Chuck E Cheese

We went to Chuck E Cheese for the first time - it was pretty fun! The photo booths were, well, photo booths! It was a nice, blizzardy evening to do something active - indoors.

More Christmas 2009

This Christmas, the grown-ups exchanged helpful gifts. We each submitted a list of things we wanted to learn, ways we wanted to grow, etc. The kids all had plenty under the tree from Santa, Aunties, Uncs and Grandparents.

Vi was most excited to see her cousins. She and Baby Addie were full of hugs.

This is Vi, "especially psyched out of her mind" about a gift from T-bone and Lulu.

Dan asked for ideas of books he might like and recipes for corned beef hash. He got books stolen from Sneaky Fox's mom and recipes using canned corned beef hash. And lots of snuggles from Katara. All in all, he was happy.

Mumsy found Auntie Boo's old wiggly Santa headband and gave it to Vi.

I asked for help coming up with a strength-training routine. Mark gave me some print-outs of quick yoga practices I can sneak into my work day (don't tell my boss!) and signed me up for some stress-reduction workshops at our town rec center! This is me, on the verge of happy tears.

Oh, the end of the long day. Merry Christmas!

Pictures!

Here they are, in multiple albums.


Vi's Birthday, End of July: Click HERE

August, Eustis, Pool, Summer: Click HERE

September: Click HERE

The first week of October: Click HERE

More!

http://picasaweb.google.com/linzwalsh/MoreJune2009?feat=directlink

In this batch you'll see:
Some very funny videos
Vi's first bubble
A streaker
Dog play
Mama kisses

A few pictures!

Here is the first half of the massive upload in process:

http://picasaweb.google.com/linzwalsh/NewPicturesMayAndJune2009?feat=directlink

A perfect day

I already posted this morning, indicating that we had all slept in. It seemed like a treat, even though it was a very wakeful night for poor, ear-infected Vi. Even though she's not quite herself, we were able to make the most of the day.

It was chilly out, but not so much as to keep us inside. Which was good, because Vi's favorite word right now is, "Outside?" (Always said with a question mark, since it's a very sincere request.) We "played" in the back yard, moving Sticks! from one area! into a pile! so Dada could take them to the dump! It was quite a lot of fun, actually. Then we played "vroom, vroom," which means Vi took off her shoes and pushed all of the buttons on my dash. When, in the midst of quite a lot of fun, Vi threw herself on the ground and started crying we went back inside. She snuggled into me and fell asleep almost instantly. Truly - I'm not being sarcastic about any of this. We were having fun one second, with no signs of sleepiness, cold, boredom, etc, and the next moment she was ready to be asleep. She had a nice long nap, at the regular nap-time, even though her routine for the day was so screwy.

After nap, we dyed Easter eggs! The entire experience, as Dan predicted, took about 1 1/2 minutes. Dan was an excellent photo documentarian, as you will see in the picasa web album posted at the end.

We played outside some more, using D's wagon for a little ride. I made some pizza dough, then Dan went to get some groceries. While I assembled the pizzas, Vi and Dan settled in to watch The Sound of Music. Seeing Vi's face while watching it was precious. It wasn't her first time, but it was the first time she's really tried to sing along. "So, so, so," during the extended version of "Doe, a Deer." She stood up in bed and wiggled around, she made very serious singing faces, she applauded at the end of the puppet show...it was great.

Then we ate hawaiian pizza, homemade with pineapples and bacon.

Yes, we ate the entire package of bacon today.

Talk about a wonderful day!

Enjoy the photos and a few little videos. No children were harmed in the making of these movies. Really.

http://picasaweb.google.com/linzwalsh/MarchAndApril2009?feat=directlink

As promised...

Pictures taken by Dan...

http://picasaweb.google.com/linzwalsh/March162009?feat=directlink

Pictures taken by Noelle....

http://picasaweb.google.com/linzwalsh/BostonMarch2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJjV57jT_azSXg&feat=directlink

Enjoy!

