farm tunes

Two weeks ago we finally made it out to Sauvie Island for an evening of music on the farm.  Oscar was grumpy from his 15-month shots, so we made a last-minute decision to leave the boys at home. The actual music was a questionable fit for the venue, but there were friends and balloons and a hay ride and an evening breeze, so it was still worthwhile.

Lucy got friendly with baby Charlie, and let him pull her hair. She told Erin it was okay, she was used to babies. "I have a little brother, you know."

friday cute shot

she picks them, he eats them

Did I mention that Oscar loves fruit? The first time we took Lucy berry picking, before Oscar was born, she happily filled half a bucket with strawberries while the other two children we were with filled their mouths, cheeks, chins, and shirts instead. This summer, Oscar and Lucy make a team: She puts blueberries into her bucket ("for my brother!") and then he devours them. At one point she sees that I have more berries in my bucket, and she asks if we can trade, afraid that Oscar might not have enough.

fifteen months

Dear Ox,
The other day I got it into my head that you needed a haircut, so every time you sat in your high chair I would sneak behind you with my scissors and take small clips. You would hear the noise of the cut and turn your head, but then I would distract you with yogurt. I was a speedy haircut ninja and by the end of the day I think it looked pretty good.

With the summer sun your hair has gotten blonder and blonder and redder too so that you look more and more like your daddy's baby pictures and then one day I looked at you and realized that I do have a blonde child after all.

You finally started walking about a month ago and now you squawk and laugh as you chase Lucy all over the house. There is a small plastic slide in front of our house that all the neighborhood kids love and you climb unassisted up the ladder, then slide unassisted all the way down. You want to climb on anything that moves and you're already showing more interest in your sister's balance bike than she ever has.

When I come up from working in the basement you run toward me with your arms pointed straight out for a hug. Esme saw you and said, "Oscar is really happy to see you." Your hugs are still a burrowing snuggle into the side of the neck. Just this week you learned to give me a puckering smack of a kiss, right on the lips.

You love me so much!

You also love to eat, eat, eat. Most things, really, but especially fruit, which is so fun because I've always wanted a baby who loves fruit. It also means that you and Lucy make a great berry picking team--she picks the berries off the bushes, and you devour them. We have two strawberry plants in the garden, and the berries rarely have time to get all the way red.

You're nowhere close to talking, but you picked up a sign: milk. For the rest of the things that you want, you communicate with pointing and a very assertive yell.

You love to fit things together (bubble wands, screw-top lids), to put things where they go (shoes, water bottles), and to throw almost anything. You love to play with the kids in the neighborhood, who sometimes fight over who knows what you want most  and who can make you laugh first. It's usually a short fight.

You glare at strangers, ducking under your second brow muscle as though it's a hood, but you have endless toothy smiles for the ones you love.

I love you! Happy fifteen months.

Love,
Mama

friday cute shot

friday cute shot

heard on the street

"Bumblebees are the fiercest. Bumblebees are fiercer than humans, and fiercer than roses. But they AREN'T fiercer than sparkles."

                    -Lucy, on why she was choosing to wear her bumblebee dress

what celebrity do YOU look like?

go, fireworky, go

When we were talking about the fourth of July before it happened I told Lucy there would be fireworks. She said, "What are fireworks?" Then, she said, "I know! I remember. They are invisible flowers in the sky.

I LOVE fireworks."

We started just at dusk before the sky had fully gone dark.

Seconds after Ilona and I agreed that snuggling with your child while watching fireworks is pretty much the best thing ever I went in to get my camera and returned to find Lucy snuggled up on Ilona's lap. I tried to coax her back over but she said she was very cozy, and patted my arm and told me she would sit on my lap for the next fireworks.

The smell of smoke turned the men giddy, criss-crossing each other and the driveway with lighters and tiny stacks of cardboard and gunpowder. The moms called out for caution, called out in praise of ten digits, but Lucy and Luca chanted, "Go, fireworky, go!" and held blankets to their noses when the smoke came too close.