Cavegirl

Lillia is entering toddlerhood. In The Happiest Toddler on the Block, Dr. Harvey Karp describes toddlerfication as a process in which infants gradually emerge from their monkey-like, protosocial state. First, they develop into early caveman-like Australopithecoids who agree, in general, that it is better not to poop in the eating area next to the fire or in the part of the cave designated for sleeping. Next comes Neanderthal and Cromagnon stages with their slowly advancing social skills and better abilities to control their primitive impulses ("use your INDOOR voice when biting the dog, dear"), and, eventually, the tykes develop into little village people. Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny on the social as well as the biological level, and soon together we all sing "“YMCA"” while performing silly dance moves.

But whether or not androgeny truly recapitulates philosophy, Lillia has developed into a little cavegirl. She chews her food carefully and sputters out between her lips what she has stored in her cheeks, forming multicolored designs on the kitchen floors and walls. She has developed a finely-tuned sense of personal ownership, acknowledging that Mommy's purse is hers to empty and Daddy'’s paper is hers to tear and eat, and responding to limit setting with howls of outrage.

We still love her, of course. More than ever, really. Even when she screams about the unfairness of not being allowed to play with glass or sharp objects, or not being allowed to play with goose poop in the park. I'’m dealing with the shark patrol conundrum by only sticking my finger in her mouth when absolutely necessary, like the other day when she decided to bite off a piece of a crumpled aluminum foil ball that I thought was safe to let her play with.

Anyway, more pictures:

Me and Lilli with Elayna and mom Judy from our travel group to China. We are at the CCAI 12th Annual Reunion. There were many parents, lots and lots of kids, booths representing international schools for immersion Mandarin bilingual education in Denver, dragon dancing entertainment, and loud, LOUD music.

Jason, our excellent guide and translator in Guangzhou, was visiting the US for the first time.

Singing Happy Birthday at Lillia's first.

Birthday Cake!

Molding cake into a more interesting objet d'art.

Her Caveness.

Spatterart with yogurt and cantaloupe.

Hanging out with Tani and mom Sally. The dowry is still being negotiated.

Love to all,

Tom