Happy Birthday

I got the most wonderful present for my birthday this year...

The Badger

Oliver is full of life. He is fearless. He has always put aside the expected and has done the unexpected. He keeps me on my toes and keeps publishers in a job (recent purchases: "How to raise your spirited child," "How to talk so your kids will listen"....). The owner of our favorite coffee shop has become a wonderful friend and has gotten to know our family well and she has commented over and over that while Oliver can be a handful, Henni is the one that will give us a run for our money - Julie is one smart woman.

Henni loves to climb and explore - she can navigate a playground like no one I have ever seen (her favorite activity - throwing herself, face first, down the steepest slide she can find). She can also climb stairs (carrying a crazy amount of things she should not have (and that she knows she should not have)) in about a second flat. She is also a drama queen - she throws herself to the floor and sobs (un) controllably when she wants something and she will immediately stop crying and will flash a smile as soon as she gets what she wants or when she realizes no one is paying attention.

Well, the Badger has decided that I really can not take my eyes off her:


Her first taste of chocolate milk, thanks to me taking my eyes of her for a second so as to fill her cup with water.


The Badger convinced me she was starving, so I went to the kitchen and grabbed something - I found this when I returned a second later.


And then Henni, trying to help me make dinner.

And attacking an ear of corn. Henni eats a crazy amount of food - some nights I think she eats more than the rest of us - combined.

I think Henni may be learning from the best - and taking it up a notch (or twelve).

Story Land

As you may recall Oliver went from throwing his milk in the trash (literally) to consuming upwards of 40 ounces a day of the white stuff. We have been working hard at reducing the pre-bed milk consumption especially since it has been consumed via bottle and not a glass. For several months the pre-bed milk, aka "milky," has been just 2 ounces. Like any good parent I offered Oliver a trade for his beloved milky - seven nights with no milky and he could go to Story Land. Every night he would get asked, "Milky or Story Land." Some night he chose Story Land, but the majority of nights he said, "I just love milky too much to make a trade."

One night, a little over a week ago, Oliver decided he was done with milky and he hasn't looked back. Living up to my end of the bargain, this past weekend we headed to Story Land. I remember going to Story Land when I was young and was giddy about the idea of my little family headed up and exploring the place.

We were lucky in that the weather was incredible and the place was not at all crowded. We went on a few rides:



But the majority of our time was spent in a place called the Loopy Lab -- a room filled with balls and vacuums and sling shots and other crazy ball collecting and shooting mechanisms. Oliver and Davis loved the place and Henni, once she figured out there were fun things to do with the balls other than eat them, decided it was a pretty great place too.


Although Oliver has no fear, Henni is a little dare devil. Oliver declined the roller coaster and some other crazy rides (which was a relief because neither Davis nor I like those kind of rides), but every time we walked by a crazy ride Henni tried her best to get over to it -- if she had been big enough I bet she would have spent the entire day riding the roller coaster.

So my giddiness about the weekend turned into a realization...we are not really the Story Land type. Yes, we had fun. But, at 11 AM on Sunday morning, just two hours after Story Land opened, when Oliver declared he was done at Story Land, I believe there may have been an audible sigh of relief by our entire family (well, maybe not Henni who was still pining over the roller coaster) as we made our way to the parking lot. It was the same relief that washed over us a few weeks ago when we retreated from the Children's Museum just 40 minutes into the adventure. In both cases we did have fun, but we tend to have much more fun riding bikes, going to the beach, hiking, or visiting the aquarium or science museum.

Wrecking ball and other thoughts

I have a list of things I want my boys to build. On Sunday afternoon my boys were in the basement for a bit. I heard snippets of the need to plan, the need to measure, the need to think through the project. The boys then emerged from the basement and took a trip to the hardware store; Henni and I took the opportunity to go to the grocery store. When Henni and I returned from the grocery store I expected to see the start of some shelves or perhaps a frame or two (my projects). Instead I was shown the start of some crazy train bridge (because no wooden train track company makes a decent bridge) and a completed wrecking ball.




Davis and Oliver have produced an amazing number of wooden toys and attachments for Bruder trucks; each piece is insanely thought out and of incredible quality. I am thinking that perhaps the key to success may be opening a sweatshop in our basement and then selling the pieces or perhaps opening a little toy shop. (Alright, so that is probably not the best plan, but if anyone would like anything, let us know - the boys love working together in the workshop.)

