Today Jack found his backpack, spent a few minutes figuring out how to put it on, then requested that we pretend to go to school. I was more than happy to pull out a few worksheets and puzzles that I just happened to have on hand... :)
Here is a little snippet of our impromptu school. Notice that Ivy had to attend as well.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Summertime, and the living is...
...BUSY! Sorry for the recent quiet on the blog. We've been working to keep up with a house and a dog and two kids (who both walk) and the general pace of life which did not slow down one bit despite our being on vacation. We are reaching a bit of equilibrium now that we have been home for a week. Almost caught up on housework, if you don't count the playroom, which looks rather like a hurricane has hit there. Twice. In the last three days.
We've been busy soaking up summer, which looks like trips to the pool, trips to the park, street fairs and playdates and walks around the block, and most recently several impromptu dinner parties in the backyard.
It's been good. Just, busy.
The kids are great, funny and engaging and utterly time consuming. Jack continues to act on his desire to control his universe, which often takes the form of yelling at his sister and ripping a toy or other object out of her hands. At these moments, as Ivy screams at her brother and Jack loudly tries to justify his actions ("but, but, but....!") I think to myself, oh my, it is going to be a long 15 years.
Then, Jack will proudly call our attention to something Ivy is doing, or walk her around the restaurant, or get her attention and make funny noises to calm her down in the car. Or Ivy will hear his voice and look up and say "Dack-yee!!" with such excitement in her voice. And at those moments I think that maybe it won't be so bad...
Ivy has 4 new teeth coming in, and is walking more and more. She can cruise around while holding objects now, though crashing down and catching herself on hands holding Hotwheels-- well, things have gotten a bit louder around here. But not much is cuter than seeing her toddling along, holding a bucket of sidewalk chalk out to one side, the proudest grin on her face. Oh, she is irresistable. This morning she held court at Firstwatch while we were eating breakfast, grooming the crowd with coy smiles and coos to prepare them for the parade she put on before we left, making the rounds of the restaurant over and over, perfect "beauty queen wave" going as she approached each table in turn with a lean-in, full-on smile "Haaaaeeee!" Nothing beats watching every face in a crowded restaurant light up at the sight of one's daughter.
This is how Ivy secures her survival, you know. Because when she is not busy charming every person in sight, she is alternately climbing up onto any high/dangerous surface in the vicinity or demanding something by whining, pointing and fussing when we don't guess correctly on the first try. Good thing she's so stinking cute.
Last night Jack and Greg had a marvelous evening of play, beginning with a rousing game of squirt guns with their daddies and culminating in climbing the ladder to rescue imaginary cats. At one point Greg came and complained that Jack was taking all of his cats. This evening, Jack was very enthusiastic about learning to identify arachnids and crustaceans. It is simply amazing to watch his mind expanding before our eyes. He dawdles at bedtime and finds excuses to leave the table at meals and does a thousand other things to frustrate us (no, not TO frustrate us, things WHICH frustrate us, because he's three...) but really, he's an awesome little kid. A long-legged, scabby-kneed KID. All grown up.
It's nearly time to plan a 4th birthday party.
How does time go so fast? Oh, I know... because we are keeping up with a house and a dog and two kids (who both walk) and......
Picture hiatus due to premature death of point and shoot camera. Will rectify soon.
We've been busy soaking up summer, which looks like trips to the pool, trips to the park, street fairs and playdates and walks around the block, and most recently several impromptu dinner parties in the backyard.
It's been good. Just, busy.
The kids are great, funny and engaging and utterly time consuming. Jack continues to act on his desire to control his universe, which often takes the form of yelling at his sister and ripping a toy or other object out of her hands. At these moments, as Ivy screams at her brother and Jack loudly tries to justify his actions ("but, but, but....!") I think to myself, oh my, it is going to be a long 15 years.
Then, Jack will proudly call our attention to something Ivy is doing, or walk her around the restaurant, or get her attention and make funny noises to calm her down in the car. Or Ivy will hear his voice and look up and say "Dack-yee!!" with such excitement in her voice. And at those moments I think that maybe it won't be so bad...
