It's feeling a lot like summer

J and Baba strolled to the top of the driveway to collect the Sunday newspaper. It's not the NY times, but it's all we've got up here in the boonies.  
Usually we're getting the paper to give to Shane, but Sunday's are a little different.

Here you go, Mama.
Jasmine hates it when we have work to do.  She can't believe that we are willing to do anything that will actually take the focus off of her and that doesn't involve play. Shane and I had to get our drip system going and it took all weekend--that is, in between entertaining our 21 month old. Like I said yesterday, she has a unique way of making sure we get very little done, but still feel exhausted by the end of the day.
A 2 minute distraction, clippings of a dead iris.
Oh joy, a push on her 4-wheeler.  Shane knows how to show her a good time--God only knows what these 2 get up to on their 2 days a week together.
Lounging, being entertained...
until she decides she wants to do it all by herself.

All in a day's work

We had a Saturday free of obligations after last week's flurry of activity, of which it took us all week to recharge, I might add. We started off the day trying to get our deck cleaned up, a sorely neglected task this late in the year. We are unashamed to admit that Jasmine can run the 2 of us ragged and the typical order that existed in our lives last summer is forever gone (a welcome sacrifice with Jasmine as our energetic distraction).
Jasmine learned how to use the nozzle on the hose and decided to give herself an early morning rinse. Face, hair and hands were the focal points, although a hose, pot and a toddler don't leave much for the imagination.



The final look, seeking approval--and getting it.

By 9 AM, Jasmine was stripped down and hosed off, on to her 2nd of several wet and dirty outfits of the day. Since we live in the forest, surrounded by dirt, trees, sticks, rocks and leaves, we turn a blind eye to how dirty J gets during the day.  But eventually, there is a tipping point for me when I put my foot down and decide she's either too wet, muddy or just plain dirty and we strip down and head indoors.

Look at that cute little belly.



Why not show all sides of Miss J?  Here she is, post-nap and with nothing to cry about.  Hey, we all get a little grumpy sometimes. At least J can express her feelings without self-consciousness.  Some hugs and snuggles, coupled with a slow build-up into her afternoon activities, does the trick.

Hanging out in her summer dress and flip-flops, not yet ready to put a smile on her face.


Here we are at her current favorite activity, having a tea-party with her 3 best friends.  That would be panda, bear and doggie.  These guys love Jasmine's specially-brewed tea and are invited to the party at least 4 times a day, followed by a nap involving Jasmine tucking them all in under one of her blankets.  Her interest in imaginary play is delightfully sophisticated and she orchestrates it with determination and focus.  

Total meltdown

I'm a little lost without my camera--a cute picture can be worth a thousand words. Tonight wasn't so cute, however. Our little princess, so charming and accommodating all weekend to the busy, people-filled activities that spanned 4 days, had a complete and total meltdown tonight. There's always a price to pay and it finally caught up to her. She refused dinner and insisted on watching her signing times DVD, and any attempts to redirect resulted in an uncharacteristic tantrum. But that was nothing compared to the meltdown she had when it was time for her bath. Kicking and screaming, I decided to just get us both in the tub and give her a quick soap-down, since she really needed it. She continued her ranting for over an hour until we were all worn out. Despite our agreement that I try not to visit her after she lies down, I finally went in and rocked her until she calmed down and was willing to go to sleep.

This episode makes me extremely grateful that we don't actually have to deal with this very often. Jasmine is so well-adjusted and typically such an easy baby to be with. Demanding? Yes. Energetic and busy and needy? Yes. But difficult? Not so often. Yes, she refuses food and insists on having things her way, but her general demeanor, her default, is to be joyful. She's a girl looking for a good time. So when she's unhappy, inconsolable really, it is shocking to both of us and stressful. We aren't well-equipped to deal with her rejection of comforting and love. We naively expect that she will suddenly respond to what typically makes her happy. But we realize that when Jasmine is over-tired and perhaps over-stimulated, she is immune to comfort and can only cry it out on her own terms. Deep down, I also know that this is the essential nature of family life, that we are all human after all and can only take so much before some little part of us snaps and because we are a family, we all must deal with it together.

Trials and tribulations of potty-training

Camera has not been found! I'll be blogging for a few days without pictures until I can replace it. No pictures of the family day on Saturday, the bike race on Sunday and the pool party on Monday. I know one thing, the camera sits somewhere with the sunscreen, both missing from the diaper bag.

Jasmine is in the throes of potty-training, insisting that she HAS to go whenever the word potty is mentioned or some other individual in the house has to visit the latrine. Or even someone else at THEIR house. Don't get me wrong, I'm delighted and amazed that she is so interested in this new adventure at 21 months old but no one ever told me what is involved in potty-training. Let me explain (yeah, yeah, all you other parents who've btdt, it's no big deal but this is all new to us).

