Neubert Intel

Table for Two

2009-10-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

August photos from J & G's birthday bash.

Our version of a kids' table.

Someone is napping in Sydney's chair.

Back Blogged: Prophetstown State Park Visit in May

2009-09-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

Photos from our May trip to Prophetstown State Park. This park is 10 minutes from our house, and it's a great place for us to hike and run.

Alice Tree

2009-08-24T19:37:00.001-07:00

Theresa and Dick planted a tree in honor of my Mom after she died. Sydney got to see the Grandma Alice tree.

Sydney, whose middle name is for my Mom, has been paying particular attention to the name Alice now. I often tell her stories when putting her to bed. I ask her what kind of animal she wants to hear about and what name should we give the animal. Lately, her request has been a frog named Alice :) Tonight's story was about Alice the frog who likes to visit Target with bulldozers.

RMNP: Emerald Lake hike

2009-08-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

Emerald Lake hike in Rocky Mt Natl Park. Elevation at trailhead: 9,475. The elevation gain took us to 10,080 ft. 3.6 miles roundtrip. Miss Sydney hiked the 1.8 miles up by herself. She insisted on walking and she did a fine job.

Early morning start.

She moved pretty slow at times because she wanted to sit/climb on each rock. A game of hide and seek kept her moving.

Must climb every rock ...

Not to mention all the rocks she carried.

Taking a look at Nymph Lake.

Lilly pads at Nymph Lake.

Sydney and ground squirrel.

Scenery.

I believe this photo was taken near Dream Lake.

View from a switchback.

Emerald Lake. Breathtaking.

Tighter view of the rock with melting snow.

Family photo on the descent at Nymph Lake.

Rocky Mtn National Park

2009-08-20T18:39:00.001-07:00

Some photos from our first day in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Walking the trail by Lake Irene.

Lake Irene

Alpine Visitor Center, Trail Ridge Road at 11,796 feet about sea level. We didn't stay long :) The dramatic heights did not deter Sydney who tried climbing the railings then through a fit when we wouldn't let her climb over another to go see the snow.
It's been a few years since I've driven the entire road, but I was in awe of the scenery ... not to mention the heights.

Some Colorado photos

2009-08-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

Sydney playing on the main street playground in Breckenridge.

Love her natural smile.

Her signature smile : the pirate wink. She has done this ever since she has understood what 'smile' meant. Maybe she'll go to prom with a pirate.

Big shoes to fill

2009-08-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

Sydney likes to wear our shoes around the house. She even can manage my heels pretty well. Actually, she walks better in them than I do.

Photos from June: Sydney struts her stuff in Daddy's boats.

I can't remember the last time that I have tied a pair of shoes. My running shoes are trail running shoes that have a 'fastener' (I have no idea what it is called.) I never worry about shoelaces unravling during a run. My Skechers are slip-ons, so I don't have to tie them.

I seriously don't remember how to tie shoes ... I think my method was odd anyway. I hope someone teaches Sydney at school. (Brian's not crazy about tying shoes either)

I bought her a new pair of kicks today. Velcro, of course.

Wild Nights: Part 2

2009-07-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

See the post below if interested in the bedtime routine at our house.

Sydney, also known as "Sticky Fingers," swiped a tube of Aveda foot cream from my room and smuggled it into her room. As I climbed the stairs one evening that lovely Aveda smell started to suffocate me. Never thought I would be sick of it, but Sydney had emptied almost the entire bottle of foot cream. She had a thick, white coat on her legs and her hair, well, just check out the photos below. She also shared and coated Webster (her frog). The clean-up was just as bad as the night she coated herself in Vaseline.

There is a reason why her nickname is Sid Vicious.

Wild nights

2009-07-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

The kid experts recommend that we have a bedtime routine. We do. We change Sydney, read to her (Amy), sing ABCs (Brian), then tuck her in and rub her back. Phase 2 of the routine is Sydney empties the contents of dresser, pulls all books out of the book case and tries to empty any jars, tubes or bottles of any substance. We keep a constant vigil to make sure stuff is not left in Syd's room.

She often pulls together different ensembles. These are her shorts.

A couple nights ago she put a winter hat on and different socks on each hand. She told Brian and I that she was going to space.

Back bLogged: Beautify America. Wear a hat!

2009-07-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

Sydney's idea of spring cleaning this past April was to put on a fashion show.

Back bLogged: Waiting

2009-07-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

Brian sent this photo to me in December. He called it "Mommy" because Sydney is waiting for me at the front door.

It won't be long and we'll be the ones waiting at the front door for her.

Sydney just asked recently why I go to work. I explained what I do, but I'm pretty sure she thinks I just stare at the cool construction projects on campus, play with the fun toys at the Speech lab, run on the trails and eat at the cereal bar all day. My guess is she thinks Brian goes to Mackey just to climb on the arena's steps, then walk around the football stadium's concourse.

There are a few days when Syd suggests I don't need to go to work. I remind her that I need to go help people. One day, Brian explained to her that I go to work to make sure we have extra money to pay for her "My Friends Pooh and Tigger" TV show. Sydney thought about it, then said, "What about food?" Smart kid.

Back bLogged: Hi Kitty

2009-07-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

This photo is from March. It looks like Sydney is finishing her masterpiece but really she was starting to dissemble. She did hand me the pieces when I put it together.

Sydney's vocabulary and pronunciation are solid, but she does have some quirks. Just until recently, she called "Hello Kitty" ... "Hi Kitty." :)

Road Runners

2009-06-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

Sydney has participated in two 5Ks this spring. Her and Brian 'walked' a Purdue 5k in April. She had a blast, and continues to bring up her first race every time we past where the event started and finished.

These photos are from her second race. We 'ran' the JCM5k in May. Long story, but sometimes you just have to work with what you've got ... hence why were running with our baby stroller and not my cool, all-terrain jogging stroller.

It was quite chilly and very windy during the race.

The expression on Sydney's face is a good indicator that she is having a blast.

And yes, Sydney did beat me :) (Actually, the race announcer said we were first to finish in the 'stroller category' but I'm not sure if that's official.)

Now that the weather is warmer and I am not taking classes any more, I'm able to really get back to running. I ran a 10K two weekends ago, and this is my first week of formal training for a mini-marathon that I'm running in August. So far so good. I'm just looking forward to being outdoors ... and running something called the Hog Jog as part of my training.

Four months later

2009-06-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

My blog slacking means I've been remiss about celebrating my new nephew.

Bennett will be four months old this week. What an amazing and sweet little boy. Of course, he has the most wonderful parents. (More info here: http://thepeellefamily.blogspot.com/)

Here are some photos from their first West Lafayette visit.

Sydney chats with the professional Mommy about the best way to care for an infant.

This image is pretty obvious. Sydney is making Jackie smell Baby Nora to see if she needs a diaper change. (Sydney's twin baby dolls, Nick and Nora, are named for Nick and Nora Charles in the Thin Man movies)

Sydney follows Jackie's lead on proper swaddling technique.

Yes, we are all smitten with the little guy.

According to Sydney, anything baby-related means it's Bennett-related. Sydney does well with Bennett, but it does make her anxious when I hold him.

Fountain of Youth

2009-06-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

We rarely ate out while I was growing up. My Mom was an above-and-beyond gourmet cook (seriously, she would easily bake a half dozen cakes for the school carnival cake walk), so fine dining took place at home.

However, we did have a favorite Mexican restaurant, Ramones, that we would eat at when we went out. I remember always getting a side of shredded cheese for my tacos, I remember the decor (much fancier than the local Mexican places we eat at now) and I remember the fountain in the lobby. I remember the fountain the most. There were three lights that rotated in the base of the fountain. We would stare at it for what seemed like hours while we waited for a table, or Mom and Dad would let us visit while we were waiting for our food. I have lots of memories from that restaurant. I remember that my father took Julie and I there the night we were going to see my Mom and meet our new baby sister Jackie in the hospital. I remember the last time I was there with my family: we were with Jackie and some of her friends, including the Prybella family. The kids had just had an event (maybe, OM?) and we were all celebrating.

The first time I took Brian to Colorado I wanted to be sure we ate at Ramones. And, he won't ever let me forget it. We went for lunch, and the restaurant was completely empty. Chip refills were a $1 (what Mexican restaurant charges for chips refils?). And my favorite, when we asked for Coke refills, the waitress brought one glass, and split it between us. Ramones wasn't the same, and I think it even closed the following year.

I thought about all of this on Saturday night while Brian, Syd and I ate dinner at Panini Deli. We had an early dinner, and we were able to sit right next to their fountain. Of course, Sydney was ecstatic and talked about the fountain non-stop. It made me think of Ramones.

"I don't do fashion, I am fashion." Coco Chanel

2009-05-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

It only took us 90 minutes to leave the house on Saturday morning to meet a friend at the 'Round the Fountain Art Fair. A pile of clean laundry inspired Sydney to experiment. And who am I to interfere with an artist?

Of course, despite the 90-minute prep period, we only spent 9 minutes at the Art Fair :) At least we got to meet our friend Christy for strawberries.

Real time

2009-05-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

Spring is here!
Finally!
Today was devoted to yard work, then we enjoyed dinner on the patio. Sydney and I competed in field races while Brian refereed. Then ... we saw it. A hot air balloon in the distance.
But it kept coming closer and closer and closer ... then it began its descent.
We jumped in the car and chased it to a nearby field.

Sydney was ecstatic.

I'm pretty sure she's dreaming of the blue hot air balloon right now.