Ivy has 4 new teeth coming in, and is walking more and more. She can cruise around while holding objects now, though crashing down and catching herself on hands holding Hotwheels-- well, things have gotten a bit louder around here. But not much is cuter than seeing her toddling along, holding a bucket of sidewalk chalk out to one side, the proudest grin on her face. Oh, she is irresistable. This morning she held court at Firstwatch while we were eating breakfast, grooming the crowd with coy smiles and coos to prepare them for the parade she put on before we left, making the rounds of the restaurant over and over, perfect "beauty queen wave" going as she approached each table in turn with a lean-in, full-on smile "Haaaaeeee!" Nothing beats watching every face in a crowded restaurant light up at the sight of one's daughter.
This is how Ivy secures her survival, you know. Because when she is not busy charming every person in sight, she is alternately climbing up onto any high/dangerous surface in the vicinity or demanding something by whining, pointing and fussing when we don't guess correctly on the first try. Good thing she's so stinking cute.
Last night Jack and Greg had a marvelous evening of play, beginning with a rousing game of squirt guns with their daddies and culminating in climbing the ladder to rescue imaginary cats. At one point Greg came and complained that Jack was taking all of his cats. This evening, Jack was very enthusiastic about learning to identify arachnids and crustaceans. It is simply amazing to watch his mind expanding before our eyes. He dawdles at bedtime and finds excuses to leave the table at meals and does a thousand other things to frustrate us (no, not TO frustrate us, things WHICH frustrate us, because he's three...) but really, he's an awesome little kid. A long-legged, scabby-kneed KID. All grown up.
It's nearly time to plan a 4th birthday party.
How does time go so fast? Oh, I know... because we are keeping up with a house and a dog and two kids (who both walk) and......
Picture hiatus due to premature death of point and shoot camera. Will rectify soon.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Walking!
A whole new world of excitement awaits..
Bonus: Our two little fish at the Guernsey pool. Jack seems to be warming up to the idea of swimming (finally!) and, not surprisingly, Ivy-girl dove right in. :)
Bonus: Our two little fish at the Guernsey pool. Jack seems to be warming up to the idea of swimming (finally!) and, not surprisingly, Ivy-girl dove right in. :)
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Personality Plus
The little lady of our family has gone through quite a surge in her development this past week. Perhaps it's the high mountain air, or being surrounded by so much adoration here at her grandparent's house. Either way, I thought I'd best take a moment to record a few of her latest accomplishments...
Walking! Yesterday girlie took about 7 unassisted steps toward her VoVo and then got so terribly excited about it that she was giggling too hard to stand. Today we got a couple of repeat performances. She's not off and running, not yet. She still much prefers to hang on to one of our fingers with a little baby death grip and lead us around toward her desired destinations, or sometimes just in a circle. She's developed quite a bond with her Grandpa, who follows her lead on circuit after circuit of the house and yard (and even appears to enjoy himself while he does it).
Babbling! She's gotten all chatty this week too. Not so many recognizable words, but a whole lot of syllibication. Lots of “wo-wo-wo” and “er-ra-oo-rao” and other interesting phrases, said with much pursing of lips and seriousness. She's all about saying “hi!”-- says it to people, chairs, any small object she can put between ear and shoulder and use as a phone. The past two days, for some reason, she's added an “s” sound to the end of the word. So now she quickly and enthusiastically chirps “hice!” to everyone she meets. “Hice!” paired with her charming smile and a big open-handed wave... she's really irresistable.
She also waves “bye bye” now and prefers the European variety, with her palm facing toward her body.
She's beginning to repeat words and parts of words, more often. Today? Cracker (Crack-o and later Crack-ie) and Duck. Clear as day.
Of course, interspersed with these moments of very clear communication are a lot of grunts, whines, points, leans, grabs, and cries as our opinionated little darling seeks to gain some control over her world.
Favorite activities:
Walking in loops around the house
Getting up into Jack's booster seat (seriously, she LOVES this booster seat)
Baths (she tries to climb into the tub herself)
Anything Jack is doing (cute story: Jack was playing with the fishing game, the one where little fish move around in a pond and open and shut their mouths and you try to catch them... he caught a fish and, silly boy that he is, put it on my head. Moments later, Ivy grabbed a fish out of the pond, looked at it, looked at me, and then, very soberly, reached up and placed it on my head too.)
