Nora Evelyn

On Tuesday we attended a fantastic event at the University for students who are also parents. There were hordes of happy kids, a corresponding number of nerdy parents, a clown, a station for making masks, a station for making wands, an unbelievably ill-advised baby pool filled with water and ducks, and free food. What’s not to love? It was also Nora’s twenty six monthaversary and her first (known) consumption of celery that hadn’t been stir fried.

Many thanks to the fine folks at Rackham and University Unions (and whomever else was involved) for a great evening of not being in our living room.

This photo was a mistake, but I like it.

Nora wrote a new song yesterday; perhaps it is technically a mash-up?

Twinkle twinkle little star,
Nora poop all day.

If Adam Sandler releases this as a single let this post serve as proof of prior art.

Nora got a brief sewing lesson from her Granny this weekend. Everything went great until Nora noticed the spool of purple thread, lost interest in the sewing, and attacked the machine. I’m confident Granny will eventually get it untangled and working again someday.

Nora’s Granny bought her a monstrous new kitchen for Christmas but it was too large to fit in our car (or in any of your more affordable U-Haul vans). Her cousin Brien delivered it on Wednesday and it only took 3.5 hours to assemble last night after she went to bed. First thing this morning we unleashed her on it and took a few photos.

In addition to “sink no water, mommy! no water! daddy fix.”, she also said, “no baby school today. Nora stay Purple House.” Many, many times. She *really* didn’t want to abandon her new kitchen.

I finally got this video to work; enjoy. At about 1:50 Nora notices the camera and the exchange is:

Nora: *curious face, shakes head* no camera, please.
Jen: what, honey?
Nora: my daddy did it.

Apparently she can tell the difference between a camera that is sitting on a chair and a camera that is sitting on a chair and recording. :)

Nora’s getting a new little cousin soon. This weekend her mom went to a baby shower and Nora helped wrap the present.

I’ve been trying to upload a video of this all week but youtube keeps barfing on it.

Nora pinched one of my tortilla chips (visible in her mouth) and this is the face she made when I asked if I could have it back.

On a related note, Jen’s parents are in Mexico right now. We explained this to Nora and told her they’d gone in an airplane, but she’s conflated this with the trips Jen and I have each taken in the last month or so. I had this conversation with her this afternoon:

Nora: Papa & Baba go purple house?
Me: No, sorry, sweetie. Papa & Baba are on vacation.
Nora: airplane.
Me: That’s right! They went in an airplane.
Nora: Papa & Baba Baltimore.
Me: Are Papa & Baba in Baltimore?
Nora: *earnest nod*

We hope you’re having fun in Baltimore, Papa & Baba!

It’s difficult enough to erect a bucket tower with toddler hands; imagine trying to do it under these blurry conditions! I may have to break down and read the manual for our camera. Please note the presence of “I am concentrating!” tongue in the first panel.

Nora has decided that it’s her job to make sure the solar panels on our walkway lanterns always have enough snow piled up on them: