 |
| This is how I roll! |
Friday, November 29, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
A Traumatic Day
A Traumatic Day
The one in which a bunny is lost, a family grieves, a mother feels guilty, and a child makes a new friend.
Last Monday we had one of our worst days - No-No was lost and we were pretty sure it was for good this time. We couldn't find him at bedtime the night before but Julia was so tired that she was alright going to bed without him.
But the next morning was a different story - we needed to find No-No! We searched the house, no luck. We searched the cars, no luck. We searched the yard, no luck. We searched everything again, no luck. So we began retracing our steps. On Sunday we had been out at the doctor's office and running errands and I distinctly remembered Julia bringing No-No into the car and having a bad feeling about it but not saying anything because she was sick and I didn't want to upset her.
So now I'm sick to my stomach thinking that he fell out of the car somewhere and I didn't see it. So we drove back to all the places we had been, combing the parking lots around where we parked and checking the lost & founds. No luck.
We arrived back home a mess. Julia was crying, I was crying, Benjamin was a bit bewildered but not helping the situation because all he would say was "no-no? where's no-no?" so right when I thought I had Julia on a different topic, we would start all over again.
We had a long conversation about how No-No was probably on an adventure, how maybe there was someone else who needed him now. At one point, through her tears, Julia said "I hope No-No is with someone and not alone while he's lost." At which point I cried harder for my empathetic little girl. (I'm tearing up again just writing this!).
That afternoon we took a trip to a toy store to find another special friend. Maybe jumping the gun a bit, but it had been a very long morning and we needed a diversion and something to make us feel better. So off we went. On the way there, Julia said "maybe we'll find another friend exactly like No-No." So there was another round of conversation about No-No being unique and irreplaceable (I know this for a fact after spending many hours over the past couple of years searching stores and the internet for another one) but how we could find another friend that was special in its own way.
Thankfully, we did find a suitable animal at the store - a cute, chocolate colored bunny who was promptly named Co-Co No-No. There was still some sadness but we were getting through the day. On the way home there was another conversation about No-No that went like this:
Julia: I miss No-No
Me: I know but remember I think he's off on an adventure exploring new things.
Julia: I think he's playing hide-and-seek…. a really hard hide-and-seek… in the basement. Do you know how to play hard hide-and-seek, Mom?
Me: No, Julia. I'm sorry. No-No must be really good at it because Daddy and I both tried very hard to find him.
Julia: I think he's really good at it.
Me: Maybe. We'll just have to see.
Things were overall ok for the rest of afternoon and evening. I think Andrew and I felt the worst. We were both exhausted and drained and feeling like awful parents for losing No-No. Bedtime was a little rough but Julia eventually went to sleep with Co-Co No-No and a three foot shark she had scored at IKEA a couple of days before.
After bedtime I headed downstairs and started cleaning up a bit. I brought a couple of things to the basement to put away and on my way back up the stairs I noticed a box under a basket… and in the basket I spotted a red truck. Suddenly, a conversation I had with Julia the day before flashed back to me:
Julia: I need to find the front to this truck
Me: It's downstairs, in the basement, go and get it.
AHA. So I grabbed the box - no luck. My heart sinks. But I take out the truck and there, under a doll blanket, is another box. A little plastic box that's closed. I open it and squished in with about 200 pom poms is No-No!
Honestly, I cannot remember the last time I have felt such tremendous relief. I ran upstairs and Andrew and I were practically jumping for joy. I bounded up the stairs to the kids' bedroom to give him to Julia, anticipating some great reaction. However, she was still sick (hence the doctor visit the previous day) and we had given her Benedryl before bed. She was out like a light. There was no waking her. I couldn't believe it!
I had to wait until the next morning for the reaction - which did come and was as delighted as I expected. She was incredibly surprised and very thankful. And now she has two special No-Nos to love.
The End.
ps. No-No is now banned from playing hide-and-seek!
The one in which a bunny is lost, a family grieves, a mother feels guilty, and a child makes a new friend.
Last Monday we had one of our worst days - No-No was lost and we were pretty sure it was for good this time. We couldn't find him at bedtime the night before but Julia was so tired that she was alright going to bed without him.
