to the class "tryouts" I told her not to be shy (which she can be initially when she's confronted with a strange, new environment) and to sing out loud and dance just like she does at home. I needn't have worried because she did just fine and followed along with the other students. And she loved it of course and is looking forward to next week's class.

She's one of the youngest ones in her class so it'll be interesting to see what part she gets in the musical. Regardless it'll be so much fun to watch!

What Astrid's saying & doing at 3 years, 11 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days old

2009-04-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

Jotting down some of the latest things Astrid has been saying, and things I've been noticing about her that make this age (she's turning 4 later this month) unique.

1) Astrid refers to her father and I as "Guys".
"Guys! Guys! You know what?" "Whatcha doin' guys?" "Am I going with you guys?" "What are you guys talkin' about?"

2) Evidently she now knows what "cool" is.
I was talking about something today and Astrid perked up and said, "Oh yeah that's cool."

3) Questions, questions, and more questions.
"Whatcha doin' Mommy?" "Why are you doing that?" "How come?" "Why? Why? Why?"
I guess it's time to invest in that book - everything you always wanted to know about everything in the world.

4) Astrid constantly repeats herself.
It used to be the whining that used to drive her dad and I batty -but now it's the repeating. How many times can you ask the same question? All I can say is my daughter never tires of asking or saying the same thing again and again. It must be an age thing that reinforces something or other in that brilliant child brain of hers that never ceases to amaze me.

5) Astrid's incredible memory.
She'll bring up things that we did a long time ago that I even forgot about. It's one of those, "How do you even remember that?" kind of thing. She's like a sponge - absorbing everything - and we keep trying to fill that little brain with lots of learning. (We just enrolled her in a musical theatre class, and she's learning German with her German nanny. I love when she sings in German.)

6) She has quite an imagination.
She makes up stories, or puts two and two together with such creative imagery. For instance we were watering our vegetable garden one morning and I saw a shoe foot print (obviously of an adult) and a little footprint which I thought might have been from a bunny rabbit. Astrid was so intrigued and had a million questions about who was stomping around in our garden. Later that day when I picked her up from school she was telling me a story about how the Easter Bunny Man was in our garden yesterday getting ready for Easter, and he was eating our seeds.

7) Making up stories that are the opposite of the truth
Like tonight I saw her move her hand under the table, that was clearly holding a piece of pizza her Papa had cooked for her dinner. She looked at me and said, "I don't have pizza in my hand." So now whenever she tells me out of the blue she "didn't" do something, or "doesn't" have something - I know the opposite is true.
I read about this developmental stage in children and recommendations include not accusing the child of lying. So we've been trying to reinforce the importance of "telling the truth", rather than "don't lie to me".

8) Astrid has no concept that there was a time before her.
She saw a photograph taken in Hawaii of me and U., noticing it for the first time at my parent's place. "Hey that's you and Papa" she said. "Where am I?" she asked. "You weren't born yet," I tried to explain. She looked quite puzzled and asked, "Why not?"
And tonight she asked me if I had installed the sprinkler in the yard and I told her no, that the people who lived in the house before us did. Somehow the conversation turned to Astrid as it has a way of doing when talking to a 3 year old, and she asked where she lived before this house. I told her that she's lived in our house her whole life, since she was born. Mama and Papa lived in other houses, but she has only lived in this house. She doesn't understand that there was ever a time when U. and I lived without her. Quite frankly it's hard to imagine it myself - a world without Astrid. I know it existed but it seems like eons ago, something that happened in the distant past.

9) Tantrums when she doesn't get what we want
There was a period there after the terrible twos (or whenever that period lasted) where tantrums were few and far between. I'm not talking being fussy - but the tantrums where whining turns into crying, and acting like a complete maniac. But now we've seen more of those tantrums appearing when Astrid doesn't get something that she wants. Sometimes she'll run into her room, slam her door and throw herself on her bed crying. Yeah I'm talking a 3 year old (not 13). It's hard not to laugh at her diva-ness. Her feelings are easily hurt. So U. tried this new technique that he read about - when your kid keeps asking you for something they can't have - write it down.
For example, the other night Astrid wanted candy and no matter how many times U. said no and tried to distract her, nothing was working. So he tried the technique and told Astrid, "Let's write it down okay? And come back to it later if we forget." He literally wrote the word "Candy" down on the white board that's up on our fridge. Astrid was fine with this and then completely forgot about wanting candy. I have yet to try this - but I'm open to it if it works.

10) Becoming more and more independent
"I wanna do it myself." "No, no...lemme do it." "I want to do it all by myself okay mom?" All things I hear more of more of each day.
Pretty frequently whenever I bathe her, she will want to towel dry herself (even if I'm still in the bath washing my hair) and put on her pajamas. That and putting on her shoes are two things I allow her to do all on her own without any help.
But when it comes to other things like brushing teeth etc. she can do it by herself and then I finish. (Just want to make sure she's brushing all corners and not missing a spot. Or in other instances just making sure she's taken care of properly).

They grow up so fast...

Question posted by my husband

2009-04-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

"Will I ever be as good a father to my child as my little angel is such a great child to me?"

The kid's definition of jail

2009-04-02T21:19:00.001-07:00

Yeah you heard me right "JAIL". The word came out of my 3 (almost 4) year old daughter's mouth last night.

"Jail?" I asked.
"Uh-huh jail," she answered.
"Where did you hear that word?" I asked.
"I dunno," she said with a shrug.
"What do you think that word means?" I asked.
"It's where they take the bad guys and lock them up in a cage!" she said, and was quite animated about it.

Oh boy. I think some kid at school has been watching age inappropriate material. But she pretty much has the definition down to a T. Not exactly how Webster's would define it, but it pretty much sums up what a jail is.

Is it a bad thing for a little kid to know what a jail is already? I would rather she not know YET, but maybe that's just me being a protective mom and trying to preserve her innocence.

My little nurse

2009-03-31T21:37:00.000-07:00

I went to the dermatologist recently and had 2 "suspicious" looking moles removed. They weren't the typical raised moles, but were flat. Astrid went with me and was fascinated. She kept staring at all of the equipment and asked a a lot of questions about what everything did and what it was for. And of course what the doctor was doing to me.

When we got home she wanted to pull up my shirt and show Papa and then tried to explain the procedure I had done. She wanted to see for herself too and kept pleading with me to take off my band-aid so she could see.

The next morning I had to reapply some Neosporin and a new band-aid, but the problem was the one spot on my back that I can't reach. I just barely was able to get a corner of the existing band-aid to pull it off during my shower this morning. What to do? Dilemma. Was hoping U. would be home to help me, but he left for work even earlier than I did this morning.

So I turned to Astrid and asked her if she could help me. She was an eager beaver to say the least. Following me around the bathroom, staring, asking question. So she wanted to help which was a good thing. One of the moles I had removed was on my tummy so I showed her how I applied the ointment and put a band-aid over it. She copied me and did the exact same thing to my back - perfectly. She followed my directions to a T.

