Herding Cats to see Blooming Lilacs

My friend Michele and I wanted to see the Arnold Arboretum's lilac collection. Surely our 18 month old girls also would enjoy visiting the lilacs! No, not really. Sophia and Frances were interested in collecting magnolia blooms and rocks, then Frances got distracted tracking birds. She was impressively determined.

Come back, Tracker Frances!

We got back on the right track, only to decide we needed a snack.


I love this picture because it's so them: Frances is drinking water (rather than consuming calories like she should be), Sophia is eating (she's got a few pounds on Frances even though they're almost exactly the same age), and Michele is doing something on her phone (she's a working mom - insanity). So them.

Michele and I gave up on the girls walking themselves to the lilacs and ended up giving them a ride. We eventually made our way to the lilacs - white, purple and dark purple.

The whole hillside was covered in lilac bushes, but Frances found one she liked and set up camp.

And the whole time Frances was under the lilac bush, Sophia was doing her own thing on the path.

Herding cats, I'm saying, but a great way to spend the morning.

Mother's Day?

Doesn't just scream Mother's Day, does it? But it was a great start to a great day. Frances and I started Mother's Day with a 5K. I didn't push Frances, of course. That job fell to our friend Dave, who also pushed his daughter Sophia and the double jogging stroller. I'm guessing 48 pounds of toddler plus about 25 pounds of stroller, and he still beat me to the finish line. I'm going to return the favor by watching Sophia while her parents run the Chicago Marathon. Go team!

Frances and I returned from the race to find that a very sick Mark had pried himself off the couch, picked up the whole apartment and bought a bouquet of white flowers. Frances and I expressed our deepest appreciation, and then went to take a nap. Great day.

p.s. Soon I will buy Frances some pants that come down to her ankles, I promise.

Eighteen Months of Toddler Frances

I had grand plans, but this was the best photo I got on Frances's Eighteen Months Birthday.




Frances has learned to say "baa" so it seemed fitting to introduce her to a real live sheep on her Eighteen Months Birthday and there was a free opportunity to do so in the neighborhood, but it was lightning and sheep and lightning don't mix. So we ran errands. Sorry, kiddo.

Eighteen Month Fun Facts

• Firsts: Animal Sounds! Early in the month, Frances completely surprised me with a "Woof" when I pointed to a picture of a dog. I felt like the scientists at SETI getting their first message back. 3-2-1 Contact! "Woof" was quickly followed by "baa." Who says "woof" and who says "baa" gets a little confusing. Poodles say "baa." Still, so proud.



• Language: "Brsh" is "brush" and "duck-a, duck-a" is duck. I've got one "momma," but "brsh" we get several times a day. Sigh. The answer to every question is "yeah." For example, I'll say "Frances, you want to go to bed now?" and she'll say "Yeah!" She doesn't mean it.




• Obsessions: Elmo, dogs and babies. We have four of the library's Elmo books in heavy rotation. She'll willingly let me cut her nails if I show her a video of dogs. And babies must be pointed at and commented on. She also has a new love for her baby doll. Whenever the doll isn't in sight, Frances chimes in with "Baby? Baby? Baby?" and we go find the baby.




• Greatest Aspiration: Frances has mastered hopping (okay, she cleared a couple inches once) and has moved on to spinning. She'll spin around a few times and then stumble around like a drunken sailor grinning to herself.




• Health Status: Another iffy health month. Her doctor declared her to have Schmutz of the Face - that's a cold for non-medical types - and told me not to worry. Fine. We also had a well-toddler check up. Frances did really well. She is 33 inches long (75th-90th percentile) and weighs 23 lb.s and 1 oz. (30th percentile). The pediatrician was not pleased with her weight gain, so we're going back in a few weeks for a weigh-in. The pediatrician wasn't worried that she was in the 30th percentile; she was worried that Frances had dropped percentiles since her last weigh-in. So Frances is now eating fattier chicken nuggets dipped in Ranch dressing, followed by peanut butter balls and chocolate pudding made with half and half, sprinkled with ground pecans. Hopefully, Frances will bulk up before Mark and I look like houses. Poor Frances has had 15 weigh-ins in her 18 months. Fingers crossed.




• Hardest part of the day: Post nap. She wakes up before she means to and just comes unhinged. It's frustrating for both of us, and I haven't figured out a solution yet, but...




• Best part of the day: For about a half hour before she goes to bed at night, Frances gets into the goofiest, happiest mood. Then, when we put her to bed, she gives us a great big smile and cries out "Bye!" like she's about to go on a wonderful adventure. I love it, such a nice way to finish the day.

A stranger in the grocery store once told me everything between 18 months and 18 years was bad, but we're doing well so far. Now I have to go because I'm about to get some toddler help on the computer.

Welcoming the Happy Morning,* Cambridge-style

Our celebration of Easter began on Saturday with our church's Easter Egg Hunt. No Easter bonnets and baskets for us though. Nope. It was cold and rainy all day, so we geared up with raincoats and sweaters and an Easter Bucket...


...and headed into the graveyard adjacent to the church. How many kiddos can say they hunted for Easter eggs next to gravestones from the 1700's? (One of this hunt's "kiddos" was actually a Harvard Square homeless man, but at least we know not all those eggs went to waste.)

That's Frances in the stripes and me in the purple raincoat.

We were completely impressed with how quickly Frances figured out the first step of this exercise - pick up the eggs.

The next step was somewhat less clear. Instead of putting them directly into her Easter bucket, Frances gave each one a lick and said "Yum, yum, yum" very enthusiastically. Her parents were in stitches.



If you look carefully, you can see that her tongue turned blue. I'm sure egg dye is on every pediatrician's Top 10 list. Eventually, the eggs did make it into the bucket.

Success! Four eggs for Frances, then she collected acorns, for good measure.

We headed across Harvard Square, stopped to chase the pigeons - another traditional Easter activity in these parts, and ended up at our favorite vegetarian restaurant. No spiral cut ham in sight, but they do serve delicious crayons, also on every pediatrician's Top 10 list.

On Easter Sunday, Mark headed to work and Frances and I headed to church. Luckily, I misunderstood when church started, so we arrived just in time for Communion and a little "Hail Thee Festival Day"*. Perfect. Then Frances and I found Daddy at school.

Frances, modeling the second dress Mark got for her in China.

Frances loves visiting Dad at work. She's always eager to help with his computer.

Frances and I coaxed Mark from work and found a garden that needed examining.

Then we wrapped up the morning at another vegetarian restaurant. Lovely, lovely Cambridge Easter.

*Hymn reference, for you poor souls not in the know.