first mile

I believe Ada ran her first mile last night. I say 'believe' because we weren't measuring the distance and she was not running a route we normally run, but she was running, and running, and running, and running. Running so much that Elliot and I were having to scamper along behind her to keep up.

All this running happened while we were at the Padres game. She really loved the game, and the details of all the funny things she did while watching the game may make their way into a future posting; but the really great Ada moment came when we finally talked her into making our way out to the Park at the Park.

For those unfamiliar with Petco Park, there is a large park, with a hill, and a mini baseball diamond out beyond the stands. If you stand on top of the hill you can watch the game live, otherwise, they have a HUGE screen on the back of the batter's eye showing the TV broadcast. This is pretty much the most awesome thing in the world for parents.

Once we made it out of our section and up the stairs to the main concourse Ada decided to run. So she ran from section 109 around the right field side of the stadium to the Park in the Park where she found a group of kids rolling down the hill. Ada of course had to join in the fun, so she managed to trudge up the hill and then tried REALLY REALLY hard to roll down the hill. Except Ada lacks one very essential quality necessary for rolling down any hill - the ability to let go. So she tried to roll down but her fear of losing control got the best of her and she never quite got there. She did however master scooting down the hill, and walking/running down the hill (which was no small feat as the hill was steep and the grass was wet).

Next, we managed to coerce Ada into checking out the OTHER side of the hill, and the mini baseball diamond. She wasn't all that impressed with the other side of the hill, but as soon as she saw the mini diamond she was IN LOVE. She sprinted towards the field and found the closest entry gate. Ada was easily the smallest kid involved in the mini game. In fact, she maybe came up to the waist of the next smallest kid out there - but this didn't stop our little runner. Nope. She started out at third base and ran to the pitchers rubber, walked it like a balance beam and then "jumped" off of the rubber and headed for first. Then she took a lap of the outfield, back to third, pitchers rubber, through the pitching traffic, back to third, across to first, and out the right field gate. Phew. I'm tired just writing about it. Had she realized that running through the gate was the end to her mini baseball diamond fun I'm sure she would not have made such a GLARING mistake, but that's the reason I'm the Mom and she's the toddler.

Next we headed to the Padres store to look for possible gifts to bring up North to Ada's cousins (sorry guys we didn't find anything). Ada loved the store almost as much as she loved the mini baseball diamond. She found the big foam fingers like a heat seeking missile and proceeded to entertain everyone in the store with her sprinting around with the foam finger on her tiny hand.

After we managed to drag Ada out of the store with a monkey and a foam finger in tow Ada started the last leg of her mile.

We left the park with Ada up in my arms but she quickly decided that she wanted to walk. So from Tony Gywnn Way (just outside the park) to our parking spot in the San Diego Convention Center, Ada RAN. It is probably important to note that Ada took turns between running, wandering, and jogging along with the foam finger practicing her Gretzky pump. She did this the ENTIRE way back to our car. I tried to help her down the stairs to the parking garage - no dice. We offered her a lift from the stairs to the car - no dice. Nope. She was in it for the long haul. Well almost the long haul. She ended up tripping herself about four feet from our car and in a moment of unusual whininess she laid there crying until Elliot picked her up. Thus ending her miles of running.

Needless to say she was asleep before we hit the freeway. Thank goodness for running!

cake

Ada has discovered the world of cake. Not entirely surprising since I have morphed into a mad cake making machine since Ada was born, but somewhat surprising since she practically ignored the cake we served up for her on her first birthday. Well over the weekend Ada helped me make a cake for her Auntie Monique, cracking the eggs (her favorite) and pouring the sugar. Confidently spouting out her new favorite words 'cake' and 'cupcake'.

Last night when we were up at Eric's house for dinner she finished her meal, brought her plate to the kitchen, and even emptied her leftover food into the trash. Then she wanted to go outside. So much so that after I explained that the rest of us were going to finish our dinner at the table and then went and did just that, she clung to the screen, moaning a droning 'moommmmeeee, moooommmmeeee' until I finally gave in and came to find her at the door. She stopped her moaning but quickly turned to all out wailing and flailing on the floor when she heard my words, "After everyone is done eating dinner". The only thing that got her to quiet down and even join us for dinner was the promise of cake, leftover cake from Monique's birthday party. But I had warned her that it would not come right away. She was going to have to wait for all of us to finish our meal and conversations, and that she was going to have to sit there, politely, through it all. And sit through it she did. She sat in her chair, scowl on her face, hands grasping to the table so tight you could see her knuckles turning white, and eyes that kept repeating, "Have patience with these people, for cake is coming. Have patience with these people, for cake is coming." We tried asking about her day, or asking her what color the flowers were, but her concentration was strong and our attempts were nothing against her wall of sullenness.

And when the cake came she completely flipped. She forgot about outside. She forgot that she was mad at us for making her sit through conversations about jobs and soccer. She forgot that she was working really hard on her teen angst act that she will no doubt perfect in the coming years. All that was out the window the moment the yummy pumpkin and chocolate cake was presented before her. She silently but enthusiastically ate the top layer off of her slice and only once she made it through this top layer did she smile a chocolate toothed smile that let me know all was good and she was once again a happy child.

