Doing the mommy thing...

I can't say that I am the most social of creatures, especially over the past year. Between baby, school & my winter hibernation period, I usually consider myself lucky just to make it outside most days. This can, however, get pretty boring - so I decided this week to make an effort to socialize.

My first discovery in the world of socialization is that the playground swings are the ultimate 'mom hook up point' (or so to speak). It is here, when babies and toddlers are happily confined, that moms have the best chance to meet and chit-chat. I've met many moms, nannies, grandmothers and yes, even the occasional dad, while pushing Caroline back and forth and back again. It's hard not to liken it to a singles bar. The conversation is pretty predictable -'Oh! He/she is so cute. When did he/she learn to walk/talk/drool so well?' This can continue for up to 5 minutes before one party decides there's not much of a connection and moves on.

It's pretty random to find someone with similar 'mommy interests' as yours. (Already note above, that you often don't even find a mommy pushing the swing.) However, if it is a mommy, someone with similar 'mommy interests' can be defined as: having a passable personality and a child of the same relative age / development stage as your own. This is when it's ok to move the informal connection to the playground or make a big leap to 'ask them out' for a play date.

Well, last Thursday, Caroline and I finally made a connection at the swings. Next to us was a mommy and daughter - I'll call them S & N. S & I started the usual chat... 'blah...blah...blah...' when we soon realized we had a lot in common. Not only were Caroline & N the same age, they were born just a day apart. Neither had any words yet and neither mother was going to worry regardless of what the books said. Suddenly, the conversation moved past the normal 5 minutes and we discovered we were both in school - and we both had a black lab. This was surely kismet. There was only one problem: S & N moved on to the playground without asking for a play date. I'm not one to rush into things either, so Caroline and I continued about our day. It was only later on that I started second-guessing my moves. Did I make too many jokes? Should I have offered out our number?

It was then on Monday that we bumped into S & N again. Coming out of the library, Baby Einstein 'Baby Da Vinci' in tow, we ran into S & N and two other mommies/babies going the other way. Obviously, S & N were social creatures. But never fear - they soon invited us for our first mommy outing - Yes!

Blocks!

I've learned to recycle Caroline's toys to keep her freshly entertained (and the Living Room floor from being completely covered). It also helps when there's a toy she can't quite master. Such was the case with the blocks. A thoughtful gift from Bri/Mir/Liz, when the blocks arrived they were mostly regarded by Caroline as 120 uniquely interesting objects to be put in the mouth. For Clay and I, though, they provided endless hours of fun building castles, boats, etc. after she went to bed. After about a month, the blocks were removed from the toy mix.

Flash forward to yesterday and the recycling of the blocks. Caroline caught on to stacking them almost immediately and was quite excited (first picture). Then, she remembered they were also uniquely interesting objects to be put in the mouth (second picture). The third picture shows her trying to stack two with all her might (aka. pushing really hard with two fingers). Tomorrow? Trying to get her to understand that you can stack more than just two at a time.

The Common Language of Genius

Eureka!

Believe you me, I am not the kind that likes to get bogged down by my own minutiae - and I like even less to read about someone else's. However, there's something so incredible about kids' 'firsts' (first ice cream cone, first mouthful of dirt) that I just can't provide Caroline with a story of her early years without including the little details.

So, feel free to skip the minutiae of some posts (labeled 'Eureka'). Like this one-

The Introduction of the Cherry Tomato

Caroline tried cherry tomatoes for the first time yesterday. They were decided to be explosive, and therefore exciting (first picture) - they did not, however, replace mac-n-cheese as her favorite food (second picture).

Lucky #13

Caroline & AJ, best friends ever since Caroline started sharing her meals, now have some else in common. They both have canine teeth! As best as I can tell, Caroline's lower right cuspid broke through sometime during her nap today, causing her to scream. A lot.

