The things she says...

A few months ago I remember thinking that Elisa was already speaking quite a bit, but in another few months she would probably take off. I remember that with both my nephew and niece that around 2 1/2 there was something like turbo drive that kicked in and the little phrases and words that sputtered around between 20-24 months became full sentences and questions before they were 3. And then it happened. Somewhere between packing for this trip, getting on the plane and spending the first few days with her Spanish relations, Elisa started really talking. Like "oh my gosh, mama" and "Papa, I'm so happy to see you." Yesterday she even warned me, "Don't touch Papa. He has the wheel go round and round." That means he's driving and I shouldn't give him a shoulder rub apparently. She also declared "It's so wonderful" at dinner last night and her new favorite way of starting an explanation is to tell me "why-cause..." instead of "because." Makes perfect sense. I ask "why?" and she says "why-cause..." There are so many of these little bursts of language everyday that I haven't been very good at cataloguing them. But I do love how they constantly change. It just reminds you that the difference between now and six months from now is everything and I should appreciate where I am. It's pretty great.

Por Favor

Elisa is a quick study in Spanish and since arriving here last Tuesday, she has realized that getting what she wants requires more than a smile and a "please." Mas por favor would be the phrase to use, and use it, she is. I think she has a natural talent for getting what she wants and that's no different whether it's abuela or grandma she's asking. Considering it's been half a year since we were in Madrid, she has really picked up right where she left off. Learning tons of words and phrases and jumping right into the family dynamic with her hugs and kisses. We've even enjoyed a couple of nights out on the town while abuela and the family kept Elisa happily occupied.

And except for a little sniffle and cough, Elisa has been in pretty good spirits all week. Our flight over was probably the best international flight so far, and I really think she gets that we are traveling now. We had a two hour delay getting out of JFK the other night, but even during that, Elisa was happy to bounce around on the mostly empty seats and by the time we took off, she was almost ready to pass out. We laid her across a row of three middle seats (a trick I quickly copied after meal service) and for once, I think I actually got some rest while she did too. It gives me hope that in the years to come, we might actually enjoy this part of the trip. Getting back in the swing of Spanish life always takes a few days to adjust, but the delicious meals and constant flow of family around have made it much easier. And of course those two hour siestas which we've somehow managed to perfectly time with Elisa's nap. Oh yes, it's great to be back.

'Chuga!

It started with our visit to Spain last summer. Elisa fell in love with her abuela's salads and who can blame her? They are crisp and fresh and oh so tangy. The homemade vinaigrette is always just right. She mostly ate smaller bites of lettuce, or lechuga, with a few cucumbers mixed in for good measure. And at first I was surprised she no longer gagged on the slippery pieces. But she liked it so much, she really took her time to chew them and savor the crunchy texture.

So fast forward to the dead of winter and what does Elisa request for dinner last night but "CHUGA!" as she shouts and twirls around the kitchen. Luckily, I had some romaine leaves tucked into the crisper and so within minutes, out came a most basic of salads. Lettuce, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and salt. Done. And boy was she pleased. Little does she realize, in less than 24 hours we'll be on a plane to Madrid to visit the family for a week. I bet she'll be happy to have the real thing once we get there (and so will I!).

Imagine That

In true confessions style, I will admit I love reading what other moms and bloggers say they do that they don't like to admit. Sometimes it's as benign as serving up non-organic Spaghetti-Os, yelling a little, or hiding beloved toys from their kids. Big woo, right? And sometimes, it's letting their kids watch too much TV, surfing the internet while their little ones are playing, or giving bottles to their kids in bed to eke out a few more minutes of sleep. I am guilty of all three of those. Especially the TV thing. And I know it. Somehow around this time last year, we were cooped up inside a lot more and it became routine to watch Yo Gabba Gabba or Dora to spare me some time to take a shower or fix a meal. Then it became a nice distraction when I was done playing catch (or you name it) for the hundredth time. When the weather got better, we were out almost every morning and afternoon at one of the parks. A little TV before nap or dinner wasn't such a bad thing. Moderation had returned. And now, I find we are again facing the onslaught of all day television. The weather sucks. I'm tired and we both want a nice, glowing distraction from the boredom of winter. Besides, when you see how much Elisa dances around to The Fresh Beat Band or the Backyardigans, you realize she is actually burning off some energy. It can't be all bad, right?

But still I know in my rational mind that she needs more playtime with just her imagination. She needs to develop those skills and practice them every day. When I got hooked on Barbies as a kid, I could easily busy myself for 5 or 6 hours a day just imagining the world they lived in and the complicated relationships of family and friends I developed (seriously rivaling anything daytime television had to offer!). Granted I was a little older than Elisa is now, but still, I'm sure that at her age I was messing with my stuffed animals or doctor's kit or something else much more than television. And so this month, both Nacho and I have tried to make a concerted effort to turn the thing off. It isn't easy and somedays we still watch a good bit of TV, but it's getting better I think. I'm not sure if it's her age or what, but she's definitely showing more interest in her Little People and farm animals lately and there are lots of times when she will bring them from room to room to keep playing and making up adventures for them. I'm glad to see this and to know that her imagination is always there--it just needed a little coaxing which I'm happy to oblige.

