Thursday, December 30, 2010

Snowdate?

With Elisa finally on the mend the past 48 hours, I thought it was about time to get out of the house and enjoy the balmy 40 degree weather today. Fortunately for us, my friend Carmen had a similar thought and invited us over to her backyard in Sunnyside Gardens for a snowy playdate. Full disclosure here: Carmen is Canadian, so you know when she mentions building a snow fort that it will get done. Here are her son Leonardo and neighborhood pal Myla *hope I spelled that right!* building away...
Seriously, how cute is she??
And Leonardo looking full of wonder at the snowy landscape...

And where, you ask, was Elisa during all this snowy fun? Well, she endured about two minutes of standing awkwardly on a mound of snow before she begged me to take her back inside. And after she brushed her hand accidentally against the snow, the howling really began. Wuss. I mean, I wasn't raised on a farm, but I remember plenty of snow-filled days in the Midwestern suburbs trudging through our back yard for hours on end. And okay, maybe I was a bit older, but c'mon, how fun is the snow? What's not to love? I'm holding out hope that she'll get into it more next winter. At least, I'm not stopping until she does. And since she just got over a cold and a bit of a rough start to the week, I obliged her request to go back inside. There were chocolate chip cookies to be eaten anyway, so who can blame her for hanging out eating while the other kids played. Yep, that's my girl...

Monday, December 27, 2010

Snowpocalypse 2010!

Yes, we're alive! After celebrating our post-Christmas Christmas with Nacho on Sunday, we've been lying low and watching the snow fall all over the neighborhood. Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird (aka "Chicken") were all a big hit and Elisa's kitchen is almost complete (waiting for a new part to replace the cracked stove top). But all in all, it was nice to celebrate all together with Nacho making it home just before the big storm hit Sunday morning. Elisa came down with some type of cold/fever during the "Snowpocalypse" so I've had absolutely no reason to venture out. But Nacho was feeling adventurous today and took a walk to capture the photos below. I think the reports are something between 13-18" in the city with drifts several feet high which has made the plowing (or lack of) much more noticeable. I think this is the worst I've seen the city since we moved here in '05.
I had to include this last photo because Elisa was finally a bit more docile after a day of running around whining and wiping her nose on everything. Poor girl. She was pitiful asking for medicine for her "sroat" and refusing to drink anything but my special juice (aka ginger ale). She took a terrible, short-lived nap, and by evening, I could tell she was getting sloppy. I put her down a little before 8 p.m. and as I went down the hall to get something and return, I had only taken a few steps back in her room before I noticed her eyes were already shut and her mouth was hanging precariously open. As the wind continues to howl tonight and blow snow all around, I hope Elisa will get some rest. Papa's another year older today so I'm sure he could use the shuteye too!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve will find me....

Merry Christmas Eve! It's late already and we've had a wonderful evening with friends, but since we're not celebrating in the morning, I have a little more time to write. Because Nacho is working until late tomorrow, we are having our family Christmas on Sunday. Might as well, right? I don't think Elisa will be any the wiser and it means we get to be at home together which is what matters most this year. There are times when Nacho's traveling impacts our family life more than others and times when it feels downright lonely to be home for days on end with Elisa. She is definitely more of a person these days, but still, as anyone who has spent quality time with a toddler recently will tell you, it's not easy to do this day after day without some relief. Or just adult conversation. So as we approached our third day home without Papa, I jumped at the chance to spend the evening with friends from our playgroup. We woke up post-nap and Elisa was rarin' to go. She walked 15 blocks uphill in the cold to get there if that's any sign!
To be fair, she did wander a bit and stop to stare at almost all of the Christmas displays and lights. It was just turning dusk as we arrived at the party, though, so the evening felt kind of magical and glowing. As we turned the corner on 52nd Street, a nativity scene caught her eye, and Elisa bent down and huddled close to the makeshift wooden manger set out on someone's front stoop. It might have been the first creche she's seen, and it definitely gave her pause. She was mesmerized by the glowing (electric) candle, the animals all neatly arranged around the manger and most of all, the baby Jesus cuddled tightly on Mary's lap. As I described it a bit to her, she commanded me to come over and sit. Hmmm, I think I'll stay standing, thanks. But I did crouch down just enough to see the look on her face, and she was enthralled. I guess baby Jesus has a sneaky way of doing that, huh? As I finally pulled her away and we headed up the street to the party, I was struck by the fact that we've been talking non-stop about Santa but haven't mentioned baby Jesus one bit. Now, most people who know me realize I'm not a religious person, so perhaps this is not that odd. And Elisa is only 2 which means we have plenty of time to answer all the questions about how the wise men found him and what do you mean an angel spoke to someone?? But I guess, I do consider myself a spiritual person and I enjoy this season for the traditions of my childhood and the sense of joy and peace it can bring even if only for one night. So, I had to smile to myself that sometimes faith and mystery are all wrapped up together and if you try to explain too much, you lose some of the magic. So for tonight, I'm going to bed satisfied that Elisa will learn more about Santa and that baby as we look forward to celebrating more Christmases. And hopefully, Papa will be home to explain it all and tell her about his "Noodleness." Because, yeah, he's a Pastafarian which is a whole other ballgame. Good luck to her figuring that out... And to all a good night.

