Overdue Mexico Photos

Well, this vacation seems like a distant memory now (we departed nearly a month ago), but here it is. The picture above is of Andrew entertaining Anika at Immigration in Cozumel, Mexico. We spent five nights there during Andrew's two week (gasp!) vacation. Escaping the cold and snow here in Boston (which still haunts us) was amazing.


Here Anika and I are enjoying the kiddie pool at our hotel. On the whole, the kiddie pool "bath" was much more appealing to Anika than the ocean "bath". The water and the fish were exciting, but a bit much. Sand is also not her favorite. This is why:



This is what happens when your parents smear sunscreen all over you and then you do a faceplant on the beach. This sticky-sand phenomenon is the primary reason sand did not go over well (although she was pretty unfazed by this particular incident).

The photos that follow are merely proof that we spent lots of time relaxing and soaking up the sun (despite the fact that our busy toddler rarely let us sit still).



Cozumel was much more touristy than it was when I visited about 20 years ago, which was unsurprising, but a bit disappointing. Nevertheless, it was fun, and really did feel like Mexico. We (er, Andrew) spoke lots of Spanish and ate Mexican fare at every meal. Anika came home singing "La Bamba" and saying "Hola!" when answering her phone. She and Dada also very much enjoyed imitating cruise ships (which say "blaaahhhh") and fish (which say "glub glub").

Incidentally, she's picking up quite a bit of Spanish at "escuela". She's still only really producing "hola", "si", and possibly "adios", but she clearly understands some simple phrases, colors, animals and objects.





As you may have guessed, our trip included lots of time on the beach. We did, however, go on a glass-bottomed boat/snorkeling tour. I think this was Anika's first time out in a boat (aside from a ferry). She did enjoy the fish, but ended up asleep in Mama's lap for much of the outing.

The towel here is shielding our slumbering kiddo.

Okay, Andrew just got home, and we both ought sleep, so I'll leave it at that. Good night!

Anika's First Big Snowstorm

Last night (after midnight) we were hit by a good old fashioned Nor'easter. By six, when we dug the car out to get Andrew to work, we had at least eight inches. While we got the car out there was even lightening and thunder. Anika commented that it was "windy" and "wet".

She also said "cheese" when the lightening struck. I guess she's encountered many more photo ops than thunderstorms during these past 17 months...

Here she is supervising my sidewalk clearing:


And the following photos were taken a few days ago, when we played in what was left from a previous snowstorm.



Grandma Karen: we are very glad to have the snowsuit you bought! It makes the playground across the street usable again. P.S. A snow and ice covered slide is fast and fun--particularly when Mama slips at the bottom.

A Couple Extra Christmas Pictures

Cousin Kayleigh is VERY fun; Anika readily tried saying her name. She's also great with Anika, as she now has a two year old brother.


And you only have to look to the last post to know that playing "tea" is also extremely fun.

The Holidays

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas Anika and I attended both an art class (see previous post) and a music class for three sessions each. After our trial period, it was clear that music class was by far Anika's favorite, so we've signed up to continue for ten more weeks. When we returned this week, Anika was so excited to be back that she began tearing around the room. Plus we were also given a CD of songs from this program, which Anika happily listens to whenever we're in the car. It's driving me nuts, but I guess it's preferable to complaints from the backseat. She now has three or four songs that she is attempting to sing.

Anika does enjoy painting though. We've been doing it at home quite a bit recently, and she's adopted her mother's enthusiasm by exclaiming "Whoa!" with every brushstroke. On Monday, we are going to begin going to a nearby community center to participate in a toddler art co-op group. In theory, there will be eight toddlers and parents will routinely bring art projects for the group. I'm looking forward to meeting and collaborating with the other parents.

Here are a few photos from our trip home to Denver at Christmas (I'll add more if I can coerce the garndparents into contributing theirs):




And then returning home to play:


The tea party attendees (clockwise from the bottom): Sammy, Tashi, Mr. Bananas, Barnacle Bart, Davely, Dr. Chartswell, Anika, Doggy Wog, Kitty, Gormandy and Señor Mono.

