Coming soon, from Pixar…
8 years ago
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Happy birthday to me!
This morning I woke up a different woman. A thirty-five year old
woman. A thirty-five year old woman in a strange bed in a strange
room. Midlife crisis? Hardly. I'm going to Disney!
woman. A thirty-five year old woman in a strange bed in a strange
room. Midlife crisis? Hardly. I'm going to Disney!
Yes, I am choosing to celebrate my birthday alone ( well, alone with
thousands of strangers). If you call me crazy, you would not be alone.
There are lots of folks that have looked at me alittle funny when I
explained my plan, but I care not. Today is all about me, and I'm
loving it!
I am standing at the gates of Disney Hollywood studios, waiting to
begin my Disney in a day or die birthday trip. And yes, I am typing in
my phone, so forgive any errors :). In a little while, the gates will
open on my day, and I will travel to all four Disney world parks, by
boat, bus and monorail, and do my favorite rides at all of them.
Will I be able to do it? Will my legs, my heart, and more importantly
my cell phone battery, survive? God, I love a cliffhanger.
Sent from my iPhone
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The Holiday Insanity Has Begun
I am lying in a prone position in my inlaws guest room, deep breathing
and guzzling Pinot grigio. Below me, I can hear the in-laws in the
kitchen, attempting to wrangle a broken garbage disposal that's
clogging up the sink this Thanksgiving eve. In the next room, my
husband has taken over as chief soother of our inconsolable one year
old, a job that I've been unsuccessfully attempting for an hour and a
half. Also in the next room, Griffin the Destroyer, who accidentally
broke his eyeglasses on the busiest shopping weekend of the year.
When will they make glasses that will hold up to the average four year
old?
and guzzling Pinot grigio. Below me, I can hear the in-laws in the
kitchen, attempting to wrangle a broken garbage disposal that's
clogging up the sink this Thanksgiving eve. In the next room, my
husband has taken over as chief soother of our inconsolable one year
old, a job that I've been unsuccessfully attempting for an hour and a
half. Also in the next room, Griffin the Destroyer, who accidentally
broke his eyeglasses on the busiest shopping weekend of the year.
When will they make glasses that will hold up to the average four year
old?
The deep breathing ( and the pinot) is helping me to calm down. Typing
this out on the tiny keys on my phone is helping me to focus on
something other then the mayhem of this night.
In summary, this thanksgiving eve, I am grateful for oxygen, beds,
wine and my iPhone. Hopefully things will continue to settle, and I
can add to my list.
Sent from my iPhone
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Updates
Well, I guess if the point of having a blog is to comment on the state of our lives, the fact that I have been too busy to update the blog since August 22 is a statement in itself, right?
If this were a movie, this is where I would include a musical montage of all of our adventures, but as it's just my blog, I will attempt to communicate the last two months in pictures.
The biggest news of all is that our little peanut turned ONE! We celebrated the event on a beautiful late summer day, and a good time was had by all.
Next we went to the Champlain Valley Fair, saw all the animals, rode some rides, and stuffed ourselves silly with delicious fair food.
Ted's company held their annual company picnic at Oak Ledge Park, which was a blast. They had the world's biggest bouncy house, which both Ted and Griffin enjoyed.
They also had a Baby bouncy house, which Molly enjoyed :)
They also had a Baby bouncy house, which Molly enjoyed :)
We went apple picking at the orchard, which is always fun!
Football season started, God help us all!
Ted and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary with a weekend away. We went to Foxwoods, saw the So You Think You Can Dance show live (Ted was so excited!), and just relaxed and enjoyed some time together. There may have been alcohol and gambling involved.
So now everyone's all caught up! Wasn't that fun?
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The Duckpond
Last Sunday, after FourFest '09, we headed out to the Shelburne Museum to recharge our batteries (the adults that is...we bring the kids to drain their batteries a little bit!).
The heat wave was in full effect, and by 10:30 AM, it was already boiling outside. We managed to find the best spot in the state to chill out and relax...the Duckpond. We sat for a long time here, and it was so peaceful.
Watching the ducks...
They were pretty cute.
We also tried to grab a quick Christmas card photo, but...something tells me it's not going to work out!
The heat wave was in full effect, and by 10:30 AM, it was already boiling outside. We managed to find the best spot in the state to chill out and relax...the Duckpond. We sat for a long time here, and it was so peaceful.
Watching the ducks...
While holding on to his birthday transformers for dear life!
Even the baby enjoyed the ducks.
They were pretty cute.
We also tried to grab a quick Christmas card photo, but...something tells me it's not going to work out!
Luxurious
What a feeling!
For the first time in more than a month, I am looking down the barrell of a weekend with nothing on my plate. No agenda, no parties, no travelling, no friends visiting. Just my family, and whatever appeals to us. It feels almost decadent to be so un-scheduled.
My son was so excited about it he woke up at 3:30 this morning and wouldn't go back to sleep. He likes his fun to begin early, that's for sure.
For the first time in more than a month, I am looking down the barrell of a weekend with nothing on my plate. No agenda, no parties, no travelling, no friends visiting. Just my family, and whatever appeals to us. It feels almost decadent to be so un-scheduled.
My son was so excited about it he woke up at 3:30 this morning and wouldn't go back to sleep. He likes his fun to begin early, that's for sure.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Griffin's Birthday Bash Part 1
Yes, I am blowing the dust off my blog again!
The month of August has been jam packed full of action (and it's only the 16th!). In an attempt to rescue some details from the blur of the month, let's start with...THE BIRTHDAY!
In the past, Griffin's birthday parties have been mostly low-key family affairs. For his first birthday, we invited 20 adults to come celebrate with us at our place. Who knew it would be the rainiest day of the year (literally!). The sight of my husband standing at the grill in the pouring rain, not to mention people crammed shoulder to shoulder in our little house, made us rethink the home parties for a couple of years. Birthdays 2 and 3 were celebrated closer to the relatives, at my aunt's house in NH.
But this year, my husband and I decided to be brave and attempt the Mount Everest of social situations, the kids birthday party. After some debating about the location, we decided to stick with what we know, and have everybody come to our little house in the woods for some old fashioned hooting and hollering!
