Briefs

– A couple of positive changes of late. After a couple months of terrible drop-offs at daycare – whereby Lily would scream and cling to me, leaving me feeling terrible all day at work (even though I knew she’d get over it in seconds once I left) – we’ve gotten back to smooth, amiable partings.

I’m not sure whether this was just a phase we had to work through or what, but you tend not to question the upswings too much. You just appreciate them when they finally, finally come.

Similarly, Lily appears to be once again embracing the afternoon nap on weekend days. (Huzzah!) Whereas Lily had been previously screaming and kicking and fighting these naps tooth and nail for the last few months, she now, after being warned ahead of time that naptime is approaching, lets one of us put her into her crib and cover her with her favorite blanket. Somewhere along the way, she’s decided a nap’s a lovely thing that makes everyone feel better. Smart girl. Lucky parents.

– I’m in the dark as to how this tradition began, but at some point, when it came time to either get Lily dressed, or coerce her into pajamas, Joe laid himself on the floor next to the changing table and chanted, “Daddy’s toes, Daddy’s toes, Daddy’s toes … ” while bicycling his legs in the air and choosing items of clothing for her. Generally, of late, Lily wants to pick out everything she wears, but since this practice has evolved, we often ask, “Do you want to pick out your jammies, or do you want Daddy’s toes to do it?” Bizarre, I know, but cute and very endearing. Check out the video, shot Saturday morning:

I love my weird family.

– We took Lily to a Michigan Marching Band rehearsal Saturday morning, before U-M’s season opener against UConn, and it was a really great experience. Lily had a blast watching pre-game entries, but she particularly liked hearing music from the Blues Brothers halftime program. “Minnie the Moocher” was the biggest hit, as she enjoyed singing “Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi,” etc. She giggled and spent the rest of the day asking us to sing it again. Though something kind of scary/hilarious happened as we drove from the practice to Lily’s grandparents’ house across town. Joe’s brother Josh, a musician, was going to be at my in-laws as well, and as we sang “Minnie” to Lily in the car, she stopped us and said, “I want to hear Josh sing it.” “What, you think he’d sing it better than Mommy and Daddy?” Lily held her hand palm-up in the air and said, “He has a trumpet” – as if to say, DUH. 

I felt like I had a flash-forward to Lily’s teen years, when she will think everything we say is profoundly stupid. But at least when it comes out of the mouth of a two year old, it’s kind of hysterical. They’re such little grown-ups sometimes.