Back bLogged: Tree shopping

2009-03-31T19:30:00.001-07:00

Yep, it's kinda sad that I'm posting these Christmas images now.

We live two-minutes from a Christmas tree farm.

Must smell everything ...

Back bLogged: Harry Otter

2009-03-30T19:49:00.001-07:00

Here is Sydney this December with her beloved Harry Otter.

The coordinated outfit is a gift from family friend Helen Kenny. Pretty spiffy!

We introduced Syd to finger painting tonight. She wasn't impressed.
"It's messy."
"Sticky."
"I need a paper towel."

She's always been a polite pal who uses "thank you,""you're welcome," "please" and "excuse me." We've been encouraging "No thank you" for some time and she's finally using it. She appropriately used it today when Brian was trying to brush her hair. I guess she ran from him yelling "No thank you.":)

Back bLogged: Our little Smurf

2009-03-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

These photos are from November 2008.

Her eyes are quite striking in this image.

Syd tries on Brian's shoe.

Speaking of shoes. Syd and I went shoe shopping this week. She was a gem as we made our way to the shoe store. She chose to push her penguin in the stroller, and walk alongside me through the mall. At Track n' Trail, she pointed out different shoe colors, and sat next to me on the bench 'helping' me as I tried on trail running shoes. As soon as I took off the second pair of shoes I was trying on, Syd (also known as Flo Jo at our house) bolted out of the store. I turned to the sales lady, said, "I'll be right back." Then, sprinted after her in my socks.

She made her point: who needs running shoes to sprint?

Sometimes folks who see me running or at the gym ask me what I'm training for. My reply, "So, I can catch my daughter."

Back bLogged: Hairspray (not the musical)

2009-02-26T18:03:00.000-08:00

After months and months and months of saying, "Sydney needs a hair cut," I finally made an appointment the Saturday before the Super Bowl.

Yes, I took her to one of my posh places but I am not going to take a chance on her hair. Two of the three Patterson girls had bad haircut experiences.

Amy: I'm not sharing details or pictures. It took me years to grow it out again.
Julie: Um, well. I chopped off one of her pigtails. Sorry, sis.

She was well-behaved.

And, very pensive.

And, very serious.

Nearly 3 inches was taken off the back. The girl still has a lot of hair. Good thing the sitters know how to fix it, because I don't :)

Back bLogged: Snow paradise

2009-02-25T18:28:00.001-08:00

The snow finally fell the last week of January.

I pulled Sydney in her sled and she watched me make snow angels.

She loved eating the snow.

We're thinking snowshoes for next year.

Back bLogged: Hanging with the Peelles is appealing

2009-01-28T04:19:00.000-08:00

Our August trip to Indianapolis' White River Gardens.

It will be warm again one of these days.

Back bLogged: Contemporary charm

2009-01-27T19:11:00.001-08:00

It's good a thing I'm behind with photos from August-November, because the photos I've taken in 2009 are nothing but blurs. Suddenly, Sydney is not longer still during a photo op so all her photos are blurry.

Photos from her birthday: Blurry. You would think that the very cool play kitchen set her paternal grandparents gave her was riding on a freight train and she and her baby friends were running alongside it.

Photos from her last trip to the Puppy Palace: Blurry. It looks like mop heads, instead of Bauer and Bailey, are chasing her.

Photos from the women's basketball game: Not only blurry, but most of the time half of her head is outside of the frame.

Here is a static photo from September.

Back bLogged: Puppy placation

2009-01-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

Photo from Fall 2008

In a galaxy far, far away ...

2009-01-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

Some Facebook banter inspired me to dig these photos up last month.

In April 2005, Brian, my Dad and I attended the Star Wars convention in Indianapolis.

I thought it would be fun to share these --- I'm sure the images will make my my Dad and Brian smile.

I was terrified of Yoda as a child. I obviously have dealt with that fear and moved on :) I'm not into amassing a giant collection, but I like the occasional quirky items. Our cat's name is Vader and Brian's first Valentine's Day gift to me was a Star Wars cookbook (he also sent red roses). The cookbook features Yoda Soda and Wookie Cookies, and cute taglines like, The Fork Will Be With You.

Back bLogged: Gal pals

2009-01-19T19:48:00.000-08:00

This photo of Sydney and Lilly is from the fall. Lilly is the daughter of Melinda, who is one of my best friends and the only friend who I met in through the newspaper classifieds :)

Keeping our eye on the Target

2009-01-18T18:04:00.000-08:00

Shopping Target is a weekly ritual for Sydney. The superstore is a toddler-size amusement park with its seasonal fare -- she loves to walk through the Christmas section, and she also is a big fan of running through the sporting goods area touching each bike while saying 'bike.' The highlight this fall was a toy brontosaurus that roared and stomped its feet. Now that the dinosaur is extinct (the Christmas season is over), Sydney is a big fan of the vacuum cleaner section. I wonder what people think when they hear me say, "Keep being good, Sydney, and we'll go look at the vacuum cleaners."

Our trips can be trying, especially when I'm not on my best behavior. Some days I putz around trying to do coupon math. Then there are days when I forget the shopping list so we must guess at what we need. Those days usually require a lot of backtracking. And, we'll never forget the trip when I failed to notice that a puppy had jumped from the cart. Who knew I could steer a shopping cart so fast as we retraced our steps. You can imagine the relief when we saw him sitting in the floor of an aisle waiting patiently for us.

This photo is from September and is actually from a stop at Marsh. Notice the convenient puppy holders on the shopping cart? A nice touch.

Reflecting on 2008

2008-12-31T16:45:00.000-08:00

Here are some random reflections from 2008.

* The trek to the Tennessee Mountains. Our June visit to the Smoky Mountains was our first real vacation with Sydney. We also enjoyed our trip to Colorado to see friends and vacate in the mountains. Our time in Breckenridge really felt like a vacation.

* Mustard: It's like the fourth member of our family. Sydney can't eat without it. It's stained our clothes and the kitchen floor. When she's older, we'll take her to the mustard museum in Mt Horeb, Wisc. (Brian and I have been there twice and I've even read the owner's book, "Habeas Codfish." A great book about the legal history of food.)

* Cooking class: Brian and I took a cooking class at Kitchen Art. (Thank you Forbes family for watching Syd at the last-minute.) The class was fun, and Brian and I talk about making some of the recipes ... some day ... It's probably more likely that we will sign up for another class.

* My camera: One of my highlights was the camera that Brian & Syd gave me for mother's day.

* The Twilight books: I had heard about Twilight and never expected myself to be such a fan. Then the book was picked for October's bookclub, and the next thing I knew I had read all four books. Then, I was stressing about finding a sitter so I could see the movie on opening weekend. It's pure eye candy. Simply a fun book to read. (If anyone else even compares this book to Harry Potter, be ready to debate with me. Twilight is good, but it's not that good. BTW, I can't wait for the HP6 movie to come out in July.)

* Tina Fey: Yes, I know she's on every single top 10 list of 2008, but her Sarah Palin impressions were roll-in-the-floor-funny, and Brian and I've started watching 30 Rock together.

* Scrabble: Solo downtime for Brian and I is scarce, but we like to play Scrabble when we can.

* Speaking of Scrabble ... let me give a shoutout to the Barenaked Ladies' kid CD, Snacktime. Even though we've heard the CD 842,539 times, it still makes Brian and I smile, especially the alphabet song that has some great Scrabble words.

* Running a 5K the morning of Thanksgiving. My time was awful (in my defense I spent the semester studying) but it was just cool to run a race on a holiday. The course was beautiful too.

* Brian and Sydney: Every moment, thought and laugh that they inspired or shared. Life is good.

Happy New Year!

What is the opposite of the affirmative?

2008-12-30T20:02:00.001-08:00

Yep, Sydney has turned into Captain No.

Mommy: "Hi, Sydney. I love you."
Sydney: "No."
Daddy walks into room and smiles at Sydney.
Sydney: "No."

The parenting/toddler books advise that we avoid setting her up to say 'no.' We try to avoid yes-and-no questions, but it's usually best to just not talk to her. It's like having a very short teenager.

The tantrum phase is getting better. She knows what the rules are, and you can just see her eyes and mind processing her actions and the consequences when she's throwing a fit. Plus, I remind her that I drink a lot of Coke, therefore I will outlast her because of the caffeine in my system.

In time Brian and I will prevail.

Bring on the snow!

2008-12-27T17:26:00.000-08:00

Christmas was not white in West Lafayette, so Sydney tested her new sled indoors.

Parents, aunts and an uncle took turns pulling her.

A nice way to see the sights.

Free rides can be exhausting.

So tired.
I love this photo. Brian does a fabulous job as family photog.

The good news is snow is expected Jan. 2. My snow baby (OK, I am) is hoping for at least three inches.

Christmas highlights

2008-12-26T20:08:00.001-08:00

Here are a few holiday highlights from Christmas morning.

Sydney distributes her gifts. She made bookmarks.

Opening presents took FOREVER, because Sydney wanted each book read to her as soon as she opened it. Of course, half of her gifts were books. There are three gifts that have yet to be opened.

Bow-tiful!

Christmas is always a reminder of how blessed we are with family, friends and life.

Basket case

2008-12-26T16:49:00.000-08:00

Somewhere, a photo exists of a toddlerish Jackie sleeping in a laudry basket.

The Graduate

2008-12-16T18:28:00.000-08:00

I'm back ...

What an awesome opportunity to earn a degree from Purdue while working full-time.

I enjoyed 'going back to school.' It took me longer than expected, but 12 classes later it's good to be done. I think some folks were worried that I was aiming for tenure as a master's student :)

This semester was class-free, I spent the time studying for my final exams (8 hour comprehensive exams.) The hard part was getting organized. There was a lot of information to sort through.