She had so much empathy for me that she kept asking "Does it hurt?" When I told her that it didn't really hurt, and only just a little bit when you touched it, she remarked, "It looks like it really hurts mommy" and gave me a big hug. I received the best bedside manner from my little nurse. She was just so sweet and caring. And she did a great job!

Tissue vs. Napkin

2009-03-29T23:44:00.000-07:00

"Do you need a tissue?" I asked.

After I heard the "Yes" in agreement, I handed Astrid what I thought would do the trick (as I was driving).

After a second Astrid said, "This is not a tissue! It's a napkin."

I had to laugh at that one. She actually knows the difference. When I shared this with U. his comment was, "It's not because she's smart, it's because she's spoiled. I didn't know the difference until I was 10 years old." Haha. Kids these days - pampered and all.

Mr. Rogers Neighborhood

2009-03-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sitting here watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood with Astrid. I was channel flipping when I came to the show that was just starting and I had to stop.

"I used to watch this show when I was a kid," I told Astrid.

"Really? When you were little you were watching this?" Astrid asked.

"Yep. It was my favorite show," I said.

"But it's over," Astrid said.

"No it's not. It's just starting. Watch he's going to sing 'It's a Beautiful Neighborhood'," I said.

And lo and behold Mr. Rogers starting singing his signature song as he put on his sweater and sneakers.

Now he's taking us on a field trip to meet Itzhak Perlman, the great Israeli-American violinist and conductor who contracted polio at the age of 4 and uses crutches to walk.

I still love Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

Astrid's wish to blur the gender lines

2009-03-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

"I wish I could be like that," said Astrid this morning while watching Angelina Ballerina.

(After each cartoon they feature real dancers, many of them children.)

I thought she was referring to being a ballerina.

Instead Astrid remarked, "A boy."

She was referring to the boy dancer.

"Someday I'll grow up to be like that," said Astrid.

I've always tried to steer her away from stereotypical female toys, costumes, and play. Last Halloween while most of her friends were Fairies & Princesses, Astrid was a Firefighter. Once she told me she wanted to be Nurse and I said, "Why not a Doctor?" I hope this helps strengthen her self esteem and self resolve to go after what she wants in life and dream big (without the gender limitations that have plagued woman over the years).

"Become the man you always wanted to marry," is one of my favorite quotes for women made by Cher.

Don't get me wrong - Astrid is just as girlie as others her age and loves to dress up and play with her dolls. But it's important for me as her mother to show her that there's more to being a woman than just taking care of babies and looking pretty. You can be feminine and be intelligent, strong, athletic, and successful.

Astrid's hooked on phonics

2009-03-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

Today Astrid was proud to show me that she can sound out letters to form words. She was so confident.

R-A-T - RAT!

C-A-T - CAT!

M-A-T - WATERMELON! (HA!)

P-A-T - PIG!

"No, no, no," Astrid immediately said as she quickly realized she made a mistake.

"Don't laugh!" Astrid shouted.

I can't help it. It's fun to see her learning, but so cute when she makes mistakes.

1st time that Astrid asks Papa to put her to bed

2009-02-28T22:52:00.000-08:00

So it finally happened. After 3 years, 10 months, one week and 2 days, tonight Astrid asked her Papa to put her to bed.

If you know anything about my daughter Astrid, you know she is very attached to me - her mama. Before today, I am the only one she preferred to do the bedtime routine with when she goes to bed. In the past whenever it was my night out and I came home a bit early - while U. was getting her ready for bed - forgetaboutit - Astrid would want mama.

But not today.

In the morning I joined U. and Astrid for coffee and bread at a local coffee place. We had to take separate cars as U. had errands to run and I had my Yoga class afterwards. And for the first time Astrid wanted to ride in the car with her dad. Very unusual as she always wants to ride in the car with me and gawd knows we've experienced those days when she had to go with her dad and reacted with tears and pleading for "mama mama" over and over again. But today, she rode in the car with dad, with me following. U. was pointing out that I was following just in case she changed her mind on the car drive. Once we parked our cars, Astrid immediately ran over to me and held my hand.

And tonight - she asked that Papa put her to bed. No more tears that Papa was going to brush her teeth before I put her to bed. This time she WANTED Papa to do the bedtime routine with her and put her to bed instead of me.

No hard feelings, as I was happy to get a break and just wash the dishes as U. put Astrid to bed. I've been putting her to bed for almost 4 years and it's about time I don't have to be the sole bedtime administrator.

But it is a little sad in that it's an indication she's growing up. She's so much more affectionate now than ever before and she just loves her Papa.

With U. it's one book and then sleep. He was prepared for her to shout that she wanted mama - but nope - she quickly fell asleep after one book - with no cries for mama.

As U. likes to say, "This is a great age! I'm really enjoying it."

A few chuckles to share

2009-02-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

#1 - Astrid was interested in trying some organic turkey jerky. When I gave her a piece she looked up at me with a mischievous grin and asked, "Mom, is this doggy treat?"

See my mom gives her dog jerky treats when training her to do stupid dog tricks. Many a time Astrid has been the one doling out treats and asking the dog to give her a high 10.

#2 - Astrid and I made a batch of vanilla cookies. After dinner Astrid had a cookie for dessert, and after she gave her dad a piece of her cookie to try, she said, "Say thank you to us."

Miss manners.

#3 - I was doing some yard work today, and Astrid as always wanted to come out to watch what I was doing. All of a sudden she screamed and jumped back. When I asked her what was the matter, she pointed and said, "There's a BIG ant and it's scary mommy!"

I looked down and saw a big black beetle trying to scurry for cover.

After I told her what it was and that it wouldn't hurt her, she asked me what they ate. Something to look up on Wikipedia. She decided on her own that they eat leaves and now less fearful, she tried to feed it.

Watching the Oscars with Astrid

2009-02-22T14:46:00.001-08:00

Ask woke up from her nap and in a fog asked, "Is it almost time to watch TV?"

We promised Astrid that she could watch the Oscars award show on TV with us tonight. We're going to have a little feast of finger foods and guacamole - and make it a special family time.

Astrid: "Is it almost time to watch TV?"
Me: "Yes, we're gonna watch the Oscars together."
Astrid: (puzzled look on her face) "What's the Oscars?"
Me: "It's an award show for the movies."
Astrid: "Oh I know! Oscar's in the trash can."

My kid is confusing the Oscars (Academy Awards Show) with Oscar the Grouch (Sesame Street). So cute!

Astrid's a clever one

2009-02-22T02:38:00.000-08:00

Astrid wanted to sit on my lap the entire time I was getting my nails done. The lady who was giving me a pedicure was trying to get Astrid off my lap so I could relax. She tried all sorts of things and nothing worked. So then she said, "I don't think you can walk."

Astrid: "Yes, I can."
Nail Salon Lady (NSL): "No, I don't think you can. I haven't seen it."
Astrid: "Yes."
NSL: "Why don't you show me. Can you show me that you can walk?"
Astrid: "No, not right now. When I leave you can see me walk."

All of the ladies in the nail salon who heard Astrid (including myself) burst out laughing. She's a clever one.

