Anna the Magnificent

We hit the jackpot when we found Anna. I remember the first minute we met her (at Kiss Cafe in January 2007) I knew she was the one. (Kind of like when I met Ron.) She immediately scooped up the babies and that was that. It's hard to believe its been a year! The babies are no longer babies and Anna is now a member of our family. She's spent birthdays with us and holidays. We cooked latkes for her and she cooked a Polish feast for us. She's fed them, read to them, played with them, bathed them and loved them. She knows their likes and dislikes, tempers and giggles. It's hard to imagine Milo without Marin and M&M without Anna! Luckily, we've roped Anna in for another year—we just need her until they leave for college. (This is the first picture I have of the trio in February 2007 at the library. Double-feeding on our couch. And Milo & Anna at his first birthday party!)

The Well-Traveled Toddler

Yesterday, Aunt Beth booked a ticket for mommy and Milo to spend the first weekend in April in Austin. This will be Milo's third trip to Austin in 17 months. (Speaking of well-traveled, Milo's best buds Marla and Nora just got back from Spain!) We have not flown with Milo since November (Florida for Thanksgiving) and that was with daddy, grandma and poppy too. Mommy is a little nervous to fly by herself because Milo is so much more active/destructive/loud—than the other times they've flown alone. She will have to bring plenty of snacks and toys and hope that Milo will want to take a nice nap in her arms. (Keep your fingers crossed for an empty seat next to us!) Mommy remembers fondly when plane rides meant listening to her iPod and reading gossip magazines. Sigh. We are most excited to explore kid-friendly Austin. Our last two trips were wedding-centric and we're looking forward to checking out the Children's Museum and all the parks and cool kid shops. Plus, we think we can convince Uncle Glenn to babysit one night so mommy and Aunt Beth can get a margarita! (Here's a picture of Milo last March 15th on his way to Austin - his first plane ride ever!)

A Lesson in Civility

I think one of the hardest things about being the mom of a toddler is: not laughing at them. When Milo is frustrated or mad he tantrums. The other day Milo wanted to walk down the stairs by himself. Obviously, though smart, he has not conquered the "big staircase." So, when I said "no" and took his hand—Milo got very mad at me. (Though I think Ron would say I have no one to blame for my independent, headstrong son but myself.) He walked over to the bookcase and took a picture of me and Ron that we look at every night ("dadda") and threw it on the floor! When I didn't react, mostly because I was stunned at his passion, he picked it up and threw it down again! My first reaction was laughter—but I also had to let Milo know it wasn't acceptable to throw anything—let alone a picture of the woman who had swollen ankles for nine months because of him! But what to do! Tonight when I went to pick him up from Marin's house—he shoved her with both hands and she fell on her bottom. Marin, as usual, was a lady and didn't utter a peep. So, when Eric told Milo, "Give Marin a kiss." He moved in and I thought he was going to plant a wet one on her. He walked up—and shoved her again. My first reaction was laughter. Why? Mostly because I was surprised. But also because I love that toddlers do exactly what they want. No matter what we think—we're not the ones in charge! I did lecture my boy that pushing is not allowed and his tears told me he understood. Today. (Here's a picture of my gentleman giving Marin a real kiss.)

The Condiment Kid

This weekend we discovered something new about our son: he loves marinated artichoke hearts! This from the boy who won't go near a sweet potato. I think he's a condiment kid. He also loves olives. Black, green, he's not picky. Actually, sounds like he's more into cocktail garnishes. According to Wikipedia: "A condiment is a prepared edible substance or mixture, often preserved or fermented, that is added in variable quantities, most often at the table, to make food more suitable to the diner's taste." When I was pregnant with Milo I became obsessed with (fresh) cracked black pepper. I wanted it on everything—including watermelon. For some reason the harsh pepper mixed with the sweetness of watermelon (and during summer you could find some amazingly sweet watermelon!) made me so happy. I'm still crazy for pepper. I actually Googled "pepper" and "watermelon" and came up with a recipe for black pepper shrimp, watermelon and lime salad. Plus, watermelon ceramic salt and pepper shakers on Craig's List in Austin. Go figure. Other foods Milo loves: grapes, apples, raisins (though you pay later,) and anything Anna is eating. And don't think we're raising a pure fruit lover. This kid can put away goldfish and animal crackers like nobody's business. Maybe I need to start cutting the sweet potato into animal shapes?

At Least It Wasn't The Electrical Outlet

So, on Friday I get a call at work: air vent, finger, and blood! Apparently, the boy decided to stick his finger in the vent because gosh knows with all the hundreds of toys lying around he must be sooooo bored. Well, once he had his finger is there - it got stuck - and he freaked. And so when he yanked it out - out came the finger minus a big chunk of skin. Yuck. He was nice enough to bleed all over Anna. Daddy was able to take control of the situation with a box of Elmo Band-Aids. He put one on his own finger to show the boy that they don't hurt - and by the time mommy got home - Milo was all happy and not bleeding. So, that was good. And on Saturday we all wore them.

Bubble Bumble

On Monday, mommy took her Target gift cards and did a little shop—very quickly because SOMEONE was being fussy. On her list: California Baby bubble bath. A splurge at $12—but a favorite in the Diamond household because it's all natural, smells super yummy and comes with a bubble wand and our boy loves his bubbles. So, last night while mommy was filling the tub—mischievous Milo unscrewed the cap and before mommy could react, had poured the entire 13 fluid ounces of French lavender, Clary sage, rosewater and Aloe Vera all over the bathroom floor and bath mat. Mommy managed to scoop up a handful and pour it into the bath—but there wasn't even enough left over for bubbles last night. But we did learn one thing: screwed on caps— not baby safe!

Snow Day

Mommy knew as soon as she bought Milo winter boots and a snow bib back in December that it was all over: no snow this winter! And so far she's been right! This week we've been dusted twice and today is a wet mess. Schools are closed - but the reliable Anna is open. And both Milo and Marin are snug bugs at our house. But no major winter storm that warrants staying in our PJ's all day except when we bundle up to take Finn out for walks. Now that Milo is on the move - we thought he'd have a great time romping around. So, send snowy thoughts our way!