Our Little Singer Song Writer

Tatum started her first dance class this week.  She loves to dance, but she declares that she'll be a singer when she grows up.  The night before her first class, she was having trouble winding down due to the excitement.  She tossed and turned, and I reminded her that it was time to sleep.  She turned to me and said, in her usual way, "I just have one more thing I want to say to you, okay?"  Okay Taters, give it to me and then go to sleep.  This is what she said:

"When I am tapping, I am a tapper.
And when I am not, I am not.
When I am singing, I am a singer.
When I plant flowers, I am a grower.
When I plant tomatoes, I am a tomato grower.
And when I catch rainbows, I'm a rainbow catcher.
And when I do good things, I'm a being. 
Do you know what a being is?
A being is a good person who does good things to other beings."

When we registered for the class, Tatum got a new purple t-shirt.  Here she is showing it off with her shiny little tap shoes.  Watch out!

Shopping TJs

Last year a Trader Joe's opened at the top of our street.  We are there every week, sometimes twice.  It's just too easy.  Recently they brought out mini-shopping carts, and Hazel found them to be just her size.  Here are some cute pics of her shopping, wearing her sister's nightgown, sucking on a pacifier...

Summer Squanderings

Hazel on the back porch smelling the fresh cut roses after a swim 

It's officially summer, and with two working parents, summer for us happens on the weekends and those precious hours between pick-up from daycare/preschool and put-down to bed.  We've taken full advantage of our backyard bliss and broke out a hippo pool given to us as a present for Tatum's first birthday.  Most evenings are spent splashing in the hippo pool, but some evenings entail a different kind of adventure. 



No worries - Hazel did not suffer any dysentery after this play day



Our new favorite park located in LaCresenta has a small babbling stream.  The key to visiting the park is to be prepared with a change of clothes and towels.  Although I have yet to take this key advise myself, we make the most of wet tushes and enjoy the simplicity that can only be achieved on a hot afternoon, sittting in water, and throwing rocks. 



Snacking at Descanso before the Show

Yesterday the family summer concert series kicked off at Descanso Gardens.  So if you are wondering where we'll be the next five Tuesday evenings, it's here.  Last night we attended in our matching ballerina fairy dresses, graciously given to us by the girls Great Aunt Bobbi and Uncle Dick.  And if you can believe it, this is the first time I've dressed the girls in matching outfits.  Needless to say, they are SUPER cute.

Being a perfect mother....

Is saying yes to your children when they ask you for popcorn for breakfast.

Getting into the Saddle

It is a wonderful experience to be near Hazel as she squeals in excitement about animals, birds, and insects. Hazel has not started using words yet (and no, I am not worried) but what she does use are shrills and screams to express her joy of seeing other non-human living things.  So it was really fun to take her and Tatum to ride the horses at Griffith Park last weekend.  Hazel is finally getting to the age that she can do more and more fun activities, and she is so excited to be allowed to participate. 

Oh yes, and Tatum loves it too! 

Goodness! Well...here's an update

Wow?  Has my lack of posting gone on so long that now Google blogger has a whole new format to compose posts?  I guess so.

It appears that half my entries in the blog start with apologies to my dear viewers for the lack of posting, and, well, this post falls into that category.  We are in June, and my last post was in March.  Ah, oh well!  If you are reading this then your commitment to me, and my bogging, is still in tact and I hope to not disappoint.

So much has happened (as you can imagine in a house of two girls under five) in the last few months, but let's start with the biggest news - TATUM TURNED FOUR!   And to celebrate, we had four parties for her, more like four celebrations....

The Shearer Family celebrating at Outback Steakhouse thanks to a birthday gift card from Pop Pop.

A super happy four year old celebrating with friends at preschool.

 

 

For the past year or so I have been working on Karma Triyana Dharmachakra's (KTD) National Steering Committee for Family and Dharma programming.  KTD is the monastery I belong to and have been affiliated with almost my entire life.  In case you didn't know, I am Buddhist!  My work lead me to participate in a Family Weekend hosted at KTD where Tatum and I took our first trip together to join my mom and grandmother in Woodstock, NY.  That's right - four generations!  It was the first time I had returned to KTD in ten years, and it was a wonderfully magically weekend full of activities, crafts, nature hikes, life releases, and fun!  And even more special, Tatum turned four while in New York.  She was able to share her birthday with her new friends, my mother, and grandmother (not to mention a whole plane of strangers too as we flew back to LA that night).  

