There's No Escaping the Sandman!

On Saturday Max had what just may be a watershed moment in his relationship with sleep.  Or maybe it was just the first time that I became aware of this new attitude towards sleep.  Y'see, Charlotte and Max have come down with colds ... again.  Maybe you can tell from the pictures below.

29 January 2012

29 January 2012

Or maybe you can't.  At any rate, Charlotte and Jenn laid down so that Charlotte could take a nap.  And Max and I discussed how Mommy and Charlotte were taking a "night-night^*".  After a few moments of Max repeating "ny-ny" to me (Max-speak for "night-night"), I realized that he was asking to take a nap!  Pleased, amazed and shocked, I put Max in his crib, where he happily rolled over and slept for a good, long while.  His recognizing and communicating a desire to sleep blew me away!

Now I don't mean to imply that Max or Charlotte are poor sleepers.  They are, in fact, wonderful sleepers, going to bed sometime around 8:00pm and rarely waking us before 7:00am.  (I mean, really, waking up any earlier than 7:00am is simply uncivilized from my point of view!)  Jenn and I truly are blessed when it comes to this.  And we're grateful.

But I suspect that this solid night sleeping comes at the expense of naps.  They are, generally speaking, poor nappers.  Seldom are their naps as long as we'd like them to be.  And Charlotte and Max always fight us when it comes to taking naps.  They can put up a pretty good fight.  But it wasn't always so.  Max' newfound appreciation for naps made me reflect back on the days, reflected in the pictures below, when they fought sleep, but weren't yet so skilled at keeping the Sandman at bay.

31 March 2011

9 April 2011

9 August 2011

I happen to think the three pictures above are absolutely hi-larious!

So maybe it was just his cold.  Or maybe Max will embrace napping in the future.  Only time will tell.  But I will know that we have really turned the corner on this when Charlotte starts telling us that she's ready for a mid-day nap.  (I'm not holding my breath.)

--- Shawn (for Jenn and Charlotte and Max and Lucy and Rufus)


^* "Night-night" is the term we use with them for sleep.  Thus, to "take a night-night" (or "faire un night-night", as I tell them in my franglais) means to go to sleep.

Things to Do in Pasadena When It Rains

Well, I have to admit that I didn't really think that the raincoats Grandma Judy gave Max and Charlotte for Christmas were gifts for which they'd really ever have much use.  I mean, we live in southern California!  However, as with so many things, I was to be proven wrong.  On Monday it rained.  So what're two babies -- who love going outside! -- to do on a rainy day?  Well, go outside, of course!

Here Charlotte and Max prepare for their first real outing in the rain.

23 January 2012

Max, loving the rain, models his flashy Thomas the Train rain gear.

23 January 2012

Is it wrong that I think Charlotte looks so cute, despite looking so sad?  (I don't think this was really traumatic in any way for her.)  Aunt Lauren, are you jealous of the Hello Kitty raincoat?

23 January 2012

 Max discovers puddles, while Charlotte looks on to make sure it's safe.

23 January 2012

This being Pasadena, California, the "rain" would really have been called drizzle almost anywhere else I've lived.  But I think Charlotte and Max had fun all the same.

Rainy days are also great for reading!  Max and Charlotte discovered a new book on Monday: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? also co-written by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle.  It has sound effects!

Some of my favorite points in the above clip are Charlotte growling at :15, Jenn realizing that Max is saying "broom" or something very much like that at about :46 (I'm pretty sure that he also says it at :28) and the look on Max' face as he discovers the book.  One might suspect that my son's fascination with brooms suggests an aptitude for the janitorial arts.  Just so long as you love what you do, Max ...


And rainy days are good for playing in the kitchen with Mommy!  Max and Charlotte tried their hands at "cooking" with wooden spoons and some pots.

23 January 2012

Before they know it (~late March) the season when rain is sporadic and rare around here will give way to the season when rain is non-existent.  I hope they get some good use out of their raincoats between now and then!

--- Shawn (for Jenn and Charlotte and Max and Lucy and Rufus)


PS -  Anyone catch the movie reference in this post?  Anyone?  Anyone ...

Christmas: Take Two

Charlotte, Max, Jenn and I spent the Christmas holiday in Chico, California, with Jenn's mother, her brother and his family.  As with Thanksgiving, we'll probably recall this Christmas much better than we did our first, on account of the fact that we've been sleeping.  It was, of course, a great holiday and we thoroughly enjoyed spending it with family!

