Boba Heart Daddy

As much of a talker as Boba is, she hasn't really gotten the hang of saying "Mama" a whole lot. She'll say "Dada" all over the place, ALL THE TIME, and I'm starting to worry if she'll ever call me "Mama". Of course, I've read somewhere that toddlers will "group" things and call them all one thing - sort of like how Boba will call any furry animal "Dog" and any round thing "Ball". So maybe "Dada" is her word for "Parental Unit"? I don't know. I'm rationalizing.

I complained about this to Jason, and his reply was, "What, it's not enough you're the light of her life???"

See, he says this because she is extremely attached to me right now. Very much a Mommy's Girl. And of course I'd be lying if I said I didn't pick up the slight hint of jealousy in his voice.

So, in tribute to Jason and the wonderful "Dada" he is, I post this picture where Boba is clearly having a blast with him. Dada, you too are the light of Boba's life.

My after-work cuddle

After a long day at work, one of my favorite things to do once I get home is hop on the couch and gather Boba in my arms. She squeals when she sees me at the door, and when I scoop her up, she nestles her head in the crook of my neck while I wrap my arms around her, and we stay like that for more than a few moments. If I can sense that she's willing to be held for a little longer, I lay on the couch with her on top of me, and we cuddle some more. It's the most wonderful thing EVER. Usually the moment only lasts a few seconds before she gets squirmy and tries to wriggle out of my arms and start running around freely again, but for that brief moment I am in absolute bliss.

Smoochy-smoochy mama & baby

Dining Etiquette, as demonstrated by Boba

Boba really knows how to eat spaghetti. She doesn't simply eat it; she savors every noodle, one by one, and uses all five senses to enjoy the experience. At the end of it, her face is literally painted with spaghetti sauce.

She actually not much of an eater (the way Mommy is, anyway), so with spaghetti, it's something of a personal thrill watching her enjoy grown-up food.

And look how cute she looks with sauce all over her face!

Fun with Boba, Chapter Four

Take a look at these shots to see just how big she's getting!

Check out that BELLY!!

Remember how I mentioned she enjoys climbing the stairs? Well, here she is on her way up, with Lola hot on her heels, making sure that she doesn't hurt herself. Lemme tell you, babyproofing the house does only 50% of the work. The rest is left to you as you chase the wandering toddler everywhere, holding out your arms should she take a spill or run into a stationary object. (Jason tells me the best way for her to learn not to run into a wall is to let her run into a wall so that she can see that it's no fun. Is it any surprise that I don't quite go with him on this logic???)

This is Boba trying to "smile" for the camera. I think in her head "smile" means "show teeth".

What I do enjoy seeing is when she tries to fit into her old toys, like this shot here when she tries to fit into her boucy chair. You can see how much she's grown. She's been wearing 18-month clothes since her 12-month birthday...she's growing like a weed!

Toddler, schmoddler. She looks like a KID.

Crazy, right? I'm totally expecting her to start speaking in complete sentences any minute. I imagine the first thing she'll say is, "You know how you let me run into a wall? Not cool."

Fun with Boba, Chapter Three

The title of this post may be deceiving, because if Boba could talk I'm sure she would say that being restrained by the indoor gate is hardly fun, but it does provide a few good laughs for Mommy & Daddy, so we're sticking with it.

Poor Boba. She hates that damned gate. We don't have a lot of photos documenting her displeasure with it, but I think these three say it all.

"SOMEONE OPEN THIS STUPID THING!!!"

"WHY ISN'T ANYONE DOING ANYTHING???"

"I'M CALLING CPS ON YOUR ASSES!!!"

Ahhh, babyproofing. Hey, it's all fun and games until someone bonks their nose!

Fun with Boba, Chapter Two

And now...adventures with Daisy, the Invisible Dog!

(Okay, so she's not really invisible, she's just this elusive little pug who lives next door and barks endlessly, much to Boba's delight and wonder. The following photos demonstrate Boba's obsession with finding Daisy.)

Here she is at the fence that separates the house next door from ours. She hears Daisy barking and immediately stops everything she's doing to listen. I'm sure that in her head she's assessing the situation: "Must find source of dog noise. Must!"

Boba in stealth mode.

Daddy helps the visibility problem by giving Boba a boost.

Daddy taking a break from Operation: Find Daisy. Boba was none too happy about this and ran to Mommy for assistance, so...

...Mommy gave in and joined Boba's mission.

After all of that, we saw Daisy (!!!) for, oh, about 10 seconds. She really does like to play hard to get. I think she may have been a little freaked out by the little ponytailed head that was staring oh-so-intently into the yard. In any case, once Daisy made her appearance, she proceeded to hide in the bushes for the rest of the morning. Guess she didn't really appreciate Boba's burning need to observe her like some kind of menacing vulture.