A 3 year olds concept of money

2009-02-22T02:35:00.000-08:00

Astrid showed me the shiny penny that her dad had given to her and told me flat out, "Mom, I love money!"

Our new German Nanny

2009-02-15T11:27:00.000-08:00

We have a new nanny for Astrid and she is German. Her name is Beate and we are thrilled to have found her! I think she is very happy with the arrangement as well, since she lives up the street from us in our neighborhood, has 2 kids that go to our neighborhood elementary school, and to watch/play with our 3 year old (Astrid also plays with her kids) I'm sure it feels more like a playdate than work.

Previously we had a nanny (Jill) for 2 years who was always reliable and always on time. We got so used to our Friday night date nights as a result. Jill is a PhD student in Psychology and we came to rely on her and think of her as an extension of our family. So when she let us know she was moving away for work, we were sad to see her go, and wished her well - but immediately found another nanny. But after 2 1/2 months, it was clear the new nanny wasn't working out and we had to let her go.

So we immediately put out another ad on craigslist and found Beate the perfect candidate for the job. The fact alone that she speaks German is such a plus! We've been looking for a German school for Astrid to attend and were even willing to spend $400 a month for 1 class a week. Now with Beate, Astrid has her own personal German tutor 3 to 4 times a week. And Beate told me that it's also been great for her because her kids now speak more German. Her daughter Claire told her and her brother Noah, "Well we have to speak German now, because Astrid is here." Beate has a collection of puppets and they have puppet shows in German, and she also reads German books to Astrid. So now after just a couple weeks, Astrid is now picking up German and understanding more - and more importantly trying to speak in German. Love it!

And Beate is pretty crafty. She makes soap and sews and does arts and crafts projects. Every time Astrid sees her they make things and she brings gifts for her - like handmade soup with a picture of a toad that says, "You're toad-ally cool!" When Beate comes to our home there are no tears when we leave. If Astrid tells me she is felling sick, I just have to say, "Well I better call Beate and tell her not to come because you're sick." Astrid will shout, "No! I'm all better mama! Call Beate and tell her to come!"

Astrid had been cooped up with me in the house under quarantine with Chickenpox for two days, so the next day while U. stayed home to be with her -Beate offered to take Astrid to her house to play with her kids in the afternoon - which was perfect so U. could get some work done. U. dropped her off just to make sure everything was okay and Astrid couldn't wait to jump out of the car and run inside Beate's house.

On Friday night I set out some ingredients for Beate and Astrid to make pizza together. Whole wheat pizza dough, tomato sauce, cheese, broccoli, salami. When U. and I got back from our date night, Beate told me she loved the pizza and was going to make it with her kids. Fun for kids to make and healthy!

It's such a relief to have a good, reliable nanny for Astrid - to take her to her extra-curricular activities after preschool twice a week (music & swim classes for now), and to be there on Fridays or the weekends for U. and I have to have our date nights. And now the German instruction which I am over the moon about! And she's so close and is a stay at home mom, so if we ever needed her to watch Astrid outside of our normal schedule, she's open to that as well. So the flexibility is nice as well.

"I'm tired Mama."

2009-02-14T22:11:00.000-08:00

So tonight, I decided to cook Valentine's Day dinner and it was later than usual when we sat down to eat and we could see that Astrid was tired. But rather than want 100% of our attention or things we would normally expect from a 3 year old, Astrid tells me, "I'm tired Mama. I want to go to my bed."

U. turned to me and said, "Our kid tells us when she wants to go to bed now."

How did that happen?

Happy Valentine's Day 2009!

2009-02-14T20:20:00.001-08:00

Astrid painted this beautiful heart for me for Valentine's Day.

I'm cooking Valentine's Day dinner and U. remarked, "Wow, Mama's cooking up a storm!"
Astrid responded, "Yeah I know just like it's raining!"

Wishing everyone lots of love - Happy Valentine's Day!

Scroll down to see a handful of new posts.

2009-02-14T00:38:00.001-08:00

Astrid has Chickenpox

2009-02-10T14:17:00.001-08:00

We went to the Pediatrician today about a bumpy rash that appeared on Astrid's arm a couple days ago. The diagnosis is Chickenpox. An a-typical & mild case of Chickenpox since Astrid was vaccinated when she was one year old. The Pediatrician said that about 35% of children who were vaccinated, still get it in a mild form, and they're thinking about revaccinated children when they're in Kindergarten.
It started it a couple days ago looking like a rash, or possibly a clump of bug bites. We thought it was a heat rash, since we've been bundling her up to keep her warm the last few days that it has been rainy and so cold. The rash on her arm however, was itchy. We put anti-itch topical ointment with oatmeal on the rash, and it seemed to help, but then it spread further down her arm.

Her preschool teacher suspected Chickenpox, and I also looked it up on Wikipedia - but since it isn't the typical case, it's a bit different (not as widespread or as severe), and there's no fever to accompany the symptoms. Mostly she's got it on her arm and a few on her back. But she still remains highly contagious. The doctor asked us to leave through the emergency exit, to avoid contaminating others.

Here's a close up.

So now she's quarantined for the rest of the week. The doctor thinks it will be okay for her to go back to school next week, if her lesions are scabbed over. When that happens she'll no longer be contagious.

I had Chickenpox as a kid and I remember it being BAD. It was unbearably itchy with large legions & scabs everywhere - even on my scalp. What Astrid has is so much better. But her dad has never had Chickenpox so we're mildly concerned about it. He's already called his doctor who is not worried, since he's healthy and still young. My husband also applied the topical ointment to Astrid's Chickenpox on day 1 that we noticed them. So he's probably already been infected, so there's nothing much we can do. If and when he does get symptoms, his doctor can give him an antibiotic that will help. I'm just hoping he's immune, and stays symptom free.

Astrid's art on display @ the Blue Hen

2009-02-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

1st parent/teacher conference at preschool

2009-02-09T08:53:00.000-08:00

For 2 weeks, the preschool has been meeting with parents to discuss their children's development and how they're doing in school. This was the 1st parent teacher conference I've attended as a parent. U. also attended to hear what the teacher had to say about Astrid. Our appointment was at 7:30 this morning, and I just wanted to write a brief post about it.

The preschool director/teacher says Astrid at 3 years old is well rounded, advanced for her age, and doing well in school. She said Astrid's excited to learn, and really interested in what the older kids are doing/learning. So to keep her motivated and foster her interest in learning, the teacher includes her in some of the activities with the older kids - like oral presentations. She is starting to read and write, knows all of the continents, is doing well in math, and loves art & music. She's improved a lot in just the last few months especially with reading and writing. She gets along with all of the kids & is very social. She also helps the teachers and listens very well.

She's starting to read basic primary books, which the teacher will give us copies of, so we can practice at home with Astrid.

In summary she told us that she can tell we've been working with Astrid at home, (especially when they just start learning a lesson and Astrid already knows it). She said that Astrid is very bright and even though she is very young, she is more advanced in some areas than other children her age. And she ended by saying Astrid is a joy to have at the school.

Music to my ears.

