Tall like a Willow

She is growing so tall! Not too long ago, she would pull herself up, using the kitchen chair. She could barely see over the seat of the chair. Now, she is trying to pull things off of the table top--and the scary part is--she can actually reach things that are on the table.

Baby proofing has reached a whole new level. Literally.

~julie

To Market, to market, jiggidy jog;

Gotta buy some cloth, gotta buy some cloth.

Today, Willow and I ventured to the fabric market and a shopping street. I was collecting mental notes while we were out so that I would have something to write about later. Before I get started with all the anecdotes that I gathered, here's a little explanation of why we went out in the first place.

Dress #1 for Willow.
This dress dates back to the 1860's, and is about twenty inches in length. It's part of an exhibit at a museum (I think at the Met), and I think it is adorable! It's the perfect dress for Willow to wear to opening night of "Little Women". It's not every day that a baby gets to dress up in civil war era dresses. I think the capped sleeves, and the many gathers in the bodice are so sweet.

Dress #2 for Willow.

The little dress above is super cute. It's been floating around on pinterest for a while, and it traces back to a free pattern on www.sewingin-nomansland.blogspot.com. If I had a sewing machine, or any sort of genius for creating, I would try to make it. But since I possess neither, I will be passing this picture off to the tailor to make a little dress for Willow. I have this idea that we will wear matching dresses on Saturday when she has to be at school all day for "Little Women" performances. I think I will give the tailor one of Willow's short-sleeved onsies that she can attach the skirt to. That way it will be a little more comfy for Willow to wear.

As the fates would allow, I just happened to see the following picture, which resembles the baby dress in color/style. I think that it's probably an anthropologie dress, although I can't be sure because it's not in any of the current collections. It just reminds me of anthro, and how they photograph their frocks on dress forms.

I would also like to have a grey skirt made. Obviously, my legs are not this long, so this skirt is not to scale. I need the midget version, since my legs are less than two feet long.

So, here are the fabrics that I picked out. The tailor is coming to school tomorrow to finish measuring students for their costumes. While I have her there, I'll hand over these pictures and textiles so that she can make some clothes for Willow and myself too. The pink is for the 1860's dress, the grey is for the skirt, and the blue/gold pattern is for our matching two-tone dresses. We paid about ten dollars for all this. I was going to try and barter for a lower price, but the shopkeepers were being so friendly with Willow, it seemed rude to whine about money. Isn't that ironic--I thought Willow would help insight lower prices, but instead it made me less inclined to negotiate a deal.

As we were walking out to get a taxi, I started to wonder how long I would have to wait, how many taxi drivers would turn me down (or not stop at all), and how I was going to get the stroller in the trunk (when we finally did get a cab) by myself while holding a +twenty pound baby. Before we even got out to the main road, however, a taxi picked us up. The old driver was very helpful and collapsed/packed the stroller up while I held Willow. We talked the whole way to the fabric market--me, with my limited Chinese, and he, with his willingness to try and communicate. Usually, taxis drop you off at a convenient place for them (when going to this market), and it means walking through some terrible road ways/side walks that are buckled up, weathered, and swarming with cars, bikes, three-wheeled cabs, and buses--not to mention people. But this guy brought us right up to the market door, unpacked the stroller and set it up for us. He even waited for me to get Willow strapped in and settled, making sure we were on our to the market door before he drove off. What a kind, old man! I always like these rare moments of kindness, and even chivalry, that I glimpse from time to time. It's always nice to remember these kinds of stories when the majority of the time it's the men who cut you in line, steal a cab from under your nose, or smoke in your baby's face.

Once we were inside the market, I didn't realize what an affect Willow would have on all the shop keepers and customers. Nan Er is located in a seven or eight story building. Each floor is reserved for a different category. We were looking at fabrics on the sixth floor. There are dozens and dozens of little stalls that have their fabric displayed in various ways. Some people have their materials stacked in bolts, others are standing in rolls, and some are just tossed in mountains of scrap/'garbage' piles that are sold at discounted rates (because they're tattered, torn, stained, whatever). Every place we walked, Willow was surrounded by admirers and people who demanded answers. "How old?" "Boy or girl?" "American?" "Why does she look Asian?" "Who is her dad?" "Is she cold?" "Where do you work?" "Where is your mother?" "How old are you?" "Can she speak English?" "How much money do you make?" Really. I'm getting used to answering these sort of questions in Mandarin. They ask other questions too, but I don't try to understand, and I've stopped trying to answer. I just smile and nod. Chinese people usually tell me that her eyes are very big and her eyelashes are very long. Willow just stares them down. Sometimes she smiles or claps her hands, but I don't blame her for being stoic. It's a little overwhelming.

