Day 212: Drawer vs. Sivan

Drawer vs. Sivan

Drawer 1.  Sivan 0. 

Day 211: Kindergarten Play date

We had a kindergarten play date for Michal tonight at a nearby playground. It was nice, seeing some familiar faces and beginning to meet new ones. Sivan enjoyed the swings. A lot.

Day 210: Sisters

A few favorites of the girls tonight.

Playing hide and seek through the chair. 

Trying to get her sister to chase her

Is she coming?

Run away!!

Day 209: Paneer-rific

Nope. She didn't like her dinner. Not one bit. 

Off to the bath with her. 

Day 208: Sick Day

Sivan unfortunately had a bit of a stomach issue Sunday night, so we had to keep her home from day care on Monday. I think the "sick" was actually not actual being sick, but nonetheless a sick day it was.

We took Michal to school. Sivan hasn't made an appearance in preschool since May, so she was quite the celebrity, even as she ignores the paparazzi here. 

She took epic naps. EPIC. This is at the end of her first 3.5 hour long nap. Later she took a two hour long nap. This is not normal.

Lunch was pretty bland in case her tummy was still upset. Bananas and Cheerios. Not that she tried to shove them into her mouth or anything.

Where'd they go??

Day 207: Sneaky

We spent a lovely Sunday recuperating from all of the fun had on Saturday.  After family breakfast, Kosh and Michal headed off to some stables for a birthday party, and Sivan and I hung out at home, running errands, and taking naps. 

At one point I caught Sivan making a break for it up the stairs. She's quick and this is increasingly becoming her favorite way to show off her naughty streak. 

I dare you to not smile at her. She's a riot, standing there like she isn't being mischievous.

Day 206: Grandma Day

Josh and I headed to New York City for the day, so the girls spent the day with grandma. I haven't heard all the details of the day, but first on the docket was breakfast, where we got this picture. 

I wouldn't be surprised if that entire pancake was gone by the end of the meal. Sivan has quite the appetite - growing is hard work!

Day 205: Splash Into Shabbat

Tonight was a special program at the JCC called Splash into Shabbat, so we made sure to be there to see friends and celebrate together. That and we have two water babies so it was a no brainer. 

Don't let this picture fool you. I'm not sure why she's crawling away from he baby pool - or why she insists on crawling on concrete - but she had a blast in the pool. 

I got her into the pool for a bit, but she seemed quite focused on climbing out. She kept trying to sit down in the pool, which she's a little too short for, so we went into the big (heated) pool.  No pictures from that, but the warmer water must have made all the difference. She kept putting her face in the water and danced all over the place. Her big sister loved it, too, diving down to the bottom of the pool and jumping in by herself. Yay for summer!

Day 204: B Zany

I love when these two play together. It doesn't happen too often, so when it works out in such a way where Michal doesn't knock Sivan over or sit on her or something else, well, that's a win. 

Such concentration. Here the cooperation begins to wane. Michal seems to need the beads that are on Sivan's side. It all worked out in the end. 

Day 203: Cheeser Grin

While I don't want to rush Sivan to walk, there are times it would be nice if she were walking. Like when she crawls on the concrete outside. Ouch!

Not that she seemed to matter. And just look at that Cheeser grin. Such a love. 

Day 202: Cuddles

Just a quick post today. I frequently have to convince Sivan to cuddle with me before bedtime. It's not that she doesn't want to, it's that looking all around her room is far more interesting. Well tonight she dove in for the cuddle. She was pretty sleepy. Love this kid. 

Day 201: Dinner Companion

We ended up going out to dinner tonight after an incident on the commuter train rails necessitated Josh finding an alternative way home, which includes us picking him up. It was a perfectly lovely meal, but the experience underscored one simple reality.

Sivan really likes talking to other people. People who aren't in her immediate family and eating at the same table. 

And she has curly hair. I keep waiting for those curls to disappear. 

Day 200: Star Wars Baseball

Today we headed downtown for the annual Star Wars game with the Washington Nationals. It was incredibly hot, as is to be expected in the middle of July in DC, but we hung in for a while. Just a few pics from the day.

Sivan's first trip on the metro. 

What, Ima? I'm just surfing the metro. No biggie. 

Posing with George Washington, who was wearing a Darth Maul mask. All of the presidents were cosplaying. 

So hot. So sleepy. We made it brought four innings before the melting got the better of us.

Day 199: Mt. Goon

These two goons are sitting on top of me as I lay on the couch. I don't even know what they're doing, but it's cracking me up. 

Day 198: New Kicks

Someone got some new shoes and we decided to try them out today for the first time. She's just starting to take a few steps here and there, so it's time to get used to the footwear.

What are these things?

Isn't she just the cutest??

Day 197: Cookie Thursday

I don't know what got into us, but Michal and I decided to do a little baking when we got home today. Of course, it wasn't just the two of us - Sivan was around, and frankly she wants to be right there in the middle of the action. So up on my back she goes. She doesn't seem to mind too much.

Michal also learned the art of licking the beater. Yum. 

Day 196: Puzzles and Recliners

Sivan received this puzzle for her birthday, and until now she's mainly been interested in using the pieces as percussion instruments. Today she actually started to work on taking pieces out and putting them back in. She only succeeded with the circle pieces but she's showing an interest! 

Tired. Must recline. It's one of her favorite things to do when we hang out after work. She always crawls over to me and finds a way to sit or lean on me. I love it. 

Day 195: Not Sleepy

I'm not sleepy. I promise. I just want to lay here and cuddle my cup. Not tired. Not...

......

...still not tired, just holding my cup. 

Day 194: Dinner Dates

Josh had a late night tonight so the girls and I grabbed a quick dinner out before heading home for baths and bedtime. I had hurt my back on Saturday, so slaving over a hot stove didn't appeal. 

I should have opted for the hot stove. They may look angelic, but this may be the last time we eat out for a while. 

I think they're plotting here. "Okay, you find a way to open the unopenable sippy cup and dump a full six ounces of milk everywhere... Then, I will "accidentally" hit my open cup of water and spill it all over the bench seat, all the while egging on your velociraptor shrieks and squeals."

Yeah... It'll be a while before we eat in polite company again. 

Day 193: Sippy Happening

Back at Sivan's one year check up, everything was great, except she hadn't switched away from bottles yet. And not only had she not switched away permanently from bottles, but she refused to tolerate anything else. Sippy and straw cups were clearly only weapons for throwing. 

At that appointment we were given the goal of our 15 month appointment for the switch. And it seriously seemed like we would never get there. And then today, on her 14 month "birthday," this happened:

Just like that. Drinking from a sippy cup. 

I still want to get her onto a straw but for now, this will do. 

Day 192: Quick Target Stop

Sivan is a very social letter girl. When we go out and run shopping errands, I get lots of this: 

Waving and saying hello to people. Seemingly without a care in the world. 

And then she turns, so quickly it's like you are experiencing whiplash. 

I might have to start bringing my carrier into stores with me. The vast majority of the time she is content and happy but when this goes down, it's never convenient, and it'd be much easier to just wear her and have hands free to pay with a happy baby versus the screaming and annoyed looks. ::sigh::

Day 191: Quick Cuddles

We had a busy day today. Everyone was mostly back on their regular schedules after the upheaval of vacation, save for the addition of guys in the house installing our new HVAC unit - yay for air circulation! After day care, preschool camp, work, and errands, we headed up to Baltimore to have dinner with Josh's mom and pick up our other car, left there before our trip out west. By the time we got home there was just enough time for a diaper change, a tickle attack, and some cuddles. Well, at least Sivan got that. Michal got a couple of chapters of Harry Potter - only three chapters left!

Love hanging out with my silly girl, listening to Clair de Lune and enjoying those quiet moments. 

Day 190: Grouch Face

I don't know if it was the jet lag... or the lack of naps today... Or having too much fun at her daddy's company family bbq...

(Look how adorable she is, reclining on her throne as we wheel her around)

... but boy was bedtime rough tonight. It rarely is. Normally Sivan goes to bed, rolls right over and goes to sleep. Not tonight. Much hollaring and hysterical tears and hiccupy breathing tonight. So I tried to calm her down by bringing her into my bed with me. Of course I ended up drifting off more than she did, but it was still sweet cuddling with this grouch face. 

Her shirt says "small but mighty."  So true. 

Day 189: Going Home

Today we boarded two planes and headed home, flying from Oakland to Seattle and then, after a brief layover there, headed on home to Washington, D.C.  

Given the crazy nature of this trip, in particular the disjointed departure from various locations and my solo journey westward with the girls while Josh gallavanted around Las Vegas during a hellacious 1:00-7:00 am layover, I organized myself. I joked that my lists had lists and I had timelines for all aspects of planning, errand running, and traveling. I made sure both kids had adequate activities and snacks. 

You might wonder how all that planning worked. For the most part, as well as could be expected. Michal mostly entertained herself, although she didn't stick with any one given activity for more than 15 minutes. And then there was Sivan.  Dear, sweet, cherubic Sivan. 

Here is how traveling went - both going out to California as well as on the way back home - with a nearly 14 month old. 

Getting situated. Not that she had her own seat. In order to save a few shekels, and since she is allowed to do this up to the age of two, Sivan was a lap infant. Which means that while she is roughly the size of a three year old, she can sit on my lap and we won't be charged another seat. It sounded better in April than it was in practice. 

Another new favorite pastime - standing. This includes standing so she could wave to everyone, standing to check out the happenings in the rows behind or in front of us and, my favorite, standing so she can dance and jump on me. 

Oh boy. Seat back literature is HUGE with the under 18 month old set. Child could NOT put it down. Riveting. 

It might look like she is gazing serenely at the earth below. She might be, but I can't tell with all the face smooshage against the window. 

Getting cheeky and sticking her tongue out at herself. 

And the inevitable "but I don't WANT to nap ever" face. She did sleep for about half an hour on each trip but I didn't take a picture. Too busy thanking all that is good in the world for smiling upon me. 

Day 188: Bay Kids Discovery Museum

Today was our last full day in California. We headed out to Marin to go to the Bay Kids Discovery Museum, which is a pretty cool kids museum on what used to be Ft Baker in the Marin headlands. Pretty cool place. Since they had an actual play space just for kiddos under 42", we split up so the kids could play at their own rate. I don't know much of what this museum has for older kids, but Sivan seemed to dig the offerings for the younger set. 

She found a bubble baby!

Crawling and exploring 

Oh, hi there! 

She found me!

Love this goofy kid.