Cabin Fever!

I think we've overcome our technical problems with the new camera! Here are some of the best pictures of Vi so far this year:


http://picasaweb.google.com/linzwalsh/CabinFever?feat=directlink

And some silly time for you:

Ready to Spring Forward

Maybe it's been colder and snowier than usual, but I am so looking forward to Spring. Every night when I place scraps of food in our compost bin, I get excited in my head about it. My reason? I can't wait to put in our garden. True, this year it will have more meaning for us to plant, grow, and harvest our own food, for pennies on the dollar we would spend buying produce at a grocery store. That is a very big piece of my anticipation. I really look forward to getting my hands dirty, smelling the earth, and the satisfaction of eating a cherry tomato right off the plant. One of my favorite memories of last summer is of Vi picking yellow beans and cherry tomatoes; she would wander around the backyard with her new-walker waddle, munching on something fresh.

The other reason I am excited? This will be the first summer in 10 years that Dan will get to spend with me. TRULY spend with me. Two years ago he managed to take two weeks off, straddling Vi's birth. I'm still not sure how that was made possible! Managing a boating supply store in the summer required, usually, 60-plus hours a week on his part. There were days he wouldn't see Vi awake at all - isn't that heart-breaking? I simply cannot wait for beach days and picnics - with my husband and daughter (and maybe Riley.)

Happy New Year!

Here are some photos from my sister - just a select few; I'll post a picasa album later this week.

A moment with Dada.

With Grammy and cousins, saying "Make a silly face? If Addie's not, I'm not."

Don't worry, Addie's vital signs were being monitored by Grammy.

Being a Big Help to Grammy.

More baby sweetnesss.


My new favorite photo...ever.

Vi's first sledding adventure!

Mmmm...snow.

Real quick picture post!

http://picasaweb.google.com/linzwalsh/December2008?authkey=wASEg-0kb1w#

Sleep, sweet sleep!

Here is the (current) winning combination for getting Vi to sleep through the night:


1) Magic blanket, aka Halo's sleep sack

2) Foxy - the stuffed animal that lights up when squeezed, to show the way to the bubba

3) Warm fitted sheet from Pottery Barn

4) Blanket sleeper PJs

5) Vicks humidifier



We're going on 3 nights...my body is in a state of shock from all the rest!

(EVERYBODY: Knock on wood.)

Released from the vault...

From Las Vegas, November, 2007:

First day of day care

Vi had her first day of day care last Wednesday, and she loved it. Her teacher sent us this picture:
On her daily report (the piece of paper which tells us if she ate, pooped, slept, or learned anything new each day), it said "Vi had fun Playing with Cassy (the dog)."

This isn't going to be so hard, after all. Now I know the hard part will be the separation...for ME. I am going to miss so much of her development; I'll have to find a way to deal with the incongruity between my ideals as a mother, a feminist, and someone who can't afford to not work.

Post 101

Today was a perfect, wonderful day.


Preceded, of course, by a delightully long night of sleep, gifted to me by my precious daughter who went 7 (SEVEN!!) hours without needing us.

It's getting cold here, in Maine. Dan and I have been using a blanket and two comforters at night to stay warm - which has been, I admit, overkill to the point that we kick the top comforter off in a sweaty fit around 2 am. Still, it's cold enough that we THINK we need two comforters. Vi, like most babies, I'm told, kicks her blankets off. Dan's theory is that she's waking up cold. So, we purchased a "sleep sack" last night. Here is a picture of someone else's baby sleeping soundly in the sack.

You already know that Vi's first night in a sleep sack went very well.

This morning, Dan went to the kitchen to make cofee around 7:30, and took Vi with him. They snuggled and read books while the coffee brewed and I snoozed. We had warm beverages in bed together, snuggled, giggled, and loved the pets. When we were ready to get up (read: Vi started climbing down from the bed on her own), we all padded around in PJs and Dan made buckwheat pancakes.