I started to wonder how long it was going to take to buy a few yards of fabric. Finally, I found a place in a corner that wasn't too busy and had a decent selection. I hoped to buy everything at the same shop so that we could get out before Willow started freaking out.

The sidewalks outside were so dilapidated that it was really trick to push the stroller around. I guess there's a reason why the stroller wheels are no longer aligned! We bumped along, and risked our lives crossing a few roads. I felt a little guilty passing some beggars without giving them anything. I just don't know WHO I am giving the money to, and I didn't have any food. Sometimes, they work for someone else who collects all their money. This area of our city has many nice stores. We passed Cartier, and massive department stores that sell strollers worth $4,000. I'm guessing there are lots of wealthy shoppers in this area, but you can't miss all the beggars either. The elderly who are sifting through the trash, or the crippled laying on the side of the road. We quickly finished our shopping venture at a few other shops and then I started the process of finding a taxi to take us home. It's always a great feeling when the first taxi you hail works out--so we were on our way home. This driver was so weird. He started dusting his dashboard with a paint brush. Dust particles were swirling everywhere in his stuffy taxi cab. I have never seen anyone dust their dashboard with a paint brush before. Of course, Willow fell asleep for ten minutes on the way home, and thought that she didn't need to take a real nap once we got home. Ugh.

All in all, it was successful. I got fabric for both of us, bought a new coat, spoke way more Chinese than I usually do, and had no taxi troubles. Now, we're hanging out together and waiting for Adam to get home. Soccer season has started, which means we seem him a little less often than usual. At least he only had to coach one sport this year. I was counting all of the time he has to spend away from home, and by the time Willow turn one, he will have been away for 9 weeks altogether. His job keeps him busy!

It also looks like I might be a little more involved with drama next year. Which I am very excited about. I'm looking at the theater standards that were drafted by our group of schools this past year and brainstorming for what drama would look like outside of a spring play.

I'm excited to meet with the tailor again tomorrow--I think that she might have some of the costumes finished!

Willow is such a cutie. She was singing with me today.

~julie

Enjoying the Little Things

Willow loves to eat her baby food and to try new finger foods. She just can't get enough of whatever we're giving her!
I walked in the room to see Adam giving Willow sips of water from this gigantic cup. She doesn't mind at all.

I think it was bedtime at this point. She was a little out-of-sorts by this point in the evening and ready to get some rest.




It was a relatively peaceful Saturday. We planned on going out to shop and eat, but ended upstaying home to play and relax with baby Willow. At this point in our day, Adam changed herdiaper and decided to not dress Willow afterwards. This was probably Willow's favorite part ofthe day. She loves to be naked and free! She played for a while in just her diaper until I saidthat it was too cold to be going about her day without any clothes. She was pretty upset abouthaving to put her outfit back on and let me know her feelings.

Willow is obsessed with this ribbon. It is supposed to go on the head of her dolly, but she likesto take it off and chews on it.


Uh oh! The ribbon got stuck on her tooth--she thought that was hysterical!



So sweet. Willow is learning to like books. She likes to play with her board books by pickingthem up, kissing them, patting their pages. Willow lets me read several books to her everyday.I really enjoy her reactions (although sometimes she is more engaged than other times), andher willingness to interact with the pictures.


