3

Our Puchis Poo is 3.  Where did the time go?

On her actual birthday all Emilia really wanted was to go to Papa’s trabajo (work) and have lunch.  Easy enough.  She didn’t even want another present saying “but I have a playset!” (Clearly, this is NOT my child as I am firmly in the ‘the-more-gifts-the-better’ camp).  Generally speaking it was a pretty low-key day – the big excitement had already passed and frankly her tummy was a bit upset by all the sugar/dairy/sweets – and picking out her own outfits.  Some shots of her day.

Emilia started her day playing in my tub.  It’s her new favorite place to play.  Totally random I know.  she lines up all the shampoo bottles and such as her ‘babies and sweethearts’ and they have ‘conversations’ – yikes.

Finding Papa in the sea of bankers in uniform (dark pants, blue shirts).

 in line at lunch.

Later at home after birthday dinner some birthday cake made by Grandpa and singing.

happy birthday from Denise Glaser on Vimeo.

holy cats a family picture – like emilia’s laser focus?  wonder what she’s thinking? :)

emipalooza 3.0

We survived.

Whew!

Emipalooza 3.0 was a smash success I’d say.  The bounce house was a hit (have to remember that again for next year), food was yummy, Emi had most of her friends here and it didn’t rain.  What more could you ask for.

Perhaps a mother who was a bit better organized at the whole picture-taking thing?  Really, this year’s pictures are just pathetic and I feel like I should apologize to her and have a re-do at it.  I was just too scattered/didn’t get pics of everyone/forgot to videotape the singing of ‘happy birthday’ (but am praying Marcus got it on the videocamera) – really – just a mess.

Here’s a little video of the pics such as they were.  Note: Of COURSE she DIDN’T want to wear the dress I made her.  Fortunately the dress she chose was one A bought her ages ago that Emilia said “gives me susto” (makes her scared)?! so at least she had on a new party dress.

I used to sing this song to Emilia when she was an infant – can’t hear it now without falling to pieces – pregnant or not.

emipalooza 3.0 from Denise Glaser on Vimeo.

and so it begins…

‘see this mama? this means no!’

That’s right – no.

As in “not allowed.”

As in “no mamas.”

As in “you can’t come in here!”

Isn’t it a bit early for this?!

done… just in time.

You may remember a few weeks ago I was lamenting that my friend Betsey had convinced me it was a good idea to make a ‘birthday dress’ for Emilia.  Well, after ripping out the top half four times (twice in the same day) and an emergency visit to Betsey’s house when I had a minor crisis, I’m happy to say it’s done!

just waiting until morning to decide where to put the buttons on the shoulders.

Here’s hoping she’ll wear it!

los pollitos

We’ve really been making a concerted effort with the Spanish around these parts recently.  I’ve even been going so far as to not answer Emilia when she talks to me until she says whatever she wants in Spanish.  I just felt like the Spanish was getting away from us.  Last summer was awesome because, besides spending 6 weeks in Ecuador where she heard Spanish pretty much non-stop, she went to preschool and hung out with other kids speaking only Spanish.  This summer obviously we were here and I realized just how quickly it can land on the back burner and I REFUSE to have a kid of mine unable to speak the language.

In addition to being the Spanish nazi by day, I’ve also taken to singing her songs in Spanish at night.  (We’ve had to change up the bedtime routine as a result – it was just getting ridiculous).   So now it’s one book, two songs, and done.  Unfortunately for Emilia, I don’t know that many Spanish-language lullabies.  One that I do know, and that pretty much every Spanish-speaking child in the world learns at one point or another is “Los Pollitos” (The Little Chicks).  It’s a sweet little song and over the weekend Emilia started singing it to herself just as she’s playing – HURRAH!  Please forgive the little bit of singing/prompting I do in this video.

Untitled from Denise Glaser on Vimeo.

don’t even care that she’s tone deaf – as long as my girl can speak the language.

progress

This weekend was all about making progress – apparently the ‘chatos’ are on their way and if we don’t start getting some stuff done around here a.s.a.p. they’re going to have to sleep out in the new car (which we still haven’t bought, but pasos cortos… everything gets done eventually).

To that end, my sainted husband decided to paint the boys room himself.  After much nagging/complaining/cajoling/begging/general being-a-pain-ness from yours truly I can honestly say he did a bang-up job.  (I think it also helped that we bought really good paint this time as well).  He was super careful, didn’t get any paint on the trim or carpeting, covered everything in tarps and we only had to listen to Tom Petty blasting from the ipod for a short while.  Whew.

before shot – the room was a nice neutral beige/light brown.  nothing spectacular, but not offensive in any way either. (when we moved in, emilia’s room was a bright coral color that made you nauseous almost the instant you looked at it).

after – the bed is going to stay in there at least through my dad’s visit this week.  the room’s a lovely cozy blue – coordinates with the quilts A is making (fabric is blue and chocolate brown).

Now I’m not a huge fan of change and there’s a lot of it going on around here so I recognize that I just have to deal with it.  My girl’s not too big on change as well.  As you see in the above picture, Marcus put the glider that’s been in Emi’s room in the boys’ room.  Emi was very adamant that it was her chair, but since she was finally willing to relinquish it to her brothers, she got to have her kitchen moved in to her room.  She’s wanted her kitchen in her room for forever – her friends Betsey and Kyrie have their kitchens in their rooms and she thought that was just the coolest ever (plus it makes it ‘her’ toy she doesn’t necessarily have to share all the time with her hermanitos).

*Note – Marcus took the following pictures.*

taking advantage and cloroxing the kitchen pieces – can’t remember the last time we did that.  yuck.

Of course, afterwards, despite it being late and all, Emilia needed to get some playtime in with her kitchen.  I like to call this next series of pictures “a girl’s gotta eat before she hits the club (or the streets)”

shoes courtesy ‘ms. claitlin’ – an early bday present.  marcus was mortified which just made it even funnier.

one of the many ‘osos’ (bears) sitting ready to enjoy a lovely meal.

NoVa.

Last week we went to DC for a week visit.  While we were there we did two ‘big’ activities.

First, on Monday we took Emilia with Grandpa (my dad) to the Baltimore Aquarium which I HIGHLY recommend.  It was so cool and there was so much to see.  Emilia loved looking at all the ‘aminals’

they had these cool tubes filled with water that bubbled every time someone touched them right at the entrance.  cool. 

 

on the overpass on our way to the dolphin show.

waiting for the show to begin.

i guess this isn’t so uncomfortable if you’re 2 1/2.

Then, on Thursday, Marcus and I went to the Legg Mason Tennis Tournament up in NW DC.  Totally different type of venue/vibe than the US Open we’ve been to several times up in NYC.  Sadly, I was having a ‘wimpy’ pregnancy day and just couldn’t hang for too terribly long before the DC heat and humidity did a number on me and we had to leave.  Next year amorcito, I promise to hang out longer (as long as you get me one of those extra tall beers! :))

refreshments 

 M wanted this picture included so you can see that Andres Gomez won the Legg Mason Tournament and is listed right there among Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi. 

these two are two peas in a pod.  emilia L.O.V.E.D. all the time she got to spend with her Papa and the two of them spent most of the week in cahoots with one another.  Here we were about to leave Tia Marga’s house for my dad’s in a HUGE downpour when Marcus decided it was time Emilia learned how to make the ‘peace’ sign.  they crack me up.