I'll miss the program, classes, profs and studying (yes, I'm a dork) but it is a relief to be done.

Eventually, I hope to catch up on blogging ... or at least not fall so behind again. Now with all of my "free time," I hope to spend more time with my crew (Brian and Syd) and running/going back to the gym.

Our next assignment is to determine new sleeping arrangements for Sydney. The big Sydney news of late is her climbing out of her crib. Brian heard a thud Friday morning and found her in the floor. After the initial shock wore off, she continued to recite 'uh-oh.' Yeah, uh-oh.

Blog vacation

2008-11-06T18:24:00.001-08:00

I'm taking a sabbatical from blogging right now. I'll be back in December. But here is a sweet photo and story for now.

We have a Sydney Log where the sitters makes notes about their activities,you know ... read books, play with play-doh, played outside, etc. . Brian decided to list his activities today:
Played run away from Daddy, then yell and scream.
Harassed Vader.
Protested diaper changes.
Long division.

I love watching these two together.

I'll be back next month!

I can help: August

2008-09-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

My father generously replaced our garbage disposal when it went kaput. Thank you Dad!

Looks like he has an apprentice-in-waiting.

Mapping Milestones

2008-09-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

August, which marked Sydney's 19-month mark, seemed liked a good time to shoot some pretty portraits of our little girl. I scanned the Weather channel for a pleasant forecast. We picked a colorful place - the White River Gardens in Indy. Of course, I had the perfect dress saved for such an occasion.

Here is what we came up with.

This is the front-runner for our 2008 family Christmas card.

This one will make a nice 12 X 16 for the family room.

If she had a driver's license, she probably would want this photo retaken.

Pretty picture.

Colorado: Boulder

2008-09-14T11:37:00.001-07:00

The remnants of Tropical Storm Ike kept us girls indoors today, so I completed our Colorado Chronicles. (More photos posted below this post).

Schreiber and Sydney (I love this photo!). On our way to Title IX -- one of my favorite stores.

Colorado: Elk Meadow Hike

2008-09-14T11:28:00.001-07:00

After the Sydney combustion of 2008 (see blog below), she slept as we drove from Breckenridge to Evergreen. Good ol' Jefferson Co. Open Space. We found a new place to hike.

She was still a bit fussy. I tried entertaining her with stickers, which she just stuck on Brian's back, and rocks. You can guess what she did with the rocks ... Poor Brian.

Colorado Hiking: Lilly Pad Lake

2008-09-14T11:19:00.001-07:00

Lilly Pad Lake hike: The abbreviated version. Sydney finally hit her 'peak' on this hike. After poor Brian hiked uphill (according to our trail book about 700 feet) with Sydney screaming and crying, we conceded that we could not continue. We had been shortchanging her on naps and we think it finally caught up to her ... and us. We turned around and went back. I bookmarked this hike for a future trip.

This is Brian and Sydney on the way down.

Aspen view.

Chipmunk.

Pine cone.

Colorado Hiking: Lake Dillon

2008-09-14T10:18:00.001-07:00

The Lake Dillon "hike" was more like a walk. Then it turned into a sprint when a mountain thunderstorm moved in. Notice the drenched baby below.

Colorado Hiking: Cucumber Gulch

2008-09-14T05:39:00.001-07:00

The view.

Sydney was well-behaved and Brian was a trooper hauling Sydney on his back. Brian carted her around while we hiked, and I carried here through DIA when we arrived. Transporting her in the hiker through the airport was worth the hiker's cost alone.

Sydney wants a look.

The trail.

Oh deer!

We even saw a beaver.

Taking a break.

Breckenridge, Colorado

2008-09-13T19:03:00.001-07:00

Sydney wailed through our first night in Colorado. Amazing to us, Sydney expressed her feelings through her beloved Gossie books. We tried many things to soothe her as she cried, and one of those was reading her Gossie books. When I finished reading the story, which is about a gosling who looses her beloved red boots, Sydney took the book from me, then flipped backwards to the page where Gossie is crying and the text says "Gossie was heartbroken." Sydney whimpered the word "heartbroken," while touching her tear-stained cheeks. Heartbreaking for us parents, too.

She was fine after that, and after a few days visiting our friends, we headed west into the mountains. Our new homebase was Breckenridge.

Sydney was sluggish the morning of our departure.

Snow-capped peaks.

Colorado Friends

2008-09-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

The highlight of our Colorado journey was introducing Sydney to our family friends The Schreibers.

Girl group.

Rump-a-nick-a, Pump-a-nick-a ...

Rich helps Syd reach an apple. Rich baby-sat me when I was about that age.

It's hard to see Theresa and Sydney in the distance, but I love this photo because it reminds me of the many summer evenings when Theresa and my Mom walked around each other's yards. With a cup of coffee in hand, they would survey and take note of the plants/flowers they were growing. I'm not sure how much Sydney contributed to the conversation above, but I'm pretty sure she was not carrying coffee :)

Master Gardner?

Sydney and "Baby." Actually that's almost-8-year-old Kristina. She was quite polite and tolerated Sydney's nickname. Sydney calls anyone too young for driver's license a "Baby." Of course, Syd is always a "Big girl."

Water works.

Frog/toad watch.

Chair aerobics.

Chair stretch.

Smother mother.

Sweet girl.

Colorado finch.

Pining for pine cones.

Sydney rocks the patio.

Rock relocation.

Mountain sunset.

****
In the present: Sydney was getting impatient this morning as Brian and I hustled to get ready for the Purdue football game. I was upstairs when the cries for "Mommy" evolved into a pip squeak voice calling out "Amy." Brian quickly suggested that Sydney try that request again ...

Colorado Trek: Getting there

2008-09-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

So, more than a month ago we were boarding a plane to Colorado.

Sydney was amazing on her first plane ride. Surprisingly, she combusted when we arrived at the Indy airport, then she went ballistic while we stood in the ticket line - Brian hauled our luggage, while our angel tried to bite my face. Things only got worse when we made our way to the concourse - the wrong one. Syd threw herself on the floor, then banged her head. We tried to comfort her with her beloved Webster and Baby ... only to hear security say her dolls needed to be taken away from her for their own trip on the conveyor built. Talk about waterworks. She wad devastated. I can't blame her. She's never had her comfort creatures taken from her and I can't imagine what she was thinking.

But, she finally calmed down after we made it through. She was incredible during the wait, flight and post-flight. I'm not sure if she'll ever be that well-behaved again, even when she's 18.

Waiting with Daddy.

Watching the planes come and go.

Trying on Daddy's hat.

My thoughts ... (Brian, refers to my ramblings as hijacking Sydney's blog. :) Hmm, the verb may not be the best to use in the current environment ...

I'm blogging about summer vacation, but we've been back-to-school for a few weeks now. This time of year means Target's aisles are crowded with mini-fridges and microwaves, campus parking spots disappear and I fight the urge to stock up on crayons, pencils and notebooks (disclosure: I did buy Syd a Hello Kitty notebook and some construction paper).

This time of year is really about making impressions. New clothes for school. Sitting in the right seat on the first day, because you don't want to be in the awkward seat the entire semester. Picking the right lab partner. Local businesses distribute coupons and amp up their marketing.

On a grander scale, the Olympics and now the Conventions are all about impressions too. I'm thinking about the Beijing closing ceremonies and the conventions in general. All of it so well-choreographed.

Impressions are important (I'm in the public relations field after all!), but I'm on overload right now!

Photo problem

2008-08-28T19:27:00.001-07:00

Just

can't

get

enough of

Sydney.

July: Indiana Dunes

2008-08-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

We briefly visited the shore of Lake Michigan before we hiked one of the Indiana Dunes State Park trails. It was a great short hike and Syd slept in the hiker. But, she was basically bug bait - I forgot the bug spray, so the hike was cut short :(. I'll remember next summer!

*** In my defense ... There has been some buzz about the Chic-Fil-A and Sydney-chasing-chickens post. Some viewers expressed shock at the graphic post. If you missed it, I'm sure you are now quickly scrolling south.

Of course, the post was meant to be silly.

During the B.S. era (Before Sydney), I didn't think much about farm animals. Now, Sydney has a number of farm animal-related toys, books and stuffed animals. It's kinda creepy. After all, we're teaching her to adore pigs, cows, chickens and sheep: creatures that we enjoy eating. (Disclaimer: I've never ate a sheep). Why isn't there more baby kitsch with badgers, cougars, muskrats or capybara (world's largest rodent)?

She loves pigs almost as much as puppies. Well almost, I'm not sure she loves anything as much as puppies. But, it is close, and how/when do I tell her, that we eat pigs? One of my first reporting assignments as a journalist was to cover a hog farm controversy. I toured a hog farm, then didn't eat anything bacon or pork for more than a year. I also wasn't allowed to tell Jackie what I saw.

My cynicism is showing, but I'm just not as convinced at how happy those animals are in "The Big Red Barn" or "I'm a Pink Piggy."

Just food for thought ...

The Olympics are bad for your health

2008-08-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

Before I start my Olympics spiel ... Here are more photos from July:

We debuted our 'hiker' at Purdue's Horticulture Park.

Sydney's free ride.

She's got my back.

Taking a break.

The dark things that look like exclamation points are dragonflies. They were beautiful.

Lucky for us, Sydney likes to sleep/doze in the hiker.