Saturday morning Coffee & Bread

2009-02-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

My two loves. - I was guest of honor for coffee & bread this morning.

Drawing on herself with an ink pen

2009-02-06T19:20:00.000-08:00

Astrid (3 years old) drew on her legs with ink. I had to take a pic. It's art afterall!

And yes, that's a professional pedicure.

Disappointment

2009-02-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

We went to check out the German school in Burbank. Unfortunately it's only half days until noon Monday and Wednesdays. These classes are not made to accommodate working parents. The teacher told me that most of the children have stay at home moms, that just want a break a couple days a week for a few hours. And there's no Saturday school. Bummer. But we'll keep looking until we find a something.

Children's books on CD

2009-01-31T14:50:00.001-08:00

These books that I purchased for Astrid that come with an accompanying CD, are worth their weight in gold. Astrid loves them, and they keep her imagination going as she follows along in the illustrated book, listening to the well told stories, the music, and waiting for the signal to turn the pages. She's listening to "The Gingerbread Boy" now, and just finished listening to "The Three Little Pigs." They keep her entertained and I much prefer her to be reading, than watching TV.

I used to have the same when I was a kid, with books and tapes, and prior to tapes I had records. And I used to love listening to those stories. Fairy tales were so much fun (and sometimes scary) to listen to and in my mind I was creating what the story looked like from beginning to end. In Star Wars, there was one scene where they go to an intergalactic bar and there were creatures of all kinds there. I was fascinated by this scene and wished I could be there to take part in the festivities. And there were the songs that I listened to over and over again.

These books & CD's cost about $10 a pop at the learning store, so they're not cheap - but if she enjoys listening to them many times, they're well worth it. The stories never get old, and kids love repetition.

A sick Astid and a presentation at work

2009-01-31T02:16:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Astrid's school called me to tell me Astrid was sick and asked if I could come pick her up and take her home. She had a fever, would not eat her lunch and was just not herself. Picking her up at school, she was sleeping instead of playing with the other kids and drooling a lot.

Today she still had a fever and was lethargic, and had stomach cramps and diarrhea. I had to take her to the bathroom constantly and be very gentle with the toilet paper because her bottom was getting sore.

There was no way I could take her to school because she was still sick, and I was afraid she'd go in her pants. I had a scheduled presentation to give at 11 AM - a training session internally at my firm for some associates, and it's difficult to coordinate a time when everyone is available on the same day/time. What to do? I decided to bring Astrid with me to work and after the presentation to return home.

All the ladies love her at my office. The receptionist who has been with the company for over 20 years always has a stash of kids stuff in her desk, and every time she sees Astrid, she gives her a gift. Today is was a bug catcher with 3 small stuffed animal insects inside like a butterfly. Then there's another sweet lady who works in my dept. and is a grandmother who also gives Astrid gifts when she sees her. Today she gave her a stick puppet. And as we walk through the halls all the ladies "ohhh and awww" and if they see or hear her in my office they come by to chat with her. No wonder my kid always wants to go to my office!

It was a bit of a struggle to get Astrid distracted with coloring when her stomach hurt and she had to keep going to the restroom, so finally I just held her in my lap with her head on my bosom and just held her close, while I typed and worked at my computer. Her fever would spike and then go away just like that, and then spike again.

At my presentation, we had an intimate group and no one questioned what my kid was doing there. They all welcomed her, and made room for her to sit in the chair nearest me, to be close to me. She had her paints and was painting away, sitting at the boardroom table. It was the BEST! She was painting and quietly listening and observing everything. But not a peep during the entire 40 minute presentation. And no emergency trips to the restroom either. It was a huge success!

Afterwards she was all questions about what happened in the boardroom. And she asked me, "Mom are you proud of me? I was a good girl."

Yep, I am a proud Mama.

Astrid wants a baby brother

2009-01-31T00:40:00.000-08:00

Astrid is on a "I want a baby brother" kick. Sometimes she'll say she wants a sister too, but it's always about getting a baby brother. Today she said Papa had told her she was getting a baby brother next week. She told this to me and later to her nanny. Wishful thinking I guess. I don't know what brought this on other than maybe other children at her preschool (classmates) have baby siblings that they talk about. And then there's Astrid's Godmother Jill who recently adopted a newborn through an open adoption and Astrid met the birth mother, and then of course the baby afterwards. So she sort of understands where babies come from and that women have them.

Today we were sitting in a restaurant and she spotted a woman pregnant with twins (so it was obvious there was at least one baby in there). Astrid pointed and said, "Mom, is she going to have a baby?" And then she asked if it was named Maddox (the name of her Godmother's baby). She was fascinated by the pregnant woman and I could just see the wheels turning in her head about a baby living in the womb, soon to come out.

Then she asked me, "Mom? When I grow up, will I have a baby?" I said, "I hope so, when you're much older like mommy was when I had you." Then she asked, "I'm going to be a mom?" That one caught me by surprise. My 3 year old, little baby is already thinking about motherhood. And I pictured myself as a grandmother and got a little choked up. I want to be the best mom possible to her, so that if she does decide to become a mother one day, that she'll have lovely memories of her childhood and confidence in her own ability to be her child's mother.

So I've been hesitant to post about having a second child, for a number of reasons. One because I'm still on the fence about it. Two because it brings up so many mixed emotions and anxiety. And third because there are no definite plans yet to have or not have another child.

I get that question all the time though, "So when are you going to have a second one?" Even from my OBGYN who probably wants me to pop out another one since I was the model patient with Astrid, and bought him a nice bottle of Argentinian wine (my doctor is originally from Argentina) as a gift after the baby was born. (Because he was a great doctor and I really appreciated everything he did for me and my family.) And I'm not quite sure how to answer the question. I don't want to get into a deep philosophical discussion about it, yet it's probably too harsh to respond, "And why would I do that to myself?"

When I had Astrid the timing was perfect, and I don't have any regrets. We planned on having her and tried for almost a year before I became pregnant. It was one of the best decisions I made, and my beautiful child lights up my life. I'm thankful that my husband who is a bit older, was ready for a child (it was his biological clock that started ticking) and persuaded me to make the leap when we did. Astrid is the perfect addition to our family. My husband and I have grown so much from the whole parenting experience and continue to become better people. It is such a big life lesson & blessing to be a parent.

So why not jump at the chance to get knocked up again you ask? Well there's the actual pregnancy itself. The 1st trimester I lost 10 pounds. It was a true starvation diet. Three months of throwing up from constant nausea from the morning sickness. Which is a misnomer because it's not just in the morning - it happens ALL day long. The reason for it is progesterone poisoning which affects women differently. And I just happened to have it real bad, like my mom. I have a photo of me during that time when you can see my esophagus jutting out of my throat. I was teaching at the time and there were times when I'd be in the middle of a lesson and would have to run over to the sink to dry heave - then would go right back to continue teaching. I was driving on the fwy one time and I threw up in my mouth and had to swallow it. Telling my husband that story he said, "You're a bigger man than me." Just brutal.

