Honestly, BEST CHRISTMAS EVER

What a great holiday this year.

Freda is 2 1/2 and it was really fun this year. She was old enough to participate in a ton of xmas lore. Behold the almighty Advent calendar. Letters to Santa. Cookies/milk by the chimney with a note. Freda was the 'keeper of the lights' on the tree and got a bit miffed when we did it. She had so much fun decorating the tree (this may become a bigger event in the future), then we made a bunch of ornaments with things like pine cones and wax paper "stained glass" ornaments. Collecting the materials, assembling the materials and then decorating with the final product were 3 different layers of fun. Next year we can do popcorn and paper chains.

Grandma Leslie came up and stayed Christmas eve with us and Freda opened her gifts from family. We enjoyed festive music and snacks. We usually go to my parents house for Christmas eve but we were not able to make it this year. 

Christmas morning was fun and we all got up at 6.am. (thanks Frefre...) and discovered all the presents Santa dropped off. We had a blast and ate breakfast and enjoyed the company and played with Freda. That evening, we went to Aunt Jan and Uncle Joe's for dinner. Aunt Cindy's family was there with all the kids. My brother and his family also were there. Freda had so much fun playing with her cousins. She talks about them all the time and gets really excited the few times a year we all end up in the same place.

On Saturday we drove down to Mt. Vernon to visit Grandma Freda and Grandma Sharon. What beautiful people. They are always in a good mood and happy to drown you in compliments and fuss over Freda. They are so sweet.

On Sunday, we drove back down to Bayview to have Christmas with Mandy's dad's family. Sometimes I don't know how to deal with such generous and loving people but i'm getting there. haha. We ate and laughed and shared stories from the last year and more. 

Thanks to everyone for making this Christmas top of the list.

Life is good.

Past Life

I ask Freda about where she was before mommy's tummy. I have always gotten the same answer. "I lived in mamas belly." the other day we were talking about something and it came up.

"Freda, where were you before mommy's belly?" I ask.

"I don't know." she says "It was really dark!" (scared look on face). 

"Were you a big person (grown up) or a little kid?" 

"I was a boy." she says

"A boy? What was your name?" I ask

"Bakuba" chirps Freda

Feel life. Listen to it. Enjoy it. Share it.

Humpty Dumpty

Driving home from school yesterday Freda just whips out Humpty Dumpty. Pretty much nailed it too. I never get over when they pull stuff out of nowhere like that. Things I did not teach her, things I had no idea she did or knows. What a trip.!

So she rattles off the poem and I am blown away laughing and she asks "Why you laughing poppy?".

"Because i love you little girl!" I say. "Where did you learn that? School?"

"No." - f

"Did mommy teach you?" - me

"No, I just learned it all by myself." - f

"Oh really?" - me

"Yeah really my grandpa teached me that." - f

"What grandpa, Chuck or John?" - me

"Grandpa Chuck. He showed me when I was a little shiny baby. When I was so small and sparkling."

If you know my dad, he does not do poetry or rhymes or sing...that I know of.

Santa 2009

Busted!

Night before last, we had put Freda down for the night. Mandy and I stayed up and were talking, at one point both laughing hysterically about something, and then from the back hall...

"STOP LAUGHING GUYS. IT MAKES ME SAD BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO SLEEP OVER HERE, SO PLEASE DON'T LAUGH AND BE QUIET."

Mandy said, "I'm ashamed to say that it made us laugh even harder, but we covered our faces in a vain attempt at disguising it as a 'cough'..."

My First PTC

WOW! Here already. Freda's first parent-teacher conference. It was painless and kinda fun.

First they showed us a book being made of Freda's entire 'career' at St. Francis. It was full of pictures and art we had never seen. Pictures of Freda having fun. Pictures of Freda with her own friends. Pictures of Freda on field trips. Pictures of Freda learning and singing and sharing. It was so great to see my baby learning and participating in activities outside her family. The staff at St. Francis is amazing and we appreciate them all very much. There were letters to Freda from Teachers there. All her reports about physical and mental progress. It was really cool, especially since we had no idea this book even existed. When she Graduates to kindergarten, she takes her book with her as a reminder of all the fun stuff she did in preschool. Very cool.