Of schedules and stuff. Before I was a mom, I used to wonder if I would be able to know how to manage a baby's schedule. I had confidence in that I could care for a baby, but how do you know what to do and when to do it exactly? This was a point of unspoken insecurity, mixed with a little fear of the unknown. So, of course I did some good old fashioned research about what to do with a newborn/growing baby and the various view points related to the whens and hows of raising an infant. I had a fairly open mind, and since nothing really convinced me during my pre-baby research phase, I decided to just sit back and see what happened once Willow arrived. I also had the mindset of knowing jet lag was going to be a frequent factor and so lowered my expectations for sleep/routine/schedules. Here are some insights that I have realized over the past several months since becoming a mom:

1. A mother's instinct is a resource that I didn't expect to come by so naturally. Certain aspects that I thought would be tricky, actually were not at all.
2. Baby's schedules change so much as they grow. Naps become less frequent, play becomes more active, and eating habits develop too. Don't fall in love with a certain schedule, because it's going to evolve in a few weeks anyway.

3. Flexibility needs to be balanced with structure. Life happens, and babies can start to learning how to go-with-the-flow.

4. Sleeping through the night and sleeping in are a thing of the past. Even if you have the ability to sleep through the night (because your baby is sleeping well), you will probably still wake up. Either in a panic (why hasn't my baby cried yet?), or some deep instinct to make sure your baby is covered, breathing, and comfy.
5. Expect to become a morning person. Even if it takes a good 2 hours to get out of that groggy state, you will be relatively happy to be up and about in the early morning because that's when your baby will most likely be the happiest and most playful.

6. Listen to your baby's cues and trust your parental instincts. I think God blessed parents with a special ability to tune into their kids' needs--especially early on when they aren't able to communicate through words. I think some parents (like myself), doubt that they will be able to decipher the 'code'. While others, suppress, ignore, or neglect it.

Willow went through the newborn phase, where she was sleeping, eating, sleeping, eating--it felt like a never-ending, tiring cycle where I was on constant demand to meet her basic needs. Of course, I had lots of help from family and friends, but I was still exhausted and a little insane. I had to keep reminding myself to try to enjoy those moments, because I knew they would be over soon. And they are.

Then, she became a four nap baby. It was great! She was sleeping in the early morning, late morning, afternoon, evening, and then for the night. She started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks old, without any 'training' from me. She just started doing it--sleeping up to eleven glorious hours without waking up.

All good things must come to an end. She went down to three naps a day, and started waking up several times a night. This change was concurrent with her ability to roll over. She was constantly wiggling and rolling herself into impossible situations in her crib--and would wake up in panic-mode. She was also going through an insane growth spurt (I mean, it was insane how much she grew), and teething. I found myself missing sleep again, and resented all the late night crying fests. Yet, I reminded myself again--"enjoy these moments, this too will pass". And it did.

We were on jet lag. She was sort of sleeping through the night and napping, but every day was different from the last and I never knew what to expect. Just when things started to even out a little, we were on jet lag again. However, due to a long lay over which caused us to stay in a hotel, we were able to adjust amazingly well to the time change and were over jet lag in less than a week.

Then she was a two nap baby. She was waking up every night, an hour after bedtime so that she could scream for an hour...every...night. And as I would hold her and rock her, I would remind myself--"enjoy this moment--someday you wont get to hold her like this anymore". I would sing soothing songs--more for myself than for her--because I'm severely lacking in patience. Enjoy this. Enjoy this. ENJOY THIS!!! I would demand it of myself. Enjoy her cuddly body, her willingness to let you hold her, her chubby cheek on your shoulder, her sweaty head by your nose....Enjoy this, Julie. You can do it. And then when I couldn't do it anymore, I told Adam in desperation, "your turn". Because, let's face another truth, I'm not a perfect mom. I'm probably not even a good mom. But I'm learning how, and I try not to beat myself up over all my failures. Recently, I read a proposed schedule as the 'ideal' schedule for a breastfed baby who was 8 months old, oldest child, with a stay at home mom. I was surprised to find that Willow and I were following a very similar routine. It surprised me because I don't really adhere to any proposed schedules--just do what feels natural--and it really spoke to my insecurities. I thought, 'hmmm, I must be doing something right'.

Tonight was the third night in a row that Willow hasn't woken up an hour after her bedtime to scream like a banshee. I'm thrilled, but also a little sad. Because with each new change in her habits, I know she's getting older and she's one day farther away from being the little baby I held last July for the first time.