And then there is being pregnant for 9 months - again. After the 1st trimester, the morning sickness just disappeared and I felt great. Only thing that got really bad was the heartburn the last trimester and the back pain between my shoulders from the boulders I was carrying around on my chest. I was popping Tums all the time, and asking my husband for massages all the time. (I did have at least 1 professional massage a month, so I can't really complain there.) No sushi for 9 months. A hardship for me. No alcohol. I love wine and cosmos. And then what it does to your body. Let's just leave it at that. I'm not one to let myself go, so it's of utmost importance I'm in the best shape possible before, and then can whip back into shape afterwards.

The birth (surgery) still scares the bejesus out of me. It's like a distant memory that happened to someone else. Everyone woman knows the fears that sets in the last month - Oh my gawd, the baby's gotta come out somehow! Thinking about them cutting through scar tissue and the recovering afterwards. Oy. I was sleep deprived as is with just one, and can't even image what it's like to care for a newborn and the 1st born - you're completely outnumbered.

And then there is the career quotient. I'm very much focused on my career and driven to boot. Having another child would mean I would have to put my career on pause. And who knows how I would feel after the birth of the child. If I would feel okay with going back to work after 3 months, or if I felt the need to stay home to bond and care for the baby. It's a lot to juggle being a mom and a career woman with just 1 child.

Also, being first born, I know how it feels to suddenly become the "big kid" when baby #2 arrives. Suddenly all of the attention is on the baby, and you're given less attention, have adult responsibilities, and your needs are neglected. I don't want Astrid to be traumatized by that. I want her to be our baby for as long as possible.

We also enjoy traveling as a family. Astrid has joined us on many trips to 12 countries. But there are still places and things we cannot do just yet, until she is older. For instance, hiking and activities that require you to walk for long distances or to have stamina. My dream is to travel to Tibet, but she has to be much older for that to be able to withstand the low oxygen and also the arduous journey. By having child #2, that date would need to be pushed back on where we can travel to, and limit us on what we can do. It's also more expensive to travel with 4 vs. 3. What if we have a child who doesn't travel well? I cannot even imagine that nightmare.

And then there is the added responsibility which includes financials. Suddenly there's a full time nanny to pay in addition to school tuition for the older child. There are 2 college funds to start saving for. Room for 2 children, two separate bedrooms, a bigger house, or remodeling. And how the hell do you juggle the responsibility of caring for 2 kids at the same time? It would complicate our lives for sure, and I don't want to be boxed in to a lifestyle of the 2.5 kids, which is not how I see myself.

Now the pluses of having a 2nd kid are numerous too. Astrid has a sibling to grow up with and play with, and learn responsibility. Also, when my husband and I are gone, she will not be left all alone. I would enjoy having a big family immensely when I'm older. Being surrounded by my adult kids and their grand kids would be such a joy! Having a second kid would potentially be easier than the 1st one because I know what to expect and I'm more confident in my abilities to parent. (That is unless the kid won't sleep, or eat, or is just an all around pain in the a*s.) It would also be great to go through that experience one last time, this time being less stressed out about everything. When the kid sleeps for 4 hours straight the first time, I won't freak out and check if the kid is still breathing. It would also be nice to bring another life into this world, to experience that baby's temperament, personality, quirks and how different or similar they are to Astrid and my husband and myself.

To date my biological clock remains silent. I keep waiting for it to go off. But maybe because I already have a child and that relationship is so fulfilling, it'll remain dormant forever. I want to think about both short term and long term, as it's a very heady decision. I can't send the baby back if it doesn't work out. If it turned out I'm not able to get pregnant, so be it, I already have a child who completes me, but I also don't want to miss an opportunity that I may regret later in life.

Conflicted? Absolutely.

Anyone care to share their thoughts on the subject?

Compliment of the day

2009-01-26T19:54:00.000-08:00

"Mama you are the best hugger," said Astrid.

An early Valentine's Day present

2009-01-25T22:50:00.000-08:00

Tonight while walking the dog, and U. out of town - Astrid yanked on my hand and said, "I don't love anybody but you mom."

When I reminded her of Papa, she said that yes she loved him and our dog too. And the more she thought about it, she said she liked Godmother Jill and Bill too. But reminded me a few times that she did NOT love Maria (our new nanny).

Then she hugged my leg and told me she loved me SO MUCH!

Looking through Binoculars at the artwork

2009-01-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

Scanning the art on the wall @ the Blue Hen.

Philanthrophy starts at a young age

2009-01-24T16:13:00.000-08:00

Today at the nail salon, Astrid was rattling off questions to her favorite nail salon lady (who just adores her and loves it when I bring her in)...questions included: "Do you have a brother?" "Do you have a sister?" "Do you have a mom?" "Do you have a bed?"

All of these questions were met with a smile and "Yes". Until Astrid asked, "Do you have a car?" To which the lady responded, "No."

Astrid turned to me with concern on her face and said, "Mom...she doesn't have a car. Can you give her a car?"

Oh baby, bless your kind little heart. Empathy is a great thing and I hope you never stop caring for others.

That turned into a conversation about how not everyone owns a car. Some people take the bus, or get a ride from someone else. The fact that someone would not have a car while everyone she knows has one, was quite shocking to Astrid and difficult for her 3 1/2 year old mind to wrap around. She didn't want this woman to be without.

In a related vein - money is a foreign concept to her. Everyone should have it and give it away.

Later on at the grocery store, Astrid asked me where the man was. A couple weeks ago there was a man playing a guitar outside the store and Astrid wanted to give him money. So I gave her a dollar that she placed into his guitar case.

When I was a kid and I heard my mom talking about money and I told her, "Just go to the bank - those people are so nice they always give you money." My mom thought that was the cutest, funniest thing a kid ever said.

I feel a bit that way with my own daughter. I want to preserve her innocence but do want to show her that there are those less fortunate and show her how she can help. I'm thinking we may need to start volunteering for a good cause.

Sick and thankful Astrid is 3 1/2

2009-01-20T20:30:00.000-08:00

I came down with a bug and today it took all my energy to change Astrid into her pajamas and brush her teeth to get her ready for bed.

At bedtime I usually read her a book or two and sing to her, and play tickle games, and give her a massage. But not tonight. I was just too exhausted from being sick and all I could do was crawl up in her bed with her.

Astrid has been getting into the habit of reading a book back to me, that I just read to her. So tonight I asked her to read me "Sammy the Seal." She knows the entire story and can almost recite it. And she was happy to do it. "Okay mom. I'll read the book to you," she said.

And then afterwards she fell asleep. It took little effort and I was so relieved. The swim class helps. She has swim classes twice a week and they tire her out. Tonight she was showing me how she makes "ice cream scoops" with her hands and arms when she's swimming. Too cute.

We hired a part time nanny who picks her up early from school twice a week and takes her to her swim class and also to her music class at The Pasadena Conservatory of Music. She occasionally also babysits 1 or 2 other days a week so U. and I can go out - and she takes Astrid to the library or the park. She also gives her a bath at the end of the day which is a huge help to me.

