Quick! Before the month is over!!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jack and his family have had a simply wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and thought we'd better update you all on it. First of all Jack's mommy just has to say that every weekend should be a 5 day weekend! :) I feel like we were able to get so much in to this time- travel, family, friends, a bit of housework, mommy and daddy time, and plenty of time with the boy... it was good.
We actually kicked Thanksgiving off the Sunday before, this year, with a "family of friends" Thanksgiving-- something I would like to get in the habit of doing every year. We had a great dinner, our best turkey in years and all the trimmings, with 11 adults and 5 toddlers under 4 in attendance. It was a bit of an adventure but went off without a hitch. Jack was very psyched about having friends over, I think. He took quite a shine to 2 year old Ella and kept grabbing her hand and pulling her in to his playroom saying "Come on INNN!" Another highlight of the evening was a game of catch played with our friend Scott at the base of the stairs-- tossing a soft ball at each toddler in turn and as none of them can really catch at this point it really was throwing it AT them. The giggling that would ensue when one of them got hit in the head! It was their favorite part.
For "actual" Thanksgiving it was our year to head to NY. We left on Wednesday, and took Gram Gram along for the ride :). We had a nice trip out in the van and then met the Union Springs Morehouse clan for lunch at Magee Diner before they headed off to family in Eastern NY. A table for 11 with triplets everywhere... it was a fun lunch! Jack, Hannah, and Sarah spent some quality time playing with my camera... it is so neat to watch Jack start to really interact and talk and PLAY with other kids.
We had a nice Thanksgiving day with some really unexpectedly nice weather. Lots of time walking around outside with a boy whose new trick was to grab our hands and run in circles around us and fall down in the grass. Later on in the weekend when we would ask him if he wanted to go out for a walk he would say "No, I jus fall down..." and we would have to remind him that the falling was HIS idea! ;) We also took a family trip to the lake lot and Nat and I renewed our promise to each other to someday, somehow build a lakefront home. That water, the sound of the waves, the way the sunlight hits it... I can't imagine that life would be anything but sublimely happy if we woke up to that every day...
For Thanksgiving dinner we had a great group.. our family plus 2 grandmas, Becca and Kevin who left in the small hours of the morning to join us in time for the Macy's day parade, and the Koon family. Thinking of toddlers who play well together-- Jack and Alex had a BLAST. They turned the warm room and the hall into a disaster area but played perfectly and enthusiastically for the better part of 2 hours, all on their own. Occasionally they would march through the room playing flutes. It was delightful.
Friday we had another playdate with Alex and Stephanie and got to see all the updates to their house. It's lovely. Particularly the breezeway; I have always had a soft spot for breezeways.
Nat and I stole some time for ourselves Friday afternoon and headed off to Ithaca while Jack spent time with his Lulu. It was fabulous. We shopped on the commons, at Target, at Byrne Dairy, and had dinner at a neat little bistro we happened to drive by. Very spontaneous of us! We decided that the most amazing thing about being out on our own was the startling speed with which we could enter and exit the car. At will. We also decided that while it was move convenient to be out without the kid-- it wasn't as much fun. We missed him on more than one occasion during the evening...
Saturday we came home, unpacked and promptly headed back out to Melinda and Will's, where we joined them and their extended family for some lasagna. Jack provided the dinner entertainment for the assembled crowd, who seemed universally delighted with his performances of "I've been working on the railroad" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider". (Note to self: this week's goal must be to get videos of his singing. Stat.)
Today we slowed back down and time did too, somehow. Another stolen day of good weather in the midst of November. We went for a hike in the Bedford Metroparks in the 50 degree sunshine, where Jack threw sticks for Corydon and Corydon barked a lot. We managed to do laundry and clean and make dinner and Skype with grandparents too. Tomorrow-- back to the real world. For now, I am thankful for a wonderful, very full weekend with my wonderful, nigh perfect, little family. Signing off for now. More updates in December, promise!
