Becoming the Wacky Neighbors

This morning we picked up my bike from the bike shop, freshly tuned-up and with the new baby seat installed. While we were there, we bought a helmet for Louisa. I was somewhat concerned that she'd resist any attempts to fit her for a helmet or eventually wear it. Louisa, was incredibly patient while the woman at the store tried two different helmets on her, and we found one that fit. Louisa loooooves it.

Exhibit A:
We'd decided that I would ride the bike home and Bill and Louisa would ride home in the car. (The ride home is a little too far and on too many main roads for our first mother-daughter ride.) As I pulled out of the parking lot onto the street, Bill and Louisa drove by me and gave a little honk. I looked over and waved and noticed that Louisa was riding in her carseat-- with her helmet on-- waving madly.

Exhibit B:
I realized on my ride home that we'll need to make a couple of minor adjustments before the bike is ready for Louisa, so I couldn't try it out with her right when I got home. Plus, we got some tomato plants at the farmers' market this morning, and we needed to work on getting some garden space ready for them. The three of us spent some time before lunch weeding the garden. Louisa wore her helmet most of that time. Safety first!!

Exhibit C:
After Louisa and I both got up from our naps this afternoon (bike riding makes me tired!), Bill and I decided that we should all walk down to the wine store in our neighborhood. It's still fairly new and I hadn't been there yet. The first thing Louisa did when we got outside to walk down there was to trip and fall about three steps away from the house. (Moments after I took this photo:)



Her head was fine, because of course she was wearing her helmet at the time, but she scraped up one knee. At that point, I asked her if she'd prefer to ride in her stroller and she said yes.

When we were about halfway there, Bill pointed out that we probably looked like total safety-freak wacko's what with Louisa wearing her helmet as we pushed her along in her stroller at a completely moderate pace.

Oh, but it gets better. On the way home? Louisa (in her helmet, still) had to ride on Bill's shoulders because the stroller was full of wine.

(Almost) 22 Months: Life with Lousia

I thought I'd try to just give you a glimpse of what it's like hanging out with Louisa these days. My brother-in-law told me about a bit that Tracy Ullman did (I think it was Tracy Ullman, anyway) where she referred to toddlers as drunken midgets. That's pretty accurate. She's pretty likely to trip over her own feet, she talks in an inappropriately loud voice, it's sometimes impossible to make out what she's saying, and she vacillates between sheer joy, anger, and utter despondency all within seconds.

A couple of weeks ago, I was playing with the PhotoBooth feature on my laptop and Louisa wanted to join in.

It all started well:



And then before you know it, I'm trying to kiss her and she's shoving a finger up her nose:


At which point, we began to sing "The Wheels on the Bus" (they go round and round, you know):


Until Louisa got bored and tried to attack to computer:



Also, I posted yesterday about her puttin gher won shoes on -- this morning on the way to work, Louisa was trying to take her shoes off. She couldn't quite do it bu herself so she asked for help. So, I reached back, grabbed a shoe and tugged it from her heel so that she could take it the rest of the way off of her foot. Seconds later she asked again. So I reached back and helped her again. And then, it wasn't until she'd asked at least two more times that it occurred to me that I kept taking her shoes off but every time I reached back there they were still on her feet. Last night was the first time I've ever seen her put her shoes on by herself (and that wa a different pair of shoes) but evidently she's learned herself a new skill.

More Firsts

Louisa just put her shoes on all by herself. On the right feet and everything! (I am guessing that was as much a coincidence as anything, though.) You should have seen how proud of herself she was.

We've had several other firsts in the past couple of weeks that I keep meaning to write about. Last weekend was the first time that Louisa walked all the way to the playground at the end of our street. And she carried her own backpack full of stuff the whole way, too! It took us a while to get there, but she still had plenty of energy to run around once we got there. The park was full of buttercups, so we picked as many as we could hold (for Louisa that is 3 - she picks more than that and thinks she's gathering them. But really, if she already has 3 flowers in her hand, she drops one when she tries to pick the fourth, so it's only ever three that are in her hand at one time.) Anyway, what was I saying? Oh right, we picked a bunch of buttercups and tried to have an Andy Goldsworthy moment where we threw the flowers into the creek from one side of the bridge and then rushed to the other side of the bridge to watch them all floating downstream. Except, there wasn't really enough water in the creek and most of the flowers got stuck on the rocks and never even made it under the bridge. Louisa didn't care, though. She thought the whole process was the most fun ever and I think she would have stayed there all day picking flowers and chucking them into the water.

I know there have been other things this past week that have made me stop and realize how grown-up she is getting, but at the moment I can't think of any more of them and it's time for me to go -- bath time is almost over so I have some stories to read!

Cliched Mother-Daughter Moment:

School Picture Day
[The scene: a bedroom, soaked in morning light. Mom holds a barette
between her teeth and a brush in one hand. Daughter sits in front of
her, busily shoving rocks into an empty baby-wipes container.]

Mom: Here, I'm going to put this clip in your hair.
Daughter: No. NNNNOOOOOO!
Mom: Yes, you'll look so cute! It's just a clip, look.
Daughter: NO. [Runs hand through hair]
Mom: I have a clip in my hair, see?
Daughter: [looks up briefly, seems unimpressed]
Mom: Sugar, you're hair is in your eyes. This'll fix that.
Daughter: ... [concentrating on rocks]
Mom: [brushing daughter's hair]
Daughter: NONONONONONONO
Mom: It's just a brush! Calm down, it doesn't hurt.
Daughter: mmmmph [struggling to get away]
Mom: Honey, it's picture day! Here let me just get this clip...
Daughter: Don' want it! Don' want it! No! [frantically mussing hair
with both hands as she flees the room, rocks forgotten]
Mom: [sighing]

Dismissed

Just now, I was putting Louisa to bed. We were rocking in the rocking chair in her room, drinking a little bit of water and trying to get relaxed enough for her to fall asleep. She's getting long enough that it is somewhat awkward to do this ritual in the rocking chair, because as she begins to get tired she tries to lay down crosswise in my lap and she doesn't completely fit anymore. Sometimes, she realizes this and gets that she'd be more comfortable in bed. Tonight, she didn't want bed. I don't really mind sitting and rocking with her so I was trying to get comfortable. And then, I don't know, I moved my arm one way at the exact moment that she arched her back and flung her head backwards and she smacked her head into the arm of the chair.

Now, don't get me wrong. She didn't hit her head all that hard. Hard enough to surprise her, certainly. I did feel badly because while it wasn't exactly my fault, I was the one holding her at the time. But I don't believe she actually did any damage.

Anyway, Louisa immediately began yelling for Dada. Somewhat frantically. Eventually he came in and she basically lunged out of my arms toward him. The second she was safely ensconced in his arms, Louisa turned to me and said "bye-bye." As I turned to go, she looked up at Bill, put her hand up on her head, and said "head" in the most pitiful voice. Then she pointed at the chair.

Translation: Dada, save me! Mama smacked my head into the chair! Get her out of here!