Back to the Olympics ... in theory, shouldn't the Olympics inspire viewers to be athletic studs? As an active person, the Olympic Games have sidelined me to our couch. I have watched more TV these past 12 days than I have in months. I'm serious. This TV time is cutting into my usual running/gym time. Not to mention, I'm staying up later than usual. Exhaustion is setting in. And, despite watching these athletes who eat nothing but celery that is fortified by water, I can't get enough junk food. Let's blame the Coke commercials. After all, the Olympics are marketing at its finest. Good thing the Olympics are every four years ... I don't think my body could handle any more.

July: What's for dinner?

2008-08-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

Mmm. Chicken sounds good.

Mmm. It is good.

July: Lafayette wildlife

2008-08-16T18:27:00.001-07:00

The Lafayette city zoo is a favorite hangout, especially on a Friday night in July.

Sydney as a lemur.

My little pony.
(This is the petting zoo. We did not drop Sydney in an exhibit.)

The goats really liked Brian.

Sydney pets Pretzel the python.

A side note: Sydney likes snakes as much as any animal. When we were in a visitor's center in the Smoky Mountains, Sydney was carrying a toy snake around the store. A woman exclaimed, "Little girls aren't supposed to like snakes." I hope Sydney didn't hear her. :) That anecdote is a reminder for me that she picks up on our likes, dislikes, fears, apprehensions, etc. Our goal is to educate her and keep her safe, then let her make her own choices. She can like or dislike any reptile she wants.

A train ride, obviously.

Still the train, again, obviously.

Our own Kelly Clarkson: Miss Independent.

July: It's not FAIR

2008-08-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

Sydney loved everything about the county fair, especially the pig barn.

"Hey Sydney! What does a pig say?"
"Oink, oink."

"Oh, Sydney! What does a pig say?"

"Again, for real. I'll just tune Mommy out ..."

"Sydney, please make a pig face at the camera! What does a pig say?"
"Good grief lady. Look around. There are hundreds of pigs in here. Ask one of them what a pig says. "

Next year, we're hitting the slide.

June backBLOGGED

2008-08-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

Ten days into August seems like a good time to wrap up the June highlights. At this rate, expect July and August images to appear between pumpkin and turkey days.

If the alarm doesn't wake Brian, then I bring in reinforcements.

She's still cute later in the day too.

The 'computer' grandparents visited in June. We call Brian's folks the computer grandparents because Sydney gets to talk to them using Skype on the computer.

Her other grandfather is known as the Diaper Fairy. And, just like most holiday elves and fairies, we never know when he is going to stop by.

Amy studying. This is what I will be doing a lot of the next few weeks/months. A couple weeks ago I was looking for a photo of myself to post on my Facebook site. It was difficult to find a photo of just me, and I actually went back to one from our 2005 Yellowstone trip.

Coming soon ... (well, depends on your definition of soon) July and August photos.

Miracle Grow

2008-07-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

Not so long ago, Sydney was so tiny ...

Sydney must be on the eve of growth spurt, because she keeps waking at night. A couple nights ago, I tried to console her by sitting with her. But, she didn't fit on my lap ... at least in the narrow glider in her room.

I wasn't too surprised because I had recently read that it's not unusual for parents to 'discover this.'

Sydney's 18-month appointment was July 8. She was 29 pounds and 33.5 inches. She is 90th percentile height and weight (most likely a small forward).

Not so tiny any more ... But, I still think she is so small when she clings to her Daddy's leg or when she 'holds my hand' by just grabbing one finger. One day, she'll probably be taller and faster than me. Some day.

Chalk talk

2008-07-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

Some local vandals keep striking our property with their graffiti. Brian is convinced it's a new gang - it could be Pink 'n Pretty, Bubble Babies or the Pony Pals.

:) We are often greeted with these works of art when we come home. Sometimes the artists are even outside to greet us.

Sydney and I play with the chalk too (I can't speak for Brian about his chalking habits). But I am no artist like her sitters (i.e., the people we pay to be Sydney's friends.)

I attempted to draw puppies for Sydney but my figures looked like sickly aliens. I was glad when the rain washed my pictures away.

Brian appreciates the chalk talk too. We were walking at a park today when we passed someone else's chalk pictures. Brian made a point to tell me ours are way better. I agree.

Like a good neighbor ...

2008-07-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

We spent Father's Day in Indy. Driving back we hit a tense storm that sidelined us in Zionsville. We wondered if it hit West Lafayette. Our question was answered as soon as we exited the interstate. We noticed branches, then bigger branches on the ground.

Our grill was hurled across the yard, as well as one of patio chairs. What was amazing was the one of garden beds had a significant amount of mulch scattered across the yard.

A large branch on one our trees broke and shingles on our roof were ruffled.

By the time we returned home the sun was shining and the power was out. We wanted to know details about the storm so we went across the street and asked our neighbors. This is big for us, because we don't know our neighbors. It seems like when we get to know them, they move (you can read into that all you want). I hear people talk about wanting to live in the country or on land so they don't have to ineract with neighbors. Just move to our subdivision.

So, severe windstorms, Halloween and the ocassional subdivision garage sale are the few times we interact with the people we live by. Kinda sad. We should make more of an effort. Perhaps, I'll share the bounty from my garden next month. I don't want to get too cocky, but most of my tomato plants are flourishing.

Sydney 1.5

2008-07-03T18:51:00.001-07:00

Today is Sydney's 18-month birthday. This night last year we spent the evening blowing bubbles.

So many cliches ... She is growing like a weed. etc. etc.

She just gets cuter, sweeter and smarter each day.

The next version, Sydney 2.0, will be out in January 2009.

Wild Kingdom

2008-06-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, Sydney and I met my dear friend Melinda and her offspring at the Indy Zoo.

I'm really just friends with Melinda because she is so well-connected. Hence this behind-the-scenes photo of us and the elephant. (I pirated the photo from Melinda's Web site. Hope you don't mind!) Actually, our friendship started with an ad in the newspaper ...

Here is the same elephant getting a bath. There is a zoologist on the right washing behind the pachyderm's ear. Too cute. (Note to self: I should wash behind Sydney's ears once in a while.)

Forget animal watching. We watched these gal pals entertain themselves. Hopefully, Miss Lilly and Miss Sydney will be lucky enough to be such great friends like their Mommies.

I'll call this image: Ham meets Ham. Melinda's son Lucas is a riot. What a cute kid. And, Sydney just loved his material. Anything he did was hilarious and she imitated most of it. Perhaps there is such a thing as a rent-an-older-brother.

Ramblings ...

Like most zoos, the Indy Zoo promotes animal conservation and environmental preservation. Even the seats on the train have soundbite messages such as, recycling one aluminum can can power ## light bulbs.

I heard a story on NPR about a woman who conducted a two-week 'garbage' experiment. During this two-week period, she carried around any garbage that she could not recycle, reuse or compost. Could you imagine? I have. What would I do with the straw wrappers and straws for my occasional Coke from McDonalds (I usually recycle the cup)? My mascara containers. (How many mascara containers have I contributed to our landfills?) The annoying little plastic ties that restrain any kid toy in its packaging. The list can go on and on ... We try to recycle everything we can. I'll even tote plastic bottles home from places where recycling is not available. Just look at our recycling bins every other Friday. I wonder what our neighbors think ...

We don't recycle everything. And, I continue to deposit my mascara containers in the bathroom trash every two months. But, we do the best we can. And, we talk to Sydney about reduce-reuse-recycle. (I also believe babies are the worst thing ever for the environment, but that's another day's ramblings ...)

Bus Business

2008-06-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

I'm backlogged in blogging ... I'll call it back-blogged :)

Sydney, like most kids, is fascinated by buses. So, we took a bus ride in West Lafayette - from Wabash Landing to campus.

Sydney waits with Brian.

Hanging on.

Cooling off at the Loeb Fountain outside of Beering Hall. Julie and I spent many warm afternoons sitting around the fountain reading/studying. Sometimes, we would be sitting there individually, look up, and see that we were sitting a few feet from each other. Life before cell phones.

Meet the Press

Losing Tim Russert saddened me, as well as Brian, and others who we work with in journalism. Of course, Russert's credentials and accolades are impressive, but I think of him most when I'm throwing something away in the large garbage cans in our garage. I read the book Russert wrote about him and his Dad. A good, simple read. What sticks with me the most are the lessons he learned from his Dad who was a sanitation worker in Buffalo, NY. The lesson I remember in particular is that his father taught him to be conscientious when he throws away garbage. Russert wrote that his father taught him to package broken glass in a shoe box, then tape it shut before pitching it. He did this so the garbage man would not be cut. 'Be accountable.' 'Think about how your actions affect others.' It's easy to see how Russert applied these lessons as a journalist.

One commentary about Russert said losing him at this time (the eve of the 2008 presidential race) is like losing your star quarterback before the Super Bowl. Russert was an incredible resource. The debates/state of the union were interesting to watch, but I was often more interested in what Russert had to say.

Happy Father's Day Daddy (a.k.a. Brian)

2008-06-15T08:50:00.001-07:00

I Love You Through and Through

A novella by Sydney. This is based on the book by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak, which is a story about a boy and his teddy bear. This version is about a girl and her frog.

I love you through and through.

I love your top side.

I love your bottom side.

I love your inside.

and outside.

I love your happy side,

your sad side,

your silly side,

your mad side.

I love your fingers

and toes,

your ears

and nose.

I love your hair

and eyes,

your giggles

and cries.

I love you running

and walking,

silent

and talking.

I love you through and through ...

Yesterday, today and tomorrow, too.

