Learning to stand on one's own

Rowan and Evey have been able to stand while holding onto something for a while, but they are now in the process of letting go and standing on their own. Its so cute to watch. It takes all of their concentration--like balancing on a tightrope, and they are so proud when they can do it.

Here's a little video of Rowan last night learning to stand:


Rowan learning how to stand from Leigh on Vimeo.

St. Baldrick's Day

Today was St. Baldrick's Day, which is a wonderful fundraiser created to help kids with cancer. Andre and many others today, raised money and shaved their heads at the Childrens' hospital.

Several kids battling cancer came down to watch the event and other kids who were too sick to come outside watched from the windows. Thank you everyone who donated. It really means a lot to us and I know Andre was very touched by the overwhelming show of support from so many people.

I have a few before and after pictures.







Here's one of all the firefighters.





After the head shaving we took the girls inside the hospital to a really beautiful garden. That green, green, perfect grass is not real. That's why its so green. Its awesome though and perfect for the girls--they can't pull any out to eat.

Pipes and Drums

Have you ever started something that became something bigger and more important than you imagined it ever would be?

Andre has been playing the bagpipes downtown all day to a large crowd of people, including the Police Chief. This little firefighter bagpipe band that started with just a handful of people, taking lessons, selling baked goods is now...how do I explain this? Its amazing.

Through their own hard work they started a nonprofit band to bring together firefighters, police, and EMS. You may not realize this, but in some places there is a huge division between those services. In fact, there are stories of knock-out, drag-down fights--and so this unified group is quite significant. The band has grown to about 30 members--all emergency service men and women.

What's more, is the importance that it has for our community. The public is interacting with them in an approachable, non-traumatic, friendly way. At the end of their set, they'll tell the crowd about the service men and women who have lost their lives saving others and then play Amazing Grace. Its such a moving song, especially with several bagpipes and drums playing in unison. Everyone in the crowd will raise their glass as a show of respect. I've seen grown men tear up. People are truly moved and visibly recognize the sacrifice that is made for the good of all people. For a job that is often so thankless, you can see people honor them, appreciate them, value them.

As a community it is crucial to have a good relationship between the public and the emergency service persons. It makes the public safer. It decreases violence in the community. It makes the emergency service persons safer too. All of this they've done, and they're a damn good band too.

This is the band playing for 911 this past year at City Hall.

Luck o' the Irish

These pictures have absolutely nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day. Such is life as a baby. The significance of green milk is really not appreciated at this age and so we skipped the festivities and spent the night playing instead. Here are a few recent pics:




Both girls are getting a lot of teeth now. You can see Rowan's grill here. She's quite a biter too. I've counted four new teeth for Rowan, and three new teeth for Evelyn.

There is never enough time--unless you're serving it.

I'm a bit behind here and I'm not exactly sure where last week ended and this one began. Anyhow, Andre and I came home last week to find our very good friends, David and Belen, had been at our house while we were away at work, pulled weeds and planted us a new garden full of delicious veggies. I think it has to be one of the most kind, thoughtful, amazing things someone has done for us and completely unexpected.

Belen said they had seen both of us looking out at our overgrown garden longingly and that we had both mentioned at different times how much we wished we had had the time to plant one this year. That's a good friend.

Lots of people give gifts that they themselves actually want, but a really good friend gives something they know you really want. It requires the friend to pay attention--and that is rare to find in another. They are really good friends.

I've been taking the girls out to see the garden every afternoon when I come home from work. I think they like it too.

We celebrated my sister's birthday last week too. This is Evey playing the drums. She was really having a good time. The girls were wearing their little guayaberas that their abuelo and nona brought them from Panama. Evey looked like she could be playing the drums for the Cuban band "Buena Vista Social Club" (albeit a very young member).

I was looking for a pair of shorts for Evey to match her guayabera she was wearing. I found a pair of pants she wore at 3mths that still fit her waist and the leg part that used to be down to the floor is now at her knees. They were perfect. Its so funny how much they've grown.

I realized yesterday that the girls turned 11 months. Its their last month until a year old. Of course some people will continue to use months for their babies, as in, "my baby is 18 months old," which is kind of weird I think. Why not just say, "he's just over a year," or "she's a year and a half." I figured that I'm 400 months old, which sounds very old and implies that maybe I should have done more in my life by now. Luckily I'm in a career in which the average age is "grey-haired and balding," whatever age that is.


We also celebrated our friend Julie's birthday. She had a pub-crawl by bike. Andre went the whole route on his big dummy bike (that's what its called--a "big dummy"--its a commuter bike and really cool, but only other big dummy people really know how totally cool it is). The girls and I met up with the group at one restaurant-pub. Everyone ooed and awed over the girls, then we went home and played the rest of the day.

Kite Festival

We took the girls to the 81st Annual Kite Festival. Well it was the girls' first, but I hope to make it an annual event. It was a beautiful day too.

We didn't bring a kite, so dad flew Rowan around for a while.











After the festival we went to see the new movie Coraline in 3D (Tia Laura babysat). It was a really good movie based on a Neil Gaiman novella; although I think its too scary for little kids.

Father Daughter Dance

Scott and Sydney went to a father-daughter dance this weekend. Its so crazy how fast she's grown.

playing

As a kid you can always find something to play with or make a mess.

Here's a picture of Evey finger painting (with yogurt and food coloring) and one of Rowan pushing the dog bowls around.