The first hurdle: invitations. Who, and how many, do we invite? The conventional wisdom for kids' parties says the birthday kid's age plus one is the perfect equation for guests. For us, that meant 5 kids. Easy enough, right? Is anything ever that easy?
The politics of pre-school indicate that an invitation should be issued to all classmates. Our dilemma: Griffin recently "graduated" from middle pre-school to older pre-school, and has good friends in both groups. The solution: invitations to everyone! That's right, 36 invitations issued. We weren't too worried about the guest list, as our past experience told us that many of the parents and kids wouldn't attend. We estimated we'd end up with about 7 kids. Until the RSVPs started coming in fast and furious, giving us a count of 16 kids and 21 adults.
Next hurdle: activities. As the yes's started mounting, we started to worry about making sure that everybody had something to do. Keep 'em busy, keep 'em happy! Busy kids also mean that parents can relax and enjoy some grown up conversation. Thank God for Oriental Trading Company! We got 72 little foam planes for the kids to fly, supplies for a make-your-own-sock-puppet activity, face-painting, tattoos, pinwheels and kazoos. And of course, the millions of cars and trucks that Griffin already owns, from the giant dump truck to the little micro-racers, perfect for the kids to race over the backyard terrain.
Final hurdle: food. In reality, this was not much of a hurdle at all. With the anticipated number of guests, we decided that keeping it simple was the best thing to do. Lots of fruit and veggies with some dip, crackers and cheese, and yummy southwestern eggrolls (vegetarian and chicken). No problem!
Once we had a plan in place, we felt relatively confident. I mean really, what could go wrong?
The month of August has been jam packed full of action (and it's only the 16th!). In an attempt to rescue some details from the blur of the month, let's start with...THE BIRTHDAY!
In the past, Griffin's birthday parties have been mostly low-key family affairs. For his first birthday, we invited 20 adults to come celebrate with us at our place. Who knew it would be the rainiest day of the year (literally!). The sight of my husband standing at the grill in the pouring rain, not to mention people crammed shoulder to shoulder in our little house, made us rethink the home parties for a couple of years. Birthdays 2 and 3 were celebrated closer to the relatives, at my aunt's house in NH.
But this year, my husband and I decided to be brave and attempt the Mount Everest of social situations, the kids birthday party. After some debating about the location, we decided to stick with what we know, and have everybody come to our little house in the woods for some old fashioned hooting and hollering!
The first hurdle: invitations. Who, and how many, do we invite? The conventional wisdom for kids' parties says the birthday kid's age plus one is the perfect equation for guests. For us, that meant 5 kids. Easy enough, right? Is anything ever that easy?
The politics of pre-school indicate that an invitation should be issued to all classmates. Our dilemma: Griffin recently "graduated" from middle pre-school to older pre-school, and has good friends in both groups. The solution: invitations to everyone! That's right, 36 invitations issued. We weren't too worried about the guest list, as our past experience told us that many of the parents and kids wouldn't attend. We estimated we'd end up with about 7 kids. Until the RSVPs started coming in fast and furious, giving us a count of 16 kids and 21 adults.
Next hurdle: activities. As the yes's started mounting, we started to worry about making sure that everybody had something to do. Keep 'em busy, keep 'em happy! Busy kids also mean that parents can relax and enjoy some grown up conversation. Thank God for Oriental Trading Company! We got 72 little foam planes for the kids to fly, supplies for a make-your-own-sock-puppet activity, face-painting, tattoos, pinwheels and kazoos. And of course, the millions of cars and trucks that Griffin already owns, from the giant dump truck to the little micro-racers, perfect for the kids to race over the backyard terrain.
Final hurdle: food. In reality, this was not much of a hurdle at all. With the anticipated number of guests, we decided that keeping it simple was the best thing to do. Lots of fruit and veggies with some dip, crackers and cheese, and yummy southwestern eggrolls (vegetarian and chicken). No problem!
Once we had a plan in place, we felt relatively confident. I mean really, what could go wrong?
Griffin's Birthday Bash Part 2
After a week's vacation in Minnesota (and it's hour time change), and a raging ear infection for Mommy, I was a little apprehensive about the party. After all, theory and practice an be two very different things, and I wasn't sure our plan would hold up.
We came back from our vacation on Sunday, the party was scheduled for the next Saturday. Every night that week, we ran around after the kids had gone to bed, gathering our supplies and prepping for the fun. On Friday night, we went to bed confident and happy that the morning would be a breeze. My parents were headed up to help, and the party wasn't until 1. All we needed to do was set things up in the yard, make the goodie bags, clean the bathrooms and inflate the helium balloons.
Fast forward to 12:10 PM on party day. I was unshowered, sweating in the 90 degree heat, and hacking up ribbon with a paring knife, as I'd misplaced the scissors in the confusion of the morning. Nothing to eat, nothing to drink, panic gnawing at my guts. No possible way we were going to be ready in time. I finally tore myself away from the last of the projects, trying to imagine what the other parents would think when they arrived. Nothing says "welcome to the party" like a sweaty, maniacal lunatic with a balloon.
And then, a miracle happened. The first car rolled into our driveway at 12:50, just as I was putting out the first of the snacks. After the panic of the morning (when you have to tell the birthday boy to "keep his hands off anything that looks like it's fun", nobody's having fun), it was time to relax.
After the first few minutes, as the kids trickled in, Griffin started to realize that the party we had been talking about for weeks was finally happening. The cool stuff we'd put out was thoroughly enjoyed: faces were painted, noisemakers were blown, and the little foam airplanes were worth their weight in gold. There were groups of kids inside playing with blocks and matchbox cars, groups of kids outside, in the tent, on the rocking horse, in the little carpeted area we'd set up for the babies in attendance. Parents were chatting and snacking, taking the "grand tour" of our little house.
The day was sunny and clear, and the 90 degree temperature kept the bugs away. The benefit of being in the woods is that there's always shade, always a cool place to sit, and it helped to keep the kiddos from getting overheated. The frosting on our homemade cupcakes did not appreciate the heat, so "sugar time" was a little bit messy. The birthday boy helped himself to 2 cupcakes, one chocolate, one vanilla. Hey, if you can't have 2 cupcakes on your birthday, when can you have them?
