the remaking of a kitchen

it's been a very busy fall.....lots of time spent at the library. several local authors giving readings and of course the great decisions group. i have set up many many chairs. most of the volunteering has been basic labor! i've enjoyed both the programs and my fellow volunteers. all good things.
siena is again the star of the banned books display. her I WILL READ BANNED BOOKS t-shirts are quite a hit. nice to have some grandma bragging time. :)
we have another trip to a nebraska game and then rob and deanne's wedding in omaha before we are done with travel for awhile.

Labels: banned books, fall colors, siena

wow.....a long time between posts. it's been busy around here. after thanksgiving we decided to do a major scoop of the yellow room which would include painting. well, the scoop is done, the painting not started. when i peeked behind the YELLOW wallpaper and noticed patterned paper that appears to be one with the wall i knew it was not a quick fix. so we still have a yellow room, but it's a much tidier room with new furniture, so an improvement!
we had a lovely chrismukkah! patrick arrived on the 17th and sarah, david and siena on the 20th. poor siena's mouth was invaded by a whole mouthful of teeth all at once so she was an unhappy camper for a few days. she wasn't interested in eating or sleeping and didn't want to leave here mama's side for any length of time. she recovered except for a reluctance to sleep and became the sweet little girl we all know and love. she loved looking out at the snoooow, sometimes snoooow-k and even had some sled rides through the white stuff. quite an adventure for a little california girl! she really enjoyed the "ights" and other decorations at our house and around the neighborhood. the more spectacular the decor the louder the announcement.....IGHTS!! needless to say it was the best fun to have them here and to see her become familiar with our house as she stomped her way from room to room. we all held her and read and re-read many books which we thoroughly enjoyed and i think she did too! she sat in the little chair that belongs to a set i received as a wee little girl and thought that was great fun.
sarah, david and i took her to the library and it was obvious she was pretty familiar with libraries! she walked up and down aisles of shelves stopping to proclaim "book" or mulcahyea (monsters) from time to time. we moved into the special kids reading room and she really loved that. i think there is very little that she didn't love and of course we just loved her no matter what!

Labels: fun and love, patrick, sarah and david, siena

well, actually it was night here, but late afternoon there, and we had such fun. we all got to laugh together, and siena is an excellent laugher! i had seen siena standing with her baba sandy, so we were pretty excited when she stood for us, without holding on to anything! what a star! i took a few video snapshots to prove it!

Labels: laughing, siena, standing

i had the best time last week as i played peek a boo with siena. thanks again skype! she did a palm plant on her face and thought it great fun. she is getting so close to walking. she can easily pull herself up using people's clothing, a chair, a table, her wagon. will we see a new mobility when we visit for thanksgiving?

Labels: peek-a-boo, ready to walk, siena

we have just returned from a lovely road trip to california. this set of photos is of siena scooting around the living room and enjoying a lunch fresh from the garden!
as her admiring grandparents we enjoyed it all so much!
we arrived a day earlier than planned and i was able to deliver my piece to the acci gallery on monday as scheduled.

Labels: acci gallery, road trip, siena

in preparation for the family visiting we obtained an exersaucer. it was delivered and set up and then picked up after they left. very nice.
siena had a blast learning to use it and kept herself and rest of us very amused. she has one at home, but this one was quite different. she started slow, but as the days passed she was able to conquer most of the options and had a great time. she was able to bounce and turn and make noises. we laughed as she began to extend her arms so she could make noise with one hand and make things move with the other. what a girl!!

Labels: exersaucer, movement, noise, siena

we've seen siena take a bath at home, she loves it. she kicks and splashes looking very serious as if this is her present job and she knows she better do a good job. we weren't sure how she would react to taking a bath in our kitchen sink without her own little tub in place. we soon found out. the only prep was putting a good sized bath towel in the deeper of the double sinks and stretching it up the sides as well. one of the photos gives the setting and shows the pasta sauce cooking on the stove top.
she seemed to enjoy it very much...it was just different and although she kicked, the water was deeper so the splashes weren't so dramatic. it was still fun for all her adoring fans and for siena too.

Labels: bathing, granny's sink, siena