As we figured, she is very adept in the language arts and her motor skills are above the norm. Her comprehension is alarming [to me] and her memory is sharp. She fully knows that tomorrow, yesterday and last week are different. This morning she reminded me about something we discussed the night before. She is physical, she is tall, she's in the mix, she is Alpha. This means a struggle or two to gain/maintain this position. She has gotten physical with a couple other friends of hers at school. We talked about this and we all came up with some ideas about how to address the root of the issue, not just give her timeout. She needs to be given the tools necessary in overcoming these everyday challenges with strength and grace. I am very thankful that her school is capable of identifying and willing to partake in helping Freda through this stage. She's my girl and I could not be more proud. She may have gotten Mandy's good looks, but she definitely got my spirit. She will probably be a punk rock cheerleader prom queen...you watch.

I jokingly said "I used to call her mini Mandy, but now it's mini Charley. hehe.

I love you Freda. 

Santa 09

The Santa Train is closed this year (we hope everything is okay!) so we took Freda to see Santa at the mall.

When we got there we had to stand in a short line, 5-6 people. Freda did her best to get Santa's attention. She would call out to him and wave. She turns to me and holds my face and says "He doesn't see me poppy!" After some reassurance, she understands we all get a turn with him. Once it is Freda's turn, Santa gets up out of his chair and approaches her. As he gets down on one knee she runs and jumps into his arms hugging him.

Santa says "It's been so long since I've seen you! A whole year has passed and you are getting so big!"

She is just smiling and nodding in agreement. And me? Well, here come the waterworks.

"I missed you so much" he says.

"I missed you to Santa!" whispers Frefre

They settle into Santa's chair for a quick photo to remember the occasion by. He says "Have you been a good girl this year?" she nods. "What do you want for Christmas?"

"A Reindeer" she says. He laughs and is jolly.

He gives her a coloring book and a hat as we walk away, and she is beaming. Mandy asks if she told Santa what she wanted for Christmas and she says..."Yes. I got this (the coloring book) and this (the hat)."  He was the best Santa I've ever seen.

He did not just dress the part, he was Santa. I'll post the official Santa Picture tomorrow. 

Life is happening whether you are there or not.

Wisdom

We have a lot to learn from Native Americans.

"When you were born, you cried
and the world rejoiced.
Live your life
so that when you die,
the world cries and you rejoice."

-White Elk

"When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money."

-Cree Prophecy

Arguing

Freda and I argued for hours yesterday.

She tried to convince me that she liked me more than I liked her. She thinks she won...

SRSLY Bars

So, she loves cereal bars. Blueberry and strawberry the most. Ever since she could, she has called them "Seriously bars".

Theres no way I'm correcting cute like that. Nuh-uh.

The Nudie Dance

She has one. Every time she is nudie she does the dance and yells "NUDIEBUTTS!NUDIEBUTTS! 1, 2, 3. NUDIEBUTTSNUDIEBUTTS YOU LOVE ME!"

It's pretty cool.

Freda and Me

Trimming the tree

Pro Tip:

You never know what parts of childhood they will remember, so make every moment one they can cherish, not be ashamed of. One that enables, not stifles.

You cannot go back and re-write yesterday, especially with people who lived it.

The Music Inside

I feel blessed to have music inside me. It was not learned, I was born with it. It took me 19-20 years to identify with and be able to share this music. Through my hands and mouth, I possess the ability to express many complicated facets of my life through the arts.

I was putting Freda down on Saturday. She laid so close to me, our noses were a beautiful inch apart. She smells like love and life. I close my eyes to soak it in. She sucks her thumb as she falls asleep still, but this time I noticed something amazing. I could hear her 'sucking' in different pitches.

So I open my eyes and ask, "Freda, are you singing a song?"

"Yes Daddy" she says

I ask "What song are you singing?"

"My song" she whispers. "la la la la la la la...."

"Your song?" I query.

"Yes, the song thats inside me."

Thats MY girl.

I wonder...

I bet! You should call sometime!

Brief update since the last post:

She got bigger. 

Binky gone.

Potty trained.

She started writing. Her drawings are of things now not just Rorschach blobs. 

She cracked herself up the other day when she made a joke.

"That is perfectly fine Poppy"

"Papa, have you ever had a motorcycle?" 

"Hold on, let me think about it...hmmmm. okay!"

"Lets play hide and seek. You count and I will hide over here."

"I'm two. Daddy, what is your letter?"

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Freda had it when she was a few months old. Mandy and I obviously have not had it. Freda must have brought it home from school. I had it last week and Mandy has it this week. It's horrible. Felt like I was walking on shards of broken glass for 4-5 days. And this, after 5-7 days of fever, loss of appetite, malaise, backache, thirst, night sweats, headache, was just over the top.

"Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a mild, contagious viral infection common in young children. Characterized by sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet, hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus."]