Love,
Amy and Sydney

Hairspray

2008-06-11T20:17:00.001-07:00

Sydney woke up looking like this, so we turned the air conditioning on earlier than I would have liked. The upstairs front of the house (Sydney's room) tends to cook during the sumer.

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of our trip to the water park today. I'm looking forward to our next trip.

We belonged to a community swim pool while I was middle and high school. We would go in the mornings for swim lessons, then eat lunch, then spend the afternoon playing in the pool. We (my Mom) was vigilant about staking out a prime spot under a large tree. Often our friends the Minahans andPrybellas would join us. We'd pack a lunch, but once a week we would make a trip to Little Ceasars for their Tuesday special. Lots of fun and memories.

Happy Father's Day Daddy (a.k.a. Brian)

2008-06-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

I Love You Through and Through

A novella by Sydney. This is based on the book by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak, which is a story about a boy and his teddy bear. This version is about a girl and her frog.

I love you through and through.

I love your top side.

I love your bottom side.

I love your inside.

and outside.

I love your happy side,

your sad side,

your silly side,

your mad side.

I love your fingers

and toes,

your ears

and nose.

I love your hair

and eyes,

your giggles

and cries.

I love you running

and walking,

silent

and talking.

I love you through and through ...

Yesterday, today and tomorrow, too.

Love,
Amy and Sydney

5 random things

2008-06-08T20:03:00.001-07:00

This is my first blog game. My friend Melinda tagged me to blog 5 random things about myself.

1. Melinda actually inspired me to start this blog. I wasn't keen on blogging at first, but turns out I really enjoy it. Of course, this blog serves as a baby book and Sydney chronicle, but it's also a great place for me to write. I write and write at work, but it's news writing and the opportunity for creativity is often limited. I am only able to write a handful of fun features each year. The blog is a place where I can play with words, and I think my writing continues to improve because of my blog writing. And, it's something fun for Brian and I to discuss and collaborate on. I love it when I write something that makes him laugh.

2. There is a void in my life now that Gilmore Girls is off the air. Where else can I find witty dialogue, quirky characters, fashion and unexpected plot turns? The Weather Channel. It's a nice blend of geography, science and history, plus the maps are pretty to look at. The meteorologists are certainly entertaining too.

3. My plan is to run every other day (or work out at the gym) and spend an hour the other days studying for my program exams. I just learned today that I will be tested this fall and graduating in December. This is actually a relief.

I love running, or probably what most people would consider fast jogging. If 'turtling' was a word that may be the best way to describe it. I did run 4 miles this evening. Going the distance is always a bonus, but it's more important to enjoy it.

4. If I was trapped in a grocery store overnight, I would go to the freezer section and eat the ends off of all of the Skinny Cow and Nestle ice cream drumsticks. The ice cream in these ice cream treats is just OK, but I love the end of the cone where there is a pile of chocolate. Of course, I realize this scenario is unlikely because grocery stores are open 24 hours, so it's not possible to be trapped in one.

5. Speaking of food, which I do a lot, I hope to make more time for Brian and I to cook together. The weather was lousy on mother's day, so we spent the afternoon making fudge drizzle cookies. We tag team on most dinners - I cook, he cleans. But, it's fun to cook together.

Now, I get to tag my other blog friends. So, if Christy, Steve or Naomi (I'm sure MySpace pages count) read this ... tag, you're it!

Trek to the Smoky Mountains

2008-06-08T18:54:00.001-07:00

We visited the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee this week. The temperature ranged from 94-96 and the humidity hit 835 percent. We got some good hiking in and we learned how to travel with a toddler. Sydney 'saw' deer, a turkey and a snake.

WEDNESDAY

Our first hike was the classic Laurel Falls.

The path was narrow but 'paved' with pebbles so Sydney spent most of the ascent and descent in her stroller.

The falls are behind us.

Turns out the aquarium in Gatlinburg is amazing. (I had my doubts because Gatlinburg is the ultimate tourist trap.) Brian and I have visited a number of aquariums, and we were really impressed with this one. More than 8,000 species on display, including an underwater view of a coral reef courtesy of a moving sidewalk.

Sydney scopes her treasure.

Our little Jack Sparrow.

Seahorse.

A sting ray's underbelly.

THURSDAY

We also visited Cades Cove.
Sydney plans our route through Cades Cove.

Sydney participated in the park's ecological relocation program by carrying pine cones, tree bark and rocks from place to place.

Daddy escorts Sydney on the Saw Mill loop.

Family photo.

Hiking on a Cades Cove trail.

Fine dining: Eating lunch in the car.

Hotel habitat.

Sydney's sleep arrangements when we're not sandwiching her.

The beast awakes.

The pond in front of the hotel is home to a duck and her 10 ducklings. Speaking of waterfowl, Sydney's big fan of the Gossie books. She was well acquainted with Gossie, Gertie and Ollie, and we got to know Peedie and Booboo on this trip.

Other highlights from the trip:

Eating my fine cuisine - shrimp and sweet potato - in the car because Sydney combusted in the restaurant. I'm a slow eater and she was in need of a nap. (The Park Grill in Gatlinburg is a great restaurant. Sydney ate like a queen off the kids menu too.)

We weren't in the hotel room 15 minutes and Sydney fell into the nightstand. She bruised her face, but the marks are almost gone now. This incident combined with her not wanting to sleep, drove us to drive to Walgreens at 12:30 a.m. to buy pacifiers. This was 10 days after she gave it up. She came back with the sniffles, so we have not forced her to relinquish it yet.

A simple carbohydrate

2008-05-31T18:58:00.000-07:00

While Sydney scurried around the house Friday night, Brian said he was in awe of how quickly she'd grown into a little girl. He said, "It's hard to imagine she was just a potato a year ago."

Here is our potato 17 months ago.

Here is when she was a spud last spring.

Now, she's a tater tot.

As Miss Piggy would say, 'Kissy, kissy." Sydney is all about the kisses right now. She blows kisses to strangers at the store, and even the automated checkout machine at the grocery story. She loves kissing Brian's knee, and tonight during dinner Sydney paused from her meal to ask for a kiss. When we say, "I love you," Sydney tries to repeat it. But, it sounds like she is ordering a waffle.

Mother May I?

2008-05-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

Mother May I? Brian makes sure every day is mother's day around here, and he spoiled me a with a fancy new camera this month (part anniversary, part mother's day gift).

Here are my debut photos, which were shot last weekend.

Memorial Day weekend was a nice blend of fun and productivity. We played, ate well and visited with good friends. We also maintained our house and I planted some veggies. Four varieties of tomatoes, two varieties of peppers, onions and cilantro. Sydney helped a bit, until I caught her eating dirt from the trowel just like she would consume applesauce from a spoon.

It was a good weekend and we didn't let Sydney's wailing drown the fun. The area around her mouth continues to chap/blister, and Brian says it looks like we are feeding her fried poison ivy. So, I had an epiphany while talking to a Target pharmacist Friday night and decided to take Sydney's pacifier away. She was only allowed her stifle stick when she slept. So, there was lots of crying (all her) and little sleep (all of us) this weekend. Her crying is frantic bellowing. The first two days her mouth only continued to chap because of the waterworks. Neither Brian and I can resist her for long when she's inconsolable like this, and so we take turns cuddling, rocking and swaying with her until she falls asleep. I know we are only replacing one bad habit with another. The last two nights were the worst, and I found myself not only singing the regular nursery rhymes, but also Christmas Carols and BINGO in Spanish. (Un perro grande tengo yo ... Thank you Green Mountain High School for that lesson. When my sister Julie reads this I'm sure the Spanish tune will be stuck in her head:)

If you ask Sydney, "Is Sydney a big girl or baby?" She quickly responds "BigGirl." It sounds like one word when she responds. I'm not sure when or why Sydney decided it was time to aspire to be a big girl, but I keep telling her losing the pacifier is one those big girl moments. As I say this, she is blubbering in the crib calling for her 'baby' (which we tried to sub the pacifier for) and her beloved 'Webster.' My poor big girl.

Wild Kingdom

2008-05-18T19:03:00.001-07:00

We vacated West Lafayette on Friday to spend the afternoon at the Indy Zoo. It was perfect. The weather was gorgeous and we arrived just as the student groups were departing. Sydney was perfect too, despite no naps that day.

Applying sunscreen on Sydney.

"Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?" Actually, the creature in the background is a Kodiak bear. Just about every animal exhibit prompted one of us to recite a phrase from one of Sydney's books. Unfortunately, we did not see any "Hippos go Berserk." Obviously, Brian and I are a real thrill to chill with nowadays.

Above is my attempt at playing family photog. Me, not so good. Brian is the talent in the family.

What a busy day at the zoo. While I was buying this lemon freeze, Brian and Sydney watched some lemurs and ducks tussle. We also rode the train. Sydney did awesome considering she skipped her morning nap, then we were at the zoo when she normally would have taken her afternoon nap. Sydney kept her requests for puppies to a minimum, but she did call the yak and elephant 'puppies.'

After the zoo, we stayed at the 5-star Peelle estate. We were well-fed (homemade fried chicken and Cheesecake Factory super chocolate cheesecake) and well cared for.

After dinner, we rested on their porch.

Sydney and Aunt Jackie.

Sydney deep in thought.

Sydney calling her people.

The lack of sleep started catching up with Sydney. Fast forward a couple hours later, and Sydney would crawl into the same position and say 'sleep.' Poor thing. She fell asleep in my lap, while Brian, my sisters and brother-in-law chatted. It's been a long time (at least a few months) since Sydney has fallen asleep in my lap. Precious.

