Open house and parties.

And now some pictures from Isabelle's October open house at her pre school.





Isabelle has made a couple of friends at school. Finley and Camlynn are her favorites. She went to Finley's third birthday party recently and had a lot of fun. We went over and had dinner at Finely's house during the blizzard of 2008 (HOLY COW! PAUL AND LEAH SOCIALIZED). They are quite cute together, almost the exact same size and age--and going through the same "welcome to three-devil-child" stage. Anyhow, here are some party pix:

Finley is the little blond boy on her immediate right, Camlynn to her left.



Isabelle and Finley dog-piling down the slide into two bigger boys.



Isabelle and Camlynn.




mmmmm. Cake.

Yeehaw.

Isabelle started taking riding lessons in September. Because I am the recalcitrant blogger and because we had (A) a broken camera; and (B) a broken computer--I haven't posted any pictures. These are from her first lesson way back when. This is Jeanna she is riding (and who she usually rides, although she has also ridden Indigo and very much wants to ride the paint pony "Whisper").

She of course has zero fear, and very often refuses to hold on. At her last lesson the horse balked at something and jumped back, Isabelle thought it was loads of fun. My little daredevil. Up next: toddler skydiving.








Walking Jeanna by the leadrope is also a big deal. And lately Isabelle has been learning to (well attempting to) use her legs to tell Jeanna to go. Of course, her legs are already so stretched apart she can barely get enough clearance to kick--but she bellows "GO JEANNA" quite clearly.

Let is snow (and snow and snow...)

Well, in case you haven't heard, Portland had one of its biggest snowstorms EVER over the last 10 days. Things are finally melting now (which is actually a relief), but boy did we have some snow. Isabelle loooooved it and would wake up at 7 am wanting to go out and play in it (mind you it was 21 degrees outside at the time!). She had a lot of fun. However, I think even she was ready for it to melt by the time it started too. It will be fun when it comes again. Isabelle's top snow activities: (1) playing in it; (2) eating it (including large icy chunks and the icicles that came off the roof); (3) pelting her parents with snow balls (which we were required to make prior to the said pelting) and (4) making real-snow snow-cones!












Notice the icicles on the roof. I went outside many a times in my bathrobe and slippers to pry some off so the could be happily munched by the princess.

Three months in two paragraphs.

So, i have fallen down on the job posting. Which is bad because a lot has happened since August. So here's the Readers Digest version: Isabelle started pre school at a little church preschool in Lake Oswego. She has 8 other little 2.5-3 years olds in her class and according to her teachers is "assertive" and "plays beyond her years." She really likes school and her teachers, Mrs. Galloway and Ms. Stanger, seem very sweet. She also started riding lessons about every other week and a pretty little stable in the Bethany area. She rides Gina and Indigo, and does really well (although sometimes a half hour is too long and she wants to get off and play in the dirt and/or rocks, much to my chagrin). At her last lesson she tried to learn to kick Indigo's sides and say walk--I wish I had brought the video, Indigo is a full grown horse and her tiny legs couldn't muster a true kick--but she certainly said 9well shouted) "walk Indigo!" in a very commanding way. She really likes the horses and of course, shows no fear.

She also is taking her classes at the Mac Club (crafts and some running around type classes). She has really fun teachers and enjoys herself immensely. She also can pretty much swim without any life vest. Its just in the "hot pool" at Ninny's but she does an amazing job and can fold her breath and float, and, well, swim. I am sure by this upcoming summer she will be off the diving board int he "cold pool" unassisted.

There's more of course, but its late and I need to scoot home to see her cheery little self. I promise not to be so delinquent going forward.

Fun in the sun!

We went to San Diego for five days in mid-August. We stayed with my cousin Shana and her family and had a great time. Isabelle, in particular loved the carousel at Balboa Park (she insisted on riding on the kitty....all 8 times). The carousel is awesome--Kristine and i used to ride on it for hours--and if you sit on the outer ring you can try to grab the brass ring and win a free ride. Clearly, Isabelle was too small to try, but as you can see below, she like pretending to be grabbing for it:






She also liked walking in the little fountains and tributaries at the park, which I allowed, despite the fact that they looked about as clean as a sewage treatment plant. I suppose its good for her long term immunity, right?




