Videos!

Recent videos which show how much Alma loves her daddy and her dog.  Don't mind the mess in the kitchen; remember we are in the midst of a rehab!

I love how much Alma wants to see Joshua's face when she is on his shoulders.

Alma spends a large portion of her day fussing over the dog and his food. She will try to feed him piece by piece or carry his food bowl to him wherever he is in the house. When he finally eats, she spends the entire time talking to him and pointing to his food.  He is a good sport.

Snow Horse!

The New House: The Bay Window

An "older" photo of Alma in front of my favorite place in the house -- the bay window in the kitchen that looks out onto the backyard.  We are in the midst of planning a proper booth seat in front of the window so that we can spend even more time there. 

This window is great for bird watching.  Here are some photos we took of a hawk snacking on a bird in our backyard.  Alma is happily doing the sign for bird (index finger and thumb come together like a bird's beak).

Another (the same?) hawk came back a few days later during another snow storm.  Don't mind my circling!

The New House: Guest Bedroom

 The guest bedroom before photos:

Mid-project:

While I know it doesn't look like much (it isn't!), I love the color and think that a queen-sized bed will make the space feel finished.  I have to give "huge ups" to Joshua for scrapping an incredible amount of paint off of the ceiling.  While I'm taking credit for the design of this room, he has put in the lion's share of the man hours. 

The New House: Kitchen

Unable to resist a fixer-upper, our new house is the second house we are hoping to transform ... as much as our limited budget can transform a place.  With the help of my father and lots of hard work, we were able to really change the look and feel of our last house and we are just starting to dig into plans for this house. 

While I kept promising Joshua that I won't go crazy right off the bat, it is hard not to want to change the essentials which -- in theory, at least -- seem like they will be quick projects. I've started making a girly guest room on the third floor while Joshua has been busy scrapping off the wallpaper in the kitchen.  Soon we won't have to give up our bed when guests stay over (or have them endure the sofa) or deal with "apples on parade"/ "the apple jail" while we cook!

The kitchen breakfast nook before photo:

Mid-way through the project: 

Tomorrow I'll share photos of the guest bedroom's progress.

The New House: Joshua's Space

I realized recently that we have posted very few photos of our new house.  Since I'm so in love with this space, I want to start sharing.  This week I'll be posting photos (most of which I snapped when we first moved into the house) of our favorite spaces and the projects we have started.

Here is Joshua's garage.  It is a detacted garage that is solely for Joshua's workout equipment (weights, bench, long bag, etc), garden tools, a stereo and a space heater.  Everything a growing man needs ... so that he grow up, not out!

Latt Table and Chairs

Ikea Latt tables and chairs = the greatest thing ever

Alma helping to put the furniture together...

 Coloring...

 Baking oatmeal raisin cookies (a.k.a. eating raisins) ...

 Tea partying (the proper way, not the political)...

Scott and Dolly

The Lack of Napping

Alma recently decided to stop napping.  She quit her afternoon nap around Christmas time and is now working on stopping her morning nap.  It is kind of driving me crazy.  Luckily (?) she has been napping at 5pm when Joshua gets home.  This is accomplished by laying on him and they both fall asleep.  Then she goes to bed around her regular time, waking throughout the night for 10-15 minutes each time before putting herself back to sleep. 

This schedule is tiring.  However, I have to realize that, as is everything with having a young child, nothing is permanent and routine is often the solution.  I just need to find the new routine in our lives.

Auntie Kate!

 Kate visited us this weekend.  It is always so wonderful to see her.  We've been best friends since 6th grade, through all these years (and Shakespeare Troupe -- as shown in the old newspaper clipping below!) and so many changes in life.  It is so awesome to begin to introduce my daughter to the fun that "Aunt Kate" brings to any gathering!

How We Spend Our Days

Alma is such an active little one these days.  Our days are full of fun, occasional meltdowns and rather random activities.  Here are -- as captured by my crummy phone camera -- some of the things that occupy our days.

 Crawling through the shoe bin.  (This has recently been remedied with a proper shoe rack from Ikea.)

Sitting in the cart part of the walker and reading books.

Playing in the snow with her new sand and water table.