Oh, yeah, and this was staring up at me from the city skyline as we walked home:
Merry Christmas, New York City! I am so glad to be home.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Better late than never...

Here's the video to go with the last post. I'm still laughing at the lion impression...

Monday, December 20, 2010

Inside out

So many times in the past 2+ years I've wondered what in the world Elisa was thinking. As an infant there were the gassy little grins and wide eyes pondering my every move. Later, her darting glances and quick steps usually meant she was on the prowl for something she shouldn't have. And even earlier this year, I would hear unintelligible babble and try my best to match it up with something we'd been doing or playing with. And now finally, I have a little girl who can and does tell me things all day long. Things that make sense most of the time. It's still shocking at times that she can be understood by people at large--like when she gets separated from me at playgroup and I hear her telling another mom friend "I can't find Mama!" But it's such a welcome change from the never ending charades that defined us so far. Of course, no progress is ever without a bit of yin and yang. As much as Elisa is talking now, there are also those rare moments of her quiet introspection and silent play that make me smile and wonder what new scenarios she's dreaming up. Lately, she enjoys lining up her Little People and their animals along the top of her piano or the living room chairs. It's as if these are her audience watching her perform a cabaret--complete with singing. Oh, the singing. Elisa is always half mumbling some lyrics or carrying a light little tune when she's playing around. And today, she actually shushed me while pretending to know all the lyrics to a Yo Gabba song. Note to self: I guess the spotlight is only big enough for her. ;)

Friday, December 17, 2010

Knowing just what to say

Ah, this girl. Sometimes she is swoon worthy. It can be a certain look she throws my way (see above) or just a laugh that tells me she loves her mama. But yesterday she one-upped herself and actually complimented me. Out of nowhere. I was walking back in the living room after cleaning up the kitchen and Elisa turns to me with all her focus and says, "Mama, I like your dress." Forget that I was in my pjs. This was quickly followed by, "I like your hair. Mmmmm...I like your manos." It was a bizarre yet truly sweet jumble of words. And perhaps most touching of all was the way she serenely gazed up at me the whole time. She was searching me with her eyes as if to indicate that she was really looking at me and seeing things she liked. Kind of like being on a date and hearing wonderful things from someone special. Only better.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Killing some time

It's a good thing this month started out so new and fresh, because it suddenly came to a grinding halt over last weekend. Just as I was thinking I was ahead of myself with the Christmas shopping and home decorating, I hit a total work stoppage. As in, I don't want to do anything ever again. Just blah. No real passion for baking (what??), no incentive to clean (and I desperately need to), and no inspiration when it comes to keeping a little girl busy indoors all day (the worst!). With the dusting of snow and howling cold winds this week, I guess it's not bad timing that I have no desire to leave the house, huh? As we sat around again yesterday, I knew I needed something to keep these idle hands out of trouble. So I resorted to giving her a spray bottle to help me "clean" her desk and chairs. Who knew it could bring this much intensity and happiness? Maybe she's ready for the real thing?

Thursday, December 9, 2010

That time of year...

