More Puccini and Peter at Chez Kosina

Peter the baby toddler has entered a new stage of development. We'll call this the Climbing Stage. Here is how it works. Erika will be in the kitchen, doing something that requires near-constant attention like toasting walnuts. (I know, I know, I've tried to tell her to stick to something simple like Egg McMuffins, but she refuses to listen). Peter, in the mean time, will be in the other end of the apartment (the playroom), doing god knows what.

Every few minutes Erika runs down the hall to see what Peter is doing. She does this more frequently when things get quiet because as all mothers know, a quiet baby toddler is a baby toddler who has found something so dangerous/interesting as to be completely absorbed for however long it takes to gravely injure himself.

Now, here comes the Italian opera. This morning it's Tosca. Appropriately dramatic and tragic for the variety of tableaux that Erika is greeted with when she peeks around the door frame:

1. Peter sitting innocently, *reading a book*!!!
   
2. Peter standing with both hands on the cat, fists full of fur in each hand
   
3. Peter STANDING on the dining room chair next to a large window, giggling
   
4. Peter sitting calmly on a cushion, playing with daddy's sock
   
5. Peter struggling valiantly to wiggle up onto the dining room chair, which has now been wedged between the table and the sofa to discourage mounting
   
6. Peter sitting calmly on the sofa, looking perplexed (how IN THE WORLD did he manage to climb up there???)
   

sigh. This is how Erika has lost so much weight. It takes her two and a half hours just to prepare breakfast, and by then it's lunch time and she's thinking "Why bother?". We really should go back to the restrictive child gates in every room, but then Peter spends all of his time trying to climb up Mommy instead of chairs and tables. Equally hard to prepare a meal with a whining toddler attached to your leg.

So when do we get to the Can't Stop Folding Laundry stage? Or, better yet, the Obsessive Kitty Petting stage? Guess we'll find out.

Pictures. Yeah, I know. Working on it.

Quick Update

Didn't mean to leave y'all hanging there. In brief, here is the news of note:

1) Martin accepted the job! He will start saving the world energy (ask him, it has something to do with computers and power metrics that is beyond my tiny feline brain) in another week and a half.

2) Erika has discovered the perfect soundtrack for screaming babies: Italian Opera. Picture it: some Italian guy, wailing mournfully about his lost love and then, Peter chimes in: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! It's perfect. Now, before you call Child Protective Services again, this is the third meltdown this morning, and it is only 10:30. She has tried and tried and TRIED to pick him up, soothe him, help him stop crying, and he gives her only the universal baby sign for No Way Mom, which is both hands waving across the body like an over-eager umpire insisting that the guy was SAFE. Or is it OUT? Can't remember the last time I was at a baseball game...

3) Are the Kosinas moving to Nevada City? Who knows. Stay tuned (again). Martin wants to practice his new bicycle commute (the job is in San Francisco) and then we'll see.

4) Peter is now 12 kilograms, which for all you Americans out there, translates to Damned Heavy. Or around 27 pounds. Had to keep up with the elongation, which the doctor puts at 33 inches or 83.75 centimeters. He's a big guy. Must be all the "daddy omelettes" that Martin has been concocting for his breakfast lately.

5) And yes, Peter turned 15 months old this week and Erika has yet to post any pictures anywhere. She's been busy with, uh, making trips to the library for more Italian opera. And cooking. Oh my, has she been cooking. Chocolate raspberry clafouti anyone? Sorry, it's all gone.

6) Record high in San Francisco this week has been 58 degrees. Fahrenheit. I'm going back to my nap now until the sun comes out.

Pawlene's Perspective for the 100th Time

Yes, with a lot of little help from Erika, and no help at all from Peter The Marauding Toddler, I am posting to this blog for the 100th time.

When this blog started two and a half years ago, we were happily living in Portland, Oregon. Peter was but a twinkle in Martin and Erika's eye, we were looking for a house to buy, and this blog was mostly about Food. My, the more some things change, the more others stay the same.

But first, the news. Here is a quick highlight of This Week's House Drama. When Erika last reported on the house we made an offer on in Grass Valley, she mentioned that Another Cat had suddenly come into the picture as part of the deal. Well, we had a little chat and Erika and Martin immediately revoked the offer. There might have been a few other factors at play, like the 20-minute commute to town, which was starting to sound really long, and the fact that the situation with the bank was getting more complicated instead of less, but still. Another cat? No way. Erika and Martin have mixed feelings about the whole thing, but feel that it really was the right decision.

