You Are On Vacation in San Diego! Here Is Some Info About Your Father.

 Dear Luca,

    There are some great pictures of your family trip to San Diego, and I enjoyed seeing the whole family at play on the beach, in the pool, and on bikes.  My favorite one is of you and your brother Legend in the pool. 

Of course, I didn't come up to your house because, of course, you weren't there. But I was thinking that you may want to hear some stories about your dad from time to time, stories about when he was a little boy.

    Your papa's name is André (and that is accent on the "e," but we seldom use it any more), but when he was your age until he started school he was called Muggins. You will have to ask your Grandpa Richard how he came by that name. Even today, there are people who knew him when, and they always ask: "How's Muggins?"

    He was born in a cabin at Chautauqua Park in Boulder, Colorado. You will soon learn that he was born on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1977, at about 5:30 pm. It was a beautiful. cold night, and I stayed awake with him all night long, looking at the stars on that wintry night.

    I did have to leave pretty soon after he was born to get stitches. But he was in good hands. I handed him to my best friend Ellen when he was only about an hour old. Ellen had never held a newborn before, and he weighed only five pounds, so, she later told me, she just kept saying to him, "Please keep breathing. Please keep breathing." He did, of course, and I was gone for only an hour.

    You are very much like him. He was always full of energy when he was your age. He took little naps, but mostly liked to be awake and entertained. His very first words were "Papa," which he started saying one night when he was taking a bubble bath. He said it over and over again: "Papa! Papa! Papa!" 

    We moved to the mountain house when your dad was two years old.  Your Grandpa Richard still lives on that property, but in a different house. It's a long story that you'll hear one day. But your dad is a true mountain boy, just like you will be, I think. 

    There will be other stories about him and his sisters, your aunts, as I continue to write your book. Maybe he will add some of his own.

    

What Did We Do Today????

Dear Luca,

 What ever did we do today. Let me look at some pictures to remind me. Oh, of course. Some of my favorite pictures here. We played a lot in the living room. You wanted a change of scene.

    I especially like the one of Rio trying to be dignified and ignore the two of us crawling around on the floor.  So today is gathered in these pictures:

 

    

All in All, A Good Day. You Wore Yourself Out, Playing and Playing!

 Dear Luca,

    What a day! I sat down with you at noon, as your Mom stealthily left the room. I noticed that you weren't looking when she sneaked past the window. For the next two hours, you crawled, pulled up to your musical toy, your crib, your changing station, the window sill your toy box (where you leaned over too far and almost fell in, and the gate that keeps you from crawling out of your room.

    For two hours, I crawled around with you as we played music and made sounds on the various instruments in your room. As I did the last time, I had to warn your dad when he came home that anything with a battery in it was turned on. I was actually quite taken by a musical toy that I hadn't seen before, and it became my favorite, because, really, I'm getting a little tired of "I have an arm, and so do you," especially since it's a frog that is singing that song, and we all know that frogs don't have arms. I don't know what they call their limbs. Oh, yes, I do. The call them legs, because as anyone from the South could tell you, frog legs are a delicacy on any menu.

    But back to this toy I liked so much. It's small, and has five buttons, four on the edges and one in the center. On the edges are the drum, the xylophone, the french horn, and the violin, which could also be called a fiddle I think. When you punch they four outer ones, they each play their tune, and when you punch the middle ones, all the tunes are played together, and if you listen hard, you can hear each one individually and all together as well, and the tune is really pretty. From time to time, you dance little up and down motions, which makes me convinced that we were all born to dance before we can walk, although walking will happen pretty soon for you.

    You are nine months old now, and you are full of curiosity about your world. You examine your toys carefully. You try new things, like pulling out the bottom drawer of your chest and then, with your little fingers gripped on the edge, pushing it back in. Yes. I caught the drawer before your fingers got caught. I'm pretty cautious about that, since when I was little, but older than you are now, I did get my fingers caught, and I ended up in the hospital.  Actually, I don't exactly remember it, but the scar is still with me. 

    You are also a little toddler of infinite expressions, and your dad manages to catch a wide range of them. In fact, I've never seen a nine-month-old who had so many different expressions. Like these:

To be continued when I can upload the pictures!

It Just Gets Better and Better!

 

Dear Luca,

    Yes, in fact, it does get better and better. The major accomplishment today? Your Grandma Kay conquered the high chair, and we were both much happier for it. So let's talk about that first.

