Anika's top 10 list

Here is the list of Anika's Top 10 favorite things (or at least what I think she would say if she spoke English)

10. Electrical cords

9. Looking in the mirror

8. Scratching the sheets with your fingernails and making a fun noise. (preferrably at 3am)

7. The sound your little teeth make on a metal spoon

6. The wind in your face

5. The lines between things - like the edges of carpets

4. Daddy coming home

3. Mommy in physical proximity

2. Monty's tail

1. Playing with water

Thesis Time!

Its that time of year again when the grad students at VCU scramble to finish their degrees and enter that big bad world of (un)employment. So this week I am on two thesis committees, both planning to defend.

I am actually, secretly, super excited about it. At the moment, reading theses is the only theatre type intellectual stimulation I am getting so I am trying to enjoy myself.

I must add that one of my thesis students was in my grad pedagogy class last fall, and a quote from one of my required readings made it into her thesis. While it could very well just be kissing up to the committee, I choose to believe that I inspired her.

Anyone else out there trying to get an MFA in theatre who needs a thesis committee member, let me know. I'd love to. and I am apparently very inspiring.

Anika's First Haircut

We finally cut Anika's hair - and it is much more manageable now! Here are the pictures of the process.
Final Product. She was such a champ. No crying at all. I am not sure she ever even saw the scissors.

Part way through. Michael was her stylist and I was the photographer, and attention seeker.

Just starting out.

Learning to Crawl

Here she is, crawling like a champion last week, her final week as a 7 month old.

Resurrection Day

Today is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. For Jesus' followers, it was a day when all hope was lost and faith had become a distant memory. God had allowed him to die, and I believe that the third day was traditionally believed to be the day when the spirit left the body. But in an act of grace unparalleled in human history, Jesus returned to life, conquering death and sin and bringing an everlasting hope to humanity.

We were sitting in service today as a family, in the very back of the balcony because the room was so full, and I was so grateful for that hope; that I have something to believe in that transcends death and guilt and pain; that each time I look in Anika's face, I see the wonder of new life. On this easter sunday, resurrection sunday, I hope that wherever you are, you know the peace of God. And if you don't, then I pray that you find it.

To new life, the chance to begin again, and hope in the midst of heartache.

Almost 8 months

This week we went to upstate NY to visit family and meet Anika's youngest cousin, baby Nicholas. We spent so much time actually just being with family that I didn't take any pictures, or almost none, but we did manage to see my friend Jen Badia, a photographer in the studio I used to work at. She met us outside of work time to catch up and take Anika's first professional pictures (I know her uncle Dave is a professional, but they don't count if it is your relative taking the pictures). So here is just a taste of what we have. Jen wants to play with the images, so this is just a raw version of what may come later. She's an AWESOME photographer, and especially great with kids.

So I hope you enjoy this "Almost 8 months" picture