Things that have come out of my daughter's mouth lately that make me think I'm getting my money's worth at her school...and that's saying a lot!

Around the new year:
Me: "Yes, Ms. Susan (one of her teachers) is going to be gone for awhile. She is visiting her family. You don't have to go very far to visit your family, but Ms. Susan has to go a loong, loong way. She's very far away right now. Very far."
Cora: "Yes, in the Vellapeens." (aka, the Philippines)

A few weeks ago:
"Look at that stop sign. It's an octagon."
and
"Soon we will go to Salado and we will look for the blue heron and we will throw rocks in Salado creek. The big rocks make a big sound - splash! - and the baby rocks make a tiny sound - bloop. And there's river hair." (aka, moss...that's my dad's fault there)

Two weeks ago in the tub:
Me: "And where does honey come from?"
Cora: "From the bees. And the nec-tar."
The child is two and a half and knows what nectar is. Love it!

Last week:
"Look Mommy, there is no more paint [nail polish] on my index fingers."
and
"I can spell red. R-E-D. I can spell green. G-R-E-E-N."

Last night in the tub:
Me: "Look at those capsules. Something is happening to them!"
Cora: (looks up incredulously) "They're dissolving, Mommy."

Duh.

Today:
"I choose that one [the sunflower sticker]. It's a sunflower. I think it's pretty because it looks like the sun. That one is a rose, but I like the sunflower."

Good grief. I think I will forbid her from growing up any faster. That should work.

I'm back...???

Yes, I know I've been on a VERY LONG hiatus. And I probably won't be posting much or often here, but I'm trying.

I'm in no way going to attempt to play catch up over the last, oh, two years, but I'll just jump in midstream and try to do what I can.

And that's about all I can manage. I'm sure you all understand.

Breast is Best!

I just wanted to take the opportunity to wish all of you a Happy World Breastfeeding Day! Technically, it was yesterday, but what are you going to do?

I guess I was an advocate for breastfeeding before it was ever an option for me - attending a political "nurse-in" as a supporter and in solidarity when I was on the Hill (Go political moms!) and always being vocally supportive of women who breastfeed in public (would you want to eat in the bathroom?). I consider it a woman's issue and get very angry, very quickly when people get squeamish about breasts or breastfeeding. It's fine to objectify women and their bodies for your own enjoyment, plastering their scantily clad, cleavage-heaving flesh on the front of every magazine, poster, billboard, and television ad. But when a boob is doing what it was created for - a beautiful, life-giving act - THEN we act prudish?? Give me a break. My body is not gross. It's awesome.

But as I became pregnant myself, I was lucky to be surrounded with some wonderful women in my life and was lucky to read some wonderful books during pregnancy that helped me understand how crucial it is for the physical, emotional, and psychological health of your baby (not to mention mom).

I never realized how hard it would be - and it has been harder than I thought. It was difficult in the beginning, and we've had some hiccups here and there along the way. It's demanding on mothers' bodies, their time, and their psyches. They are biologically "on the hook," as I say, for round the clock feedings, and neither your body nor your time are your own. (There are infinitely more benefits than there are drawbacks, but I'll save that for another post)

But I was very, very lucky to have great resources to depend on. I am so grateful for the lactation consultants during my hospital stay, as well as at their weekly breastfeeding support group thereafter. I'm grateful for Allison and her willingness to talk me through any challenges or worries I faced. I'm grateful for my family and friends - all of them - who have accepted our nursing whenever and wherever we need to do that. I would have done it anyway, but I appreciate your support! :o)

So I won't lecture anyone today - despite my many rants, that's not really my style (well, I'll rant about formula companies and their deceptive advertising practices, but I don't rant about women and their choices). I will just congratulate all the women out there who have been able to breastfeed, who have made the best possible choice for their babies, and who have sacrificed their bodies in order to do so. I would encourage any of you who have the opportunity to do it, and to reach out for all the available resources to help you get through the tough times (and there will be tough times!). Find a nursing support group, use the lactation consultants provided by the hospital, find a La Leche League near you, read all you can, and call me if you need anything!! If I don't know, I'll call Allison!

