At the Bankarts

I was just sitting here peacefully with Grammy Joy

then Daddy started reading to me, which was nice until . . .

he put on this freaky deer hat with a glowing nose

and then Auntie Shannon came in with more weird hats

and Gramps joined in too. I just stared at them all and thought they were all nuts. Glad they were having fun.

Hanging Out in the Whidbey BOQ While Daddy is at Work

smelling bunny feet

what's a navy base without McDonald's for lunch?

She's Walking!

Her first unassisted steps - in the BOQ at NAS Whidbey in Washington, last Sunday. She hasn't done it much since; I think she is building up her confidence before she takes off fully.

Back at the house - climbing stairs

Forgot to post this one earlier- the new favorite pasttime of climbing the stairs.

On the Plane

Reading books to pass time
At long last - The Olympics in Washington!

Pony Tail

The hair is long enough now to pull it back in a single pony tail.

Playdate with Jack

Quite the challenge to get 2 1-year-olds to stop and smile for a cute picture at the same time.

Ballerina in Training

When she wears these shoes, I find her standing on her tip toes. And the lack of pants (uncooperative after a diaper change) + tall socks completes the ballerina image. This one's for you Mel!

Love the Doggie

New: hugging stuffed animals

Dinner at Granberry Mall

This is one of our favorite malls out here so last night we decided to drive out to it for a few last Christmas gifts (and Starbucks!) and dinner. We ended up grabbing some food from a little vendor next to the tea store, and this is what we came away with: sushi, chicken on a stick, yakasoba noodles, fried calamari with veggies, and tea. Ashlyn loves it all (minus the sushi and tea - a bit too young for that still). This is a very different life we have and Ashlyn's palette is a bit unusual for the typical American, but she is becoming a true Japanese baby!

Lunch at the Takahashi's

We were invited over to the Takahashi's (our 'Japanese parents' and Ashlyn's 'Japanese grandparents') for lunch. We had a feast of goodness, most of it fresh from their garden! They are so sweet and kind and provided everything Ashlyn needed: highchair, baby bowls and spoons and cups and lots of toys. Here she is enjoying a few of the toys:

Momentous Day

Today was quite the day of achievements and changes.

First of all, Ashlyn figured out how to ride on her green car, even though it's backwards (and not a great video of her actual movements) :

Then started "mooing" like a cow:

and then tonight, mommy went to the wives' club Christmas party, so Daddy took care of her and watched as she climbed all the way up AND down the stairs by herself (I'll get video of that tomorrow), and then the biggest event of the day was that she went to bed without her nighttime feeding. Yep, mommy's giving up the bedtime nursing. According to daddy, she was a bit upset at first, since her routine changed, but she settled down quickly enough and was soon fast asleep. Sad when your baby grows up but so fun to watch and experience her acquire new skills and become independent!

Skyping with the Grandparents

She was intent on getting as close as possible to the screen, which also included the keys which are so much fun to touch. She was also making sure the receiving party gets a good look at her face, up-close and personal.

Santa Came to the 136 Hangar Today

The kid's squadron Christmas Party was today and Santa came rolling in on the white truck. We waited our turn to be able to sit on Santa's lap for a picture, and when it came time for her turn, Ashlyn was NOT impressed by the red suit and beard. Maybe next year Santa.

Stuck

At first, finding herself stuck on top of the toy box was a bit uncomfortable but she was ok with it; but then . . .

it quickly turned to not so great and mommy had to come to the rescue. Next time, maybe don't get in the box (however you were able to do it in the first place).

Rice Pounding

pounding rice into "mochi"

a little bit of entertainment, Japanese style = dancing, drums, and costumes

Daddy offering to feed the baby on the floor in his dress blues - what a guy

This was a Japanese-hosted event sponsored by one of the squadrons that we share the base with. We often have events for the Japanese to experience American culture and this was one of the chances for the Japanese to return the favor. It's called a "rice pounding" because everyone has the opportunity to actually pound rice with mallets to make mochi, which is served several different ways (it's mostly street food, grilled, or served 'sweet' with red bean paste - which I use sparingly because Japanese desserts are rarely ever 'sweet' like they are in States where we are addicted to SUGAR). Mochi is not our favorite thing to eat here by any means, and I do prefer it with the bean paste, but it's still not fabulous.

It was a fun evening out and definitely one of those unique events that we can add to the list of experiences we've had out here.

New Suit

I bought Ashlyn a new bathing suit from the "bunny store" in town, for winter swimming (meaning: a suit big enough to fit her for swimming in the indoor pool during the winter months). It's reminiscent of the 30's or 40's and super cute. What you can't see is the sheer belly fabric underneath so that if you lift up the "skirt" it looks like a bikini underneath. Hysterical!

Tickle Monster

The Bankart Grandmparents and Auntie Shannon gave Ashlyn this cool Tickle Monster book and gloves for her birthday, but she was scared of them back then! Now, she LOVES it and laughs and laughs and tries to pull down the gloves from the shelf to play with. It's amazing what a few months will do!

Piggy Blanket

This was a blanket Ashlyn received a long time ago, but that we just recently found in her closet. She thinks the pig is hysterical!

The Pink Hat

Her new pink hat - very J indeed, but super cute.