In other ways I'm grateful that Astrid is 3 1/2 now too. For instance she can put on her seat belt now in the car (which is helpful when I've just gotten my nails done). She also can bring me things (i.e., like my purse) and put things away (i.e., like bring her glass or dish to the kitchen sink, getting me a safety pin for her socks, or putting away her hair bands). Today she vanished for a few minutes and when I found her, she had put on her socks by herself and did a good job. And then there's the hand washing which she can do on her own now. Just the other day I got a really bad paper cut and she immediately shouted, "I'll get you a bandaid mom!" and came back with a SpongeBob Squarepants bandaid for me.

In so many little ways she's becoming more independent and a big help to me.

Lots of new posts

2009-01-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

Scroll down to view some new posts that I just got around to posting.

Martin Luther King Day Parade & Festivities

2009-01-19T23:17:00.000-08:00

Doo-Dah Parade 2009

2009-01-18T23:33:00.000-08:00

Click here to view more photos of the Doo-Dah parade.

Samples of Astrid's artwork

2009-01-16T22:09:00.000-08:00

Self portrait from a few months ago.

Self portrait from today.

Another sample of Astrid's artwork.

Astrid listening to her headphones

2009-01-12T13:28:00.000-08:00

Astrid with newborn Maddox June Davis

2009-01-11T23:32:00.000-08:00

We went over to Jill & Bill's house to see their newborn baby Maddox June Davis. Astrid was excited to hold the baby.

Happy New Year 2009!

2009-01-01T23:59:00.000-08:00

Ice Skating in Pershing Square

2009-01-01T23:57:00.000-08:00

Coffee/Tea at The Biltmore

2009-01-01T23:50:00.000-08:00

We had about 40 minutes to kill before they'd let more ice skaters into the rink at Pershing Square, and it was a chilly day, so we went across the street to The Biltmore to warm up with coffee and tea, and warm milk for Astrid.

Astrid snuggling with her Papa in the lobby.

Goofing around to pass the time.

Playing with Papa's hair.
Can we go yet?

While in the lobby we sat across from a family that flew in from London on the same flight as us. I remember them because their daughter kept me up all night (as she did her parents - even throwing something at her dad's head to keep him awake which lead him to scream out loud - yeah fun when you're trying to sleep) with her antics. Her name was Franchesa and she acted like the spoiled brat character in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. So badly behaved and I had the misfortune of sitting next to them. I only mentioned it because it was a weird coincidence.

New Year's Day (at The Coffee Table in Eagle Rock)

2009-01-01T23:28:00.000-08:00

Our housekeeper Marla, gave this matching outfit to Astrid for Christmas. Posing on the wall across from Coffee Table. Pose #2 on tippy toes.Pose #3 with a great big smile. Coffee Table was the only local place we found open on New Year's day.Mmmm...lemonade. Coloring while we waited for our order. The place was packed and it took awhile to get our food.I've learned to keep crayons and paper in my purse, which have been lifesavers when it comes to long waits.

Merry Christmas 2008 (holiday card)

2008-12-25T22:41:00.001-08:00

More Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T20:03:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008 with Astrid's kid camera

2008-12-25T19:05:00.000-08:00

I sprung for a deluxe kid camera for Astrid this Christmas.

She previously had a camera, and it was fun to see the world through her eyes, but the quality of the photos was so bad and it only held a dozen photos before getting full, so Astrid was constantly deleting. We also lost the USB cable for it, so I wasn't able to download any of the cute photos she took. (Some of her foot, her view from the backseat, Papa working on his computer, mama putting on her mascara.)

So here are some we took with her new camera today. The camera takes higher resolution photos, can hold up to 200 pics, has a built in flash and is kid proof (both water, and crash proof), and now I've got a USB camera to download them, to document her photography.

Fur up close.

Our pooch. Not bad for a kid camera.Astrid putting a sticker on Papa's shoulder.Giving Papa a great big hug & kiss.Astrid's photo of her Papa at the dinner table.Astrid's photo of our Christmas tree.Astrid's pic of Mama.Astrid showcasing her pink tights she received as a present from her nanny Maria - as a necktie.Astrid listening to her Clifford storybook CD while following along in her book. She loves repetition so this is perfect. She listens to this again and again and again.

Astrid's birth is listed on Wikipedia

2008-12-21T20:28:00.000-08:00

Type in April 19, 2005 and at the bottom you'll see Astrid's birth. It might get deleted soon, but I thought it was sweet of U. to add it as a historical event. =)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_19,_2005

April 19, 2005
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
See also: April 18, 2005 - April 2005 - April 20, 2005
George W. Bush's nomination of John R. Bolton for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations receives a serious setback when Ohio senator George Voinovich announces in committee that he cannot vote to endorse Bolton for this important diplomatic position. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee agrees to postpone a vote for at least one month while allegations that Bolton abused subordinates is investigated. (Reuters) (NY Times)
Papal conclave, 2005: Ringing bells and white smoke at the Vatican indicate that, after four ballots, a new Pope, German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, has been elected. He has taken the regnal name Pope Benedict XVI. (BBC)
MyPyramid is released by the United States Department of Agriculture. The new food guidance icon is an update of the 13-year old food guide pyramid, which was itself an update of charts expounding on the four basic food groups. (NY Times)
The United Iraqi Alliance, the leading coalition in the new Government of Iraq, demands the death penalty for Saddam Hussein, accused of genocide in Kurdistan as well as torture and other human rights violations in Baghdad. (Al Jazeera)
Victims and families observe 168 seconds of silence on the tenth anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing at 9:02 a.m. (local time). (Guardian)
Iran suspends operations of al Jazeera and accuses it of inflaming protests of the Iranian Arab minority. 220 people have been arrested during the unrest. (Al Jazeera), (IRNA), (Middle East Online), (Reuters), (BBC)
The inquiry into the murder of Rosemary Nelson, a Northern Ireland solicitor who was killed by a UDA bomb in 1999, begins. (Ireland On-Line), (BBC), (Scotsman)
Peruvian authorities submit a $130 million plan to UNESCO to preserve the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. (BBC)
The first part of the Obelisk of Axum, a 1700-year-old artefact of the Axumite Kingdom taken to Rome by Benito Mussolini's troops in 1937, arrives back in Ethiopia. (Reuters), (BBC)
Japanese researchers have reversed diabetes of a female patient with transplantation of pancreatic cells from her mother. (Medical News Today) (Reuters) (Forbes)
A high court in Spain sentences Adolfo Scilingo, former Argentinian navy captain, for 640 years in prison for crimes against humanity during the Dirty War. (Reuters AlertNet) (IHT) (CourtTV) (Pensa Latina)
The girlfriend of a Paris Opera Hotel employee admits that she might have accidentally started the fire that destroyed the hotel last Friday. Police later take her into custody. The death toll has risen to 24. (IHT) (Reuters AlertNet) (Scotsman)
Israel extends the travel ban of Mordechai Vanunu. (Ha'arets) (Jerusalem Post) (BBC)
In Syria, Jassem Alwan, who lead a failed military coup in 1963, returns from exile in the United Arab Emirates. (BBC)
The parliament of Kuwait gives initial backing to law that would allow women to vote. (Al Jazeera) (Middle east Online) (BBC)
Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati forms a new government to lead the country until the May elections. (Daily Star) (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
French police state that DNA tests confirm that the body found in the French Alps is Anthony Ashley-Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury. (Scotsman) (BBC)
Auction house Christie's withdraws an ancient Persian relic from sale when Iran states that it was smuggled out of the country illegally. (CHN) (Al Jazeera) (BBC)
The parliament of Greece ratifies the European Union Constitution. (MPA) (EUBusiness) (IHT)
President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf meets the president of the Philippines, Gloria Arroyo, in Manila. (Pakistan Times) (Manila Bulletin) (Sun Star) (BBC)
Zanzibar bars foreign workers. (IOL) (BBC)
Astrid Nora Hook was born.

