The Most Meltificent Monday

"Lick it all around" my dad used to say as I tried to stay ahead of the never ending drips of my melting ice cream cone. In my youth, we would dash off on spontaneous family drives to go look at the remains of a house fire my dad had fought the night before or view a piece of real estate and somehow, miraculously would end up at a Dairy Queen almost every time. Last Monday, we got to witness Devi's attempt to consume a whole cone before it melted away, which appeared to be hard work for her. I got to use my dad's famous phrase over and over as I coached her to completion, well almost. She did get a little help from the dog and a tid-bit each went to mommy and daddy. Funny how she gets so excited about a rare treat of dessert, but the excitement is more over the privilege rather than the consumption. In most cases the bulk of the dessert is often left on the plate, slightly disrupted from the way it was served...ice cream being the one exception!







While on the subject of eating, honestly, the girl takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R to eat a meal. At first, it is all about the formalities; the napkin goes in our lap, saying grace...usually several...and then she will take a few bites to get started. Then the meal slows and becomes all about the aroma, the texture, the color, how it feels, how we, as adults, eat it, how does one poke it with a fork or scoop it with a spoon. Each of these qualities must be explored and eventually a few more bites go into her mouth. Invariably there is a trip to the potty and/or extra condiments are required that further bring the nourishment to near a screeching halt. And for no apparent reason, just like the climax of a well choreographed dance, she begins to eat again with purpose until finally announcing, I am all done. May I please be excused? We are baffled by this mealtime procedure, but are thankful that she is really a good eater and likes most things; broccoli, celery and lettuce being the exceptions. Daddy calls her our little pounder. We still have no idea where she puts all that food...another phenomena that has these two college educated parents baffled and perplexed as the total area and weight of food consumed compared to the approximate area where it goes for digestion does not compute. We will just have to continue to ponder that one over another ice cream. Lick it all around, Devi. Lick it all around!!

Dashing Devi

The distant whisper of rhythmic chanting, carried through the early morning stillness arrives at our house the second Saturday of every June. It lets us know the 7.4 mile Sound to Narrows Race is underway with the military formation leg leading the pack. For those willing to wake that early, it is nothing short of spectacular to watch as groups, in uniform, some with full packs, representing each of the armed forces, run in formation; the stomping of their boots hitting pavement keeping time as they sing and complete the task as one.

Under normal circumstances, tradition would have at least one family member competing in the full course, unfortunately, due to injury and surgery that was not possible. So, for the second year in a row, Devi was our lone representative competing in the diaper dash wave of this annual event.



A full year older, her mission was more clear this time, but just to ensure her success, we had a couple of dry runs across the length of our kitchen floor; running from daddy to mommy’s open arms. Race day found Devi pumped for the event and so excited to wear a real race number. A blur of pink with a bouncing pony tail and flailing arms, she charged the packed course, smiling from ear to ear the entire way. The extra 3 and a half inches we recently recorded in her height helped to propel her into a respectable third place finish.


The highlight of Devi’s day was tearing the coupon from her own race number and redeeming it for her free loaf of bread from the Roman Meal booth, the official sponsor of the event. We were all extremely proud of her accomplishment, but she was most thrilled with her doughy trophy!

IWannaDoItAllByMyself!!

Picking daisies All By Myself!

Whether cracking an egg or driving the car, every act of kinetic energy in our household is now preceded by the phrase "IWannaDoItAllByMyself". The person blurting this "word" at break neck speed is none other than our precocious toddler, Devi. I can't tell you how many nights Pat and I lay in bed discussing her antics in a giggling whisper, trying to convince ourselves that we still are in control of our household; the result of that debate is questionable.

Truth be told, we are captivated by her lively and courageous spirit, that continually surprises our adult minds, providing that wondrous link to the freedom of our youth, long since gone from our lives until the day Devi entered in. Along for the marvelous ride, we watch with awe as her developing mind continues to discover the world around her and decipher how all the intricate pieces of life's puzzle fit together.

This weeks fascinating topics of conversation revolve around insects, transportation, making new friends, plant life and gender roles and that discovery went something like this.

Temperatures jumping from March to August in a matter of two days, we've officially set up the wading pool for some outside fun. One afternoon Pat and I were sitting around the pool discussing our day, while Devi was taking a short break from swimming to soak up some sunshine. She was so quiet, we thought that maybe she was taking a short snooze. Suddenly, her head popped up from beneath her burrito-style wrapped towel and she said, "Hi parents!"

We have noticed these kinds of statements from her lately, like she is figuring out every one's place and the roles they play in her life. The other day she asked me, "Mom, are you a wife and a mother?" and later "Is daddy a prince and a groom?" I guess I never really thought about it much, but we refer to ourselves with all sorts of labels and she is doing her best to sort it all out.

No longer shapes, another big discovery is that letters spell words! As adults, I guess we take for granted this means of communication. Devi is fascinated that letters put together say something and she is continually asking us to tell her what things say. Anything with words is fair play...billboards, store fronts, newspapers - the list goes on and on. One can not fathom how exhausting this little game can be! All in the joys of parenthood :)

Planting a garden All By Myself

First Berries from the garden

Tiny sprouts have emerged from the earth of Devi's garden. She chose the seeds and planted them all by herself so very fact that something is happening is nothing short of a miracle. It has been fun to watch the metamorphosis of the seedlings and watch the delight on her face as we round the corner each day to see what has grown overnight in her garden. The strawberries are her favorite because they have all ready yielded a berry or two and at 2 and a half, instant gratification is a must.

So proud of herself on the first day at her new school

With the look of pride on her face, Devi trotted off to a new school this week too. Although still considered a daycare, it is run like a preschool to help the children prepare for when that time comes. It has been interesting watching Devi go from top dog at our old child care facility to the new kid here. It has been her first real challenge, which she has pretty much taken in stride. She had one sleepless over stimulated night of no sleep, but since has been rather eager to go and see her new little friends. She is in a room of 3 year olds who tower over her. I've warned the teachers not to be too protective, as she is tiny, but mighty and seems to be living up to that description.

Just a trim...but Devi's first haircut

To sum up the week properly, one must not only take account of the big activities mentioned above, but also make note of the constant banter that follows along with everything we do, for Devi is never at a loss for words. I've stopped counting the questions now and just try to field them as they come. Here are the strangest ones from this week.

1. Does Spiderman fight the bad guys? (We try to emphasize that Spiderman helps the good people, but the question always comes out this way. Also we are not sure how she knows about Spiderman because we have never mentioned him)

2. What do butterflies eat? (I had to thing about this one)

3. Dad, are you the pilot of the space shuttle?

Some questions lead to a conversation like this one that took place in the car on our way to the grocery store.

Devi: Mom, are you a good driver?
Mom: Yes
Devi: Mom, is daddy a good driver?
Mom: Yes. Is Devi a good driver?
Devi grabs make believe steering wheel and says "Uh-huh"
Mom: Do you think mommy is a good driver?
Devi: Yes
Mom: Do you thing daddy is a good driver?
Devi: long pause then she says "Toooo Fast!"

Stalling at bedtime one evening, she managed to make up her first story told AllByMyself, which went something like this.

Once upon a time, there was a princess named mommy who was riding a horse and a nice man helped her. The End.

Short and Sweet...just like she is AND forever wanting to do every thing AllByMyself!

First Boat Ride