And what stream isn't made better by a lack of clothing?



We also went to my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary. Isabelle had fun, especially with Emily and with the bread sticks.





She got to experience some real rides at Sea World, which was fun too. And she got a new llama from Grammy. A fluffy white llama, aptly names While Llama. White Llama wasn't readily accepted and spent the first few nights in another room after being unceremoniously removed from her room by Isabelle. White Lllama joins other creatively named "friends" including Oldie Llama (also from Grammy), Girl Llama, and Newie Llama. Oldie has all of his hair picked off and has been relegated to second string. For some unknown reason Newie, never really was accepted (although never deliberately removed as WL was). WL has now become the favored llama, the alpha llama if you will, and is cherished by Isabelle and must travel with her at all time. Girl Llama runs a close second.

It was a great trip!

Fears.

I am not sure exactly when it started, but a few months ago Isabelle started having dreams. She talk in her sleep occasionally and her dream usually seem to encompass Molly in them. We have heard her say "no Molly, put that back" or "Do it again Molly." Those little dreams are quite cute. But the other thing that seems to have happened right around the same time is Isabelle's development of scary dreams and fears.

A few time she has woken up crying for no apparent reason and seemed very clingy and distraught. She has also started to want to sleep with a night light. of course, from reading various parenting books I know that Isabelle's fears and request for a night light are completely age appropriate...if not very worrisome to her Mama.

One of her newest fears is a common, yet surprising one: bugs. As you know I have cultivated a very bug friendly environment for Isabelle. I catch spiders to return them to the outdoor wild, we let ladybugs crawl on our arms, and we watch the bees collect nectar to make honey (Isabelle likes to tell me, very teasingly, they are going to make juice...this cracks her up.). Anyhow, when we were in San Diego last week we went to the beach and a big June bug landed on my hand. it was shiny and green and although Isabelle didn't want to hold it, she did touch it.

The next day, however, a June bug apparently landed in her hair. She was outside with Markus and freaked out. Markus carried her in and I held her, but ever sine then she has been totally paranoid of bugs. Just seeing a bee now will make her whine and get agitated. We tell her its just Barry B. Benson and making honey and that bees are our friends, but that seems to only momentarily placate her.

I understand the June bug incident must have been scary -- but her reaction just seems so extreme, poor little thing. Luckily, we already have several buggie books (since she used to like them) and hopefully we can work through this. Fears are tough to deal with, even when you are two.

Bonzai!

And now for something completely different. Look at my beautiful little girl, these are from Mother's Day.




And now evidence of what happens when your beautiful princess is raised by her father:

Tickling my face and washing my eyes.

I love to tickle Isabelle. She has ticklish thighs and feet and armpits. She of course, now likes to tickle back. She likes it when we laugh (even if sometimes feigned) and kick and try to squirm away. Of course, it doen't really tickle all that much. She has little claws with scraggly fingernails (despite my best efforts), so "tickling" is usually some marginally painfull ordeal. Not that she normally would ever need to know this, we just laugh and joyfullly protest, which gives her great glee.

I finally have had to draw the line (well kind of) as her latest fun involves tickling my face at night. There I was, lying next to her cuddling with her cute cubby little self when in saw outlines of small claws raised menacingly just inches from my face. With the battle cry "I tickle your face, Mama!" the claws decended upon my delicate eye area, wriggling and thrusting...I jeked up my hands to cover my eyes, but it was too late, I had been scratched right under my eye, and so I shrieked in pain. This receoling only served to invigoarte and entertain Isabelle and the claws came back for about 39572 more swipes...er, tickles. The whole thing just cracked her up. My poor under-eye wasnt quite so amused.

