Ch, ch, ch changes

Here's the chair that Jasmine and I used to sit in at night for her bottle. Nonono. Now Jasmine sits on the ottoman facing me and I am not allowed to interfere. She eventually will place her hand on my leg and by the end of her bottle she will let me hold her hand and play with her feet. Invitation only!


Jasmine's nightly kiss with her baba.  This is becoming less predictable as our capricious little girl is deciding what is pleasing to her and what disgusts her. Sometimes she gives a dozen kisses at night, and other times, it's nonono.  She loves her robe and will hug it and roll on the floor with it but affection with her parents?  Doled out in meager doses based on her whimsical mood. Ok, so she's expressing her independence. Individuation. I know about this process. She needs to be her own person and that means not snuggling in her mama's lap when she drinks her bottle, putting on her own shoes and asserting herself in any situation that she decides is worth making a statement.

To Chinatown!

I really wanted to hit Chinatown on our weekend trip so we schlepped across town and found a spot to park in this very expensive parking garage. We only realized the cost after pulling up to the ticket machine. What did we expect in SF? But I just love these pictures of Jasmine on her Daddy's back. Look at our little city slicker. Ok, mom, enough with the pictures already.
Here we are at the entrance to Chinatown. I don't know how I was able to get a picture with no other people in it. It looks deserted, but actually it was shoulder to shoulder people in the city.
I love the way Jasmine is just perched on Shane's back. She loves being out and about in the world, and this is really a great way to contain the little explorer.
We found a playground in Chinatown, set up in a downtown park, just like in China. Old folks were gathered around playing games, chatting, practicing Tai Chi and staring at the Chinese baby on the white guy's back. I think I agree with Shane when he said it was a little too soon to be in Chinatown. I can't explain why, it just didn't feel the way I expected it to (I don't know what I expected).
Jasmine is always fascinated with watching other children.
These shots really capture the essence of Jasmine. Not yet 20 months old, she couldn't wait to hit this tunnel slide. I had to make sure she didn't go head first, she was so excited.

And she slid, and slid, and slid. The drive home was a little less than 3 hours and would you believe that Jasmine did not stop talking for one tiny little minute. Since her vocabulary consists of words like mama, mine and no way, we were all a little tense at the end of our drive home. But we made it home in time for a bath and still had 1 day left to our weekend.

A day in sunny San Fran

Today we had business in SF, which I'll discuss some other time.  We made the best of a lot of car time by spending the day out and about.  First stop, after our appointment and lunch in a diner, was heading over to Golden Gate Park.  Fortunately, we know this city very well and knew what would make us all feel good.

Jasmine is signing flower, which were abundantly in bloom at the gorgeous SF park.

Running after her mama, the story of her life.
Cooing and lounging in her Baba's lap.  With the sunshine, blue sky and warm temperatures, we were in good company at the park today.  Families with babies, toddlers and kids flooded the park and the energy was uplifting and soothing for all of us.
Now this, this is the picture of all pictures.  What is there not to love about a sleeping baby? We adore Jasmine beyond measure but when she is napping?  The joy abounds.
Out cold.  Heaven.

Little miss busybody

Another spectacular spring day. We quickly made our way outdoors, since I've been itching to get things cleaned up and planted. The day started out innocent enough, with J playing contentedly with her gardening box.
I foolishly thought that if I set her up with her own little work center, I could get to my little work center.
But alas, she's not really happy unless she's involved in my stuff, so she's moved her activity center closer to me.
As you can see, I have a dismal looking box of old leaves and one hardy plant remaining from last year.  We built this box last year to do some patio gardening, but it wasn't too successful. We'll see if the introduction of some compost will improve the output.
But this little area I'm more proud of and I have to thank my sister-in-law, Holly, whom I miss dearly. When Noel and Holly were out last year from Boston it was just a mound of dirt but she helped inspire me and designed a gardening space.  We planted some things together and I added the bulbs in the fall and put up the little rock wall last night.  I've never had a blooming spring garden before.  The bulbs are just about ready to burst into color.
Jasmine never misses an opportunity to see Alex and as soon as she hears the dogs she runs to the back 40 and has a chat with the gang....
and feeds Griff sticks, which he eats with gusto.
Now the real problem is that Jasmine wants to be IN everything.  It's not enough to help put seeds into the raised beds, she wants to plant herself in the beds.  Most of my day is spent pulling her out of things, making sure she doesn't eat steer manure and fertilizer, and keeping her from beating Zami with a shovel.  By 11:00 AM, she is stripped down to her sodden diaper and tossed into the kitchen sink to be hosed off for the first of several times today.

My little gardener

Nothing makes Jasmine happier than being outdoors.  Little did she know that while she was petulantly objecting to the car ride home tonight, I had been thinking about her pleasure and well-being and had purchased a very special gardening tool kit, JUST FOR HER.  I am starting to understand how parents go overboard in buying their kids stuff.  I don't, and I'm grateful for that, but the temptation to see your child happy and excited is very compelling.  So every once in a while, Jasmine does get something new and it is very rewarding when she actually enjoys it. Notice the kid-sized gloves, which she adamantly refused to try on.  Of course, she has put my gloves on many times and I thought she would LOVE having her own pair. Nope.

I am thrilled that spring is back in action and hope that we can actually grow something edible this year.  

In the meantime, I've been reading Factory Girls.  If anyone wants a present-day narrative of what life is like in Southern China and how the biggest migration in world history has occurred, this is the book for you.  Extremely well-written and timely, those of us who have adopted our babies from this region are basically obligated to read this book.  I have done considerable reading about life in China but nothing compares to the illustrative and heart-wrenching story of how life is in the factory world of modern China.  Do any of us really think about who has produced our running shoes, toys, clothes and for that matter, gardening toys (which proudly displayed a made in China label)?  Was Jasmine's birth mother a migrant worker?  16 years old or 30?  Are her congenital defects a result of exposure to chemicals from a factory in Dongguan?  