Also a few wonderful conversations from the past couple days I have to document for myself:

The Parakeet

While taking a walk on Sunday morning Oliver decided, seemingly out of nowhere, that we should get a parakeet. Davis and I replied that getting a parakeet might happen but that we would need to explore what being a bird owner was really like. Oliver then told us the following: We will need a cage and food. We will also need toys and water and we will need to play with the bird. We need to put newspaper at the bottom of the cage and then change the paper so the cage doesn't get dirty. If we go away we can ask Sam and Henry (the kids next door) to watch the parakeet just like we chicken-sit for them (they have pet chickens).

Hmm. Apparently a little someone has either read a book a bird care somewhere or has learned how to surf the web. We are still debating the bird.

Distracted

While having lunch out on Sunday Oliver went from sitting and eating nicely to a crazy little devil. before we even had time to ask what was up he looked at me and then Davis and said (while pointing at a cute little girl at the next table): She is distracting me. We suggested we ignore her and continue eating. He replied: "I have already been distracted."

And so it begins...

Naughty

I have several interviews and meeting coming up and therefore the talk of childcare is constant around here. Oliver suggested that he and Henni could just stay home together. He promised that he would watch Henni and take care of her. However he also said that they would probably be naughty - BUT - because there would be no one here to tell them they were naughty, whatever they did really wouldn't be that naughty at all.

Love the logic.

I do

Last weekend Elizabeth and Kevin got married. The weather was amazing and the ceremony and reception were beautiful - all in all it was perfect.

Since I was the Matron of Honor (a title which makes me sound like an old lady) we have few pictures of the event - and only one picture of Elizabeth and Kevin on their big day. I am sure that, over the next few weeks, we will be forwarded more pictures and I'll be sure to pass along the good ones.

Oliver did exceptionally well. He managed to stay clean through the event, however, I wonder if the tux came with ants - Oliver seemed to have a lot of ants in his pants through the pictures and during the reception - amazingly he was relatively ant-free during the ceremony. I do wish I had pictures of the ceremony - Oliver was an adorable ring-bearer - keen on getting down the aisle and trading his pillow for gum and a plane.

The reception...Davis has started running. The first day Davis ran he was sore for a week (given his crazy swimming and athletic ability I was (not so) secretly thrilled with this). But, in Davis-style, he's stuck with running and is now pain-free. I think his training may have been in preparation for the reception. Oliver lived up to his nickname "Rocket" and literally rocketed about the reception at top speed. The reception was at the Camden Yacht Club - so gorgeous - but also a place for parent heart attacks - a 12 foot drop to rocks, water or a dock (and no railing). So Davis was on Oliver all night like white on rice. I believe the two get the award for the most athletic guests.

The pictures...

All dressed up - with somewhere to go


With Papa


Getting some tips from Papa


Ants in the pants


Oliver and Henni (and planes)


Uncle Jon and Marissa


And the happy couple. The smart couple who decided to do a honeymoon right after the wedding (yes, I am jealous).

Congratulations Elizabeth and Kevin!

Summer lovin'

The air feels like fall, the schools are full, the leaves are starting to turn, and pumpkins are appearing at the farm stands - fall is upon us. On the one hand I am excited. I love the smell of fall and the crisp air. On the other there is that oh so sneaky winter that comes right after fall - a season I am not looking forward to right now. Right now I am betwixt and between - debating whether to embrace fall or to stand firmly in summer.

Given my state of limbo I think it is the perfect time to share some of the pictures from the summer which I have not yet had the opportunity to post.

Beach.

Our beach days were not as numerous as previous years as I was not confident bringing Oliver and Henni to the beach alone. Perhaps because our beach days were not as frequent and because they were family excursions, they were filled with copious laughs, sand eating (Henni, I am looking at you), splashing, swimming, running, boogie boarding (even Henni gave it a shot - and, of course, found it hysterical), exploring...fun.



Maine.

We had some super fantastic times in Maine. Henni is not yet a fan of the boat and truly hates her life jacket, but she does love the exploring once the anchor has been thrown. Oliver continues to love both the boat and the exploring.