She still likes to tickle my face, almost every night in fact. But now I am much wiser and much more on gaurd. My gaurd, however, was not up during a recent bath experience. Have you ever had someone rub Purpose face cleanser into your eye when you don't know its coming? No? Well, I can assure you its a most painful thing.

Isabelle sometimes likes to take a bath with me in "Mama's bath." It's very sweet and I don't mind having water pured on me and my armpits tickled (she tells me she is going to "wash" my back and thwen tickles me). That's all good clean fun. Isabelle knows that Mama's special face soap is off limits. Or at least I thought so.

About two weeks ago we were in the bath and I was washing my face. You know how it gets, your eyes are squinched shut and you face sudsy. I had just rinsed my face with a cup of water and was getting to the eye-opening phase when, once again, I felt the stab of little fingers. This time they came with the merry statement "I wash your eyes, Mama" as stinging cleanser was thrust into my squinted orbs. And again, I shrieked, and again Isabelle was delighted.

Bombs away!

I suppose we all knew it was just a matter of time. And, as far as my heart goes, I am kind of glad I have yet to witness what was inevitable: Isabelle blasting herself off the end of the diving board a Ninny's house. Yes, that's right my social butterfly, who loves everything WATER now jumps off the diving board "all by myself." She does wear a life vest, of course.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. She has been holding her breath under water for a while now (conservatively, she has done it for 10 seconds), she went shooting off the big water slides on vacation like a loon, she jumps into the "hot pool" right in to your arms, never caring if her head goes under...but still, the diving board?!? How did I -- adverse to all risk -- get such a daredevil of a child?

Hola Poeples!

We had our (roughly) annual vacation this year to a spot about an hour south of Cancun in the Myan Riviera. Because we took Molly to Hawaii with us last year, we took Zach this year. We stayed, for the first time at an all-inclusive, which I heretofor viewed as beneath my Four Seasons taste...well, here's to all inclusives when travelling with kids. Especially with a 13 year old boy -- my god the kid can eat!

Anyhow, we had a great time. In particular Isabelle had a great time. Between the pool, the ocean and the fountains, it was a toddler paradise!

Isabelle learned a small bit of Spanish along the way, and routinely called out "hola peoples!" as we would go by. She also learned to say gracias and, ahem, cerveza ("CERBASA!") por favor. She was adorable! Ever since we returned home we have repeatedly been told "I like hotel" "I go Mexico again" and every plane we see flying over is, of course, headed to Mexico. Here's some pictures of the good times we had:

The hotel had an AWESOME kids water park. Isabelle closed it down nightly and got to where she could go up and down all the slides "all by myself."







Zach was a great travelling companion and did a lot to entertain Isabelle. In this picture she looks so sweet, but she routinely abused him by pummeling him, pushing him down the slides, covering him with sand, and doing her best imitation of Godzilla on his sand castles.


The buffets were great. Lucky for Isabelle there were many meat selections. Here is a fvorite for my little lion: chicken on the bone.


Although not as entisincg as the pool, Isabelle also liked the warm, clear ocean. Getting used to the crashing of the waves was also fun!


Fountains...the courtyard was filled with them. Isabelle had to stop at every fountain and EVERY SPICKET on every fountain and touch or stick her head in it.



Needless to say, someone was sleepy by naptime.


How did I get such a beautiful little girl?



The resort (Barcelo Maya Palce) was huge and actually five resorts in one. Tjere was a little "train" that you could take to the different sister hotels on the resort porperties. Isabelle LOVED the train. One night while sitting on this very bench (see below) Isabelle saw the train coming and shriek and spazed with such delight she toppled right off the bench backwards. My silly girl. Such simple pleasures.


The waterpark had waterfall stairs, very fun!


The sand castle face off. Guess who won!?



Ms. I have No Fear...of Anything gleefully holding an iguana.


Beautiful place.


The music was playin' and the booty was shakin!


Undeniably cool.


I know its a far away picture, but its of Isabelle and I at a dolphin encounter. She loved it of course and wanted "more" when it was time to go home.



We had a great time and have great memories of Mexico 2008!