This important book, published in 2007, is already becoming out of date. Extraordinary as that seems, the global recession most likely has caused a collapse in the factory world of China and in this fast-paced and ever-changing world, the lives of millions of mostly migrant Chinese women are being severely impacted by our economy.  We think we have it bad?  Trying living on 500- 800 yuan a month, and that's if you're doing OK (one dollar is 6.8 yuan--you do the math).  

A fickle climate, a fickle baby

Did I mention spring?  A cold front moved in last night and dumped more snow on us.  J agreed to go for a walk but insisted on walking the dog.  She wasn't so thrilled about the change in weather and complained about wearing her mittens and hat.

A welcome distraction, our neighbor Alex arrived with her 2 boys.  Jasmine gets very excited when she sees Alex and chatters away.  
We finally were able to convince her that trudging through the snow was not necessary and she agreed to let us shove her into a backpack.  Notice her gloves...after refusing to put her own mittens on I put my gloves on her despite her vociferous complaints.
Alex and Shane plodding along but where's the baby?
Here she is, sans gloves.  She wins again.
After our cold and wet start to the day, spring returned this afternoon and we were able to go for an afternoon run in shorts.  Jasmine is such a trooper, she can hang out in the chariot for 2 hours and doesn't complain.  Shane found his mo-jo today and pushed her up and down the trail for 10 miles!  He's working on getting his rhythm back and exercising as a family plays a big part in feeling good about life, for all of us.  I have to wonder what it's like for Jasmine, being pushed and pulled in her chariot up and down all kinds of terrain.  Today was the most extreme trail that we've done with her, with steep, rocky ups and down.  I wish I could get a picture of Shane flying down the trail with Jasmine.  Let's just say that she'll be well-prepared for Disneyland when she's old enough.

Who's in charge?

Look at that innocent face. Last night I told Xiaoxiao that is was time for a bath. She ignored me completely, the invisible mama. After perhaps my third gentle and persistent reminder, she grabbed a couple of cushions off of the couch and sat them on the floor next to her kitty chair. She then walked coyly over to the couch, took her Baba by the hand and settled him down next to her. She handed him the remote. She made sure that he had a cushion behind his back so that he was comfortable. She asked him to start her signing times DVD and that's all she wrote. Who do you think she will go to when she wants the car keys at 16?

Like old times

Today we ventured out into the wilderness like old times, except with our latest addition.  Our old life consisted of many hours spent out on these trails of the American River Canyon and we are blessed to have access to them right from our house.  These trails are quite remote, so I don't always like to venture out on them alone, or should I say alone with Jasmine (mountain lions!) but today all the stars aligned and we all headed down to the river.  It's a long, switchback fire road down to the river and a good climb out--Shane ran behind my bike and pushed the chariot which made the ride back up a lot easier!  

My handsome husband.
Jasmine sang and chirped most of the way, after I interrupted her nap with the rocks and ruts of the dirt road.
Look at this gorgeous flowering tree out in the middle of the wilderness.
Here we are, after the 3 mile climb out from the river. We're catching our breath before continuing on home.
A typical view from my perspective--Shane running ahead of me up a long, steep climb.
And another typical view, Shane cleaning up the equipment before putting it all away.  

I always love time out in the wilderness and to have our whole family out together--what more could I ask for? I'm so grateful when we have days like this since it's much harder to get to these remote places with a baby in tow. But this is when I feel liberated from all the burdens that life presents and I value it more now that I have less time for it.

Getting dressed

Jasmine's latest feat is putting on her own pants, or at least insisting on doing it herself. Actually, it's putting anything on her legs that seems like a good fit. Most often she ends up with the mermaid look and with immense frustration will try to walk with her legs shoved in the same pant leg. But today, success! Step 2? Pulling up her pants to cover her bottom.


These are her Hello Kitty pants, a great gift from our friend Stephanie. They are 3T and fit!


The final act--a bundled and layered Xiaoxiao (this is her family name, pronounced Shaushau), heading outdoors fully prepared for the cooler weather's arrival today.

Grandparents

Today Jasmine and I loaded up in the car and went to visit grandparents--hers, that is. We had a great day with her Nagypapa and Grandma Marj. Jasmine can sniff a ball out from a locked cabinet and she found herself the biggest ball yet.

This ball was spectacularly fun to roll around the yard.  It literally had a mind of it's own.

At my dad's house, we inevitably find our way into the kitchen.  There are always tantalizing smells and home-made goodies to investigate.  Today was home-made bread with Vietnamese soup and chocolate mint cookies.  Worth the drive, don't ya' think?
I am so glad my timing for the visit worked out so that we could see this gorgeous plum-cherry tree in full bloom.  
We had a nice post-lunch walk and Jasmine impressed everyone by walking and running for 45 minutes.  She is the energizer bunny personified.
Can you believe my dad and Marj haven't seen Jasmine for almost 4 months?!  I take responsibility for this--with all the ups and downs, appointments and doctor visits, I've been a little selfish with our time.  I try not to be too busy on the weekends if I can help it, even though it's my natural tendency.   I don't mind getting in the car to visit family or head out for a weekend, but's it's pretty hard on Jasmine.  She's definitely improving her staying power but quite frankly, my family  is a 2-3 hour drive away and that's asking a lot of a busy toddler.  But spending time with grandparents today made it all worthwhile, and I'm pretty sure having a silly, playful 19 month old around wasn't so bad on them either.