 

Above - Tatum poses in front of prayer flags near the pond. 
Right - Tatum insists on swimming in the gorge although it is freezing.  Like mother, like daughter - where there is water, we will get in!

The rest of the family, meaning Andrew and Hazel, are doing great.  Hazel is still smiling with only six teeth in her head, but that does not keep her from eating anything placed on the table.  We finally moved Hazel out of room and set her up in Tatum's room.  The girls enjoy their shared space, and we parents LOVE having a room to our own.  The simple freedom of being able to walk into my bedroom and turn on the light no matter what time is an act I will never take for granted.  

Tree Planting

We are in tree planting season here in Southern California.  For the past two weekends I've taken my trusty tree planter Tatum to tree planting events in the community.  Two weeks ago we headed out to El Monte and planted a 15-gallon Sycamore tree at a future community river park.  Tatum was excited to be given a small shovel and a sun hat to plant.  At one point during our digging she became more focused on the rocks coming out of the ground than creating the hole for the tree.  She would give each rock a bath, and then set it up in her kingdom (of cardboard) as a princess, prince, or monster.  Our goal was to plant four, as Tatum is obsessed with the number four and turning four in May.  Well, we got one in the ground and started to dig another when Tatum decided she would rather eat popcorn in the car and head home.  When we got home Tatum shared her thoughts, "Mommy, this was a perfect day!"  Granted it was only 11:30am, but she was right, it was a perfect day. 



The Shearer Clan around LaLa's Oak

 Last weekend the whole family headed into the Angeles National Forest and planted a 1-gallon Oak trees in the Vogel Flats picnic area.  Saturday March 4th was my mother's birthday, so we dedicated this tree to her - Happy Birthday LaLa!  Upon watering the tree, Tatum turned to the tree and said, "Tree, you are growing so big. I am so proud of you. I'm gonna give you a big kiss" and then kissed the tree.  As we headed home and were about 20 minutes down the road Tatum exclaimed that she could still hear the tree growing and it was getting so big!  Yep, we got a 2nd generation tree hugger/kisser on our hands.

Housework or Houseplay?

Life is all perception, right?  Right.  So the other night I found myself in typical fashion on my hands and knees sweeping the kitchen floor.  Hazel approached in excitement seeing the dustpan and broom as nothing more than toys.  I denied her the opportunity to play because I wanted to finish this simple task of cleaning the floor. She protested the rejection and cried to have the toys in her hands.  I realized as I looked at the frustration that was growing in my body for having to even clean in the first place, that I saw these two items in my hands as tools to do work, whereas Hazel saw them as toys to do play.  If I simply changed my perception of what I was doing, playing instead of working, then the whole process of cleaning becomes a source of joy instead of resentment.  Funny how perception works.  So I finished my sweep, dumped the dirt in the trashcan (literally and figuratively) and gave the toys to Hazel to play.   I'd much rather play than work any day, anytime. 

Hazel Turns ONE

Yeppers, Hazel is One.  After very little consideration, we decided to take advantage of MLK day and throw a midday party at the house.  Oh, how the second child is so short changed....you may remember (or not) Tatum's first birthday where I went ALL out and built a sandbox, purchased shovels and buckets for all attending friends, personalized the sand toys with each child's name, balloons, lanterns, etc., etc., etc.  Fast forward to Hazel's approaching first birthday and Andrew and I found ourselves scratching our heads wondering if we should have a party.  Well I am certainly glad we did, for Hazel deserves a day of cupcakes and presents to honor her first year of life in celebration with all of her friends. 

On Hazel's actual birthday, we spent the day together with Tatum, hanging out at home and a visit to the toy store in town.  On the way to the store, I chose to hold Hazel in the Ergo child carrier realizing that these days of carrying my baby girl are numbered as she continues to grow each day.  Hazel buried herself in my chest as we walked and I rubbed her little body and felt complete satisfaction in and gratitude for being a mother to these two.  Tatum held my hand and spoke, "Mommy, you know everything."  "What?" I exclaimed, did I just really hear that statement, "I know everything?"  Tatum responded "Yes, you know everything.  There is only one queen and you are the Queen."  Wow!  Sweet!  I'll take that lovely gift of words on my youngest daughter's first birthday.  Thank you Tatum. 