The adventure continues tomorrow...at the new indoor gate we installed recently when we babyproofed the house! Egads, the horror that ensues! Watch out!

Weekend Fun with Boba

I know, I know...it's been AGES since I posted an update on Boba's doings! So, to make up for my lack of diligence, here is a photo essay from this past weekend, along with STORIES!!

Look at how big she's gotten! I swear sometimes I look at her and she's not even a baby anymore. She's still got that cute baby-skin-fold in her thighs, which I think means she's still officially a baby, and her hands are still slightly dimpled, so....maybe I'm just in denial. She's been talking ALOT in her own little language that I've talked about before. We have no idea what she's saying but I'm sure she thinks she's making sense. I'll have to make a recording of it someday. It is the absolute ULTIMATE in cuteness.

So the photo is a little dark, but you can still see her in action as she plays with her toys. It's great hanging out with her now - not that it wasn't before - but now she really gets into her toys and practically forgets you're sitting there next to her. She has this very elaborate game that involves picking up a toy, examining it closely, then flinging it into some container. Pick up, examine, fling, repeat. She does this with practically all of her toys, and her favorites are ones that have some kind of receptacle; be it a box, or a canister, or even a hollow lid...she has this very precise system and it is absolutely fascinating to watch. I'd love to hear her thoughts at those moments. It's like she's thinking, "Blue circle. Smooth exterior. Little scratch on the bottom. Check." Or, "Colorful box. Interesting pictures. Bad interpretation of a zebra, though. Check."

And here she is showing off her new talent: climbing. I really didn't see this one coming. All of a sudden, she's able to climb sofas, chairs, stairs - although she prefers climbing the stairs like a grown-up, with one foot at a time (with Mommy's help, of course). That's my dad spotting her. And in the last photo I think she's proclaiming her victory over all inanimate, climb-able objects - or something.

Here she is with her tower of blocks that she LOVES to topple over. It's kind of funny, actually, because she will make sure each and every block has been toppled over sufficiently. That means, if the bottom-most block is somehow left standing there, even though all the others have tumbled to the side, she has to push that last one to make sure all possible damage has been had. It's nice to see she's got a thing for demolition. Bodes well for all the antiques in Lolo & Lola's house.

Tomorrow I will post another photo essay about Daisy, the neighbor's dog. Only you will never actually see Daisy in the photos. How could that be, you wonder? Well, stay tuned and find out!

JAKsquared Reunion Part Deux

Jill, Angie, Kay and I had another reunion over the weekend at Kay's neck of the woods in North Carolina. AWESOME. Only this time we were even more lame than the first reunion because during the entire weekend none of us came up with a camera. So, no proof of our shenanigans. (Actually, that may be a good thing.)

Oh, it is so great to meet up with old friends after a crazy month at work. And Kay, may I just say, was the HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST. She not only got each of us girls a one-hour massage at the fancy-schmancy day spa; she cooked almost every meal for us. That's right; breakfast, dinner on the grill, snacks, upgraded leftovers. (As in, leftover fried rice, re-fried with EGG! AWESOME!) She is, as they say, da BOMB.

Anyway, by the time I was flying into the San Diego airport yesterday, my arms were aching for Boba. And Jason had brought her to the airport with him, so I got to cuddle her in the car on the way home. She fell asleep shortly after, and I joined her early this morning for our daily cuddle session, which I had so missed over the weekend.

Wish I had something to show you all, but suffice it to say that Flambo is quite refreshed and happy after some good rest, great food, and even better company. Cheers!

Why does Mama ignore me so much?

BECAUSE, ladies and gentlemen, take a look at last week's schedule:

Monday: In addition to the typical beginning-of-the-week chaos, I had to sit in on our Open Call for HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS. Not too bad.
Tuesday: Pick up my big-cheese boss from the airport. Attend the first day of rehearsal for our production of PIG FARM. Scramble like mad to gather documents for said boss's accountant. Then, close the day with casting for our Educational Program's production of THE STONES. Yee-ha.
Wednesday: On the phone all day arranging call-backs. In between phone calls, attend a seminar my boss is holding for our MFA students/actors, as well as take care of his appointments that day.
Thursday: Call-backs for THE STONES. Cast two actors (one of whom I "discovered" in a local production - YAY!). Drive to L.A., a drive that is concluded, happily, with a trip to my favorite Little Tokyo restaurant in downtown, Mr. Ramen. (Cold miso ramen. Mmm-mmm, good!)
Friday: Open call for GRINCH. 14 actors show up. Thank goodness two of them (well, two-and-a-half) make the day worthwhile for me. Afterwards, I wait out the traffic at the apartment of my good friend Jen, and eventually drive back to San Diego.