Climbing up onto things
Being outside
Favorite toys:
Grandpa's “Best Supporting Actor” medal-- she carries it in one hand on her walks and tries to put it around her neck. Another favorite game with this is, “Demand that someone get the medal down and then demand that they hang it up again. Repeat.”
Tupperware containers, with lids
Pill bottles, with lids
(She really likes lids. And she's getting pretty good at getting them on and off. Uh oh.)
She is starting to be able to play with the Ipod (in a slightly more appropriate way than chewing on it), though she has a tendency to press the button a lot and thus end the game she was playing. (Buttons. I should mention buttons as a favorite toy).
She is so affectionate. She'll grab our hands and arms and hug them to her, right between her shoulder and chin. She loves to press her forehead into our faces and lean in for kisses.
Her hair is getting so long! Little ringlet curls above the ears, and plenty of hair to clip to the side, which is a style that seems to suit her wide-eyed, bunny nose little face.
OK, I know that's not really a development per se but it does add to the overall impression that, all of a sudden, we don't have a baby any more. We have a little girl who lives in our house, a little girl who charms everyone she meets, who looks like a cherub and approaches the world like a rugby player, who suddenly understands the world and can begin to act on it, who loves her brother and her dog and her grandparents-- really who loves just about everyone and everything. Mostly sunny, that's our girl. And growing so fast.
Walking! Yesterday girlie took about 7 unassisted steps toward her VoVo and then got so terribly excited about it that she was giggling too hard to stand. Today we got a couple of repeat performances. She's not off and running, not yet. She still much prefers to hang on to one of our fingers with a little baby death grip and lead us around toward her desired destinations, or sometimes just in a circle. She's developed quite a bond with her Grandpa, who follows her lead on circuit after circuit of the house and yard (and even appears to enjoy himself while he does it).
Babbling! She's gotten all chatty this week too. Not so many recognizable words, but a whole lot of syllibication. Lots of “wo-wo-wo” and “er-ra-oo-rao” and other interesting phrases, said with much pursing of lips and seriousness. She's all about saying “hi!”-- says it to people, chairs, any small object she can put between ear and shoulder and use as a phone. The past two days, for some reason, she's added an “s” sound to the end of the word. So now she quickly and enthusiastically chirps “hice!” to everyone she meets. “Hice!” paired with her charming smile and a big open-handed wave... she's really irresistable.
She also waves “bye bye” now and prefers the European variety, with her palm facing toward her body.
She's beginning to repeat words and parts of words, more often. Today? Cracker (Crack-o and later Crack-ie) and Duck. Clear as day.
Of course, interspersed with these moments of very clear communication are a lot of grunts, whines, points, leans, grabs, and cries as our opinionated little darling seeks to gain some control over her world.
Favorite activities:
Walking in loops around the house
Getting up into Jack's booster seat (seriously, she LOVES this booster seat)
Baths (she tries to climb into the tub herself)
Anything Jack is doing (cute story: Jack was playing with the fishing game, the one where little fish move around in a pond and open and shut their mouths and you try to catch them... he caught a fish and, silly boy that he is, put it on my head. Moments later, Ivy grabbed a fish out of the pond, looked at it, looked at me, and then, very soberly, reached up and placed it on my head too.)
Climbing up onto things
Being outside
Favorite toys:
Grandpa's “Best Supporting Actor” medal-- she carries it in one hand on her walks and tries to put it around her neck. Another favorite game with this is, “Demand that someone get the medal down and then demand that they hang it up again. Repeat.”
Tupperware containers, with lids
Pill bottles, with lids
(She really likes lids. And she's getting pretty good at getting them on and off. Uh oh.)
She is starting to be able to play with the Ipod (in a slightly more appropriate way than chewing on it), though she has a tendency to press the button a lot and thus end the game she was playing. (Buttons. I should mention buttons as a favorite toy).
She is so affectionate. She'll grab our hands and arms and hug them to her, right between her shoulder and chin. She loves to press her forehead into our faces and lean in for kisses.
