To Stella, 22 months old

Dear Stella,

I cannot believe that in two short months, you are going to be two years old. It is just incomprehensible. While I certainly feel like I've known you for that long -- in fact, it feels a bit more like fifty years -- that's not quite what I am talking about. I guess it is that I spent a lot of time beginning when I was a little girl imagining what my kids would be like and suddenly here is this little person who follows me around and has opinions and likes and dislikes and a really cute haircut and I just can't believe that I am living the life I wondered about and thought about for all those years.

You are such a fun daughter with a great sense of humor. As far as I'm concerned, you are pretty much speaking in complete sentences these days. You understand everything and you talk a lot. Having a conversation with you is one of my favorite activities even though you are not exactly reliable. For example, when I ask a question like "Is Papa Paul a girl or a boy?" you emphatically answer "Boy" but if I ask "Is Papa Paul a boy or a girl?" you answer with equal vehemence "Girl". The second option always wins out but it doesn't matter. I love our conversations nevertheless.

This was a month of lots of birthday celebrations. Clara turned four and had a gymnastics birthday party where you had a great time showing off your prowess on the trampoline, impressing everyone with your perfect forward roll and impressive upper body strength.













You learned these skills in gym class but have substantially improved since the class ended. In the final session, you proudly received your first diploma (congratulations, Graduate!).































We also went to an early birthday party/goodbye party for your best friend, Simon. It was really fun even though we are very sad that Simon is moving to Los Angeles and we won't see him for a long time. He is really your very best friend and it has been so nice to watch you play together. You are so nice to each other and Simon is very protective of you. We will miss him and his mom, Veronica a lot.













We also went to Paul and Annie's house for a dinner party and to celebrate Annie's brother Louis' birthday. Louis made quite an impression on you and sometimes we hear you singing "Happy Birthday Lisa" and when we ask you, "Who is Lisa?" you look at us like we are really dumb and answer "Louis" in a voice that sounds like you are saying, "Who the hell did you think I was talking about?"

All the birthday celebrations this month helped you to master the song "Happy Birthday" and you love to sing it over and over. Some nights when I put you to bed, that is the only song you want me to sing and we sing Happy Birthday to Clara and Papa Paul and Grandma Helaine and Clara again and Stella and Daddy and anyone else you insist upon.

You sing a lot now. Most often a medly of ABCD, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Happy Birthday and maybe an improvised song. You have a beautiful voice and it is especially sweet when you dance along to your singing. I also love when I hear you singing in your crib when you wake up before you call for me. It is nice that you wake up so happy and that you enjoy singing to yourself and to George and Mr. Pickles who keep you company in the crib. You like to be "all covered up" with a blanket. Sometimes in the morning we bring a blanket onto the couch and cover you up with it and you pretend to sleep or to be a little baby.

You also love to get "all wrapped up" in a towel after your bath (although these days you aren't so excited about bathing and I often have to entice you in by letting you bring a few measuring cups and allowing you to brush your teeth in the bath because you love love love to brush your teeth which I suspect has a lot to do with the Tom's of Maine strawberry flavored toothpaste we are using). You also like to wrap your baby (the one who you named Carolyn) in a blanket. The other day I showed you how we used to swaddle you when you were brand new and now we sometimes swaddle Carolyn. (I confess that I am very flattered you have chosen my name for your baby even though I know it isn't going to last and soon you will probably call her Baby and then maybe Clara or Stella or the name of your best friend from school. It is nice while it lasts.)

Your absolute number one favorite food is Just Mangoes which are these dehydrated mangoes that I got one day on a whim at Whole Foods. Sometimes the first thing you ask for when you wake up is dried mangoes. One day we didn't have any in the house and so I told you I would buy some and bring them home. I went to the small health food store near our house but all I could find were real dried mangoes which are a little bit different from the ones that have so captured your heart. When you came home from the playground with Ranny, you ran up to me and said "dried mangoes?" and Ranny told me that you had been talking about them a lot in the park and it was a good thing I had gotten them. I explained to you that they were a little different from what you were used to and I cut them in little pieces so you could eat them. I guess you thought they were acceptable though certainly not as good as the ones you so love. The next time I went to Whole Foods, I bought two containers of the good ones and put them on top of the kitchen cabinets so I could surprise you with them. When I came home that afternoon, you ran up to me and I could tell that you had been crying. Then I noticed the container of dried mangoes in your hand. Ranny told me that you asked for dried mangoes so she got the ones she knew about and was cutting them for you and you started crying and saying "dried mangoes, dried mangoes" over and over and pointing up. She didn't know what you were talking about and tried to explain to you that these were the dried mangoes that Mommy had in the house. But you just continued pointing and crying and saying "dried mangoes" and then finally Ranny looked up and saw what you were talking about. You spotted the Just Mangoes on top of the cabinets. I guess my hiding spot wasn't too good and also that you are extremely observant.


















We went to my college reunion this month which involved a long drive to Hanover. You were very good in the car even though you absolutely hate it. But the other day I asked you if you remembered going to Dartmouth and you replied "Too far! Out out." We had a really fun time at the reunion, though. You loved playing with Kira's kids, Carly and Bennett.












The first day we got there, there was a clown in the toddler tent and you were fascinated by him. Since then you talk about the clown all the time and we are hoping we can find a circus or something to take you to soon.

There is a new exhibit at the Children's Museum that is all about Ancient Greece. A part of the exhibit is a statue of Aristotle that talks when you push the buttons. The first time you saw the statue you were a little scared of it but you quickly overcame your fear and now you really love playing with it. Later I made up a song about Stella and Mommy playing with Aristotle in the museum. It was a very long song and sometimes you make me sing it again and again and again. You love repetition.

I am really excited about the little girl that you are becoming. You are so kind and gentle and opinionated. You love to give hugs and to laugh. You also have a great scary face that you will make sometimes and it never fails to crack us up. You seem to get a lot of joy from making us laugh and from knowing how happy we are to have you as our daughter.

Love,
Mommy

This picture is in honor of Papa Paul who frequently complains that there aren't enough pictures of him on the blog. This ought to keep him quiet for a week or two.

Morning Excursion

This morning, feeling somewhat ambitious and very much like another jaunt to Hippo Playground was unbearable, I decided it was high time Stella experienced the Central Park Carousel. By 9:30am I had all her snacks together, a glass of water with half an orange squeezed into it (making it passable for juice, as requested), diapers and wipes, a few hidden pacifiers just in case. All supplies were at the ready in the too-small green bag that we use for our sojourns with the little girl. We set out for Central Park with Stella insisting that she wanted to walk. After a couple blocks, she agreed to ride in the stroller until we got to the park. Then it was back to walking alternating with me carrying her until my arms were shaking and my back screamed with pain. Then back to walking. We saw ducks and turtles. We walked on grass and dirt. It was beautiful in the park. After about 30 minutes, we still seemed far from the carousel and Stella agreed to go back into the stroller so I could run and try to get there quickly. I enticed her by promising that soon she would be riding a horse. I walked on not sure exactly where in the park this pesky ride was hidden. After awhile, when I was fairly certain that we were very close, I peered over the stroller's sunshade to confer with my partner and this is what I saw:

















Needless to say, I turned around and walked home, Stella sleeping all the way. Truly, as a parent, you must be willing to jettison all plans at any moment. Next time perhaps we'll take the subway.