theparkerfamily.org

Month: September 2010

  • video: zoom, zoom

    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE2XMBsUQKU

  • sleep training

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    well, it’s probably no secret that sparklet ain’t sleeping much.

    we had a nice window of largely uninterrupted overnight sleeping between month four and month nine, but it’s been some variation on the 10pm/1am/4am wakey-wakey-eggs-and-bakey theme since then.

    in a feeble attempt to demostrate parenting leadership, we’ve launched on a campaign of sleep training.

    (fwiw, i have no idea what that means either, other than it makes us feel better that we’re doing something.)

    there seems to be two big problems:

    first (in the immortal words of our pediatrician) if you wake up every night at 1am and eat a sandwich, pretty soon you’ll be up every night at 1am looking for a sandwich.

    so, as of last Friday, no more overnight sandwiches for sparklet.

    the other issue is some kind of separation anxiety from mommy — whenever the lady sparkler leaves the nursery over night, baby sparklet is awake 5 minutes later (or less) screaming for company.

    ironically, daddy leaving the room seems to have no such effect.

    this, of course, is one of those double slaps in the face. first slap? she doesn’t care if daddy leaves the room. nice. second slap? i’ve become “the closer,” and am now on baby duty each every time she wakes up during the middle of the night, because realistically i’m the only one that can get her back down.

    it’s like rain on your wedding day. or a free ride when you’ve already paid.

    crazy.

  • preview: costa rica

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    friends of ours are getting married this december — some of the very same friends who shared this charming RFK moment with us many years back.

    he’s costa rican, she’s from ohio.

    i’m not exactly sure how long they debated about which hometown would hold the wedding, but i’m guessing it took about as long as us deciding to attend ourselves.

    the wedding is in the Guanacaste region of northwest Costa Rica, and we’ll tack on some time before hand around the volcanos of Arenal.

    and, sparklet’s getting a passport.

    part of the reason we’re going is because sparklet will be at such a good age — 15 months, which is old enough to walk and old enough to be amazed by the animals and old enough to eat sand.

    we’ve already filled out her passport paperwork (that’s the photo we used, above) and we’ve bought us some plane tickets (sparklet get’s her very own seat).

    now, we just need places to stay, some way to get around, and some really big suitcases.

  • sunday afternoon

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    out: playground at walter pierce park, adams-morgan, washington, dc; playground at guy mason park, glover park, washington, dc.

  • video: first steps towards walking

    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uYapFWrrX0

    sparklet’s been taking three or four steps for a couple weeks now — far, but not far enough to get out the video camera.

    today we finally got our act together and took her out to a nearby ballfield (guy mason park in glover park). that gave us enough space to put the camera on a tripod, which giving us the four hands required for this sort of walk-training instead of just two.

  • “this… stuff … is… AWESOME!”

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  • week forty-nine

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    photo of the week // week forty-nine

  • found: babies eat free

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  • hike: schaeffer farm, seneca creek state park, maryland

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    trail information:
    Trailhead: 39.142838, -77.310373 (Google Maps); Length: 3.5 total miles; Elevation Gain: Minimal; Trail Type: Loop; Skill Level: Easy.
    See All the Photos on Flickr:
    hike: schaeffer farm trails, seneca creek state park, boyds, maryland

  • video: catch

    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dxM1aibiZE