Last weekend we had a chance to get our portraits taken again as a family. Our friend and fellow Sunnymom Kristin Burns did us the great favor of coming over to shoot us at the apartment and the morning saw several other families stop by for the same. It was a fun way to hang out and see how much we've all grown--literally. The last time we did this Elisa was a month shy of her first birthday and we didn't yet own our fancypants camera. So it was a treat to have some nice portraits taken of our girl and the family shot I've come to adore was just an added bonus. These days, there is no shortage of photos of Elisa overloading my hard drive. But we haven't been as lucky capturing us all together which is why I love these. You can barely tell she was being a diva two year old.
We won't focus on the ceramic ornament that got thrown down and smashed to smithereens in a fit of anger, or the countless times we had to move and reposition to get Elisa to stop squirming around. It all goes into the production. We got the shot and for at least another year, we can sit and stare and love the family photo that shows us in this moment. And what a moment it is. When every day is another breakthrough in vocabulary and putting words all together complete with the tantrums and giggles and dopey hugs that only two year olds do best. When every bedtime is a staging ground for singing songs and reenacting the day's events. It's a pretty great time in my life and one I am so excited to share with these two people. My family.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The three amigos

Today our Spanish guests left New York City. After the brutal cold of the last few days, I think they were ready to feel the warm Spanish sun again (okay, it's only in the 50s there, but still!). Yesterday we met for breakfast at a local diner just as snow flurries were sprinkling the sky and it was that first shock of winter that really made me wish I had stayed home in my pajamas. So as the topic of conversation turned to the shopping day ahead, no wonder the boys weren't too keen on heading into the cold, blustery city. After a quick discussion, we decided to let all three of the kids hang out at home with me, while Nacho took Cristina and Jesus into Manhattan to finish up their shopping lists. The boys were an absolute delight compared to Elisa. For whatever reason, Elisa was on quite a tear yesterday which meant that she never really got along with anyone for more than a few minutes at a time. There was a lot of crying, shouting, saying "stop it," and generally flailing about. But for a few minutes, I had all three of them coloring at the table and it was bliss. Or at least it looked that way. I think Elisa wants so badly to be part of their team that she will do anything to insert herself in their games, their fun. When I can find something reasonably similar for her to do, it works well. But inevitably, something will change and she's no longer satisfied to watch them in their big boy pursuits. Luckily, they were both gracious about giving up toys that Elisa only wanted to hog, and they found a lot of amusement in her crazy ranting, especially the "I don't want any" mantra. I know Elisa will miss having the boys around the rest of the week as we stay indoors fighting off the cold weather. Something about having all that extra energy around helped wear her out. And on that note, I'll be missing them too!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Santa is the man

This year, I said it would be different. This year, I thought maybe Elisa would understand the idea of Santa just a bit. But still when you are telling your child a strange man is going to bring you presents in the middle of the night, something just sounds odd. Like really? So I just tell him what I want and he will bring it? The problem with explaining all of this to a two year old is that she still has no real grasp of time. So when I was able to get it through her thick head that Santa listens to requests and gives you stuff, I'm pretty sure she thought we were getting an Elmo doll TODAY. Woops. Well, it was still worth the photo. See the difference a year can make?
SANTA 2009
SANTA 2010
The funny thing is that she looks so pleased. So natural just sitting there smiling. But the first ten minutes we entered the building she was screaming and flailing and wallowing on the ground. Elisa kept shouting "home, home" and I was all but packing it in as I put on my coat and got ready to stroll on out. But then our friend Dan tried to get Elisa to sit with him by Santa's side, and then once I stepped in, she actually caved. And thus, another fabulous holiday photo is ours. I wonder if in time I will forget how much she hated going there and how confused she was that "Elmo Chicken" wasn't handed right over to her afterwards. Luckily, she has a pretty short term memory, so we were back outside and on our way home with milk and her burp rag in tow erasing the memory of her request. Ah, the memories...or not.

Friday, December 3, 2010

The holidays arriving early!

This week has been a whirlwind of activities and preparation for the holidays to come. We made it to IKEA and Target and Trader Joe's, and I've restocked and reconfigured our apartment with some wonderful new additions. The living room alone is making me smile and feel excited to entertain this month. So no wonder that the arrival of Nacho's brother Jesus and his wife Cristina and their two boys, Diego and Alvaro would make it feel like the real holidays have begun. Today we greeted them at the apartment before heading into the city for a tromp through Central Park. It was pretty chilly, but the sun was out and there were even a few leaves left clinging to the trees.
Elisa constantly points out the family in photos we have around the house, so there was hardly any adjusting to the visitors. Within minutes, she was running and shrieking with Diego and Alvaro and their time at the park was well spent buzzing down paths and even taking in a giant bubble display at Bethesda Fountain. We stopped for lunch nearby at Goodburger which was a hit all around, before Elisa and I headed home for nap time. Nacho stayed and guided the shoppers through midtown Manhattan with great success if the bags full of clothes and gifts are any indication. And tonight we managed to get our BEST Christmas tree ever, and eat pizza and start the tree trimming before bidding our visitors farewell as they headed back to their hotel in the neighborhood. It's been a busy day, and a terrific start to the holiday festivities to come!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Lovin' the lights

