Do you have any idea where the hell time goes? Criminy. I blink an eye and a week has passed. It’s insanity. And all this beta blogger nonsense and the change in Picasa picture posting has me irritated. I’m too old to adjust, dammit. Why do they keep messin’ with my programs? (Said while waving my cane at the screen.)
Think I can manage a quick review of the last week? Sure. But I can’t promise it will be all that interesting. Last Saturday we had a family-visitin’ day. First to Mom’s place to bake Christmas cookies. Her boyfriend has a family tradition of making Christmas cookies with his Grandkids and asked us to join them. It was lovely. Especially when Noah spent almost an hour chasing the 5, 6 and 7 year old girls around and Mark and I didn’t even have to keep tabs on him. Then we headed to my Dad’s where we ordered Chinese takeout and everyone watched me decorate the tree. Noah spent a good deal of time chasing Oma around the house and that seemed to be exactly what she needed to put a smile on her face. Sunday we went to Drexel’s Christmas party. It’s for the entire staff of the University and since about 1500 people attend it’s not entirely lavish, and there is no open bar. But the cranberry punch is delish and they have magicians and story time for the kids. The big draws this year were a performance by the Rockettes and you could get your family photo taken and superimposed on a bunch of silly backgrounds. We stuck with a snowy forest landscape. I know – we’re boring. The party was held in the Great Court, which is (as you can see from the link) stunning, and also the building in which Mark works. However as striking as it is, it doesn’t lend itself well to the sheer size of the party. It’s not only a bit too crowded and hard to navigate, it’s also very sparse on seating which is difficult when you have a toddler. But seatless though we were, we still had a nice time.
On Monday we decided to spend a few hours of the 60 degree day (is this REALLY December?) at Morris Arboretum with Wendy and Victor. On Tuesday we went to Toddler storytime in the morning and then Janette and Jules came by in the evening. Yesterday I had an unpleasant bathroom emergency at BJs, and though I go there for the sole purpose of buying that child giant vats of apple juice and Cheezits, he decided not to be kind and discrete and instead repeatedly and loudly asked me if I was pooping. Ahem. Somehow I survived that. In the evening Mark watched Noah so I could go by some stocking stuffers. I realized just recently that since I told him that Santa will fill our stockings, that I better indeed put something into those belonging to Mark and myself.
Today we met my former co-worker and friend Jeff downtown for lunch. Again with the Chinese food. I’ve got some weird obsession about it lately. The dumplings in particular. After he treated (Bless your heart Jeff! Even after just closing on a new condo!) he sadly had to return to the office and thus did not get to join us when we headed to Macy’s to (YUP) once AGAIN go see the Dickens Village “puppets” and the light show. A grandmother sitting next to me with a cranky two year old little girl asked “What did you do to get such a beautiful and well behaved child?” To which I replied “Got lucky. Got very, very lucky.”
So what do the holidays have in store for us this crazy week? Tomorrow night we pop in to my friend Patty’s Christmas party – long enough to taunt the drunken singletons with the cuteness of our offspring, but not so long that they see what it’s like when said offspring becomes overtired and slightly less manageable. On Saturday we head to Jersey to have lunch with a friend of Mark’s from high school. He and his wife are in staying with his parents over the holidays, that is if they caught their flight out of Colorado despite the massive blizzard. And afterwards we’ll stop by Mark’s Dad's place to “see the tree” because no yuletide season is complete without tree seeing. Hopefully their tree is less crooked and haggard looking than ours after it’s been pawed at by a two year old on a daily basis. On Sunday I have a frenzy of cleaning and cooking while awaiting my Mom, her boyfriend, Mark’s Dad, his wife and Mark’s 94 year old Grandmother for dinner. And if we all survive that, with no food poisoning or whatnot, we’ll head to my Dad’s the next day for an early dinner with my Oma, my brother and his kids, and then to my Mom’s in the evening to see more relatives. Good grief. I’m beat just typing that. I’m hoping to also get my sister Jess to come and spend a few days with us that week, but that hasn’t yet been set in stone.
Okay. So that was far from quick. Sheesh. Sorry. I hope you all have a holly, jolly holiday (if you celebrate that sort of thing) – and that the chaos, the bills and the gifts are just a fleeting blip quickly wiped out by your enjoyment of time with your loved ones. As flawed and wacky as they (and we all) may be.
See you next week with photos of festive festivitiness!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
It's holly and jolly.
As you know we are doing the whole Santa myth here, and doing it wholeheartedly. Noah is pointing out every Santa he sees, plastic ones on porches, blow-up ones in the grocery store, lit ones in neighborhood windows. And he gets so excited. It really warms my heart.
What I’m not doing is the Santa threat. I was actually quite taken aback a few weeks ago when the mother of one of Noah’s playmates started telling the kids that they better not be naughty or they won’t get gifts. OH NO. That is not in our Santa tale. And certainly not for two years old. I told Noah that Santa brings gifts for nice boys and girls and since he is such a nice little boy he will be getting presents. The funny thing is he thinks he already got his gift. After he sat with Santa at the Gallery he was given a toothbrush, so when you ask him what he wants from Santa for Christmas he says “a toothbrush.” It’s gotten quite a few chuckles, and even a “Ahh… how sad.”
After two weeks of battling my own cold, Noah caught it this weekend. I spent two nights sleeping upright with him on the couch so he could continue to breath. He didn’t get too ill, just really, really mucousy. But despite the snot we kept on keeping on for a busy pre-holiday weekend. We hit two Christmas parties on Saturday – a cookie making toddler one in the afternoon (where everyone was snotty) and then a adult soiree in the evening where we stopped in and ran out before the childless folk got restless. On Sunday we got our tree – and Noah adores it. He often wakes up in the morning and asks to go see it. And he wants to continue decorating. Despite his protests we had to put the ornaments away before he tipped the poor tree over under their weight. Now he’s permitted to just move them around – luckily we have all plastic balls. After decorating and naptime we went downtown for another gander at the light show and puppets before having dinner in Chinatown. Cause nothin’ says Christmas like dumplings and fried rice. Yum.
After the festive weekend Noah was a bit worse the wear cold-wise so we hibernated on Monday – he was in his pajamas all day. But he was back to his active chipper self on Tuesday when we met Janette at Ikea and let the kids run wild through the decorative living rooms. Love those Swedes. Yesterday we went to check out a different playgroup and found ourselves the only English speakers aside from the facilitator. They were really welcoming but since I couldn’t talk to any of the other mothers I don’t think I will be returning to that group.
Today the boy and I did some shopping and were both rewarded for our good behavior with a lavish lunch at Chikfila. I’m just about done my Christmas shopping and though it won’t go down in the record books as being the year I gave everyone exactly what their little hearts desired- they are getting something and that’s all I’m up for at the moment. If only the thoughts I have about perfect gifts instantly materialized without the prerequisite spending and shopping. But ya know what – Noah is going to be super psyched to get some craft supplies, Playmobil people, a tool set and a doctor’s kit – and that’s what matters most.
What else goes on with Master Noah? He has gained the uncanny ability to pick out recognizable carols on even the quietest store speaker system. “It’s Rum-pum-pum song Mama!” And nothing could be cooler than “Fra-tee the Toe-man.” He’s also still loving the Nutcracker – he’s jumping, leaping and spinning around as well as playing with the wooden ones I got to decorate the house. (Sidenote: I returned the Nutcracker video to the library yesterday IN our late VCR. Mark broke the VCR apart to get the tape out but once he did we realized that the tape was running through the entire mechanism and there was no way for us to get it out without cutting it. Oops.) And though not holiday related I have to mention that Noah has become such a big helper. He wants to help do everything. He just wells up with pride and says repeatedly “I’m helping you Mama.” He’s also definitely entering his “kids say the darndest things” stage. As I we were exiting the house yesterday he said “Mama, you have a penis?”
What I’m not doing is the Santa threat. I was actually quite taken aback a few weeks ago when the mother of one of Noah’s playmates started telling the kids that they better not be naughty or they won’t get gifts. OH NO. That is not in our Santa tale. And certainly not for two years old. I told Noah that Santa brings gifts for nice boys and girls and since he is such a nice little boy he will be getting presents. The funny thing is he thinks he already got his gift. After he sat with Santa at the Gallery he was given a toothbrush, so when you ask him what he wants from Santa for Christmas he says “a toothbrush.” It’s gotten quite a few chuckles, and even a “Ahh… how sad.”
After two weeks of battling my own cold, Noah caught it this weekend. I spent two nights sleeping upright with him on the couch so he could continue to breath. He didn’t get too ill, just really, really mucousy. But despite the snot we kept on keeping on for a busy pre-holiday weekend. We hit two Christmas parties on Saturday – a cookie making toddler one in the afternoon (where everyone was snotty) and then a adult soiree in the evening where we stopped in and ran out before the childless folk got restless. On Sunday we got our tree – and Noah adores it. He often wakes up in the morning and asks to go see it. And he wants to continue decorating. Despite his protests we had to put the ornaments away before he tipped the poor tree over under their weight. Now he’s permitted to just move them around – luckily we have all plastic balls. After decorating and naptime we went downtown for another gander at the light show and puppets before having dinner in Chinatown. Cause nothin’ says Christmas like dumplings and fried rice. Yum.