Maybe our conversation was boring her: dream vacations, the first cassette tape we bought (or CD in Jackie's case) and what reality TV show we would want to star in. It was a great visit.

The plan was to run a couple errands, then hike around Eagle Creek Park on Saturday. We made it to aisle 2 of Trader Joe's when the lack of sleep (missing 3 naps and a rough night of sleep) finally caught up to Sydney. She erupted. (Sorry Dad, no porto for you, no wine for me. We never made it very far.) We headed to the park, but detoured back to West Lafayette when the kid finally conked out. She was a trooper.

We even experienced the remnants of her sleep deprivation today. We were sympathetic.

She rarely fusses and is usually agreeable, but she was so whiny, whiny today.

But, she made me laugh. I was trying to put on her shoes and coat so we could play outside, but she didn't want to go and she threw herself in the floor and cried. I've never seen her not want to go outside. The funny part: she's laying in the floor crying so hard and repeating "happy, happy, happy." I don't think she meant happy. I'll need to correct her before her next tantrum.

Sous chef or Suess chef?*

2008-05-17T18:28:00.001-07:00

Here is Sydney in her apron, which features dogs, also known as PUH-pees. The apron's purchase was twofold: 1) it's adorable, and 2) Sydney gets to wear it when she 'helps' in the kitchen. Her assistance usually amounts to unloading the spice cabinet or her cabinet, which is full of toddler-friendly gadgets. Then, she relocates their contents to various parts of the house. Brian is usually in pursuit to retrieve the items or at least identify where she stashes them.

Sometimes Sydney gets to be more hands on. One night she befriended a green onion, then would not relinquish it.

It was bath time and Sydney was forced to give up the goods. I didn't need her soaking in an onion soup. We tried the switch-and-bait to distract her, but it obviously did not work.

* Brian gets credit for the 'Seuss chef' reference :)

Another fave: The apron is from Kitchen Art, which is a delectable kitchen store in West Lafayette. I was a attending a class the night I bought the apron. The class was devoted to chocolate: 1,0001 chocolate chip cake, three-chocolate torte, peanut butter & chocolate fudge, chocolate fudge swirl cookies (my favorite) and chocolate chip cheese cake. We sampled everything and I even had leftovers to share with Brian.

The opposite of the affirmative

2008-05-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

Sydney is saying dozens and dozens of words: yellow, puppy, grass, table, car, puppy, bus, purple, blue, cow, puppy, puppy, turtle, etc.

What surprises me is how infrequently she says the toddler preferred word ... No! I'm glad this word is not part of her regular vocab. Because its use is a rarity, I'll admit that I think it's cute when she says it. The first time I heard it was one morning when I encouraged her to return her beloved frog to the crib. (This is a routine every morning when she wakes. We lift her from the crib and let her drop Webster in.) This particular morning, she clutched him close and said, "No."

I've heard it a couple other times when I'm sitting in the floor to read to her and she comes over and snatches the book I chose. She says, "No," then hands me the book she wants read.

Maybe such little use of the word means she's the "glass is half full" kinda gal.

She still declares "Book!' regularly. It's never a question, it's always a command. She says it just like someone whose hoisted himself to the counter of a bar and just keeps ordering one shot after another.

Favorites: Sydney's affection. She's starting to give hugs and pecks on the cheek.

Wildlife Works: I recently dug out my summer wardrobe and found my Wildlife Works shirts. This company has a great mission, but I'll admit that I'm not as enthralled with this year's clothing selection. http://www.wildlifeworks.com/mission/mission.html Still, it's always fun to window shop.

Anniversary

2008-05-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

Monday was our 7-year anniversary. It's hard to find current photos of us without Sydney, so I'm posting these old hiking photos.

Hiking is one of the many hobbies we share.

Of course, being married means we share interests, but we also support each other in our individual interests. For example, I try to keep straight that there is a difference between Painter the coach (bball) and Painter the quarterback (fball). I once tried to entertain Brian by naming Purdue football players and their respective positions. My attempt was certainly entertaining.

Brian takes an interest in my enjoyment of Gilmore Girls. He does this by mocking me, and when the show was on-air, he occasionally commented on the plot. (Shhh. I'm pretty sure, he's a fan but don't tell him I said so).

Here's to forever and dozens of other quirky mutual and solo interests.

Toilet paper

2008-04-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

When Sydney is lifted onto the changing table she demands, "Book!" This girl needs to stay current with her reading material.

"Book" is the word of choice now. We still hear "Puppy" but its use is less frequent. This makes sense because every time she says "book" we hand her one. We never gave her a puppy when she said "puppy."

A favorite of mine: Haagen-Dazs chocolate peanut butter ice cream. Apparently, the ice cream company is mobilizing its consumers to help save the honey bee because the population is on the decline and 40 percent of the company's ice cream relies on honey bee pollination. Now, this is a cause I can get behind. Must buy more ice cream!

My parents are such idiots

2008-04-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

It is not my intention to speak for Sydney, but I feel as if I really know what my daughter is thinking at times.

Mommy: "Hey Syd, what sound does a sheep make?"

What Sydney's thinking: For real lady, how many times do I have to remind you what sound a sheep makes. Good grief. Daddy can't seem to remember either.

Daddy: "What does a pig say? What does a snake say?"

What Sydney's thinking: This is ridiculous. If you can't remember what sounds these animals make, then I'm not going to tell you.

Mommy: "Look Sydney, your sitter Ashlee just arrived. Can you show her what sound a sheep makes?"

What Sydney's thinking: Now, I am really embarrassed. I think Ashlee knows what sound a sheep makes. She's in college. Please stop asking. I'm just going to continue looking at my books and pretend like I can't hear my parents. Why can't my Mommy or Daddy remember simple animal sounds? I think they've asked 9,374 times.

Miss Piggy

2008-04-12T21:03:00.000-07:00

Sydney donned pigtails for the first time. Her up-do is a bit messy. I am out of practice with styling pigtails. Wait, I don't think I was ever in practice. I can't remember the last time I made pigtails. Don't worry Sydney, I'll have it down by the time you go to prom.

Brian and I exposed Sydney to the retail world again today with a trip to the mall Saturday night. Forget shopping. We just enjoyed watching Sydney skitter like a mall rat and dart into stores (she prefers the ones with loud music and colorful window displays).

Nothing else too exciting this weekend. I have less than two weeks left of class - my final test is Tuesday and my paper is due the following week. This could be the very last class I take. Hmmm. Probably not. It may be a while, but I'm sure I'll take advantage of the class offerings at Purdue again, as well as the tuition discount for employees. I know I'll need a refresher in algebra before Sydney starts asking for help with her homework in the 7th grade.

The weather is rainy and chilly this weekend. This is a good thing in regards to encouraging me to study, but we're looking forward to warm weather. Walks. Running. Puppy-watching. Maybe picnics. Bubble blowing. Sidewalk chalk. Star gazing ... looking forward to summer.

A favorite worth sharing: Ollie the Stopmer, by Olivier Dunrea.

and

Quote of the day: "No animal should ever jump up on the dining-room furniture unless absolutely certain that he can hold his own in the conversation." Fran Lebowitz, Social Studies.

Guest Column

2008-04-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

Brian sent this story to me earlier in the week. It's cute, so I thought I would share.

--------------

Your daughter ... we're walking on the sidewalk outside when a guy walking two dogs approaches on the other side of the street, a good half block away. Your daughter tears her hand from mine like I have the plague and heads toward the street (to cross) going, "Puh-PEE! Puh-PEE!"

I, of course, didn't let her get to the street and she got Puh-ISSED!

(These were big dogs. Certainly not Puh-Pees.)

---------------

Sydney has a thing for puppies. It's unrealistic that we could adequately care for a dog with our schedules, so only stuffed puppies will be residing at our house. When Sydney starts asking for a puppy we will tell her that she has two puppies that live with Jackie and Graham. Feel free to help us convince our daughter that this is true :)

Sydney on Easter with her puppies, Bailey and Bauer.

Chasing Butterflies

2008-03-30T18:40:00.001-07:00

More like chasing Sydney.

Schedules aligned, so Brian and I took advantage of a free day to meet Julie for lunch in Indy, then take Sydney to the butterfly exhibit in the White River Gardens.

Brian's fine photography skills at work here.

Brian and I took turns netting Sydney.

Sydney admires a bamboo fountain in a pond. I admire Sydney.

Sydney's attention span toward the butterflies was flighty. Syd preferred the outdoor gardens. She had more room to run away.

If you can't beat them, join them. We played hide-and-seek.

The outside gardens at White River reminded me of one my favorite kid novels, The Secret Garden. There were little sprouts of green and life emerging from the ground. Some color was beginning to show too. Signs of life were everywhere.

I really didn't mind chasing Sydney through the garden.

Purple, Pickle & Puppy

2008-03-27T18:43:00.001-07:00

These are three of Sydney's words. Puppy is so yesterday. She started saying 'puppy' about a month ago. Then, everything was a puppy. Puppy this. Puppy that. Last week it was 'duck.' Duck this. Duck that. (Yes, I made sure it was duck.)

Brian and I play with words everyday in our jobs. I'm such a dork that I even subscribe to an online dictionary that sends me a word of the day. These words are often unusual and complicated, but lately I've taken more of an interest in Sydney's word engineering. I never thought much about the word puppy ... or purple ... or pickle, but I now find these words captivating too. I don't feel this way about all of her words. I mean a pig is a pig.

Sydney's language acquisition can also be credited to her student sitters. That's where puppy and purple came from. Pickle is from Sydney and I reading Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Speaking of words ... this photo is of Sydney reacting to my sister Julie saying "moooo."