Her hair is getting so long! Little ringlet curls above the ears, and plenty of hair to clip to the side, which is a style that seems to suit her wide-eyed, bunny nose little face.
OK, I know that's not really a development per se but it does add to the overall impression that, all of a sudden, we don't have a baby any more. We have a little girl who lives in our house, a little girl who charms everyone she meets, who looks like a cherub and approaches the world like a rugby player, who suddenly understands the world and can begin to act on it, who loves her brother and her dog and her grandparents-- really who loves just about everyone and everything. Mostly sunny, that's our girl. And growing so fast.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Cowboys and big girls
We have survived our first cross country trek with two kids, and are comfortably settled in the fresh-aired sunshine of Guernsey. Jack has noted, "I love Wyoming because I can see much more farther than at home!" And we can. Nat and I had both forgotten just how refreshing it can feel to be in big sky country. These long horizons stretching over the most spectacular topography, grey rock outcroppings and flat plateaus dotted with sage and juniper. Clusters of cottonwood and tall grass by the bends in the rivers. The distant blue shadow of Laramie peak and the way we can see storms approaching from 60 miles away. There is something captivating about the barren beauty of this place.
Jack also loves Wyoming because he can walk in the road, and there are lots of anthills, and he can wash and sweep Grandpa's driveway. The constant doting attention from two grandparents doesn't hurt much either.
A little recap of the trip so far.
Aside from the sheer ridiculous-ness of getting up at 3am to start our day of travel, our flight/drive out here went shockingly well. The day was even, I daresay, nice. We cut it a little close with our departure and we were checking in at the last moment, so we did not get seats together. This led to a rather long 3 hours for Ivy and I back in row 20. Turns out little fireball is hard to keep contained for 3 hours. Thankfully she did sleep for a while, and all things considered she behaved herself very nicely. Nat reported that Jack enjoyed the flight immensely. The flight attendant hooked him up with some DirectTV access, where his favorite "show" was the map tracking the progress of our flight. He was very interested to learn the name of the aircraft we were on, and any facts about it.
We got our rental car and headed North to a delightful breakfast stop with friends Leigh and Blaine and their new little babe, Wyatt. We were perhaps a bit too exhausted and slap happy to fully enjoy ourselves, but once again our over-tired littles went above and beyond the call of duty with their behavior and breakfast was enjoyed by all. We broke up the drive to Guernsey with a stop in Cheyenne for supplies at Walmart and a visit to the Sierra Trading Post, and we were here by 4. A LOOOOOOONG day but remarkably smooth. And, to make things even better, the children have slept remarkably well, too. Ivy decided to get up for the day at 4am this morning (someone hasn't adjusted to the time change yet, apparently) but other than that they've been stellar.
Monday was a relaxed day, several walks around Guernsey and a trip into the booming metropolis of Wheatland to procure a straw cowboy hat for our boy. And what a cowboy he is, especially with his beloved blue dragon sunglasses (which he picked out in Cheyenne and from which he has been inseparable ever since).
Yesterday, Grandpa took him fishing at the river. It was a wildly windy morning and we did not have a single bit, but the boy had fun nonetheless, running back and forth across the bridge, singing songs about fishing, casting and then reeling it in right away. "Worm check!!"
We took a picnic lunch up to the Castle-- the most wonderful picnic shelter I've even seen, perched atop a cliff above the reservoir. Jack found it every bit as enchanting as I'd hoped he would. He loved collecting the "giant pinecones" and clambering up the steps and walls like a little mountain goat. Ivy was charmed as well and took her Grandpa on a climbing adventure, going up all the steps to the second floor "turret" and back down... and then she proceeded to take each of us back to do them again. It was no wonder the kids slept for about two hours after lunch.
Big girl has been honing her walking skills during our time here. She's taken 2-3 steps on her own a few times, when she seems to "forget" to grab our hands for a moment. And her preferred way to spend nearly every waking moment? Touring one of us around the house or the yard, toddling along holding one or two of our fingers, seeking out steps to climb and inappropriate objects to play with. Thank heaves for doting grandparents to share the fun!