**IS THAT NOT THE PERFECT START TO A DAY? Coffee/Bottle in bed, DaddyCakes in PJs. PERFECT.**

We then went about our typical morning routine of books and percussion instruments, intermingled with dog-kissing and shrieking. We ran a few errands, then headed up to Wolfe's Neck Farm for a pumpkin hay ride. We saw chickens, turkeys, sheep, and cows. We even saw what one woman described as a "bunny mixed with a bison," but in reality was just an extremely ugly and fuzzy rabbit. The hay ride was on a big wagon pulled by a tractor (I was hoping for horses), and we went by the cow's pastures and past a wonderful view of Casco Bay. Today was a crystal-clear, warm yet crisp, blue-sky Autumn day. We ate apples and picked pumpkins and ended up watching brand-new baby cow learning to walk by its mother.

We went to Brunswick to have lunch with my dad and help him move some heavy stuff around the house, then came home for work/naptime. Vi slept for a good two hours while Dan and I took care of housework/work-work. I made the best pizza ever, talked to my grandmother on the phone, then sent Vi off to bed happily.

Now, once I'm done posting these photos, Dan and I are going to watch Miami Vice. Ooh. Not a great date movie, but hopefully it will be fun in some way. Here are some photos from the last few weeks.

(Oh, you may notice that Vi now has bangs. I got tired of the losing battle with barrettes.)

http://picasaweb.google.com/linzwalsh/October2008#

Fun on the Slide (or the Slalsh)

A limerick for Vi, composed by my good friend, Kristin, of dishwasher loading fame:


VIG-o-la HIG-o-la BAD-en-hop WALSH
Went to the playground and slid down a SLALSH.
A "SLALSH" is a slide
That's funnest to ride
With VIG-o-la HIG-o-la BAD-en-hop WALSH.



Kristin visited us this summer, and accompanied us on one of Vi's first trips to the playground. She also fed me and did my dishes. Kristin is my oldest friend, and never fails to impress me with her compassion, empathy, common sense, kindness, silliness, and intelligence. She also is a great shutterbug:

Hurray! Pictures from my sister!

Once again, I have an amazing collection of photos to share with you, thanks to my sister.



In July we put on a baby shower for my sister-in-law (who is now proud mommy to Addie!!). Vi was all dressed up and extra-silly for the party:

Vi and Mama all gussied up.

Super silly.

Aunt Noelle not only took pretty pictures, she also brought Vi her first birthday gift. Vi was more than a bit tickled over her new Purple Bear.

She loooooooves Purple Bear. She snuggles Purple Bear. She kisses and hugs Purple Bear.

(Seriously - all the time. She freakin' loves this fuzzy guy!)

Vi in her party dress, standing over the air vent.

Here are the rest of the pictures for slideshow viewing:

http://picasaweb.google.com/linzwalsh/NewViPictures#

Thanks, Wellie!!!!! XOXO

Welcome to the World, Addie!

My niece, Adelaide, was born this morning. Mom, Baby and Dad are all doing well. Check her out:
All newborn and asleep and sweet...I can't wait to kiss that little baby nose.

Using her long legs

Quick update!

Vi is walking - a bit. A few steps at a time.

Vi has her first pair of shoes. Although she removes them within minutes, she eventually finds them and holds them up to me, with a frantic look in her eye and a loud request from her mouth to have them put back on.

She's pointing with intention, not just to see how her finger feels in that position. We've had to hide certain foods from her - teething biscuits, mostly - to keep her diet varied.

She's trying out new dance moves all the time. I'll try to get some video clips of it to post.

My sister Noelle was in New England over the weekend for our sister-in-law's baby shower. In addition to photo-journaling the party, she took several beautiful pictures of Vi. I'll post them when I can.

I had more to say, specific stories to post, but I can't seem to remember any of them. Plus, I'm at work, and should 'focus, pocus' as my new dear friend Adrianne would remind me.