1. All articles of clothing must be removed prior to seating.
2. TP must be in hand before seating.
3. Certain things may or may not be aimed accurately resulting in extra clean-up.
4. Rinsing out the potty bowl is a 2 person job.
5. Success is not measured in ounces but in effort.
6. Diaper consumption should be disregarded.
7. If at someone else's home, they should be invited into the bathroom to witness the miraculous feat.
8. Other people must participate in the event in a meaningful and helpful way, or heads will roll.
9. Distractions are par for the course.
10. Good things come to those who wait.

Natural born climber

Friday morning we went for a bike ride and I promised J that we'd stop at the playground before going home. Since we live in a bedroom community in the Sierra foothills, we're not going to find a busy and exciting playground like those located in some urban centers. But this little gem is nestled at the bottom of our neighborhood, too far to get there by foot and a secret to most families. So we're often the only visitors and this morning was no exception.

Jasmine is a fearless climber.  Her solid little body and long, muscular legs are ideal for handling any set of steps.  She will climb anything that looks even remotely inviting and she insists that I follow obediently behind her.  I suppose one of the benefits of being the sole occupants at a playground is that I don't have to be benched with the other parents.

Taking a well-deserved drink after playing hard.  
We've had an extremely busy few days visiting family and friends and Jasmine has had some major disruptions in her sleep and eating schedule.  She takes it all in stride, not complaining if she gets a shortened nap or food  on-the-go.  I appreciate how important her consistent routine is for her overall well-being, and I look forward to J having some time at home to just relax and play, sleep and eat on a more familiar schedule.  Shane is really a master at helping J take long naps and I know what she needs is some time with her Baba to get caught up on her rest.  

In the meantime, with all the flurry of activity, I've LOST MY CAMERA so I'll be anxious to see if it shows up sometime soon.  

Likes and dislikes

Jasmine loves her big panda, a gift from our neighbor Alex when we first came home from China. She was unsure of stuffed animals for several months, but now panda holds an important place in the family hierarchy. Pretty close to the top of the food chain. Here's our little princess in morning attire and bedhead.

Since the arrival of hot weather, we have started using our overhead fans.  NOT a big fan (no pun intended).  I asked J to show me her "I don't like fans" face."  She happily obliged.  (click on photo to enlarge-trust me, it's worth it)
But she does like hampers for crawling into--what kid doesn't?

Surgery Announcement

I have been avoiding this post for weeks and weeks, but I've decided that rather than make it a big deal, I will inform everyone about Jasmine's surgery and leave it at that. Jasmine is scheduled to have her pulmonary sling surgery on June 12 and will be having a cardiac catheterization on June 10. We have been told that she will be in the hospital for up to 2 weeks. There is nothing I have ever dreaded more than this surgery, yet I can't wait for it to be done and behind us. We've been waiting a long time for this, since December when she was first diagnosed. After numerous appointments and surgical consults, delays and hesitations, we had this appointment made about 2 months ago. Because of the complicated nature of this surgery, we were not sure what to do about her cleft palate, which should have been repaired months ago. We decided to have her palate surgery done later, since we felt that the most serious surgery should be done first. We hope that we made the right decision, but this puts her palate surgery about 1 year behind schedule. We were devastated about this but it felt like the right decision at the time.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare for this surgery.

Hair dilemna

What to do with this hair?! Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that's it's growing after the buzz cut she came home with and people no longer mistake her for a boy but it's a little unruly. I've been putting a spout in the middle of her head and on this particular morning she wanted more, more, more. She sat patiently while I put her hair in pigtails and then looked at herself in the mirror and smiled and waved.

She also loves hanging out in our bedroom, jumping and rolling around on the bed. So if you look closely at the photo, you'll see my side of the bedroom, a total disaster. Books and clothes lying askew. Drawers half open. I KNOW. How can I publish a photo showing this mess? Well, it's just my life as I know it now. I try to pick up. I wash the floors. And if you know Shane, you know that he cleans the kitchen nightly and puts my stuff away as much as he can, does the laundry and makes the bed every morning. Yesterday he asked me to put my shoes away and lo and behold, he had organized all my shoes in the closet. But my side of the bed? Even Shane will not venture into that territory. So we live with the chaos but at least I know I can find matching shoes when I get ready for work today.

