Isadora on the Road

So Isadora and I recently got back from the family reunion/croquet tournament in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We traveled without Nancy (who had to go to a wedding), and so I got a lot of credit. My dad actually admitted to me that he'd never have travled alone with a two year old when he was a young father. Wussie.

Just before we got on the plane for the flight out, I saw a young Russian couple dosing their children with some kind of purple cold medicine. It was like something out of Rocky IV...how the Russian boxer is all steroided up, and Rocky just gets strong by lifting logs and stuff. Isadora, like Rocky, did a great job, even without drugs. While people were getting off the plane, a woman leaned into my aisle and said, "You're baby was great!" When I said, "Thanks," the woman said, "No, thank YOU!"

One of my favorite moments of the weekend was when I demonstrated for my parents that Isadora can sing some of the words to the Beatles song "When I'm Sixty-four" (notably, she can fill in the name "Dave" in the "Vera, Chuck, and Dave" part of the song). Everybody burst out laughing, and then Isadora exclaimed, "That was funny!"

The only time she annoyed me was the first morning in the hotel. She woke up before I wanted her to, and so I lifted her out of the crib and tried to get her to lie down in the hotel bed while I woke up. Instead of lying down though, she started pushing me out of bed, saying, "Time to get up!"

Incidentally, since I mentioned the Beatles, I have to add that Isadora has been learning the lyrics of various Beatles songs, and recently she was listening to one of her favorites, "Yesterday." I wasn't really paying attention to the lyrics until Isadora suddenly picked up on the word "shadow" in the line, "There's a shadow hanging over me" and started repeating it. "Shadow," she said, "Shadow." And then, in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, she said, "There's a shadow over Isadora."

 

Kind of a trippy picture, dude. Seriously, though, Isadora loved the aquairum in Chattanooga. But I think it may have been while we were standing by this section of the aquarium that a mother nearby threatened to throw her daughter in with the sharks for misbehaving. Nothing like aquatic animals to bring families together 

Here's Isadora learning about the mysteries of womanhood from her second cousins. 

Ready for Her Close-Up

Check how flattering this pink leotard is to Isadora's diaper.

The Cheshire Cat's Tail

The title of this video comes from a series of drawings Isadora had been working on that day.

The Birth of Self-Consciousness

The psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan wrote about something called "The Mirror Stage" which I believe is the moment when children realize, by looking in the mirror, that they are individuals. This is a video of what might be called "The Video Stage."

I'm sad to say that Isadora recently cracked her head open. We were suprised, and somewhat delighted, to find that her head is full of sunlight. She's recovering from the injury very well, but it might be a while before we can look directly at her. 

Cheerios! 

After learning the joy of the sand factory at our local playground, Isadora is seriously considering becoming a coal miner. 

Laid Back in Her Low Rider Swing

  

Izza learning to swing on her belly

 

Izza figured out how to swing on her belly all by herself the other day. She looked like such a pro while she was doing it too. What did I tell you? She's a ninja! 

  

  

Awwwww, Dad!

 

I interpret her look, at me with my camera, as the kind of look I'd give to a mischevious but still lovable dog. 

Cute or scary? You be the judge.