Max' and Charlotte's cousin Patrick has a riding pony just like they do!  And before the start of Christmas Eve dinner, Max took some time to try out his cousin's pony.

24 December 2011

Charlotte took a quick ride, too.  None of that sidesaddle garbage for my daughter!!!

24 December 2011

Note the extra special Christmas duds that Charlotte and Max are wearing to welcome in the Christmas holiday!

And, as this Christmas holiday overlapped with Hanukkah, Max and Patrick "helped" Grandma Judy light the menorah!

24 December 2011

 Max and Charlotte posed with their Chico cousins for the first time!

24 December 2011

We have (from left to right) Natalie, Patrick, Max and Charlotte.  (Note the "packet" of baby food that Patrick allowed Max to "borrow" Max blatantly stole from his cousin.)  I can only imagine the hijinks that this fearsome foursome will be getting into over the years to come!!!  Sigh ...


While Max still doesn't really "get it" when it comes to Christmas, he was still pretty excited about the tree and the presents.

Christmas Day 2011

 Max and Charlotte "borrow" cousin Patrick's giant teddy bear for a few moments.

26 December 2011

Like the previous picture, this one has little to do with Christmas other than the fact that we were still up in Chico for the holiday.  But, like the previous picture, it's pretty cute.  Charlotte sits on Grandma Judy's hearth reading Jez Alborough's Hug, a wonderful story about young chimpanzee desperately looking for a hug ... from his mommy.  (I have my own interpretation of the story, which I will happily share with anyone who will humor me.)

28 December 2011

Some of Charlotte and Max' other favorites include Peggy Rathman's Goodnight, Gorilla and Eric Carle's Have You Seen My Cat? and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, which was co-authored with Bill Martin, Jr.  It's not reading, of course, so much as it is thumbing through pictures and/or having the stories read to them.  But I am nevertheless very excited that my children enjoy books so much!


--- Shawn (for Jenn and Charlotte and Max and Lucy and Rufus)

Someone Told Me It's All Happening at the Zoo ...

So it has been an unacceptably long time since I have last posted.  And I sincerely apologize to any of y'all who may still be following along.  At any rate, I'm back and am picking up where I left off some 5 weeks ago.


Back in September we visited the Los Angeles Zoo (and Botanical Gardens) with some friends.  At the time we purchased a group membership so that we could return for free.  So last month we decided to take Max and Charlotte to the zoo on a particularly nice afternoon.


Can you see the giraffes behind Charlotte and Max?  (Hint: there are three of them.)

10 December 2011

What's a trip to the zoo without chimpanzees?  (We did not put our babies close enough to them for a good group photo -- didn't seem prudent.)

10 December 2011

The four of us spent a good deal of time near the elephant viewing area.  The elephants were nowhere to be seen, but Max and Charlotte got to run around a bunch which was a welcome break from the confines of the stroller.

10 December 2011

 Charlotte poses in front of one of the elephant displays.

10 December 2011

 
But Max thought the sticks were much more interesting.

10 December 2011

Speaking of sticks, I find it oddly bizarre that Max is fascinated with sticks, knobs and buttons, while Charlotte loves shoes, dolls and clothes.  At no point have Jenn or I encouraged such gender-specific behavior.  So, whence is this coming?  As a scientist, this sort of thing really makes me want to start running experiments with my children as subjects.  And, as a scientist, the only thing that keeps me from doing so are the inherent problems with small-number statistics.


Jenn shot a video of Charlotte getting up close and personal with a resident of the petting zoo.  Like most any kid, Charlotte loves animals.

What makes me laugh most about the video is the fact that Jenn stopped filming when she did because Charlotte couldn't help but to get too friendly with her new pal!


Of course, no trip to the zoo is complete (or even possible) without a quick bite to eat (and a beer for Daddy!) at the zoo restaurant after seeing all of the neat animals.

10 December 2011

Just two more trips before we break even on our annual zoo membership dues!

--- Shawn (for Jenn and Charlotte and Max and Lucy and Rufus)

Santa Who?!

While I was off at the AGU meeting socializing with the other nerds scientists, Jenn, Max and Charlotte were out on the town.  And Jenn took Max and Charlotte to visit Santa Claus for the very first time!  (I can't believe I missed it.  Though, in Jenn's defense, it sounds as though it was a very impromptu affair, born of a desperate effort to occupy two bored, fussy children.)