(Note: Other than Thursday night, which was largely spent at the Safari Motel in Burbank watching Season One of Veronica Mars on my newly-gifted portable DVD player, none of the aforementioned nights allowed me more than 3 hours of sleep AT A TIME. )

(ALSO: Note that none of the duties above match what my title suggests. I am supposedly the Literary Associate, and yet is anything up there remotely "literary"? Yeah, not quite. Such is the career in the theatre. "Anything Goes!")

That is why I have been ignoring you, blog. Please forgive me, and know that when things slow down (this week is a little better), I'll share plenty of fun stories of Boba!

"Crazy schedules at work are A-OK!"

Reno

It's Wednesday and I have neglected to update the blog after the eventful weekend Boba had up in Reno, NV, visiting friends! Need I say it - work has been crazy. So I'll just let the photos do the talking for now...toys! Bathtime! TWINS!! (Oh yeah, and Jason and I were there too, with our friends.)

Boba & Olivia in toy heaven

Cutie patootie twins

Olivia & Boba having a splash

More photos to come (when parents of Olivia & twins email them to me! Hint hint!)!

Cutest Picture Ever

No, really, I'm not biased.

But seriously, Boba is the most adorable little thing I've ever seen in a swimsuit, robe, sunglasses, and hat.

See for yourself:

I'd say this shot is worthy of being on the cover of In Style magazine, don'tcha think??

Love Friday

Apparently there was Love Thursday yesterday and I totally missed it. (Work was crazy.) But who says we can't have Love Friday???

And so, to celebrate Love Friday, here's a picture of Boba and someone who loves her more than can ever be expressed on a Mommy Blog.

And that, my friends, is the most wonderful thing that has happened to me, ever.

Coronado

So, last weekend Grandma Robin came to town and got our little family a suite at the El Cordova Hotel in Coronado, with the purpose of some R&R. It was terrific on SO many levels, but let me just point out that any kind of respite with a one-year-old is, well, not quite a respite. Especially when said one-year-old gets up almost hourly at night because of a.) unfamiliarity of the surroundings, and b.) overstimulation from the day's activities. Still, it was a good lesson for me and Jason, because now we know how to prepare ourselves for such "vacations". (Like, next time: bring a nanny.) Fortunately we did get one evening to ourselves, which was totally necessary and completely wonderful, and then the next day we were treated to a massage (& a facial for moi). Not to mention the great food we got to eat all weekend long! Yum! It was definitely a terrific (though tiring) weekend. So thanks, Grandma Robin!

Boba playing with her Grandma

What was truly great was seeing how happy Boba was in her new environment. She just loved the hotel room. It had two rooms, so she kept running back and forth between the living room and the bedroom, back-and-forth, back-and-forth, and then she'd stop and play with something, and start all over again. Here she is having a blast.

We brought every toy we could fit in her bag!

"Why isn't this thing on?"

I call this look the "Coronado Crazy"

And, as mentioned in my previous Daddy & Boba post, we made a brief trip to the beach, which Boba also totally enjoyed. The pictures turned out pretty dark, so you can't see the absolute glee on Boba's face, but the photos are cute, nonetheless.

You know, I think it's pretty cool that we live in San Diego, where we can take a vacation almost literally in our own backyard. I mean, the beach is 20 minutes away, the mountains are an hour away, the desert another hour away...and Vegas 5 hours away! Talk about options! What a joy to see her enjoy life so much. Kinda makes those sleepless nights worth it, huh? (Well, almost.)

Boba and Daddy

Some people might wonder why Boba & Daddy photos are so abundant, while Boba & Mommy photos are far and few in between on FLAMBOBA. Well, let's just be honest, shall we? Daddy is the actor in the family, and therefore, is super-photogenic and is a great complement to Boba's doubly-super-photogenic-ness. Mommy, on the other hand, is more comfortable behind the camera as her photogenic days have been somewhat obliterated by the extra poundage she padded on during her Boba-in-the-womb days.

But I digress. Let's move on!

Yes, I do enjoy photos of Boba & Daddy. And here are a lovely collection of them!

Pre-pool visit

Daddy: "Look, Boba, Mommy is taking a picture!"

Boba: "Oh, really?? Well, let me put on my dazzling baby-smile on!"

Boba: "And my super-charming toddler-grin!"

Daddy & Boba checking out the waves in Coronado over the weekend

My two favorite photographic subjects! Yes, I'll try to make more of an appearance in more photos, but boy, you gotta admit, they've got good chemistry together, those two!

Our Bathing Beauty

She's going to be taking swim lessons with Daddy for 2 weeks starting next week! OMG, nothing could be cuter. She likes the water but sometimes she realizes she's in a pool - not just a tub - and gets a little overwhelmed. And that's when Daddy takes her out of the water and takes a phone photo...like this one.

