A BOLD FRESH PIECE OF INANITY »

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

O’s Christmas Tree, O’s Christmas Tree…

…How steadfast are your branches! (Also acceptable if you were singing along: How are thy leaves so verdant?) Whether your branches strong or leaves green, nothing ushers in the holiday season like the ornamentation of the Christmas tree. Olivia, apprenticing under G in Yuletide merriment, caught on to the decorations-on-tree concept quickly.

Monday, November 28, 2005

Mirror, Mirror...

…mirror, mirror, mirror, mirror all around, who’s the fairest in the town? My new favorite photo – Olivia practicing her saunter-crawl down the hexagonal runway at the Children’s Discovery Museum.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Flat Top Girl

In response to this era of rampant commercialism, we vowed to keep this space free of endorsements/advertisements. Until now. We just can’t help ourselves. Go to Flat Top Grill now. It’s too yummy not to. Olivia, pictured above in one of their nine convenient locations, considers it her second home.

Friday, November 25, 2005

Baby's Papa's Mama

G-Randi was the only member of my immediate family present at our Normal Thanksgiving. My dad is currently a UN volunteer in Vietnam, where he abstains from turkey meat and other avian food products, and my brother was on call in Detroit, where the professional football team plays like a bunch of turkeys.

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Jackets Required...

…for a Snazzy Thanksgiving. Olivia proves her dapperness ranges from diapers to decorous dinner duds. No Tofurkey this year – Beni made her own version. G-Unit (Grandmas Randi and Beni Sr.) had Beni’s back preparing the fixings while I entertained our lil’ butterball.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Mum & Da

Olivia occasionally gets confused when pointing out her parents in photos/videos. She once thought Mario Lopez (Slater from "Saved by the Bell") was her daddy. This week’s misjudgments easily take the cake though. The King of Pop and a Sesame Street character were identified as her mom and dad.

Monday, November 21, 2005

Neigh-Neigh

At the mall today, Olivia circled the food court several times yelling “Nay Nay.” Not seeing Hawaii’s state bird or the Brazil’s favorite NBA son in our vicinity, I was stumped. As if she sensed my confusion, she grabbed my hand and led me to the merry-go-round. Of course, it suddenly made sense. Except for the fact that she chose a zebra.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

The Thin Line between Happy and Sad

Our temper tantrum-throwing toddler is a tornadic tempest (or tempestuous tornado). She’s also the same child who laughs in four distinctive modes (a giggle, laugh, chortle, and guffaw), smiles incessantly, and gives out hugs and kisses for days on end. She’s all peaks and valleys; very little in between. The above picture captures the midstream transition of Baby Jekyll from Miss Hyde.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Havin' a Ball

Because O’s tall for her age, Coach always plays her at center for her Bloomington Baby Ballers team. However, she recently babbled that she’d rather play point guard – her dad’s old position. These days, you’ll see her working on her crossover dribble more than her low-post moves.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Global Warning

Harsh hurricanes in the Gulf. Tumultuous tornadoes in the Midwest. Tsuper-nasty tsunamis in Asia. Nary a transition from fall weather to winter – this morning, snowflakes and biting cold greeted my newspaper-retrieving behind. Mother Nature is fightin’ mad. Olivia, pictured here preparing for bed, is obviously ready to take on the peevish, more acrimonious Mama.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Lee-La the Ree-Da

A babbler from birth, Olivia is building her vocabulary with a steady diet of book. Ian Falconer’s Olivia series is a family favorite. The books also helped mark a recent milestone. Aside from her disyllabic variations of cracker, backpack, mama, baby, water, Elmo, AJ, and oatmeal, our little girl just added another one – the name she shares with the literary pig. It comes out as Lee-La. We’ll keep you posted when she adds the other syllables.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

I Dream of...Cleanie?

Here are the requisite baby-in-bath pictures. I love how O dreamily peers out the corners of her eyes in the first one. The second photo proves her versatility – she often bathes without clothes on. How about that mop of hair?!

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Fall Gal

To the tireless champions for child labor laws – your Charles Dickenses and your Keating-Owen Child Labor Acts of 1916 – we sincerely apologize. We are only trying to encourage, not exploit, our daughter’s talents. Are we to be blamed for her raking abilities?

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Au Revoir, Aunt Liz

Dear Aunt Liz,

Thank you for all the time you spent with me over the past 17 months. I am lucky to have an aunt like you. I will miss you lots. So will my mom and dad. Have a safe drive to California. I can't wait to see you again over the holidays!

Love,

Your niece Olivia