    In all the Wednesdays I've been coming to your house, I've avoided the high chair. Your mom was really good at showing me how to put on the tray and take it off. But there was that time when she said "Goodbye," and you were still in your high chair. You begin crying, "Get me out!" So I pulled and tugged and pushed levers, but the tray wouldn't budge. Your mom had forgotten something so dashed back in the house just in time to release you from the high chair prison.  The next time I tried it, the tray was off the chair, so I thought I had it made. You were hungry, and your mom said that I could give you some cereal, so I strapped you in the chair, got the tray, tried to gracefully slide it in place, but nothing worked. I tried and tried.  When your brother Legend got home, he put the tray on for me, but by that time, you had completely lost patience. Legend showed me how to use the lever for the tray, and I practiced and practiced. As I've said elsewhere it just seems counter-intuitive to me. And, that was the end of my relationship with the high chair.

    Until today. So after our hour-long, two mile chilly walk (about 46°), when you had emptied a four ounce bottle of formula and had fallen fast asleep, you were awake and hungry. So with some trepidation, but also with a degree of confidence, I strapped you in and voilá, I pulled the lever underneath the tray and snapped it into place. Not only that, but I stirred up some cereal for you and fed it to you with that pretty little spoon with the blue protective cover and you ate it all.

    Our time together gets to be more of a routine as I confess that I feel more confident in navigating your world of safety buckles, onesies (I also changed your clothes this time because your little shirt got damp and you get pulling on it), high chairs, musical toys, and floor play. 

    As we did last week, we also walked around the house admiring your dad's guitar (I strummed it a bit, but reminded you, "This is not a toy,") and your mom's jewelry (as a distance of course), looking at ourselves in the mirror. You're getting heavier, so I need to resume my weight lifting routine.  You finally started wriggling, so it was down on the floor crawling again. 

    When your dad came home, he found us on the floor by the dog's water bowl, which you had discovered and which I was protecting.

    It was a good day, Luca, and, as you see, I finally got a picture of you smiling. 

    It was a good trip back down the mountain and home to Shelby Poodle and Grandpa Doug. 

Wow! Our Very Best Day So Far!

 Dear Luca,

    We just pulled it all together today. Got it figured out. Established a routine. Who knows if it will last, but today was a splendid day.

    It all started around noon, when I arrived at your house. Of course, as usual, you were not at all happy to see me.  There you were in your high chair happily eating tiny pieces of carrots and you took one look at me, and said, as only you know how to say, "Oh, no! She came back!" Although I think it embarrasses your mother, I don't take it personally. You're smart enough to know that when I show up, your mom leaves, and that is not at all the way you want your world to work out.

You had just woken up from your nap, so our usual pattern of fixing you a bottle and strapping you in your stroller wasn't going to work. You were ready to play. So play we did. We sat on the floor in your room and brought out any toy that has batteries in it, and, for an hour--or a little over an hour--all those toys sang to us, and you crawled only a little and mostly pulled yourself up on the nearest thing you could find because:

YOU ARE STANDING UP!

 

Look at you! Also, look at your crib in the background. Note how low your mattress is. Your parents had to that when, in the night, you discovered you could pull yourself up. Just so you don't flip over the rail, your mattress was lowered right away.

    You have an interesting collection of songs on the various toys you have.  Here is the most familiar one, It's one that your daddy sang, and also your aunts Catherine and Julie, and all the ones who were growing up in the 1960s onward. 

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands. (clap, clap)

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands. (clap, clap)

If you're happy and you know it, then your face should surely show it.

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands (clap, clap).

And on and on--stomp your feet, pat your head, do all three. So we sang this one over and over and over.

    Then your green frog has a couple of interesting ones about hands and feet. He sings, "I have a hand and you do, too. I have a hand and so do you." Something like that. Then he goes to feet. It's a bit of an annoying voice, but Mr. Frog is clearly one of your favorites.

    In that hour of play, you'd crawl back and forth from the music box to the crate with your toys in it, pulling yourself up and banging on whatever was closest, Of course, you crawled over to your crib, and became fascinated with the cord attached to the little box that makes soothing noises for when you sleep. It took me a while to distract you. You love electrical cords.  When your dad came home, I warned him that any toy that had a battery in it had been turned to the "on" position.

    Before we took our traditional walk, you let me carry you around the house a bit, and we looked at pictures, and books, and our reflection in the mirror. When you got fussy, I strapped you into your stroller, in spite of your protests. I made a bottle for you, and as we went outside, you began to protest rather loudly, but then, you took your bottle in both hands and began to drink. Five minutes later you were sound asleep. 

    So we walked up and down for an hour, and two miles later we returned  to your home, where your dad was waiting for us. You were still sleeping as I said goodby to your dad and got in my car for the beautiful trip down Boulder Canyon into Boulder.

    It seemed to me that everything worked out in the best way: playing, getting tired, getting a little fussy, being pushed in your stroller, falling asleep as we walked the pine tree lined roads in your mountain neighborhood.

    

An Hour-Long Nap, Then It's Nonstop Crawling!