Weekend plans

Like most weekends when Nacho is home, we didn't want to over think our Saturday together too much. Most of our grocery and other shopping we can get done during the week when he has a day off, so yesterday was just about heading into the city for a little stroll. We started at Union Square's farmers market where the produce was still fresh and beckoning despite the cold temps. The squirrels were out in full force chomping away on hidden nuts and I enjoyed watching Elisa watch them frolic all over the place. I have to say that with the makeover of the park including the cool playground and welcome public restrooms, it's one of our favorite spots to start a walk or end up. The green market is also a solid reason to check it out, and I was happy to find a few things that we normally don't get in our neighborhood. Of course, it was in the 30s, so I immediately gravitated towards the signs for "HOT Apple cider." As Nacho commented, it was a better hand warmer than his leather gloves! Elisa still refuses to wear her mittens most of the time, and I admit, I've gotten use to leaving home without them. Not a good thing, but we're working on it. So she was wandering around most of the time, chomping on a honeycrisp apple (aren't they the best??) and worrying me with her little bright red fingers. But she did look cheerful didn't she?

After a little too much dancing and bumping into other shoppers, we decided to get Elisa into a store and let her warm up a bit. We followed that with a quick bite of falafel at an old favorite. Elisa has been a beast lately when it comes to sitting still to eat, but she was marginally better yesterday as long as she could squirm around on the bench seating. Her favorite thing to tell us is that she'll be "right back" as she proceeds to get down from her chair. And as much as I may chuckle at this, I can get pretty irritated after repeated attempts to get her seated fail to stick. So for now, it's better to eat and run which is what we did. Back on the train and almost home, Elisa's eyes began to flutter. Nacho and I were trying to keep her awake and engaged, but after a brief pause in our conversation, I looked down to realize she was a goner. Oh well. Home and a quick diaper change and she was in her crib. Of course, those pre-nap naps are the worst for making an easy transition. Elisa must have been quietly playing for a half hour before she started calling out for us. But after a bit of back and forth, she went down and finally slept for a good 2 hours. So all in all, a good Saturday and nice change of pace to be out walking in the city. There's a few more months of cold left before we'll feel the warmth of spring, so I better get used to it.

Miss Mischievous

Oh, this grin. Elisa can hide so many wild ideas and emotions with such a simple look. Something about this two and half mark has made her expressions more dramatic and captivating. Which is good because the down side of her quirky little gestures and strutting dances is her temper and absolute willfulness to do what she likes. In the past week, we've found her climbing up and standing on the dining room table, as well as stomping on my laptop. Not highlights, and not typical Elisa behavior. But something must be up, because a recent discussion in my mom's group has been talking about the very same. It's like these kids have all hit a patch where they are doing more to test us and bargain with their newfound verbal skills. Elisa will try to solicit candy at 9 a.m. (a byproduct of all the holiday goodies?) and when I suggest actually eating breakfast, there is so much moaning and fake crying it's beyond annoying. And it's only 9 a.m. Also, she's been reverting a lot to "baby" behavior such as laying in my lap and letting me rock her while she pretends to fall asleep and stealing bottle nipples and the squishy sippy cup spouts and running around with them in her mouth telling me she's a "baby." Generally, I try to keep a sense of perspective with this stuff. Unless she's doing something like the table dancing or smashing my laptop, I will try to get her to play along and correct her behavior. But that said, many, many times Elisa quickly devolves into a puddle of wailing and flailing that cannot be ignored or cajoled into submission. We use her crib as a safe place for timeouts because she often is so hysterical when she gets worked up that she needs all four sides of it to contain her. The craziness can last for minutes at a time, but I try to keep talking to her very softly and keep reinforcing that we can't do "x" behavior so she needs to calm down and say sorry. Most of the time that seems to get through at the end of the 2-3 minutes. We've also been practicing deep breaths which seem to help her when she finally starts to mellow out. It's like watching her hyperventilate and suddenly come up for air. So little by little, we are coming up with strategies for dealing with the terrible twos. Now if the threes are still like this, God help me.

Birthday weekend

I'm still not feeling particularly recharged by the changing of the calendar, but we've managed to do a few fun things in January that have made me smile. We tested out a new babysitter (Hi Christina!) on Friday morning and it went better than I could have hoped. Now I'm not one for being afraid to leave Elisa with someone new--more like I want to make sure they know what they're getting themselves into! But it went amazingly well. Like Elisa was smiling and waving us goodbye before I could get out the door. No crying later. No fussing. Just playing and probably driving Christina slowly crazy with all that talk of Muno, Foofah, Brobee and the gang. So hopefully my only real New Year's resolution (to go out more in the city with Nacho) will come to fruition with the help of a few date nights here and there. On Saturday, we opted to take the whole family out and celebrate my birthday today by having Greek seafood in Astoria. The pictures below aren't the most flattering, but I like our synchronicity...mother and daughter breaking bread...and then shoving it in our mouths.