After we sang and served cupcakes, the kids started a big game of "chase". One of the boys gathered up all the "punching balloons" we had blown up, and strapped them to his arms with the handy elastic. The rest of the kids chased him in and out of the house, shrieking and laughing, making up their own fun. At one point all of them, including balloons, were squeezed into the downstairs bathroom. It was at this point that I actually remembered we had a camera somewhere, and got it out to take some pictures.
As the day wound down, and the kids packed up to go, we realized that despite all the craziness of set up (evidenced by the wild variation of balloon string lengths. Apparently, when you're hacking them off with a knife it's hard to be accurate) we had a terrific day, as did our guests. The birthday boy was tired but happy, as were the birthday parents. That was the point, right?
We came back from our vacation on Sunday, the party was scheduled for the next Saturday. Every night that week, we ran around after the kids had gone to bed, gathering our supplies and prepping for the fun. On Friday night, we went to bed confident and happy that the morning would be a breeze. My parents were headed up to help, and the party wasn't until 1. All we needed to do was set things up in the yard, make the goodie bags, clean the bathrooms and inflate the helium balloons.
Fast forward to 12:10 PM on party day. I was unshowered, sweating in the 90 degree heat, and hacking up ribbon with a paring knife, as I'd misplaced the scissors in the confusion of the morning. Nothing to eat, nothing to drink, panic gnawing at my guts. No possible way we were going to be ready in time. I finally tore myself away from the last of the projects, trying to imagine what the other parents would think when they arrived. Nothing says "welcome to the party" like a sweaty, maniacal lunatic with a balloon.
And then, a miracle happened. The first car rolled into our driveway at 12:50, just as I was putting out the first of the snacks. After the panic of the morning (when you have to tell the birthday boy to "keep his hands off anything that looks like it's fun", nobody's having fun), it was time to relax.
After the first few minutes, as the kids trickled in, Griffin started to realize that the party we had been talking about for weeks was finally happening. The cool stuff we'd put out was thoroughly enjoyed: faces were painted, noisemakers were blown, and the little foam airplanes were worth their weight in gold. There were groups of kids inside playing with blocks and matchbox cars, groups of kids outside, in the tent, on the rocking horse, in the little carpeted area we'd set up for the babies in attendance. Parents were chatting and snacking, taking the "grand tour" of our little house.
The day was sunny and clear, and the 90 degree temperature kept the bugs away. The benefit of being in the woods is that there's always shade, always a cool place to sit, and it helped to keep the kiddos from getting overheated. The frosting on our homemade cupcakes did not appreciate the heat, so "sugar time" was a little bit messy. The birthday boy helped himself to 2 cupcakes, one chocolate, one vanilla. Hey, if you can't have 2 cupcakes on your birthday, when can you have them?
After we sang and served cupcakes, the kids started a big game of "chase". One of the boys gathered up all the "punching balloons" we had blown up, and strapped them to his arms with the handy elastic. The rest of the kids chased him in and out of the house, shrieking and laughing, making up their own fun. At one point all of them, including balloons, were squeezed into the downstairs bathroom. It was at this point that I actually remembered we had a camera somewhere, and got it out to take some pictures.
As the day wound down, and the kids packed up to go, we realized that despite all the craziness of set up (evidenced by the wild variation of balloon string lengths. Apparently, when you're hacking them off with a knife it's hard to be accurate) we had a terrific day, as did our guests. The birthday boy was tired but happy, as were the birthday parents. That was the point, right?
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Farts R Us
In my continuing effort to provide my children with a highbrow sense
of humor, I have opened a door. It started innocently enough.
of humor, I have opened a door. It started innocently enough.
We all know how much Iove my iPhone. One of the first apps I
downloaded from the App Store was called "whoopie cushion". Much like
it sounds, a little box with a pink whoopie cushion icon appeared on
my phone. Every time you push the button,my phone emits a different
"fart" sound. You know who loves fart sounds ( besides me, of course)?
My three year old!
Yes, Griffin and I spent a solid 10 minutes giggling over the various
sounds coming out of my phone. He enjoyed it enough to start asking
for it by name: "Mommy, can I play the fart game?"
Today, while in the dollar store, I found something even better: a
real whoopie cushion! I brought it home to show my son the real thing.
He spent most of the evening blowing up and "deflating" the whoopie
cushion, much to our mutual delight.
Sometimes, there's nothing as funny as a good old fashioned fart joke.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
I Know, I Know
We leave for our vacation in a mere 2 days, and what am I doing?
Laying on the couch, drinking wine and watching So You Think You Can
Dance. Productive? No. Enjoyable? Yes.
Laying on the couch, drinking wine and watching So You Think You Can
Dance. Productive? No. Enjoyable? Yes.
Sent from my iPhone
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The Future Is Now
technically I'm sitting right next to my computer, and not actually
"on the go" at the moment. But Imagine the possibilities!
I will demonstrate a small snippet of my newfound bloggerific
abilities by posting a photo of the loudest dog known to man. Don't
let the sweet face fool you!
Sent from my iPhone
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Crunch Time
We are rapidly approaching that time of the the summer I like to call "crunch time". Our weekends are getting few and far between, and all of those grand plans we made at the start of the summer are staring us in the face. The big question: will we have time to fit it all in, and if not, what will go on the back burner?
In my past life as a retail manager, there was never a question, the answer would be "no, we will not fit it all in." At that time, I had one free weekend a month, and those were typically filled up with plans at least six months in advance. While I do not miss that type of rigid scheduling, it was nice to know there was a cutoff somewhere. Now, I have high hopes and aspirations, but then quickly degenerate into stress and tension when these jam-packed weekends present themselves to me.
I am looking forward to our upcoming vacation, but that is another kind of "crunch time". Thanks to Delta's $15.00 "first bag" policy, we are trying to restrict ourselves to 2 checked bags. I am a championship overpacker at the best of times, but faced with a STRICT limitation like this, I am a quivering mess. On the one hand, my kids are small, and their clothes take up little room. On the other hand, they are kids, and prone to spilling, drooling, an the occasional bout of "spit up", and we need to be prepared for these occurrences by bringing multiple shirts, shorts bathing suits, you get the picture!
