Stuck on you

Lucy's entered a new (flattering, tiring, sweet, exhausting) phase of her development/attachment. Recently, she just can't get enough touching. She wants to be on someone -- preferably me, but in a pinch, anyone -- ALL THE TIME. She's very demanding about it. "Mama, chair. Chair!!" when I'm required to sit on the couch with her. Or "Up-up-up!" to be carried. And if I try to ignore the up-up-up and make her walk on her own, she does this little hurry-up move and gets in front of me so that I either have to walk over her, stop, or pick her up. And when I do give in and carry her; she most often gets a little "handsy" if I'm not wearing a turtleneck. We've started co-sleeping many nights, and in our king bed I put a pillow or two lengthwise down the bed to us so that she isn't literally sleeping on my head. It usually does the trick, but last night I woke up with her down near the bottom of the bed, both arms wrapped around one of my legs. I don't remember that it's always been this way; I'm pretty sure it's something that's popped up over the past few months.

I haven't done ALL the attachment reading, or if I read it I didn't retain it...I hope it's a good thing. I hope -- and think -- it means she knows what she wants and is secure enough to "ask" (i.e. demand) it of us.

So, that's where we are. In other news, she FINALLY learned how to get down the stairs...still not walking, but learned to turn around and scoot down backwards. I think this newfound freedom to roam will be a huge help in her development. More and more language coming our way -- a few real sentences, too ("I need help." "I want ..."). Overall, just extraordinarily sweet and joyous. We're so lucky.

Peril? Puke? HILARIOUS!!

We're getting a handle Lucy's sense of humor...there isn't a lot that makes her laugh out loud, but when she does...well, that might be the best thing that's ever happened in my world. So far we've identified three laugh-out-loud things:

1. That video of a kitten puking we posted before -- still fantastic!

2. A 30 second segment of Dora where a baby jaguar falls over the edge of a waterfall -- hysterical!

3. A scene in the movie "Up" where they're getting blown about in a storm and things fall off the mantle and crash around and they're in danger of plummeting from the sky. FUNNIEST THING SHE'S EVER SEEN. Giggles, squeals, spits milk if she's drinking.

We've got to get a better video to share...until then, though: washing her hair with a scrub brush at daycare.

Skram

Have I told you lately how cool my brother is (well, "brothers are," but you'll have to wait a while before you get the Ben profile). My youngest is Jacob -- or, a nice professional grown-up sounding "Jacob" to the rest of you; I get to take advantage of the grandfather clause and he'll always be "AJ" to me. He designs and builds his furnitere line at http://www.skramfurniture.com/; beautiful striking pieces. He's been getting some nice press recently; most recently a snippet in the London Financial Times. A nice picture overview of his stuff on a single page (on his site you can view by type and collection) is here.

Above are some gorgeous vases, below is...actually, I will let you look first and try to see it. Maybe it's just me, but when I see this photo it takes a few seconds for my brain to re-arrange appropriately so I can see what I'm looking at.

An optical illusion chair. Again, maybe just for me. I guess it takes a little time for my head to get out of straight lines and into an artier space.

And this credenza...that wood. I just want to pet it.

You're pretty awesome, my brother(s).

Halloween 2009

This was Lucy's first time trick-or-treating. We thought the little ballerina would look cute holding some flowers in a photo. She thought it would be better to rip the flowers up & throw them everywhere. Oh, Lucy. You'll see above (right side) that I caught the last flower in flight as Lucy hurled it. Little ballerina of destruction…


Here the trick-or-treat gang is, getting ready to hit the neighborhood. I pity the fool who doesn't have a treat ready. This crew looks like they've got some pretty vicious tricks in store. For example, Lucy might rip up their flowers like a little flower-shredding ballerina-maniac.

Knock knock.

…and they're off.

A dance move?

Even though it was Lucy's first trick-or-treating, she got right in the spirit of it. Candy? Great! Dogs & cats? Even better! Lucy wanted to go into everyone's house to meet their pets.