Chris is on a work trip to Chile. (It's winter there now and there's even snow on the ground. This is nearly impossible for me to imagine as I sit here melting in 100+ degree heat.)
Scarlett's vocabulary continues to blossom, and it's tons of fun to watch. We talked a lot today about how her Daddy is in Chile, and by bedtime, she was saying it herself. What a trip (no pun intended)!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Forty Years
Scarlett's Grandma and Grandpa Schwegmann recently celebrated their 40th anniversary. Not only is it an incredible accomplishment to be married for that long, but they've managed to be married that long and still like being around each other, which is an even more impressive feat. Here's a shot of Bill and Shirley on their wedding day back in July 1971.
And here they are 40 years later in July 2011.
We headed down to New Braunfels to celebrate with them, and enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Grey Moss Inn just south of San Antonio. The restaurant is significant because it is the site of their first date back in 1970. The restaurant is a bit off the beaten path, and Shirley jokes that on that first date when they kept driving, and driving, and driving she started to get a bit worried about where in the world he was taking her. Bill jokes that when Shirley ordered the budget-friendly chopped steak (read: hamburger patty) instead of an actual steak, he thought to himself that she might be a keeper.
Grandpa points out to Scarlett where he and Grandma sat on the patio on their first date.
Greg, Shirley, Bill, and Chris.
The whole gang.
Happy anniversary!
And here they are 40 years later in July 2011.
We headed down to New Braunfels to celebrate with them, and enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Grey Moss Inn just south of San Antonio. The restaurant is significant because it is the site of their first date back in 1970. The restaurant is a bit off the beaten path, and Shirley jokes that on that first date when they kept driving, and driving, and driving she started to get a bit worried about where in the world he was taking her. Bill jokes that when Shirley ordered the budget-friendly chopped steak (read: hamburger patty) instead of an actual steak, he thought to himself that she might be a keeper.
Grandpa points out to Scarlett where he and Grandma sat on the patio on their first date.
Greg, Shirley, Bill, and Chris.
The whole gang.
Happy anniversary!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Eighteen Months Old! (July 21, 2011)
I know I often say in these monthly posts that Scarlett had a big month. But this time, I really, really mean it. (And it's actually been two months since I've done one of these updates. You may have noted that we skipped over month seventeen. That was one of Scarlett's sick days in Hawaii, and although I thought ahead to bring the "17 months" sticker for a photo shoot, I didn't bring a white t-shirt, and you couldn't see the sticker on the yellow shirt she was wearing that day. So there were no sticker photos for that month, and the poor thing wasn't really up to a photo shoot anyway.)
As you probably know, Scarlett fractured her leg on July 1st. I read an article a while back that said babies often focus on learning one big new skill at a time, which is understandable given that everything is new to them and trying to process all of that new information at once could be overwhelming. The article gave walking as an example, and said that a baby who has mastered a few words might actually regress verbally when he or she starts to walk since a huge new skill like walking takes so much concentration. I have no idea if this phenomenon was at play with Scarlett or if it was just a coincidence, but her vocabulary has skyrocketed since she broke her leg (and consequently was not able to get around very easily, so she had less to be distracted by). She went from saying just a handful of words regularly to a vocabulary so big that we've lost count. It's as if she decided on July 1st, "well, since I can't walk around and check things out, I'll go ahead and focus on mastering the English language."
Some of her new words include: please, blueberry, water, milk, cracker, pig, cow, turtle, deer, hat, bow, chair, ball, chew, drink, tea, cute, pink, yellow, green, more, hair, eye, nose, mouth, teeth, knee, ear, belly button, hair, hot, scrub, bath, door, car, ring, up, down, potty, stairs, and cast.
A few other cute things she's doing these days:
She says "shhhhh" and puts her finger up to her lips when one of her babies (her Hawaii turtle, Elmo, etc.) is "napping," or when she sees the book Goodnight Moon (which features an old lady rabbit whispering "hush").
She puts her finger up to her mouth and says "hmmmmmm" while looking around for something or if she's deliberating what to do next.
She holds her nose and says "peeeewwwww" when there is something stinky.
She tries to whistle at Winnie (which is what I do to get her to come to me), but really just blows air loudly. She also tells Winnie "shhhh" or "hush" when she barks. I'm sure Winnie really appreciates that.
She blows on her food to make sure it's not too hot. Doesn't matter if it's pasta (that is legitimately hot) or an orange (that clearly isn't) -- you can never be too careful, apparently.
She likes to give "nose-nose" kisses where she rubs the tip of her nose on yours.
The other day she was having a snack in the kitchen and was admiring some prints we have on the wall featuring different fruit. I was explaining to her what everything was, and pointed out a fig. She responded with "pig." I told her that it was close, but a bit different because it starts with an "f" sound. I then said "fffffff-ig," to which Scarlett responded "fffffff-PIG." Maybe you had to be there, but this tickled me to no end. I'm still chuckling about it.
Without further ado, here is one-and-a-half-year-old Scarlett.
Pointing out that the begonias are looking a bit crunchy.
