(28 Months) - 2 Years 4 Months

The most notable thing about the Bean's development in the last month is the emergence of tantrums. Fun stuff. Not. But you know what is? 98% of the other things she does and says ...

She likes:

Tunnels and bridges - and talking about going over them, under them, or through them.

Playing "petend" - pretending to eat cookies, make a ponytail, find a bunny, etc.

Giving massages - they feel surprisingly nice, and last 3 to 7 seconds.

Making me lie on the floor and read while she falls asleep - which I kind of like too; it's the only time I ever get to hang out with her without paying attention to her, our own version of mother/child parallel play.

Pooping in the big potty - which is nice if we don't have to wipe out and bleach that nasty green little potty.

Slacklining - which includes not only the actual slackline, but anytime she walks in a somewhat straight line, like on a curb, a crack in the road, or on the wooden vegetable garden.

Climbing climbing climbing - she's mastered the rope thing at the park, and climbs up on any surface she can.
Making us laugh - most notably with her "baby stinkface," which she is able to hold for an impressive few seconds as we bust a gut at her deadpan-style humor. Then she laughs with us, so pleased with herself.

She regularly says:

"What name?", or "What that man name?" - she wants to know EVERYthing's name, but refuses to just outright ask the person.

"Mama look." - all.the.time.

"Somepin' to eat." - again, all.the.time. I fear she has Prader-Willi (Rach will understand me here ).

"Why?" - did I already say all.the.time??

"Nightnight"  - she cries this every time she gets hurt or is upset, even though she doesn't actually want to go to bed
"You" for "me" and vice versa, although she recently started to be more accurate in her pronoun use.

Random things she said this month that I wrote down here:

Running down the street to the park, "I'm getting exercise!"

Francie: "Go poop on big potty."

Mama: "Yeah, if you put poop in the big potty I'll give you a tattoo."

F: "Don't look at you."

M: "Ok, we won't watch you."

F: "Why?"

M: "Because you just asked us not to."

F: "Why?"

Francie: "Mama draw me."

I trace her. 

Francie: "Need eyes."
I draw eyes.

Francie: "Draw my butt."
Even though it's a chalk outline with eyes on the front, I draw but cheeks and say, "okay, here's your butt."
Francie: "Draw 'gina."
Me, silent and confused about how to tell her that her vagina is not an essential part of her chalkline.

iPhone screenshots of text/email exchanges from Alex while I"m at work, which make me smile big, if not guffaw sometimes:

And my favorite rando photos from the last month that didn't get their own blog post ...

Out to eat with Beebee on the Columbia before his big France trip.

Night-night reading with Laura and Garret.

I've never seen her sit as still for as long as she did laying in this infant carseat, eating almonds and watching the World Cup.

Artist at work.

Sunny days, naked babies will play.

Seriously, you guys, she's a nudist.

Neked work.

Neked play.

99 degrees = baby pool.

"Petend"ing to be a dog.

Loungin' Take 1.

Loungin' Take 2.

Uncle (first cousin once removed) Ryan visits, and we have a Sauvie Island picnic.

Baby's First Pedicure. I think I'll keep my day job.

Sandy beach = sandy buns. A swim on the Columbia after a ride in "Pinecone," the "Sugar Pine" sailboat dinghy.

And some YouTube video clips:

Tahoe Time!

Get ready to view more photos (iPhone and DSLR) than your government-issued computer can handle (oh wait, that's just me), or at least more pics than you ever really wanted to see of Tahoe, the Bean, and our family adventures together. Too bad, my friends, because we had the best.time.ever., and I want to show-off/document for posterity.

I finally figured out how to use the iPhone's panorama feature ... Alpine Meadows' Five Lakes hike, a favorite of mine. Where I reminisced of Tahoe adventures of past ... meeting Alex back in 2006, living here with Stac, getting engaged and then married and then pregnant, all in this little Sierra Jewel. I had the BEST time hiking several days, by myself, with that fresh pine air and dusty trails. I SO miss hiking just out my backdoor; and with plenty of adults to tend to the Bean, I had lots of opportunities to enjoy that Tahoe time.

Annual Close Quarters Fourth of July Party - The Bean took a good nap, rocked her patriotic colors, played with her third cousins, and was a general delight to all observing family members (later to meltdown at bedtime with mama).

The many faces of Francie on the Fourth. We look oh-so-Americana here, with our red and white tops, and the red/white/blue kiddie picnic table.

That expression is the "yeah, I let you bribe me to take a photo with those chips, so here's my biggest best smile; now give me my chips"

We look good here. Even young, maybe. It's just the lighting, though, don't be fooled.

Family on the Fourth. These two.

"Driving" with cousin Hailey.

Tahoe Vista/CQ shenanigans - hanging with Mimi/Papa, Uncle Brian/"Uncle" Jen, and Grandma Lambie; chalk outlines galore; obsessively asking "somepin' to eat!"; asking for Papa, walks with Nesta, Tahoe Vista beachin', wagon rides, etc.

"Draw me." ... "where eyes ... where nose ... where butt ... where 'gina."

A Francie outline.

Wagon walk to the beach!

Cold toes.

"More bellies, please."

Francie's BFF = Papa.

MILF? Maybe. Or it's the lighting. Thanks, Instragram.

Beachin' it at Speedboat Beach with Kara, Dan and Julian.

Hazy family pic at Speedboat.

Francie and Julian go SUP (stand-up-paddleboarding) with the dads

By timid but badass little Bean on a paddleboard.

Lots of pre-nap cuddles for mama.

And maybe some accidental cuddle naps.

Auntie ("uncle") Jen!

Francie playing with another 3rd cousin, Mia.

Our little nudist. This reminds me of Janet J's infamous Superbowl Nipple Slip.

Mia climbed up on my lap to cuddle, and the Bean got a bit jealous. I was more than happy to host to cuddlers.

Hammin' it up for the grown-ups.

Nature walks.

And runs.

Favorite toddler picture.

This one is obsessed with peeing outside.

The Bean's baby blues.

Mama time.

These two.

Baby stinkface.

x2. She's got this stinkeye/blue steel expression mastered, in deadpan form. As we crack up, she holds it longer. Comedienne in the making?

Of course the only semi-cute pic we got together was of stout ole me in stretchy pants and a maternity tank. That I still wear regularly to bed.

Alex, Francie, and Grandma Lambie (Chris's mom, Peggy).

Always looking for Papa.

Four generations.

Because it was a success on the way to Tahoe, we broke our trip home into two parts, stopping overnight in this fabulous "resort" campground just off I-5 in Shasta. This might have to be our new Pinecrest, as that's just not going to happen with small kids in tow, given that it's another three hours out of the way. This "resort" is on Lake Siskiyou, boasts several tent and RV camping site, some cabins, a bar/restaurant, general store, a playground, an outside movie venue, and a sandy beach with tons of water activities. We only camped for the night and took off the next morning because, as our luck would have it, it decided to rain that night. But we made it back to Portland safe and sound and totally confident about our future family roadtrips.

Queen of the hill.

Don't call DHS, but I might have let her sit on my lap while driving to get firewood at the general store, and then she became obsessed with sitting in a regular seat without being strapped down. Oops.

Terrible photo, but useful to capture the camp resort backdrop.