I will try my hardest not to let my stress about our summer plans keep me from enjoying the very things that we are looking forward to, but it's hard. I'll just keep telling myself "one day at a time" until I wake up and it's autumn already.
In my past life as a retail manager, there was never a question, the answer would be "no, we will not fit it all in." At that time, I had one free weekend a month, and those were typically filled up with plans at least six months in advance. While I do not miss that type of rigid scheduling, it was nice to know there was a cutoff somewhere. Now, I have high hopes and aspirations, but then quickly degenerate into stress and tension when these jam-packed weekends present themselves to me.
I am looking forward to our upcoming vacation, but that is another kind of "crunch time". Thanks to Delta's $15.00 "first bag" policy, we are trying to restrict ourselves to 2 checked bags. I am a championship overpacker at the best of times, but faced with a STRICT limitation like this, I am a quivering mess. On the one hand, my kids are small, and their clothes take up little room. On the other hand, they are kids, and prone to spilling, drooling, an the occasional bout of "spit up", and we need to be prepared for these occurrences by bringing multiple shirts, shorts bathing suits, you get the picture!
I will try my hardest not to let my stress about our summer plans keep me from enjoying the very things that we are looking forward to, but it's hard. I'll just keep telling myself "one day at a time" until I wake up and it's autumn already.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Let Freedom Rain
We had high hopes for this Independence Day weekend. On Friday morning, we packed up our family and headed out to IHOP for a breakfast of champions and a planning session. A three day weekend stood before us, ready to be filled with family bike rides, beach trips, parades and kids carnivals. Ah, how optimistic we were!
Friday was filled with errands in preparation for the festivities. While there were clouds overhead, we were still dry at noon, debating on whether or not we could squeeze in a trip to the playground before heading home. Our debate was finished when the sky opened up for a mini-monsoon that continued on throughout the day. The rest of Friday was spent cooking delicious Southwestern Eggrolls, and getting psyched for Saturday's big event, the parade!
Saturday morning dawned cloudy and cool, but dry. My husband and son were able to sneak out for a bike ride, while the baby napped and I packed us up for the parade. I saw a few beams of weak sunlight poke their way through the clouds, and I smugly thought that we'd be all set for a 45 minute parade. Uh-huh.
As our car pulled into the tiny town post office, the sky turned ominously gray. Before our seat belts were off, the rain was falling. We hunkered down in the car until we found a break in the clouds, then made our move. The baby and I set up camp under a tree, the boys put on their rain gear, and we waited for the parade to come through.
Friday was filled with errands in preparation for the festivities. While there were clouds overhead, we were still dry at noon, debating on whether or not we could squeeze in a trip to the playground before heading home. Our debate was finished when the sky opened up for a mini-monsoon that continued on throughout the day. The rest of Friday was spent cooking delicious Southwestern Eggrolls, and getting psyched for Saturday's big event, the parade!
Saturday morning dawned cloudy and cool, but dry. My husband and son were able to sneak out for a bike ride, while the baby napped and I packed us up for the parade. I saw a few beams of weak sunlight poke their way through the clouds, and I smugly thought that we'd be all set for a 45 minute parade. Uh-huh.
As our car pulled into the tiny town post office, the sky turned ominously gray. Before our seat belts were off, the rain was falling. We hunkered down in the car until we found a break in the clouds, then made our move. The baby and I set up camp under a tree, the boys put on their rain gear, and we waited for the parade to come through.
Waiting for the parade to start...
Someone was thrilled that he was allowed to play in the puddles!
Watching the first REAL parade with Daddy
In the end, we got to see our parade, Griff got to wave his flag (bought for $1, and repaired approximately 5 times before the parade actually started!), and a good time was had by all.
In the end, we got to see our parade, Griff got to wave his flag (bought for $1, and repaired approximately 5 times before the parade actually started!), and a good time was had by all.
Yay!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Gun Control
My husband and I are not, shall we say, gun enthusiasts. Naively, we thought by not buying toy guns for our little guy, we could avoid the idea of weaponry for our kids, at least for a little while.
Yeah, right.
Daycare is beautiful in that your kids are exposed to all kinds of things, including other kids who play "shoot the bad guy" games. It's not uncommon for our little guy to run around with his toy golf clubs, taking aim and making the obligatory "gun noises" that little boys seem to make almost instinctively.
While I am not crazy about this practice in general, I had to laugh this morning when I overheard my husband nicely ask Griffin to call his shooty toy a "power wand" instead of a gun. When I saw the look my son gave him, I had to laugh even harder. It was like seeing a preview of his teenage face, embarrassed both for and by my husband. Add an eyeroll, and he could have been a very short 13 year old.
They grow up so fast.
Yeah, right.
Daycare is beautiful in that your kids are exposed to all kinds of things, including other kids who play "shoot the bad guy" games. It's not uncommon for our little guy to run around with his toy golf clubs, taking aim and making the obligatory "gun noises" that little boys seem to make almost instinctively.
While I am not crazy about this practice in general, I had to laugh this morning when I overheard my husband nicely ask Griffin to call his shooty toy a "power wand" instead of a gun. When I saw the look my son gave him, I had to laugh even harder. It was like seeing a preview of his teenage face, embarrassed both for and by my husband. Add an eyeroll, and he could have been a very short 13 year old.
They grow up so fast.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Members Only
There are so many fabulous things for families to do in our neck of the woods, and this summer we are hell bent on enjoying all of them. On Sunday, which was supposed to be a rainy day, we decided to take the kids out to Shelburne Museum. This year's travelling exhibit is called Full Throttle, and features tons of motorcycles: vintage, custom, and just plain weird. We figured we'd just stay inside, check out all the motorcycles, and then let our boy check out the Ticonderoga, a full sized steam ship that's permanently grounded on the museum property.
We did not expect what we got, which was a gorgeous, sunny day. Not only did we see (and enjoy!) the motorcycle exhibit and the Ticonderoga, but we got to check out the blacksmith, the horse barn and take a few carousel rides. Having been to the Shelburne Museum on a few "adults only" trips, I was a bit unsure how it would go over with the kids. I didn't need to worry, as everyone had a spectacular time.