This tooth has been plaguing my evening slumber for about a week. This is how the story goes: Sometime between 1 - 3am, Caroline awakes and chats (aka babbles) at length, finally culminating in screams. I respond and am met by Piglet at the crib rail. He has little to say. Caroline, meanwhile, continues her presentation for the others, who are assembled in a circle surrounding her. Only after hugging Piglet, Lamb and Hippo (and sometimes Ernie or Bear) am I allowed to give Caroline a glass of milk. This is followed by some Tylenol and an optional diaper change before returning her to bed, where she sleeps until morning.

Congratulations, Lucky 13.

Flowers Anyone #3?

Sunday began with Caroline missing planting session #3 for, as you might have guessed, a nap. We'll see how the flowers and new fancy grass seed take. I've already replanted about 20 impantiens dug up by the squirrels.

Our neighbor Kerry let us know there was an opening at Socrates Sculture Park in Long Island City. So, since we were already headed next door to Costco, we popped in to see what it was like. I've created a new Blog masthead from my favorite picture, one I like to call

'Caroline & the Hipsters.'

Caroline had a great time mingling with the crowd - adults, children and dogs alike. Unimpressed with the view of the skyline, she preferred a colorful little boat teeming with children. There are some more pictures on the side.

Flowers Anyone #2?

On Saturday, we took advantage of the beautiful weather to go on a long walk. Carlos & Nora joined us for lunch at Sapori D'Ischia, our favorite little Italian restaurant, 'nestled' in the warehouse section of Woodside. It's just down the street from one of Grandpa Earl's favorites, Fastenal. After lunch, we grabbed some yummy pastries from Lety's, a new Jackson Heights bakery with a pastry chef who logged some 20+ years at Veneiro's. Lety is his wife - and the boss.

With nourishment in hand, we started planting in the back garden. Caroline, however, tuckered out from a very exciting meal, skipped the planting session entirely for a very important second nap.

Flowers Anyone?

With Clay off for the weekend, we spent most of our time planting flowers. Caroline, however, successfully dodged these duties not once or twice, but three times. After sleeping through planting at Grandpa John's house on Friday, she was in fits when she discovered a bare patch on the east side of the flowerbed. Poor Beth.

Climb every mountain

On Tuesday, Caroline scaled the coffee table for the first time, proudly strutting across before realizing she didn't know how to get down. I sure hope she learns soon so I don't have to sit on this thing all summer.

Wednesday night, she learned how to take her shirt off all on her own. This discovery was made at approximately 1:30am, and was immediately followed by the discovery that it is very cold at night without a shirt on. I finally wisened up when I replaced the shirt a second time (around 3:45am). The new, short sleeved shirt stayed on for the remainder of the night.

Next Semester

Well, registration is done. My summer courses will be Advanced Topics in Finance & Valuation and Capital Investment.

I've always enjoyed having some light summer reading.

Dance Party

Raise your pj's up in the air and wave 'em round like you just don't care!

Lately, it's been harder to convince Caroline that she needs to wear clothes. Post-bathtime is a particularly difficult part of the day for this. This was taken in hot pursuit of Her Highness.

All in a rush, it was then that I realized...

I am living with Al Gore.

It started out harmless enough. One day she wanted to turn off the lights. We thought it was a great. Almost convinced we had discovered it ourselves, it was a ingenious distraction that eased the long, dreaded walk to night-night.

Next, it was organic mac-n-cheese. We again deluded ourselves - by thinking she liked the bunny on the box, or the melodious rattle of uncooked macaroni - or even the Costco discount. But since then, it has become the mac-n-cheese of choice, received with squeals of delight in the bulk pasta aisle, with hand slaps and foot swings. Needless to say, it would rival the mighty Hippo puppet in baby delight, if Hippo weren't so darn huggable.

No, we hadn't realized anything was out of the ordinary until last Thursday. I was getting a glass of milk from the fridge when I turned and realized she had shut the refrigerator door. She had shut the door. It was then that I realized, as she glared at me with a look of disdain (or possible thirst). I am living with Al Gore.

What this doesn't explain, however, is her tendancy to get carsick in the Prius.