Astrid decorating the Christmas tree

2008-12-20T23:46:00.000-08:00

Santa Pic with NO Santa #2

2008-12-20T22:19:00.000-08:00

I took Astrid to get her photo taken with Santa today. Unfortunately the fear of Santa is STILL in full force, so we ended up taking Christmas photos of Astrid WITHOUT Santa this year. That's two years in a row with Santa pics, missing a Santa. So this is her alone, sitting on the arm rest of Santa's chair, holding a candy cane.

Last year she was terrified of Santa, and all year we've been talking about how Santa isn't scary, over and over again. This year I thought for sure she had gotten over her fear of Santa, since she's told me many times, "I'm not scared of Santa Claus now. Santa Claus is nice. He says Ho Ho Ho and gives presents to children." I knew she was apprehensive about Santa Claus, but I thought that was a big development over last year's terror.

Today I was pondering taking her after the gym, but she was adamant about NOT wanting to get her picture taken with Santa Claus. I knew she needed a nap and she took a long one. Now in good spirits I thought "here's my chance." No mention of Santa Claus. I got her dressed in her pretty Christmas dress and sweater with her tights (she LOVES wearing tights) and patent leather black dress shoes. She likes dressing up so that was easy maneuvering. The hair was another story, but with a bit of cajoling, I was able to put a pretty red flower in her hair that matches her dress to a T. I told her we were going somewhere with a lot of kids and she was looking forward to it. Then I heard U. talking to Astrid about going with me to get her picture taken with Santa Claus. I about blew a gasket.

This was definitely a COVERT OPERATION. Not so much because he told her where we were going, but because now I knew I'd have to suffer through all the whining and tears, and pure DRAMA getting her there. And us moms know there's nothing worse than an unhappy camper sitting behind us in the car while we're driving.

So we get there and Astrid doesn't see Santa so she's really happy and announces, "There's no Santa Claus." But I could see the back of the Christmas photo shoot display and knew Santa was on the other side. As I'm talking to the photo development lady, Astrid is cool as a cucumber, by my side. Then as we walk around the counter and her eyes meet that big red suit and that beard she screamed out and literally ran away right out into the middle of the mall. I got her to come back by holding her and kept edging us closer by looking at the ornaments on the Christmas tree, etc. But once she was near Santa, she did not want to look at him and just buried her face in my shoulder.

I asked the photographer if it would be possible if Santa could leave for a bit so we could get a photo taken without him and her reply made me laugh, "We've done it before..."

U. asked me, "What's that big red thing?" That's Santa's chair. They had me sit Astrid up on the armrest to get a photo with her and the Christmas tree and presents.

The entire time Astrid was looking around for Santa, scared to death he'd come back. I told her he left and went to get something to eat, so she wouldn't be scared. I got her to smile briefly by pretending to cry. Boy what a mother will do to get her 3 1/2 year old to smile.

On the drive home Astrid wanted to talk about Santa Claus:
"Why he have hair on his face?"
When I explained that it's a beard and men grow hair on their faces, but Papa shaves it off every morning, she correctly deduced, "Girls don't grow hair on their face."
And then back to Santa she said, "I know he's coming to town. But I don't want him to come NOW."

Christmas Photos Past:

2007 - Santa Photos without Santa

2006 - I was so busy that I completely forgot to get photos done BEFORE Christmas.

2005 - 1st Santa pics

Astrid's Christmas Recital 2008

2008-12-19T23:23:00.000-08:00

Astrid was still a bit sick the day of her Christmas recital, but she still did really well, especially her speaking part. U. took video which I need to edit and post.

Verdugo YMCA Winter festival

2008-12-18T13:14:00.000-08:00

Your three year old - friend or enemy

2008-12-17T10:43:00.001-08:00

A coworker of U.'s gave him a book from 1976 about child development - one about 3 year olds and another about 4 year olds - since Astrid is now 3 1/2. The book is by Louise Bates Ames & Frances L. llg - from the Gesell Institute of Child Development.

Even though the book is over 30 years old - the same principals still apply. Wanted to share a couple that really spoke to me:

1) "It is important to keep in mind, at a time like this, that your child is not your enemy. Those times when a child is at his worst are often the times when he needs the most help from you. He is not behaving as he does just to be naughty. He is behaving as he does because that is the way his physical self functions at this time in his life. He really cannot help being the way he is, so it is you who have to help him."

2) "What can you do to help things go smoothly for both of you? First of all, accept the fact that at this age the child's big emotional struggle is with his mother. She is the one who matters supremely to him. She is the one he needs to conquer. Almost any young child is at his best but also at his worst with his own mother: Never more so than now."

I was repeating this mantra to myself as Astrid refused to wear socks and tennis shoes while dressing for school one morning. She's going through this stage where she only wants to wear tights and dress shoes everyday to school.

The book also notes that although 3 1/2 year olds appear outwardly to be very confident and secure - it's not so - at this age they're extremely insecure. This manifests itself in: 1) "Don't look at me!", 2) "Don't laugh at me!" , 3) nail biting etc. (I had to remind Astrid just now to stop biting her nails. She's home sick from school with a cold.)

They also reflect on their past. It was interesting that Astrid keeps retelling her baby story of how she was born, Papa cutting her umbilical chord, and also new insights such as "I was in your tummy when I was a baby right?" "When I was a baby I couldn't walk or talk right?" This is a way for them not only reflect but to also highlight their accomplishments (i.e., walking and talking and coloring, etc.).

Nothing earth shattering here, but interesting to be able to put this stage of development into context with the child's life development.

Astrid's love for mommy

2008-12-16T23:27:00.000-08:00

U. and I were talking about how attached Astrid is to me. Tonight she returned home with the nanny and the first thing she said when she walked in the door was, "Where's mama?" U. equates it to - "When you enter the room she acts like Elvis just walked in." Haha.

It's so sweet when she tells me that she missed me. She wants me to pick her up from school instead of the nanny - who picks her up just twice a week. Before that U. would pick her up from school once a week and Astrid would need lots of encouragement from me to make sure she didn't freak out when she saw papa picking her up instead of mama. And forget about anyone giving her a bath or putting her to bed, or anything when I'm there. It's difficult for U. when he is trying to put her to bed and I get home - because she only wants to be with me.

