Halfway Down

Halfway Down A. A. Milne

Halfway down the stairsIs a stair where I sit.There isn't any other stairQuite like it.I'm not at the bottom,I'm not at the top;So this is the stairWhere I always stop. Halfway up the stairs Isn't up and isn't down.It isn't in the nursery,It isn't in the town. And all kinds of funny thoughtsGo running round my head:"It isn't really anywhere! It's somewhere else instead!"

Lately, when Luis wakes up from his nap, he brings his "baca and blankie" down to the landing for a little extra rest. Sometimes, he lays there for 5 minutes; sometimes for 30 minutes. Luis knows that he can't bring the Baca downstairs. Luis and I have come to a silent agreement that the landing is a "Baca-OK place".

Practicing for the Swim Suit Edition?

It's been a week since I took this picture and I've already forgotten what was going on - why I allowed Luis to lay down on the kitchen island and why he wanted up in the first place. Oh well, I still think it's a cute picture.

Luis Gives Dance Lessons

The other day, Luis was watching TV and got up to dance to a song. He called me over to "show" me how to dance. His instructions included:

-Stick out your tongue

-Stretch out your arms

-Shake

Mr. Chatty

At some point, when I wasn't looking, Luis's vocabulary expanded exponentially. Not only is he using more words, he's building more complex sentences.

In Mr. Kyle's pool: Mommy, my cup is floating away and I need to swim after it.

Coming home from the store: When there are lots of cars, that's called traffic and you have to be careful. That's true.

About the construction in our house: The kitchen floor is missing. But the men (the framers) are there (at the house) and they have lots of work to do. They are good workers.

Then there are the funny things he says-

Talking to Todd, with some coins in his hand: I've got the money AND the honey.

He's also starting to make connections on his own. The other day, he noticed a man going into Kyle's backyard. I asked something about the Pool Man. Luis: Mommy, can I go into Mr. Kyle's back yard to see what the Pool Man is doing?. In the past, despite being pretty sure who the guy was, there would have been some back and forth to make sure (Mommy - who is that? It's the Pool Man. Is that the Pool Man? Yes.).

Recently, Luis has added several affirmatives to his regular vocabulary, that's true, absolutely, sure, and Yeah- let's do that. I like to hear so many agreeable things coming out of his mouth. But it also makes me feel good: while it feels like I say a whole lot of 'No', clearly I am saying enough Yeses that they are sticking in his vocabulary.

Craziness

Two weeks ago was a crazy week with Diego home sick for two days (he's feeling much better now), Luis's school closing on Wednesday to clean up after a swine flu case was reported, and the cable guy being here all day Thursday. I am enough like my dad that THAT much disruption to the schedule threw me for a loop. Friday night, I went to be at 8:30p!

This week is crazy because half of my kitchen, the back entrance to our house and the laundry room floors are being torn out (of the house we are renting in TX). It's a complicated story, but when the owners did a big renovation 5 years ago, somebody didn't properly account for rain and runoff water, resulting in water under the sub-floor and a completely rotten sub-floor and floor. (Who that "somebody" is is the million dollar question - I don't know the answer.)

This week was demo week. Next week, they'll put new sub-floor in, reinstall the cabinets, reinstall the tops and stove top. The week after new tile floor will come in. The plan is that the whole duration will be about 3 weeks, but I should only be shut out of my kitchen for 5 days.

I'll post more next week.

The first day they removed the counter tops

The second day they removed the cabinets

The third day they removed the floor and some of the rotten floor joists

This is the pile of what they took out

If I were to actually walk in through the back door this morning, I'd fall into this hole

Hair Cut

(Before and After)

Since moving to Texas, I've taken up cutting Luis's hair; a job that was Diego's when we lived in Mumbai and Genet's (the supercut's lady) when we were in Virginia. I've had some decent cuts and some not-quite decent cuts. However, I'm feeling very proud of the job I did last night. I still need some practice, but I feel my technique is getting much better.

If you can't take the heat, stay out of the tent

I am beginning to wonder if a person's internal thermometer isn't something they are born with. Luis's interest in playing outside is completely independent of what the temperature is like. And when it's extreme (very hot or very cold), he's usually happy to keep playing until his face is the color of a tomato or his fingers fall off from frostbite.

Yesterday, it was 102 degrees in the afternoon. That's not what it felt like, that was the actual temperature. It felt hotter. Occasionally there would be a breeze, which made it tolerable to be outside.

Luis wanted to play outside. I was about to start making dinner. Diego wanted to air out our tent (which hasn't been used for camping in Luis's lifetime, though probably a few years more than his lifetime). The perfect solution was for Diego and Luis to go outside and pitch the tent (and for me to stay close to the air conditioning vent).

Once the tent was pitched, though, Luis came and got me so he could show it to me. Then, he wanted me to get inside with him (and Ashley, too). I obliged. (Diego, politely declined.) And I lasted approximately 4 1/2 minutes before heat stroke set in. Luis stayed in about 5 more minutes. When he finally got out he said, "Mommy, the tent makes me verrrrrrrry sweaty."

Not Just Every Seventeen Years, EVERY Year

In Virginia, we saw cicadas every seventeen years. And when I say "saw", I mean that at the height of cicada season, every flat surface was covered with a cicada carcass. It was a big deal, too. I remember my first cicada year in 6th grade (though now that I think about it, it could have been 7th). We got them again when Diego and I were in Falls Church together. The newspaper did loads of stories about them - even going so far as to offer up cicada recipes.

Last week when Jeanette and Eric were visiting, Eric asked about the all-day-long droning noise that was too loud to be crickets. Turns out, cicadas come to Dallas (TX?) every year. We've been listening to them for over a month - like a distant neighbor running a power yard tool ALLLLLLLL day long. In the last two or three days, their carcases have started gracing the yard.

