Montecito Mama

Janice: Lucie, look at these tiny diapers! They are for the new baby! Lucie: For me? My want to wear dos tiny diapers. Janice: No, they are for the new brother or sister that is going to join our family. Lucie: Dat baby in your belly? Janice: Yep. Aren't they tiny? Lucie: There no baby in my belly. Put your baby in Oliver's belly (a schoolmate). Dat baby come tomorrow? Janice: No, not for a long time. Lucie: Put those tiny diapers away then. Put dem back for long time and help me make a nicnic (picnic).

Before Grayson was even born, Rob and I made a pact not to introduce him to music targeted at his age group. This fear of having the radio hijacked by the soundtrack to The Lion King was planted after riding in too many mini-vans with friends and having to yell out conversation over manic versions of Baby Beluga. If we had tried listening to something else, say NPR or even The Beatles, the kids in the backseat would scream until they either passed out or gagged all over the leather interior. Two kids later and the pact is still holding firm in our mini-van. In fact, both kids often tell us to turn up the volume when we're listening to our music, and particularly love the song "New Shoes" by Paolo Nutini. Like magic, the music can cure the grumpiest of moods just by blasting it really loud and dancing together in the living room.

We've spent the last week saying goodbye to our dear friends, the Mills, who are headed off to Oregon to assume leadership of a church there. Those Corvallis women are going to have to step it up to compete with Kir's lipstick and high heeled chicness! While their friendship with us and between our kids is irreplaceable, Rob and I are holding out hope that any new friends will be closer to the 5-foot mark, thus making us feel less like shrimps who belong at the kid's table. Wishing you sunny days and large houses filled with lots of family time, Mills family!

The City of Goleta celebrated Labor Day with the fireworks show they had planned for Fourth of July, but canceled due to the Gap Fire. Grayson loved cuddling on the blanket with friends and the USA tattoos that still adorn his face 3-days later. Lucie enjoyed the snacks (of course) but the fireworks, not so much. "Es a monster fowing scawey wocks dat pop," she screamed for 30-seconds before finding a sweater button to nurse on and falling asleep in my arms. I'm still smiling from the old-fashioned joy of gathering with neighbors on a blanket to ooh and aah at the nighttime sky. And to collectively groan at Enrique's musical choreography: "I could be your hero, Baby!"

In our continuing struggle to come up with the perfect but not overused name for baby #3, the siblings have selected Ellabella for a girl. Which is preferable to the Coolio they have chosen for a brother. While we were thankful for any possibilities last week during a little pre-term labor scare, I'm glad to have a few more months to continue the search.

Although by no means a comprehensive list of the things that terrify our little Lulu, following is a sampling of the random fears which cause overload and eventual shut down. Of course, each scream just about breaks big brothers heart, preventing him from touching baby sister with "scawey" object more than, say, six or seven times. "My no like .... dragonflies, lizards, trees with star-shaped leaves or droppings of any kind, pool grout, black cats, Christmas tree lights, fireworks, balloons ...."