However, there are a few other house options under consideration, both in Nevada City. Stay tuned...

In other late-breaking news, Martin has finally received a job offer that actually interests him. He is currently contemplating it. It sounds really cool, but we don't want to start counting those chickens yet so that's all I'm going to say about it right now.

And now for the REAL news. Allow me to quote from the thank you note that Erika and Martin received from our latest house sitters:

"I can't tell you how much we appreciated having a [blah blah blah] AND of course, the BEST cat in the world! I've had cats all my life, and have never met a more friendly and loving one."

Someone *finally* appreciates me for who I am. Not one mention of my size in that note, mind you. All about my *inner* beauty. Hmmph.

Oh, and for you photo hounds, here are the Kosinas in attendance at one of the coolest weddings ever (Congratulations, Tracy and Jason Starr!). That large boy on Martin's shoulders? Peter.

Guest Post from Erika: Real Summer

Ok, so I must admit that I was sulking for the first few days in Nevada City. And for good reason! We came home from Europe, cleaned house and got over jet lag, unpacked our suitcases about 3/4 of the way and then just packed them back up again to come to Nevada City. Once we got up here, we SERIOUSLY cleaned house for several days, and tried to get used to finding our way around in a new town while one of Martin's close friends went through a pretty serious crisis back in the Bay Area. Not the most restful week.

However, Martin took the day off today and we went down to Mother's Beach at the South Yuba river to soak, refresh, and, well, play! And it was grand. It felt like Real Summer, the kind of summer that I remember from when I was a kid and in and out of ponds, lakes, rivers, and swimming pools all summer long. Hot, hot weather that doesn't cool off at night. Ice cream every day because it's cold and it tastes good and it is a simple pleasure. Summer is all about simple pleasures.

And speaking of simple pleasures, I realized tonight that we haven't watched a movie at home in, well, weeks. First because we were in France, then because we were too tired and busy getting ready for the next trip and now because we are having too much fun enjoying outdoor summer pleasures. Ok, well there was one night that Martin put this, um, airplane movie on...something about the romance of flying... I can't honestly say I remember much past the first 20 minutes because it was at the end of a long and exhausting day and Martin had decided to make his famous Manhattans earlier in the evening. Yes, I am becoming my mother because I can't seem to stay awake for more than the first half of a film.

But back to summer pleasures. The other day, I had Big Plans to take Peter to the park. Big Plans. I found the location of the park online, scribbled down the directions, waited for him to wake up from his nap, and commenced the diapering, dressing and shoeing of the baby. Sometimes this can be done in around 5 minutes. On a really good day. Often it can take, well, all afternoon. This was one of those afternoons. I would get one pant leg on, get the other pant leg hooked around his toe and then the first pant leg would be off. Rinse and repeat, ad nauseum. Don't even ask about the little baby shoes. One would think velcro would make things EASY. So anyway, after a time struggling to get Peter dressed in a way too hot house, I simply gave up and let him wander around in his diaper for a few minutes. And then it dawned on me. I was about to embark on a 15-minute walk in 99-degree weather to a PARK with hot metal slides. ??? I saw the light, took off his diaper, and let him play in the kiddie pool for the rest of the afternoon. He loved it. There is some kind of Zen lesson in there somewhere. Go with the flow. Whatever. The simple summer pleasure of a kiddie pool in way too hot weather trumped any other afternoon plans. And it was so easy!

My personal favorite summer pleasure is, of course, food related. And no, it's not ice cream although ice cream is frequently a party to this particular pleasure. My favorite thing to do on a hot summer night is to eat outside, preferably with good friends who love good food and good conversation. We have had four perfect summer dinner parties since arriving in Nevada City, three of them at "our" house. During my favorite one so far, we had to hunt down candles so that the conversation could continue. And then the candles melted all the way down to nubbins and I *finally* had to go inside and get a sweatshirt because the temperature dropped below 70 degrees. Heaven.

Tonight's dinner party ended early, but it was especially fun because our friends brought their wonderful boys with them, ages 4 and 7. As I was doing the dishes, listening to the shouts from the "dads and sons" volleyball game outside, I realized that THIS is what summer is about. This is what I have been missing in San Francisco. This is how I want to live, and this is how I want Peter to grow up. With appropriate space and temperature to enjoy being outside, especially in the summer.