Saturday night, Diego found one and put it in a jar for Luis. Sunday morning, Luis was in awe of it. When I woke up he said to me, "Mommy - Daddy got me a special treat this morning. Come see; come see; come see. It was not chocolate milk, as I had suspected, but the cicada. You can't really see the cicada in the picture above, but you can see how Luis is holding it; how he held it for about 2 hours! While it's true that the cicada was alive when presented to Luis and not alive when Luis finally lost interest in it, to his credit, Luis did not squish or manhandle the little insect in any way.

Not Quite Sure

This picture was on the camera when I downloaded today. Diego took it on Thursday when I wasn't around. The more I look at it, the less I can begin to guess what, specifically, he was trying to capture. But what I do see is a good snapshot (figuratively and literally) of the toys Luis most loves to play with at the moment:

Thomas the Tank Engine (which is slightly defective and often makes the beep-beep-honk-honk noise of a train endlessly until one of us threatens to take it away unless Luis turns it off)

Tonka Trucks (a wonderful birthday present from Bibi & Grandpa Sandy)

Ikea Blocks (which, interestingly, he most likes to use to build boats)

Playdoh

Do A Dots (an awesome gift from Sarah)

Imagination Showing Through

Tonight, as I was cutting Luis's hair, he said to me: "Mommy, when I was a grown up, I used to cut YOUR hair."

(haircut pictures will be posted tomorrow, assuming it looks OK in the morning - it was still wet at bedtime)

Good Questions

This morning, we were all (Diego, Luis and I) on our way to Target. Luis asked, "Can we go to the library and be quiet?"

After 20 minutes inside Target, with Luis running around and using his outside voice, Diego asked me, "Can we convince Luis that Target is the library so that he'll be quiet there?"

Wouldn't that be nice...

Happy Anniversary Dodie & Alison

Today marks Dodie & Alison's eleventh anniversary. Five different US addresses (and countless in Tanzania and Kenya), four post-graduate degrees, three children, two free cars, and one amazing adventure after another later - they are still two people I admire, love and respect immensely. I hope you have a great celebration in Mombasa!

(I had to search my photo archives to find a picture with the two of them - and didn't come up with a great one. This is from July 2007.)

What would YOU call them?

Bethany & Caleb came over for a play on Tuesday. It was HOT. After a bit of running around and sandbox play, I turned on the sprinkler for the boys. Caleb stripped down to his undies. Luis looked at me, a bit distressed and said, " Mommy, I need my.... uhm, my .... (turns and looks at Caleb), my ... SPRINKLER PANTS!!"

Dallas From Jeanette & Eric's Camera

Jeanette, Eric & Aaron were here for the long weekend. This is the weekend in pictures - get the story here.

Luis and the penguins

It was SO HOT at the zoo, that we relished cooling off in the misters!

... and Aaron relished cooling off in the stream at the children's zoo

Jeanette & Aaron sharing some kisses

"Mommy - it's really HOT in Texas!"

Eric & Luis on the carousel (at the zoo)

Luis and his map - he carried it around for most of our trip at the zoo

Luis on the island in the kitchen - not sure what was happening here...

Aaron trying out the Exersaucer; jury is still out

Luis & Aaron in the kitchen

Ashley showing Aaron some love

Happenings in the kitchen

Luis & Thomas (the tank engine)

Chugga chugga chugga chugga CHOO CHOO

Luis & Baby Aaron

Jeanette, Eric and Aaron came to Dallas for a vacation - er, Family Trip (we've decided that travelling with a toddler isn't really called a vacation). This was the first Family Trip that they have taken since Aaron was born at the end of January. While he seemed to be a total delight to us - easy going, fun, full of smiles, and a good sleeper & eater - Jeanette and Eric wished that he'd been a bit more of his easy-going self that he is at home (where he is apparently an even better sleeper & eater and is even more easy going and fun).

They arrived late (much later than scheduled) Wednesday night and stayed until mid-day today. Aaron is a little over 5 months now, but it was the first time we had met him. Diego and Eric played a lot of golf. Jeanette and I had some girls time away (which always involved at least one stop by Starbucks - mmmmm). Luis enjoyed everyone and everything. Our only group outing was to the zoo (a favorite of ours) on July 4th. It was HOT HOT HOT; probably about 101 or 102 and very, very humid. The quick trip ended at the Children's zoo with Luis and Aaron swimming in the stream and all of the grown ups dipping their feet in to cool off. Sunday evening, we had some of our favorite people over for a casual dinner. I was glad that Jeanette and Eric could meet our friends here - as well as the fact that our friends here could me some of our friends from "home".

Unfortunately, Luis kept getting a bit confused. It was just two weeks ago that we were in Atlanta visiting Baby Eston. So more times than not this weekend, Luis would inquire after Baby Eston, not Baby Aaron.

The Fort - The After-hours Party

Luis & Eric Make Freedom Toast

Eric and Luis made breakfast for us all on Saturday morning, Luis's FAVORITE - Freedom Toast. Eric was very sweet to let Luis "help", and to clean up all the sticky egg white that ended up on the counter and to pick out all the little - and not so little pieces of shell that ended up in the batter. For his part, Luis did a great jog cracking - and counting - the juevos.

Crazy Hair

After playing in the sprinkler on Thursday, Luis had some big, big hair.

Green Popsicles & Self Portraits

I managed to buy popsicles that come in the most vibrant colors - and that turn your mouth a deep, deep hue. In this case, green. Then, we decided to take a few more self-portraits while we were at it.