CDC Report on HFMD

You'll have to try harder than that to ruin our Dinsey vacation tho...

Critters in the night

So last night as little mini slept...

...I let Ajax out as I was going to bed, around mindnight. The second I open the door he sprints off growling after something. It's pitch black. I have no shoes. As I am calling him back he is snorting and gagging. I have heard this before. I turn to run inside to get ready for the cleanup. Mandy's been asleep for a couple hours at this point. I wake her [gently] and bring her up to speed. So she goes to the ack door to make sure he stays there. He wants in really bad. We have no tomato juice. I get on the internet and look up the solution. I find: 1 quart hydrogen peroxide 3%, 1/4 cup baking soda and a teaspoon of detergent [dawn]. we glove up and head outside and rinse him off. The smell was gone in less than 30 seconds. The hard part was doing his face. He took the brunt of it in the face so we had to put peroxide mixture close to his eye/nose/mouth which could not have been pleasant, especially after the outcome of biting that last thing in the butt. I pick him up and we rinse him off in the bathtub. mandy went back to bed, I closed down shop and followed her.

Hahahaha. When subject and object collide, an experience is born.

I can check that one off my list now. 

Bias or not, this kids cute!

Oh yeah...

If you didn't know, we are going to Disneyland on vacation. We were not going to take her there for a couple more years, but a friend of ours recently relocated to the bay area to work for PIXAR Studios. Owned by Disney, we got a deal we could not pass up. It's been a couple decades since both Mandy and I have been, so it will be be fun for all. 

Freda is excited to say the least. 

When life blows wide open

"I need a plane to dinsneyland poppy. Here's the chalk"

What mortgage? What blister? What job? What problem? What list? srsly.

When life gets in the way

We are alive. Probably more than we ever have been as individuals and a family.

A lot has gone on in the last few months. Freda was the flower girl at Uncle Tyler and Aunt Molly's wedding. She did great, we were so proud of her. She worked really hard and executed it perfectly. Daughter of an artist/engineer she systematically and precisely placed the flower petals in their appropriate spots. hahaha. It was cute and I wasn't not the only who thought that.

We've been busy with work and school and working on the house before the weather comes this fall. We have a lot of work we want to get done outside.

Fred and I got sick last week. It was horrible. Freda brought it home from school and then gave it to me. She threw up for half a day into the night. After the initial projectile bevy on the couch, i got her clothes off and got her in the bathroom and started the bath. (Good thing I locked the dogs up or they be all over that couch. Yuck but true dogs are gross like that.) As I turned around to grab a towel, she starts hurling in the tub. So hit the drain and we switch gears. Okay, a shower.

At this point a little hand grabs my elbow. I turn to her standing there naked, covered in puke from head to toe. She looks up at me with her wicked black eyes and says "Poppy, Thank you for taking care of me." Moments like like rival a 2x4 in the face.

We took turns staying up helping her through the dry heaves, in and out of passing out from exahustion. Nothing would stay down, even water. Finally subsided the next day but it took her a few days to be back into eating. Then I got it Sunday. Ouch. I either forgot how bad it hurts or this was a bad one, but oh man it was hard. My diaphragm and ribs hurt for almost a week. Things are back to normal.

She is very good at talking. She says things like "I'm bringin' the HEAT!" and "Hey mom, join the party! It's ouside!"

Lately, we've been taking time to consider the world through as many different perspectives as possible. This is really helping us remember that we all live in separate but equally important worlds. Utilizing these different world views in our everyday lives broadens your spectrum of consiousness and ethnocentric thinking. This is not the easy road. This is not for the simple minded. Sometimes you have to eat a bit of crow to transcend, and include. Stop seeing the difference.

Freda's First Fish

We got up early Sunday and went to Silver lake for the afternoon. We rented a row boat and floated around the lake for a while and had lunch on the water. Then we went over to the bridge and caught Bluegill like crazy. It was fun. You only had to wait a couple minutes before you had a fish on. We caught a lot and released them all. Freda caught her first fish. She reeled it in all by herself. Alothough, I think the nightcrawlers were more interesting for Freda than the fish were at this point. Haha.


Freda and Dad and Bluegill #1.




Upon closer inspection, it really is a fish.

She Said

"Lets go to the salon and get some more water for me." - Freda

Well look who's two now.

"Hey Freda. Come over here"

"Just a second, I have to finish this first."


Hey, at least it was a full sentance? and she was cleaning up?

hehehe. Man, this is so fun...

Holiday!

