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Bus

In November Viola started riding the bus with me to work three days a week, so she could attend a daycare in Seattle near my office. Our ride is about an hour each way. As you might imagine, the bus now figures largely in her make-believe and story-telling. A few weeks ago we checked out Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus from the library, which was an instant hit, both with her and with the grownups of the household.

Here's Viola remixing the title of the book:

Many times when we're waiting for the bus in the dark and cold, I can get a smile from her by asking if a pigeon is going to be driving our bus. That sets her off, saying, "Here's a bus! There's a pigeon driving!" every time a bus comes and goes. (Despite the urban-ness of our pickup and drop-off locations, however, we only very rarely see real-life pigeons.)

On our first day, waiting at Tacoma Dome Station.

We like to have snacks, read books, and draw during our ride.

She likes to look for Boeing Field or mama's building or tall buildings to point out. Just recently, it's light enough to see outside during our morning ride.

Walker Walking

On her 9-month birthday, Viola learned a new trick -- walking behind this little cart borrowed from her friend Sascha.

Waving

Today is the day that Viola said to herself, I am going to get serious about waving. She waved at grandma and her toys when Joe dropped her off this morning, and she was still waving at her toy pelican this evening when I got home. Pretty cute!

12 things that happened on our trip to Illinois, only one-quarter of them involving poo

1. Viola's poo squirted out the side of her diaper just as we were about to leave for the airport. It got all over my jeans and on every piece of her outfit. Note that this has never happened with her regular cloth diapers, only with the disposable ones we were using for the trip.

2. We picked up the wrong stroller on the walkway when we landed in Chicago. At first we thought it was no big deal because it was exactly the same model as ours, but then we noticed it was rusty and missing a sun shade. Oh, and there was sticky stuff on the handles. Anyone need a free stroller?

3. We went out in the boat on the river. I don't think Viola liked her life jacket at all.

4. I started eating dairy again for the first time since she was born, and a few days later she started pooping green. The green poo lasted for a week. Here, Joe, Stephanie, and Adam are at the Dairy Haus in Rockton, minutes before I tasted a bite of Joe's black walnut ice cream. Tsk, tsk.

5. Viola saw her first cornfield.

6. We drove down to Normal, Illinois to visit our good friends Matt & Carmen and we met their daughter Josephina for the first time. A video of Viola and Josephina follows; it will definitely be boring for most of you if you are not the parent, grandparent, or aunt or uncle of one of the featured children.

7. Viola had her first go on a swing (an infant swing-set swing - how do you say that?) I thought I took a picture of it somewhere...

8. Michael Jackson died and lots of Illinoisan people complained that there was too much media coverage about it. I bet these same people didn't complain that there was too much media coverage when Elvis died.

9. My parents threw a party and showed their granddaughter off.

10. Viola sat in her first highchair at a restaurant and chewed on the table.

11. Viola cried and sobbed for about an hour every night when we tried to put her to bed.

12. On the flight home, she pooped during descent and it got all over her, my shirt, and my jeans. Indeed, it was green, and I couldn't get up to change it until we landed.

Walking around with Viola

Viola is obsessed with walking around especially around midnight in order to maintain calm and stability.