I'm proud that Cora and I are still going strong, almost 14 months in. And I commit myself to continuing to fight to make sure it's easy for women everywhere to make the same choice - whether that's advocating for lactation rooms in the workplace, choosing to nurse in public so that other women don't have to feel ashamed, or whatever else it might take until we support nursing moms everywhere and we can all see women's bodies as the beautiful and nourishing vessels they were created to be.

Cora and Friends: Part III, Uncle Shane

I don't really look like anyone in my family. At least I haven't up until now. I may be starting to resemble my mother... I found one picture that seems to point to this, but I'm waiting to see if that's the case. (side note: this is no cause for lament, my mom's hot) However, I have longed to look like someone my whole life, and thought - maybe, just maybe - I'd look like one of my kids.

I think I'll have to wait for the next one.

Most people who have hazarded a guess up until now have said that Cora looks like Coleman. I get a few pity votes, or people who point to specific features ("she totally has your mouth"), or people who think her expressions are mine (even if her face isn't), but almost no one looks at her and says, "Oh, that's your daughter alright!"

The newest wrinkle in all of this is that my family is starting to converge around the theory that she looks...not like me, not like Coleman, but like my brother (who already looks like other members of the family. Not. Fair.). I'll let you all be the judge of that.



In all fairness, Cora and Shane do seem to get along great together. They have lots of fun.




I think she can sense all the trouble he's going to help her get into.

Nonetheless, I've posted some pics here so you can tell me if you concur with the new theory. Let me know what you think!




Now, I ask you - are these two trouble or what??

Bluebonnets

Having your picture taken in bluebonnets is a Texas rite of passage. Every spring you see cars pulled over all along Texas highways and people crawling up purple embankments to get some good shots. Often, if you pay attention, you can see people- and family-sized holes in particularly thick sections, where all the flowers have been flattened by people sitting and crouching for their photo op.

Here are a few good ones from Cora's first bluebonnet experience.





She was so calm and happy the whole time. We had her out there for quite awhile, and she just sat there, posing, inspecting the flowers, and generally being her sunny, well-mannered self. We had a tougher time getting her to actually smile, but other than that, the kid is pure sunshine. I have a great video documenting this sweetness in action, but it won't upload correctly. Maybe next time.

Trip to Portland

Portland is an awesome city - and we only got to spend one (rainy) day doing true sightseeing, so you know we have to go back. Soon!

But until we do, I thought you might want to see some shots from our quick trip out there.

Check this out:


I know it's Austin's theme, but I'm all for spreading it around!

The trip was the scene of quite a few firsts.

This is Baby's first trip on Public Transportation!! I dearly hope and pray this will become a commonplace activity for her some day in the not-so-distant future. But for now, it's an event:


Doesn't she look ready to go?

This was a proud day for me - Baby's First Falafel!


There was a "Saturday Market" that lasted until Sunday, and besides interesting artisanal wares, they had fantastic food carts. They had everything! Coleman decided between Cousin's BBQ and a fish and chips place for his lunch (verdict: fish and chips), while I split my lunch purchase between Horn of Africa and Beirut Cafe. Super sweet! As a result, Cora also sampled hummus, tzatziki, and tabouli for the first time. Oh yeah.

She also, on a less healthy-habit forming note, had her first taste of doughnuts. We waited in line for 45 MINUTES to get the much touted offerings of Voodoo Doughnuts, as seen below.


Those are the heads of all the people in front of us. And this is after we turned the corner.

If you can see it, there is a little doughnut voodoo man with actual pins in him:


It was good - very good - but 45 minutes for some doughnuts? And that's in the middle of the day! I was told I didn't want to see it first thing in the morning. I had the Portland Original or Portland Creme or something. It said it was "Portland's Official Doughnut." I figured - hey, when in Rome...