A family weekend

Mea culpa. I haven't posted in a week! Sometimes time gets away from me and, quite honestly, running after Jasmine and keeping up with the rest of my life didn't leave much time for pictures and posts this past week. But without further ado, here is a photo montage of my family activities this past weekend. We drove down on Friday and on Saturday we headed out for a sweltering bike ride/run with the girls. My nieces are awesome! Despite near 100 degree temperatures, we took off on the Los Gatos Creek bike trail for a day of adventure. Here we are getting geared up.
We stopped for a picnic lunch, enjoying a spot of shade.
A lake!  The geese and the magnificent swan were annoyed at the disturbance.
But soon, everyone was cooling off their feet.
Later, we came upon a creek, perfect for wading and splashing.
Jasmine was mesmerized by her 8 year old cousin, Gwennie, this weekend.  The feelings were mutual and wherever Gwennie went, Jasmine held on and followed. Adorable. 
Three cousins, enjoying their playtime.
Later in the weekend, we went to a fund raiser/Pan-Asian festival for Gwennie's school. Jasmine and her nagymama are cooling off in the misters.
And here is the proud grandmother with her 2 youngest granddaughters. If you look closely enough, both have matching chocolate smudges on their lips.  Hmmm. How did that happen?
And finally, Jasmine enjoying her first snowcone.  She caught on quickly and was happy to cool off and rest with her treat.
Driving to the Bay area can feel like a whirlwind, but it is so worth it. The cousins are so cute together and while there are moments of struggle (learning to share, mama-possessiveness) they genuinely love each other.  Since Jasmine is an only child, her cousins are very important in her family development. They are the closest thing to siblings and I want her to really establish a relationship with them.  

With the help of my mom watching J (Thank YOU!!), my brother and I snuck off early Sunday morning and drove into the heart of the coastal redwoods for a trail race.  It was decadent to be out on the trails running on a Sunday morning and my brother and I got to spend a few hours alone together, a rare event in our busy, parenting lives.  I'm so grateful to my family that we had this time together, and Jasmine was a champ all weekend.  She slept in her playpack, took naps and was cheerful and engaging with all of her favorite people.  The only person missing was her Baba, who had work commitments all weekend long.

Jumping jelly bean

Jasmine loves to jump and nothing makes her happier than when she has one parent on each hand lifting her high off the ground.  In this case, she wanted to wear her daddy's t-shirt (of which she has her own matching t-shirt, documented in a recent post) and her fancy patent leather shoes.  I can't get over the meteoric growth that we experience on what seems like a daily basis.  Every day she impresses us with a new skill, word, insight or attitude.  She walks down the steps by herself now, easily communicates her wants and needs, eats lots of adult-type foods and is extraordinarily helpful around the house.  If she spills something, she will volunteer to clean it up (she's under 2!!).  We are seriously awe-struck by her every single day. I could go on and on, but I am one tired mama and I need some beauty rest (hah--those days are history) since Jasmine is up by 6:30 most mornings.  Thankfully, I, too, am a morning person.

Tomato soup

Yes, more pictures of Jasmine consuming food. We all know as parents that this is a crucial time of the day--mealtime. Questions around mealtime abound, like: Will she like what I prepared? Did she eat enough? Am I meeting her nutritional needs if I give her more cheese? Is she happy?! Nothing like tried and true tomato soup from Trader Joe's to ensure consumption of calories, especially when mama's working on a Monday and needs a quick meal. Shane said, just let her at it, so we did.

Ramona taught Jasmine how to eat sugar snap peas. A springtime delight, Jasmine was unsure of this green, crunchy snack until Ramona demonstrated the use of molars. A full afternoon in Boulder was devoted to the chewing--and spitting out--of this tasty veggie. So when we bought them this weekend at the farmer's market I was sure Jasmine would be happy to see them again and I was not disappointed. This time she chewed and swallowed.

Reflections on Mother's Day

What do I love about being a mom? Let me count the ways:
I love that my daughter is silly and makes me laugh, that she puts post-its on her face and manages to carry on with other activities.

I love that my daughter is excited to go for a bike ride and helps get her chariot ready by putting up the flag.

I love that my daughter is SO SMART, she is on her way to being a mechanical engineer (or maybe an architect, like her Uncle Noel). She can put the hose from the bike pump onto the valve and if she was taller and stronger, she would be pumping up those tires all by herself.

I love baking on a Sunday morning, that Jasmine knows what it means to bake, that she helps me look through cookbooks and when we finally decide, she is involved in every step of the operation.
Perhaps a little too energetic with the whisk.  She was quickly forgiven for flinging egg around the kitchen.

I love that Jasmine decided that raisins are OK after all, that she tried really hard to put them in the flour but couldn't resist putting them in her mouth.

I love that my daughter is generally all smiles and giggles in the morning, that she's up for anything I suggest as long as we're together.  I love that she breaks into laughter when she's looking in my eyes, that she has compassion when Zami's paw is hurt, that she kisses her daddy's booboo's when he shows them to her.


I love that Jasmine is happy and energetic and that we got a hand-me-down slide from my brother's family, and that Shane set it up today so we could have a new activity outdoors.



And last of all, I love that my sister-in-law Holly sent me a beautiful Lady Slipper orchid for mother's day, and that Jasmine got to play with all the contents of the box.

Happy Mother's day, to all the moms out there who follow this blog, to my own mother who stands by my side no matter what I'm going through, to all the amazing moms who have a bushel of kids when I can only handle one, and to the women in my life who have mothered me at different and necessary times.  To be a mom is the most incredible experience of my lifetime and to have Jasmine as my daughter? Priceless.