After the festive weekend Noah was a bit worse the wear cold-wise so we hibernated on Monday – he was in his pajamas all day. But he was back to his active chipper self on Tuesday when we met Janette at Ikea and let the kids run wild through the decorative living rooms. Love those Swedes. Yesterday we went to check out a different playgroup and found ourselves the only English speakers aside from the facilitator. They were really welcoming but since I couldn’t talk to any of the other mothers I don’t think I will be returning to that group.
Today the boy and I did some shopping and were both rewarded for our good behavior with a lavish lunch at Chikfila. I’m just about done my Christmas shopping and though it won’t go down in the record books as being the year I gave everyone exactly what their little hearts desired- they are getting something and that’s all I’m up for at the moment. If only the thoughts I have about perfect gifts instantly materialized without the prerequisite spending and shopping. But ya know what – Noah is going to be super psyched to get some craft supplies, Playmobil people, a tool set and a doctor’s kit – and that’s what matters most.
What else goes on with Master Noah? He has gained the uncanny ability to pick out recognizable carols on even the quietest store speaker system. “It’s Rum-pum-pum song Mama!” And nothing could be cooler than “Fra-tee the Toe-man.” He’s also still loving the Nutcracker – he’s jumping, leaping and spinning around as well as playing with the wooden ones I got to decorate the house. (Sidenote: I returned the Nutcracker video to the library yesterday IN our late VCR. Mark broke the VCR apart to get the tape out but once he did we realized that the tape was running through the entire mechanism and there was no way for us to get it out without cutting it. Oops.) And though not holiday related I have to mention that Noah has become such a big helper. He wants to help do everything. He just wells up with pride and says repeatedly “I’m helping you Mama.” He’s also definitely entering his “kids say the darndest things” stage. As I we were exiting the house yesterday he said “Mama, you have a penis?”
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Let's have some fun now, before I melt away.
This year I’m truly enjoying the holiday spirit thanks to Master Noah. He’s so excited – and not because he’s getting gifts – but because of the magic of Christmas, the traditions, the music, the lights, the stories. We’ve been reading tons of Christmas books, listening to carols, watching the Nutcracker ballet and opening an advent calendar door each day. On Sunday night the three of us went to City Hall and Rittenhouse Square to see the trees and lights – and Noah was really excited, though he was a bit disappointed because he thought Santa would be at the tree. (Though honestly – limiting a two year old to one piece of chocolate a day is not easy. We have at least one meltdown a day because he wants to open another “Santa door.”) (Oh and said Nutcracker tape from the library is now stuck in our VCR, and yet not playable. On the plus side I was able to DVR the ballet on PBS last night so now Noah can watch it again, on the negative side I might be returning my VCR to the library.)
This morning I mentioned the idea of going downtown to see Santa. Noah, still in his pahjamas, said “I go upstairs to get my shoes. Be right back.” Needless to say we hustled out of the house. I was a bit apprehensive about how Noah would handle sitting on Santa’s lap, but as always he shocked me. It also helped that, surprisingly, The Gallery Santa rocks. Not only does he have the real deal hair, but since there was no line he told me “Let him approach slowly and talk a little bit so he gets comfortable.” It worked like a charm. When Santa finally asked if he wanted to sit on his lap and tell him his Christmas wish Noah said yes. Of course he blurted out “Trolley-Choo choo-bus” before he was even on his knee. Noah was feeling a bit too cautious to give an outright smile, but we did get a bit of a grin, and afterwards he kept talking about how nice Santa was. It was sweet.
Next we headed to see the train display at Reading Terminal (small and LAME) and then to Macys. After checking out the cool window displays, we went to see the weird ancient animatronic Dickens Christmas Village. I told Noah they were puppets so he thought they were pretty cool. At the end they take you in to see “Father Christmas” who was literally like a twenty something kid with lots of fake white hair, a feigned English accent and lots of rouge. AWFUL. We just went right through. Then we found a spot on the floor of the shoe department to wait for the light show to begin. When it was over Noah wanted to see it again – and didn’t take kindly to me saying they weren’t going to repeat it. So when he asked to see the puppets again – off we went for the second go around. And then we walked to the Bourse where we sat at a cafe table and shared a salad before getting back on the El.
The whole time we were out I was struck by two things. First, WOW he’s being so good. He really is such a sweet and special little man. I am truly blessed to have such an obedient and thoughtful child. I am constantly flabbergasted by it. And second, THIS is what Christmas is about. It’s not about what is under the tree. It’s about the wonder, the magic, the mystery. It’s about doing special things with your loved ones. About making memories and keeping traditions. God, I’m really loving this Christmas already.
Now if only someone else would do my damn shopping.
This morning I mentioned the idea of going downtown to see Santa. Noah, still in his pahjamas, said “I go upstairs to get my shoes. Be right back.” Needless to say we hustled out of the house. I was a bit apprehensive about how Noah would handle sitting on Santa’s lap, but as always he shocked me. It also helped that, surprisingly, The Gallery Santa rocks. Not only does he have the real deal hair, but since there was no line he told me “Let him approach slowly and talk a little bit so he gets comfortable.” It worked like a charm. When Santa finally asked if he wanted to sit on his lap and tell him his Christmas wish Noah said yes. Of course he blurted out “Trolley-Choo choo-bus” before he was even on his knee. Noah was feeling a bit too cautious to give an outright smile, but we did get a bit of a grin, and afterwards he kept talking about how nice Santa was. It was sweet.
Next we headed to see the train display at Reading Terminal (small and LAME) and then to Macys. After checking out the cool window displays, we went to see the weird ancient animatronic Dickens Christmas Village. I told Noah they were puppets so he thought they were pretty cool. At the end they take you in to see “Father Christmas” who was literally like a twenty something kid with lots of fake white hair, a feigned English accent and lots of rouge. AWFUL. We just went right through. Then we found a spot on the floor of the shoe department to wait for the light show to begin. When it was over Noah wanted to see it again – and didn’t take kindly to me saying they weren’t going to repeat it. So when he asked to see the puppets again – off we went for the second go around. And then we walked to the Bourse where we sat at a cafe table and shared a salad before getting back on the El.
The whole time we were out I was struck by two things. First, WOW he’s being so good. He really is such a sweet and special little man. I am truly blessed to have such an obedient and thoughtful child. I am constantly flabbergasted by it. And second, THIS is what Christmas is about. It’s not about what is under the tree. It’s about the wonder, the magic, the mystery. It’s about doing special things with your loved ones. About making memories and keeping traditions. God, I’m really loving this Christmas already.
Now if only someone else would do my damn shopping.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Hodge Podge
- On Thanksgiving morning Noah had asked to watch Oobi- but before we put it on he saw a snippet of the parade and he was hooked. Lucky for us (or unlucky as the case may be) I recorded it since Noah has been asking to watch some of it almost every day. In particular he wants to watch “The doggy one” in which Goofy miraculous appears during a trick promoting Mickey’s Magic Show, the rousing performance by Singabration, and the Christmas medley featuring dancing elves and toys. If I didn’t so love watching him enjoy it, I might have clubbed myself by now.
- We have started prepping Noah with the prerequisite Christmas lies about Santa and whatnot. He’s really excited for what sounds like “Kimsump.”
- Though Noah obviously had a penchant for horses, I had not yet given him a book about them – bad mother that I am. Last week we went to the toddler story time at the library only to find out that the theme that day was indeed horses. Of course he loved it and we brought one of the books home. “Giddy Up! Let’s Ride” by Flora Mcdonnell. It’s a week later and Noah has the book memorized. You ask “How does the cowgirl ride?” and he says “Yeeha! Yeeha!” “How does the jockey ride?” “Faster and faster. Faster and faster.” “How does the princess ride?” “Jingle ringle. Jingle ringle.” “How does the rahjah ride?” “Rumpetta- trump Rumpetta-trump.” It kills me every time.
- I don’t know how I’ve gone so long without mentioning this. We play blocks A LOT. And for some unknown reason whenever you ask Noah what he is building he says “A sour cream store.” With as many as that boy has built, Sam Breakstone better watch his ass.
- My Dad keeps a bowl of Hershey Kisses out on his end table and since the moment Noah had his first one he goes straight for the bowl as soon as we enter the house. On Thanksgiving morning we pulled into Dad’s driveway and still in his car seat Noah said “I want chocolate.” Dad also takes out to dinner fairly regularly when we visit. Last weekend when I told Noah that we were going out to a restaurant for dinner he just assumed his Pa Joe was going to be there.
- “You’re my best friend, Mama.” It melts your heart. Even if he keeps telling everyone their his best friend. Today it was his plastic lizard.
- For his birthday Patrice gave Noah some Crayola bath tub tints and now he’s hooked. We used the last of them tonight and I’m fairly certain he won’t bathe without them tomorrow. Either I’m going to be making a mad dash to find some more or Noah’s gonna have a hard time going cold turkey.
- Christmas is coming and I've already started my bah-humbug shopping attitude. My solution to some of that is to buy at least a portion of my gifts from charities that retain a portion of the profits. That way even if the recipient doesn't give a crap about the gift whose suitability I've spent forever pondering , at least someone in need has benefitted before it gets shoved in a closet or regifted.
- Oh and I'm ill. Nothing big. Just cholera. Somehow we'll get through. So far I'm thanking my lucky stars that I'm the only one afflicted.
- We have started prepping Noah with the prerequisite Christmas lies about Santa and whatnot. He’s really excited for what sounds like “Kimsump.”
- Though Noah obviously had a penchant for horses, I had not yet given him a book about them – bad mother that I am. Last week we went to the toddler story time at the library only to find out that the theme that day was indeed horses. Of course he loved it and we brought one of the books home. “Giddy Up! Let’s Ride” by Flora Mcdonnell. It’s a week later and Noah has the book memorized. You ask “How does the cowgirl ride?” and he says “Yeeha! Yeeha!” “How does the jockey ride?” “Faster and faster. Faster and faster.” “How does the princess ride?” “Jingle ringle. Jingle ringle.” “How does the rahjah ride?” “Rumpetta- trump Rumpetta-trump.” It kills me every time.
- I don’t know how I’ve gone so long without mentioning this. We play blocks A LOT. And for some unknown reason whenever you ask Noah what he is building he says “A sour cream store.” With as many as that boy has built, Sam Breakstone better watch his ass.
- My Dad keeps a bowl of Hershey Kisses out on his end table and since the moment Noah had his first one he goes straight for the bowl as soon as we enter the house. On Thanksgiving morning we pulled into Dad’s driveway and still in his car seat Noah said “I want chocolate.” Dad also takes out to dinner fairly regularly when we visit. Last weekend when I told Noah that we were going out to a restaurant for dinner he just assumed his Pa Joe was going to be there.
- “You’re my best friend, Mama.” It melts your heart. Even if he keeps telling everyone their his best friend. Today it was his plastic lizard.
- For his birthday Patrice gave Noah some Crayola bath tub tints and now he’s hooked. We used the last of them tonight and I’m fairly certain he won’t bathe without them tomorrow. Either I’m going to be making a mad dash to find some more or Noah’s gonna have a hard time going cold turkey.
- Christmas is coming and I've already started my bah-humbug shopping attitude. My solution to some of that is to buy at least a portion of my gifts from charities that retain a portion of the profits. That way even if the recipient doesn't give a crap about the gift whose suitability I've spent forever pondering , at least someone in need has benefitted before it gets shoved in a closet or regifted.
- Oh and I'm ill. Nothing big. Just cholera. Somehow we'll get through. So far I'm thanking my lucky stars that I'm the only one afflicted.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Vignettes
Though I don’t really consider us to be potty training Noah, we do put him on the potty before and after his bath. He pees on the potty every night and while I do congratulate him, I try not to put too much emphasis on it.
On Friday in the midst of getting the house in shape for our Black Friday Leftover Potluck Party, we decided to give Noah a shower since we wouldn’t have time that night for our bedtime bath ritual. Afterwards he spent a great deal of time running around our room naked. Suddenly he cried out “Potty, Mama! Potty!” And when I looked over at him I first saw his very distressed face before I realized he was pooping on the floor (thankfully not the new carpet). I kind of squealed before Mark made me realize I was having a negative reaction, and then I just scooped him up mid-poop and stuck him on the potty where he continued to go. When it was all done we congratulated Noah for pooping on the potty like a big boy.
At the party I was holding Noah and telling Wendy that Noah had pooped like a big boy on the potty. Noah looked earnestly at Wendy and said “I pooped on the floor, actually.” We just about died.
***
Mark, Noah and I went to dinner at A Full Plate Café. Noah was looking at a plastic flashcard book my Mom bought him when he was a newborn. It’s always been a good bet for keeping him busy in a restaurant or in the car. Each page has a picture of an object and the corresponding letter of the alphabet. He’s looked at it enough to turn to the first page and say “A is for Apple.” But now he’s actually starting to look at all the letters. He’s beginning to read. Tonight he read to us “O R 2 Jeff – Goldfish.”
On Friday in the midst of getting the house in shape for our Black Friday Leftover Potluck Party, we decided to give Noah a shower since we wouldn’t have time that night for our bedtime bath ritual. Afterwards he spent a great deal of time running around our room naked. Suddenly he cried out “Potty, Mama! Potty!” And when I looked over at him I first saw his very distressed face before I realized he was pooping on the floor (thankfully not the new carpet). I kind of squealed before Mark made me realize I was having a negative reaction, and then I just scooped him up mid-poop and stuck him on the potty where he continued to go. When it was all done we congratulated Noah for pooping on the potty like a big boy.
At the party I was holding Noah and telling Wendy that Noah had pooped like a big boy on the potty. Noah looked earnestly at Wendy and said “I pooped on the floor, actually.” We just about died.
***
Mark, Noah and I went to dinner at A Full Plate Café. Noah was looking at a plastic flashcard book my Mom bought him when he was a newborn. It’s always been a good bet for keeping him busy in a restaurant or in the car. Each page has a picture of an object and the corresponding letter of the alphabet. He’s looked at it enough to turn to the first page and say “A is for Apple.” But now he’s actually starting to look at all the letters. He’s beginning to read. Tonight he read to us “O R 2 Jeff – Goldfish.”
Monday, November 20, 2006
I think I'm already stuffed
I was feeling crestfallen on Friday. Earlier in the week I was really excited when a new friend of mine had decided to take me up on my babysitting offer. She had been putting her 15 month old daughter in daycare from 8:30 to 12:30 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday so she could have time to do some freelance graphic design work. However even after a few months her daughter had not seemed to have adjusted, so she was really excited about my offer. And I was excited that I knew and liked them, and I’d be making some much needed cash. However the fates taunt me and on Thursday her daughter had her first ever good day at daycare. And now of course she doesn’t want to pull her out just as she is getting adjusted. So I’m back to square one. Ho hum. Luckily I had a couple of inquiries about when I might be available so hopefully something pans out.
On Friday night we did babysit a little 18 mo girl who lives down the street from us while her parents went to a concert at the Kimmel. Noah and her were a great pair – running around after each other giggling. She was excited to follow him and Noah wasn’t intimidated. It really was a good mix. On Saturday we went to Frannie’s second birthday party and the mix wasn’t so good. One of Noah’s little friends scares the bejezus out of him. He’s not very verbal and so he resorts to loudness and exaggerated movements, he’s also a close talker and he wants to play huddle all the time. Noah asks about this boy often and looks forward to seeing him but when they are together I can’t get Noah out of my lap. It’s a shame. The boy is really sweet too – he’s not aggressive just excitable. I was going to invite his family to our place for a gathering of friends on Friday, but decided not to so that I won’t have to carry Noah around all night. And I feel just horrible about it.
What else have we been up to as of late? Well we spent a couple of hours this weekend cleaning out our concrete slab/yard. It had been rendered unusable this summer when a neighbor’s tree overgrew our entire space and banished any chance of sunlight. Therefore it was covered in leaves, damp and mosquitoes for months. Much to my delight the neighbor finally had the tree removed and as a result we were able to sweep out our yard and let the slab dry out. Noah has even been blowing bubbles and hanging in the sandbox out there. We were heartily saddened when our dinner plans with Juliloquy were cancelled due to HPR’s illness on Sunday evening – Noah had even baked them pumpkin oatmeal muffins. But on the upswing we can look forward to getting together with them again soon.
And the boy is of course super-lovable every day. Any negative moment I might have is fleeting when faced with his sweet and sunny disposition. Some of his most common sayings are “I want lovin,’” “Cuddle me,” and “I want kiss you, Mama.” (And today he repeated me when I said "Oh JESUS!" when a guy flung open his car door in front of me as I was trying to drive down a narrow street. Oops.) This isn’t to say he doesn’t have his testy moments, because he is TWO! But he is still thankfully such a sensitive, caring and thoughtful boy and his moodiness and testing passes quickly. I normally just have to mention a time out and he falls back into line quickly. (Knock on wood!)
Of course we have been on our normal schedule this week. We had playgroup today. Tomorrow we’re meeting Wendy and Victor at the library in Port Richmond for story time, and then headed over to their place to play and chat. Wednesday is music class and last minute Thanksgiving grocery shopping to prepare our bring-along dishes. On Thursday we celebrate our abundance with lunch at my Dad’s and dinner at my Mom’s (with the in-laws also in attendance.) And on Friday we’re having a few folks over for our Black Friday Leftover Pot Luck. It should be a lovely holiday. Hope yours is filled with appreciation, family, friends and love.
On Friday night we did babysit a little 18 mo girl who lives down the street from us while her parents went to a concert at the Kimmel. Noah and her were a great pair – running around after each other giggling. She was excited to follow him and Noah wasn’t intimidated. It really was a good mix. On Saturday we went to Frannie’s second birthday party and the mix wasn’t so good. One of Noah’s little friends scares the bejezus out of him. He’s not very verbal and so he resorts to loudness and exaggerated movements, he’s also a close talker and he wants to play huddle all the time. Noah asks about this boy often and looks forward to seeing him but when they are together I can’t get Noah out of my lap. It’s a shame. The boy is really sweet too – he’s not aggressive just excitable. I was going to invite his family to our place for a gathering of friends on Friday, but decided not to so that I won’t have to carry Noah around all night. And I feel just horrible about it.
What else have we been up to as of late? Well we spent a couple of hours this weekend cleaning out our concrete slab/yard. It had been rendered unusable this summer when a neighbor’s tree overgrew our entire space and banished any chance of sunlight. Therefore it was covered in leaves, damp and mosquitoes for months. Much to my delight the neighbor finally had the tree removed and as a result we were able to sweep out our yard and let the slab dry out. Noah has even been blowing bubbles and hanging in the sandbox out there. We were heartily saddened when our dinner plans with Juliloquy were cancelled due to HPR’s illness on Sunday evening – Noah had even baked them pumpkin oatmeal muffins. But on the upswing we can look forward to getting together with them again soon.