Coleman had a doughnut with chocolate frosting, crumbled Oreo pieces, and peanut butter drizzle. I can't tell you the name of it: this is a family-friendly blog. :o)

They are also famous for their doughnuts that have cereal on them (Froot Loops, Captain Crunch, etc.) and their doughnut with maple frosting and a slice of bacon on it. Yikes. I wasn't planning on letting her eat any of the doughnuts, but my dad told me to give her a little and tell her it was from Granddaddy Steve. I gave her a couple of pinches from the inside, unfrosted part of mine. I think that was a nice compromise.

Since it was raining all day, we were limited in our choices. However, one of the coolest things we did was to tour the Lan Su Chinese Garden - a beautiful natural space tucked right in the middle of downtown Portland. See? You can see how close the buildings are.




Apparently, Lan Su is "a 2,000-year-old tradition that melds art, architecture, design, and nature in perfect harmony." Our tour guide was native Chinese, and was very knowledgeable. She was fantastic - explaining what the plants were, what they symbolized in Chinese culture, why they were planted where and how they were, and she even read us Chinese poetry (in Chinese, but then she translated) to help us understand how important some of these scenes and arrangements were. Loved it!

See how serene and lovely it is?


The furthest, largest building in the picture above is a tea house where we had green tea and listened to some beautiful, live music. We have since called it "authentic" Chinese music, but what do we know? It seemed authentic to us...






This is the zig zag path, which is meant to slow you down and force you to look around you and contemplate the beauty you see. You can't hurry down a crooked path, can you?




This is the scholar's courtyard.


And this is the scholar's study.


Right near the door, they have planted plum trees - the only trees to blossom in winter. They are to give hope. In fact, three plants are often planted or portrayed together - plum, bamboo, and pine - collectively known as the Three Friends of Winter. Says the garden, "The plum braves the cold of winter to blossom; the pine stays green throughout winter; and the bamboo bends in winter storms, but does not break." All this is to remind the scholar to persevere. Good advice!

This plant - can't remember, a banana plant?? - is planted right outside the scholar's window to remind him (I'd say "him or her," but who are we kidding?) where he came from. When the scholar is young and his family is struggling to put him through school (instead of him going to work to help support the family), he cannot afford paper. So he uses the leaves from this plant to practice his writing, then wipes them clean, washes them, and uses them again. Reduce, reuse, and recycle, yeah! But it is visible through his window so that in his later, more prosperous circumstance, he is reminded of this hardship and sacrifice, and is kept humble.


All throughout the garden, you find things from nature, but on a smaller scale. As they tell it, "Scholars aspired to be hermits in the mountains, surrounded by nature. Since affairs of state and family required living in the city, nature was brought to them" - only smaller.

Trees pruned in miniature:


(Mom, I took this one for you. I think it's an azalea, but now I'm forgetting...)

Meant to show majestic mountains and waterfalls...


Just on a more manageable scale...


We thought it would be funny if Cora stood next to the miniature trees, making her look like a giant by comparison.


It didn't exactly work like we thought, but as you can see, she enjoyed it!

Everything is perfectly placed and framed to make beautiful and balanced scenes.






This is designed to show balance - yin and yang - where one half of the view through this frame is full (left) and the other is empty (right). Balance.



I think the angle in the second one shows it better.

And these are just some fun ones of us in the garden:



Daddy points...


Cora points...





And this is just some random elephant sculpture that we ran across on our walk to Powell's Bookstore (also fantastic, by the way, and an excellent rainy day activity...if only Cora could remember that books are for reading, not eating...).




She loved sitting up there, though this picture doesn't do her joy justice. The one below shows a little bit more of her rowdiness.


Lots of fun, and we're already trying to figure out when we can return.

Peekaboo

Cora's learning all kinds of new skills! I'll try to post videos of them soon.

For now, this is her doing peekaboo. She's understood the concept for awhile, but a few weeks ago, she started initiating it with no prompting from anyone. Here's a little post-bath, bedtime fun: