2012

New year.

New blog.

Come visit!

Need to Breathe

When a snap won't close, her bracelets get tangled, or Duck is too big to fit into the kitchen drawer, Liza gets angry. Often whatever is causing her this annoyance gets tossed with a shrill screech of intense frustration. I've fallen into the habit of encouraging her to breathe in these moments. I suck in a big breath of air, letting her hear it rush into my nose and see my chest rise, and then I blow out softly, ruffling her hair and tickling her face. This usually elicits a smile, and we work together to fix whatever it is that's bothering her.

These last few months I've felt more and more that this blog is a "have-to" rather than a "want-to". It's become another item on my to-do list. Getting a post uploaded is one more obstacle standing in between me and my free time. Before I begin to really resent it, I'm choosing to take a break, encouraging myself to breathe. I'm still recording her story (our story), and although the medium may change from year to year, capturing our life in words and pictures is something I'm pretty sure I'll always do. For the time being though, I've decided to step away from this space.

For those of you that visit here regularly, you can still get your weekly dose of Liza. I store all of my photos online at flickr.com. I upload many, many more photos there each week than I ever have here. There's a flickr badge in the sidebar. Click on my username (cchemm2002) at the bottom of the badge to visit my photostream.

Thank you for sharing this place with me.

A Kitchen Christmas

Inside her stocking she found...

a tube of airplanes,

three beaded bracelets & a turquoise headband,

a wind up Santa,

stickers, socks, and a whole bunch of smiles.

Christmas Eve

 We spent the morning of Christmas Eve at the park. Aunt Gibi chased Liza while Mimi and I sat on a bench and soaked up some sun.

 As we were leaving, what to our wondering eyes did appear...

 Santa and his three brothers roaring in on "motor bike-a-cycles", of course! Apparently Santa has to improvise when making his rounds in the desert ;-)

Liza's favorite part of this story is when one of the Santas came right up to her window, gave her a high-5 and her very first candy cane.

JOY, for sure.

Friday Letter #12 - Alone Time

 Dear Liza,

If I had one day to spend all by myself, I'd actually start it the night before. I would stay up late, knowing that I could sleep in the next morning letting my eyes open when they choose instead of at the sound of my alarm. I'd like to have a multigrain bagel from Panera, toasted with cream cheese, please, and a mocha in one of their big white mugs, but without the whipped cream. Perhaps I'd write for awhile, or check in on some of my favorite blogs, and I'd have a good book nearby too. Alone with no schedule... I'd need some choices, you know? After breakfast, I'd like to walk on the beach (my imagination is so generous to allow me Panera and an ocean here in the desert). It's the place I feel the most at peace, my heart joining the ocean in its steady rhythm. There'd be a chair waiting at the end of my walk. I'd soak up some sun and read right through the afternoon. Windblown and sleepy, I'd love a nap, the kind where you sleep and sleep until you wake up for no other reason except that you're all done napping.

As nice as this imaginary alone day is shaping up to be and as much as I crave unscheduled moments in my day,  I know I'd miss all the stuff that fills our days together too. I'd miss playing outside, books before nap time, sharing yogurt covered raisins for a snack, building lego towers, splashing in the bathtub, and your head on my shoulder before bed.

Wishing us both a year filled with just the right amount of alone time and togetherness!

Love, Mama 

This post was inspired by FridayLetters.com's question #165.

EnJOYing Her People

Uncle Allen

Mimi

Grandaddy

Aunt Gibi

Auntie Erin & Uncle Brian

2011...

Here we come!

Zoo Reflections

This Time Last Week...

I'm quite sure there is a little bit of ocean running through my veins. All of my childhood summers found me at the water's edge digging in the sand, jumping waves, collecting shells, and soaking up the sun. And so it was with great JOY that I spent an hour watching Liza experience the beach for the first time. She seems to feel at home there too.

Hats!

Grandpa and Nana are visiting, and they brought lots of cool hats. Liza is having so much fun wearing them around the house and on the occasional trip to the grocery store.

Family Hike

Hello December.

We're ready for your magic!

Friday Letter #11 - Gratitude List

Dear Liza,

Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and I wonder what you are feeling grateful for this year. I keep imagining you writing out your list of blessings. Would belly buttons be at the top? You certainly are enamored with yours and check on its whereabouts many times a day. Chips would definitely find their way to your list. You can hardly contain your excitement for those crunchy treats. It's obvious by your hugs and kisses that sock monkey, duck, and your beloved Ent (elephant) deserve a spot as well. Crayons and paper, cheddar bunnies, the familiar faces of your family, stones, swings, and your beloved outdoors. The list is long and your gratefulness is contagious.

Happy Thanksgiving, sweet girl!

Love, Mama

This post inspired by FridayLetter.com's question #158.

Dinnertime Silliness

Friday Letter #10 - The Evolution of Your Hugs

Dear Liza,

One of my most favorite things about being your mama is your hugs. Your little arm found its way around my neck just before your first birthday. In the dark next to your crib, I whispered a song against your cheek. You reached around and patted my back. It was my first hug from you, and I will never forget it. A few months ago, you started showing your enthusiasm for your things by squeezing them in a bear hug, squinching up your nose, and making this sweet growling noise. Daddy used to ask you for a hug and a kiss before bed each night, until recently when you surprised both of us and asked him first. You've also begun spontaneously hugging our legs when we're busy doing something up at our level and our arms are out of your reach.

Bitsy, the most amazing thing about watching you grow is how you make sense of the world without any formal teaching. Nobody taught you how to hug. We just kept hugging you. You must have thought it was an important life skill because you've figured it out.

Lucky us!

Love and Hugs,

Mama

This post was inspired by FridayLetters.com's question #157.

Friday Letter #9 - The Late Love Edition

Dear Liza,

Just like cars need gas to go and our bodies need food to learn, play & grow, our hearts need love to live. This letter was supposed to be about how I value others, essentially how I show them they are loved. I've written and rewritten it multiple times trying to explain this, but I just can't come up with anything that feels quite right. Instead I've decided it might make more sense to show you how I've felt valued recently.

Love is...walking into the kitchen after putting you down for a nap and finding the remnants of lunch for 5 had completely disappeared, the table cleared, dishes washed & take-out boxes carried out to the trash.

Love is...a sister and brother-in-law driving four hours to spend the weekend laughing, eating, shopping, hiking, lounging, and playing with us.

Love is...a letter, a phone call, or even a quick text just so I know they're thinking of me.

Love is...making a late afternoon ice cream run because it'll make the evening that much sweeter.

Love is...watching you learn how to give love, patting your sock monkey's back and telling him "it's okay", spontaneously sharing your hugs and kisses with us, and hearing you utter the new phrase "yuv you, Dada".

We yuv you too, sweet girl!

Mama

This post inspired by FridayLetters.com's question #156.

Merry Christmas...Take One

We love this picture, but can't find a photo card to fit it. So, it's back to the drawing board for us.

Perfecting Her Cup Skills

Happy Halloween!

With love from our little jack-o-lantern

What a difference a year makes!