Arwen's Weblog http://bradchoate.com/arwen/ en Copyright 2008 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:10:15 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.1 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss He's and She's Yesterday I rolled Arwen's window down so she could say goodbye to a little friend, and her purple balloon got sucked out the window! If you've ever witnessed this, it is a true heartbreak for a child. Their tears are genuine.

Trying to put a good spin on her tragedy I said, "But he's free now! He got his freedom!"

I expected more tears, but she said, "You mean she."

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2008/04/hes-and-shes http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2008/04/hes-and-shes Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:10:15 -0800 April 22nd She climbed into bed with us this morning, as she does every morning, and we oohed and aahed about her being 4! But she says, "But I'm not big." I know what she means. She's been babied. She is the baby, and she still looks like a baby. Her face is still round; her hands are still dimpled. Arwen is a peanut. All the strangers at Trader Joe's seem surprised when she tells them she's turning 4, not 3.

Highlights: chocolate muffins, a tea party board game and cheeseburgers with her family. The big party with all her little girlfriends is still 10 days away.

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2008/04/april-22nd http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2008/04/april-22nd Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:57:47 -0800 It is a big job, but somebody's got to do it. Arwen and I were kickin' back on the couch - all the delicious fruit from the farmer's market settling in our bellies. She said, "Mama, you sooo brave."

Mom - "Really? How am I brave?"

Arwen - "You feed us."

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2007/07/it-is-a-big-job-but-somebodys http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2007/07/it-is-a-big-job-but-somebodys Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:32:46 -0800 Faerie princess perfume Every Saturday is pancake day. For a few hours after breakfast, when I kiss Arwen's round, little cheek, her mouth smells of syrup :)

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2007/02/baby-princess-perfume http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2007/02/baby-princess-perfume Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:10:30 -0800 Arwen's changes I'm not sure what's happened to our faerie princess. She still binges on affection, but it's harder to coax out of her. It's now harder to distract her from her temper or general grouchiness.

Making up songs is my best diversion, especially for her "nappy pappy". The songs usually involve her being in my belly at one time. That gets her attention, 'cause isn't that a strange concept to a child? I used to be where? I used to be so tiny you couldn't see me?

Her 1/2 point (at 2 1/2) has also seen her get a lot louder. We love hearing her say her new words and watch her understand abstract ideas and express them the way babies do. Today walking across the Trader Joe's parking lot with all 3 of them, I reminded them to look for cars. "Stay alert," I said. Halfway across, Arwen saw a car, plenty of yards away that it didn't matter, backing out of its parking spot. She yells about as loud as she possibly can, "Alert! Alert! Car. Alert!" So she's not the faerie princess we thought she was, but I'm happier to see her genius. And they are geniuses at this age. They're learning far more and faster than I possibly could at 31.

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/10/arwens-changes http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/10/arwens-changes Sun, 29 Oct 2006 08:13:39 -0800 New thing today Arwen can tickle herself :)

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/10/new-thing-today http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/10/new-thing-today Sun, 29 Oct 2006 08:10:55 -0800 Starting conversations Picking Brad up from the train station 2 days ago, Arwen pipes up from the back of the van, "Dad?"

"Yes."

" 'Member cah wash?" A week earlier we'd gotten the van washed, which is like being at the carnival for a toddler, well, for Mama too.

"Yes, I remember." Daddy answered.

"Dat fun!"

She immediately picked up on how much we loved this conversation. I believe it's the first one she has started herself. Just out of her own thoughts, decided to contribute to the daily art of conversing. So she has repeated it a few times, always in the van going to or from the Bart station. Only her last sentence has been shortened to just "Fun!"

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/09/starting-conversations http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/09/starting-conversations Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:41:52 -0800 Taking to the kiddie pool Well, she's finally taking to the kiddie pool. The secret is setting it up early enough in the day, right in the sunshine, so that it warms up by the afternoon. It's good because she loves being outside, but she would get soooo hot because she wasn't staying wet like the others. As all of mine leave babyhood, they really take to getting splashed. She still knows when to get out of the way though when Savannah and Seth are splashing like mad, just not big enough yet to keep up.

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/07/taking-to-the-kiddie-pool http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/07/taking-to-the-kiddie-pool Sun, 16 Jul 2006 17:15:52 -0800 Let's remember what's really important For the last several days, every time we pray at dinner or bedtime, Arwen twines her fingers together as usual, but now, she thanks God for lollipops.

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/07/lets-remember-whats-really-imp http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/07/lets-remember-whats-really-imp Wed, 12 Jul 2006 22:37:22 -0800 Books What we're reading now:

I Hear (a book of sounds)
Yellow and Yummy (Pooh book)
Happy Baby 123
Curious George's Are You Curious?

She's suddenly in love with books. She's caught on that most of the times that she comes to us with a book, we say yes! especially Daddy. Once the house starts waking up, he gets her out of her crib and she snuggles between us, insisting that Daddy reads and that I give her half my pillow.

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/06/books-1 http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/06/books-1 Sat, 24 Jun 2006 23:22:58 -0800 More cussing! Because Arwen has heard our discussing her new cuss word, and our laughing about it, she's saying it that much more!

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/06/more-cussing http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/06/more-cussing Wed, 14 Jun 2006 22:00:15 -0800 Winnie the Pooh's cuss word When we've told Arwen no, or something doesn't agree with her, her little expletive is "Oh, bothuh!" (bother).

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/06/winnie-the-poohs-cuss-word http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/06/winnie-the-poohs-cuss-word Tue, 13 Jun 2006 11:08:18 -0800 Get candy, Get candy, Get candy! ....J. Seinfeld I'll never tell my children this, but I find their desire for sweets very endearing, looking up at me at the kitchen counter, begging, pleading, a little hopping, offended at the thought of being left out! .....my little trio of beggars.

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/06/get-candy-get-candy-get-candy http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/06/get-candy-get-candy-get-candy Tue, 06 Jun 2006 23:51:28 -0800 A few of her words Savannah ="Eh"
Seth = "Et"
Seffie = "Ety"
(and my favorite)
"I lah-you, Mama."
"I lah-you, Daddy."

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/06/a-few-of-her-words http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/06/a-few-of-her-words Thu, 01 Jun 2006 22:43:28 -0800 Arwen's first potty blog We are down to 22 diapers. When I bought this last box, I told Brad I wouldn't be buying any more. That means that 22 diapers from now, Arwen will go into the thick cotton undies with the plastic cover. She has been self training, the kind that children do when they're just curious about the toilet and being like their bigger siblings. She hasn't bucked any authority yet because we've never made her go to the potty. I will keep this thread updated.

]]> http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/05/arwens-first-potty-blog http://bradchoate.com/arwen/2006/05/arwens-first-potty-blog Tue, 02 May 2006 19:22:24 -0800