I have tomorrow off work and Frefre has no school. We are going fishing in the morning and then Tom and Imme are coning up for a visit. We are looking for cool water to play in or a park or both. We will also go to the reservation and buy illegal fireworks. HAHA!

parenting: it's only as hard as you make it.

Pure Gold

This is my reason...

Cool new feature lets us post to the blog with our cellphones during fun times. Soon we will be able to send pictures with our messages. This is my first test.

Freda is going to grandma Leslies today and grandpa John's tomorrow when we go down to a BBQ party in Seattle.

McCoy III

Got these on our adventure Sunday:

'no-screen' sundays

yup. We did it no problem. Did not even miss it.

They let me sleep in. Got up made breakfast. Then played outside in the morning sun, worked in the garden, etc. needed to run a bunch of errands. Went to the mall [target and a shoestore little needed some 'aquasox' for the swimmin pool.] Thats when i saw the "Picture erfect" store at Bellis Fair mall. lol. Freda played at the indoor playground at the mall for a few minutes.



lol. Like I would trust these shutterbugs?!?!

We were back by 2. So little and mama napped for a couple hours. I filled the hummingbird feeders, trimmed some plants back, took a gutter down spout off the house and cleaned it out, made a sammich, ate it, changed the oil in the mower. Mama and mini got up andFredaand I took a ride in the truck and got more rocks at the landscape supply. Freda loves riding in the truck and totally spazzes out when she sees me loading the car seat in it. She has asked for a movie only a couple times so far. cool.

Instead of turnin on the tube and vegging the rest of the day (it was now 5:30) we headed out for a park in search of 'chutes and ladders'. We found one in Ferndale called Pioneer Park. We went to a weird little thrift store and mandy found 2 of the creepyest pink prom dresses just like the Judice [Lawrence welk SNL skit] for like $6. And some cute tiny oriental tops for frefre. Now we are hungy and stop to split a plate of fish and chips at Bob's Burgers and Brew. Forgot we were in hicksville so they brought us 8 pounds of food.


why did i not buy this series of books vol 13-22 is beyond me. total fail. Each volume was a different 'discipline'. lol.

When we get home we hang out and have a couple beers and talk about how rad the day was while we watched freda playing with her new T-ball set.


We put up a tent and she ran and played and loved loved the tent.

So we put her down, and it took an hour and a half. We finally sat down on the couch and Mandy asked if we still could have no sceens. We agreed as easy as it was and proud of ourselves for not turning the tv, or videogames or the internet that we deserved a little tv. but I was already falling asleep and she was reading so we went to bed.

awesome, awesome day.

looking forward to next 'no screen sunday'.

Milestone #312

Today Freda takes yet another step to becoming a little girl. She graduates from the 'waddlers' to the 'toddlers' at her school, St Francis. Basically moving up from the 1-2 year olds to the 2-3 year olds. At three, she will move into the pre-k program until she moves onto kindergarten. I am excited and proud, but not as much as little Freda.

huh?

hehehehe. life is so great.

[x] bike riding

She pedals so hard sometimes the front wheel 'peels-out'. Hilarious. Once in a while she corners too fast and crashes and she always looks up and says "I okay daddy, i just crash a lil bit." and then her bike's "broken" so we have to "fix" it. We take it into my workshop and put it on the bench, she gets her little stool and climbs up and we get some wrenches and 'fix' the 'broken' bike. Hahaha. Then it's back to riding!

Portland

I had some business in Portland last weekend. Took the family to down for a few days off. Left on mother's day, took the train downtown to the legendary independent bookestore, Powell's Books and grabbed some dinner. On Monday, while I was working at Pacificor, Mandy and Freda went downtown for VooDoo Donuts and some shopping. Freda got an awesome pirtate costume with hat and fake 'hook'. She spent the rest of the trip hooking us. Fun times. Monday night we met up with a freind of mine for Lebanese food at Ya Hala, which turned out to be one of the best meals i have had in a long time. We cruised home on Tuesday, wishing we we still on vacation...

The big Weekend

Mandy went to California to visit Monica and Corrie this last weekend. Freda and I were alone for the first time for more than a day. It went really well, we stayed reallybusy with parks and art projets and taking care of the animals and cleaning house. She is really a big help now. Oh, man the best thing, if I can't find the remote control I can ask Freda and she always knows right where it is! So. Cool. Anyway, we built couch forts and ate french fries. We had dinner with Grandpa Chuck and Grandma Judy an Friday, Frefre loves sketti and 'chicken' she called the clams. Sleeping was good, she went right down for me. Saturday she went to Grandpa John and Grandma Kristi's for a sleepover. She had a great time. Back home, and off to school, tonite we pick up Mandy and I am looking forward to it. As smooth as this weekend went, I don't know how single parents do it...kudos.