Sydney is a very happy baby, but it's not often she combusts into a fit of giggles. Usually, she only finds the situation funny once. Then she moves on. Her first moments of unbridled laughter were from me panting like a puppy and us rolling masking tape off a lint roller.

The photo is from Dec. 28. Julie was watching Sydney and while doing so, she discovered Sydney loved it when she moooed. Sydney is laughing at Julie, and I am laughing at Sydney. Three months later, Sydney has yet to laugh at a mooo again.

This photo is from early January. Love that smile.

2008-03-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

Sydney surveys her Easter basket.

The "Easter Bunny" found that adorable giraffe at the Smithsonian.

Easter Bailey helps Sydney survey her goods.

Sydney and Grandpa.

Who needs an Easter basket when you escape with Easter tissue paper?

Sydney was enticed back with her new Easter bunny that plays the traditional Easter hymn by Little Richard, 'Tutti Frutti.'

The Easter Egg hunt. Her 'basket' is actually her new watering can. Sydney and I are planting a tomato garden this summer. I say planting, because I am not sure if I can grow anything. My plant of choice is usually found in the drought-resistant section of the nursery.
We're growing tomatoes because Sydney loves salsa. We might add some peppers and cilantro too. Sydney also received her first stickers so she can personalize her watering can.

Competitive spirit? Or, masquerading as the Easter pig.

Tastes like orange.

Sydney's puppy book. She first said puppy while reading this book.

Brian and I are still in awe of this little person toddling around our house. Some nights we get in bed, then hop out, so we can look at her, again.

Let us ...

2008-03-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

Sydney helps with dinner ... I mean Sydney holds a piece of lettuce while I make dinner.

Irony: Brian spends almost five days in Washington D.C. covering the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament and has no luck spotting any politicians, elected officials or lame ducks in office. Less than 48 hours back in West Lafayette he gets to hear a former president (Bill Clinton) talk at the West Lafayette High School. Too funny.

Norton

2008-03-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, Norton passed away today.
He had been sick these past few months. He will be missed.

Norton playing with Brian.

Norton in the bathroom that he locked himself in by jarring a drawer so the door could not open.

He never understood his limits.
He always tried to fit in places that he did not fit.

Norton and Vader sunning.

Norton thinking.

Both cats like to drink from the faucet.

Norton used to sleep on a shelf in our closet.
Another example of not knowing his limits.
His 19-pound frame destroyed part of the closet.

Ham.

Brian's buddy.

Walk, Don't Run

2008-03-03T19:07:00.001-08:00

Sydney's not quite as graceful as Cary Grant, but she is making strides. She's evolved from walking from person-to-person to room-to-room. These recent mobility moments have been captured via camcorder and not camera, so I'll just describe her efforts.

She walks with her arms extended like Frankenstein. Usually, her tongue is hanging out of her mouth and she's bug-eyed. Her smile is so big, it seems that her cheeks are bursting with ping-pong balls. When she lands - reaches her destination - she is overcome with relief and sometimes giggles. We're hopeful she'll outgrow the Frankenstein impersonation ... if not, she'll have a Halloween costume ready for next year.

Just a fun, post-bath photo below.

Walking

2008-02-17T19:38:00.000-08:00

She's on the go!

... going ...

... going ...

... still going ...

... taking a detour ... timber!

... Round 2!

Close-up

2008-02-15T18:08:00.001-08:00

Feline friends

2008-02-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

We've been incredibly fortunate that the cats are nice to Sydney. They tolerated her infant cries in the beginning and now they tolerate her learning to pet "gentle" and the occasional ear twist.

There were a few times when I prepared to put the sleeping infant Sydney in her bassinet only to find Vader in baby blanket heaven. And, he jumped in her crib a couple of times - once when she was in there. I think that surprised him more than her. He even spent most of the summer sleeping under her crib.

This photo from April was their first close encounter.

Norton observed from the sidelines longer, but he is patient with Sydney. She seems to have a particular affection for Norton - probably because he looks like the panda bear in one of her Eric Carle books. She does seem to like his bulky fur, especially his tail. When he strolled past her tonight she just lit up.

Brian calls the photo below "Ham." We were trying to take pictures of Sydney in her coming-home-outfit last January and Norton wanted to participate.

Both cats use to spend a lot of time in our laps. Below Norton tries to reclaim his spot.

Again, we're really lucky to have such good natured critters.

Roman Holiday

2008-01-27T17:02:00.001-08:00

Audrey Hepburn in the making.

December 2007

Double-fisting

2008-01-21T17:54:00.001-08:00

When Sydney was an infant, Brian and I stood in awe watching her wake. She would be semi-swaddled in her bassinet. The waking process began as she unfurled each limb, then began to stretch and roll in nonsensical directions. Eventually her eyes would pop open and she would take in her surroundings. So cute!!!

Now when she wakes, she groggily sits up from whatever position that only a baby could make look comfortable. With her eyes somewhat closed she immediately begins searching for a pacifier and her frog, Webster. Again, usually her eyes are closed and she may not be sitting erect yet, but her radar quickly detects her treasures that were misplaced during the night.

The next stage of the wake-up process is Sydney hoisting herself to a standing position while clenching her frog. Sometimes Chloe the elephant keeps Webster company in the crib and she too is a part of this process. Still so cute!!!

(Photo from December)

The early days ...

2008-01-20T18:20:00.000-08:00

Daddy's girl.

Mommy's girl.

Still looking back

2008-01-15T18:23:00.000-08:00

More hospital photos ...

Random Retrospective

2008-01-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

This is the first of what I plan will be a retrospective of Sydney's first year. More detailed posts may be sparse for a while ... busy-December is turning into busy-January. My goal is to post her 1-year-old photos before Feb. 3. :)

Sydney holds Brian's finger while he rocks her in the neonatal unit.

Brian holds Sydney in our 'room' at Home Hospital. Brian and I lived in this tiny dorm room for more than a week in what seemed to be an empty hospital wing. It was cramped but it meant the world to us to be at the hospital with Sydney.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

New Year's Day started with a blanket of snow and plummeting temperatures. It was 3 degrees on my way to work this morning (Jan. 2) and at 8 degrees on my way home.

Sydney and I played in the snow for a few minutes New Year's morning, while Brian shoveled. I spent more time locating her winter attire and dressing her in her spacesuit than we did outside. Sydney couldn't move in her suit!!! I think we should put her in her snowsuit when we need to change her diaper. This snowsuit is awesome - a lovely gift from family friend Helen Kenny. Sydney also is wearing her new sparkling purple boots.

We spent the rest of the day toasty and warm in the house. I spent the afternoon cooking. My friend Gretchen shared with me Paula Deen's Brunswick stew recipe. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_23502,00.html) Yummy!!!! I also made Andes Creme de Mint Cookies. (http://www.tootsie.com/recipe/a_creme_de_menthe_cookies.html) Super Yummy!!!!! We ate well.

New Year's Eve, amateur night as my Dad calls it, is usually pretty low-key for us. This year, our friends from Chicago (my lovely friend Holly from college and her family) stopped by for pizza on their way home. Then Brian actually had a chance to relax and watch some college football. I enjoyed some of my Christmas presents, mainly my Godiva chocolate and some Oliver wine. Brian spoils me. After the Soup Bowl game (I have no idea which one we watched) we flipped to Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve. We tune in to speculate how much longer Dick Clark can keep going, mock Ryan Seacrest as he campaigns for Clark's job, and hear the parade of one-hit wonders perform. A sensible way to end the year.

I personally am not a fan of New Year's resolutions, but I am helping Sydney with her list:
1. Sydney resolves not to make diaper changing a full-contact sport. Brian and Amy have had enough of living the WWE's Friday Night Smackdown during each changing session.
2. Sydney resolves to overcome her fear of the vacuum cleaner. She is doing much better with the new garage door operating system.
3. Sydney resolves to sit down while taking a bath.
4. Sydney resolves to not head butt her father.
5. Sydney resolves to not grow up too quickly:)

Christmas Gallery

2007-12-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve and morning at Jackie and Graham's house. Their home is lovely, but even more so when decorated for Christmas. The Christmas Eve spread was scrumptious - our favorites were stuffed mushrooms, rye toast appetizers, buckeyes and the cupcakes. Yum.

In addition to the usual suspects, Jackie, Graham, Julie, Tom/Dad/Grandpa/tpatterson and Audrey, our friends Kim and Kim joined us Christmas Eve.

Whether it's Christmas, or any other holiday, the fun is watching Sydney experience something new. She is inquisitive, curious and expressive even when engaged with the most simple, novel items, such as crinkled wrapping paper.

Here is Sydney solo on Christmas morning.

Sydney with her handlers on Christmas morning.

No peeking!

I am dreaming of a green Christmas ...

This was certainly our most eco-friendly Christmas. The majority of the gifts my family exchanged were 'wrapped' in gift bags. So, not only was the joy in gift giving /receiving from the present itself, but also its container. I am pleased with the selection of gift bags we returned home with. "Note to self, just remove the name tag before I use them ..." We still used wrapping paper and I salvaged some pieces for scratch paper.

One of the coolest presents I received was a tree from Jackie and Graham. And to ensure that this tree lives - I lack the family green thumb - I will not be taking care of it. Jackie and Graham's gift is for a tree to be planted for me in a National Forest. Unfortunately, I am just not sure which forest. But, what a warm and pleasant feeling to know that birds and squirrels are making my tree their home. And, even with the high risk of wildfires, the tree will actually have a chance of survival hundreds of miles away from me :)

To reciprocate, Sydney gave Jackie a pail full of Method house cleaner, which is environmentally friendly. A lame gift for some, but Jackie loves to clean. Plus, it comes in such cool colors, scents and packaging. (You gotta love the people in marketing).