Happy New Year - 2012!

11 months and still no teeth

Are You Thankful?

A conversation in the bathroom:

Tatum, going potty: "You know momma, one day I am going to have to go bye-bye."

Me: "What?"

Tatum: "Soon...Hazel and I will have to go, but you and daddy will have to stay here.  You and daddy will be crying.  And you'll say 'noooo', but we have to.  Hazel and I have to go."

Me: speechless - stunned

Tatum: "Are you thankful?

Me: "Am I thankful?"

Tatum: "Yes, are you thankful?"

Me: "Yes, I am.  I am very thankful."

Goodness! My three-year-old daughter is already prepping me for the day she'll leave the house.  I assume this realization came from her watching and understanding the plot of Toy Story 3.  Andy had to go to college, and one day Tatum and Hazel will too.  We have 15 years before any of that happens, and I am thankful.

Happy 7th Birthday Drew & Ethan

Nice Hair Haze!

LaLa and A Visit LA for a Day!

Recently my mom and step dad had a layover in LA for a night.  So, to make the most of their 20 hour visit, I picked them up at LAX, took them to work for a few hours, picked up the girls, and spent the evening trying on new dresses and receiving other great gifts including this homemade blanket before I took them back to a LAX hotel for the night.  Yep, that's right, LaLa and A sewed this greatly loved and appreciated Rapunzel blanket.  So they flew in and flew out but it was an awesome evening together.

Tatum the Teacher

A new night-time ritual has come into our lives, Tatum now chooses friends to read to each night before turning out the lights.  Check her out:

This ritual came from Tatum's desire to reach a story to Andrew and I each night.  While we greatly enjoy listening to her read, the event could sometimes go on for a very, very long time.  So, when asked to sit down for a story, I asked Tatum to read to her friends instead.  I chose mother-daughter combo animals (the big and little turtle, horse, and bear) and tucked them into the foot of her bed.  She was super excited by this new adventure and immediately assumed the role of teacher, "okay students, are you ready for a story?  here's the book, here's the title..."

Halloween Festivities in Pictures

Month started out by making our own scare crows.  One bail of hay will make several scarecrows, no need to buy two.

Our finished scarecrow, no head...until Halloween

Our Pumpkin among the pumpkins. 

carving pumpkins

the scarecrow gets a head

off to a halloween party - turns out we were the only ones dressed up.  no worries, we had fun!

Tatum's preschool gets ready for the Halloween parade, and I left work to join them.

The Parade!

The Witch, The Black Cat, The Pumpkin, and The Scarecrow - we went very traditional this year!

Tatum's best friend Lorelei comes over to join in our neighborhood Halloween fun.

Treat or Treating in Montrose Business Park

And look who we run into - Mika! Tatum's other BFF at school.  Jet is Mika's older sister and she likes to refer to these three as Small, Medium, and Large. 

Hazel is Nine Months

Camping Adventures Part II: Joshua Tree National Park

Okay, after getting Hazel's feet wet with a little beach camping, we couldn't refuse the offer to join friends in Joshua Tree National Park and get in some desert camping this summer as well.  Go ahead, play the U2 album in your head as you continue to read this post and view the pics. 

As you may, or may not, remember, last September was the first time I ever left Andrew and Tatum for more than night and joined old and new friends to camp in Big Sur for a weekend.  I joined up with friends I hadn't seen in 10 years since my travels and study in India.  Since that trip, the changes of life has brought one of my Indian friends to California so after not seeing Alex for 10 years, I am starting to see him a few times a year, and Joshua Tree was one of these trips.

Alex flew in from Oakland, we picked him up, packed up the car, and left for the desert to join eight more folks, only one of which I had met before, David.  David had traveled out the night before and secured three sites for the weekend.  We shared food, camp sites, beverages, laughter, and stories.  One of the families that joined us had two sons Fisher (5) and Bodhi (3), so Tatum was delighted to have playmates.  And Joshua Tree is the perfect place to play.  Jumbo Rocks provide a playground of imagination and physical challenges.  As you can see from the pics, this place is magical.

Jumbo Rocks under a full moon - our home for the weekend

The Three Campsites - that's our tent on the lower right corner

Sunset light on the rocks

Happy Campers

New Friends and New Adventures - it wasn't as steep as it looks...

