Dec. 27, 2009

Yesterday we went to Uncle Paul's house for play & dinner. Sabine was standing in front of their pantry looking at all the foods and saying "I love cookies... I love raisins... I love corn..."
Vivian got an American Girl doll for Xmas and has been very nice letting Sabine hold her sometimes, and Sabine has been very understanding that this new doll is Vivian's special thing and is not going to be shared as much as Vivian's other stuff. Vivian has generally been having a bit of a hard time with Sabine being more of a person who can express and fulfill her opinions and desires. It used to be that Viv could just give her another toy if she wanted something Viv was playing with but Sabine is accepting that less and less which is hard for Viv to get used to. Also we are treating her more like a child and less like a baby, which makes her more of Viv's equal which is also a change that takes getting used to. Although this has already gotten better in the couple of weeks since it started.

Nov. 26, 2009

A couple of things Sabine has said in the last 2 days, remarkable for their length:
"Show other man new dinosaur 'jamas." (When Vivian's piano teacher came over she wanted to show him her new pajamas.)
"Get a different yogurt! Try blue one! This one empty. Put it right here [points to tray]!" This was at lunch with Daddy after we went for a ride on the bus.
Vivian is learning 2 songs to sing for her piano recital and school concert and is also learning to read "Little Bear" and random things we see during the days.

Nov. 17, 2009

Sabine is really starting to have conversations now. "Go outside!" "Oh, sweetie, it's really cold out now." (Points to closet.) "Wear sweater?" Still loves playing peek-a-boo; adding hide-and-seek to the mix.
Vivian is doing great in school. All 3's and 3+ on first test. Often wants to stay when I pick her up.
The other night we went for a walk in the dark after dinner. Sabine pushed the tricycle for awhile, then Vivi rode it, then Sabine got on and yelled, "Like it fast!" So we started pushing her and running. "AhhhHhhhh!" she screamed. Then we'd stop to rest and she'd say with great urgency, "Like it fast!"
That was fun.

Nov. 2, 2009

We had Halloween the other day. Vivian was Little Bo Peep and Sabine was her sheep. You were very cute. Vivian was very nice showing Sabine all about how once a year we dress up in funny costumes and walk around in the dark knocking on doors and asking for candy. During the day we went to the Franklin School carnival where there was face-painting and games and yummy things to eat.

Lately Sabine has been growing up so fast,I can hardly see any more baby in her. She speaks sentences of 3 or 4 words, runs, and walks into a room with a sense of purpose rather than just walking like the motion in itself is interesting enough to her. She's getting very proud of doing "big girl" things, like hanging from a bar or climbing at a playground; going to gym class at the same place Vivi goes; and wearing Crocs like Vivi has.

Vivian, meanwhile, is a terrific kindergartener. Her teacher says she's a pleasure to have in school. At the Halloween parade she led her class. She is the shoelace monitor, who makes sure everyone's shoes are tied and helps with those that aren't. (Yesterday she got her first pair of lace-up shoes.) And she loves doing her homework-- last night (Sunday) she asked if there was any she could do!

random memory

When Vivian was about 2, just barely, Ericka hosted a baby shower for Deva and Vivian and I spent a weekend afternoon together. We went to dinner at Mel's dinner across Broadway from our first apartment, on 81st St., in NYC. Vivian drew a line on a piece of paper--it was the yellow redit card receipt-- and said "snake." Her first representational work of art (at least as far as we knew).

Oct. 8, 2009

Hi girls,
Yesterday we went to Bronson Canyon playground after Vivi's school. Before that S & I went to her kidspace class. When I was changing yher diaper just before leaving, I started singing a song about a pretty girl to the tune of "This Little Light of Mine." Sabine liked it a lot and whenever I stopped she'd ask me to start again: "pitty guhl! pitty guhl!" So I kept singing till she fell asleep in the car and even after a little. When we got home and I picked her up out of the carseat to take her proper nap I started singing it again and when I went in to wake her up I sang it too. At class she always asks for the bikes and the helmet. "Red heh-met! Boo heh-met! Ride bike!"
Anyway on the way to pick up Viv from school she had some raisins and she held one up to me and said, "Goat poop!" This is really funny because she must have heard us tell the story of when Vivian was 1-3/4 years old and we went to the Christmas tree lighting festival in Rhinebeck and she saw a goat pooping and pointed and said "Raisins!" So it's just hilarious that Sabine turned this around and made a joke out of it. She was smiling when she said it so I know she thought it was funny.
We played with Everett and Vivi did some monkeybars. We played a game that a wolf was coming and Vivi built a house out of pine needles and grass to keep us safe. I think S thought the wolf was really coming, she kept saying "Wolf coming! Wolf coming!" But I told her Vivi was just being silly and the wolf wasn't real. We came home for Viv's piano lesson and S & Everett & I played in the yard with the hose and playhouse. Then Vivi came out then it was dinner time then bath then Mommy got home.
Here are some pictures of you with the Leitzes girls at the Grove a couple weeks ago:

Sept 24, 2009

Hello girls,


Yesterday in the car on the way to school Vivian asked if she was ever going to do homework club. I said that in fact Mama and I had talked about you doing it one day a week since I might be taking a new job. Vivian said, NO! I don't want to! Don't make me do it! And I asked why and she said, But I want to stay home with you! And I said, But I'll be at the office anyway so you'll just be with Alicia and you said, But with Alicia I can play babydolls! I said you could play with your friends on the playground but you just cried and said you didn't want to go.