Playing with Daddy.
Being silly.
"Ummm, has anyone else noticed that it's 110 degrees out here?"
"Ok, enough with the pictures. I'm headed back inside to hang out in the air-conditioning."
As you probably know, Scarlett fractured her leg on July 1st. I read an article a while back that said babies often focus on learning one big new skill at a time, which is understandable given that everything is new to them and trying to process all of that new information at once could be overwhelming. The article gave walking as an example, and said that a baby who has mastered a few words might actually regress verbally when he or she starts to walk since a huge new skill like walking takes so much concentration. I have no idea if this phenomenon was at play with Scarlett or if it was just a coincidence, but her vocabulary has skyrocketed since she broke her leg (and consequently was not able to get around very easily, so she had less to be distracted by). She went from saying just a handful of words regularly to a vocabulary so big that we've lost count. It's as if she decided on July 1st, "well, since I can't walk around and check things out, I'll go ahead and focus on mastering the English language."
Some of her new words include: please, blueberry, water, milk, cracker, pig, cow, turtle, deer, hat, bow, chair, ball, chew, drink, tea, cute, pink, yellow, green, more, hair, eye, nose, mouth, teeth, knee, ear, belly button, hair, hot, scrub, bath, door, car, ring, up, down, potty, stairs, and cast.
A few other cute things she's doing these days:
She says "shhhhh" and puts her finger up to her lips when one of her babies (her Hawaii turtle, Elmo, etc.) is "napping," or when she sees the book Goodnight Moon (which features an old lady rabbit whispering "hush").
She puts her finger up to her mouth and says "hmmmmmm" while looking around for something or if she's deliberating what to do next.
She holds her nose and says "peeeewwwww" when there is something stinky.
She tries to whistle at Winnie (which is what I do to get her to come to me), but really just blows air loudly. She also tells Winnie "shhhh" or "hush" when she barks. I'm sure Winnie really appreciates that.
She blows on her food to make sure it's not too hot. Doesn't matter if it's pasta (that is legitimately hot) or an orange (that clearly isn't) -- you can never be too careful, apparently.
She likes to give "nose-nose" kisses where she rubs the tip of her nose on yours.
The other day she was having a snack in the kitchen and was admiring some prints we have on the wall featuring different fruit. I was explaining to her what everything was, and pointed out a fig. She responded with "pig." I told her that it was close, but a bit different because it starts with an "f" sound. I then said "fffffff-ig," to which Scarlett responded "fffffff-PIG." Maybe you had to be there, but this tickled me to no end. I'm still chuckling about it.
Without further ado, here is one-and-a-half-year-old Scarlett.
Pointing out that the begonias are looking a bit crunchy.
Playing with Daddy.
Being silly.
"Ummm, has anyone else noticed that it's 110 degrees out here?"
"Ok, enough with the pictures. I'm headed back inside to hang out in the air-conditioning."
Friday, July 29, 2011
Scarlett's Summer Jam
Everybody needs a summer jam, where the second you hear it you want to turn up the volume, tap your feet, bob your head to the beat, and sing along at the top of your lungs.
Scarlett's summer jam features a member of the Black Eyed Peas (Will. I. Am.), but probably isn't the kind of song you're thinking, considering that it also features Big Bird, Grover, Elmo ("Melmo" according to Scarlett), and other furry friends. The song is called "What I Am" (I guess a play on Will. I. Am., now that I think about it), and teaches kids that they are smart, strong, helpful, and all kinds of other good things. Scarlett LOVES it, and we listen to/watch it on You Tube numerous times a day (initiated by Scarlett bringing me my iPhone and asking, "Melmo?"). Scarlett bobs her head, sings along when they say "high" (I'm sure she thinks they're saying "hi" when they are really saying "keep my head up high", but close enough). The funniest part is when she plays air drums at the same time Will. I. Am. does. Check it out if you're interested (it's received over 5 million views, and I think Scarlett is personally responsible for a few hundred thousand.)
Scarlett's summer jam features a member of the Black Eyed Peas (Will. I. Am.), but probably isn't the kind of song you're thinking, considering that it also features Big Bird, Grover, Elmo ("Melmo" according to Scarlett), and other furry friends. The song is called "What I Am" (I guess a play on Will. I. Am., now that I think about it), and teaches kids that they are smart, strong, helpful, and all kinds of other good things. Scarlett LOVES it, and we listen to/watch it on You Tube numerous times a day (initiated by Scarlett bringing me my iPhone and asking, "Melmo?"). Scarlett bobs her head, sings along when they say "high" (I'm sure she thinks they're saying "hi" when they are really saying "keep my head up high", but close enough). The funniest part is when she plays air drums at the same time Will. I. Am. does. Check it out if you're interested (it's received over 5 million views, and I think Scarlett is personally responsible for a few hundred thousand.)
Monday, July 25, 2011
How old are you, Scarlett?
I'll go into more detail in Scarlett's 18 month post (which is in the works), but Scarlett's verbal skills have exploded over the last two weeks. She can count to three (among other new tricks), but her favorite number hands down is two. Examples ...