So, a year ago when I was trying to figure out how baby schedules worked, I never would have dreamed it would be this easy--or this difficult. I never would have realized how deep a superficial thing like 'schedules' goes, or how formulated my opinions about them would become. Before, I had an open mind about different methods that are floating around out there--any one of them could have been the 'right' one. Now, I'm pretty convinced that the baby led routine is amazing and has worked really well for how our family operates. We intersperse it with a few parent-led practices too (for instance, bed time is now a pretty structured event). It has made jet lag easier to get over, and it has encouraged me to watch for my baby's cues for when she's hungry or tired. It has helped me to bond with Willow so much, and given my personal schedule (which changes a lot from day to day) more flexibility. I enjoy nursing her to sleep. I like rocking her when she cries. It's a special time that won't last for much longer.

That was a lot about schedules, but I don't want to get wrapped up in HOW a day should look that I forget to LOOK at the day itself. If I could talk to myself last year at this time, I would encourage the younger me to take it easy: be flexible with your time, with your method, with your baby, and with your own expectations. Be ready to sacrifice your own wants and needs for the sake of another. Be ready to confront the most selfish person you've ever met on a daily basis--and realize that it isn't your baby, it's you. When you are ready to throw the towel in because your baby wont stop crying and you're tired beyond words, frustrated at the world, and disappointed at yourself--remember that you are influencing a little life and their ability to adhere to your wants is irrelevant. Live in the moment by focusing on the big picture. I don't claim to have any of this down to an art, and I'm far from perfect--but I'm enjoying this learning process. I'm very aware that I'm a young mom, still figuring things out.

~julie

She Set Her Cap

You are probably wondering, what in the heck is on that baby's head?! Some sort of crow inspired disaster?
Willow is modeling the mourning bonnet that Aunt March will wear as part of her costume in "Little Women". It arrived in the mail on Friday (thanks, Mom!) and so I was very excited to see what this hat would look like in person. Sometimes online shopping is hit or miss. I've had a few misses so far, a la the ginormous wig that probably can't be used.

One in color.

It's ridiculously out there with lace and puffs of poof, but I think it will look great on stage. At least it will work great for Aunt March's ostentatious mourning gear.

~julie

Eight is Enough

Well...not really. Willow is 8 months now, and I can hardly believe it! It is so surreal that she's been with us for nearly a year. I cannot truly fathom that she will be 1 in only four months. That just blows my mind! As tradition requires, here is a little update on where she is developmentally.

She's much more engaged in her little activities. She enjoys crawling around the house, cruising along furniture/cupboards/walls, exploring little nooks and crannies in each room, and getting into a little bit of trouble. She races for the bathroom if she notices that the door was left open. She tries to climb on top of the couch (it's a little pathetic to watch her get on tip toes and try to get a knee on the couch to hoist herself up). She goes straight for the electronics, outlets, and various cords lying about. She pulls herself up on the water cooler (not safe at all--gives me a heart attack). She picks up every crumb and string on the floor and tries to eat it. She thinks the trash can in her room is a drum. She thinks her toothpaste tastes foul. She loves the sight of her bathtub. She hates getting dressed (especially onsies). She despises getting bundled up, but is interested in being outdoors.

Now, at eight months, Willow is more engaged in watching television, reading books, and interacting with family over skype. She understands cues for things, like the sound our iPad makes when it is making a call.

Today, she clapped her hands together for my Chinese teacher and said, "Yay!". It was so clear, and undeniable. I guess she's picking up more and more about her world every day.

She is much better at picking up small pieces of finger food and placing them in her mouth, although she still can be a little clumsy. Some new foods she has tried include: noodles; cheese; chicken; potatoes; carrots; toast; egg yolk; and bananas. She loves to eat finger food and could do so all day long. It is a relief to find food that she will eat (finally). Willow is finally able to use a sippy cup, which feels like a small victory for me.

Sometimes Willow waves hello or goodbye when we ask her too. Sometimes she gives me a kiss if I ask her to. She doesn't like to kiss her daddy though. I think it has something to do with his scratchy face.

