The new game

Now that Marina is a gymnast, she climbs and jumps off things all the time. Like the red chair in her room.

But then Ella, of course, needs to get in on the action.

It's one thing when Marina jumps off the chair because, well, she actually knows how to jump and she lands on two feet and all is good.

But Ella walks to the end of the chair and lets herself drop. She stands there and waits for me to turn my head. Then I hear a terrifying THUD and she's on the floor laughing and laughing and laughing.

The first time this happened I completely freaked out.

I was like, she's not going to just walk off the chair, is she? She wouldn't. She can't. No. I'm going to let her do it just to prove to myself that she won't walk off this chair.

But she did. And she does.
It's actually super entertaining now that I know she lands like a cat and doesn't get hurt.

Still, next session, Marina is totally doing ballet.

Inner Hipster

Marina's unicorn shoes have been retired.
All of a sudden, they gave her blisters and she was super pissed at them all day yesterday.

Turns out her unicorn shoes were a size and a half too small!

So we went shopping for a new pair, and I swear, I had absolutely nothing at all to do with her selection.




Yes, Marina walked right up to the sparkly Converse section and said "I want these."

I tried to get her into a toddler-appropriate pair of white sandals. Some monkey Vans to replace her unicorns. But these were what she wanted.

On the way home, as she learned that her shoes can be called Chucks, she watched them sparkle in the sun and then asked:

"Can I have the Xanadu song?"

Marina is slowly becoming my total BFF.

In which I allow myself to brag

Because this is my blog, not just the place for baby news, I feel I can congratulate myself for a second.

This week I made it to the gym five days in a row! Me! I did that!

Monday, instead of eating lunch at my desk, I took a noon spin class.

I wanted to spice things up on Tuesday afternoon so I walked into this thing called RepReebok not realizing it was weightlifting. I took this class by another name religiously before my wedding and it did good things, so I was all about it. Even though it took two full days to be able to lift my arms again.

Wednesday called for a quick session on the elliptical.

Thursday is my 6:30 a.m. spin class, which I like because the teacher leaves the lights on and gives us vocabulary word trivia and quotes.

Friday I went to an evening spin class with my first male instructor. There is a major difference, like the selection of terrible metal songs, screaming at us in a terrifying way and never letting us sit on the bike seat.

But, yay!

All right, so I felt I had to document this because it will probably not happen again.

And if you really want baby news here's some: they are napping but when they wake up we're going to try and go to international record store day to see some of my music friends.

Bath and Dance Party

A few weeks ago, Matt went on an overnight work trip. And I promised Marina we were going to have a super! fun! girl! party!

The following is what happens at a superfungirlparty!!!



A group bath! With Marina! Ella! Cassius! and Zoe!



Talia popped in to say hi. Because, yes! There were more kids in the house. Lots more. You can't see them, but trust me, they were there.



Ella left in time for the girls to gang up on the lone boy.



Cassius was still a gentleman for the dance party segment. He took turns swinging all the girls around, but Ella was the most smitten.

Jokes

The weirdest thing that happens is when your two-year-old all of a sudden has a sense of humor. And not the obvious "throwing-spoons-on-the-floor-is-hilarious" humor, but the real thing.

Yesterday Marina did something totally out of character. I don't remember what it was, maybe she asked me for a plate of food or something. But it made me say "A plate of food?? Who are you?"

And with perfect timing she answered:
Who are you? I don't even know your name!!!!"

Photos!

I haven't put photos on here for a while so here are a few recently taken at Tia Patty's & Uncle Howard's house.
Uncle Howard brought out a bowl of Jello squares.
Marina: "Jello is my favorite dessert!"
Me: "Mine, too!"
Marina: "Let's eat all of it!"


Here the girls are kicking it with their L.A. pal, Benjas.


Ella was really, really intrigued by Russian dolls.

Banned.

I'm at the computer right now because Ella basically kicked me out of story time.

She wanted to read Cinderella Penguin.
But when I opened it she began screaming NO! NO! and then threw the book on the floor. I thought she was just being independent and didn't take it personally.
Isn't that mature?

But then Matt was all, "you want me to read it?"
And she's all "YA!"
So she crawled on Marina's bed and the three of them are cozied up reading.

And I am the cheese. Standing alone.

Hall Vocabulary Lesson

New things being said in our house:

1. Cogen: meaning unknown. Used much like the word smurf in which it can be placed in a variety of situations.

"Marina what would you like for dinner?"
"A bag of cogen!"

or

"I like to cogen in the bath!"

2. Bankie: Ella's blanket, which is on the same level as Lambie.
"Baaankie! Baaankie, eh ah u?" (blanket, where are you.)

3. Chandler speak: as in the stilted way Chandler from Friends communicates.
"Mom, this is not funny. At all."

4. Mission Valley: a San Diego neighborhood where the Union-Tribune is located.
"Bye, Mom, I'm going to work."
"Where do you work, Marina?"
"In Mission Valley."

5. Bumbo: a plastic chair used to help babies sit upright.
We've had a Bumbo for years, but today they learned the actual name for it and for 30 minutes they ran up and down the hall yelling "BUMBO BUMBO BUMBO BUMBO."

Torture

Really? At 16 months? I still have to endure the cry it out method?