The Big Bad Wolf

Last night, Stella woke up several times in a matter of an hour and a half, screaming in terror.

Nothing would calm her and it was obvious she didn’t want to close her eyes and go back to sleep.

She couldn’t tell us what was wrong. And how do you help a child formulate their feelings without putting words in her mouth?

The only things that I could gather were that she didn’t want me to leave, it was too dark in the room and she had a bad dream.

Still, no matter how we asked, she couldn’t tell us what was wrong.

Finally when nothing else would work, Mommy brought her to our room and she slept through the night.

Maybe it’s my ignorance of child memory capabilities but I didn’t think to ask again the next day. I figured we’d have to wait and see if it happens again.

On the way to the store Mommy and Stella were discussing taking a nap this afternoon (as she hasn’t been taking her naps and she becomes a grump late afternoon) when she says to Mommy and says that she was afraid last night. When asked of what “there was a big wolf in my room”

Without prompting from us, without being asked about the previous night she offered this explanation.

Finally she was able to find words to express what had happened.

I don’t recall any stories that she may have read where there is a big bad wolf! We’ve read Goldilocks but not Red Riding Hood. Hmmmm maybe at Oma & Opa’s?

We’re ready for tonight. Mommy is going to scare the wolf with Stella.

Daddy is going to put Sammy (the giant frog) and Cookie Monster on watch in front of the bed.

But alas we will have to wait to see if this offensive works.

Oma and Opa were over today and asked if they could have Stella for the night.

Making little girl's dreams come true

Yesterday was a moment of pure parenting joy. To see the mystery, the excitement and enthusiasm as Stella received her dollhouse from Santa. After Grandma and Oma helped her set it up, she kept going back to it all day and explaining what the people could do.

What’s under there?

Look, baby can go up and down the stairs.

Sport group

A few pics from Stella's sport group...climbing, tumbling, jumping, jumping, jumping...

On a previous week, Stella asked what was down in the holes. I said that (insert any number of characters) live down there and we should knock and call to them to see if they are there.

I had forgotten about this. This week however Stella ran over to the holes and started knocking and calling our for Hansel & Gretel, to the point of trying to look down the hole.

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Emmett 9.5 weeks - Emelia 16 weeks

Flour Child

Fresh Do

Today was family haircut day. Everyone (except Emmett) got a new do.

This was Stella’s first trip to the hair salon and first official haircut.

In the preceding days we have preempted the excitement of this trip which followed with all due enthusiasm....

Until she figured out what was going to happen.

Then Daddy got a trim

Stella?

Lets make a deal. “Just a little bit and I get a lollipop at the end.”

She was very good throughout the whole process and has a chic fresh hair cut for Christmas.

Guardian Angels

Mommy quietly hums a tune while she gets water to clean Emmett. But there’s something strangely familiar about that tune. I think it is the music to Emmet’s mobile that hangs above his crib.

“But I’m not just humming it, the mobile is actually playing!” She realizes.

That’s odd. Emmett couldn’t have turned it on and it is way beyond Stella’s reach.

There’s no mistaking it though, the mobile is definitely playing.

Mommy finishes getting the water and proceeds to the baby’s room.

Too her astonishment Stella is in the crib, and the two of them are contently lying together staring at the rotating animals above their heads.

Rewind: when Mommy left the room a moment ago Stella was calmly playing on the floor.

“Stella my dear” Mommy asks, “how did you get into the crib without hurting Emmett?”

“Carefully” is her reply. “one leg after the other.”

Now lets take a moment to reflect here.

This crib isn’t your run of the mill box with bars crib crib. It’s big, its cuvey, its clearly a head or more higher than Stella herself.

It is a sleigh bed style, protrudes the front edge so far it would give any good rock climber moment to reflect.

“Okay, show me” mommy adds, taking Emmett out of the crib.

“Watch mommy” as Stella places one foot between the slats and gracefully swings the other leg up and over the edge of the crib.

FLOP….she lands in the middle of the bed where Emmett would have been.

Lines of concern cross mommy’s face.

“Amazing that she didn’t hit Emmett” Mommy remarks to Daddy as she retells the story.

“Emmett’s guardian angels must have been doing overtime today”

This afternoon, Stella decides that Emmett needs to be tucked in while Mommy is getting water.

She hoisted herself into the crib, turned on the mobile, pulled out the blanket, covered Emmett and laid down next to him.

That evening Stella wanted to show Daddy how she “carefully” climbs into the crib.

She pulled herself up and into the crib with the grace of a great gymnast to be, clearly missing Emmett.

es schneit

“It’s snowing, it’s snowing” after coming in from chasing snow flakes Stella wanted to call Daddy to ask him if it is snowing at work too.

Then she proceeded to sing the “es schneit” song.

(just listen to the first 30 seconds of the song, it's the best I could find online)

What a way to bring a smile to daddy’s face while he’s at work.

Pimp my buggy

Back in the day I mountainbiked, did extreme inline skating, snowboarded and wakeboarded.

Fine tuning, tweaking and enhancing this equipment was a natural extension of my being.

A meditative state, preparing the gear and myself for a day of hard use.

Eventually I moved up to bigger toys, working on cars, trucks and boats.

Fat tires, high horse power, hear me roar.

And now I have added new items to my repertoire…

Strollers, kiddie bikes, scooters and anything else for tots.

Call 1-800-pimp-my-buggy for a free quote today.