She's also been saying a few more words these past few days, though she continues to be stingy with repeat performances so its always hard to know when to count something as a word. Mommy, daddy-- much more precise now. Today she repeated "tees" when I pointed out some trees to her. She is clearly signing her own approximations of "more" and "all done".
Jack also loves Wyoming because he can walk in the road, and there are lots of anthills, and he can wash and sweep Grandpa's driveway. The constant doting attention from two grandparents doesn't hurt much either.
A little recap of the trip so far.
Aside from the sheer ridiculous-ness of getting up at 3am to start our day of travel, our flight/drive out here went shockingly well. The day was even, I daresay, nice. We cut it a little close with our departure and we were checking in at the last moment, so we did not get seats together. This led to a rather long 3 hours for Ivy and I back in row 20. Turns out little fireball is hard to keep contained for 3 hours. Thankfully she did sleep for a while, and all things considered she behaved herself very nicely. Nat reported that Jack enjoyed the flight immensely. The flight attendant hooked him up with some DirectTV access, where his favorite "show" was the map tracking the progress of our flight. He was very interested to learn the name of the aircraft we were on, and any facts about it.
We got our rental car and headed North to a delightful breakfast stop with friends Leigh and Blaine and their new little babe, Wyatt. We were perhaps a bit too exhausted and slap happy to fully enjoy ourselves, but once again our over-tired littles went above and beyond the call of duty with their behavior and breakfast was enjoyed by all. We broke up the drive to Guernsey with a stop in Cheyenne for supplies at Walmart and a visit to the Sierra Trading Post, and we were here by 4. A LOOOOOOONG day but remarkably smooth. And, to make things even better, the children have slept remarkably well, too. Ivy decided to get up for the day at 4am this morning (someone hasn't adjusted to the time change yet, apparently) but other than that they've been stellar.
Monday was a relaxed day, several walks around Guernsey and a trip into the booming metropolis of Wheatland to procure a straw cowboy hat for our boy. And what a cowboy he is, especially with his beloved blue dragon sunglasses (which he picked out in Cheyenne and from which he has been inseparable ever since).
Yesterday, Grandpa took him fishing at the river. It was a wildly windy morning and we did not have a single bit, but the boy had fun nonetheless, running back and forth across the bridge, singing songs about fishing, casting and then reeling it in right away. "Worm check!!"
We took a picnic lunch up to the Castle-- the most wonderful picnic shelter I've even seen, perched atop a cliff above the reservoir. Jack found it every bit as enchanting as I'd hoped he would. He loved collecting the "giant pinecones" and clambering up the steps and walls like a little mountain goat. Ivy was charmed as well and took her Grandpa on a climbing adventure, going up all the steps to the second floor "turret" and back down... and then she proceeded to take each of us back to do them again. It was no wonder the kids slept for about two hours after lunch.
Big girl has been honing her walking skills during our time here. She's taken 2-3 steps on her own a few times, when she seems to "forget" to grab our hands for a moment. And her preferred way to spend nearly every waking moment? Touring one of us around the house or the yard, toddling along holding one or two of our fingers, seeking out steps to climb and inappropriate objects to play with. Thank heaves for doting grandparents to share the fun!
She's also been saying a few more words these past few days, though she continues to be stingy with repeat performances so its always hard to know when to count something as a word. Mommy, daddy-- much more precise now. Today she repeated "tees" when I pointed out some trees to her. She is clearly signing her own approximations of "more" and "all done".
Friday, June 10, 2011
Leaps and Bounds
Never finished this post, apparently...putting it up in its current state as the first section captures a moment in time...
Today was my last day of school. This year has flown by at work as well as on the home front, and I don't think I've yet registered that the year is over. I guess it is a sign that it was a pretty good year, that I've got enough energy to feel it ended too soon. It was a rather formal leave-taking today as I am moving rooms for next year (gain, 4th room in 6 years...)so I spent the day packing and left behind me at 4:00 an entirely boxed and bare room and a floor plan for what it might be in August, with no plans to return to the building for at least a month and half. Adding to the illusion that its not over yet--our evening tonight, comprised of folding laundry and sitting quietly together in the living room, on our computers. We launch into summer on Sunday with our adventure of flying across the country with our two littles in tow, off to Wyoming for 8 days. Wish us luck.