So spectacular, in fact, that we rolled our single day admission into a family pass. That's right, we're now Shelburne Museum members, free to visit any old time we choose. Given the fun we all had, I expect they'll be seeing a lot of us this summer. And now I feel less guilty that my camera battery died immediately after taking the first picture of the motorcycles :)
Next on the summer fun list...the drive-in!! I hope it's as successful as our day at the museum.
We did not expect what we got, which was a gorgeous, sunny day. Not only did we see (and enjoy!) the motorcycle exhibit and the Ticonderoga, but we got to check out the blacksmith, the horse barn and take a few carousel rides. Having been to the Shelburne Museum on a few "adults only" trips, I was a bit unsure how it would go over with the kids. I didn't need to worry, as everyone had a spectacular time.
So spectacular, in fact, that we rolled our single day admission into a family pass. That's right, we're now Shelburne Museum members, free to visit any old time we choose. Given the fun we all had, I expect they'll be seeing a lot of us this summer. And now I feel less guilty that my camera battery died immediately after taking the first picture of the motorcycles :)
Next on the summer fun list...the drive-in!! I hope it's as successful as our day at the museum.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Laziest. Blogger. Ever.
I don't even have an excuse for my bad blogging behavior other than the fact that summer is upon us! The patio furniture is out, the grill is always ready to go, and I am totally stocked up on sunscreen. Woohoo!
Here are the events that have happened that I did not memorialize in the blog: baby crawls, says "Hi" and "Dada" (I swear to God!), pulls herself up on anything and everything, and sleeps in her big-girl crib (finally!), and weighs in at almost 18 pounds. Our little man had his first camp out (with Mommy, thank you very much), moved up into the older pre-school room (next stop, Kindergarten) and has now taken to telling everyone that he'd like a glass of wine, please (you know what they say about apples and trees, wink wink). Yeah, I guess I've been off my game a bit with the updating.
Now I'm going to enjoy a refined meal of chili cheese dogs and pinot grigio with my fantastic husband. Cheers!
Here are the events that have happened that I did not memorialize in the blog: baby crawls, says "Hi" and "Dada" (I swear to God!), pulls herself up on anything and everything, and sleeps in her big-girl crib (finally!), and weighs in at almost 18 pounds. Our little man had his first camp out (with Mommy, thank you very much), moved up into the older pre-school room (next stop, Kindergarten) and has now taken to telling everyone that he'd like a glass of wine, please (you know what they say about apples and trees, wink wink). Yeah, I guess I've been off my game a bit with the updating.
Now I'm going to enjoy a refined meal of chili cheese dogs and pinot grigio with my fantastic husband. Cheers!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mothers Day
As I write this, I've got both munchkins and the dog on top of me. It's very cozy on a rainy Sunday, but not quite perfect. It would only be perfect if my husband was here.
Early this morning (practically last night, really) my partner in crime headed out to the airport to catch his flight to LA. He's only been gone a few hours, but I already miss him terribly. Wussy, I know, but it's a perfect case of "don't know what you've got til it's gone."
I have been dreading this trip for months. This is the first time I've been alone with both kids for any length of time, and I've been so worried about all the things that could go wrong: sickness, injury, insanity. So far, the kids have been fabulous, it's the company I miss.
Our world tends to be very focused on the kids and their needs. With a three year old and an eight month old, it kind of has to be. However, it's invaluable to have another adult in the land of the peanuts. When our precocious son comes out with something absurdly funny (but very inappropriate), we work hard to keep our "parent faces" on while we explain why it's not appropriate. Then we run into the kitchen and snicker and giggle about how funny it was when he said it. It's a good release, and because we are his parents, our laughter is the exact same mix of "can you believe he said that?" and "can you believe he's ours? that we made him together?"
That's the stuff I'm missing right now. This morning, when the baby pinched our son, and he turned to me and said in the most exasperated tone "Well, I'm just sick of it!", I wanted so badly to turn to my husband to catch his reaction, but no such luck.
I miss you, honey. It's going to be a long week :(
Early this morning (practically last night, really) my partner in crime headed out to the airport to catch his flight to LA. He's only been gone a few hours, but I already miss him terribly. Wussy, I know, but it's a perfect case of "don't know what you've got til it's gone."
I have been dreading this trip for months. This is the first time I've been alone with both kids for any length of time, and I've been so worried about all the things that could go wrong: sickness, injury, insanity. So far, the kids have been fabulous, it's the company I miss.
Our world tends to be very focused on the kids and their needs. With a three year old and an eight month old, it kind of has to be. However, it's invaluable to have another adult in the land of the peanuts. When our precocious son comes out with something absurdly funny (but very inappropriate), we work hard to keep our "parent faces" on while we explain why it's not appropriate. Then we run into the kitchen and snicker and giggle about how funny it was when he said it. It's a good release, and because we are his parents, our laughter is the exact same mix of "can you believe he said that?" and "can you believe he's ours? that we made him together?"
That's the stuff I'm missing right now. This morning, when the baby pinched our son, and he turned to me and said in the most exasperated tone "Well, I'm just sick of it!", I wanted so badly to turn to my husband to catch his reaction, but no such luck.
I miss you, honey. It's going to be a long week :(
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Words to Live By
This morning was a bit hectic, as most mornings are in this house. I got my son settled on the couch, and tried to do a few things while carrying the baby. I carried her into the bathroom with me, and from the couch I heard a tiny voice shout "Don't put her in the pee!"
"And don't flush her!"
My son is nothing if not helpful :)
"And don't flush her!"
My son is nothing if not helpful :)
Big Truck Day!
Hands down, one of the best things about being a parent is all the fun stuff you get to do "for the kids". Today, our duty as parents called us to take the kids down to the local elementary school for the annual Big Truck Day. In case you don't know, Big Truck Day is a fundraiser where as many awesome vehicles as you can gather are parked in one spot, and the kids are allowed to crawl through them, "drive" them, and honk the horns willy-nilly.
Parents too, if you're lucky :) What you can't see in most of these pictures is that Daddy is in the cab as well, having the time of his life in the big trucks, too.
Here are some pics of the big fun we had at Big Truck Day this year. Enjoy!
Firetruck:
Grader:
And another fire truck.
At first, Molly did not know what to make of the incessantly honking horns:
But she got over it and ended up having some fun!
