Make Believe

This isn't Annie writing today, it's.... Kira (Syd's buddy at school).  Now it's... The Little Mermaid!  Now it's Anna (the princess from Frozen)!  Syd has been busy assigning us roles lately and I'm in character.  She's almost always Elsa (the other princess from Frozen).  She glides around our apartment and school singing "Let It Go" with so much conviction.  Even though I'm not a big fan of the song, I don't tire of seeing her get so into it!  The other night, friends were over and Syd yelled out for Kristoff.  All were confused as no one named Kristoff was over, but Syd was calling for the Prince aka her daddy.  Living in this world of make believe and getting a glimpse into Syd's very active imagination is AWESOME.  Every day is a play and as they say in show business, the show must go on!

In other news, Sydney is no longer the baby of the cousins!  Baby Hadley Caroline entered the world just a few days after Thanksgiving giving us yet another reason to be thankful.  Thanks to a miracle making United desk attendant, Sydney and I got to stay in Omaha a few days later than we were scheduled to go to meet this adorable little bundle.  To say Sydney is obsessed it an understatement. She sings Hadley's theme song "Baby Hadley Caroline (written by Bubbe)" at least 7 times a day.  When we facetime with Hadley, Sydney appears to melt and reaches out her hands to try to hold her. 

The pacifier fairy will be visiting our house in a few days to gather Sydney's beloved pacifiers.  Word has it that the fairy will fly them to Hadley who needs them since she's a baby.  Wish us luck! 



Peaceful Meandering

One of the perks of working for a Jewish organization is that I get Jewish holidays off.  For holidays that I don't typically go to synagogue or do anything to observe (like Shavuot), it basically means I have a free day.  Last year when Sydney was scheduled to go to daycare on those days, I debated about whether or not to keep her out since I was off work.  After experiencing a few days of being solo, I realized I would take advantage of that peaceful solitude guilt-free. 

Last Thursday I had one of these days.  I slept in (these days that usually means 9:30am at the latest), did a quick errand, then packed a backpack with some water and began my trek.  My goal was to meander aimlessly to see what I found- like a "staycation", if you will.  I ended up walking about 3.5 miles to a completely different part of town.  I had a lunch by myself (and purposefully chose Indian food which Todd doesn't love), saw a movie (Trip to Italy, which was just okay but there's just something about sitting in a movie theater), and then walked most of the way home.  Walking through this city always makes me fall in love with SF all over again.  There's always something new to discover, excellent people watching, and such beauty to behold.

When I was younger I used to think it was so strange if my mom went to a movie or did something else by herself.  Now I understand.  For me it's a great way to recharge, reconnect with myself (not Annie the mother/wife/daughter/sister/friend/employee/student), and bring refreshed excited energy to all of those roles.  It also makes me appreciate what I have even more.

Baby or "Tiny Big Girl"?

Happy New Year to those who celebrate the Jewish one!  One of my favorite things about celebrating Jewish holidays is that I like getting two scheduled times a year to reflect and get a fresh start.

Now, a Syd update.  She is very much in an in between state right now at 2 years and 2 months.  Sometimes she yearns to be a baby.  Others she wants to be a big girl or even says she wants to be a teenager!  Here are some current examples of both:

Baby

• Sydney still likes to crawl sometimes to get from point A to point B
• She tries to drink milk from me (weird, I know)
• Sydney looks at Todd and me and asks "You call me baby?"

Tiny Big Girl (a term she coined)

• Sydney loves to take care of others- babies and adults- by talking in a high pitch voice and asking about our needs: "You hungry for this?"  "You need a hug?"
• She asks me several times a day to call her Elsa and assigns me to be Anna and Todd to be Kristoff (Frozen anyone?)
•  She talks (a lot) and has an opinion about what she wears every day (which is ideally pink for her)
• Syd repeats things we don't even realize we say like "You understand?" and "Try it- you might like it!"

Baby or tiny big girl, we're still LOVING life with her despite the new typical 2 year old behaviors of testing and saying no!

xoxo.

A Trip to the Bank Turns Into a Make Believe Restaurant

Here's a letter to Sydney to read 18 years from now.  Caution: This has the potential to be incredibly cheesy.  Just know it's all coming from a place of admiration and love.

Dear Sydney,
Today we went to the bank with you to deposit a few checks.  Typically a trip like this is anything but fun- it's a chore, a must-do.  But today, you changed that experience for me and your dad.  You- as always- brought fun into the equation!  As dad was waiting in line, you decided that the strangers sitting around waiting at the bank looked hungry so you walked around to each one and kindly offered them a hot dog with ketchup.  Typically banks are not the place to make friends and chat with strangers, but you singlehandedly changed the whole experience for those who were there.  Once you started feeding people your make-believe food, smiles and laughs were all around and we all began to talk to each other.  Your extremely friendly and caring nature is amazing to watch and is contagious!  Thank you for all of the joy you've brought to those around you in your two years of life so far!  We love you more than words can say.