But the next morning was a different story - we needed to find No-No! We searched the house, no luck. We searched the cars, no luck. We searched the yard, no luck. We searched everything again, no luck. So we began retracing our steps. On Sunday we had been out at the doctor's office and running errands and I distinctly remembered Julia bringing No-No into the car and having a bad feeling about it but not saying anything because she was sick and I didn't want to upset her.
So now I'm sick to my stomach thinking that he fell out of the car somewhere and I didn't see it. So we drove back to all the places we had been, combing the parking lots around where we parked and checking the lost & founds. No luck.
We arrived back home a mess. Julia was crying, I was crying, Benjamin was a bit bewildered but not helping the situation because all he would say was "no-no? where's no-no?" so right when I thought I had Julia on a different topic, we would start all over again.
We had a long conversation about how No-No was probably on an adventure, how maybe there was someone else who needed him now. At one point, through her tears, Julia said "I hope No-No is with someone and not alone while he's lost." At which point I cried harder for my empathetic little girl. (I'm tearing up again just writing this!).
That afternoon we took a trip to a toy store to find another special friend. Maybe jumping the gun a bit, but it had been a very long morning and we needed a diversion and something to make us feel better. So off we went. On the way there, Julia said "maybe we'll find another friend exactly like No-No." So there was another round of conversation about No-No being unique and irreplaceable (I know this for a fact after spending many hours over the past couple of years searching stores and the internet for another one) but how we could find another friend that was special in its own way.
Thankfully, we did find a suitable animal at the store - a cute, chocolate colored bunny who was promptly named Co-Co No-No. There was still some sadness but we were getting through the day. On the way home there was another conversation about No-No that went like this:
Julia: I miss No-No
Me: I know but remember I think he's off on an adventure exploring new things.
Julia: I think he's playing hide-and-seek…. a really hard hide-and-seek… in the basement. Do you know how to play hard hide-and-seek, Mom?
Me: No, Julia. I'm sorry. No-No must be really good at it because Daddy and I both tried very hard to find him.
Julia: I think he's really good at it.
Me: Maybe. We'll just have to see.
Things were overall ok for the rest of afternoon and evening. I think Andrew and I felt the worst. We were both exhausted and drained and feeling like awful parents for losing No-No. Bedtime was a little rough but Julia eventually went to sleep with Co-Co No-No and a three foot shark she had scored at IKEA a couple of days before.
After bedtime I headed downstairs and started cleaning up a bit. I brought a couple of things to the basement to put away and on my way back up the stairs I noticed a box under a basket… and in the basket I spotted a red truck. Suddenly, a conversation I had with Julia the day before flashed back to me:
Julia: I need to find the front to this truck
Me: It's downstairs, in the basement, go and get it.
AHA. So I grabbed the box - no luck. My heart sinks. But I take out the truck and there, under a doll blanket, is another box. A little plastic box that's closed. I open it and squished in with about 200 pom poms is No-No!
Honestly, I cannot remember the last time I have felt such tremendous relief. I ran upstairs and Andrew and I were practically jumping for joy. I bounded up the stairs to the kids' bedroom to give him to Julia, anticipating some great reaction. However, she was still sick (hence the doctor visit the previous day) and we had given her Benedryl before bed. She was out like a light. There was no waking her. I couldn't believe it!
I had to wait until the next morning for the reaction - which did come and was as delighted as I expected. She was incredibly surprised and very thankful. And now she has two special No-Nos to love.
The End.
ps. No-No is now banned from playing hide-and-seek!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Nature Hike
One of our activities this fall has been taking regular nature hikes with a few other families. We've had our share of wet rainy hikes but overall it's been a great experience and we've learned quite a bit. The last one we went on was at Roger Williams park (we've actually done three there) and we were looking for leaves from sweet gum and tulip poplar trees.
Each week we've had just one or two different things that we are looking for and the kids really enjoying collecting as many of the item as they can! This particular day it was cool but nice and sunny and Andrew was able to join as well. A beautiful day for a walk in the woods!
After the hike we took a break by the lake for a snack and the kids decided they were snakes that were coming to get us!
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Everyday Moments - Dinnertime
I'll be honest, dinner in our house is not a very relaxing time. But I have to imagine that is the case for almost all families with small children.
