You are at a sleepover at Aunt Shishie and Uncle Rob's tonight. It's weird that you're not here, and Dad and I realized that this is definitely a first. We've both spent nights away from you, but we've never spent a night in the house without you. The first thing I did after we dropped you off was take a nap. Then I vowed that it was high time to write a blog post about your recent activities, since I can hardly claim to not have the time to do it.
Since you go to bed at 7pm, it's not really the freedom of tonight that I'm looking forward to. But I'm very excited to sleep in tomorrow, and even if I do end up waking up early, I can't wait to drink coffee and read the paper and listen to something other than your French Playground CD, which is the first thing that you demand each morning. "Dance French Playground!" Sometimes, on a rare morning, you request Paul Simon.
You talk incessantly, unless you are concentrating on one of your puzzles ("cuzzles") or playing with my iPad (which you're not technically allowed to do, but you seem to know how to turn it on and launch any number of apps, including the Photobooth, where you look for pictures of "Baby Scout.") Your biggest new thing is spelling. Any time you see any writing, be it on a welcome mat or a street sign, you tell us that it says "S-T-O-A-A." This is how you think your name is spelled. You also sing entire songs now, including the ABC's, though you often trail off in the middle and it sounds more like the DDD's. "Meow, meow purple cat" is another favorite, sung to the tune of Baa Baa Black Sheep. You made this one up on your own.
Swim class and music class are still a blast, especially swim. You are very close to getting your green ribbon, an award bestowed to any kid who can swim from the edge of the pool to a floating island about 6 feet away. You can do this already, but you refuse to paddle. You just reach your arms straight out and kick like crazy. Then you leap off the island and come back. This impresses other moms in the class, and one of them said you have no fear. So now while you're leaping and swimming around, you yell "NO FEAR!"
We're still having some trouble getting you to listen to us when we say no, and I suppose this is because you are a toddler. Your latest infraction is loving the cats just a little too much. Your little face lights up when they come into a room. "Smokey, kitchen!" you'll say, delighted. "Emma, hug you!" is another one, as you press your entire body against her. When Emma gets up to run away, which she does EVERY TIME you come near, you run down the hall after her, yelling "Chase you, Emma!" I tell you that Emma doesn't like this, but it doesn't seem to sink in. The other day I found you in the living room, pushing Smokey into the couch and telling him, "Smokey, carry you. Change you diaper."
Nonnie and Pops were here at the beginning of the year, and Nonnie also spent the first week of February with us. She and Shishie and I took an all-day cooking class in North Beach one day, and you and Nonnie and I spent lots of time exploring the city. We continue to try to get Nonnie and Pops to move to San Francisco, and they continue to say no. But I think we're wearing them down. Just keep being cute.
I love you,
Mom