We actually kicked Thanksgiving off the Sunday before, this year, with a "family of friends" Thanksgiving-- something I would like to get in the habit of doing every year. We had a great dinner, our best turkey in years and all the trimmings, with 11 adults and 5 toddlers under 4 in attendance. It was a bit of an adventure but went off without a hitch. Jack was very psyched about having friends over, I think. He took quite a shine to 2 year old Ella and kept grabbing her hand and pulling her in to his playroom saying "Come on INNN!" Another highlight of the evening was a game of catch played with our friend Scott at the base of the stairs-- tossing a soft ball at each toddler in turn and as none of them can really catch at this point it really was throwing it AT them. The giggling that would ensue when one of them got hit in the head! It was their favorite part.
For "actual" Thanksgiving it was our year to head to NY. We left on Wednesday, and took Gram Gram along for the ride :). We had a nice trip out in the van and then met the Union Springs Morehouse clan for lunch at Magee Diner before they headed off to family in Eastern NY. A table for 11 with triplets everywhere... it was a fun lunch! Jack, Hannah, and Sarah spent some quality time playing with my camera... it is so neat to watch Jack start to really interact and talk and PLAY with other kids.
We had a nice Thanksgiving day with some really unexpectedly nice weather. Lots of time walking around outside with a boy whose new trick was to grab our hands and run in circles around us and fall down in the grass. Later on in the weekend when we would ask him if he wanted to go out for a walk he would say "No, I jus fall down..." and we would have to remind him that the falling was HIS idea! ;) We also took a family trip to the lake lot and Nat and I renewed our promise to each other to someday, somehow build a lakefront home. That water, the sound of the waves, the way the sunlight hits it... I can't imagine that life would be anything but sublimely happy if we woke up to that every day...
For Thanksgiving dinner we had a great group.. our family plus 2 grandmas, Becca and Kevin who left in the small hours of the morning to join us in time for the Macy's day parade, and the Koon family. Thinking of toddlers who play well together-- Jack and Alex had a BLAST. They turned the warm room and the hall into a disaster area but played perfectly and enthusiastically for the better part of 2 hours, all on their own. Occasionally they would march through the room playing flutes. It was delightful.
Friday we had another playdate with Alex and Stephanie and got to see all the updates to their house. It's lovely. Particularly the breezeway; I have always had a soft spot for breezeways.
Nat and I stole some time for ourselves Friday afternoon and headed off to Ithaca while Jack spent time with his Lulu. It was fabulous. We shopped on the commons, at Target, at Byrne Dairy, and had dinner at a neat little bistro we happened to drive by. Very spontaneous of us! We decided that the most amazing thing about being out on our own was the startling speed with which we could enter and exit the car. At will. We also decided that while it was move convenient to be out without the kid-- it wasn't as much fun. We missed him on more than one occasion during the evening...
Saturday we came home, unpacked and promptly headed back out to Melinda and Will's, where we joined them and their extended family for some lasagna. Jack provided the dinner entertainment for the assembled crowd, who seemed universally delighted with his performances of "I've been working on the railroad" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider". (Note to self: this week's goal must be to get videos of his singing. Stat.)
Today we slowed back down and time did too, somehow. Another stolen day of good weather in the midst of November. We went for a hike in the Bedford Metroparks in the 50 degree sunshine, where Jack threw sticks for Corydon and Corydon barked a lot. We managed to do laundry and clean and make dinner and Skype with grandparents too. Tomorrow-- back to the real world. For now, I am thankful for a wonderful, very full weekend with my wonderful, nigh perfect, little family. Signing off for now. More updates in December, promise!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
In lieu of actual pictures, this evening, here are some word pictures of the very special little boy we live with.
Jack obtained some balloons yesterday at Bill's birthday dinner. This morning Jack and mommy spent quite a bit of time "marchin" around the first floor with our "bawoons". Jack is an enthusiastic marcher, lots of lifted feet and not too much forward movement. He liked to hoist his balloon into the air, arms straight up above his head, then pull it back down. Also fun was to "hang it up"-- ie, let it go onto the ceiling. He coined that phrase himself; I find it rather descriptive of the act of putting one's balloon onto the ceiling.
