Jungle Child

Swimming for Slimming

Saturday mornings, we try to get Maia's beach body in shape at swimming classes. Leah was kinda round when she was the same age, but lost the puppy fat as soon as she started crawling.

Maia's crawling now too, but uses this form of transport only to source food, like a pig snuffling for truffles. As one chin piles upon the next, she's gone from looking unbelievably cute to looking like a fat duck in 4 weeks. 

Good balast in the water, mind.

Katie's fine, by the way. One looking at the photos I imagine you might be worried, but she neither physically nor mentally unsound: you have to wear a swimming cap in the pool, and having forgotten hers for the 4th week in a row, was too embarrassed to borrow one again, so wore... Leah's. 

Which wasn't embarrassing at all.      

Katie, looking tops in Leah's swimming cap, points towards the camera, but Maia is lost
either in the memory of breakfast, or in the daydream of the post-swimming snack.  

It was all fun and games until we realised Maia had
eaten the 'missing' floation ball.   

The teacher uses her training to locate the missing ball.
"¡Está adentro de la panza famosa de Maia!" she cries. 

Using Zen Buddhism, and the distraction of an awesome hat, Katie calms Maia...

... and with great skill, administers the baby Heimlich manuevre! 

Y aca está! There it is...   

Seriously, I wasn't allowed to use the embarrassing swimwear photos. Imagine... 

Maia's 1st Birthday

Sunday was Maia's first birthday. Following a little breakfast and coffee by the river, we had post siesta birthday lunch, balloons, cake and presents. Here's the day in pictures and videos:

Leah, crashing her sister's siesta... 

What a gorgeous day.

Beautiful Argentina Skies

Relaxing on the balcony the other afternoon. Photo op with beautiful skies. Click to enlarge

Leah's 3rd Birthday

Leah's birthday. Little party at her wonderful jardín, Construir, with sus amigitos.

Feliz cumpleaños.


Then the real business. Cake. Twenty minutes later sitting at the head of an empty table was Leah, quietly working her way through every last crumb.



And finally, a little story, with a little visitor.



Y ya está. Hope you enjoyed.

I Caught A Brunch And It Was This Big

The Maia and the Mess

I'm biased, but Maia truly is becoming very cute.

Leah is still a frikkin' mess.

The Guys

Leah, Maia, and Babysitter Buddy Clau. 

Thursday afternoon on the terrace. 

The Dudettes

Mobile

Off to jardín 

Baby Talk

Man, the kid Leah has been on good form recently. Top Five from the last few days:

1. After I made a smoothy, she requested some "Noisy Milk, please."

2. After her sister spit-up on her. Cross: "No Maia. Don't puke on the Leah."

3. After I got her dressed this morning: "I'm so gorgeous!"

4. Wearing her fake watch. Katie, indicating Leah's watch.

"Leah, what time is it?"

"No, Mummy," (pointing at the wall) "the clock is there."

5. "Sylvie want a wipey?" Oh no, that was Moochie, asking our friend Sylvie, who's 31, if she needed to wash her hands.

Which prompted a story. Moochie told us that Big Yun was once on the phone to one of the shepherds, presumably arranging vital business on the farm like the time they would meet at the pub.

"OK, gotta go, " said Big Yun, authoritatively, "It's time for ma num nums".