But, I digress. What I meant to write about tonight is Ivy's newest talent: Animal noises. All of a sudden, she imitates animal noises....
Today was my last day of school. This year has flown by at work as well as on the home front, and I don't think I've yet registered that the year is over. I guess it is a sign that it was a pretty good year, that I've got enough energy to feel it ended too soon. It was a rather formal leave-taking today as I am moving rooms for next year (gain, 4th room in 6 years...)so I spent the day packing and left behind me at 4:00 an entirely boxed and bare room and a floor plan for what it might be in August, with no plans to return to the building for at least a month and half. Adding to the illusion that its not over yet--our evening tonight, comprised of folding laundry and sitting quietly together in the living room, on our computers. We launch into summer on Sunday with our adventure of flying across the country with our two littles in tow, off to Wyoming for 8 days. Wish us luck.
But, I digress. What I meant to write about tonight is Ivy's newest talent: Animal noises. All of a sudden, she imitates animal noises....
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Only a phase
Jack has taken on a new persona these past few days and I find myself not liking my son quite as much as I did last week. Oh, I love him, immeasurably. But recently I haven't been exactly craving his company. He seems to have morphed into a whiny, moody child with the attention span of a flea and the attitude of a teenager. And he still won't eat dinner worth a damn. He interrupts me with "mo-om" that rivals what a 14 year old girl could produce, and pays no attention to books we read or questions we ask. He finds and employs every possible technique to stall on the way to bed, or on the way out the door. He wants to do what he wants to do, and nothing else, right now... He is not interested in games or puzzles or reading or writing or drawing, any of those things I think he ought to be doing, but he is obsessively interested in the flying habits of moths and will drop anything to try to catch a bug. He is fascinated by the world, busy, inquisitive... all those wonderful toddler trait. He is also exhausting, and more than a little bit annoying and frustrating to this mama.
Sigh. I hear tell 3 is the new 2.
I also remember Ellen, our Parent Center guru, counseling us when Jack was new and we were scared and obsessive first time parents, worrying about a new behavior or sleep pattern.
Everything is a phase. Good or bad, its only a phase.
Back then, a phase lasted a few days, or maybe a few weeks. And she was right. Some of those phases were wonderful (sleeping through the night!! sleeping through the night!!) and we were so sad to see them go. Other phases came and went and our lives improved immensely (remember babies who screamed any time the car stopped?).
I am wondering, tonight, how long phases last for 3 year olds. Hoping that this is only a phase, that someday soon, with that magic of phases, our boy will start answering our questions, paying attention to things, following directions...
Or maybe I should wonder how long phases last for mommies? Here's hoping that tonight's fixation on all the faults of my son, is only a phase.
Sigh. I hear tell 3 is the new 2.
I also remember Ellen, our Parent Center guru, counseling us when Jack was new and we were scared and obsessive first time parents, worrying about a new behavior or sleep pattern.
Everything is a phase. Good or bad, its only a phase.
Back then, a phase lasted a few days, or maybe a few weeks. And she was right. Some of those phases were wonderful (sleeping through the night!! sleeping through the night!!) and we were so sad to see them go. Other phases came and went and our lives improved immensely (remember babies who screamed any time the car stopped?).
I am wondering, tonight, how long phases last for 3 year olds. Hoping that this is only a phase, that someday soon, with that magic of phases, our boy will start answering our questions, paying attention to things, following directions...
Or maybe I should wonder how long phases last for mommies? Here's hoping that tonight's fixation on all the faults of my son, is only a phase.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Bounce!
Ivy went in her first bounce house yesterday. I think they have a special spot for that in baby books, no? Baby's First Bounce House? C'mon, its a big event! :)
Ivy, bouncer by nature that she is, loved it.
Jack did too.
Turns out the bounce houses were the highlight of the event for Jack, who appears to be exiting his "truck phase" as he was fairly unenthusiastic about the trucks and diggers. We did get him into the front end loader, and he did appear to enjoy the fire truck though he changed his mind about getting into it (after waiting in line for 10 minutes, of course)...
