She's Funny

Deia is a....collector. Which has become our nice way of saying hoarder! She...collects....multiple items in one or each hand and/or stuff as many things in her arms at once. She attempts the impossible when it comes to how many things can fit in her tiny palms. It has always been important to her to carry and collect a lot. I wonder what that means?! At the very least, she must have two of everything, so as to have something in each hand. Yesterday I watched her try to hold 2 crayons, a banana, blubo and her water bottle in ONE hand. It was hysterical watching her drop things and try to reassemble them into her holding hand. Deia has decided that her water and milk bottles are called Manu. No idea what that is, and she can say water and bottle.... But we are honoring it and calling it Manu for the short while that bottles still exist in our world. Deia thinks belly buttons are the best and must press her little finger into them, hard, and say BOING. Deia says "cheers" about 40 times a day and says hi to just about everyone crossing her path. Bye Bye is still accompanied by blowing kisses and her thighs are still her tickle spot.

17 Months!

Is Deia really almost a year and a half old!?! Holy wow. I cannot believe what a full person she is...so much soul and sweetness and smarts in such a tiny package! And from being a bean to the agile and vocal toddler that she is now in no time, it's quite amazing. Her vocabulary grows by the hour. Her latest words of wisdom are a perfectly imperfect "I luh nyuuu!" That's I love you, with a huge emphasis and pitch change on the yoouuuuu! It's precious. She says it in response and on her own. Deia continues to think that saying bye bye goes hand in hand with blowing kisses...which tends to make random people in stores, classes and on the street feel really special :-) Deia has on and off days at the park. One day she tosses blubo down the slide and immediately follows. Other days she thinks slides are the scariest things ever...back arching and screaming no when you take her to it. But she hangs, assisted, from the monkey bars and says "weeee" as we swing her. It's strange that she has been to 2 gymnastics classes and was petrified of both....I am going to wait a few weeks and try again.... But before then I hope to try Tots and Tutus!!!! Deia's favorite friends are Magnus, Tal and Baby Lee. She sees them the most and knows them by name. She often asks for them and if I tell her we are about to see them, she goes bananas! She and Magnus have a particular love affair...they have a deep friendship...going all the way back to when he watched her pee by the pool fence. You can say...they've shared moments :-) Deia doesn't really let us enjoy meals out anymore. It makes sense that all she wants to do is run around...and we have to be mindful of that when we make our restaurant selections. It's even more hectic now because she climbs so well and heads for every bench and chair. Deia has become quite the little helper these days! We moved back to the Rialto house and unpacking was made easier by her because she helped me, one by one, unpack and put away my shoes. ...only to take them all out and try them all on later! But I can ask her to grab me something or put something away, and she does it with joy. Deia has become very good at eating with her own fork and still has great pride in her efforts. She cannot get enough of veggies from any soup, her eggs, tangerines, bananas (which must be peeled down so she can hold them herself), veggie booty, chicken, strawberries and water. But she's getting adventurous and enjoys the occasional kale and seaweed snack too! She LOVES her grandparents and aunts so much. She knows them all by name...tuti, tati, papi, noni, la la, cee-cee, gigi and then the last two are a struggle...she is working on saying A-iccchh instead of Annie for Alecs and we are all working on trying to figure out what to call Tony, haha. Wise one isn't going to cut it, so it may just be some version of grandpa. Sorry Tony. Deia is very independent when she plays and will let you know when she wants you involved. And she loves telling people where to "shit," which would be sit, of course. The biggest compliment we get about Deia's personality is in the way that she shows love and affection. She really is so full of warmth and heart and she goes out of her way to show her feelings and gratitude. She is a kisser. She is a hugger. She makes sure everyone around her is loved equally and she nuzzles and snuggles and gets in your face with all that love! There is a sweetness to her that is really unique. It makes us want to give her the universe...and return all those yummy kisses. I think I might eat my child....so if there is no posting for 18 months, you all know what has happened :-)

Beads!

Deia is into water, sunglasses, bunnies, doggies, shoes, pbs, the beach, her car and BEADS! She has taken a liking to a few beaded necklaces and they have provided her with hours of fun! They have become a really fun way for her to learn how to count...she says one, two, three as she pulls each one over or off your head and neck. She often leaves the house with them on, which is giving her quite an eclectic look :-) Luckily she is just beyond the age where she puts everything in her mouth. She has lost interest in tasting these beads and I am sooo relieved!

Garden Girl

The only catch to our moving into 505 Rialto is that there was going to be a 2 week hiccup where we had to move elsewhere...so another family could pay an excruciating amount of money for their Easter holiday in Venice. And so we moved into, what we call, the shoebox on Electric and California. It's an adorable cottage, sort of. A 1 bedroom restored craftsman. Maaybe 350/400 square feet, on a good day. Perfect for a couple week vacation with a couple suitcases, and it exceeds all you wish for in a hotel suite. But when you move in with "stuff," it remains a cluttered and tight spot. The saving grace is a perfect, enchanted garden. It's a communal garden shared by the owners and 3 other rental properties and is a nook in Venice unlike anywhere else. You wouldn't imagine it to exist just off of the busy street of Abbot Kinney and over its hedges. But it's a world that was so consciously crafted over many mindful years. Every time you are in it you catch a new hidden statue, pot, plant or antique seat. It is so inspiring and Deia just loves frolicking down the pathways, jumping on the stepping stones and digging her toes in the gravel. She picks a different bench or chair to sit in almost every day. What a special space we get to enjoy for only a blip in time!

Moo Moo Musica

We started a new music class at the electric lodge in Venice. It's walking distance from our house and absolutely perfect. It's in a large dance room, where I take jazz and samba, and there are anywhere from 15-20 kids of similar age. Moms, dads and nanny's come ready to play and we sing in EVERY language you can think of. It's a wonderful class that inspires musicality, movement, awareness and silliness. The teacher is incredibly animated and captivates the children. Deia's favorite part of class is the magic carpet ride, where she sits or lays down at the base of a fleece blanket while I pull her around the room. The static that raises her hair is a priceless site!

Beach Days

The beach is warm in early Spring and Deia likes to kick back with a good trash mag and some cool shades. She loves the sand between her toes and the endless running areas. ...Only gets precarious when she bolts for the water. She adores the waves and has no fear in her approach to them. ...And so we get wet :-)