 

 Dear Luca,

    It really was a grand day. In spite of your usual (and loud) protests as your mom left for work and you and I headed out for our usual walk, you were sound  asleep in about 5-7 minutes, after sipping on your bottle. Our walk lasted an hour as usual, and we did our traditional two miles, with you snoozing away.

    We got back to your house about 2pm, and you stayed in your stroller until you got a little fussy. Then I took you out.

    There was a slight hitch in our plans. I place you in your high chair and buckled you in. Your mom said that you might want some cereal when you woke up. I have to be honest. I could not for the life of me figure out how to snap the high chair tray on, although, to my credit, I tried for a good 15 minutes. You tried to help as well, and it did seem that you  knew what to do, but you just don't have the words yet to tell me. I gave up. 

    So down to the floor we went to play with the musical thing your dad brought you. It's round and has numerous buttons and flashing lights. You are really interested in punching all those buttons, but mostly today you were interested in CRAWLING! I mean big time crawling.

 

Luca with the music board, punching buttons

The picture is a rare one of you sitting still. My job was easy: keep an eye on you as you crawled over the music toy, almost standing up; as you crawled over to the dogs' beds; as you crawled between the dog bed and a shelf where you managed to find a cord, of course; as you crawled back to your toy.  

    I'm not sure "crawling" is the right word, though. When I showed the video I took of you doing all that, your Grandpa Doug described it well. He said that it's almost walking because you're not crawling on your hands and knees like most babies do.  You're crawling on your hands and feet, with your little tushie up in the air.

    When your dad texted that he was running late, I thought, "Uh-oh. How long can we keep this up? The answer? At least another full hour! 

    When your brother Legend got home a little after 4pm, I got him to show me how to get that high chair tray connected, Legend picked you up and buckled you into the high chair, then showed me that little lever on the front of the tray that you have to press in. It's really counter-intuitive. But we got you settled, and I made some cereal.

    But you had had enough. A full two hours of crawling around, then being strapped into a high chair was just the last straw. So when your dad got home, you were having a little fit, until he picked you up, that is.

    I told your dad that you should be worn out and should sleep really well. (Sleep is an issue for you.) I learned later that you were tired, but at 3am you discovered you could pull yourself up to standing in your crib, so your parents had to lower your mattress to keep you from going over the edge. You were so excited about being upright, you couldn't sleep!

    The aspen are losing their leaves as we move into mid fall, but the days are warm even thought the nights are getting colder. 

    I came back home to Boulder, where, actually, I did sleep well.

 
 

We Had a Party and Everyone Came!

 

 

 Dear Luca,

This Wednesday, October 5, was pretty extraordinary, and you were really ready for it: a spaghetti party with your mom, you dad, your brother Legend, your Aunt Catherine, your Aunt Julie, your Grandpa Doug, your Grandpa Richard, and me, of course, your Grandma Kay.  We mustn't forget the dogs: Rio, KiTuM, and Shelby Poodle, who also had a grand time.

 

Grandpa Doug, Grandpa Richard, Papa, You 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The occasion was a visit from your Aunties Catherine, who lives in Connecticut, and Julie, who lives in Texas. They are your dad's sisters and my daughters.  They were so excited to meet you , so we planned the party at your house. We brought up all the makings for a big spaghetti dinner plus desserts of a Napoleon cake, made by a young Ukrainian woman and a cherry pie from Whole Foods. The spaghetti is a tradition in our family, and I learned to make it when I lived in Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1960-62, over sixty years ago. I'll share the recipe soon.

    What a day we had with you! First, we just sat around and everyone had a turn entertaining you with the green frog and your favorite toy of the day, an inverted stainless steel bowl that you and Aunt Catherine banged out rhythms on, much to your delight. We have videos are too large to post here, so I need to get to work to edit them.  Your music making was just too good for a still picture only.

    When you got a little fussy, we decided to do a short walk. The aspen are at their peak and you live in a beautiful spot of Colorado. As I said, it was just a short walk, but everyone came, the young and old and all the dogs. 

  

Aunt Catherine and Grandpa Doug

Your dad with you in the backpack; Grandpa Doug

 

I see I need to find better pictures. I really did try to capture the aspen.  But it was a splendid walk, and you can see the blue sky in between this aspen.

    You really do not like to nap, Luca. Maybe sometime soon, but not now. So after a few attempts to put you down for a nap, your dad buckled you into your stroller, and Aunt Catherine and I pushed you along, singing as we went. You were really mad for maybe 10 minutes and then in an instant, you were sound asleep. And we walked along among the aspen and the blue sky, and the sunny day, and wheeled you back home and into the bedroom for a nap.

    Here are some more of our dinner pictures:

Your mom, Aunt Julie, Aunt Catherine

Your brother Legend, your mom, Aunt Julie

    When it got dark, we headed back down the canyon to Boulder. We had been at your house for about six hours.  Our hearts we so full, and especially mine, because you smiled at me as we were leaving.