Playing at Camp - notice the RV, that belongs to the boys and thier family.  Andrew and I are now convinced that is the best way to camp with young ones. 

Joshua Trees in Joshua Tree - Blue Skies

Camping Adventures Part I - Leo Carrillo State Beach

What an adventure this was.... Leo Carrillo is located in Malibu and about 40 miles away from where we live.  Our family friends Jack, Sadie, Molly and J provided us their camping reservations for a weekend in September, reservations that require you to book six months in advance.  Their calendar no longer allowed them to go, so instead of forfeiting the site, I stepped up like any good friend would and offered to take the reservations off their hands. 

I took the work week to prepare for our first family camping adventure since Hazel's birth.  Laundry on Monday and Tuesday, Trader Joe's on Wednesday, packing Thursday and Friday.  Andrew had his list of to dos and to buys and so did I.  At 4pm on Friday with the car fully packed and strapped, we headed down the road to pick up Tatum from preschool and make the drive to Malibu.   We hit the 101 with a ton of enthusiasm, but not a ton of speed.  Andrew mapped our directions on the way and we opted to take Route 23 over the Santa Monica Mountains to Malibu.   We followed our exits, and this state route road turned into a curvy, undeveloped, two-line mountain road that we figured would take FOREVER to drive.  In a passion of frustration at myself and the road, we opted to turn around and drive back down the highway three miles to the Kanan Dune Road and cross over to camp that way.   This road is four lanes with three tunnel passes and definitely the way to roll to Malibu.  As we ascended the mountain passes and descended into the Pacific Coast Highway, our anger and anxiety that had ascended descended away and we were rolling content and happy into Leo Carrillo State Beach. 

We checked in only to find out that our friends had booked a handicap camping site, which requires a valid handicap placard to stay.  Being that we are not handicap, and the entire campground was fully booked, we had two choices: 1) go home or 2) pay for a day-use pass and hand out on the beach for the evening.   Since we had already gone through an anger-inducing frustrating experience just to drive here, we had no more anger and frustration in us.  We laughed, "Of course! Of course it's a handicap site and we can't stay the night."   The only carrot getting Tatum through the whole drive was the reward of having cheetos at the campsite.  So we bought the day pass, opened two beers and a juice box, and headed to the beach with the bag of cheetos.  Tatum had the best dinner of the summer season that night.  And all things considered, it was an awesome night for Andrew and I as well.  We rejoiced in the rare oddity that our dear friend Sara was in possession of a valid handicap placard and she was willing to share it with us for the weekend.  We resolved to return in the morning.

We polished off the cheetos, and returned back over the mountains to swing by Sara's and get the placard, and return home to grill out for the night.  On the return Tatum amused us by singing a new song "I am special, I am special, take a look, you will see, someone very special, someone very special, and it's me, and it's me!"  She didn't care that we were camping that night, she had her cheetoes and was super cheery as a result.  When I took her to bed she said, "tomorrow we will go back to the beach, and then we'll say 'bye beach we have to go camping now' and then we'll go camping."  That was the plan.

In the morning we returned to Malibu and had camp set-up by 9:30am.  There was a light rain, but it didn't matter because we were so happy to finally be camping.   Our camp was the best site we've had to date, no neighbors, totally spacious, and near the beach access.  It wasn't until I went to get water at 5pm that I realized we were totally camped in the wrong spot.  When we checked in that morning the ranger told us site #116, take your first right, then right again.  When we entered the park, we took a right, and the immediate next right was a handicap spot, so I just automatically assumed it was us.  Turns out it was site #2, not #116.  For fear of being kicked out of our site, I went and checked in with the Ranger and explained my confusion.  At first he stated that we needed to move, so I begged that we not given the roller coaster we've been on the past day with even trying to get to our site.  So due to a Junior Ranger making a mistake on another person's reservations, we were able to stay put.  Geez Louise!

So enough saga, we loved our time camping.  Tatum got a new purple sleeping bag for the trip and slept on a sleeping pad, which was new for her.  Hazel took Tatum's old spot, which is the pack and play.  Andrew and I treated ourselves to an air mattress, and we are super excited to have made this car camping upgrade.   We walked around the campground, played at our site, read books, watched a thunder & lightening storm come & go, and played in the ocean.  Memories were made and Hazel had her first camp experience.