Parents too, if you're lucky :) What you can't see in most of these pictures is that Daddy is in the cab as well, having the time of his life in the big trucks, too.
Here are some pics of the big fun we had at Big Truck Day this year. Enjoy!
An overview of the carnage:
He looks so tiny in that giant truck!
Firetruck:
Grader:
And another fire truck.
At first, Molly did not know what to make of the incessantly honking horns:
But she got over it and ended up having some fun!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Spring Coats and Pillows
This is the label I put on our "seasonal outerwear" bin when I packed it up in November. Sure enough, when I opened it up, I was met with 5 puffy throw pillows heaped on top of our spring raincoats.
Why would I do that? I honestly can't say. Sometimes I look back on decisions I've made, particularly hazy, post partum decisions, and see no clear reasoning other than "it seemed like a good idea at the time."
Now I'm stuck finding a hiding place for all these pillows, on top of packing up all of our winter things. Finally, Vermont weather seems to have committed itself to spring, so it's safe to say goodbye to winter boots and coats and hats and scarves. Gloves will stick around, as our son has decided they are a key fashion staple, and a welcome addition to any outfit, but the rest of it will go back into storage. Hip hip hooray, and don't let the beach ball hit you on the way out.
Happy May Day!
Why would I do that? I honestly can't say. Sometimes I look back on decisions I've made, particularly hazy, post partum decisions, and see no clear reasoning other than "it seemed like a good idea at the time."
Now I'm stuck finding a hiding place for all these pillows, on top of packing up all of our winter things. Finally, Vermont weather seems to have committed itself to spring, so it's safe to say goodbye to winter boots and coats and hats and scarves. Gloves will stick around, as our son has decided they are a key fashion staple, and a welcome addition to any outfit, but the rest of it will go back into storage. Hip hip hooray, and don't let the beach ball hit you on the way out.
Happy May Day!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Old McDonald's You Know What
Today, one of the first nice WEEKEND days we've had this year, we headed up to Shelburne Farms to meet some friends and have some fun. Officially, the farm doesn't open until the end of May, so we were restricted to the main paddock and barn, but we still had a lot of fun.
This is where the real action was for Griffin and his friend: sandboxes full of tractors, tools and...chickens. The chickens were largely ignored by the boys.
However, Mommy worked her magic and caught a chicken! Yes! Please ignore the scary appearance, as it took my husband forever to get out the camera. I was afraid that the chicken would start to peck my fingers off while I was waiting for him to dig it out, hence the strange smile.
This is probably the most attention the animals got from Griffin all day. There were a ton of sheep at the farm, and they were all stinking cute.
This is where the real action was for Griffin and his friend: sandboxes full of tractors, tools and...chickens. The chickens were largely ignored by the boys.
However, Mommy worked her magic and caught a chicken! Yes! Please ignore the scary appearance, as it took my husband forever to get out the camera. I was afraid that the chicken would start to peck my fingers off while I was waiting for him to dig it out, hence the strange smile.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Haircut, Woot!
Yes, it's true, I finally got a haircut! The last time I got my hair cut, I was 14 weeks pregnant. My baby is now 7 months old. It was long overdue.
Back in the day, when I was childless and carefree, it was nothing to drop more than $100 bucks in the salon. Truth be told, it was often closer to $150, after product and tip. Now that I have other things in my budget besides treating myself, I've stopped going to see the fabulous Shelby at Indigo, and started heading to the mall. Much cheaper, and they can usually squeeze me in whenever it fits into my schedule.
Today I went armed with an inspiration picture of Rose McGowan's short, sassy shag, and went home with exactly what I wanted! Maybe not Rose McGowan's body, but certainly her cute hair. I have no before pics that show how long my hair had grown, but we did take some "afters". Whee!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Boy, I have been a bad blogger lately. With spring in the air (well, some days) I feel like time is flying by more quickly than ever. This sense of time flying is leaving me feeling more than a little discombobulated.
Case in point, Easter.
Rather than travelling down to our families this Easter, we stayed home and had my parents and Grandmother come to us. We had big fun, a great meal, and a lovely time, but it was all a giant blur. My husband and I planned an elaborate Easter egg/scavenger hunt leading up to a big reveal of our son's new bicycle. A fabulous plan, except for the fact that neither of us thought to charge the camera, and by the time we realized that was the case, neither of us could remember where we last saw the charger.
Needless to say, we have no pictures.
It was not our finest moment.
Case in point, Easter.
Rather than travelling down to our families this Easter, we stayed home and had my parents and Grandmother come to us. We had big fun, a great meal, and a lovely time, but it was all a giant blur. My husband and I planned an elaborate Easter egg/scavenger hunt leading up to a big reveal of our son's new bicycle. A fabulous plan, except for the fact that neither of us thought to charge the camera, and by the time we realized that was the case, neither of us could remember where we last saw the charger.
Needless to say, we have no pictures.
It was not our finest moment.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
To My "Marleys"
My husband and the kids came home with a special treat for me yesterday: Marley and Me. I've been dying to see this movie since they first started advertising it. I didn't read the book (as it looked like sentimental claptrap), but as soon as I saw the adorable and funny dog in the previews, my defenses crumbled.
I knew how it would (inevitably) end. How can you have a movie about love and loss without the loss, right? Still, I watched it. And laughed. And then (inevitably) I sobbed.
I knew how it would (inevitably) end. How can you have a movie about love and loss without the loss, right? Still, I watched it. And laughed. And then (inevitably) I sobbed.
I have been lucky enough to have more than one truly Good Dog in my life. Maxie Dean, the gentle giant (at least, I thought he was a giant until I saw a full-grown Sam). One day we heard weird noises from the kitchen. Some of Max's kibble had rolled under the hutch, and he had wedged his face as close as he could and was trying to HOOVER the stray pieces. Hey, waste not, want not, right?
Bailey Girl, our collie, joined our family when I was a sophomore in high school. She had a game where she'd put her head under a blanket and then nom nom nom her way out. She didn't love to chase balls all the time, but when she was in a frisky mood, if we tossed her a ball, she would prance over (there is no other word for it) and bring it back, so proud of herself. What a good girl.
