No nice

 Natalia now says "no nice" when someone is not doing what she wants them to do. 

"'Mon [Ramon] no nice" "Tita [Sarita] no nice" "Mama no nice" or "Papa no nice." 

The other day she was upset with Mama for something and singing "Mama no nice, Mama no nice" over and over as I carried her around until we walked into the living room where Mama was sitting in a recliner. Natalia looked over at her suddenly and stopped, saying, "Look, alli esta Mama!" "Hi Mama!" At this point she starts singing "Mama si nice" or "Mon no nice" to try to cover. 

Que te pasa Papa

 Natalia's newest phrase: Que te pasa Papa! 

She was sitting with me eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when a glob leaked out onto her leg by her knee. I grabbed her leg and licked off the jelly and Natalia said, "Que te pasa, Papa!"

(What's up with you?)

Recent new words for her are damelos, demasiado, tampoco, right here, and leave it there.

Other words include "Loser!" with an "L" with her finger and thumb on her forehead (guess where she learned that from). 

Welcome Natalia!

Since last time, we relocated to NE Ohio and now have a new addition to our family - Natalia! She is spunky and alert and at 7 months knows how to sign for milk, said her first word the other day ("Mama"), and has almost sort of crawled. She has her personality showing through as she shows patience and understanding when we talk to her and explain things, when she wrinkles her nose while smiling, when she looks you straight in the eyes when you identify what it is she needs, when she says "Hm!" to agree with things we say or do, when she avoids eye contact or turns her head the other way when she is upset with someone or does not want to hear what we are telling her ("Natalia, you should be asleep!" - head immediately turns 180 degrees away). She just learned to go to sleep without being nursed to sleep, a pretty big step. This means she can lie down still awake and then go to sleep by herself, without depending on Mama to put her to sleep with nursing. 

Of course, Sarah and Stephen are an excellent big sister and big brother. They are both very loving and attentive to Natalia's needs and wants, and quickly run to take care of her needs when they hear her crying. 

Not that Natalia cries much - it's more of a complaining sound. Natalia cries very little, much less than would be expected of a newborn like herself. Even when she was just 5 minutes old and was placed in my (Papa's) arms, she did not cry. She has loved my arms since that moment. However, of course there is nothing like Mama's arm, especially when she is hungry. Natalia's beaming smile is at its brightest and widest when she has just slept well and finished filling her tummy with fresh milk. 

Welcome Natalia! 

Best Daddy

Sarah: Why are you the best daddy I've ever seen?

Papa: It's because I love you so much I try to be the best dad I can.

Sarah: Oh, because you love me so much and I love you so much?

<3

Talent Show

Mama helped Sarah and Stephen prepare a joint performance for the end-of-year school talent show.

Best Friend

Stephen (beaming): Papa, you're my BEST friend!

Papa: Stephen, you're MY best friend, too!

Gumby

Sarah: Good. Good, good, good! Good!

(After watching an episode of Gumby where the blockheads were trying to capture Pokey the Pony in order to earn a reward of 100 ice cream cones but Gumby was successful at the end and received the ice cream cones.)

To Grandma and Grandpa

Sarah drew up a picture for Grandma

Sarah Proudly Holding Her Monkey Drawing

Close-Up of Sarah's Monkey Drawing

Sarah then wanted to record a video message to Grandpa (with a few added words from Stephen, too):

Soccer

Sarah and Stephen have started playing soccer in the Itty Bitty division of the Phoenix Parks and Recreation, age group 3-5. They are on the same team, probably one of the few times that this will be possible.

They are definitely my kids. While the soccer games are going on, Sarah is on the field, twirling around and dancing and not paying any attention whatsoever to the ball. Mama reports that Stephen was running around and playing a separate game of tag with another 3-year-old, similarly ignoring the game.

I remember playing soccer in high school gym class and proudly telling a friend when it was over that I had never even touched the ball with my foot or otherwise.

Sometimes I wonder what life would have been like had I been exposed to more sports at an earlier age. Maybe this soccer experience by the kids is giving some insight into that.