Elisa tried her best to behave. She really did. But there was still a good 5 minute struggle to get her to sit or remain seated in the high chair. At one point, she was standing on it, surveying the room and almost delighting in her defiance. A time out did nothing to dissuade her, so it was up to Nacho and I to make the conversation so appealing and amusing that she would want to listen and stay at the table. Not easy, but we kept the table antics to a tolerable level and snuck in bites of delicious salad, shrimp, swordfish and grilled veggies as we played. So much work to have a decent meal these days! Later we popped over to visit our friends Molly and Ronan and their boys in the same neighborhood. Elisa and Jude are only a month and a half apart and seem to get on well whenever we hang out and this time was no different. They were racing around the place, chatting furiously, jumping on a well placed mattress, and swapping toys with minimal fuss. It was a fun way to cap off the night and reminded me that as they grow, this playing stuff gets better and better.

Fast forward to today when I planned to whisk Elisa off to brunch with my surrogate brother Dan Riley. We met up around 12:30p.m. and took the 7 train a few stops towards Long Island City before I realized the girl was already passed out. Cold. How could this be, I wondered. It was a good hour before her usual nap time and I was not expecting her to fall before brunch. Maybe on the way home...But the benefit was of course that we had a relaxing, chatty meal with no toddler interruptions and were finishing our dessert before she roused and sleepily took some milk. I won't say that foregoing my very own nap this afternoon was a good trade off, but since I didn't get a choice in the matter, I will say I can appreciate the peace she did offer me. Sometimes, you just have to take the gift you're given, right? So, all in all, a good birthday weekend and a new year just waiting to unfold. Maybe I am getting excited about 2011 after all...

Picnic for three

Sometimes playdates happen organically--almost like a flash mob--and there is something so fun and relaxing about having friends drop by at the spur of the moment to relieve some of the "what-to-do-now?" pressures of a boring morning. That was the case the other day when I spotted my friend Kristin's status on Facebook and within an hour, she and her husband were stopping over and had another couple in tow. With food. Two friends to entertain Elisa, good company, and a mid-day snack? Does it get any better? Of course, the girls had their own imaginary picnic while we all noshed in the other room. It was notable for several reasons, but mostly because there were no fights or loud spats breaking up the fun. I, for one, was impressed.

And considering how much Elisa enjoys having other kids jump in her crib with her, this took entertaining crib-style to a whole new level. I'm not sure what the head bands were about, but lately Elisa wants everyone to wear a head band. The girls each did their own interpretations, and I think the consensus was a belted look. What trendsetters. Some day when these kids get together, we'll have to do a real tea party and see how much fun that is. Still a ways off, but I can see them trading out the crib for a little party with sandwich squares and bites of real cake. Mmmm.

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2011! There. Was that enthusiastic enough?? I don't know whether it's because we've celebrated the holidays without family this year or because Nacho's been working a lot lately, but I'm kind of having trouble getting my mojo back. December started off with a bang and slowly wound down with a whimper, but I am determined to kickstart the new year with a different attitude. So in that spirit, I thought we needed to get out on this first day of 2011 and celebrate with some good food and even better company. Our neighborhood friends Micki and Harley have a wonderful tradition of eating dim sum on the 1st of each month as a way to honor their wedding anniversary (coincidentally on New Year's Eve!). So when they opened up the invitation to join them in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn today for a sumptuous feast of Chinese goodies, I thought why not?! Here is Harley stealing the tray and making sure no one goes hungry...

Their son Hiro was a champ--coloring, eating, and generally showing Elisa how to behave appropriately at a restaurant.

And here's Elisa pausing only too briefly for a photo. Today was not her best behavior at a restaurant. It's been getting harder lately to keep her occupied and seated without lots of crying and fighting. I'd like to think today was a bit harder because she wasn't at 100% with her lingering congestion and fatigue, but who knows. Nacho did his best to wrangle her back to the table every few minutes, but there were lots of run-ins with the carts and the smiling ladies bringing food around. I think Elisa just wanted to work the room, but of course, this was not the place.

A few hours later, we were on our way back home. The trip down was an easy connection from the 7 train to the N all the way to 18th Ave. About an hour door-to-door. I knew Elisa wasn't going to make it home before napping, and sure enough, she was barely on the train before the eyes started flickering and she couldn't stand it. And Nacho wasn't much better. We all three had our eyes shut for a bit on the journey home which was a perfect end to a good meal. The jostling movement of the subway kept Elisa asleep until we made it back to our street. Not bad for a first outing of the new year--trying something new and sharing it with people we enjoy.