She likes to play with toys that make noise or have interesting features. She likes to hit toys together to make loud noises. She likes to beat up on her dolly and give it kisses. She likes to play in her crib after she wakes up. The other day, I walked in to find that she had somehow reached the wipes container and figured out how to open the box. She then removed about one hundred wipes and had been chewing on them/playing with them in her crib. Her pants were even wet from her wipey adventure. I should have been a little worried or irritated, but I just had to laugh because she actually looked a bit guilty.

Taking two naps every day. Sleeps about 12 hours a night (7pm-7am), give or take some time. Willow still wakes up 1-2 times every night which is slightly annoying. I keep reminding myself that it could be worse, and it's normal at her age (for being a breast fed baby).

She is a FAST crawler. This must be normal, since she's been crawling for two months. It's hard to keep up with her. When we're at home, she keeps me moving all day long. In this active phase, we're both thinning out. I've noticed Willow's rolls are quite as impressive as they once were. Likewise, I'm lighter now than I was before I got pregnant, most likely because of the regimen Willow has prescribed (no breaks, not a lot of time for eating, breast feeding). I tried to wear some dress pants today, but none of them will fit me anymore. I don't want to complain, but I am in need of some clothes that actually fit.

Well, that's a little update on how Willow's doing for anyone who is interested (and for me to look back on when she's all grown up).

It amazes me that I have this unbelievable tall baby (she's half my height already). She might be interested in growing up and becoming more independent--but I'm holding onto these baby days. I'm so thankful that I can stay home with her most of the time and cherish these moments. I really have enjoyed most aspect about every stage she's gone through so far. I look forward to watching her grow up! Lately, I've been saddened by the thought of weaning Willow. Breastfeeding has been an amazing experience, albeit difficult in the beginning--I will be sad to not have this daily time of bonding with my baby. I just can't believe that she's 8 months!

We are so unbelievably blessed by this little girl!

~julie

Hugs and Kisses

Willow smacks her lips now.
Claps her hands properly.
Waves hello and goodbye more often than not on cue.
Gives kisses (only to mommy and toys, not to daddy).

It seems to me that Willow is an even keeled baby. She definitely has moments when she's extra excited and happy, and other times when she is especially fussy. But overall, I think she is pretty mellow, observant, and willing to go along for the ride.

~julie

What's On the Menu

March is here. I can't believe that it is already March! Even with leap year, February just flew by. We were able to get a good handle on things during February for Little Women. But I still have a lot to accomplish this month. Here are some tasks at the top of my list:

1. Redo ticket forms, guidelines, and sales competition rules

2. Meet with tailor for second round of fittings

3. Pick-up backdrop

4. Wall paper sets

5. Start gathering props

6. Problem solve wig fiasco

7. Wash old costumes and box them up (never had time for this before)
8. Organize prop room

9. Acquire more storage space

10. Get sets moved back upstairs from the dungeon

11. Gather cast bio info for programs

12. Take pics for program

13. Write director's note for program

14. Gather scene synopsis, thank you notes, congrat ads, etc. for program

15. Start rehearsing off-book

16. Start coordinating with the parent volunteers

17. Open the box office

Two weeks ago, when we bought the Little Women couch, I noticed that all of our sets had been moved. We have collected quite a few pieces in the past two years:

7 trees

4 stockade walls

4 house walls

2 doors

5 extensions

1 window

1 bed

5 railings

2 sets of stairs

stools, chests, helm, screens, etc....

We had put them all in a vacant closet in the auditorium lobby. No one was using it, and it makes sense for the drama department to have storage space in the auditorium. We went to add the couch to our trove, and discovered that everything had been moved...to the dungeon. Without even a, "hey, we moved your stuff downstairs" from the doers of this deed--let alone a request. Apparently, this storage closet was seen as the perfect place for drivers who weren't driving to take naps and watch tv. Grrr....