And the boy is of course super-lovable every day. Any negative moment I might have is fleeting when faced with his sweet and sunny disposition. Some of his most common sayings are “I want lovin,’” “Cuddle me,” and “I want kiss you, Mama.” (And today he repeated me when I said "Oh JESUS!" when a guy flung open his car door in front of me as I was trying to drive down a narrow street. Oops.) This isn’t to say he doesn’t have his testy moments, because he is TWO! But he is still thankfully such a sensitive, caring and thoughtful boy and his moodiness and testing passes quickly. I normally just have to mention a time out and he falls back into line quickly. (Knock on wood!)
Of course we have been on our normal schedule this week. We had playgroup today. Tomorrow we’re meeting Wendy and Victor at the library in Port Richmond for story time, and then headed over to their place to play and chat. Wednesday is music class and last minute Thanksgiving grocery shopping to prepare our bring-along dishes. On Thursday we celebrate our abundance with lunch at my Dad’s and dinner at my Mom’s (with the in-laws also in attendance.) And on Friday we’re having a few folks over for our Black Friday Leftover Pot Luck. It should be a lovely holiday. Hope yours is filled with appreciation, family, friends and love.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
We could all use a little Jeanne Bice.
Hey. How’ve you been? I know. It’s been awhile. Your hair is getting really long. I like what you’ve done with it. Oh thanks, yeah – new shoes. Where have I been? Hard to say really. Nowhere in particular I guess. And yet busy. Ya know, doing not much of anything. Just following a routine, enjoying life and my family. Not much more than that to say. But I’ll try.
Yesterday I sent an email to a neighborhood parents listserv offering PT childcare in my home. Ideally I’d love to watch another toddler like 9-2 pm, twice a week. It would bring in just a little extra income to help fight our burgeoning debt, but not have a huge impact on keeping Noah active and involved on a daily basis. Keep your fingers crossed for us.
This weekend my 11 year old sister Jessica came to visit. We enjoyed a beautiful warm weather day at the Zoo on Saturday and made the best of a rainy Sunday at the Art Museum, followed by a tasty late lunch in Chinatown. Noah of course loved having his An-Jess here and is missing here dearly. Whether Jess had a good time or not, I can’t say. She seems to have started that quiet, brooding tween thing – and though I don’t think she had a BAD time, she certainly wasn’t as happily expressive as she has been in the past.
Sheesh. The holidays are coming and so the scheduling has begun. Who is going where on what day – trying to see everyone and balance all the expectations. I don’t want to disappoint anyone. I get freaked out about it every year. Almost as freaked out as I get about gifts… well, not nearly THAT freaked out. My Grammy called this morning asking what we wanted for Christmas. I have no earthly idea. Noah is up to his ears in clothes and toys from his birthday – and yet I am expected to give all my family members strict orders for what the boy should get for Christmas. It’s lovely to say this – but he doesn’t need anything. And then the BUYING! Coming up with penny-pinching thoughtful gifts for everyone that won’t just get shoved in closets is impossible. If I had the cash I’d just buy everyone gift certificates to cool stores and restaurants they might enjoy, but even those don’t always seem to get used. This year everyone is getting Quacker Factory. What could be more FESTIVE than sequined Santa shirts for all?
And the boy is still amazing me every day. His language skills are amazing. It’s hard for outsiders to see because he can be so shy, but at home he talks CONSTANTLY. And he’s a little bossy too. He loves the game where we just run around the kitchen table and he says “Be horsey! Be kitty! Stop! Dance around! Get down! Sleep! Wake up!” And he’s still obsessed with Beck and those puppets. (I know the youtube link no longer works but you can go to www.beck.com, go to video and then select the SNL performances or the robot video for “Hell Yes.”) This morning shortly after he awoke he said “Mama is puppet. Noah is robot. Daddy is Beck.” And he doesn’t miss a thing. Out of the blue he’ll start talking about how his playgroup is in Fishtown, and if we’re in the car I should “Drive Broad Street.” I say something once and he repeats it the next day, leaving me wondering where in the hell he learned that. And as smart and big as he’s becoming, he can’t be seduced by me telling him what big boys do. Nope. He says “I’m baby, Mama. Not big boy. I’m baby.”
Yesterday I sent an email to a neighborhood parents listserv offering PT childcare in my home. Ideally I’d love to watch another toddler like 9-2 pm, twice a week. It would bring in just a little extra income to help fight our burgeoning debt, but not have a huge impact on keeping Noah active and involved on a daily basis. Keep your fingers crossed for us.
