At the Beach

Yesterday we took Hazel to the beach for her first time. She liked it right away. We set her down on the sand and she walked straight to the waves. She did stop for a quick inspection of some seaweed, but was soon back on track. Here is a video documenting her first moments there:

Hazel spent her time continually walking towards the waves. We would let her, then grab her and run when the tide rushed in. We only got caught once, but it was a doozy. I got soaked up to my knees!

Hazel plopped right down on her bum and investigated the wet sand. Plus, she fell forwards once. We decided to be carefree and let her do what she wanted to do. We didn't want to make the beach a scary or a bad place for her. She was not impressed by the delightful popping sounds Todd and I made stepping on the seaweed pods, although he and I were.

After a while, we decided it was time to leave, not because Hazel's interest was waning, but because she was too wet, and therefore cold. She made the drive home in her birthday suit and a fresh diaper (and a nice, warm, fleecy blanket, Mom).

Getting Through Winter One Day at a Time

Our new place faces an enormous park, which Hazel can see from our windows, so naturally, we are there most every. single. day. Thank goodness we live somewhere with mild weather! How would I get through the winter otherwise?
Todd came with us to the park on Saturday, and we made a quick stop at the garage, where Hazel picked up this super sanitary morsel: the car wash sponge.
Hazel would not part with it. Occasionally, she would set it down on the ground and stand or sit on it, but she kept it in her clutches for ten or fifteen minutes. Funny girl.

I love this picture.
This week it has rained almost all day, every day, which puts quite an, ahem, damper on playing at the park. Hazel and I were both pretty restless by today, so I searched online for ideas and found an area jewel: the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo.

It's small, interactive, and free. We spent about an hour and a half there today, and that was with just a quick walk through the little zoo while the rain took a short break. For a ten-minute drive, I couldn't have asked for a better find.

Hazel loved the stuffed animal cave:
which had some frighteningly realistic residents! I was creeped out by the raccoon claws and the furry tarantula, but Hazel adored the owl.

There were also several exhibits that used tennis balls, PVC pipe, and cranks. Hazel stayed at this one for a long time, putting balls in the tube over and over again, watching them fall into a big silver bowl.
Later on, she figured out how to climb into the bowl and put her head down at the end of the tube to watch other children's balls come through.

Any other rainy day ideas for a one-year-old?

This Week's Project

This week I've been working on some picture frames to hang in Hazel's bedroom. I started with three wood frames we were no longer using and painted them using leftover paint from her bedroom wall in Utah. They needed three coats (especially the yellow one). I did one coat a day, to give the brushes time to dry after being washed. That was the longest step.
I matted them using a receiving blanket with a pattern I love. One blanket was big enough for all three frames. I measured using the backing, not the width of the entire frame. First I ironed the blanket so it would be smooth when it went in.
Then I layed the cardboard backings on it and cut the fabric around them. I left enough fabric to pull up behind each (I checked to make sure that wouldn't be too thick to fit, first.
Then I pulled up each edge one at a time and taped it on, simple as that! I tugged it really tight to make sure it would look smooth. I even tucked in the corners and just taped them in place, bulky fabric and all. I did cut down the fabric at the spots where you hang them.
Then I put them in the frames, just so. I haven't ordered my prints yet, so I didn't bother to put in the glass, but you get the idea.
When I place the pictures in them, they'll look something like this:
I'm pretty excited about it! And to think, the only cost of this project is the picture developing. Everything else I used was just sitting around the house, begging to be used.

Looks like he knew he'd just married a winner.

I was going through my pictures looking for a mug of my dad, and thought this was too cute not to share. Why isn't this on our living room wall? The man adores me.

Daddy-Daughter Date

Hazel has recently discovered the art of hand-holding. Last night, she used all her womanly charms on Todd and got him to stroll around the apartment with her for several minutes. It was too adorable not to record. Forgive the missing pants - it was bathtime and she was stalling.

For Papanwah

My dad requested pictures, pictures, and more pictures of Hazel on the blog. I acquiesce.

Reading: a small hobby at our house.

Hazel as the sheep in the Christmas nativity.
The pre-nativity huddle.

Daddy took Hazel sledding for her first time ever. She was a medium fan.

What happens when you put your baby to bed in the hotel bathroom,
and don't get her right away when she wakes up.

Falsely Accused

4:10 pm
T: Did you fart?
A: (Scowls.) No.

4:15
A: It's kind of cold in here.
T. Yeah, it's a little chilly.
Angie turns the thermostat up to start the heater.

4:20
A: Should I wake Hazel up? Or let her keep sleeping and just let her stay up late tonight?
T: Let her sleep. Let's read.

Todd and Angie sit on the couch and start reading.

4:22
A: You stink.
T. YOU stink.
A: No, I don't. You do.

Todd gets up and goes into the hall.

T: It smells even worse in the hall!

He opens the door to the bathroom, thinking the smell is coming from the diaper pail. He sniffs three times, mystified because the bathroom smells fine, but the hall stinks.

T: It smells like poop.
A: Is it the heater?

Todd sniffs at Hazel's door.

T:It's coming from in here!
A: Did she poop? Is she awake?
T: Yep.

We opened the door to the overwhelming stench of a poopy diaper and the bewildered look of a barely-awake baby being laughed at by both parents. We couldn't stop laughing and exclaiming about how bad her room stunk, and she was too sleepy to join in. The heater vent had taken the smell and spread it throughout the entire apartment!