For lack of better terminology, the dungeon is a basement beneath the auditorium and multi-purpose room. It has a ramp that goes below, so it could be used as a parking facility, probably. It is dark (no lighting), it is dank, it is infested with fleas. It is the current school dump. Whenever something breaks, doesn't need to be used any longer, or is in of repair--it finds its way to the dungeon. You can find book shelves, couches, tables, washing machines, air conditioner units, tools, boxes of stuff that no one wants, garbage, tools, chairs, old art, ping pong tables, play ground equipment, saw horses, bed frames, mattresses, refrigerators, ovens, toilets, bath tubs, head boards, desks...To say it is a mess is an understatement. It's a dump, literally, a dump. But it's in a basement. Think of a dump in your basement, and you will start to understand the problems of storing things down there. The layers of dirt, rodents, fleas, mildew....Not to mention the disrepair things fall into from being beat up, pushed around, and piled on top of down there.

It is to my absolute HORROR, that I learned my precious sets had been moved down there, without even a by-the by, to be ruined. Now, to the average maintenance worker, I'm sure they assume our sets are junk. They might look like junk, and in fact, sometimes it IS junk that has been repurposed. But to the drama department, these are treasures. And the money that was used to pay for these items was an investment. Many of the items were paid for by myself before we had a drama budget. Many of the things were made with a plan for them to be used more than once. It's simply bad stewardship to throw them into the dungeon.

My number one goal for this month is to find a better place for them to be stored, and to get them to that better place as soon as possible! I often meet opposition for certain staff members who don't understand what theater is (never seen a show) and really place little value in everything associated with it. It's often a head-to-head battle that needs to be fought and I get very anxious about confrontations. The most frustrating thing is that there are about 9 small-large sized closets in the auditorium. Only ONE is assigned to theater. There is one for the choir, and then the rest belong to school drivers or PE. I see this as a huge injustice. But maybe I'm just being dramatic. Our principal has assured me that this removal of sets was down without his knowledge and that they can be moved into a neighboring room on the ground floor. It's difficult to rehearse when you're somewhat cumbersome sets have been moved to an almost impossible location, how are we supposed to get them for rehearsals? I haven't ventured down to the dungeon yet. I'm terrified that everything has been ruined or lost.

The loss of ignorance is terrifying.

~julie

Theater Thursdays

I hope I'm not becoming an insomniac. Still having trouble falling asleep at night--it takes forever to unwind and fall asleep. Last night I mused myself with lessons I've learned from being involved in theater for just a smidgen over a decade.

Lessons from the Stage:

1. Being shy isn't worth it. Find the appropriate time to speak, and then let it be known.
2. Auditioning is stressful, exciting, and the anticipation makes the pain worthwhile.
3. Becoming another person (whether auditioning or performing) can help to remove yourself from stressful situations. Remove yourself from the scenario and try to be objective.

4. Favoritism sucks and is no way to make decisions or live your life.

5. A half-full, unenthused audience is worse than no audience at all. I hope that in your life you have some strong supporters.

6. Failure, humiliation, and moments of panic are important in the growing up process.

7 . There are some contexts in which you should never be late.

8. When something goes awry, make it work, think on your feet--the show must go on!

9. Vanity isn't worth it. Wear the costume, don the ugly make-up.

10. Sharing stories on stage is crazy fun, an audience laughing at you is the best feeling, and all the excitement and adrenaline that comes with performing is addicting.

Lessons from Backstage:

1. Walking in the dark isn't that hard when you live in the dark.

2. Watch your sight lines! Always be aware that your job is behind the scenes, and you shouldn't be seen.

3. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

4. Revise, revise, revise.

Lessons from Directing:

1. Stick by your decisions.

2. Try to be consistent

3. Acting is the willing suspension of disbelief.

4. Draw out the universal truths; true of all people, in all cultures, across all time.

5. Show kids that theater is addicting

6. Budget wisely

7. Both ask for and accept help--you can't do it all

8. The hardest thing is to cut a person from a show

9. If you laugh out loud while reading a script, or shed a tear...it's a keeper

10. Royalties, royalties, royalties.

The lesson from this week is about being flexible. Without giving too many details (and really, I don't know many myself), one of our principal male roles has been vacated. The guy lost his script, didn't show up to a few rehearsals, and then we just found out that he's done with "Little Women". Lovely. Once upon a time, my gut reaction would have been to freak out, beg for him to reconsider, and flail about desperately. But, sad to say, this has happened before. Because people move a lot in our community (International communities are extremely transient), it's almost to be expected. Deep down, you hope that no one will move away right before opening night...it could happen! This is the first withdrawal we've had that hasn't been because of moving, however. Right away, as I was being told the news from my fellow director, my mind started racing thinking about who could replace him within the show--and who could replace him from outside our cast. I started thinking about option 1, option 2, option 3...going further and further down the line of worst case scenarios until I reach, "cancel the play". Fortunately, option 1 is a great option--and it's already settled. We get to cast a guy that had originally been cut (so sad!) because there wasn't a role for him. His exuberance is wonderful, and I'm so happy for him. Another aspect that I need to relax about (BE FLEXIBLE!) is how difficult it is to rehearse with everyone that is called. I can't even think of a rehearsal we've had where EVERYONE who was supposed to be there actually attended. It's not always their fault--sometimes they forget, but usually it's because of tournaments, festivals, out of town events, and most of the time because of sickness. One of our principal ladies has been absent for more than a few rehearsals because of illness! I'm frustrated for our cast that it is so difficult to block and review when so many are absent each rehearsal, but I also understand why this happens so often. I really love this year's cast--they're doing so well despite the odds. I just hope the odds brighten up a little during March.

~julie

Wednesdays are Flood Days

Such a cute smile! I love those chubby cheeks!

Ipads are for adults, not babies. I really believe that. But it is pretty hilarious to watch Willow interact with this app of a cat. It repeats what you say, you slap/hit/punch it, give him milk, among other things. It's not often that we set the ipad up like this, but after a skype conversation the other day, we played with the cat for a few minutes. She is entranced. I wonder if she thinks its real? Its probably confusing after just having had video chatted with people. Perhaps she thinks this cat is our acquaintance and likes to conference via video.

tippy-toes
Like I've mentioned before, I'm not particularly proud of the fact that I allow Willow to have television time. But I'm weak, and need a break once in a while. Especially on those days when she decides to only sleep for twenty minutes, and I'm about ready to pull my hair out because she's fussy and there's only so many things you can do to entertain a baby who is seven months old. She likes Sesame Street and Winnie the Pooh and her praise dvd, but I was about through with those. So I've been putting in the first 10-15 minutes of "The Princess and the Frog". After that, it starts to get a little scary, plus she's met the max amount of focus time in her attention span. Yet, I had to snap this picture, because even though I feel a little like I've failed when I turn the TV on, I still think she's the cutest couch potato.

Wednesday was a calm day. We didn't have to go anywhere, and I didn't have anything particularly stressful to deal with--just Willow nonsense. In the afternoon, one of my former students came over (she's in 5th grade now) to help out for an hour. She's extremely fun to hang out with, and she's very good with Willow. We baked coffee cake together and talked about all sorts of things. Then Adam came home, I cooked supper, we took turns eating (because of baby duty), and then gave Willow a bath. The problem is that Willow gets so excited when she realizes we're going to give her a bath that she's almost impossible to hold. She shrieks and wriggles like a crazy woman. Last night, she evacuated her bladder all over me during the obligatory bath time frenzy. My shirt, pants, and socks were soaked. Plus the bathroom rug. Into the wash the rug went. We finished cleaning Willow, got her ready for bed, and tucked her in. Adam went to the fridge (in the laundry room) to get a treat, and was shocked to find an inch of water in the laundry room. Isn't it ironic that our bathroom has a drain in the middle of the floor, but the laundry room doesn't? We've had some leaks in the laundry room before, but never this severe. Adam spent the next hour trying to remove most of the water. He also fixed the washing machine so it wouldn't do that again (some sort of hose had gotten loose in the back). Here are some pictures; I apologize that they are fuzzy and unedited. I hate florescent lighting!

Guess who woke up after twenty minutes of sleeping? Yes. She decided to stay up until after 9:00 pm last night. For the last forty minutes that she was awake, she screamed and cried. She was obviously over-tired since she had been awake since before noon (refused to nap sufficiently in the afternoon). This girl must have an alarm clock in her brain because she was up at the same exact time that she wakes up nearly every morning.


She kept trying to help out. Not even a second after this picture was taken, she flung herself towards Adam and we both had to move quickly to catch her in time.

~julie