Now when you think about it, this tradition of putting our children into the laps of some stranger (often) sporting a fake beard and dressed in a red suit so that they can reveal their hearts' desires and so that we can take cute pictures is pretty bizarre.  The oddity of this strange ritual was probably best depicted in a Christmas Story, perhaps the funniest movie ever (not just the funniest Christmas movie, mind you).  It's also made pretty evident by the picture below:

5 December 2011

Looking at this picture, I can't avoid the thought that Charlotte and Max were both simultaneously asking themselves: 'Who in the hell is this guy?!'  It's actually the cutest picture from that photo session, in my opinion.  Max just looks confused in the other pictures.  And Charlotte looks eager to be anywhere else.  Perhaps next year they'll have bought into the hype and will be begging us to take them to see Santa.  Maybe not.

At least this Santa's beard appears to be genuine.

--- Shawn (for Jenn and Charlotte and Max and Lucy and Rufus)

Charlotte and Max Head North for the 2011 American Geophysical Union Conference

Last weekend Jenn, Charlotte and Max traveled with me to San Francisco, California, where I attended the American Geophysical Union's annual Fall Meeting.  It was a quick trip, as I only attended the planetary science session on Monday (including the poster session in which my poster was presented).  But we did fly up early so that we could visit with Jenn's aunt Judy in Oakland, California.


Max and Charlotte were enthralled by the singing of their cousin Meredith (a.k.a. Missy).  (Well, second cousin, but who -- aside from me, of course -- is picking nits?)  Jenn and Missy's mother, Stephie, were pretty amused, too.

3 December 2011

The day before the conference began we met up with my friends Jen and Adrian and their new baby, Alexis.  While I was busy getting a jump on the conference registration Jen and Alexis posed with Max and Charlotte.

4 December 2011

Alexis gets a piece of Max while we all stopped for a meal.

4 December 2011

Charlotte gets her first close look at an Australian (Adrian) and discovers that they're not so bad after all.

4 December 2011

Adrian poses with the young ladies.

4 December 2011

This isn't exactly my kind of picture, but I know this picture of Alexis and Charlotte "kissing" would provoke too many oohs and aws to forgo including it in this post.

4 December 2011

As seems so common with babies, Max and Charlotte really got a kick out of spending time with another baby.  And I was so happy to meet Alexis myself.  I'm just sorry that it took so long!


Following our breakfast at the wonderful Cafe de la Presse on Tuesday morning, Jenn posed for the babies in downtown San Francisco (please note the awesomeness that is Charlotte wearing her pink hat).

All in all, it was a great trip!  We got to see Aunt Lauren in Oakland, as well as Missy's brother Garrett and Missy and Garrett's dad, Mike.  And we also spent a lovely evening with Jenn's friends Chuck and Betsy.  The Fall AGU meeting is always held in San Francisco.  And it's such a fantastic time to visit the city.  I sincerely hope that we can make this an annual Christmastime tradition for us.  (A tradition which, I note on the off chance that there are any NASA program managers reading this, would be much easier to uphold if one my grant proposals were to be funded!)


--- Shawn (for Jenn and Charlotte and Max and Lucy and Rufus)

Thanksgiving

Though this was technically not Charlotte's and Max' first Thanksgiving, it was Jenn's and my first Thanksgiving with them that we'll be able to remember concretely.  While we know what we did last year, we were still within our first two weeks of parenting and desperately trying to sort out our new lives.

This year we had Thanksgiving dinner at the home of our cousins Paul and Janetta.  And Aunt Lauren came down to spend the long weekend with us!  As you can see below, we all had a blast.

Max and Charlotte enjoyed Thanksgiving turkey in their portable high chairs.

24 November 2011

The next day we went to Griffith Park where we rode the train,

25 November 2011

and Max and Charlotte took their first pony rides.

25 November 2011

Max was sad for the train ride to come to an end; Charlotte was fond of the ponies.

Max and Charlotte spent some quality time with Aunt Lauren.

26 November 2011

And, for at least a few days, Rufus (foreground) and Lucy (leaning against the wall) enjoyed having another member of the pack around: Bailey, Aunt Lauren's puppy.  Everyone, toddlers and terriers alike, got along together just great!

26 November 2011

So I've obviously got a backlog of posts to clear; it's been a busy few weeks since Thanksgiving.  Sorry about the delay.  And I promise that there will be more updates over the next few days!

--- Shawn (for Jenn and Charlotte and Max and Lucy and Rufus)