JourneyLeaf: Life a Page at a Time

Green Hills, Green Slurping...

The watershed just north of my neighborhood looks like this in the middle of the April to October "Golden Season"...

 

The photos below, taken on Wednesday, are from different angles but are of the same hills...

(The little black dots on the hills are cows.)

 

 

 

It makes me think of Ireland.  It makes me think of St. Patrick's Day coming up soon.  And that makes me think of something else green that makes me happy -- McDonald's Shamrock Shakes!  

Okay.  I know.  One minute we're roaming the green hills and the next we're talking fast food?!  But if you've never tried a Shamrock Shake, it is worth tracking down.   Cool and minty without overpowering, it's frothy and reminiscent of Cool Whip and marshmallow fluff.  Don't underestimate the bliss of a little lowbrow treat.  The bad news, however, is that McDonald's only carries them from mid-February until St. Patrick's Day.  Even worse, not every McDonald's carries them and most run out long before mid-March.  Don't delay or this could be you...

What do you mean you're all out until next year?!

 

There is, however, a little good news.  There is  a website to help aficionados find Shamrock Shakes!  Actually, if you Google "Shamrock Shake" you'll find multiple websites, news articles, and knockoff recipes.  There are a lot of complaints out there that the 2010 shakes aren't minty enough and come dolled up with whipped cream and a cherry.  I managed to snag a Shamrock Shake this week and it was as plain as a purist could hope for and nicely minty.  

Good luck and happy slurping!

Binky Love

"O Binky, how I love thee!"

January 2009, Eli at six weeks.  Notice the big gulp when the binky vanishes...

    

A year later...

(Want previous binky tales?  Click here.)

Taste a Rainbow

Don't we all crave splashes of color?

I found a sun catcher that consists of a crystal dangling from a tiny solar-powered motor.  Suction-cup it to the window and when the direct sunlight is strong enough, the gears slowly turn.  Now rainbows move in a slow waltz across our floors, walls, and ceiling.  (I thought it was broken -- darn it, everybody seems to want to twist it to make it work if it isn't in motion -- but I realize now we've just had too many cloudy afternoons!)

  

On Wednesday afternoon, sleepy Eli was lying across my lap slurping up some milk before nap time.  The sun came out from behind the clouds and the time of day/year was just right for our western window.   A tiny rainbow suddenly appeared in the palm his hand.  He looked puzzled and then quickly tried to bring it to his mouth for a taste.  Off moved the rainbow and Eli was puzzled by this too.  Yet with the cycle of the turning crystal, it was soon back again.  Colors in the palm of your hand!  Eli tried again but still had no luck getting the rainbow into his mouth.  

 

It was one of those moments when you realize all over again how magical a child's thoughts are.  Babies come into this world with few preconceived notions and such an open sense of The Rules both physical and social.  I adore how that thought-challenging magic creeps back into your life when you love a child.

Stretch and Ooze

Superpowers don't exist.  Nobody can fly unaided.  Nobody has x-ray vision or can breathe underwater.  Right?  But this past week I've been pondering DC Comics' Plastic Man.  Remember him?  He could stretch to amazing lengths and ooze into terribly tight spaces...

At least once during each meal, how does Eli get his feet free of the high chair and up to his plate?  

  

How is Eli able to snatch the open yogurt container in the middle of the table or the lotion pump atop the changing pad?

 

And no matter how determined I am to keep working, how does Eli manage to worm and squirm and ooze his way in front of me?  I try to stand my ground, but he always ends up clinging to my knees, wedged between me and the stove, the sink, the door, the....

 

Going My Way?

California law states children must ride in car seats facing backwards until one year and twenty pounds.  Eli met the requirements for turning the seat around by early December, but I tried to put it off as long as possible because facing backwards is somewhat safer in an accident.  But Eli is 70th percentile for height and was starting to get very frustrated riding with his legs jammed up.  So last week we went to the fire house and got a couple of trained EMTs to show us the correct way to install the seat facing forwards.

 

I knew I would miss a couple of things.  The first is playing peek-a-boo with Eli when I get the stroller in and out of the rear storage compartment.  No matter how many times I would duck below view, Eli would giggle.  The second is that I used to reach back and rub Eli's head at traffic lights when he was sleepy.  Sometimes we'd hold hands.

Oh, but nothing beats being able to just glance over my shoulder at stop signs and see Eli's face.  I had a soft mirror up before, but he got so he'd kick it out of adjustment.  We'd ride for miles unable to see each other.  Our only interaction while driving was playing the repeat-the-last-sound-the-other-person-made game...when Eli was in the mood.

  

What does Eli think?  The big grin in the photo above says it all.  That first day as I left the fire department, I drove through an empty parking lot and thus was able to peek at Eli's face.  He was absolutely enthralled.  He watched every movement of my hands, pointing and babbling each time I operated the car whether turning up the music or putting on the turn signal.  He didn't miss a thing.  He can see the landscape and passing cars much better as well.

The bad news for Mama?  I used to be able to occasionally sneak a snack, but now he sees what I'm doing.  Rats.

Let's Take a Walk...

