Little Pink Princess

At the end of the last blog a month ago I informed you that Sophia's latest request was for a tu-tu. This was, as it turns out, effectively giving notice that she was about to leave her tomboy phase and jump into her girly phase.

We are now truly and deeply enmeshed in anything with pink, glitter, princess and/or ballerina themes, and high heels (yes, high heels. . . for toddlers! WHAT?!). Like Picasso, she has departed (hopefully not forever) her blue period and entered the rose period. I'll admit that I was initially quasi-disappointed but it was always mixed with amusement. How can you not laugh at a 3-year old stomping around the house in (ahem) clear high heels. (Again, WHAT?! As Chris Rock points out, shouldn't our chief concern, as parents, be in guiding them away from occupations involving poles?)

In our invitation to the Sophia's birthday party a week and a half ago, I tried to think less about what I'd like Sophia to get (something educational) and think more about what she would like (with of course, a big disclaimer from me).

The birthday ensemble was a huge confection-style tutu that brought to mind 1950s square dancing fashion (think Hee Haw). As awful/humorous as it was, I have to mention that it came from fashionista-friendly Century 21 in NYC. I should get a little credit for that.

Taking that information, all of our guests played along and arrived with various shades of pink, dress-up, girly girl presents in hand.


Matt & Michael gave Sophia four pairs of high heel shoes for her birthday (see left), and Anthony gave her a pair of high heels and fairy wings (apropo). She also received three tutus, a trunk full of princess dresses (thanks of me, I'll confess), and three tea sets.

So we have no shortage of cuteness at our house.

Lake Tahoe Weekend

"I need to relax." When most women hear their husbands say this, they might expect that he'll turn on the TV to watch the game, or if he means he needs to leave town to do it, maybe head to a warm weather locale and sit by a pool with a mai tai. I have no such man. When my man wants to head out of town to "relax," it really means that we're going somewhere we don't live so that he can engage in some activity that done improperly just might well kill you.

So, last weekend we packed up the trusty SUV with our luggage and our Baby Benadryl medicated toddler to prevent her from vomiting in the car (hallelujah for Baby Benadryl!), and headed to Lake Tahoe.

In the old days, Sebastian had speed records. He'd aim to get to Tahoe, for example, on a motorcycle in traffic in, say, 3 hours. It takes a wee bit longer now.

Part of the pros and cons to the toilet training business: No more changing diapers! Lots of bathroom stops! While en route, after having already recently made a pee-pee stop, Sophia again told us of her need to go. I (unwisely) shot a look of annoyance before we got off the freeway. After stopping at two gas stations to find they had no facilities, Sophia then informed us that she didn't really have to go. I (again unwisely) flashed the annoyed look and we got back on the freeway only to discover later she went old-school -- i.e., in her Hello Kitty underpants. After doing this three more times over the weekend, we finally had a big sit down and explained to Sophia that accidents are to be avoided at all costs -- yes, even if it means not setting any new land speed records.

Lesson for Mommy: no matter what or where we are in the future my job is to very graciously and happily be a potty locater.

We finally got to Lake Tahoe before dark and settled in. Back at home, Sophia has gone to the Mission Cliffs Climbing Gym with Papa and has been asking to take her there again. So here we are -- on our way to Emerald Bay for her first big outdoor climbing adventure (albeit, without the ropes or equipment. We can wait until she's a little older, like 3 for that). The autumn leaves were gorgeous, it was warm in the sun, and she was a trooper. The picture above is the hill we climbed.

When we found out we were having a girl, I envisioned a little tomboy, like what we have -- before we were here, I could always see her spinning at top speed on the merry-go-round at the park, rock climbing or surfing or doing muay thai with her Papa.

But today she said she wanted a dress like a ballerina, so I guess I'm heading to the store for a tu-tu, too. . .

Sophie's Favorite Things

One of Sophie's favorite things (besides ice cream and chicken burritos) is a good book. Her favorite, for the moment, is Woodpecker Forest by Tejima. She came across it at her old co-op, and we don't own it, so I just keep checking it out from the library. It's free, I can barely store all of her books as it is, and I figure she'll get bored of it soon enough and move on to another.

It's by a Japanese author that has been translated. Being Japanese, it's a very quiet, understated story about a woodpecker and his growth into an adult woodpecker, ultimately moving out on his own. The book is illustrated in equally simple manner with subtle colors, and it almost looks like it was carved into wood then hand-painted.

What makes it funny is Sophia's very American take on it. She's somehow taken a simple story about a bird and made it into an action movie.

Here's how it invariably goes when I read her the book. The italics are Sophie's chiming in.

In the middle of a faraway forest it is almost spring. The warm wind carries the sound of pecking through the trees. PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK!

Up in a tall tree, a mother and father woodpecker take turns making a hole for their nest. This is where they will raise their family. THERE'S PAPA! AND THERE'S MOMMY!

They find ants and other insects in old stumps. EEW! YUCKY! I don't like eating ants, do you Mommy? LOOK! THERE'S THE STUMP! That's Papa on the tree stump!

The forest echoes with the sounds of their pecking and the voices of the young birds. PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK!