Love,
Mama

Chattin' Up Strangers

We are back from Greece and Italy and what an awesome adventure that was!  Aside from the love-filled wedding, delicious food, picturesque views, and general spontaneity, my favorite part- as it always is when I've gotten to travel- was the cultural exchange. The fact that we as humans can connect even though we have vastly different upbringings, life experiences, and sometimes languages never ceases to amaze me!  Here's a prime example: Todd and I offered our seats on public transportation in Rome to a couple likely in their 70s or 80s. After they accepted and sat down, the woman smiled broadly and began to chat us up in Italian.  We shrugged a few times to indicate that we didn't understand her and she didn't seem to care. She just went on talking all in Italian for the next ten minutes! Once we all dropped our guards, something beautiful happened: we shared some laughs and an awesome memory. I so appreciated that our not speaking her language didn't disuade her from wanting to interact with us.   Her husband looked at her at one point and seemed to say "you know they don't speak Italian right?".  She nodded and kept right on talking.  I strive to be like this woman when I'm old and I began my training regiment to get there years ago. :)  Oh!  We also tried a website called eatwith.com.  It allows you to sign up for a meal at someone's house anywhere in the world.  I HIGHLY recommend it.

Meanwhile, Syd had an ABSOLUTE BLAST in Omaha.  She played, swam, and giggled away her days with both sets of grandparents, aunts and uncles, and six cousins.  Seeing the way she was overjoyed each time we video chatted and got a picture made us second guess if she would ever want to leave there.  So, we all got to have a wonderful adventure. Thank you again, Bubbe, for making this happen!  You granted us a small miracle.

The reunion with Syd was awesome.  It took place at the SF airport.  When she saw us walking towards her, she let out a happy and loud scream!  Then, she kept touching us to be sure we were still there.  Since being home, she talks even more about close family members which warms my heart each and every time.  Here are a few pics from our travels and hers:

"Mommy's Happy"

This morning, Todd brought Syd into our bed bright and early.  I was still exhausted and half asleep when I felt a tiny arm slung around my neck and cold plastic against my lips.  Eh?  I opened my eyes to find Sydney's curious face directly in front of mine- kissing me with her pacifier still in her mouth.  Obviously, a huge smile spread across my face and Sydney said "Mommy's happy, Daddy".  Yes, it's true.  So happy and grateful to have this empathetic, nurturing small human as a housemate.

Todd and I are preparing to have our by-far-longest-away-trip from Syd in just a week.  We're heading to Greece and Italy (!) for some adventuring/celebrating a friend's nuptials.  I look so forward to having a few weeks of spontaneous, non-scheduled life in a completely different culture.  Syd also has very fun times to look forward to- she'll be in Omaha with 6 cousins, 2 sets of grandparents, and a lot of other fun people to see!  We will miss her like crazy but know that she'll be in very capable, loving hands when we're away.  She's old enough that I've been prepping her that we're leaving.  Syd has requested a camping trip with her cousins.  Do you hear that, aunts and uncles? ;)

Here are some recent pics of the little nugget.

Dreaming Big

Hi Everyone,
I'm coming off my first day and a half of co-active coaching school at Coaches Training Institute (CTI).  For those of you unfamiliar with coaching, it's a practice that allows those looking to make a change or improve a part of their lives the time and space to dream and make transformative change.  If you want to learn more, just let me know.  I'm feeling inspired, positive, and filled up with fabulous techniques and skills.  An awesome benefit of attending the class is receiving coaching myself!  At this moment I'm loving thinking about all of the possibilities that could make up a flexible, fun, and fulfilling career and am choosing to ignore any worries/limits/judgments of myself.  It's good to live in this space and I plan to make a huge effort to hold on to this mind frame of what is possible. 

A big shout out to my love, TJ, for making it doable for me to attend these long classes.  Todd, you have no idea how much it means to me that a) you are being so supporting/encouraging and b) you are savoring your alone time with Syd the Kid.

Here's a Sydney update:

• She continues to find the most creative sleeping positions I've ever seen whether it be sleeping with an arm flung out between the rungs of her crib or on her side arching her back with her arms behind her.
• She's starting to string together words to make short sentences like "I like it", "Daddy funny", and "Elmo pooped".
• Music continues to bring her so much joy.  Her new thing is humming.  She made up a song to the tune of "twinkle, twinkle" that goes "I love you you very much".  It literally makes my heart melt.
• The idea of getting two animal crackers is really motivating her to let us know sometimes when she wants to try to go to the bathroom on her tiny potty.
• Sydney is realizing that everyone has actual names- including her parents and grandparents.  Yesterday on Skype with her bubbe, she kept saying "Hi Patty!" with a gleam in her eye and a huge toothy grin.  She likes the shocked reaction and laughs she gets from this new party trick.
• Syd is in a very mommy and daddy centric stage right now.  She is possessive of us and often tells others at her daycare that we are HER mommy and daddy.  I'm not gonna lie- it feels great and I will absolutely remind her of this day if she refuses to claim us in her teen years. ;)

I'd love an update from all of you, too!