U. told me that I should enjoy it while it lasts, because soon she'll be all about him. Believe me, I love all my hugs and kisses and I know it won't last forever, so I AM enjoying all the attention. Her world revolves around me and she knows that my world lights up when she's in it. So maybe that's why children loves their mothers so - because they feel that love right back.

Astrid's 1st ear infection

2008-12-15T18:32:00.000-08:00

One morning about 2 months ago Astrid was complaining that her ear hurt. She was persistent about it and was holding her right ear, so I made an appointment to take her in to see her Pediatrician to get it checked out. Up to this point she'd NEVER complained about pain in her ears.

The earliest I could get her in to see her doctor was later that morning - and she seemed to be okay so I dropped her off at school telling the staff about her ear pain and that I would be back in a couple of hours to pick her up and take her to see her doctor. Before the two hours was up I got a call that Astrid was vomiting. Luckily she's right across the street from my office, so I hightailed it out of there and went to pick her up pronto. (My kid doesn't vomit. She just doesn't.)

When I got to the school I saw Astrid standing outside looking very guilty, and her teachers told me it was projectile vomit and she hadn't had another incident. Astrid told me she was doing an art project with other kids and "I spit all over Amy's paper." I had to explain to her that it was okay, that all of us get sick sometimes and Amy understands it was an accident, and she didn't mean to throw up on her paper.

So I took her to the doctor and sure enough Astrid has an ear infection in her right ear. The pediatrician was quite shocked that this was her first ear infection and she's 3 1/2 years old. I guess they're quite common in kids. The left ear is perfectly fine. We caught it in the early stages and the pediatrician recommended waiting 4 weeks to see if it wouldn't just clear up on it's own. Only thing she recommended was that Astrid not go swimming (which at the time was a Friday evening event at the YMCA with her babysitter).

So we tried that. I got Astrid some ear drops and we all thought her ear infection had cleared up since she said her ears felt better and never complained about any pain. But I scheduled another appointment 4 weeks later just to make sure, and get a clean bill of health - only to find that her ear infection had gotten worse. On a scale of 1 to 10, the pediatrician said it was a 7 and prescribed an antibiotic - Omoxycillan - twice a day for 10 days.

U. and I felt awful. All this time she had an ear infection and was in great spirits and never complained about the pain. We started to think maybe she was like us - with a high threshold for pain. And after 4 weeks the doctor said it should have cleared up on it's own if the body was going to heal itself.

Today I went back again, just to make sure, and sure enough the ear infection is STILL there. It hasn't gotten worse, but it hasn't gotten better either. This is Astrid's FIRST ear infection, and FIRST time taking any antibiotics, but the infection appears to not be responding to the antibiotics. So now our pediatrician has prescribed a stronger antibiotic to be taken for another 10 months.

At this point it doesn't appear that pain is a problem, but I'm more concerned about it affecting her hearing in her right ear. The left ear is still free and clear. But 2 months of an ear infection in the right ear does worry me. Each time we go back Astrid always reassures me that her ear is fine and the infection went away and she can go swimming again. I hope that in 3 weeks, at our follow up visit, that will be the prognosis.

Astrid memorized her lines & has them down pat!

2008-12-08T21:25:00.001-08:00

At Astrid's preschool, they've got all the kids rehearsing for the Christmas recital which is going to take place in a couple weeks. They're singing a bunch of Christmas songs as is expected and they've got some choreography - Astrid has shown me the hand and arm movements.

One day when I was signing Astrid out of school, I saw a note was placed inside for me to take. It contained the lyrics to songs and 4 lines of dialogue - and asked that parents practice with their children at home. I thought "wow 4 lines for a 3 year old" but knowing that she loves this kind of stuff I was all for it.

We practiced that night and she just wanted to keep going. I would say, "Okay that's enough it's getting late. It's time to sleep now. We'll practice more tomorrow." And Astrid would protest, "No mama! Again! Let's do it again!" What a perfectionist! The fact that she has 100% of my attention also helps I'm sure. She loves that.

Last week the school coordinator approached me and asked if it was okay for Astrid to have a speaking part and if I thought Astrid could handle the 4 lines of dialogue. I explained to her that at first I thought it was a lot, but Astrid loves to sing and dance and perform and she was a star at her last recital that had the parents talking about her for weeks afterwards, so I didn't think it would be a problem. She said, "Oh good good. I saw that in her, which is why I chose her as one of three kids to have a speaking part. I thought she could handle it." Wow - kudos to Astrid for shining in that space.

Here are the lines:
"On Christmas Eve, we stay up late.
We cannot sleep. We just can't wait
for Christmas morning to arrive.
It's oh so hard to close our eyes!"

And tonight I was so happy for her when she finally memorized her lines and got them down pat! She would even take the piece of paper and pretend to be reading it. Of course she can't read yet, but the fact that she was able to say all 4 lines smoothly really looked like she was reading for the part. I clapped. I cheered. I gave her a one woman standing ovation, and lots of hugs and kisses.

In return she wanted to repeat her lines another 10 times, and was so proud of herself and overjoyed that she had done it. She was so motivated to learn her part and that sheer determination of hers at 3 years old is awe inspiring.

I'm one proud Mama.

Astrid at the nail salon

2008-12-06T18:00:00.000-08:00

Astrid comes with me to the nail salon. I only allow her to put a neutral shade of pink on her toenails that is barely noticeable. But they give her a mini pedicure and manicure - wash her feet, cut & file & clean under her nails, and massage her hands & feet with lotion. She loves it. I look up and see her laughing and giggling with the nail salon lady.

It's more to keep her occupied while I'm getting my nails done, and it keeps her nails clean and trimmed. Plus it gives U. a couple hours of kid-free time to work or sleep - so everyone is happy.

Cooking with Mama

2008-11-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's a recap of this morning:
Me: "Astrid? Do you want to help Mama cook?"
Astrid: "Um... No, you can do it by yourself."

About 5 minutes later:
Me: "Astrid? Are you sure you don't want come down and help Mama cook for Thanksgiving?"
Astrid: "Okay sure!"

She was a great help. As I cut the ends off the vegetables, she would toss them into the trash bag. The same goes for squash and carrot skins that I peeled away. And as soon as I'd chop the squash into 1 inch squares, she would put them into the mixing bowl. She got really excited to do that part.

U. went for a run, but right before he left he said, "If she gets to be too much you can give her TV" and he spelled out TV in German which sounds like "T" "Fow". I think he was worried that she would turn into a whining mess left alone with mom who had her hands full with Thanksgiving food preparation. It made me laugh because TV now is a last resort. We just don't want her watching it if possible.

But he needn't have worried. She was a good little girl helping me, and then reading her books and coloring away as I worked in the kitchen. She would come check in with me every so often to see if I was doing something new and to ask me a bunch of questions (the new stage of a million questions about everything) and then she was content to have me be busy while she kept herself entertained. It was a piece of cake.

Now U. and Astrid went out for some "coffee and bread." U. gets Astrid a warm organic milk and they share a croissant. I feel like I should be doing something rather than just lounging. But it would be nice to take a short cat nap before dinner.

*Yawn*
Life is good.