Email: Things To Know About Lola

Nana and Grandpa will be watching Lola bear while we are at the hospital when Julie delivers Baby Brother so I wrote them a brief e-mail about “Living with Lola” to make things more fun and helpful. I thought it would be a great update for the site, too.Here are a few things that might make watching Lola a little easier and maybe even more fun.And the first category is:Things She Likes to EatPeas - yes, I know that is antithetical to your way of eating but they are very versatile and fun. And of all the frozen vegetables we've tried, peas along with corn, are the best tasting. They work in quesadillas, with ravioli, in scrambled eggs (with shredded cheese), or by themselves (*gasp*).Quesadillas - a great, quick meal. I have been stuffing them with the aforementioned peas, black beans. or kernels of corn.Fruit - bananas, raspberries, kiwi...pretty much everything that falls into the fruit family. Canned peaches (see note below about peaches in particular), pears, and especially mandarin oranges are a great way to finish any meal.Pasta - ravioli, bow ties, penne, fuselli, or anything colored and easily picked up with the fingers.Cheese, of course.Words and Signs She KnowsHer answer to almost every question is "yes." She is very agreeable. Unfortunately, though, that's not always what she means. Yes is just the automatic response. When she says "no," however, she usually means it."Water" is usually pronounced with an "n" instead of the "t." The sign she gives looks like her drinking from a cup.She is never bashful about "more." More fruit, more dinner, more peas, more book reading before bed.She is starting to tell us when she has a dirty diaper. It usually comes out as "pee pee" but sometimes it's just her grabbing a clean diaper and bringing it to us. Although it can be hit or miss, especially since she loves Elmo and he's on the diapers.We usually give her some fruit after she eats her dinner and she'll let you know she is ready for it by saying "peaches" with a devilish smile. And she does like peaches but any fruit will do.She only gets Patsy when she takes a nap or goes to bed at night but she loves to say "pat-sy" with an even more devilish smile because sheknows it gets momma's goat.A Day in the Life1. Wakes up at 7:00am sharp.2. Likes a swaggle of water and maybe a bite of scone or other European pastry.3. We'll nibble at a banana while we get dressed or change into a clean diaper.4. Sometimes she has strong feelings about what shoes she wants to wear that day. Don’t fight it, it’s just not worth it I’ve found.5. Lots of morning reading. We try to read 100 pages by lunch - very rigorous and committed about that.6. The afternoon nap can be as early as 10:30am or as late as 1:00pm. Flexibility is the key for everyone. If you've got things to do, don't avoid them on her account. She'll let you know when she's had enough and a nap is required. (A dirty diaper will prevent her from falling asleep.)7. Naps are usually two hours on the button.8. If it's a late nap then we'll give her lunch before and if it's an early nap then after.9. After lunch we're back to the books.10. We like to wander around and find new ways of causing mischief or new things to climb atop.11. She loves to walk around holding things, anythings - hats, books, hair ties, shoes. And she is committed to them. She will face plant when she stumbles before she lets them go. (see picture above)12. Walks around the block have been a real hit lately. (Please allow at least 30 minutes to go 200 yards.)13. Dinner is usually around 6:30 - 7:00pm.14. Her after-dinner routine is varied depending on her level of energy. Sometimes she'll want to hang out and play until 8:00 or 8:30pm and other times she'll be out by 7:00pm.15. In general, she is a pretty good at communicating her main needs and interests - food, sleep, and "book."