#1 Dodger Fan

Or maybe just #1 hot dog fan. She has been to a lot of sporting events lately and is developing quite the palate for them. If you look closely you can see how Matilda is carefully biting around the bun to get more nitrate satisfaction in each bite.

Disney-fied

While she was at it making dresses, Gigi's grandma made a matching Disney princess dress for Matilda. While I have to admit that the Princess Phase terrifies me, their cuteness is indisputable bouncing in the dresses. 

2 years, 2 months, 18 days

So we have reached the end of an era:  As of June 15th, Matilda is no longer a nursing toddler. I always guessed I would be one of those closet nursing moms, who breastfeeds her toddler for way longer than most people deem appropriate. I just never knew for how long Matilda would nurse, or how it would end. After years of counseling parents at my work about breastfeeding, it is interesting to finally have experienced the whole spectrum of nursing (newborn nursing, toddler nursing, mastitis, engorgement, weaning, etc.) for myself. The really nice part was that the transition was clearly a harder change for me than for Matilda. She had not been nursing at all during the day for several months now. It was clear she was ready to wean but I held out past our red eye trip so I could have the boob as my secret quieting weapon for a cranky, sleepy toddler on the flight. 

Last Sunday we talked with Matilda at dinner about the plan to cut nursing out of our bedtime routine. She took the news with a look of quiet concern and then changed the subject. During her bath that night she brought the subject up to Tim again, "Nurse?" He reiterated the no-nursing-plan and reassured her about the standard book, song, hug and kiss, then the Biscuit story routine. A "Biscuit story" is a story that Tim or I make up, in which Biscuit, a dog from her storybooks, does some variation of events that Matilda did that day. Biscuit stories have become an integral part of the falling to sleep routine of la

te. 

When it came time to execute our plan, it went seamlessly. Matilda queried about nursing, we said not tonight, and without hesitation, she panicked about her Biscuit story. The only indication I got that things might not be a-okay was the long moments pause it seemed I might not get my goodnight kiss. Matilda looked me over seriously but did eventually lean over and grant me a kiss. I started to weave a tale about Biscuit going to the beach and she was out within two minutes. Tim & I left the room incredulous. I had always envisioned weaning to be a big struggle with lots of crying from M so it was so nice to have her be really ready and accept it so easily. While time consuming and challenging at times, I would never change any of the choices we made in breastfeeding Matilda. 

As a funny epilogue to this sappy story, I was standing in the mirror yesterday assessing and complaining about my new post-baby, post-nursing boobs. Tim joked, "Matilda's not getting her deposit back, that's for sure!" I could not have laughed harder.

Daddy's Day Picnic

All this week Matilda has been reminiscing about Daddy's picnic. I gave Matilda a few options and let her choose what we would do for Tim on Fathers Day. Predictably, she choose a picnic on the beach. What we learned from this trip was that beach picnics with a toddler are grittier than you can imagine. No surprise considering that she goes from zero to sandy in 30 seconds flat. It was our first real tide pool mucking trip with Matilda and she was thrilled by all the snails, hermit crabs and anemones we got to touch. 

Chomping some smoked trout. 

Looking for more critters to pet. 

"Get Mommy!"

Scenes of Summer

All of these pictures were taken in one single day two weeks ago while visiting my mom. As you can see, it was perfect summer weather while we were there and we did lots of summer things.

Watermelon, check.  

Popsicle, check. 

Corn on the cob, check. 

Pants-less soccer, check.

What? Pants-less soccer doesn't classify as classic summer to you?

Turtle Welcoming Committee

Here is that video I promised of Matilda harassing Dirk. In the background you can hear some sheep complaining (or as Matilda says "sheep 'plaining"). 

Post-Vacation Reality

Having a bit of depression around here as we return to real life. I had hoped those junk piles in the corner and my perpetual to-do lists would be taken care of when we returned. Wish we could escape back to the pond today.  

Introducing the Newest Resident of Lake Kathryn

While we were visiting NY, Dad (aka G-pop) found this painted turtle in the road on his drive home. G-pop brought him (he's a boy according to Grandma Kathy's googling) along for Matilda to meet and to populate their relatively new pond with Mona, the pond's only other painted turtle. M was given the task of naming Mona's newfound mate. After rejecting several recommendations from Daddy and much deliberation, she recently settled on Dirk. It has a nice ring, right? "Dirk & Mona." "Mona & Dirk." I haven't yet broken it to Matilda that turtles eat tadpoles; she might like him slightly less once she knows he'll eat her beloved pond friends. I also have a cute video of Matilda manhandling Dirk before we released him, but I am tired of battling blogger to try and post it. I will try to add it again when I have more patience/time.

Too Much Indulging?

Matilda has been talking a lot about sweets the past week after many ice cream and dessert treats with the grandparents. One morning my Dad took us for Purity ice cream at 9 A.M. because he decided M clearly couldn't go another minute without having had Purity in her life. (As an aside, when you ask Matilda what flavor ice cream she wants she will answer chocolate without a moments hesitation. As if there were any other choice.)

It seems we had too much dessert while on vacation. This morning when Tim asked M what her plans were for the day she answered "mall, get dessert." Now he is accusing me of taking her to the mall all the time for treats - I am not sure where she makes this stuff up. It is so fun now to hear her goofy answers to questions. 

Home

We made it home and I'm now reporting live from our fancy-pants new iMac that Tim has all beautifully configured for us. The trip home was really long; due to some weather delays we spent 4 (FOUR) hours sitting on the runway in New York before finally taking off to return home. As usual, M came through it all in great spirits. 

While she is talking lots about all our fantastic adventures, she is definitely happy to be home. She's playing happily with her beloved guitar and really missing her Daddy today. While away last week she started spontaneously saying "I love you." It just about makes me cry every time she walks up and tells me that (it sounds like she's saying "I've a love a you" the way she says it).  Just before she went down for her nap M brought me the phone and said "call Daddy." I asked her what she needed to tell him and she replied, "I've a love a you, come home." 

At the Pond

Matilda has spent almost her entire week in Ithaca looking for tadpoles with her new buddy Cassidy. Lots of pictures to come when we get back in the land of high speed internet.

So Go Parker Go, Bump Bump Bump

As Grandma Marge took us to the zoo today Matilda was all "bird show, bird show?" That is until she met Parker, when she stopped talking about her beloved LA Zoo and now it is all about her new buddy Parker. She claims his fur was soft and that he had 9 humps (a reference to her love of this camp song). I think the snack from Matilda's Grill, an eatery in the Australian section of the zoo also worked to win her over.

Natural Pianist

This is the same piano that Tim had as a child. It now lives at my mom's house and Matilda has been having a blast with it. She bangs the high keys and sings "high" in a squeaky voice and then bangs the low keys and sings "LOW" in a big low voice. She originally learned this in music class but apparently has no problem transferring the concept. It is also nice to have her banging away on the piano, since then I know exactly where she is and don't have to keep chasing her around the house.