This afternoon, upon waking from his nap and leaving his nursery, Jack lifted his face, sniffed the air and proclaimed: "somethin pells reawwy guk!!" For those requiring a translation, that's "Something smells really good!" Indeed it did: tonight's chili.
He's been a super snuggly boy these past few days. When I went in to get him from his nap he said, in the sweetest tone, "oh, hi mommy! I love you mommy." I love him too, it turns out. He will actually sit and rock with me for minutes at a time these days. It's lovely to get to snuggle with this beautiful but very busy little boy.
Jack obtained some balloons yesterday at Bill's birthday dinner. This morning Jack and mommy spent quite a bit of time "marchin" around the first floor with our "bawoons". Jack is an enthusiastic marcher, lots of lifted feet and not too much forward movement. He liked to hoist his balloon into the air, arms straight up above his head, then pull it back down. Also fun was to "hang it up"-- ie, let it go onto the ceiling. He coined that phrase himself; I find it rather descriptive of the act of putting one's balloon onto the ceiling.
This afternoon, upon waking from his nap and leaving his nursery, Jack lifted his face, sniffed the air and proclaimed: "somethin pells reawwy guk!!" For those requiring a translation, that's "Something smells really good!" Indeed it did: tonight's chili.
He's been a super snuggly boy these past few days. When I went in to get him from his nap he said, in the sweetest tone, "oh, hi mommy! I love you mommy." I love him too, it turns out. He will actually sit and rock with me for minutes at a time these days. It's lovely to get to snuggle with this beautiful but very busy little boy.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
funny boy
Here are a few of the things Jack has done recently to make me laugh out loud.
While putting Jack to bed one night, he began to do his new trick of spinning in a circle and dropping to the floor. Repeatedly. I explained to him that it was time to read a book now, and that he should pick one. No response. I asked him,"Are you going to choose a book, or are you too busy falling?" No response. I ask again for him to choose a book. He stops spinning, looks at me very seriously, and says "I'm too busy fallin', mommy" in this very deadpan voice. I, of course, caused this cycle to repeat many more times by laughing my head off in response.
Last night in the car, Jack wanted to listen to music. We had an Indigo Girls CD in and suggested he sing along. He was excited about this. So, when the words started, I began to sing along... and so did Jack. He sang the abc song. He continued to sing the abc song any time there were words to the song, for the next few songs, exclaiming "yay!" for himself each time he go to the end. He was singing along, it's true... I am always a little surprised at how perfectly literal he is in his interpretation of the world at this age.
Later during this same drive, Nat exclaimed "Jesus!" at a passing car. Turns out the time has come for us to watch what we say. Jack, who had been happily singing along, switched over to saying "Jesus!" in a perfect, albeit higher pitched, imitation of Nat. And again, he said it over and over because we couldn't help but laugh. It only got worse when he changed to saying "Jesus, daddy!" It's hard to explain exactly how funny this was. You'll just have to trust me.
While putting Jack to bed one night, he began to do his new trick of spinning in a circle and dropping to the floor. Repeatedly. I explained to him that it was time to read a book now, and that he should pick one. No response. I asked him,"Are you going to choose a book, or are you too busy falling?" No response. I ask again for him to choose a book. He stops spinning, looks at me very seriously, and says "I'm too busy fallin', mommy" in this very deadpan voice. I, of course, caused this cycle to repeat many more times by laughing my head off in response.
Last night in the car, Jack wanted to listen to music. We had an Indigo Girls CD in and suggested he sing along. He was excited about this. So, when the words started, I began to sing along... and so did Jack. He sang the abc song. He continued to sing the abc song any time there were words to the song, for the next few songs, exclaiming "yay!" for himself each time he go to the end. He was singing along, it's true... I am always a little surprised at how perfectly literal he is in his interpretation of the world at this age.
Later during this same drive, Nat exclaimed "Jesus!" at a passing car. Turns out the time has come for us to watch what we say. Jack, who had been happily singing along, switched over to saying "Jesus!" in a perfect, albeit higher pitched, imitation of Nat. And again, he said it over and over because we couldn't help but laugh. It only got worse when he changed to saying "Jesus, daddy!" It's hard to explain exactly how funny this was. You'll just have to trust me.
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