Bruno. I get tears in my eyes right now thinking of Bruno. Bruno was not just a Good Dog, he was the BEST dog. I have vague memories of Bruno the German Shepherd as a puppy, so dark he would get lost in the shadows. The memories feel vague because Bruno was always there. He joined our family before my younger brother did, and was with us until my senior year of high school. It is impossible to think of my life, my childhood, my parents, my family, without thinking of Bruno.
I have so many Bruno stories: the way he loved Cheese Nips, the way he sat and smiled, the time we went on vacation for a week, and when we got home Bruno climbed in the car and wouldn't get out for 2 hours because he was scared we'd go away again. Bruno loved us, and was loved by us, for his entire life.
Losing Bruno was one of the hardest things in my life. We knew Bruno was old, we knew Bruno sick. In some ways, we were just waiting for him to give us a sign that it was time. We knew for about a week that he was going downhill. I spent every school lunch that week sitting in my car, listening to "Nothing Lasts" by Matthew Sweet and sobbing. I couldn't think about what life would be like after Bruno, because I could barely remember my life before Bruno.
The day he left us, were supposed to go to Connecticut for my aunt's birthday party, but there was no way we could leave Bruno. My dad and brother stayed home to be with him, and my mom and I left to keep the family commitment. When we said goodbye to him that day, there were no illusions. We knew we were saying goodbye for the last time. Sure enough, when we reached our destination, there was a message waiting. Bruno was gone. It was like he waited until we said goodbye to let go. My dad and brother buried him in the backyard, in his favorite shady spot, where he would always be with us.
Now that I am a grown up, with my own family, I have my own dog, Toby (yes, the klepto). My husband and I joke about Toby being half a dog, because he is a quirky individual with a lot of...strange habits. As much as Toby can drive me crazy, he is definitely one of the family. He sleeps in my son's room at night, he is on "cleanup duty" after our kids eat their messy dinner. He lets my son lay on him like a pillow, and he makes he baby laugh by kissing her face. He is truly a Good Dog, and it makes me so happy that my kids will grow up with a good friend, just like Bruno was to my brother and I. Everyone should have a Good Dog in their life.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Stereotype for a Reason
Almost four years ago, my first baby was born, and the doctor announced "It's a boy!" Fast forward to the now, and there is no doubt in my mind, he is most definitely male. This is a conversation we had this morning:
"Mommy! Where are my gloves, I need my gloves, can you help me?"
Now, I happened to know for a fact that his gloves are on the floor by the front door. I watched him fling them off last night, in a last-gasp battle to avoid his bedtime. He was not forced to pick them up and put them away, because then his diversionary tactic would have worked.
"Mom, they're not there!"
Hmm, that's weird. I made a point to remember where the gloves landed, as I knew he'd be wanting them in the morning. Did he look on the floor, right by the door?
"Mommy, they're not there, can you help me?!"
Okay, okay. I haul myself out of the one moment of semi-private contemplation I get in my day (in the bathroom, if you must know!), and head off to find the gloves. I walk to the door, look to the floor, and see them in a crumpled pile, exactly where I said they'd be. Imagine that.
"Thanks, Mom!" He runs off to play, and I wonder if I can some how market my "amazing" ability to find things in plain sight.
Just so you don't think we're huge on gender stereotypes in our house, my son needed the gloves to complete his "Cruella Deville" costume, which includes a pair of my heels and a jacket he pretends is a fur coat. Until you see him in this getup saying "Mahhhvelous", like Cruella, you have no idea how cute this kid is, even if he does have man-disease.
"Mommy! Where are my gloves, I need my gloves, can you help me?"
Now, I happened to know for a fact that his gloves are on the floor by the front door. I watched him fling them off last night, in a last-gasp battle to avoid his bedtime. He was not forced to pick them up and put them away, because then his diversionary tactic would have worked.
"Mom, they're not there!"
Hmm, that's weird. I made a point to remember where the gloves landed, as I knew he'd be wanting them in the morning. Did he look on the floor, right by the door?
"Mommy, they're not there, can you help me?!"
Okay, okay. I haul myself out of the one moment of semi-private contemplation I get in my day (in the bathroom, if you must know!), and head off to find the gloves. I walk to the door, look to the floor, and see them in a crumpled pile, exactly where I said they'd be. Imagine that.
"Thanks, Mom!" He runs off to play, and I wonder if I can some how market my "amazing" ability to find things in plain sight.
Just so you don't think we're huge on gender stereotypes in our house, my son needed the gloves to complete his "Cruella Deville" costume, which includes a pair of my heels and a jacket he pretends is a fur coat. Until you see him in this getup saying "Mahhhvelous", like Cruella, you have no idea how cute this kid is, even if he does have man-disease.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Best Laid Plans...
Or, How to Induce a Meltdown in 15 Easy Steps!
1. Wake up and be very, very excited about how well your day is going to go.
2. Confidently plan a full afternoon of activities after a full morning of errands, knowing that your angelic children will be well-rested after their naps.
3. Tuck said angelic children in for naps. Forget to put your almost-all-the-way-potty-trained 3 year old in Pullups. Forget to reassemble baby swing correctly.
4. Pat yourself on the back after 10 minutes of silence. Obviously, your kids are napping!
5. Run upstairs at minute 11 when all hell breaks loose, and screaming /crying erupts.
6. Divide and conquer! Mommy, you unstrap the baby from the sideways, broken cradle of the swing. Dad, you clean up the accidental poop in the big boy's underwear.
7. After one hour, when it is clear that neither child is going to nap, get both kids up in an attempt to keep your busy afternoon schedule. It's going to be so much fun, after all!
8. Park your car approximately one mile away from the playground. Plan on walking there and back, in an effort to enjoy the sunshiney afternoon.
9. Change your mind about walking to the park halfway there. Go back to the car and drive to the playground instead.
10. Play at playground. Do not remove baby from her car seat, as the sunny sky is accompanied by a chilly wind.
11. Get back into the car to drive to another town. Run extraneous errands. Listen to the baby express her displeasure at being trapped in her car seat. At the top of her lungs.
12. Pop in to see some friends and their new baby. Do not feed your three year old. Do not have any extra snacks in your car. Do not bring more than one small car to entertain him.