We looked at another house that was perfectly lovely this afternoon. We are going to look at a few more on Sunday, just in case the house that we made an offer on doesn't come through or gets hung up indefinitely. Couldn't hurt. And maybe we will move in time for the simple pleasures of autumn in a small town in the mountains.

Peter is 14 months old!

Two posts in one day! When it rains it pours...

For those of you following along only for the gratuitous bonus baby photos (really, Facebook just makes it too easy and I've gotten lazy about posting here), here are a few. Not only does the little guy walk now, he sweeps! Mommy is VERY happy about this new development. Oh by the way, I don't normally use "product" in his hair. These photos were taken immediately after his second hair cut at the local (read: Mexican) salon. Looks just like an altar boy, doesn't he? Or maybe Derek Zoolander...

July 1: Bloggers Against Procrastination Day (Guest Post from Erika because Pawlene is too darn lazy to type)

Oh hi. I could start by listing various excuses why Pawlene hasn't posted anything in nearly two months, but that would be boring. She is a cat. She's been catching up on sleep. And adjusting to all sorts of new house sitters.

The Kosinas, on the other hand, have been traveling like crazy. And this is the first instant where I have been sitting, relaxed, in one spot, with nothing pressing hanging over my head and no baby tugging at my leg, in quite some time.

A quick summary of our travels to date:

1. A week in Esalen for a dance workshop, during which Peter became scarily ill and Child Protective Services came to take Erika away because she forgot to bring Infant Tylenol to a remote (one hour from a hospital) place with her baby. It all worked out. Erika missed out on a sweat lodge, but learned a lot from the experience. Peter made 74 new friends, all of who knew him by name 3 days into the workshop. Mostly beautiful, baby-hungry hippie women. This is why I don't let Martin take Peter off for 5-day workshops with beautiful hippie women.

2. Two weeks in France plus a week in Italy sandwiched in the middle, during which Peter was much doted upon by 3 different grandparents and various friends. Unfortunate side effect of Martin swearing to never ever fly on a commercial airline with Peter ever again. Ever. They did enjoy splashing in the lake though. I think it was both of their favorite parts. That and all the good French wine (Martin, not Peter).

3. A week and half in Nevada City, where I sit now, on the 89-degree front porch of "Auntie" Kristina's house, writing this blog entry. We put quite a bit of work into the place this time around, making hundreds of spider enemies with the vacuum, brooms, mop and dust rag. I have apologized profusely to my little arachnid friends, letting them live as often as I can, but I am on a serious one-woman mission to eradicate the annoying giant weed that looks like a walnut tree that has popped up EVERYWHERE since we last visited. Be gone, giant weed!

The status of our very own house in Grass Valley continues to creep towards certainty. We tested the internet on Monday and it appears to work. So now we wait until the bank makes up their mind on whether or not our offer is a fair price. They have until August. The current owners are packed and ready to move. They did drop a furry little bomb on us on Monday however. There is not only a resident snake that we are expected to care for, but a resident CAT. Now Pawlene is the most patient kitty in the world with little children, and she even tolerates dogs rather well, but Other Cats are another story. She hates them. All of them. With passion and fury. This particular cat lives outside, and Pawlene's primary territory is inside, so we may be able to work something out, if in fact we do come into possession of this particular house. Stay tuned.

In the mean time, I am exploring grocery stores (Briar Patch ROCKS almost as hard as New Seasons in Portland) and various toddler-friendly play places. The South Yuba river is at the top of our list, as is the Grass Valley Library. After Peter's nap today: Pioneer Park, which we can walk to from the house. Exercise, yay!

I am also eating WAY too much ice cream (a habit I picked up in Italy) and wondering how I am ever going to fit an Exercise Routine back into my life. After August. Yes, more travel in August. Our much-postponed trip to the Midwest, God (and the gods of private air travel) willing. A visit from my parents, which will allow Martin and I to escape for a night or two sans bebe. (!!!) Burning Man is high on the list, but it's hard to go for just a day or two. And then it's birthday season for the Willett family. sigh. I guess this is what summer is all about. At least I get a few moments like this, watching ants crawl on the deck and lizards sunning themselves in the driveway as I wait for the telltale wail of a baby who is Awake and ready to see his momma again.