Much love,
Annie

A Life Inspired

The credits are rolling on the Oscars.  Normally, I don't watch much of it but this year was such a strong year for movies.  Last night Todd and I watched "Dallas Buyers Club" and SPOILER ALERT... it won for best actor and best supporting actor.  What an inspiring movie!  I was blown away by the fight of the main characters to make their lives mean something.  In the process, they positively changed people's lives who were and remain victims of illness, hate and ignorance. 

While I am grateful for and satisfied with my job, I yearn to make a deeper impact.  I've been giving a lot of thought to short and long term career goals (thanks, Todd for listening me talk about this endlessly) and hope to make a contribution to the community at large that will make the world a place where people have opportunities to build their skills and be treated with respect regardless of their socioeconomic status, sex, gender identity, race, and so on.  I have been so incredibly fortunate to have all of this quality time with Sydney (my work schedule could change after this summer) and hope to continue to find a balance that works best for all of us while feeling challenged and fulfilled in my work outside the house. 

Sydney is now 1.5 years old and she is an absolute blast!  A few interesting things she's putting together these days:

• I walked into her room this morning and snot was dripping down her nose.  She tearfully pointed at it and said "bless you".
• Yesterday we walked to a bakery (Devil's Teeth for those of you who live in SF... it's DELISH).  She shared a piece of sidewalk chalk with an older boy then proceeded to repeatedly tell him to say thank you (or as it sounds when it comes out of her mouth... "doggies").
• She sat on several of her big stackable blocks this morning and said "poo poo" as she sat on each one.  We took a hint and went to Target to buy her a baby toilet since she's showing so much interest.
• Syd is very interested in babies these days- both plastic doll babies and real live babies.  Her friend Nava was here yesterday.  She was crying in her mom's arms and Sydney reached up to try to hold her.

Oh.Muh.Gosh!

Oops... this was still in drafts.  I meant to publish around Thanksgiving.

A few days ago, I heard Sydney talking to herself saying "Oh. My. Gosh"!  She is really a little parrot these days repeating most things we say.  She sounded like a valley girl (which was a little scary), but I have to say, I agree with her surprised sentiments!

She is SO much fun to be with these days.  I feel like I have a little buddy.  Just today, she was tickling my feet and when I started to laugh, she began to uncontrollably giggle and it turned into a full fledge laugh attack for both of us until she stopped tickling.  She's been taking a few steps for a while but has become much more confident with practicing walking the last few days.  She's pointing at kids in her children's books and assigns them the names of her friends at daycare if they resemble the friends at all.  We're also getting a small taste of the 2's already.  With a sparkle in her eye, she pushed me the other day while saying "push" to test the limits.  She's one funny girl and this Thanksgiving, I am beyond thankful for her. 

Everyone's Fine

I'm pj'ed up and on the couch with puffy eyes and damp Kleenex after watching "Everyone's Fine", a 2009 Robert DeNiro movie.  I won't say much in case you want to see it except that it's grown up family film- a bit depressing though poignant and beautiful.  How have I heard no one talk about this movie?

Watching movies about parenthood is so different since becoming a parent.  Everyone says "it goes fast"- even complete strangers on the street as Sydney is taking some of her first walks hand in hand with us.  And, as I watched this movie, I can see how that will likely be the case.  I'm just doing my best to cherish every moment.  Here are a few moments I've cherished lately:

1. Tonight Sydney was crying pretty hysterically in her crib after being asleep for about an hour.  I went in, picked her up, and cuddled her tight but she kept crying.  I hummed her a song while rocking her, told her I loved her, then looked her straight in the eye and said "hi".  She stopped crying then did the same right back to me then leaned towards her crib.  I know I won't be able to hold and rock her forever.

2.  Sydney is about 6 weeks deep into her life as a walker.  When we leave the house, she prefers to be on foot rather than being in a stroller or being carried.  She verbalizes what is happening by saying a syllable of "walk-ing" or "mar-ching" with each step.  It's pretty dang cute.  As she's finding her balance, her little walk is so funny- her hands are usually up by her shoulders in fists moving up and down like dancing to a beat and her legs are straight and wide set.

3.  When Syd was first born, TJ and I created a theme song for her.  It went "little Sydney Reese- walking down the street- saying hi to everyone she meets!".  It has actually come true.  I love how she interacts with everyone from older women who don't speak much English on the bus to tattooed pierced young men outside of the grocery store.  As far as she sees it, everyone is her friend.  Likely with time we'll talk more about "stranger danger", but for now it's really neat to see her connect with so many people who she comes in contact with.

On another note, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  I was lucky enough to go through a visioning board exercise with Laurie D and other friends on New Year's Eve day.  For those who haven't done this before, a vision board is collage of images that represent your dreams. The purpose of making one is to identify your dreams and put them on paper to help you be more likely to claim and realize them. I plan to spend a little more time on my board then hang it on the inside of my closet door so I am reminded of my new year's resolutions- and what I want to leave behind in 2013- more often.  2013 was a year of firsts, laughter, and togetherness for our family and I am so grateful for that.  Here's hoping for more of the good stuff in 2014 for all of us.  I wish you all health, happiness, and love in this new year!