Our next adventure

A couple years ago I convinced Davis that it was time for him to swim the English Channel - a young child and the real possibility that, given the economic situation, one or both of us could become unemployed at any moment...the perfect time to undertake such a big feat. Davis' training schedule and planning for the big trip across the pond had a huge impact on our family; however, it was not the impact that one might imagine. Davis' Channel swim helped us to carve out time for me, for Davis, and for the family -- something we had been horrible about doing before his training began. The Channel swim also made us realize how important it is for us, as parents, to continue to do what we love and to follow our dreams - that is, not putting our lives on hold for our children. Although Oliver may not remember Davis' training or his swim, I know that seeing Davis and me work together and seeing us both as physically active parents has impacted, and hopefully will continue to impact, his outlook on life.

Now that Davis' big swim is over what is our next big adventure? For about 10 years I have talked about wanting to go through a yoga teacher training program. And for the past four years I have talked about wanting to start painting and doing printmaking again. When Davis agreed to do the Channel he made me promise that I would do both of these things. I agreed. However, when I agreed I had no idea that Henrietta would become a part of our family just a couple months after the swim. I tried to wiggle out of our agreement - a new baby, a 2 1/2 year old, my maternity leave ending soon, my job contract ending in a few months...Davis would have none of these excuses. Saturday I started an oil painting class and today I began my yoga teacher training.

Both Saturday and today were a bit scary to be honest. It has become so much easier to support others than to support myself - being a mom and a wife has made it easy to put me on hold. It is also hard to leave Oliver, Henrietta and Davis - I love spending time with my family. That being said - both the painting class and the teacher training flew by - they were seconds long. To say I am looking forward to the next sessions of both classes would be an understatement - I am counting the seconds.

I am so thankful to have such an amazing husband and children who will support me over the next year. Davis is going to have to take care of the little ones quite a bit in order for me to get my certification and for me to do my art. I am hopeful that, like Davis' swim, my adventures will prove to be a positive experience for all of us.

More fun in the sun (and rain)

A couple weeks ago things settled down after the holiday and new baby craziness and I was left with a new baby and a crazy two and a half year old - and lots of snow and cold weather. Stir crazy and panicked I signed Oliver up for a number of classes, bought a ridiculous amount of art supplies at Target, and I decided to forgo a neat and orderly house - getting through the day with everyone smiling, happy, and alive seemed a much better idea than putting away the piles (I should say mountains) of clean laundry, a stocked refrigerator, and any semblance of order. It was one of these cold crazy days that Elizabeth reminded me that she had an extra bedroom in her condo in Florida and that the airlines were offering great deals. Moments later the four of us were booked on a flight.

As I said yesterday, we are lucky ducks. Our last minute trip enabled us to escape the coldest week of the winter thus far as well as some snow. It also enabled me to dig into the box of my old clothes that my parents saved - and put my old bathing suit on Henni. The bathing beauty charmed the octogenarians.

Henni also charmed Elizabeth - seriously, when she's awake this little girl is all smiles. The only time her smile turns to a frown is when she gets hungry (or when we hit every single stop light on the way home from Naples and 12 miles literally takes us over an hour (my smile turned to a frown too)).
This morning was overcast and we had a bit of rain. Despite the cloudy skies we hit the mini golf course again. Oliver not only perfected his putting, but he also perfected extreme mini golf - where you have to go where the ball goes - even if that means through a super small tunnel.


Speaking of games. Oliver decided that water fountains (aka water guns) and Marco Polo were getting too dull and declared that we needed a "freshy" game for the pool (we tell Oliver we are putting a freshy diaper on him when we change his diaper). The freshy game he made up was the following - Davis has to stay underwater and if he pops his head out of the water Oliver dumps water (from a watering can) on his head. They had been playing this game for quite some time and Oliver was purple so I suggested we wrap up the game so we could head to mini golf - Oliver's response - "No mommy-doke, I too busy playin' freshy and dumpin' water on daddy-doke." Honestly this kid cracks me up - endlessly.

Oh - the doke thing - no idea where he picked that up, but I am now called mommy-doke and Davis is daddy-doke.

Lucky ducks

Right now Henrietta, Davis and I are in our bathing suits having lunch. Oliver is in bed, covered in sand and sunscreen after a full morning of sandcastle building, wave jumping and beach exploring - such a fell morning that he fell asleep on his way back to the condo. Given the below zero temperatures and snow that are back home, I must say I am happy to be here. Oliver looked up from his sandcastle building and asked if it was summer - no buddy, not summer, just a wonderful break from reality (of course he got a whole lesson on seasons, hemispheres, etc.).

Our flight down was full of kids - all of whom were screaming the whole way - that is, all but ours. Both Henrietta and Oliver were amazing travelers.

The beach has been wonderful. Henrietta loves not being totally bundled (the rest if us agree) and thoroughly enjoyed feeling the sand between her toes.

While we found lots of shells, the big find was the pygmy octopus Davis discovered. Oliver rightly pointed out that it was very sticky.


On addition to beach adventures we've spent a good mount of time at the playground in Oliver's itsy bity spider web.
And we've been rollerblading,

And playing mini golf (ie trying to put everything in the water - as usual).

