One Day of Spring

hi sidra,

well it has been spring break but we haven't noticed too many signs of spring yet. The weather here certainly hasn't suggested that spring has arrived yet. But two days ago we got away for one day of spring play. We drove over the mountains to the east side of the divide where we found enough sun to make us a little bit pink (your mom just darkened, of course) where we missed with the sunscreen and some warm water. At Kahneetah Hot Springs resort you can usually find a little bit drier weather than here since it's on the lee side of the mountains and the hot springs makes it possible for the swimming pool to stay at about 95 degrees.
It felt tremendous to have the sun on our skin and blue sky overhead. And since the pool is so warm we didn't have to get you out of the water after a half hour because you were shaking from cold. You stayed in until you were exhausted. I think we were exhausted, too. At least I was by the time evening rolled around. Anyway, the last post I titled Daredevil but I should have saved that title for this one. You went beyond what I called daredevil behavior before. On this day, you did at least twenty laps on the slide they had at this pool. Nevermind that there was a sign next to it that said the height restriction was 48" and you are at least a foot shorter than that.
You had two little boo boos associated with the sliding. First you got your left foot up against the side of the slide, twisting you sideways so you bumped your head on the other side of the slide. I caught you before you hit the water on that one. That ended the morning session. Later, you were walking briskly on the deck and slipped into an unintended hurdler's stretch. That resulted in a scratched toe. Of course, neither of those boo boos stopped you.
Besides the slide, this pool had a shallow area that allowed you to be on your own a lot. You enjoyed jumping from the bottom of the stairs and doing a seat drop and then standing up since it was so shallow. Or you would do sort of a tumbling somersault and then get your feet under you to recover. All in all, you had a blast.
I want to tell you about a cute habit you've developed. When you want me to hang out with you, you say 'dad can shoot some baskets.' That's because your trampoline is near your small basketball hoop. So I shoot hoops with the nerf balls while you play on the trampoline and shoot a few hoops as well. So, we hang out and talk and play together and it's your way of asking me to spend time with you.
I should also say that the writing of this post was interrupted by a power outage. There were a couple of blinks and then everything was off. You were in your room alone when it happened and it scared you. I am pretty sure you're not scared of the dark, but this unexpected blackout threw you off. But we lit a few candles and read a few books and then it was time for bed anyway.




Love, aba

Daredevil

Hi Sidra,
I'm writing this on Tuesday after our trip to the swimming pool. So, whatever I write today might be superseded by your exploits at the Kaneetah hot springs pool where we are going on thursday. Anyway, you've become an incredibly brave swimmer all of a sudden. There was a spell where we were worried that you were a little timid in the water and might be a slow developing swimmer. Well you have blown that myth. Today when we got to the pool you started down the stairs and lunged into water over your head before I was even in the water. Your skills are little behind your bravery at this time so I had to get into the water pretty quick and help you out. You are pretty good with closing your mouth when under the water but not that great at kicking or stroking. You do your share of swallowing water but have your eyes open when you're under the water, too. You love to lunge into the water from the stairs and then turn and try to make it back to the stairs. You are holding your breath while doing this, and seem to understand that you need to do something to move where you want to go, but your movements aren't that coordinated so as to propel you.
Then, today near the end of our session, an older boy came along and was doing 'cannonballs' from the side. I asked you if you wanted to try that, and you said yes. Try it you did. You were launching off the side and pulling your knees up like a pro. At least you had two or three really good ones and other times you just landed on me. It was amazing to see someone your size leaping like that. It was definitely a fun experience. The swimming video on this post is from about a week ago.
The other video is staged. I asked you to spell your name for me and you did. The video makes it look like you might have had to try a few times to get it right, but the truth is that you only did two takes.
Since it's spring break, we also took a day trip to Salem on Monday. There are two photos here from that trip. We went to a place called AC Gilbert. It is a children's museum and has a lot of fun things for kids. In one picture you are on the huge rocking chair with your friend Logan who went with us. In the other one you are in the 'intestine' which was a crawl through thing filled with spiky balls and covered by the net. I got you to put your face up against the net and pose for the picture. While in Salem we also visited a carousel and rode it a couple of times.




You are a thrill a minute, and I expect it will get better and better.
Love,
Aba

Look Out American Idol

Hi Sidra,
man it seems like I should be able to get this more often than once a month. Well, you're almost three months past your birthday now. I guess I need to report some records. Not long after you suffered your burned hand, you got sick and had a pretty persistent fever. When we got home one night you pretty much went ballistic and we couldn't figure out what was up until we found out you were pretty warm. It stuck with you for several days and one night you were so hot your little feet against my back were enough to make me feel how hot you were. We measured you at 104.9F. You were cookin'! But you got through it and have been feeling pretty good since then.
I took you up to the mountain last weekend. You were excited to go, and were a real trooper while you were getting pulled around the lake in the ski trailer. But you didn't last too long sledding. I think you just had got to your limit in the cold. I learned I need to get you in to a warm place and get you some hot chocolate before we do the sledding part. We might have a chance to do it one more time before the winter's over.
You're getting to be quite a talker and singer. You like to repeat stuff we say and come up with a lot of your own stuff, too. You often say after I've said "thanks", "thanks said dad" or sometimes it's "thanks said Sidra."
I've been trying to catch you on video in one of your rants when you're not happy which goes "hold you hold you hold you hold you hold you hold you "(a phrase you can repeat like a machine gun for as long as you have breath) which means hold 'me' but by the time I can get the camera on you're over it or seeing the camera, instead of posing or acting for the camera you say 'I want to see' meaning see the camera. So, maybe we'll get lucky with that some day so we can share it with you when you're older.
In fact, we had trouble getting you to perform for the camera on these songs for the same reason, you wanting to be behind the camera instead of in front of it. Perhaps by the time you are old enough to read this American Idol will be a thing of the past and I'll have to explain the reference to you.
To close the post I have to say that daily I find myself thinking that we have hit the jackpot with you, that you have all of the best of both of us. We grow prouder of you everyday.
Love, Aba