Me: Scarlett, do you want a cookie?
Scarlett: Two!
BB (to me, while driving down the street): Maybe we should stop at Home Depot and buy one.
Scarlett (from the backseat, oblivious to the fact that BB was not talking to her): Two!
Last night while we were reading/cuddling before bed, I asked her how old she is. She insisted that she's two. She would only let me video tape her if I had it on the mirror image setting on my iPhone, so that's why she's so interested in looking at the camera -- she could see herself! You'll also note that her hair has gotten out of control. A barrette is a must at all times (other than bedtime), but I just can't bring myself to cut it.
And here is 18-month old Scarlett insisting that she's two!
(You'll need to pause the music down below so you can hear the video.)
Me: Scarlett, do you want a cookie?
Scarlett: Two!
BB (to me, while driving down the street): Maybe we should stop at Home Depot and buy one.
Scarlett (from the backseat, oblivious to the fact that BB was not talking to her): Two!
Last night while we were reading/cuddling before bed, I asked her how old she is. She insisted that she's two. She would only let me video tape her if I had it on the mirror image setting on my iPhone, so that's why she's so interested in looking at the camera -- she could see herself! You'll also note that her hair has gotten out of control. A barrette is a must at all times (other than bedtime), but I just can't bring myself to cut it.
And here is 18-month old Scarlett insisting that she's two!
(You'll need to pause the music down below so you can hear the video.)
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Scarlett kicked off the Fourth of July weekend with a bang!
But not in a good way. On Friday night after dinner, we stopped by a neighborhood park for some swinging and sliding before heading home. Scarlett's shoe got stuck on the side of the slide as she was going down. Her foot stopped, but the rest of Scarlett didn't, and her leg twisted. The next morning she couldn't stand or walk, so we headed off to the emergency room. Poor Scarlett fractured her tibia (the lower leg bone), which is apparently a fairly common injury for toddlers. She got a splint at the ER and then a hot pink cast at the pediatric orthopedist a few days later. She'll be in the cast for roughly four weeks, so no bathing or swimming until August 4th. So far, Scarlett has been quite the trooper. Her crazy crab crawl from her pre-walking days has come in handy, and she manages to walk/stagger a bit as long as she's on carpet (the cast slips on the hardwood floors).
Heading home from the ER in her splint.
Keeping her spirits -- and her leg -- up at dinner at Bolsa. (Notice her leg propped up on Chris's knee, which she placed there on her own.)
Looking pathetic in her new cast.
Scarlett's Grandpa doing his best cheer her up with sticky flags. Scarlett does not look particularly amused.
How many more days until August 4th?? Here's to hoping we get to celebrate July 4th next year with fireworks of the sparkly variety rather than the trip-to-the-emergency-room-with-a-broken-leg variety.
Heading home from the ER in her splint.
Keeping her spirits -- and her leg -- up at dinner at Bolsa. (Notice her leg propped up on Chris's knee, which she placed there on her own.)
Looking pathetic in her new cast.
Scarlett's Grandpa doing his best cheer her up with sticky flags. Scarlett does not look particularly amused.
How many more days until August 4th?? Here's to hoping we get to celebrate July 4th next year with fireworks of the sparkly variety rather than the trip-to-the-emergency-room-with-a-broken-leg variety.
Surfs up! (Hawaii Part 2)
Once Scarlett was feeling better, she decided to spend some time at the beach.
Not sure exactly what's going on in this picture. My best guess is that it's Papa Tig's Justin Bieber impersonation. (At the tender age of 4, Maya already has Bieber Fever. And apparently so does Papa Tig.)
The guys went surfing one day, and all three of them did amazingly well for first timers. Here's Scarlett's Daddy hanging ten.
And here's Papa Tig tearing up a gnarly wave. (Surfers say gnarly, right?)
Kisses for Papa Tig in front of the dolphin fountain.
After an exhausting day of swimming, Scarlett decided to catch up on her sleep in her tubie while Papa Tig proudly sported his French Foreign Legion hat.
Celebrating our last night on the island at a luau.
The girls in their coordinating luau outfits.
Mimi, Papa Tig, and their grandbabies.
One last family photo before saying goodbye.
Until next time, Hawaii!
Not sure exactly what's going on in this picture. My best guess is that it's Papa Tig's Justin Bieber impersonation. (At the tender age of 4, Maya already has Bieber Fever. And apparently so does Papa Tig.)
The guys went surfing one day, and all three of them did amazingly well for first timers. Here's Scarlett's Daddy hanging ten.
And here's Papa Tig tearing up a gnarly wave. (Surfers say gnarly, right?)
Kisses for Papa Tig in front of the dolphin fountain.
After an exhausting day of swimming, Scarlett decided to catch up on her sleep in her tubie while Papa Tig proudly sported his French Foreign Legion hat.
Celebrating our last night on the island at a luau.
The girls in their coordinating luau outfits.
Mimi, Papa Tig, and their grandbabies.
One last family photo before saying goodbye.
Until next time, Hawaii!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