In other news, Anika has just begun attending Pura Vida Preschool two days a week. We're both still grappling with the separation anxiety a bit, but the school (er, daycare) seems great and so far (this is week one) it feels like Anika and I are both ready to be apart on occasion. We're also really excited to have Anika in a Spanish immersion program--and particularly one that uses sign language in order to bridge English and Spanish. Anika is one of the older kids (there's one other girl who is the same age and four others who are younger) and her teacher is very impressed with her sign language skills. It's our hope that he will take particular interest in educating her, since Anika is currently the only truly communicative child there (I stopped counting a few weeks ago, but she has over 100 signs and words).

At any rate, we look forward to seeing her Spanish vocabulary expand beyond "hola" and (occasionally) "adios". Mama also looks forward to learning a little Spanish in the process.

Perhaps it will come in handy when we take a (much needed) family vacation to Cozumel, Mexico the first week in February? Or maybe even when we visit San Francisco with Grandma Karen next week (for Mama's final MFA review)... Stay tuned!

Art!

Here's Anika at our first art class, having just completed her first painting. Hooray!

Just this past week, she's gotten truly interested in drawing, so I have high hopes for our "Paint Playground" class. She was a little unnerved by all the activity (she's often, surprisingly, kind of anxious in classroom situations), but we definitely still did a little painting and water play.

This evening Anika and I will attend an opening for a show in which one of my own paintings is on display (it's a small works show at a gallery in Boston's South End). Hopefully, we will both come away having acquired some Art World schmoozing skills and inspiration.

Contemplating Misbehavior

In an effort to keep my blog going without the guilt driving me away, I've resolved to post anecdotes and the like more routinely. Starting now.

This morning Anika rushed into the bedroom where I was getting dressed, exclaiming "dad, dad"! She's recently started this 'trouble at the old mill' behavior (usually because her monkey has wound up somewhere out of reach), so I followed her into the kitchen where we discovered the cat on the counter: Bad. Bad kitty.

Andrew's comment: "Aww, our budding hall monitor." Ha!

Fall Fun

Only a month has passed, and yet Anika's growth seems exponential. She now boasts over 75 signs, is taking stabs at about 30 words, and has added many new tricks to her repertoire. One may now witness her enthusiastically "raising the roof", "bumping fists"(as captured below), stomping her feet, dancing, demanding to Skype with her "Bahpa", or egging on the tickle monster. Her laughter has matured such that she now squeals, giggles, chuckles... all are music to our ears.

Here are some photos from October's events:


In mid-October, my friend Emily and her new partner, Mike, came to visit. We took one last trip to New Hampshire for the year, and (despite lots of rain) thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.



Emily and Mike will make excellent parents, I gather, as long as their offspring are as adorable as mine. They are quite taken with Anika.




In mid-October, we were graced by the presence of Grandpa Wally and Grandma Karen. Although their week here was pretty relaxed, we did go down to Cape Cod for a day to revisit the old stomping grounds of Anika's great-grandparents, Wally Sr. and Karolla. We walked on the beach, ate seafood, and stocked up on Beach Plum Jelly (something none of us had enjoyed in more than a decade).

We actually did have a couple of occasions to break out Anika's lobster Halloween costume. Once for the Jamaica Pond Lantern Parade and again for a Halloween party at our local library. The Halloween party was for kiddos approximately 9-15 months old, which is a fantastic age for Halloween costuming. Anika's was one of the better costumes though. There were ducks, bees and pumpkins aplenty.




Anika is identifying her jack-o-lantern here as a kitty (via sign language--though she's probably saying "kitty" also).



Note the awesome new play kitchen. It actually looks just like our real cabinets (both are from Ikea). Anika loves banging around in there.



This is from a visit to the "Tot Lot" with the grandparents. There are two of these in our neighborhood, full of fun toys for toddlers.