Jackson and Louie

Jackson and I got to go over and visit with big boy Calvin yesterday! A whole new boy! Not the new infant he was, curled up in his snugly, but a grown baby boy! He has the biggest smile, dimple chin, and gorgeous eyes! He is so bright and sweet and connecting. Jackson was very interested in checking out his old swing and play mat...He pointed proudly and looked them over like old friends.
Jackson was weary of sweet Louis their dog who just wiggles and licks. Louis wanted a play mate but Jack was having none of that! He would climb up in my lap and then try to scale my head. He finally found the magic phrase, "Louis outside!?" We are trying to acclimate them both to friend's pups so that they aren't so irked. I realize it's a direct result of our dumb neighbor's dog. Friendly humans but their weimeramer (sp?) is a crazy guard dog and barks viciously along the fence at them still, after 3 years! Our friend's dog Thrasher , bless his heart, behaved more like his name too. Charging us when we went over to their house for a visit. So the kids are over it.
They are going to need more of Sweet Lou's therapy. Just like Grandpa and Karen's dog, Page, they just love them to death.

Baby Fonana

We got to meet Baby Fiona last week! Also known as Fi, Fee Fee Addi, Gee, and as Jackson says, "Baby Fonana is so cute!!!" We are so proud of new parents Ariel and Ryan who have happily embrace baby land. A wondrous land of burps, feedings, crazy poops, dyno, raptor, or eaglet noises, love, love, and love!
As a side note we are dieing to see Fiona's best friend, Calvin... who is now a big boy and is already enrolled in soccer this spring! Rumor has it, this kid has the best smile in P-town and does it constantly.... LOVEY BOY!

Posadas and Pinatas

This year the we spent Christmas with Tim's family in LA. Bijou was very proud and told everyone, "Were going to ELLLL A!" Now it was hard to think about for going your comfortable traditions in your own home to go and experience a very different and religious Christmas! Ha! I was raised with a dash of winter solstice, a tablespoon of Santa, a cup of feasting, and a sprinkle of guilty consumer love. Which has been happily passed down and embraced. I had no idea what to expect with the notions of mass, baby Jesus, and pinatas.
After a 'fam gone wild' at the airport with projectile barfing , and Tim bracing Bij in the airplane bathroom while we landed, we arrived as a motley crew from Oreeegon. All of us feverish and fluish we greatfully checked into a hotel and dipped each smelly babe into a warm bubble bath, then into jammies, and bed.
Tim's Grandma moved here fifty some years ago from Mexico City and has lived in the same little house in Marina Del Rey ever since. She raised all six kids in that house, lost her husband, and has had the same Christmas and posadas every year. Besides the new frightining glass tower high rises surrounding the neighborhood it is very sweet and normal, like home.
The family, especially aunt or "teacher Stella", is making this year super special because Bijou and Jackson are the only kids in the family right now and so they are all excited to show us a true Delgado Christmas.
Posadas is where half the family grabs little lanterns and a statue of Mary and Joseph and donkey and palmtree and they go to each door of the house and sing sweet spanish songs about how they have traveled far and need a place to stay. The other half of the family stays inside and sings songs turning them away until finally the last verse they are let in. Then Bijou got to place the baby Jesus in his manger, which she did quickly and rather threw him in.... So she went back to tuck the ceramic infant in so he would stay warm. I don't know if it was the warmth of the candel lit lamps, the sweet singing, the family, or the LA winter but it was just lovely.
Following Posadas was the exciting pinata. A huge traditional one and the oldest cousins got to climb up on the roofs and hold the ropes. A position I could tell meant more then one would think. After the kids gave it their best the woman giggled and got up there, hiking up skirts and posing like a baseball player. Their Aunt Kathy, high school principal, gave it a serious thrashing. It was grrreat!
After the pinata it was feasting and presents and Christmas carols sung to Aunt Tampson's violin. It left us all with a warm glow in our hearts and a sense of re-newed tradition in my spirit. Baby Jesus tucked warmly in his manger, Mary and Joseph got a stable to sleep in, and a family carried on the tradition of many families before. It was a treat and a treasure that I will always remember.

Fwosty the snow man!!

We just had 2 incredible snow days at home. An opportunity to relax, play in the snow, clean the dirty dust bunnies in the corner, watch weird kid movies like "Eloise", knit, burn fire logs, and drink to much coffee. Bijou's favorite part of snow day was having her neighbor friend Mary over to play. This provided me with some time to myself while the girls played and Jack Jack followed all around the back yard snow land. The first activity they tackled was to make an ice rink out of the crusty old pool. Which they did brilliantly, packing in snow around the outside and making little steps. I am talking about a smallish hard shelled kid pool here....
The second day was when Jackson came running in and yelling, "Fwosty Mom!!! We made Fwosty" and there he was...fwosty the tiniest snow man in the world at 8 inches high. They had put two yard long sticks in the sides for arms and mini pine cones for eyes and a nose. The topper was Jacks own hat and mittens (the only ones he'll keep on). Ahh Fwosty was pretty darn handsom.