Francesca as a 15 and 16-month old

Francesca is now officially a toddler who can walk with no problem and therefore prefers to run and be in regular danger of what she calls a "wipe-out." Francesca practices her running and wipe-outs at the park, where she enjoys racing up and down the slide, barging in on soccer games being played by people two to three times her size, chasing the pigeons and geese while flapping her wings and yelling "honk!", and coaching her papa to do his "up-ups" (pull ups). She tucks in a couple of sets of her own up-ups, with an assist from the big guy.

Aside from frequent park visits, the busy toddler goes to the Oakland Zoo, the Jungle (a huge indoor playground), the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, the Oakland museum, and various playdates. Francesca has recently begun a Music Together class and loves it. She has been dancing for months, but after beginning this class has begun trying to sing.

Francesca also enjoys accompanying her parents on shopping trips, so long as it's somewhere she can get some of her favorites -- artichoke and red pepper frittata, ravioli with fresh parmesan, free-range grilled chicken, ham and cheese turnovers, etc. On Christmas, Francesca tried her mama's lasagne for the first time and immediately proved herself worthy of her Italian lineage.

Francesca shared the Christmas feast with her parents, her nonna (grandmother) Karen, her "buddy" Marcos, and Marcos' mom and grandmother. on New Year's Eve, Francesca let her parents stay away overnight for the first time and had her best sleep night ever. In January, her papu (grandfather) Nick visited and she took him to some of her favorite haunts.

Francesca continues on her chatty pace, including a running commentary of what she's doing and seeing - tree! car! walking! cat - meow! apple juice! - and counting from one to ten in both English and Italian. Francesca is not above pleading when she wants to watch her favorite videos - pleeeease! sad! sad! pleeeease! (the level of apparent despair belied by the ear-to-ear grin when she detects that her wishes will be met.)

Francesca continues to outgrow her clothes at a dizzying pace and tops three feet as she exits her sixteenth month. Perhaps that is why she now refers to herself as a "big girl."

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