We do make a point to sit down and eat dinner as a family almost every night and we also make a point to almost always have everyone eat the same meal. There may be some variations (Julia doesn't like sauce on anything, Benjamin eats fewer vegetables, Julia eats more vegetables, etc.) but everyone gets the same basic ingredients.
The refrain around the dinner table currently goes like this:
"Julia, please sit and eat your dinner"
"Benjamin, please sit in your chair"
"Julia, you need to eat more meat"
"Benj, sit down"
"Julia, stop drinking your milk and eat your dinner"
"Benjamin, we don't stab the table with the fork. You're hurting the table."
"Julia, you can't have more peas until you eat your meatloaf."
"Benjamin, we sit in our chair, you're going to fall and hit your head"
and so on...
Here's a short glimpse into the end of one of our dinners. I actually took the video because Benj was copying almost every word we said and I wanted to remember what he sounds like right now. But it's also a snapshot of the silliness that occurs around here. And yes, he is eating a lemon (Julia had started it and he had to try it as well).
We do make a point to sit down and eat dinner as a family almost every night and we also make a point to almost always have everyone eat the same meal. There may be some variations (Julia doesn't like sauce on anything, Benjamin eats fewer vegetables, Julia eats more vegetables, etc.) but everyone gets the same basic ingredients.
The refrain around the dinner table currently goes like this:
"Julia, please sit and eat your dinner"
"Benjamin, please sit in your chair"
"Julia, you need to eat more meat"
"Benj, sit down"
"Julia, stop drinking your milk and eat your dinner"
"Benjamin, we don't stab the table with the fork. You're hurting the table."
"Julia, you can't have more peas until you eat your meatloaf."
"Benjamin, we sit in our chair, you're going to fall and hit your head"
and so on...
Here's a short glimpse into the end of one of our dinners. I actually took the video because Benj was copying almost every word we said and I wanted to remember what he sounds like right now. But it's also a snapshot of the silliness that occurs around here. And yes, he is eating a lemon (Julia had started it and he had to try it as well).
Monday, November 18, 2013
Uh-oh
So this is what happens when someone gains access to the spice cabinet!
Lots of practice with motor skills like pouring (and sweeping up)!!!
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Reading to her Little Brother
I witnessed this in my bedroom the other morning!
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Heard in our Kitchen...
... as I was cooking dinner the other night.
Julia: Are you putting onions in the rice
Me: Yes
Julia: I don't like onions, they make me sneeze
Julia: Are you putting onions in the rice
Me: Yes
Julia: I don't like onions, they make me sneeze
Friday, November 15, 2013
A Little Jig!
A few weeks ago we were listening to an audio recording of the book Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel that is set to music. After hearing it a few times, Julia stopped me when it got to a particular part and said "Mom, I really like that music." It turns out that that section is an acoustic snippet of "Weigh, Hey, and Up She Rises."
I wasn't overly surprised that she liked it because I've noticed that she does like Irish music in general, particularly bagpipes, and Andrew has also sung the chorus of that song to her for almost every bath she's ever taken!
So I found a full length copy of the song and we played it.... over and over! But she did keep me entertained by performing to it! Here's her version of an Irish jig:
I wasn't overly surprised that she liked it because I've noticed that she does like Irish music in general, particularly bagpipes, and Andrew has also sung the chorus of that song to her for almost every bath she's ever taken!
So I found a full length copy of the song and we played it.... over and over! But she did keep me entertained by performing to it! Here's her version of an Irish jig:
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Happy Halloween!
The pirates, Daddy and Picklejuice, along with their pal, Crackers the Parrot, had a fun Halloween!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Brrrrr....
We've had a few chilly days and have started to break out the cold weather clothes. These are just a couple of cute pictures from our first bundled up day of the year!
 |
| His Marty McFly vest! |
 |
| Cutie Pies |
 |
| Julia was dressed up for a hike. She wore all of that - 2 hats, 2 scarves, and gloves - for the entire 2 hour hike. But she didn't need a coat!! |
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Speed Racer
I think the video speaks for itself. Pay particular attention to the way he looks directly at me and NOT where he is going!
(and yes, I have mini heart attacks every time he goes down this hill!)
Monday, November 11, 2013
Boo! The Ghost!
