Grace and Hazel

Just one day into her 6th month–as I was looking for a video to use for her blog post–Hazel decided to treat us to a little show. After complaining briefly about being set on her tummy, she took matters into her own thighs and kicked her bad little self over onto her cute little back! Here, we thought we were just pissing her off and she went and performed a trick! For the camera, no less…

Now we can add this to the growing list of actual things that little Hazy can…um, whats the word?…”DO”. Rolling over joins laughing, smiling, blowing raspberries with a mouth full of food, grabbing stuff that she wants (which is also new this week). I would put “getting bigger” on the list but she has ALWAYS been doing THAT like a champ.

So, 6 months down and a lifetime to go. Now it gets good!

Happy 6th Monthiversary, Hazy

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Before there was Disneyland, before the cousins, before the 4th of July…there was Max. Grace met Max in a little circle of life in a corner of the San Mateo County Fair, and it was love at first ride.

We didn’t know what to expect from Grace and a pony ride. It was the end of the day for us at the fair and we wanted her to get to go on a ride, but the rides were across the fair and we were tired. And then we saw Max. On a whim I plunked down my $7, handed Grace the token and put her in line. Then I walked away, taking my position with a video camera in one hand and still camera in the other to watch the action. She just calmly stood there in line until she was lifted by some guy in a cowboy hat and belted onto the back of the shortest pony in the ring. Grace had previously piloted a plastic carousel horse up and down and round and round and she probably expected the same here. 30 seconds into the video (which is tastefully edited from its original 7 minute footage…you are welcome very much) you can see the second that she realizes that this is a live pony and she is riding it when a smile spreads suddenly from one ear to the other.

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We have triumphantly returned from our 10-day family roadtrip and boy do I owe some blog posts.  I have now caught up on most of my sleep and knocked the must-dos off my list so I can sit down and get to business.

Some of the highlights that you can expect to see in the next few days:

• Graces first pony ride (pre-road trip)
• Visiting the kissing (and hugging) cousins
• Marcie and Dave’s Chicken Coop (and lovely home) in LA
• D – I – S – N – E – Y – L – A – N – D – !!!!
• The Fourth of July by the Sea

I promise!  I will ignore the whole family for a week if that’s what it takes to post the pictures, videos and words to describe our wonderful and exhausting holiday.  Sorry Honey, I’m going into the man-cave now…tell the kids that I still love them.

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I have seen the future and it sits on the couch ignoring me for some sort of technological device. Who knows what the kids will be interested in in “the future” but this iPod gives us a glimpse of what they will look like when they are paying attention to it instead of doing their homework or whatever.

Two-nager from Brad Topliff on Vimeo.

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It has been a little too long since I posted something, so hopefully I can build some momentum with this one. This series of pictures was just too cute not to post. Last week, Jenn has to go to what Grace came to know as “Lost Begus” for work, leaving me with both girls, at least for the first night. I juggled as well as I could and managed to get them both bathed and in bed with their jammies on the right way around…barely.

The second night left just me and Gracie, as Grammie asked for–and got–her first (of many [crossing fingers]) overnights with our littlest Banshee. I picked her up at school and whisked her off for a magical date that consisted of a whirlwind tour of San Mateo’s Caltrain station (where we saw THREE trains go by) and nearby Jeffrey’s restaurant. Jeffrey’s is a diner-ish place that is the perfect spot for a 2-year-old to enjoy hearty chicken sandwich and a glass of milk…oh and they have beer for daddy. We toasted to Hazy and Lincoln and Mommy coming home soon.

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In the tradition of Three Men and a Baby, My Two Dads and the Exorcist, our first film shows (if you look really closely) sheer terror masked by fatherly pride. It takes several viewings to recognize that the smallest one, Hazel, is quietly controlling everything with her mind.

Daddy’s Girls from Brad Topliff on Vimeo.

In Theater 2, we feature “Big Shoes”, the struggle of one small girl, against all odds, to make it to the kitchen wearing clownishly large shoes and facing the distractions of shiny objects along the way. It’s the feel good movie of the day.

Filling Mommy’s shoes from Brad Topliff on Vimeo.

Finally, in Theater 3, there is a rare screening of Look Who’s Talking 5: What the Hell is She Saying?!?. A less daring filmmaker might have found that 30 seconds was enough, but this wild ride though unintelligible syllables stretches good taste and the stamina of the audience all the way to the 3 minute breaking point.

Chatty from Brad Topliff on Vimeo.

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IMG_2198

Originally uploaded by Lincoln Topliff

Pardon the previous post, that was a draft that never should have seen the light of day.

Hopefully history and Hazel will not equate number of blog posts with amount of LOVE we have for our daughters. As the circumstances of everyday life run an impressive defense, blocking my best attempts to sit down and write, Hazel keeps hitting milestones and knocking cuteness out of the park. Last week, for instance she hit her 4th month with all the style and class of a 5-month-old and continued her amazing streak of happi- and healthiness. At the doctor, she weighed in at 16lbs 1oz (95th percentile) and measured in a 24inches (25th percentile) making her a bit of a fireplug.

A few days after the minor 4th monthiversary milestone, Hazy graduated from her straighjacket swaddle into a more forgiving sleep sack. Now, she finds that there are a couple of unpredictable visitors in her crib every night (her hands) that are just as likely to soothe her as smack her in the nose.

All in all, Hazel is a very happy, smiley, nearly giggling, baby-food-eating, loving-my-big-sister bundle of if-you-are-reading-this-you-should-come-see-her-before-you-miss-this.

Happy 4th Monthiversary, Hazy!

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