I'm really looking forward to Eli beginning to walk.  He certainly has the stamina for it.  It's funny that some people think babies who don't take to walking early are lazy.  I actually don't carry Eli around that much at home and he knows almost every inch of our place.  When it is time to put away laundry, for instance, he crawls along after me from the dryer, down the hall, up the stairs, and to clothes closets at the front and back of the house.  He keeps up with my long legs and even does some exploring along the way.

I know change is coming, though.  Eli keeps crawling over to the outside doors, pointing with one chubby finger, looking up at me, and emphatically trying to tell me something.  There's a whole world out there and he knows it, but he is not yet able to navigate it effectively.  When each of my nieces and nephews became walkers, I loved taking them outside and turning them loose, following after them as they explored the unique things that intrigued them.

But...

Walking late has its gifts.  I feel comfortable calling Eli my "baby" since he's still crawling.  In some ways, these feel like stolen days -- extra dollops of that fleeting loveliness called babyhood.  He often uses me for standing support while he picks up objects to give them the once-over or looks carefully at his surroundings.  His warm little body leaning on me, I feel that I'm part of his adventures.  Often I am sitting on the floor, so his facial expressions are just inches from me.  It won't always be this way.

Eli is still used to being very physically close.  He's cuddly in personality anyway and this is compounded by the intimacy of still being a "babe in arms."  In the mornings when I get him up, its not just a kiss and a hug then launching into the day.  I lift up my baby in the soft morning light and bury my nose in his neck.  That lovely, milky Eli smell is the best in the world and Eli nuzzles in to me.  I cover his cheeks in "guppy kisses," tiny little smooches that still make him laugh.  We drift to the window to check on how the rising sun is beginning to come through his strings of window beads and he is happy to do this while we are cheek-to-cheek.  Not yet eager to run away.  Unhurried.

I gratefully soak it up.

(Above:  Eli asleep.)  

 

(I made two strings of rainbow beads for Eli a while back.  He loved them so much that for his birthday, Godmama Heidi helped me make six more to help Eli learn the names of the colors.  Once the bead strings were finished, I hung them one evening while Eli played downstairs with Papa and then covered them with a curtain.  It was fun to see Eli's face when the new strings magically appeared the next morning!)

Still Laughing

Two new teeth in two days but he's still laughing...

(Eli was sitting at the table slurping on a fruit puree packet while Papa was tossing a paper airplane made of tin foil.  Eli is age 14 months.)

Little Dirty Baby

A tiny taste of spring.  Pull out those tee shirts!  Pack a picnic!  Let's head outside!  

Eli, too, is raring to go.  But because he is still not walking, the park and the backyard aren't as accessible.  Whether he is in the stroller, his wagon, or a swing, he's sitting like a lump.  That makes both of us sad and a little frustrated.

I tried simply turning Eli loose, but our backyard is mostly cement.  The small patches of grass don't drain well and Eli finds the soggy ground unappealing, especially when he runs into sharp rocks and prickly twigs.  Most parks are similar.  Today, however, friend introduced us to Willard Park in Berkeley.  Hooray!  A baby friendly spot!  There is a cushioned play surface, low play structures, lots of clean sand, baby swings, and even cast off baby toys.

Just look at that happy face below!

 

(Photo courtesy of my buddy, Maynard.  His daughter is the cutie in the middle and Eli's friend in the railroad stripe overalls is Julian.)

 

Besides his first tire swing experience, Eli burrowed in the sand.  He scooted along on his knees to push toy dump trucks.  He went down the slide umpteen times.  I held my breath that his knees and hands wouldn't get too red.  I bid a silent adieu to the cute gray corduroy overalls that will never be the same.  We had a great time.

 

One of my nieces had a baby doll that she dragged throughout her toddlerhood.  She wouldn't allow anybody to put clothes on it.  Most days she held it by one foot so that it bounced along behind her.  After a while, that doll earned the nickname "Little Dirty Baby."  Today, I took to calling Eli that.   His overalls were dark at the knees but there was also a fine, sandy dirt that settled into the grooves all across the corduroy.  The dimples and creases of his hands collected more soil than a potato patch.  His fingernails were as dark as an auto mechanic's.  We stopped by Target on the way home and I changed him into clean overalls.  To my surprise, about a quarter cup of sand poured out of his pants and diaper, all over the changing table and the floor.  Such a mess.  But so worth it.

Little Dirty Happy Baby!

First Ice Cream!

Saturday was Uncle Eric's birthday.  In his honor, Eli tried his first taste of ice cream.

The first spoonful of Dryer's Nestle Toll House Swirl...
 

  

Eli says, "Whooooo boy, that's chilly!"
 

  

"Ummmmm.   Still not sure.  My tongue is numb."
 

  

"Hey!  That's not bad!"

  

"But I'd still rather eat Cheerios."
 

Grumpy Baby

Baby got hot during his afternoon nap and woke up grumpy?  
Here's all you need:

• Mild sunny afternoon
• Rumbly wagon
• Neighborhood sidewalk
• Floaty balloon
• Binky (extra points if the color matches baby's shirt)
• Sippy cup of cool water
• Dinosaurs (preferably miniature plastic ones as real ones will take up too much room)