So, after Christmas brunch, (which also is my annual does of sausage, gravy and biscuits) Brian, Sydney and I returned to West Lafayette where Santa visited the night before.

Sydney scouts the present options.

Sydney munches on her new Dora the Explorer soccer ball.

Some of Sydney's other favorite gifts include her walker/wagon, Leap Frog Fridge Farm, Leap Frog Alphabet Pal and a new batch of books, which I am enjoying even more! I highly recommend Janell Cannon's Verdi and Stellaluna, and Steve Martin's (yes, that Steve Martin) The Alphabet from A to Y with Bonus Letter Z!. I personally am reading more than just books with pictures - I finished Anne Tyler's Breathing Lessons and started Carl Hiassan's Nature Girl. Ten more days until class starts, which means 10 more days of pleasure reading.

But, I have digressed from our Christmas reel. The holiday was lovely and Sydney seems to be a fan. Now, she just needs to work on her New Year resolutions.

Skate with Santa

2007-12-20T19:17:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday (12.15) we crashed the Skate with Santa party at the West Lafayette ice skating rink. Sydney is a bit young for skating so we were spectators. Here is Brian trying to help Sydney keep her cheeks warm.

Even though we were just watching the skaters, Santa (a skinny teenage boy in a Santa suit) skated to the side of the rink to visit Sydney. She enjoyed her introduction to the jolly man in the red and white suit and maybe next year she will be skating with him.

I wrapped up my Christmas shopping this week (he, he, 'wrapped,' get it?) and have resolved to start the retail process earlier next year.

My sisters and I exchange "Suggestion Lists" every year. We share suggestions, so the gift-giver has a better idea of what someone may need or want. We each keep saying we have too much stuff, and the lists help us with our selections.

The lists are also fun to read because I always learn something about my sisters. However, it's a guarantee that Jackie will list warm stuff, ie, fleece blankets, socks, hats, scarves, etc., every year. Based on Jackie's warmth stockpile over the years, you would assume she hibernates during winter.

While shopping for her last week, I found myself wondering what she would do if Christmas was not a winter holiday. I guess she would celebrate the winter solstice (which is tomorrow). It's amazing to think how different the holiday would be if it took place in August ...

Instead of buying scarf and hat sets for friends, would we give sun glasses and Speedos? Snowmen would probably not be so prevalent. What would replace them, ants? No more penguins or polar bears (this is foreshadowing global warming). Toucans and alligators would replace them. Gourmet cooks would pass on heating their ovens (no peanut brittle or fudge). Tomatoes would probably be a common gift and stockings would probably be filled with sunscreen.

I pledged I would start shopping earlier this year. Maybe I will hunt for gifts in June and surprise my family and friends with pool toys or Tiki torches. Those items would be fun to wrap.

Christmas during winter, especially when it snows, is magical. I wouldn't want it any other way ... but it is fun to imagine ... Here is wishing for a little snow Tuesday morning so Sydney can test her new purple boots.

Digital Baby

2007-12-02T18:25:00.000-08:00

This fall I clipped an Associated Press story that highlighted the pros and cons of digital technology recording today's kids. "Digital technology leads to the most documented kids ever" featured a mom that shot more than 6,500 photos during her daughter's first nine months.

Brian and I have not calculated the number of images we have, but we know it doesn't take long to accumulate oodles of images ... often of the same pose, expression, outfit or moment. I remember back (and I mean just a few years) when I had to carefully budget the 24 or 36 images assigned to each roll of film.

Now, we can snap a moment with one of two digital cameras, two cell phones or a digital video camera. Oh, and sometimes Brian records Sydney's chirps and peeps with his hand held recorder.

Yes, this is one documented kid.To illustrate my point ... here are three photos of Sydney (August 2007) from the same moment:).

We have so much material that I easily get overwhelmed trying to organize, develop or post the photos we do have. I spent Saturday evening catching up on photos from October and November when I panicked: we have very few (only about 30 photos) of our daughter in November. How did we fail we to chronicle the month as she approached her 11 month milestone?

The article points out that all of these recordings (photos, videos, blogs and audio clips) would be a gold mine for an anthropologist, but who is really going to wade through all of these? Will Sydney ever look at every photo or video? I know my mom set aside a box of photos for each daughter and I am excited to look through its content some day. At the rate Brian and I are snapping, Sydney will have a library to peruse.

The number of days Sydney is a baby are passing quickly. Brian and I realize this, and it is comforting to know that somewhere we have photos of Sydney at various stages of her babyhood. Just one month and one day and our baby will be a little girl!

Turkey Day

2007-12-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday. Brian's parents visited from New Jersey and we all spent Turkey Day with Jackie and Graham. They planned a lovely meal for more than 20 people including the Neuberts, the Pattersons, the Peelles and family friends.

Chow time: Here is Sydney waiting for her meal from Aunt Jackie.

Sydney loves Bailey and Bauer (pictured). And, I am sure Bauer loved the baby food that Sydney smeared on his face.

Dancing with the stars: Aunt Julie Turkey Tangoed with Sydney for entertainment.

Scaling the stairs: Our own little butterball burned some calories climbing the stairs ... of course, Julie and I followed her.

However, Sydney did not like the idea of napping at Jackie's house, so Brian and I spent two hours of the day driving the deserted streets of Indy trying to lull the cranky baby to sleep. She really liked the idea of sleeping in her car seat because the following day she napped sitting up in her crib.

Turtle soup: Halloween

2007-11-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

Sydney and Brian on Halloween evening

Sydney first donned her turtle costume at the Lafayette Columbian Park Boo at the Zoo. However, she was cold and complacent, so it was a short visit. A few days later we celebrated the upcoming holiday at the Hess Halloween party. Sydney was indifferent to her costume as well as everyone else's. She did enjoy the toys.

Days later on Halloween she was quite happy ...

Brian brought Sydney to the News Service Halloween morning.(Thanks for the picture Dave!)

Halloween evening (Before)

(After)

The best part of this costume is watching Sydney crawl.

It will be fun to see what kind of costumes Sydney selects for herself. What will her selection say about her personality? This one represents her mobility. I found the turtle costume just a couple weeks after Sydney started crawling. It seemed perfect.

The wordsmith

2007-10-22T18:21:00.001-07:00

Photo taken 10.9.07

Sydney's babbling continues to evolve. She started with the baby basics - "da da," "ma ma," "ga ga" and "ba ba." She associates "da da" with Brian. Granted, she sometimes refers to inanimate objects as "da da" too, but she is making the connection. She also calls Norton and Vader "gat" A couple times this weekend "cat" came out of her mouth. "Gat" may be short for "Get the cat."

This photo is Sydney sitting by the caterpillar statue at the Colombian Park Zoo in Lafayette. The zoo re-opened its renovated sections this summer. Sydney and I spent a lovely fall day at the zoo during fall break. Looking forward to spending more time at the zoo next summer.

Fear

2007-10-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

What do pumpkins, tape and vacuum cleaners have in common? Sydney is afraid of them. Our bold, brave daughter is usually quite the Marco Polo, but when it comes to these three things, her curiosity and fear collide.

I put 'sticky paw tape' on the bottom stair to keep Norton from expressing his sibling rivalry. It also keeps Sydney away. She approaches the tape, pokes at it, then starts to whimper. She takes the same approach with her pumpkin (named Jack, Jack Sparrow). It's obvious Syd is excited and wants to explore, but something triggers her whimpering and quivering. It's the same with the vacuum cleaner, only she doesn't get real upset until the vacuum cleaner is turned off.

The 'books' say to take the fear serious and comfort the child. Then help her learn about the object she fears. I found quite a bit about babies' fear of vacuum cleaners, but am not sure what I will find about tape and pumpkins ...

I can only imagine how vast the world is for an almost 10-month-old and I am surprised she is not anxious about more.

I was going to post an old photo with this post but the Photo Uploading tool is unavailable. I would draw a stick figure of Sydney but my pen just keeps smearing on my computer screen.

Speaking of pens ... I am searching for a Pens for the Poor charity. We have more pens (in part because Brian tends to pick them up naturally like Velcro picks up lint) then two writers who type on laptops need.

Think Pink

2007-10-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

'Thinking' is what I failed to do Friday night. I was a few days behind with Sydney's laundry, so I crammed everything - including her new red hoodie - into one load. I hope pink is a popular fall color this year because about 80 percent of her current wardrobe (12-18 month clothes) was in that load. Her white pants are pink. About a dozen pair of socks are pink. But, don't worry the bibs will match too because they are pink :)

This photo is from Sept. 28. Sydney was enjoying a Friday morning with her Dad.

Butter

2007-09-23T18:41:00.001-07:00

Sydney enjoys her new crab that Brian brought from Minnesota. Apparently, the squid was ugly. I know, when you hear Minnesota the first thing you think of are sea creatures.

(Mmmm. Crab legs.)

Guess Girl

2007-09-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

Sydney sports her new jeans. She will be 9-months-old in 10 days. Amazing.

Sydney started crawling this week. After weeks of Brian and I wishing she would start crawling,it didn't take us long to wonder why we ever wanted her to crawl. She is everywhere.

Jail Break

2007-09-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

Sydney often prefers to play in her crib then sleep in it.

Grrrr!

Day 2

2007-09-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

Aunt Julie holding Sydney on Day 2 (1.4.07).