And playing in the pool.

And trying on summer clothes.


Truth be told, although the weather has been wonderful, there have been some "cold" times and, in my excitement for warm weather I neglected to pack warm clothes for the little ones - layers work though - right?

The baby

Habits are hard to break. When Henrietta was still snuggy in my tummy we referred to her as "the baby." Unfortunately, the majority of the time we still call her that -or, even more endearing, "that baby." As in - that baby needs her diaper changed, or the baby is full of smiles. It really is quite horrible as it sounds like we don't know and love the baby - but really, I promise, we do.

At nine weeks Henrietta is full of personality and rolls - 12 pounds 15 ounces at yesterday's appointment. She smiles when anyone and everyone gives her even a fleeting glance. Her smiles are so big and wonderful that I melt every time. She is also always happy to go along for the ride - whether it be strapped to me in the Moby or Bjorn, in her car seat, or just tucked under my arm - she is always either wide-eyed watching everything, with a big huge smile, or fast asleep. Now this brings me to sleep - she is an awesome sleeper. I feel like we earned it - she sleeps from about 9:30 til 3:00 then sometimes wakes at 5 and sleeps until about 7:45 or sometimes decides she'd rather sleep and skips the 5 AM wake up. Seriously, I am up more at night with Oliver than with Henrietta.


Now Oliver, he sometimes calls her the baby, but most of the time he calls her Henni. There were several other nicknames we were considering, but given how adamant he is that he/we call her Henni, that might just end up being her name.



I love this picture - it really shows how many times a day she escapes death by Oliver.

Rated R for Roar

Maggie made this video of Oliver today - roarrrrrr!

Blizzard

Yesterday we awoke to a blizzard - snow, snow, snow -and even more snow - and lots of wind. I was super excited. I couldn't wait to get outside and play in the snow, shovel snow - and spot big huge snowplows. Davis had decided to work from home, so I was looking forward to doing all of the aforementioned with Oliver - leaving Henrietta inside to help do something crazy with spreadsheets. I was however, once again, reminded that a two and half year old is unpredictable. Oliver looked out the window and declared there was too much snow and that he was too busy to go outside. So instead we did art projects, read books, played trucks...Oliver being happily content with these activities and me asking him about every 5 minutes - do you want to go outside? Did you hear that big snowplow? Should we go see it? Do you want to go sledding? Finally I got us out of the house around 1:00.

By 1:00 the snow had covered our steps and had started up the door.

Oliver took one step outside and, again, declared there was too much snow. I quickly dug him a path too keep him outside - and then kept him outside by asking him to help me snow blow (the camera man had a bit of trouble actually capturing the snow blowing).


I managed to lure him outside again a bit later in the day - he kept shoveling the piles back onto where we'd already shoveled so I had to lure him inside with the promise of hot chocolate - however, once inside he stated he needed a vanilla ice cream cone with sprinkles on it in order to warm up. Interesting.

Here are a few shots showing all the snow - a little over 2 feet.

Action

Lots of action in and around our house last week -

An excavator knocked down part of the house behind us


And we finally brought the play mat down from the attic for Henrietta.

Super...slow

Oliver's modus operandi has long been super fast. Perhaps that is why he loved the luge track at Papa and Le Le's house (here are some more pictures of our night sledding adventures).



However, it would seem that he left his super fast self in Maine. Ever since the 31st, when we returned home, Oliver has been moving slower than molasses on a cold day. That being said, while is body is moving slowly, his mind is racing. A typical day of late -

I am sound asleep, cozy in the bed despite being sandwiched between Oliver, Henrietta, Davis, and a two foot dino named Mark. Suddenly Oliver pops awake and declares what he is (he never wakes up as a boy, but rather awakes as some animal - sometimes it is a polar bear, other times a worm, or a fox, or a dog, or a moose, a woodchuck...) - "Me snake. Here's a snake kiss mommy." Still pretty much asleep after my snake kiss (which, in case you were wondering what a snake kiss is, it is a slobbery lap) I am asked - "Mommy, how does groundwater work? Tell me 'bout it." Groundwater?! It is not even 7 in the morning, I am still asleep and I am supposed to explain groundwater!? Ummm. "Mommy, you need a pump to get the water, right?"

Once we finish the groundwater discussion and get ourselves together, we head out for a walk. The boy previously known as Super Fast used to make it down to our favorite coffee shop in 5 maybe 10 minutes depending on how pregnant and slow I was on a given day. Over the past few days it has taken us between 45 minutes and an hour each way. Why? Oliver is interested in tracks - each and every track. "Whose track is this?" "Whose track is that?" "What made that track?" An answer such as - all of the tracks you see on the sidewalk are from people, from their boots and shoes, and the tracks on the road are from cars - is not an acceptable answer. "Whose tracks? What is their name? What kind of car?" Holy smokes!

In an effort to get a bit of exercise, since our two hour walks didn't prove to provide much of any, Davis and I wrestled Oliver and Henrietta into the stroller. And, amazingly, we were treated to two sleeping and peaceful children.