Turning 3 in Australia!

Schnitzel at The Eiger

In Sydney...

We had a fantastic time for the 2 weeks we were in Sydney.

The people are friendly, the town delightful, the views spectacular from everywhere...and being a part of Traci's daily routine helped make us feel truly at home. We walked in the mornings and saw special places like Cremorne, Balmoral, and North Point in Manly. We saw the Botanical Gardens, Opera House and George Street. The town loves it's coffee shops. We enjoyed our "long blacks" and yogurt and muesli, and mostly the sweet Turkish bread!! Oh my! Toasted, it's to die for. We had fish and chips, good Thai food, and delicious steaks!

...2 Days later we're in Sydney!

Our adventure has begun...

We took off Wed, Nov 7th to Sydney Australia....passing through SFO so we could see family for a few fun hours. It was great to get out of the airport, stretch our legs, and see our family!! Katherine had so much fun with her cousins - it was a wonderful treat to be able to spend time with all of them.

A Supercalifragilistic Halloween!

A spoon full of sugar and a bag full of "Choc-o-late" made this little Mary Poppins very happy on her 3rd Halloween. Very excited for over 2 weeks, she was a bit shy approaching doorsteps and admirers, but had a wonderful time walking the neighborhood with us and her friends.

Family photos

While not the most flattering picture of us, a family shot seems to be rare so I thought I'd post this one, and inspire us to take more! This one is thanks to cousin, Bernard, during their trip back East. We were having a great time playing in the front yard!

She's not just a toddler, she's a person.

The time has come I realize we can't fool her any longer. We can't just do things without invoking the never ending "why?" She's only 29 months old - not yet 2 1/2 - and has already begun this inquisition. She reasons with us. She knows, after watching us, what you're supposed to do - for example, in the bath. Now, I consider us lucky (on many occasions and for many reasons but in this instance, specifically) she is a child that says, "I want to take a bath." Now, I also realize this may not last but then again, she's a girl, so it's more likely to only become a stronger attraction for water and long showers, than not. But as she is in the bath, she knows to use soap and wants to - the bars - she'll "do it myself". And though it's an oatmeal scrub bar, she says, "I share with Mommy." So sure, go ahead. She also says, "I want to brush my teeth." Who can fault that? What a good kid - singing as she splashes in the tub.

Girl Scout Cookie Commentary

Ok, so no one can tell me it's just the usual experience one has when they recall and reminisce about childhood - Girl Scout cookies are getting smaller! I just had a peanut butter cookie, and it was all I could do to find filling in it! The image on the box is misleading and false marketing - there is no peanut butter filling oozing out the edges and through the little hole in the cookie.

Finding this, a colleague of mine noted maybe they've changed bakeries...and yes, they used to be made in NJ and now they are not. And I must admit, the taste has not gotten worse - overall the usual suspects (Thin Mints, Samoas, Trefoils...) all taste amazingly the same as they did when I was 8. But much to my dismay, the names have changed. Why?

Now, while I'm usually one to prefer tradition, I have to say the new Cafe cookies are good - sort of the adult equivalent to Newmans ABC cookies for children, or old fashioned animal cookies. That's nice. And I guess, like anything, increasing market size means increasing your product portfolio to appeal to more consumers....it's just sad that inflation and market expansion have to come at the expense of good old fashioned quality!

Funny things

I've realized updating this, with the laptop propped up next to my leather recliner on a wireless connection while I watch TV, is easier than writing in my journal in bed. I'll probably try to do both but tonight I couldn't let this one funny thing Katherine said go without noting it before I forgot. So we're having Robert's cousin and his family stay with us this coming week, so lots of cleaning up and cleaning out have been going on over the past week. One thing I've done is put clean kitchen towels on the oven handle. Well, tonight as Katherine's watching me prep meatballs, and patiently walking around with her juice and fruit nuggets in a bowl, asking if we can go watch "Mary Poppins" in the sunroom, she briefly stopped in front of the oven and exclaimed softly, "Ah nice towels!" I tried to keep a straight face so she didn't wonder what was so funny. I just said, "oh thanks, glad you like them." and she replied, "yeah." Who'd think she'd notice? It was too cute. And it tells me the ones I had hanging there are ready to be rags when she so promptly noticed these and felt compelled to actually express it aloud!

Ponytails

This little cutie loves her ponytails and simply enjoys painting with just about any tool available. Now I love collecting them - the paintings that is - I'm just not sure where I'm going to put them all.

What amazing little person she's turned out to be - friendly, saying hello to parents who pass us as we walk in and out of daycare; happy and full of a desire to share that happiness, with a smile or a touch when she senses one of us isn't feeling quite happy....already a mediator, which I hate, but boy, that's when she reminds me of me the most. With us as parents, we know why she has her independence and loves expressing it - and is proud when she accomplishes things no matter how big or small. "Katherine do it." came first - "I do it myself." is now. She's amazing.

Today she asked for her cheerios and milk in the car...and specified, "the milk from earlier" - how does she know that? She's connected the need to get her stuff in her cubby before she goes home, not just that she's going home. And she continues to know everyone's names, parents' names, their cars, the teachers, kids' belongings....I think she has "WOO" too! ("Woo" is the strength or talent to "Win Others Over" - there's an interest to get to know people, learn their names, connect. GallupOrganization's Strengthsfinder tool).

My little Monkey (2004), my little munchkin - our peanut from the beginning who likes Eddie and Pearl Jam and knows all the band member's names, and rocks out with either of us to our music in the car. She's a lot of fun.

Today we played in the snow and ate snow when we came home. She walked backwards into daycare...I didn't know she could do that.

Update

To keep this from being a once a year blog instead of the more common once-a-day, I thought I better update. It has come to my realization through a long drawn out interview process for another internal job that I want to spend time with my family and especially my daughter. At 2 she's changing drastically every day - more verbal than most 2 year olds, she's a pleasure to talk with and full of humor and wit. While the position seemed the perfect opportunity, this process afforded me time to deliberate (more than I've ever done I believe) on my future, how I approach it, options, paths, etc etc. In retrospect, I think my extreme deliberation was an innate force telling my professional, goal-setting being what my heart already knew.