14 months old (and missing Daddy)

This week Jim is in Louisville for 2 1/2 days for a NAFSA: Association of International Educators regional conference - and we are sorely missing him (and the dishes are piling up!). I mean, who wouldn't miss a dad who dresses up like this to take her for a morning walk?

Actually the weather has been mild this fall, except for some cold mornings, so we continue our daily walks and daily trips to the park.

Meanwhile, Gemma is now 14 months old and really working hard at her spoon and fork skills. Here she is going for it at breakfast (porridge, of course). Not bad, hey?!

Very proud of herself! She can eat about half the bowl on her own with no help.

But of course using hands is key once she gets to the bottom of the bowl.

Meanwhile I have been experimenting with chai concentrate syrup. I make a strong tea and add honey & spices (cinnamon, cloves, cardamon, ginger, bay leaf, and peppercorns), cooking slowly until it thickens. Then I store that in the fridge, and when desired mix 1:1 with steamed milk: chai latte! Or in my case, chai cappuccino. I'm a sucker for the foam. So delicious. It really is remarkable how my attitude can turn immediately toward contentment once I start sipping.

All it takes is this little battery-powered wand to create great foam.

The sweet, spicy chai peeks out so enticingly from underneath its cave of foam...

A Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

Home Life for Gemma

This post contains a few random pictures of Gemma engaged in typical home activities:

a.Paging through the most recent Wheaton Magazine (it has entertained her many times - she loves looking through it for some reason! A sign?)
b. Dressed for a cold morning walk.
c. & d. Actually going for a cold morning walk.
e. Pulling all of the Tupperware lids out of the cupboard (with great gusto - see the flying green lid to the right in the picture).
f. Eating a banana while "helping" Dad make pumpkin waffles.

A Stroll and Brunch

A walk through campus, then brunch at a Bloomington establishment on a recent weekend. It was very nice to get out and enjoy the autumn colors and weather.

Gemma gets excited about every dog she sees!



J and G at IU's famous Sample gates.

Good habits

Good habits start young (right?), so Gemma has recently taken the initiative to start brushing her teeth. Really. She gets very excited when she sees us brushing our teeth, and she will stare and laugh and gesture the sign for toothbrush - so we thought it was time to get her started. As you can see, she has a lot of teeth to care for, too: two small ones on the bottom, and two tiny ones on the top. (I couldn't get a photo of those.)

Here she is in action (in the tub)! Nice form!