I KNOW AND BECAUSE

Well, we haven't been to any other continents, nor have we been to the E.R., but we did have another wonder filled time of it this week. Mostly, we are gearing up for our second home study visit on Tuesday, a big part of our adoption quest. Also, VanNannerkins is dazzling and delighting us with her burgeoning vocabulary. The most beloved phrases this week are:

"I know."

"I don't know."

"Because..." which proceeds pensive silence and grand hand gestures that suggest she is searching for the words to explain whatever major mystery she is solving. Can't wait to hear the full thought.

Van is also saying, "Bless you," after we sneeze. We also taught her to say "Cheers!" and clink our water glasses, so she can't get a bite down during dinner without having us toast three times first.

By the way, did I mention I call her The Epicurean? She eats whatever we eat, and don't you dare give her too bland a food. In fact, she turns up her nose at Cheerios, bananas and milk. You call yourself a baby, Vanessa? Well, she eats those things, but only sparingly. She'd much prefer garlic laden pesto, a loaded salad, aged cheese, herbed bread, olives and orange juice. She really loves spices. In fact, we gave her roast chicken with mango salsa on it which she loved. Unfortunately she then had a bit of a break-out around her mouth and also her behind, so, um, no more mango salsa for our wee Epicurean. "Not 'til you're two," I tell her, as with the more advanced foods, like peanut butter.

Daddio is back to school with the students and directing their preseason conditioning work, like running up mountains and jumping over boxes and the like. "Auntie" Shea-Shea is flying to the White House to meet the President (that's right, the President) with the U.S. Olympic Team. Granny Ernestine just stepped onto a cruise ship to spend 2 weeks looking for the Panama Canal, a long-time ambition. She went with Auntie Judi and a group from church.

And me, I've had a tough week as a mom. In many ways I feel a bit more on top of my mom game than at any other time in Vanessa's existence, but keeping Van mostly quarantined at home all week to nurse her contagious virus has perhaps taken its toll a bit. When you don't have a job to go to with a group of comrades and a supervisor, you don't get the feedback that helps you think you're staying on course. Soon enough, my baby will be giving me her feedback in English, so I'll get that elusive performance evaluation, true. But in the meantime, as we spend our day together, I sometimes doubt I'm doing a good job or any good at all. Heaven help me if I do her harm, but of course I worry about that, too. Luckily, V-Dog's virus is pretty well gone, so I can pick back up with my fellow moms and commiserate as only moms can. Of course I can always solicit feedback from Daddio, but he only says wonderful things. I suspect he's biased.

Friday we spent the day together on the beach, then at the park, then at the petting farm. It was fun. When I feel I've gotten my work done, it is such a privilege to get to go hang out like a kid. Here is a clip of us having lunch together afterwards. I had just interviewed Vanessa for about 5 minutes, ran for the camera, then don't you know she wouldn't repeat the interview? So I'm asking her leading questions for the sake of filming. If you listen very carefully you can hear her say, "I know" after I mention we went to the farm.

Vanessa continues to work her sense of humor. "What are you going to be when you grow up?" I asked her in the park the other day. "Two," she deadpanned.