At least until tonight when we ask her what she wants for dinner and she confidently says, "CAKE!!".

ada loves taylor

We had the good fortune to watch Taylor (Ada's cousin) on Sunday afternoon for a little lunch and nap time. The girls really enjoyed riding in the car together, swapping car seats for the afternoon, shared some lunch, and were the picture of chumminess while they shared sippy cups, forks, and chairs. And as we counted down the final five minutes of play time before nap time, they took turns focusing the play on one toy or the other. I LOVE watching them play together, such a difference from Christmas time when they were both learning to share. Once we got to the final 30 seconds of play time before nap time, Ada ran back to her room, yelling for Taylor to follow her - and she did. I curiously followed, to see what Ada had in mind, and to my shock, she was standing there, grasping her crib, anxiously waiting for me to lift her up into the crib so she could start her nap. I can verify that this is THE most excited she has ever been to take a nap. Once I lifted her up and into her crib I found out why she was so excited. Once she was lying down with her blanket, she was still bursting with with excitement as she patted the mattress next to her and said, "Laylor, Laylor". Taylor was not as much on board, but the look on Ada's face is one I think I'll see plenty of times in the future when Ada and Taylor work Julie and I over, plotting for sleepovers where they can stay up all night whispering and giggling and sneaking into the kitchen to raid all the junk food.

observations

Ada has always been our thinker. Sitting back and watching the world, taking it in so she is prepared for future occurrences of similar activities.

So last night when I got home from work and was exhausted, something Ada has (unfortunately) seen a lot of lately. Instead of screaming and pulling me in every other direction. She walked over to me as I sat on the couch helping her play with her giant legos, and patted a pillow next to me and gently led my head down so that it lay softly on the pillow. I don't know if she did that because that is what I do when she looks tired, or if she just took one look at me and decided "Mom needs a nap". In either case, it was sweet of her to observe that Mommy was not up for a dance party or for flying her around the house in her Bumbo, or a vicious game of street hockey on the back patio.

Either that, or she wanted some alone time with her Daddddddeeeee and she knows I'm a sucker for naps.

in control

Last night as Ada, Elliot, and I chilled out snacking on some SnapPea Crisps - Elliot sat, resting next to Ada, with his arm sort of wrapped behind her but up on a pillow. Ada saw his hand sitting there, empty. So she grabbed his hand and instead of wrapping it closely around her like she normally does, she maneuvered it so that she could put his hand in the bag of SnapPea Crips, because there is NO reason in the world why he should be sitting there without a snack in hand. Literally.

no accounting for taste

As Ada grows older it is becoming more and more apparent that she really is half Elliot and half me. One of the more recent examples of this is Ada's current choice of breakfast food - pickles (YUCK!!). As you might have guessed by now, she certainly does not get this from me. What is even more odd is that we have never pushed pickles on her. At one point in time when Ada was just about a year old she took a bite of the pickle that came with a sub Elliot had brought home, and instead of throwing it to the floor in disgust she happily bore in for another bite. From that point on she has loved pickles. So much so, that we bought a jar of mini pickles - which I promptly hid away inside the refrigerator behind the jalapeno peppers and the six kinds of mustard we have. But that hasn't stopped Ada. She has always known where the pickle jar resided, and will (if hoisted up high enough) pick out the jar even though she has to maneuver it around the obstacle course of condiment jars I have set up. So for the past two mornings when I opened the fridge and asked her what she wanted for breakfast, she looked past the yogurt and the milk, past the bread and the left over chocolate birthday cake and proudly said, "PICKLES". And since I refuse to even touch a pickle, let alone get the pickle juice all over my fingers, I open the jar for her and she reaches her whole hand into the jar and pulls out the pickle of her choice.

Of course after she sucks all of the pickle juice off of the pickle and takes a bite or two she tires of the taste, and knowing that Mom does not do pickles, she calls out for "Daddy, Dadddeeee" and hands him her pickle and waits for the look of delight on his face as he takes a bite. To his credit Elliot usually obliges. I'm not sure he is always in the mood for pickles, but is doing his part to make sure that Ada's passion for pickles does not fade due to lack of encouragement.

The things we do for kids.

in other news

Ada's adventures with Grandpa didn't just involve Oreos, she also showed that she is starting to get ready for a life without diapers. More recently she has made a fuss when she poops in her diaper, a sure sign that she realizes what she has done and wants it OFF. She'll even refuse to put her bottom down on the changing table so she sits there with her back and feet on the pad with her pelvis raised up in an arch. Pretty funny to see in person, but TOTALLY understandable. And she has also recently started doing stuff like laying down when you ask her if she wants a diaper change, and peeing next to her potty when she has her diaper off and waiting to get in the shower, but I always thought that was just because she was cold.

But this weekend at Grandpa's she moved it up a notch. She started lying down on the ground next to her diapers when she wanted a diaper change and even stealthily tinkled in the potty (FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER). I'm so proud. And now I'll be able to tell Ada a long tale about how Grandpa potty trained her in one weekend. Sort of like the stories of trudging to school in two feet of snow, up-hill both ways. :)

However, this morning as she grabbed a diaper, and then me, and dragged both of us to her changing pad in her room, waited for me to un-clasp her diaper and then raised her legs without me having to ask her - I thought to myself, "Why now?" Why is it that now that she has finally mastered the diaper change, cooperating and even helping me out, is she getting ready to dump the diaper all together? Seems the way with kids. Once they have us lulled into a sense of security they bust through our comfort level and find all sorts of new ways to challenge us.

But now I know what to do. If I want Ada to quickly move on from a particular stage, I'm just going to send her to Grandpa's house.