A ghost made an appearance at Julia's school this year. Well, I guess, "appearance" is the wrong word since no one actually saw the ghost! But every time her teachers read a particular book, the lights in the classroom went off and the kids were convinced that it was their class ghost - Boo!
This is Julia's portrait of Boo that she created on our driveway:
This is Julia's portrait of Boo that she created on our driveway:
You'll notice, on the middle of left side of the picture, that she wrote his name as BBO. I didn't comment on this when she did it - impressed that she was just trying to spell different words herself. But I was even more impressed the next day when she was looking at her drawing again and without any input from anyone else she said, "wait, that's wrong!" and then went and got the chalk, crossed out the extra "B", and added an "O"! Wow!
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Heard in Our Car Recently
We were having a conversation about boys and girls and this was one of Julia's contributions:
"Mom is a girl, I'm a girl... Benjamin is a boy... Grandma is a grandma"
"Mom is a girl, I'm a girl... Benjamin is a boy... Grandma is a grandma"
Friday, November 8, 2013
Swinging Benj!
So much has changed over the past year but one constant has been Benjamin's love of the playground and the swings in particular! Somehow I'm not surprised that he enjoys flying through the air!
 |
| October 2012 |
 |
| October 2013 |
Thursday, November 7, 2013
A Trip Up North
Over the first weekend of October we made a very special trip up North. Merrill, Alex, Steve, Andrew, Julia, Benjamin, and I went to North Conway to visit my grandparents! It turned out to be a beautiful weekend - the leaves were changing, the weather was great, and everyone had a fabulous time.
We spent Saturday at Storyland; for Merrill and I it was a bit of a walk down memory lane as a lot of the things in park haven't changed that much since we were there as kids. There have been plenty of new additions as well and the kids had a great time on different rides. The highlight for Julia was driving an antique car and Benjamin just loved walking around looking at all the new sights.
After a fun day of fairy tales and nursery rhymes, we headed back to Grandma Irene and Grandpa Andy's house for a dinner of mussels and pasta. Benjamin and Alex were in heaven - each of them finished a huge helping of mussels!
We spent Saturday at Storyland; for Merrill and I it was a bit of a walk down memory lane as a lot of the things in park haven't changed that much since we were there as kids. There have been plenty of new additions as well and the kids had a great time on different rides. The highlight for Julia was driving an antique car and Benjamin just loved walking around looking at all the new sights.
 |
| Humpty Dumpty hadn't changed a bit! |
 |
| Leaving the Shoe from The Old Lady who Lived in a Shoe This was a typical shot of Benjamin from the day! He happily wore his monkey harness, which was a good thing because he was constantly trying to escape us! |
 |
| Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater |
 |
| Rowing the Pirate Ship |
 |
| Two more pirates! |
 |
| Can you see me now?!? |
 |
| The Little Dutch Boy! |
 |
| Snuggling with Mom in the balloon ferris wheel |
After a fun day of fairy tales and nursery rhymes, we headed back to Grandma Irene and Grandpa Andy's house for a dinner of mussels and pasta. Benjamin and Alex were in heaven - each of them finished a huge helping of mussels!
The next morning after a good visit, and some time exploring the yard - rolling down the hill in the leaves and getting acquainted with "picnic rock" (a favorite spot of mine as a kid) - we headed into town for a bit before getting on the road. The kids got to check out the trains up close and Merrill introduced another generation to the rock shop!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Clubhouse Warming
In late September we celebrated a summer of hard work! After many, many hours the finishing touches were put on and it was time for a clubhouse warming party!
 |
| The finished project! |
 |
| The clubhouse (or pirate ship) mascot - Bucky. Hand crafted by Great Grandpa Carl! |
 |
| Of course every pirate ship (and house) needs a bell! |
 |
| Grandpa and Julia relaxing on the deck! |
Thanks to everyone who worked so hard all summer! I know Julia and Benjamin will enjoy playing in here for a long time to come!
Catching Up
I have a lot of catching up to do around here! After a very emotional and stressful last few weeks, I have finally cracked my computer back open and started downloading photos. The good news is that there are plenty of pictures and stories to share - so I'll do my best over the next couple of weeks to get everyone caught up!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)