Home Sweet Home!

Happy Hanukkah from your neighborhood fairy ...

Swinging...

Rikki likes to swing and ride around on all sorts of conveyances … from this trapeze at her creative movement class to the carousel on the Washington mall to these fat monkey bars at a park in McLean (where we spent Thanksgiving, the last there before the Fines move to downtown DC). She is also quite loquacious these days, and has the cutest things to say. Upon meeting a new candidate for childcare job, she said, "Is she going to babysitter me?" She frequently asks to play "baskerball," and so we have invented a game for the bathtub involving letters. The other day she said, "I like this house, mommy. I'm glad we're staying here." And then there was the time she told me she wasn't sleepy, only "resty." There is a dog across the street that often scratches at the big picture window when we are driving up. She tells me it's her dog, and he misses her. For a while, she had a dog named Skesk. One day she was asking for a cat. I told her we couldn't have one because I'm allergic. A few days later, she woke up telling me, "I can hold real babies. Can you get me a real baby?" I asked her what we would do with the baby when she went to school. "Are you allergic to babies?" she wondered. "Then you can take care of it for me." And then today, she gave me a real scare. I had no idea she crossed the hide-and-seek threshold of being able to hide silently without calling out to me. I had no idea she was even planning to hide. We were getting ready to go out, and all of a sudden I couldn't find her anywhere. I called her and got no response. I'd already opened the front door preparing to leave, and so I thought the worst, and starting running out on the sidewalk in both directions calling her name. No Rikki. Back in the house looking and looking, calling her name, dialing a friend's number, deathly afraid. Finally I heard her, "Mommy, it's okay. I'm here. You don't need to worry." She'd found a new hiding spot behind the couch. And had learned how to hide.

I want to be little forever

That's what she told me this morning.

New critter

We are taking rikki's new squirrel for a train ride.

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Elmo returns!!

Elmo was greeted up and down the streets of Berkeley - a very popular trick-or-treater!! Everyone loves Elmo (especially Rikki).

Younger man in her life...

Rikki has taken a liking to my friends' son Ronen. He is only two, but has the verbal skills of a three-year-old and a sweetness like Rikki's. It's cute to see her protective attitude toward him ; )

Her own violin!!

And boy is she happy about it!'.

Gettin' ready ...

The victorious conqueror!!

Yes, she did it!!! She scaled the mountain of stuffies, conquering them all!'

Fiddling around ...

But ... the fiddle is pretty fun too!! Stay tuned to find out which instrument she pursues first.

To cello or not to cello?

Rikki wants to take cello lessons ... Here she is at family music day trying one out.

Monkey girl

Rikki got to wear a monkey costume for "pretend Shabbat" at her preschool because the kids enacted the noah's ark story from last week's Torah portion. The next day at services, the kids did an animal parade and she got to wear her owl pajamas! And Halloween is still coming!

Crabby girls

Rikki and Lilah doing the crab...

On the way to Matan's

Rikki's best new friend at preschool, Matan, invited us over for Shabbat dinner a couple of weeks ago… (yes, due to technical glitches, my posts are weeks behind!) I managed to get her to wear this adorable outfits … and even to put on tights (though they came off the minute we arrived and she saw Matan and his siblings in bare feet…) He has a dog named Tova, so now Rikki has a pretend dog named Tova. On the way to school the other morning, she asked me, "Do you think Matan will be excited to see me?" More posts soon .

Reunited!

Panda bear spent the night at Rikki's friend Clare's house last night... We went to pick him up first thing in the morning since its not easy to sleep without him.

Today was a scorcher. Lying in bed tonight, Rikki asked, "Can you unsweat me?"

Pam

PJ package!

We are spending a lot of time these days in footie pajamas like these new ones... And hopefully soon I will get some pictures of my PJ-clad package sailing on the bay.

Picking lavender

On the way to music class this morning, we saw a squirrel prancing around on the electrical wire. Then we passed a flowering bush that is typically filled with bees. Rikki wanted to stand between me and the bees. She said she was protecting me. I said, "That's so nice. You're my protector." She responded, "I'm the sweet protector in the whole world."

Then we picked some lavender, rubbing the leaves on our fingers and smelling them.

A beautiful day in Berkeley with a beautiful girl.


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Panda and Panpan sitting down for some ice cream...

