Play!!!

So, I have been working on teaching Lucy some baby sign language since she was about 8 months old. I started with the words "eat" and "more." Those seemed like the most logical to me. Well, after a few months of trying one day when she was about 11 months old she just did it, she signed "more." I was delighted to say the least, she soon followed with eat. Her tiny little hands can't quite make the exact positions, but she can do the movements and it is clear what she is saying. Since then we have added milk, which has now become the universal symbol for all drinks. I can't begin to tell you how great this has been, she can actually tell us when she wants something. That is invaluable to us considering when we started she couldn't verbally say any word but "doggie."

I also added the sign for play to our list. The sign for play is "y" hands held up and waived back and forth. Lucy's interpretation of this is to put her arms out bent at the elbow and waive her hands feverishly like she's trying to fly and to say "pa" really fast and with feeling. It's super cute and pretty darn funny. The thing is she does it all the time now because, you know, she's 15 months old and play is pretty much all she wants to do. She does it on the changing table, she does it in her highchair, she does it in her car seat, she even did it last night when I was putting her to bed and she was clearly exhausted.

I have also been working on the sign for "help" for a few months now, because when she gets frustrated and needs help she just lets out this ear piercing shriek that I have to say makes me come undone. Much to my chagrin she is not remotely interest in using the sign for help she just likes to use her shriek.

I love this kid.

Knitting is the Enemy

When you have one of these. When they are so
sweet, adorable, demanding, and fulfilling


knitting becomes the enemy. In the last 15 months
all I have managed to knit is hats, yep that's right
hats. Many like the one LucyBeck is sporting above.


I did get around to knitting a really cool felted
hat for my brother that was suppose to be


a Christmas present, but didn't get done until
February. I miss knitting a lot, but not enough
to give this up. She is a hoot. I think I want
another one.

Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!!!

Lucy use to say mama all the time. That is me, I am mama and Marnie is mommy. Well lately she's all about the word mommy. She walks around the house most of the day saying mommy over and over and over again. I say to her "Mommy is at work, mama is here," she says "Mommy, mommy, mommy". I think sometimes she means me when she says mommy, but most of the time she is asking for Marnie. In the evening around the time when Marnie usually gets home she looks at the door, points, and says "mommy, mommy, mommy". It's super cute, but I wonder when she will get the subtle distinction between the two.

Stepping Stones

Well, Lucy and I started a new activity today called Stepping Stones. It's a class offered by the Vallejo Adult School for little ones and their parent. We go there twice a week and Lucy gets to play, sing, read books and do arts and crafts. Arts and crafts with a 14 month old consists of me cutting and gluing things while I try and keep the wee one from eating the glue. As I recall from my younger days Elmer's Glue is non toxic if ingested, right?

This is My Daughter

This is Lucy Beck, LuLu, Punkin', Lucy, Lucinda, Baby Lu, Pookie. She is about 14.5 months old and has stolen my heart completely. She has brought a level of laughter into my life I thought was long since lost. I am delighted, simply delighted.