Big Girl, Big Bed

And just like that, another milestone is checked off, another footstep toward being a "big girl" is taken. Lately, Lizzy has been complaining a lot about her "little" bed. I think she felt like it was babyish, and to her credit, it was getting pretty small. Almost every night when I would tuck her in after she was asleep, her legs would be hanging out on the floor. Now she has a new, pretty, beautiful big girl bed. It looks so lovely in her room, and she loves it very much. I'm happy for her, but I'm nostalgic too. I remember when we got her crib, before we even knew who she was. I loved it so much! It was so beautiful and new, so totally darling with the cute newborn bedding. Then I loved her little bed. I loved that Papa helped Pat put it together, that it was a real symbol of accomplishment from the painful move from the crib and the first tastes of freedom. It still clung to being little: tiny bed=tiny person. Well, if that's true, then now we've got one big girl. Now she loves to lay on her bed and read, or draw, or play with dolls. She even sits on it and listens to music sometimes. It's starting to feel eerily like a teenagers room! I love this little girl, but I do miss the baby she was.

Spectators

Daddy had a great idea, so we decided to try it out last Friday night. Since Lizzy and Peter both love soccer, why not watch the Stanford women's game? It didn't start until pretty late, but we decided to give it a go anyways. We went out to dinner, then over to the stadium. They even had do-it-yourself face-painting out, so we put our gamefaces on, literally, then took our seats. The kids were enraptured. They loved watching the girls warm up. The stands were pretty full, and the fans were excited. Those girls are great! We all enjoyed watching them, and had a fun night. It felt so fun to be out on the town at night with the kids, and we definitely want to try another game soon.

Little Girls

After Lizzy has soccer, we usually walk over to visit the ducks. The ducks, I'm sure, dread this encounter, because of course we don't just admire them from a distance and offer a friendly "hello." We (and by we I mean Lizzy and Peter) chase them, and torment them, and shout, and squeal, and take great delight in waking them and watching them scurry into the water just out of reach of our eager little hands. Lizzy loves to explore and get "lost" in the "wild" areas around the duck pond, the places semi-secluded by drooping tree branches. I love that feeling too, where you feel "hidden" behind a veil of leaves and bushes, and it's just you and nature, alone in your own conversation. Peter tries and tries to find a duck that won't run away from him, and when that fails, he delights in putting his fingertips in the water, and running sticks through the pond. This last time, we spotted a kindred spirit. Another little girl with a big long stick was "fishing" in the pond. She came running right up to Lizzy, and there began the sweet conversation between two little girls that I love so much to hear. I love their mutual curiosity and interest. I love hearing, "What's your name?" and "How old are you?" I love that right away, they feel the connection of shared interest, something in common, the joy of inviting a friend into your imagination. We had the best time running around with this little girl, playing in trees, and then even hitting up story time together. When we parted, I wished we could see her again. I hope our paths will cross by the pond another day.

Superman Lives

Well, Halloween was three days ago, and Peter is still feeling the spirit. He's worn his Superman costume everyday, all day, since his Halloween debut. Yup, he's gone to church, to Safeway, to vote, on a bike ride, and yes, even to school, dressed up as Superman. It's now become totally normal for strangers to call out, "Hey, Superman!" and I swear, sometimes Peter answers them. I'll even share a pretty gross fact about the Superman costume. Peter ate his yogurt too fast the other afternoon and threw up on himself. I seriously considered just throwing it away (which is my go-to response when someone throws up on themselves or steps in poop), but I knew how much he loved that costume, so I washed it out. Wow..... a mother's love knows no bounds! I wonder how long he'll wear this thing? So far, no end in site! I'll let you know when he leaps a tall building in a single bound. Maybe tomorrow?

E-L-I-Z-A-B-E-T-H

Elizabeth has had "Lizzy" down for a while now, and often writes her name on her own. But now it's time she tackle a new challenge- her very lovely, very long, full name. When we were at Grandma and Papa's the other day, she gave it a try on the blackboard. After a few tries, she was really getting the hang of it. Wow! What a big girl she is now! What will she surprise us with next.....

Papa's Birthday

We feel pretty fortunate that we get to spend so much time with our Grandma and Papa. It was Papa's birthday, so we went to have lunch with him to celebrate his special day. Elizabeth, on her own accord, wanted to make a book for Papa. She entitled it, "Birds and Birds," and she wrote all about how much Papa loves birds. We had a special lunch, lots of wonderful conversation, and enjoyed the usual attractions of Grandma and Papa's house- riding our scooters in the backyard, playing with cars, climbing in the treehouse, and kicking the ball around in the backyard. As a special treat, we even enjoyed a yummy ice cream cake. Happy Birthday to our favorite Papa! We love you so:)

Halloween!

I think Halloween may be my favorite holiday. First of all, it is darling to see these little kids all dressed up, looking so silly and wonderful, yet at the same time totally earnest and confident. Like it's totally normal to watch Sleeping Beauty in a heated soccer match with Buzz Lightyear and an elephant moments before eating pizza and then trick-or-treating. Then, there's the buzz of excitement, the anticipation, as dusk starts to settle and trick-or-treating begins. They start off all nervous, timidly knocking on the first door, but quickly get their confidence, and are darting from house to house, giddy with the joy of treats and compliments. There's the hint of daring, as it's getting darker and street lights begin to come on. Isn't it late? Aren't we usually home by now? But tonight is a special night. We visit houses we normally just walk by, laugh with neighbors we've never met, and share smiles and candy with strangers. For one fleeting night, we're all friends, all connected, all happy and carefree. Isn't it intoxicating? Isn't it magical? If only it were Halloween every night.