With a shout-out to Max for donating the panda and to Linda for sending it!!

New bike!

Thank you, Eloise, for handing it down to Rikki.

Happy new year everyone!!

From our (new) home in Berkeley to yours, let's pray for joy, health, sweetness, and growth in the new year.

Seeing friends in Chicago

Back in Chicago, we saw some of Rikki's good friends

Seeking Strength at Indian Rock

I wasn't too good about taking pics during our Berkeley stay in August - but soon we will be back for more!

We made our usual climb to Indian Rock, stunning and spiritual as ever! It's got a magnificent view of the Bay - but this was the best view this mom could see ; )

More Summer pics

I am VERY behind on posting - but getting caught up now. Here are some more summer activities in Chicago late July/early August:

Swimming lessons and swinging at the "geodesic dome" at the Children's Garden.

Summer celebrity

Our RIKKI chalk from yesterday was already erased, so she and her nanny went out to create something even more spectacular - we can even see it out of our condo window!!

Wacky week at camp!

Mother and daughter were well-outfitted for hat day. The frog hat (courtesy of Olive's hat collection - thank you Olive!) was a big hit -- and a good match with the owl hat (the only one Rikki was willing to sport - it matches her owl blanket, also pictured).  So far Rikki is the cutest, and I am on track to get the parent's award during wacky week.  

We wore purple on Monday, a hat on Tuesday, pajamas (sort of pajamas for me) today.  Tomorrow is backwards day…    

hands up!

Contortionist!!

Remembering Father's Day...

Have you been to the new waffle place in our neighborhood? My guess is you haven't, but our dad loves it so much he wanted to go BOTH days of father's day weekend. Here he is with his adoring girls!



(sorry for the delay - technical difficulties)

First day of summer!

Party girl

We are at the first of two birthday parties this weekend... It's hard work holding on to all of the loot.

New camper

Caption: "Do I have to go to camp?"

Sorry I didn't take an after picture, because when I picked her up, she reported, "I wasn't scared AT ALL!"

She is in the purple room at Akiba Schechter summer camp, and it looks like it will be a fun summer all around. Mom is relieved.

(Though we are having to deal with her latest and cutest protest, likely picked up at school, which she seems to lodge all day long, whether or not we know what it is: "It's NOT fair!")

Note no twirlie: If you are surprised by this, you don't realize how alluring shorts pockets can be. Especially pink ones.

On the lake with dog

Now we are at Cobbets Pond staying in Uncle Ted and Aunt Holly's lake house for the long weekend. Rikki has a new best friend....

More celebrating ...

Two years together!

To celebrate the two years since Rikki came into our family, we started an annual tradition by going out for milkshakes.

Goodbye Pop Pop, Goodbye Pittsburgh

We went back to Pittsburgh last weekend to say goodbye (ie bury but Rikki doesn't understand that yet) to Davis' dad. It was a sad time, but always nice to see family, especially for Rikki who loves her cousins.

Charge phone

Sent from my iPhone

Day at the park!!

Yesterday brought perfect 72 degree weather... And a pretty spring dress.

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In training

Birthday party chef

My friend Lily is turning tree and I got to make a hat. Next up: pizza and cupcake-making.

Carry me!

Encore!

Here's hoping this dancing video will post successfully.

Trying again to upload the video.

woops - here's the video

Well I guess it's just a photo - now blogger won't let me upload videos anymore ; (

School girl

Now that she's going to school, Rikki likes to remind people that she's a big girl. We were at her friend's Lily home (who's still in diapers) and when her mom pointed out that Rikki had used the potty by herself, Rikki just shrugged and said, "I'm a big girl." Her sentences have become very complex: "I can't hold my lunchbox because I've got all this stuff." "When I'm a baby, I dropped my blankie, and then I picked it up, and then I squeezed it. Remember that?" She often likes to be the mom: "You can't touch this. It's sharp. Only I can touch it." "Let me show you how to do that." 'I know you love broccoli." "Okay, now calm down." We met with her teacher yesterday (seen in the video), who says she is doing great in school. Not a surprise, but good news nevertheless...

Visit to DC

While Davis and Olive were zip-lining in Costa Rica, Rikki and I had a nice visit in DC with Linda, Jeff, Chelsea, and Max. Here are some pics at the zoo, the Smithsonian (air and space), and on a carousel with cousin Skylar.