I'll admit I'm a sucker for Christmas lights. There's something about this time of year that brings out the festive part of me and all I want to do is smell fresh pine needles and light candles. Truthfully, I don't think it's as much a religious celebration for me as it is that good ol' Pagan tradition of celebrating the cozy darkness of winter and the solstice to come. But either way, there's plenty to be excited about as we bring 2010 to and end and get ready to indulge our little girl in some of my favorite holiday traditions--trimming the tree, singing Christmas carols, wrapping presents and baking cookies until all our tins are filled! So it was for no other reason than to see some neighborhood lights that we set out on a walk the other night at dusk. The lights up on Queens Boulevard were beckoning and I was surprised by how easy it is to fall in love again with our proximity to the city. There's something about seeing the Empire State Building all aglow at the end of the horizon that makes the rest of the lights just sparkle brighter. After yesterday's torrential rain and winds, we made the trek to the 1st Annual Skillman Avenue Holiday Lighting last night which left a bit to be desired but featured hot cider and hot chocolate from our local eatery Aubergine. Did I mention I also love this season for all the great wintery drinks? Mmmm. Yes, there's just something about Elisa's little gasps and oohs & ahhs when she sees twinkling lights on display around the neighborhood that tells me she's a festive spirit as well. Now I can't wait to pick out a tree and get the real thing up in our house. December, you've got me smiling already.

Monday, November 29, 2010

If it's Monday...

This is the last of my Memory Mondays for a while. I think I'm too undisciplined to remember to post something every week on a particular topic. But it was fun to try. This photo was taken almost a year ago this week. I love that Elisa's shirt is stained with a stream of drool--a sure sign of teeth yet to come. We had a big debate about getting a live tree again since Nacho is never in favor, and I was wondering if it would be wise with a 16 month old wandering around. But in the end, I needed that tree to cheer me up and it did. It gave me a focus for the holidays and I was inspired to decorate and carry on despite having been laid off. Elisa was in awe of the tree and yet she didn't want to get too close. Her first encounters with it were almost a lesson in tactile overload--the prickly pine needles too much for her to deal with. But within a matter of days, she was racing over to it and fiddling with little ornaments here and there. I tried to keep the bigger (and more breakable) ones up top at least out of reach. And that worked well for the most part. In fact, I remember how normal the tree came to be after a week or so. Elisa didn't go crazy trying to topple it and I could relax again when she was momentarily out of sight, knowing that the tree was safe. So flash forward to this year and I am eager to get another tree and start decorating. Something in me refuses to do this until December officially begins, but it's fast approaching. And I think Elisa might be more fun helping get the ornaments out this time around, although the lights are still mine. Nothing like a little Christmas control freak to kick the season off right!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Staying warm...or just being lazy

This morning we sent Nacho out bright and early at 8 a.m. to rake leaves in our local park. The mandatory volunteer hours we've whittled down are almost finished, and this will put us close to done before the year's end. Hurray! So how did Elisa and I spend the morning? Nice and cozy inside while Papa raked and chased leaves around in the cold. However, we did get dressed to go and meet him after his 3 hour shift was over. That way Elisa spent about 20 minutes running around the park, jumping on the scooter she hasn't seen in weeks. It was a reminder that winter is almost upon us and the days are not only brutally short but cold too. I haven't done any real holiday shopping yet, and could care less about the deals and steals of the big box stores. But I thought it might be a good day to stroll the neighborhood and after stopping in at Petunia's on Skillman Ave. we found this little hat I just couldn't resist. Who cares if she looks a bit like Paul Simon circa 1973? It's cute. And she let me put it on her for all of 5 seconds before ripping it off. So I think we're onto something. Of course, when you're nice and toasty inside you don't need a hat, right?