Ivy wanted to climb right into all the trucks herself... I think next summer will be her year to be crazy about this event...
Jack's favorite part of the day in Lakewood was the Jungle Bob animal show, where he got to touch a skink and loved looking at the baby alligator. Ever the scientist, he also had a good time on our trip to the Botanical Gardens in the late afternoon, spending almost the entire time looking at things through the telescopes.
Ivy enjoyed looking at herself in the giant mirrors at the entry to the glasshouse.
She also enjoyed walking around and climbing on things, which are two of her favorite pastimes in general these days. She wants to be on her feet at all times and she can cruise around furniture or along walls... but of course prefers to hold our hands and lead us along, as we hunch and shuffle behind her. I will be happy to see her walking independently if only to save my poor old back.
Ivy, bouncer by nature that she is, loved it.
Jack did too.
Turns out the bounce houses were the highlight of the event for Jack, who appears to be exiting his "truck phase" as he was fairly unenthusiastic about the trucks and diggers. We did get him into the front end loader, and he did appear to enjoy the fire truck though he changed his mind about getting into it (after waiting in line for 10 minutes, of course)...
Ivy wanted to climb right into all the trucks herself... I think next summer will be her year to be crazy about this event...
Jack's favorite part of the day in Lakewood was the Jungle Bob animal show, where he got to touch a skink and loved looking at the baby alligator. Ever the scientist, he also had a good time on our trip to the Botanical Gardens in the late afternoon, spending almost the entire time looking at things through the telescopes.
Ivy enjoyed looking at herself in the giant mirrors at the entry to the glasshouse.
She also enjoyed walking around and climbing on things, which are two of her favorite pastimes in general these days. She wants to be on her feet at all times and she can cruise around furniture or along walls... but of course prefers to hold our hands and lead us along, as we hunch and shuffle behind her. I will be happy to see her walking independently if only to save my poor old back.
Friday, June 3, 2011
outnumbered....
What in the world would college-Amanda have thought of tonight's First Friday Fiesta? She would, I think, have been quite aghast at the turn her life had taken. Its good that life tends to transition slowly, that the big shifts creep and slip and happen without our taking much notice, so that the difference is not so stark and the new normal truly does feel normal. It's only when I examine tonight through the eyes of the past that I am so surprised to find myself where I am...
And where we were tonight, was outnumbered. We took a count earlier in the evening and realized there were 7 children under the age of 4, and only 6 adults. Makes for a different party dynamic, you know? One focused on cutting up bites of food and keeping babies on the porch and juggling climbing and crawling and walking twins and wondering whether the preschoolers had gone back inside. Relaxing with a beer? Savoring the perfectly grilled chicken? Using two hands to do anything? Not so much.
But-- there's something magical about a yard full of littles. Even if we're all an exhausted mess by Friday, even when we wish they'd just go to sleep already... we come together in the early summer perfect-light and eat with our fingers and let our children get all grubby as we take turns holding each other's babies, and I catch myself looking around and thinking how perfect our lives really are.
Watching my college friends-- now my mama friends-- caring for their children; loving them so much and loving their children like my own; my backyard awash with these beautiful people and their beautiful progeny... We are just so very lucky, you know? We really are.
And where we were tonight, was outnumbered. We took a count earlier in the evening and realized there were 7 children under the age of 4, and only 6 adults. Makes for a different party dynamic, you know? One focused on cutting up bites of food and keeping babies on the porch and juggling climbing and crawling and walking twins and wondering whether the preschoolers had gone back inside. Relaxing with a beer? Savoring the perfectly grilled chicken? Using two hands to do anything? Not so much.
But-- there's something magical about a yard full of littles. Even if we're all an exhausted mess by Friday, even when we wish they'd just go to sleep already... we come together in the early summer perfect-light and eat with our fingers and let our children get all grubby as we take turns holding each other's babies, and I catch myself looking around and thinking how perfect our lives really are.
Watching my college friends-- now my mama friends-- caring for their children; loving them so much and loving their children like my own; my backyard awash with these beautiful people and their beautiful progeny... We are just so very lucky, you know? We really are.
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