Soon the chirping of cicadas begins. [Note: I didn't know how to pronounce cicadas at first and did it incorrectly.] Sophie: It's "si-KAH-duhs, Mommy." Me: "No, baby, I looked it up and it's "si-KAY-duhs." [Now we go back-and-forth every time several times about the correct pronunciation. I can already see that the teens are gonna be bad.]

The baby woodpeckers grown bigger every day. [Sophia pointing to the picture of the three baby woodpeckers:] LOOK! THERE'S ME! And that's Lida and that's Sophie Lee.

The time comes for the young woodpeckers to try their wings. With his parents calling, the bravest of the three flies out of the nest. [Sophia really getting excited now:) LOOK! HE'S FLYING! HE'S FLYING! THAT'S ME!

The young bird clings to a big tree and waits for his father to feed him. All day he clings to the tree. HE'S ON THE TREE! HE'S GONNA WAIT THERE FOR HIS PAPA!

When the moon rises and the owls begin to hoot, the bravest young woodpecker is afraid. [Imitating an owl:] WHO! WHO! WHO! HE'S SO SCARY! [Meaning, actually, that the woodpecker is so scared.] I'm not afraid. Giovanni is scared of the dark. Remember, Mommy? Giovanni was sooo scared of the dark in Mexico. I'm not afraid of the dark. . . [This is about where I usually ignore her and continue to read.]

A hollow tree full of woodpecker holes seems to stare at him. It's dark now, Mommy. He's so scary.

A strange sound fills the forest. [Silence at last. Sophia's listening for the strange sound.]

It's as if all of the woodpecker trees in the forest are laughing. [Big fake laughter]HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

The young woodpecker calls out for his parents. MOMMYYYYYYYY!

Then he hears the sound of wild pecking close by. PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! Look - la luna! [Sophia pointing to the picture of the moon]

He things he sees his father, huge against the sky. All the trees are silent. PAPAAAAAA!!!!

At daybreak, his father appears out of the mist. His papa came back!

The young bird's wings grow stronger. He learns from his parents how to hunt for food, and not to be frightened of hollow trees. I'm not afraid of trees. Remember Giovanni, in Mexico? He was afraid of the dark.

When snow falls on the mountains, it is time for the young woodpecker to live on his own. LOOK! Snow! Snow is so cold. I was in the snow once when I was a baby. It's so cold. Ice cream is cold. [This is about where I start reading over her.]

In the middle of the cold winter night, he awakens and sees the forest glittering under the full moon.
LOOK! LA LUNA!

A dead tree covered with snow seems to stare at him, but he isn't afraid. He remembers the first night away from the nest. And remembers the way his father filled the whole night sky. Those are stars, Mommy.

Over the woodpecker's forest the stars are shining.

From far away comes the hoot of an owl. YAAAAAYYYY! THE WOODPECKER'S NOT AFRAID!!!


Honestly, I don't know how she can take such a quietly serene book and turn it into a action-packed thriller, but she manages.

Maybe she has a future in Hollywood, you know, if the astronaut or pirate thing don't work out.

Halloween's Coming!

Halloween's coming!

To my German Familie, Halloween's a big deal in the U.S.

People, young and old, cram into overcrowded and overpriced Halloween Superstores at the last moment, frantically searching out that perfect costume (for women, something trampy; for men, something that requires the least amount of effort) to wear to their various Halloween parties/dances/festivals. Until they shut it down due to gang shootings, about 10,000 people would head to The Castro in San Francisco for Halloween fun, to drink, and mostly, check out the freaks. We Americans spend $5 Billion/year on Halloween. Yes, Halloween is that big.

But back when I was a kid, Halloween was a much lower keyed, "kid's only" night that involved a costume -- usually homemade, unless you lived with our decidedly uncrafty family (no offense, Ma) -- running door to door to say "Trick Or Treat!" and accumulate free candy. If you were a bad kid, which I was not, it was also a good time to create some havoc, toilet paper the nerd's house on the next block, and make a nuisance of yourself. Next to Christmas (is a Christmas-celebrating atheist family hypocritical?) Halloween was my favorite time of year!

Now little Sophie's finally gotten old enough to appreciate this little fake holiday. Last year, I bought her a race car driver costume and Sebastian took her trick-or-treating while I handed out candy at home.

For her first Halloween, Sebastian had to be pushed, hard and repeatedly, to get out the door, asking me things like, "I don't get what we're trying to do. Are we like beggars going to people's door asking for free stuff? Can't I just go buy her some candy?" Silly Sebastian and his German ways. . . He'll learn. Here in America, we like free stuff from the neighbors!

This year, without thinking of Halloween, I brought up a conversation with Sophia. I thought we were having the "What do you wanna be when you grow up?" conversation. I planned on artfully guiding the conversation toward "You can be anything you want to be when you grow up!" I hoped to hear doctor or teacher or something. Somehow the conversation took an unanticipated turn.

But first, I thought we were talking about the same thing. "I want to be an astronaut." I smiled brightly and asked her why, thinking we'd talk about the stars and going into space. She proceeded to tell me about all of the wonderful accessories astronauts get to wear. She likes the jumpsuit action, apparently.