While I do some rehabbing work in the attic, Alma visits with the napping puppy. 

Riding on the horse in the backyard

Playing ball with the dog

Bean Eater

Days of Christmas: Travel

 Alma was a champ during our travel to and from Oregon for Christmas.

During a long layover, Alma charmed some flight attendants who were also waiting.

1 year, 1 month

Updates from the month:

• The biggest update is the walking, as we mentioned before.  It's so awesome to see her walk around our house and the backyard.  Why we are always so shocked and delighted by her walking is beyond me, but we just get the biggest kick out of it!
• Alma seems to enjoy shaking her head and laughing.  It is silly.
• She can drink out of a cup with only a few drops spilled.  This is her standard means of drinking, unless we are traveling or about to go outside (and I don't want to risk having a spill and changing her again) when she uses a silly cup.
• According to Alma, most animals make demonic noises.  She is always happy to demonstrate!
• Learning lots of new signs (bunny, boy, snow, ...) and also fine tuning her existing signs.  For example, cat is now different from milk.  The funniest sign is light which she does all the time because every room has a light or, since it's been Christmas time, there are always little lights around.
• Sometimes Alma won't eat what we give her for meals and throws it on the floor. But then when she is out of her high chair these food items are highly sought after and fought for with the dog. We call it "floor meal". Other parents give us dirty looks when we explain this practice.  Yes, it's weird, but honestly the dog wins most of the food which seems to make it seem more hygienic.  Yes, even saying that is weird too.
• Alma has found a fondness for the horse in the backyard. Reminding her to "kick-kick-kick" makes it a wild ride for her. She pets "his" head too.

• Her new doll, who I have named Pilar, is her new best friend (even over the dog and cat!).  She loves watching Pilar stack blocks or use the shape sorter (a.k.a. me moving Pilar so it looks like she is doing the activity) and then copying.  Once Pilar gets going on a project, Alma is always happy to offer her more blocks to complete the work.  When Joshua gets home from work and I tell him all the things that Alma, Pilar and I did during the day, he always gently reminds me that Pilar is not real. 
• Playing in the shoe bin can last enough time for me to cook a really good dinner.  (Yes, my resolution to cook healthy meals is going very well so far!)
• Alma is starting to move into the fussy-want-to-do-it-myself-and-why-don't-you-carry-me-everywhere stage these last two months.  To show her outrage while crying, she lightly taps her forehead to the floor.  It is a bit odd.
• My parents saved a bunch of my old toys and so we have been spending a lot of time playing with my old kitchen and tea set.  I might like doing it more than Alma does at this point because I love this set so dearly.
• We still cannot put too many things on her tray at once.  If there are too many options, most of the food will be thrown on the floor.  Not sure why this is the case, but is creates a situation where we have to sit beside her for most of the meal giving her very small servings again and again.
• Alma finally started eating bananas.  For some reason this was the most exciting thing ever, like we won the lottery type of exciting.  (Maybe we need to get out more.)
• We are starting the weaning process using the "don't offer, don't refuse" method.  She still wants to nurse first thing in the morning, before naps and the last thing before she goes to bed.  She eats enough during regular meal times so I think that this weaning should go smoothly.  I'm surprised how much work it is to feed her enough and have enough balance of foods throughout her day.  I think that I am going to miss the relative ease of nursing, although I'm also feeling done with being so tied down to it.  

Days of Christmas: Silly Photos

Photos of sleepers is always fun -- Alma snoozing during a walk in Bend and Joshua napping on the couch while Alma played with old school Fischer Price toys. 

And who doesn't love photos of babies and alcohol (for eggnog) and flasks (Henry's gift from Emily)?!

Days of Christmas: Special Foods

 Smarker family special: Povaticia (Alma loves it!)

Grandma Chisholm's special: Gingerbread men!

Cookies for Santa!

Days of Christmas: Snow

 

 

The last photo was snapped at the High Desert Museum.  We were trying to document (for all the East Coasters who don't quite believe us) that where Joshua grew up -- even though the terrain is called the high desert -- has snow.  In fact, many of the mountains near his house have snow on them year round ... with glaciers.  How's that for a desert climate?