Freda checking out Grandpa's new cows.

I had a great time with you this weekend little mini. Such a curious and smart little girl. I love you so much and enjoy every minute spent with you. Thank you Freda.

Hovander Homestead

After breakfast with uncle Joe Sunday, we went to a very cool park outside Ferndale. We went to see bunnies and ducks and turkeys. Freda really likes Hovander. Freda really likes Parks in general.

Noteable Moments

Yesterday I had to go to the doctor and I took Freda with me. I sat her on the counter while I checked in with the admin. There was a small sign laying face down and Freda picked it up, turned it over and looks at me and says "closed?" I look at the sign and it says 'WINDOW CLOSED".
The admin looks up and asks how old she was.
"Two by a few weeks" I say.
"And she's reading?" she lady asks?


So, I'm watching Freda right now and I was grabbing some Q-Tips as Freda came walking out of her room. She's muttering "Freda's room, Freda's room..." to a little tune.
What doing daddy?" she says
"Cleaning my ears." I say
"Cleaning your ears?" she says

These moments seem so epic not to record. I love being around for this.

Birthday Girl

This is the sweet ride Freda got with her birthday money's. Stylin' little thing.



Princess big wheel.

Happy 2nd Birthday Freda Lucia!

How time has flown. Such a little force in this world already. Happy Birthday mini.

Loves her sidewalk chalk.

**FUN BEING HAD**

We had a great party yesterday. We had some friends and family get together at Blodel Donovan Park on Lake Whatcom. We rented the Gymnasium and it came with tons of fun stuff like slides and parachutes and the 'air castle' inflatable playground. So much fun, thanks to all who made it.

Blowing out her candles.

We woke up to a snowstorm this morning too! She was so exicted that it snowed on her big day. She went to school to celebrate there today too. Gonna go pick her up early due to extreme weather. Fun! A White birthday!

Goofing for the camera this morning.

Repeater

She is repeating everything. I mean everything we say.

Valentines weekend

Under a month till Freda's 2nd birthday. Crazy how time flies. Defiance and Independence rule Freda's world. She is a strong little character, challenging almost everything that comes her way.

It was so nice we went to the park.


Playdoh is the new big thing.



Mary Poppins and 101 Dalmations still top the charts...

The First Blatant 'Lie'

She helps herself to everything. It's totally part of this 'all by myself' thing. We are not even allowed in the bathroom when she goes potty. It's awesome. She wears panties full time at school now. Amazing. Not even two yet! TOP THAT! lol, j/k. Back to the story. Mandy caught her with something she was not supposed to have. When Mandy asked her where she got it? She points at me and says "DADDY!"

Oh my. You are loved little mini.

All By Myself

Yesterday, everything was "_______ all by [my]self." she wants to do everything "all by my self." She is so good. The effort i am putting into raising my child shows. We are focusing on the arts and math in an attempt to foster the creative part of her mind. We supply her with endless art and music supplies as well as counting and alphabet games.

And as cool a colorful wooden blocks are, a little Buzz and Woody never killed anyone.

She 'tricked' us for the first time the other day. We were talking about moods and when we got to 'sad', she got really sad, lowered her head, spoke quietly, whined a little rubbed her little eyes. At this point Mandy and I both are actually concerned as we move in to comfort her and find out what is wrong. As we get close she looks up through her bangs with this devious little smile and starts laughing hysterically, we all did. Little trickster.

Learning Machine

School has requested that we bring underwear for Freda. She has had no accidents at school the last few days there. Very exciting to almost have her potty trained before she's two. She draws pictures of things and tells me what they are, not just meandering lines. She knows more alphabet every day. We have had a few sentances, still mostly single words or small phrases. Yesterday we were singing the monkeys on the bed song and I got to "mama called the doctor and the doctor said" and she puts her finger up and shakes it at me and says "no more monkey jump on bed".

You coulda mopped me up. Being a dad is way cooler than I was lead to believe.

monday january nineteenth

She is awesome. Growing up so fast next time you see her you won't believe it. She knows half her abc's and can identify the letter and the sound it makes. She counts to five. She loves to run. She is an artist. She is independent.

You only get one chance at this life you better make it count. This is not a dress rehersal. Every day that passes is an opportunity to make your life better until the day you die. My child, Freda, inspires me to keep learning and discovering every day.

Christmas 2008

Thanks to those who offered a warm and happy place to spend a cold and stormy holiday.