Yep, our little girl isn't too sure about the whole swimming concept yet, but in a couple of weeks she'll be a regular baby mermaid. I'm sure of it!

The Grand-units return!

YAY!!! Can I just say that all three of us - Mommy, Daddy, & Boba - missed Lolo & Lola TREMENDOUSLY??? I mean, how do new parents get by without the grandparents around? We made it three weeks. The morning after they arrived, I practically flung Katrina into their eager arms. (Okay, slight exaggeration, but since it meant I could sleep in an extra hour, I was pretty excited!)

With their arrival also came the return of our digital camera! So without further ado, here are some great photos of Boba, taken as recently as yesterday! (Lolo changed the resolution for some reason, so the quality is not as good as before but STILL much better than my phone, so there you go!)

Check out the cute butt!

A phone never tasted this good

Daddy Cutie and Baby Cutie

This microphone tastes pretty good too

Just call her "Lil' Walker"

Please ignore large butt to the right

"A toy chest! Cool!"

Needless to say, we are one big happy family again. Boba's pretty thrilled!

A photo of Boba's makeup for CATS

Actually, per my last post, it's a phone photo (so the quality's not great) of the lovely scrape/bruise on the tip of the left side of her nose. But what I also love about this photo is the cutie-patootie hairdo that her daycare provider, Naima, gave her yesterday. SOOOO adorable!

Also, check out Daddy's comments from yesterday's post about how Boba was a natural in front of an audience of about 60 people last night. SCARY. It's in her genes. Why am I surprised?

THIS IS TO APPEASE DADDY.

I've said that my parents ran off with our "good" digital camera, and that I don't like to blog sans photographs. Well, Jason has begged...and begged...and begged. For an update. You'd think he didn't LIVE WITH BOBA AND SEE HER EVERY DAY. Since he's the love-of-my-life-and-all, I figured I should probably oblige his request. So here goes.

• Now that Boba is walking, she is getting more and more confident about traveling around on her own (i.e., without holding Mommy's hand). Consequently, she's attempted to go faster than her little feet can carry her, and the other day she landed SPLAT! on her face. On the concrete. I was mortified...and only two feet away from her. She immediately burst into tears and I quickly scooped her up in my arms. Sure enough, there was a little gash on the side of her now-cherry-red nose that was bleeding slightly. (And who felt like the worst mother in the world??) I dabbed at the gash and she calmed down in my arms once I stuck a pacifier in her mouth - but the cherry-red nose seemed to smart more and more as time passed. By the next morning, she had a bruise on her nose that looked like someone had applied stage makeup on her for the musical CATS. And was interrupted while the nose was being done. Because the bruise only covers half of her nose. So from one side of her face, she looks like a perfectly healthy baby. The other side looks like Child Protection Services could be screeching into our driveway any second. Fortunately, she seems to have recoved from the trauma - emotionally, anyway - of her first official meeting with concrete. I'll try to get a photo of her nose with my phone...at least you'll get an idea!
• She luuuuuves being chased after. As in, "I'm gonna gitcha!"-grab her by the waist and pick her up as she screams in high-pitched giggles. Sometimes I only have to look at her a certain way and she just erupts in laughter because she knows I'm coming to get her. It's moments like that that make moments like the ones I'm about to describe bearable...
• ....the moments I'm referring to are the ones with the TEMPER TANTRUMS. And I mean full-blown, foot-stamping, face-scrunched-and-red, SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS temper tantrums. Do they really begin this early in life??? I mean, she gets pissed off like you would not believe! And that whole tactic where you try to distract her with one thing so that she doesn't pay attention the dangerous-thing-she-was-about-to-fiddle-with? NO LONGER WORKS. She remembers that you so coldly and cruelly denied her the opportunity to play with the POWER DRILL. Or the WATER IN THE TOILET BOWL. Or that when she reached to take a gulp of your steaming-hot coffee, you deigned to pull it out of her grasp. The way she screams, I'm surprised CPS hasn't already arrived at our doorstep. (Maybe they're staking out our property for the next time I let her have a face-plant into the concrete.)

Well, there ya go. How's that for an update, Daddy??

Yay! A photo!

Thanks to my good friend Elaine who gave me instructions on how to get the pictures from my phone! So, obviously the quality ain't great, but isn't she cute??? This was taken Tuesday morning and we hadn't combed her hair yet. Her hair is just ridiculous. Everytime I try to imagine her as an older child, no matter what age I can't help but see her with this overgrown mop sticking out all over the place. (Oh, I complain - but actually I love it!)

Three posts in one day! What has come over me???

Makeover Thursday

In honor of Boba's one-year birthday, and my increasing intolerance of Pepto-Bismol pink, I've donned a new look for Flamboba. Like it? A little easier on the eyes, I think.