13. Voila! You have achieved critical mass! Nuclear meltdown will be achieved in five, four, three, two, one!
14. After apologizing profusely to your friends for the very loud meltdown, load everyone into the car. Listen to three year old AND baby express displeasure at being back in the car headed home. Realize that you still have one more stop to make before you get home.
15. Get home. Pour large glass of wine. Drink wine.
1. Wake up and be very, very excited about how well your day is going to go.
2. Confidently plan a full afternoon of activities after a full morning of errands, knowing that your angelic children will be well-rested after their naps.
3. Tuck said angelic children in for naps. Forget to put your almost-all-the-way-potty-trained 3 year old in Pullups. Forget to reassemble baby swing correctly.
4. Pat yourself on the back after 10 minutes of silence. Obviously, your kids are napping!
5. Run upstairs at minute 11 when all hell breaks loose, and screaming /crying erupts.
6. Divide and conquer! Mommy, you unstrap the baby from the sideways, broken cradle of the swing. Dad, you clean up the accidental poop in the big boy's underwear.
7. After one hour, when it is clear that neither child is going to nap, get both kids up in an attempt to keep your busy afternoon schedule. It's going to be so much fun, after all!
8. Park your car approximately one mile away from the playground. Plan on walking there and back, in an effort to enjoy the sunshiney afternoon.
9. Change your mind about walking to the park halfway there. Go back to the car and drive to the playground instead.
10. Play at playground. Do not remove baby from her car seat, as the sunny sky is accompanied by a chilly wind.
11. Get back into the car to drive to another town. Run extraneous errands. Listen to the baby express her displeasure at being trapped in her car seat. At the top of her lungs.
12. Pop in to see some friends and their new baby. Do not feed your three year old. Do not have any extra snacks in your car. Do not bring more than one small car to entertain him.
13. Voila! You have achieved critical mass! Nuclear meltdown will be achieved in five, four, three, two, one!
14. After apologizing profusely to your friends for the very loud meltdown, load everyone into the car. Listen to three year old AND baby express displeasure at being back in the car headed home. Realize that you still have one more stop to make before you get home.
15. Get home. Pour large glass of wine. Drink wine.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
On the Road Again
Last weekend we loaded up the family truckster and made the 5 hour drive down to Connecticut. My aunt and uncle kindly put us up, but I don't think anyone was fully prepared for the Vermont Circus on Wheels. We made it, safe and sound and relatively sane! Here are some highlights of the weekend:
The baby meets her adoring public!
She loves the cool swing in Wendy's sunroom!
Playground with cousin Em:
I'm Bat-Man!
World's Smallest Guitar Heroes
Thanks for having us! We had a great time.
The baby meets her adoring public!
She loves the cool swing in Wendy's sunroom!
Playground with cousin Em:
I'm Bat-Man!
World's Smallest Guitar Heroes
Thanks for having us! We had a great time.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
A Moment of Weakness
There are not many things I miss from my retail career. My current job provides me wih plenty of interaction with all sorts of people, new challenges, and of course, plenty to bitch about. What I miss, without question, is the clothes. For more than 7 years, my job required me to try on and buy new clothes regularly. New colors, new cuts, new cute accessories to go with them. Oh, the beautiful clothes (sniff).
I spent most of my first year at my new job pregnant, which meant I was just trying to find a few reasonably cute things that worked with my bump. Then I was on maternity leave, wearing nothing but yoga pants and nursing tanks. This is my first big season change with no new wardrobe, and I'm definitely feeling the loss.
So I guess it's understandable that I found my way to the mall yesterday. I just couldn't help myself. When I saw that cute spring coats and handbags were 50% off I had what I like to call a "moment of weakness".
When I was a retail manager, I talked to many women who hid their new clothes in the trunk of their car (including one who got dressed in the garage) so their husbands wouldn't get angry about their shopping habits. I always swore (rather smugly, actually) that my husband and I would not have that kind of relationship. I was an independent woman, making my own money, and I'd be damned if my husband would tell me what I could and couldn't buy! Well, true to my beliefs, I did not hide my new coat and bag in the trunk.
I hid them in our bedroom.
Forgive me, honey. They were on sale! Deeply discounted! Think of the money I SAVED by being such a thrifty shopper!
Not working? Well, at least I'll look fabulous in the doghouse.
I spent most of my first year at my new job pregnant, which meant I was just trying to find a few reasonably cute things that worked with my bump. Then I was on maternity leave, wearing nothing but yoga pants and nursing tanks. This is my first big season change with no new wardrobe, and I'm definitely feeling the loss.
So I guess it's understandable that I found my way to the mall yesterday. I just couldn't help myself. When I saw that cute spring coats and handbags were 50% off I had what I like to call a "moment of weakness".
When I was a retail manager, I talked to many women who hid their new clothes in the trunk of their car (including one who got dressed in the garage) so their husbands wouldn't get angry about their shopping habits. I always swore (rather smugly, actually) that my husband and I would not have that kind of relationship. I was an independent woman, making my own money, and I'd be damned if my husband would tell me what I could and couldn't buy! Well, true to my beliefs, I did not hide my new coat and bag in the trunk.
I hid them in our bedroom.
Forgive me, honey. They were on sale! Deeply discounted! Think of the money I SAVED by being such a thrifty shopper!
Not working? Well, at least I'll look fabulous in the doghouse.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Our Dog, the Kleptomaniac
It's true. Our dog is a kleptomaniac, and I'm so ashamed!
We've all been loving the gorgeous warm weather, but my husband noticed something strange. As the snow melted, our yard began to look like the scene of a grisly homicide, or a meat processing plant.
Our dog has been systematically stealing bones from the Dobermans across the street, who are behind an invisible fence and unable to retaliate. Meanie!
We've all been loving the gorgeous warm weather, but my husband noticed something strange. As the snow melted, our yard began to look like the scene of a grisly homicide, or a meat processing plant.
Our dog has been systematically stealing bones from the Dobermans across the street, who are behind an invisible fence and unable to retaliate. Meanie!
My husband stopped counting at 31 bones. We also found 3 stuffed animals, a hat and a glove. I don't know what to do. Do I give them back? Do I throw them away? Do I bury them in a sandbox and let my son play "paleontologist"?
Awkward. Sorry, Dobermans.
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