Then that afternoon when Sabine & I came to pick you up (it was 100 degree outside) you asked if you could stay for homework club! You said, "I love school so much I don't want to go home."

But I thought it was too hot to play outside so we went and got ice cream instead.

Sabine has been learning to say sentences! You said, "Man Daddy talk." and "Mama read Global Babies" and "Daddy turn off." You have really been loving "baby school" and playing with your sister and going for walks in the morning with Daddy. Today we saw the garbage truck which you love on our walk and you got to follow it for a whole block. But then you said "More truck!" anyway when it turned the corner.

We love you!

Sept 20, 2009

Dear girls, I haven't written in awhile because I have been in and out of town twice for work. While I was gone Mommy took excellent care of you, playing Legos and making you breakfast in the morning and picking up Viv from school and taking Sabine to "baby school" in the afternoons.
Yesterday we went to gymnastics and the farmer's market where we met a fairy with wings who painted Vivian's face and Sabine's hands. Today we met Josie etc. at the Grove and had lunch at the Farmer's Market. Sabine had fun playing in the fountain and giving the dog statue cheerios. Soon Vivian is going to have a sleepover with Josie!

Sept. 9, 2009

Vivian's first day of school! New outfit, a new backpack, a new lunchbox-- and she was ready! All four of us took her to the auditorium at Franklin where the principal welcomed us. Then we were called to her classroom. Vivian marched right in holding Sadie Goodman's hand. Afterward you said you had a great day. I feel like you were made for school and this is going to be so great for you! You had a piano lesson with Adam and then you & daddy watched some TV while Mommy & Sabine went to get Honey-man and Omi. They came back and we all had pizza. Sabine really wanted a cupcake but we told her she had to have pizza first and she ate a whole slice-- and then 1/3 of a cupcake. Sabine said, "Mommy sitting, Vivi sitting, Daddy sitting..." just like at dinner with the Crookses the other night. Vivian is excited for her next day of school, too. Unfortunately I have to go out of town next week for work and I will miss you both!

Sept 6

Hi girls,
Today Clyde Crooks (a.k.a. Ty Tooks) came over with his parents and played and played for hours and we had dinner and the grownups chatted. Earlier today was Colin Stanley's birthday party. Tomorrow we're going to the beach to see Josie & Juliette et al. Yesterday we went to the West Hollywood playground to meet our friends Kate and Marcello and their little boy Matthias who is almost exactly Sabine's age. In the afternoon I took Vivian to see "Ponyo."

Sept. 3, 2009

Today we went to the Museum of Natural History. Vivian helped Daddy find the way since I'd never been there before. We saw the gems room and then the butterfly pavillion. Vivian got one to land on a flower shewas holding! Then she did it again, and again and again! Soon she was showing Sabine and other kids there how to do it. Then we had lunch and went to a Dinosaurs exhibit where they said we'd see dinosaurs that moved. We went inside andit was too loud so we left.Then when we were turning the corner outside the room, we almost ran right into what looked like a real dinosaur! It was actually a person in a dinosaur suit but I sure was startled and so was Sabine. Vivian got scared and ran to me crying, then we all had a good laugh about it. Came home, S napped, first played her "No" game with putting puzzle pieces in the wrong place (also some peek a boo with a wipe just before getting out of the car). Viv watched TV while I worked and showered. I'm going to meet someone for an article I'm writing and Alicia is coming over; mommy & I are going out tonight to hear some music. Love you!

Sept. 2, 2009

You poor girls have been trapped inside for a week now because of the forest fires just outside the city causing smoke to rain down on us. We don't want to damage your little lungs by having you breathe in smoke so we've been playing in the house. We went to Omi & Honey's on Sunday afternoon for a little while, and Naya's once or twice last week. Today you're playing around the house the whole time. We went to look at a possible school for Sabine called Hilltop but the orientation wasn't today so all we could do was look around. Sabine is very sniffly--hopefully the smoke is getting trapped in your nose and not going into your body--and Mommy feels like she has allergies too. Vivian's cough doesn't seem worse and next week we're going to get it looked at by the doctor. Tomorrow you & I are going to the beach because the air quality is better there--we had a great time last Thursday and when we get back we'll see Alicia.

Sept. 1, 2009

Today both of you slept in. Once Sabine was up Vivian & mommy went into her room and mom got breakfast started right away--bagels! Daddy made lunch for Vivian's day at camp, which is at a church because there's a big fire near where the camp usually is. After V & mom left, Daddy & Sabine went with Honey to hike the reservoir. Sabine said "Lake! Swim!" when she saw it. We ran into Hardy & Sarah and did the walk around with them which was a nice surprise. Then we went to the playground for awhile and met a woman with 2 kids about you girls' age who we are going to try to get together with sometime soon. Right now Sabine is napping; later we'll pick up Viv and go to Everett's house for dinner, stopping for ice cream on the way because that is Vivian's reward for having quarters left over yesterday.