Father Daughter

Papa and Sarah at Father Daughter Dance

Sarah 5th Birthday Opens Gifts

Thanks To Grandma And Grandpa For The Gifts!

Sarah's New Word

... is "ginormous". She says "everyone" uses it, and uses it to describe anything big.

A Place For Pirates

The scene: A park in NY state wine country, next to an ice cream stand:

Sarah (talking in low voice): Papa - can I ask you something in private?

Papa: Sure!

Sarah (low voice): Is this a place where pirates come?

Papa: I don't know ... Why?

Sarah (low voice): Because I saw some people wearing one of those things like a pirate. (moves hand over head to suggest a headwrap)

Later, we go over to the headwrap-wearing biker guy.

Papa: My daughter asked me if this was a place where pirates come, since she saw people wearing pirate-like clothes.

Sarah (eyes wide, to biker): Not you! Not you!

Sarah Talking To Really Nice Biker Guy, Who Was Taking A Picture
Of Stephen's Ice Cream Face To Send To His Sister

Stephen's Ice Cream Face

First Day Of School!

Both kids were ready for school and wearing their backpacks one hour early.

Sarah and Stephen came down the stairs, smiling.

Sarah: I'm so excited!

Stephen: I so excited!

Outside The School Before We Walked In

We took them in and sat with them for breakfast.

A 3rd-grade girl sat down by us at the table and struck up conversation, assuring us that she had had Stephen's teacher previously and that she was "really nice." (All of the kids that we saw seemed happy, well-behaved, and having fun.)

At Breakfast. Stephen Looking A Bit Tired.
Girl Was Across The Table

When the time came to go with their teachers, both separated well. The teacher took Stephen by the hand, and he looked up at her with big, trusting eyes. Sarah was biting her nails and looked nervous, even as excited as she was. Nobody cried, not even Mama (surprising).

Sarah Nibbling Her Nails

After school:

Papa: Stephen, what did you do today at school?

Stephen: I play, and play, and play, and play ... And they give us DINNER!

Mama: What did you eat?

Stephen: Two cookies. Two cookies, and cheese.

Going To Ohio!

We are excited to be able to go visit Ohio and see Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Bo and some friends.

It's been up around 116F in Scottsdale for several weeks now and the Ohio summer beckons, too. Grandma told us to pack sweatshirts because it's been kind of chilly!

We have a big list of things that we want to do when we are in town, but none more important than spend time with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa is now 73 or so and has lived longer than anyone in his recent family heritage, and we always worry about what visit will be his last. But we are hopeful that his recent heart device will help him live many years to come.

Spider

It's raining out and Papa, Sarah, and Stephen step outside to enjoy some light raindrops.

Stephen: Why the spider no coming out? Where the spider?

(Referring, of course, to the Itsy Bitsy Spider song.)

Too Sweet

Papa: I think made this a little bit too sweet ...

Sarah (incredulous): I never found anything too sweet ever!

Gym

Mama likes to jog to the gym.

The gym is about 3 miles away.

Then she does a workout.

Then she jogs back home.

Did I mention that she gets up at 5am to do this?

A Boy Named Charlie Brown

I was upstairs studying when I heard the uproarious laughter of children. I went downstairs and Sarah and Stephen were watching A Boy Named Charlie Brown, the first full-length Peanuts movie.

Charlie Brown was pitching, and every time the ball got hit it flew by him and made him fall down and all his clothes fly off. And every time it made the kids laugh so hard.

Stephen: Papa, Papa! Sit down! Watch this! This funny!

Drawing And Spelling

Sarah was sitting at the lunch table, drawing on her dry-erase placemat.

She drew a very convincing banana with yellow and black marker, then wrote BNANA next to it.

Then she drew a red tomato and wrote TMATO.

Next she drew a bunch of grapes, looking several times at a bunch of grapes sitting on the table.

Then she slowly wrote GRAP while sounding out each letter: Guh. Guh. Rrr. Rrr. Aye. Aye. Aye. Puh. Puh.

Then Mama corrected her spellings, and Sarah erased the pictures before I could get a photo.