"Howa you?"

[Playing soccer with friend Edmund]

It has been so long since we've seen the sun in Berkeley that we were starting to forget what Summer felt like. So yesterday- on one of the only days above 75 degrees- the three of us spent the afternoon at a local lake in Berkeley. It was just what we needed! At this lake a very funny conversation occurred between Reed and a total stranger. Here's approximately how it happened and what was said...

Reed - "Hi"
Nice lady - "Hiiii"
R - "Hi"
NL - "Hello there" (nice lady starts to walk away)
R - "Howa you?"
NL - (nice lady stops, turns around, chuckles a bit) "Well I'm just fine. How are you?"
R - (with most flirtatious smile and head tilt) says nothing for a few seconds, then...."I fi" (which is I'm fine) then "You're funny"
NL- (uncontrollable laughter) Well I think you are funny too and such a sweet polite young boy
R - (still flirtatious smiling) "Bye bye"
NL - "Bye bye"

Billy and I - (laughing and a little proud) "I think that was his first initiated conversation with a complete stranger"

Reed's second year in pictures

Cool man

Reed loves his sunglasses almost as much as he lives trains and being naked


(all of which are demonstrated in this picture). We are working on the early phase if potty training so he is diaper-free quite often at home. It's a process that requires patience and baby steps. We'll keep you posted


-- Post From My iPhone

June Update 2010

It's been way too long since I've posted anything here so here is a brief update on life in Berkeley with our almost two-year-old.
Reed is still as curious and sweet as always, but he is also definitely a toddler.
His most used words (aside from mama and papi) are: "mine", "no", "maya", "buh" for book, "ousai" for outside, "agua or wasa" for water, "hunny" for hungry, "mo" for more, "bie" for bike.

He is testing his and our limits all the time. This means: jumping off higher and higher objects, running confidently, walking toward the street until one of us yells stop, dipping one foot off the curb to see what we do, climbing on anything that resembles a ladder (this can include bookshelves, stairs, and actual ladders), jumping on and off of furniture, selecting books carefully and often choosing the same book over and over and over, pouring and spilling water whenever and wherever possible.

Okay gotta run, Reed's awake but here are a few pictures from a recent day at the botanical gardens and Tilden little farm.

[Throwing rocks in the creek]

[Slobber kisses]

[Maya and Reed at 22 months]

Fun on the coast!

Happy Easter!

As it rained cats and dogs outside (coldest and wettest California Easter I remember) we hosted a cozy and warm Easter brunch in our home for B's family and some of our dearest friends. This was the first year the Easter Bunny came to our home bringing baskets full of real grass, flowers, candy, bubbles and harmonicas! With the smell of fresh of lilacs (a nice memory of home for me), and a delicious potluck meal with contributions from all, we talked, laughed, played with trains, searched for Easter baskets, and continued the Witort tradition of the annual egg-cracking contest. For more pictures check out Jon's photo gallery.

[Birdseye view of the youngest egg-crackers - Maya, Kai and Reed]

A snapshot in videos

I have been really naughty (as my mom would say) about posting any recent stories or pictures so here are two recent videos that capture much of our life here these days. Overall, we are doing really well. Reed is starting to show his jokester side and loves making us laugh. He is finally starting to love reading with us and seems to enjoy going to bed when he is tired and even asks for it along with his pacifier (niii niii and baaa baaa). We are getting along without Samba in part because we are now the #1 go to people for dog sitting and our house has recently been full of em! B has been spending a lot of time under the house with a major plumbing project. This is also the first of many house projects we have in our future. We hope that in a few weeks we will be submitting plans to the city for our addition! More on that as it progresses.

Anyway, I will try to update more often but hope you enjoy these videos as a little taste of our lives these days.

One of Reeds favorite activities these days is pouring things from one container into another. This is especially true for pouring water.

On rainy days when I am home with Reed we often go to the YMCA kinder gym. It is full of indoor climbing structures, slides, bouncy house, and tumbling mats, For the past several times we visited, he has done this for almost the whole time.