I asked Sophie if she liked anything else about being an astronaut, praying that she wouldn't launch into a discussion about the fabulousness of having your own rocket ship, and she finally concluded that it's cool they get to "go high in outer space." Yay! Mission accomplished! I successfully groomed our little girl into a person with goals and aspirations; someone who wants to learn science and grow and be someone!

Then she mentioned that she'd also like to be a pirate. They have cool boats.

She is, in so many ways, her father's daughter.

CSI: Sesame Street

Remember when kids dreamed of one day being an astronaut or a teacher? I, myself, dreamed of one day being a cartoonist, thinking that I could draw and color all day, and Mickey Mouse would be my boss. Does it get any better?

Kids nowadays are growing up so much faster than yesteryear, and I'm not just talking about physically -- hormones in chicken can only account for so much. No siree, kids today are doing everything a little bit faster than we did back in the day. Sushi at the ripe age of 3, for example. . . or playing forensic scientist.

Here's an image taken today of two such budding CSI stars. Yes, they're making chalk outlines on the concrete. That's Sophia there being outlined by her best friend, Lida, and down below is Sophia getting a turn.

In all honesty, practicing the chalky outlines of body parts seems to have helped Lida put real stick figures to paper so I thought, "Why not?" we've got some time to kill (bad pun) and some chalk to burn.

So, if you find yourself in The Mission and want to check out our sidewalk artwork, come on by. I call it "Midget Ninja Massacre." Viewings are today until it wears off or it rains, whichever comes first. I'm thinking you have until January 2010.

Sophia's in Pre-School!

Sophia is rapidly approaching three years old and with that comes the ol' passage to pre-school. I thought that because she'd been going to a cooperative day-care twice a week -- which meant that I worked there for half a day each week -- the transition would be virtually pain-free.

Not so.

The first day of school was wonderful. Papa and I both took her to see her off on this auspicious day.

Sophia walked in to find a play produce stand complete with cash register, plastic fruit and milk containers. She went straight to the cash register where she quickly learned how to open it up and grab the cash.

While she was at work with the produce stand, Sebastian and I got the 10 minute tour showing us where her belongings go (i.e., the cubby for her changes of clothing for each day in case of accidents as they don't allow diapers even during naps), the outdoor area, the play room, and the bathroom complete with a very low to the ground toilet and matching sink.

We turned to Sophia as we neared the door, and Sophia could barely pull herself away from the free money to say good-bye (while I, on the other hand, cried in the car.)

When I picked her up from school, the first thing she said was "I made money!" Ah, Papa's girl!

The next day was fine again, and I marveled at her independence though perhaps in the back of my mind a little sad that she was able to grow up so easily, with barely a glance good-bye.

The third day though, things began to break down. Sophia didn't want to get out of bed (she is quite the night owl), didn't want to get dressed, and complained that she didn't want to go back to the "new school." After pulling out my hair to get her dressed, fed, and on the bicycle to get there on time (they close and lock the doors promptly at 9am -- if you don't make it, you're out for the day), she cried loudly and gripped my legs as I tried to exit. It took two teachers to hold her while I made my escape.

This same procedure has repeated every day since until (FINALLY!) today when she gave me a kiss good-bye, said she loved me, pointed out to Teacher Jenny that I would, in fact, be back for her after her nap, and reminded me that she fully expected a treat of chocolate milk when it was all over. (Hallelujah!)

Hopefully our transition is over.

Mexican Summer

Hello Dear Family/Familie,

Here's the start of Miss Sophia's blog. I've been meaning to do it for a while and Sebastian just wrote me a suggestion to get on it, so here we are!

Sophia and I just got back from our most recent fabulous trip -- this time to Puerto Aventuras, between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum on the Caribbean Sea on the east coast of Mexico. You can see it south of Cancun on the upper right.

Unfortunately, Sebastian had to stay home work. :-( Someone's gotta make the money, I guess. Don't feel too sorry for him, folks -- he took time-out to go surfing along Big Sur and the Central Coast.

Sophia's godfather, Jerome and I joined a group of my friends, former co-workers from a public relations firm, for the trip. There were 10 of us total. This counts little Giovanni who's 4 months younger than Sophia, who made the perfect playmate.

We all stayed in a huge gorgeous house, complete with a cook (Sylvia - below), housekeeper, and gardener. Sophia couldn't get enough of the pool/beach and Jerome "Ro-Ro," whom she adores.

Besides 3 full meals (and I mean FULL! I came home 5 pounds heavier), it had a pool and a private beach. Sophia and Giovanni just basically spent their entire vacations hopping from pool to beach with little inflatable "water wings" on their arms at all times. The ocean was a protected area with rocks keeping out the waves and it was very shallow -- no more than 3' deep -- for at least 300 feet.

Sophia kept saying that she spotted whales and sharks but seriously, nothing bigger than Sebastian was getting in there. All I spotted were tiny little fish and small hermit crabs.

That's all I have for now. I'll be posting more photos and sending out an announcement on that.

Stay tuned for more soon!

xoxo