Oliver also loves lobster. Somehow he finagled a lobster roll on the dock one lazy summer afternoon.
Kelsey.

Kelsey has been my savior every Wednesday for a few hours - Oliver thinks she is just about the best thing since sliced bread. And I do too - check out this fort they built - that dark spot at the bottom is Oliver taking a rest after the building.


Irene.

Hurricane Irene brought lots of wind and high seas here. We drove along the coast during the storm - at one point Oliver and I got out of the car to explore - the winds were so strong he almost got blown over (which he thought was just plain hysterical).

Once at home after the exploring Oliver and Davis built a bird house.

To school

My little boy started school today. While he and I have parted ways for several hours a week since he was 14 weeks old and I returned to work, and while he attended three weeks of summer camp this summer - today I have to admit there was a lump in my throat when I took his first day of school picture. As I stood there taking his picture the reality that he would be spending years upon years in school and this was day one hit me. The part of me that was excited about today vanished right then, and when we went into the school to find his cubby and to meet his teachers I found myself almost looking for excuses as to why we should leave and why maybe he was just too little be there.

But then there was, of course, the girl. There was an adorable little girl in a cute dress and pink sparkly glasses. Oliver attached himself to her and started to play, forgetting I was there. Seeing him meet a new friend and watching him explore his new classroom, I knew that the truth is that he will love school and that it is selfish of me to want him to remain my little snuggly (I wish) boy forever.

At the end of the day Oliver told me: "All girls love pink," "I want pink sparkle glasses like Sophie," and "They don't have the pencil sharpener, but I guess I will still go tomorrow." (When he visited the school they had a pencil sharpener he loved and he has been counting the days until he could use it again. Unfortunately they got a new one and it doesn't have the allure of the old one.)

Tomorrow I am sure I will, again, get a bit teary-eyed when I leave Oliver, but I know he is embarking on a great adventure.

I also know that pretty soon we will likely have a pencil sharpener at our house.

9, err, months

Being a stay at home mom does not lend itself to much beyond, well, being a mom. When I learned I would be a stay at home mom I made a big to do list, thinking I would be able to cross some of those long-lingering items off my list given I would no longer be balancing work and home. Silly me. Being a stay at home mom is all consuming. I am, much to my surprise, enjoying it, but have learned that I have time for nothing besides being a mom. There are moms I know who stay at home and have a spotless house, volunteer, and get countless other things done. I am not that mom. Maybe it is because we are not a house of nappers - we get up in the morning and then go - full speed - all day. Our days are packed with biking, pools, beaches, friends, books, libraries, playgrounds, walks...I am often amazed when I look at my watch and realize how much we have managed to pack in in just a couple hours.

At the end of the day, when the kids have gone to sleep, when the house has been picked up, when I finally have time to go to the bathroom and to breathe, I think about the 300 odd pictures that I need to look through and the milestones and stories and I need to share (and that to-do list that has not been touched). But then, usually, there is a little cry from upstairs, or a pile of laundry to deal with, or something silly on TV that catches my eye (last night we watched Extreme Couponing - someone actually spent over $800 at the grocery store and, using coupons, paid less than $3! And another person quit their job to spend 8 hours a day entering sweepstakes - they earn more than $80,000 a year!).

Somehow with all the craziness of our lives going on Henni turned 9 months. At 9 months she weighed 21 pounds and is 29 inches tall. She has also mastered one word: "Mama." There is also a strong possibility she says both "Daddy" and "Oliver" and she has definitely gotten the sign for "All done" down. The Badger is also on the move. Climbing every set of stairs she can, using anything she can as a walker, pulling herself around everywhere - one piece of furniture to another - and her new skill...standing. Yes, this past week Henni will be sitting and then will just stand up (not pull herself up, but just stand up) and will stand there smiling for a minute or two. She is very proud of this new skill (well, we are proud of her too).

Henni remains a champion eater. Amazingly, the little one has, twice now, passed out while eating (recall that honey badger video we posted previously).
Oliver and Henni have been starting to play together which is fun to watch and is also shocking - where has the time gone?! It still seems like yesterday that Oliver came to the hospital to meet Henni.