This weekend my 11 year old sister Jessica came to visit. We enjoyed a beautiful warm weather day at the Zoo on Saturday and made the best of a rainy Sunday at the Art Museum, followed by a tasty late lunch in Chinatown. Noah of course loved having his An-Jess here and is missing here dearly. Whether Jess had a good time or not, I can’t say. She seems to have started that quiet, brooding tween thing – and though I don’t think she had a BAD time, she certainly wasn’t as happily expressive as she has been in the past.
Sheesh. The holidays are coming and so the scheduling has begun. Who is going where on what day – trying to see everyone and balance all the expectations. I don’t want to disappoint anyone. I get freaked out about it every year. Almost as freaked out as I get about gifts… well, not nearly THAT freaked out. My Grammy called this morning asking what we wanted for Christmas. I have no earthly idea. Noah is up to his ears in clothes and toys from his birthday – and yet I am expected to give all my family members strict orders for what the boy should get for Christmas. It’s lovely to say this – but he doesn’t need anything. And then the BUYING! Coming up with penny-pinching thoughtful gifts for everyone that won’t just get shoved in closets is impossible. If I had the cash I’d just buy everyone gift certificates to cool stores and restaurants they might enjoy, but even those don’t always seem to get used. This year everyone is getting Quacker Factory. What could be more FESTIVE than sequined Santa shirts for all?
And the boy is still amazing me every day. His language skills are amazing. It’s hard for outsiders to see because he can be so shy, but at home he talks CONSTANTLY. And he’s a little bossy too. He loves the game where we just run around the kitchen table and he says “Be horsey! Be kitty! Stop! Dance around! Get down! Sleep! Wake up!” And he’s still obsessed with Beck and those puppets. (I know the youtube link no longer works but you can go to www.beck.com, go to video and then select the SNL performances or the robot video for “Hell Yes.”) This morning shortly after he awoke he said “Mama is puppet. Noah is robot. Daddy is Beck.” And he doesn’t miss a thing. Out of the blue he’ll start talking about how his playgroup is in Fishtown, and if we’re in the car I should “Drive Broad Street.” I say something once and he repeats it the next day, leaving me wondering where in the hell he learned that. And as smart and big as he’s becoming, he can’t be seduced by me telling him what big boys do. Nope. He says “I’m baby, Mama. Not big boy. I’m baby.”
Friday, November 10, 2006
Scientology rocks
Monday, November 06, 2006
Run over by a birthday truck
Deep breath. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind – culminating in not one, but two lovely parties for Master Noah. Both were well attended and sufficiently celebratory – so I think we did a bang up job. The toddler house party seemed a bit too ambitious – what with 12 toddlers, 3 infants and 22 adults attending – but it proved to be an excellent idea in the end. The kids were well behaved and the parents were very excited to hang out with other parents, talking and drinking beer. And best of all Noah really enjoyed himself – I had visions of him clinging to me the entire time wondering why all these damn people were ruining his birthday – but he had a blast. I think it was a plus for him to have the home team advantage. He had a couple of moments of wanting to be held or far off in a corner playing on his own, but for the most part he was totally interactive and enjoying himself. And that is SUCCESS. The family party was an interesting proposition because my mother hosted not only her immediate family, some friends and her in-laws, but also my Dad (they were divorced when I was five), my half-brother and his kids. A truly blended family makes for some awkwardness, I was concerned about my Dad feeling comfortable and Mark was concerned about his Dad, but generally it was a hit. As always we worry far more than we need. Everyone was there to celebrate Noah and that is the real icing on the cake. We’re really blessed with a group of loving, supportive people who know how important it is to us that we all be together.
The best part of all of it is that this year Noah knew the parties were for him and was so excited to see his loved ones and know they came for him. Oh, and they brought presents.
And good lord – THE TOYS! I have so much gear here that I could open a daycare center. Of course the morning after his first party we asked him what he liked about it the most and he said “Happy Birthday cake! I blow on it.”
I could say SO much more – but I’m beat and have no focus, so I will spare you for the moment. We thank you all for your warm birthday wishes.
The best part of all of it is that this year Noah knew the parties were for him and was so excited to see his loved ones and know they came for him. Oh, and they brought presents.
And good lord – THE TOYS! I have so much gear here that I could open a daycare center. Of course the morning after his first party we asked him what he liked about it the most and he said “Happy Birthday cake! I blow on it.”
I could say SO much more – but I’m beat and have no focus, so I will spare you for the moment. We thank you all for your warm birthday wishes.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Of all the photos ever taken this is my favorite. This was Noah moments after he was born at 8pm on 11-04-04. He was so small, so precious and so primal. He changed my life forever - infinitely for the better. I will be forever thankful for the person he is and the person he has made me. Happy Birthday Noah Mac!
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