"I Wanna Take A Nappy ALL Day!"

This is absolutely my husband's and my most favorite thing that our little two-year-old says to us. Every day. Around nap time. It really is cute, although she says it with such vehemence and irritation about having to take a nap. Personally, I don't get that -- I really would, on occasion, like to take a nappy all day! I can't think of anything more decadent at this time of my life -- and anything that is more of a pipe dream!

We call our girlie the "opposite girl" because while she can say something with a distinctly negative tone in her voice, she's not great with using the correct negative terminology. She has somehow gotten this far in her little life without learning the word "don't." For example, if you give her something to eat that she doesn't like, she scrunches up her cute little face and shakes her head side to side and says, "I like it!" But again, the look, the shaking of the head, and the distinctive tone tells you clearly, "I DON'T like it!"

I think we all should try this tactic though, because I'll tell you what -- I am not offended when she conveys her distate for something in this manner, as opposed to her sister who will periodically say things like, "YUCK! This is gross!" (See the subtle difference?")

What cute things do your kids say that make you laugh?

Happy Anniversary!

Just a quick post today in honor of my husband's and my 10th wedding anniversary which is today! I would share a wedding picture with you, but alas my scanner is not hooked up right now. But it was a wonderful day and it has been a wonderful ten years so far! We talked about going out of town for an overnight (Grandpa and Gramby are taking the girls overnight!) but so many places were booked and we have just today and tomorrow, we decided to spend the day together with our littlest one while our oldest daughter is in school. Then we will pick up our other girlie at school and take them out for ice cream (their choice), then off to Grandpa & Gramby's where they will make homemade pizzas and have a movie night, while we go out to one of our favorite swanky "no kids" restaurants! We will be staying at our own private bed & breakfast (our house), minus the breakfast -- we'll be going out for that tomorrow morning. And then a day of time spent together, ending with an early matinee movie of anything that is not a cartoon! Finally, we will pick up our sweet girls in the afternoon and probably head home to pop in the wedding video! (My older daughter and I just love that! My husband enjoys it every few years or so!)

It's very special to get to celebrate just the two of us, but it's nice that we can also incorporate the kids in our celebration -- after all, they've been a very important part of our first ten years of marriage!

Remembering

Today is September 11th. It is the 7th anniversary of that terrible, life-changing day that our country was attacked by terrorists and so many people lost so much. It seemed to go by without as much acknowledgement as it has in the past, but I still remember where I was, what I was doing, and how I felt. I was a fairly new mother -- I had an 8-month-old baby at home. I had been back to work for a few months and my sweet baby was in day care 3 days a week. That was difficult enough before 9/11. On that morning, while I was working, my husband was home with our daughter. He was supposed to go into work late, and drop our little one off at the day care for the afternoon. I wanted him to stay home from work with our daughter -- I was panicking that the whole country was being attacked and I didn't want her away from us. I remember calling him to tell him what happened, and wanting to race home to be with them. I remember sitting in my office on the phone with him talking about what to do and what was happening. I remember the trembling of his voice when he told me what he was seeing on television -- something that he, having grown up in Long Island and worked at the World Trade Center in NYC, had never thought he would live to see -- the towers crumbling to the ground. We talked about his family in Long Island, our friends who lived in the city.

We were supposed to go to Long Island just a couple of days later, and the whole world seemed in turmoil, we didn't know what to do. We called relatives and found out that most of the family was safe, but one cousin was a firefighter and he had gone into the towers to help. He never made it out. He left behind a beautiful family - his wife and three sons.

My husband and I don't spend a lot of time watching the all-day news channels, but from that afternoon when I got home from work, that's all I watched for days. We were in a fog. People were telling us on television to have escape routes and bottled water and non-perishable food stored in case of attack. I had supplies packed in our car, in case we needed to escape, and I had a plan of what we could quickly have set up in the basement if we needed to move down in there. The news reports were telling us to buy plastic and duct tape to seal up windows and doors. I couldn't help but think how devastatingly unfair it was that I would have just had this beautiful little baby and all of a sudden life as we knew it was coming to an end. I was afraid to take her to day care because I was afraid that we would be attacked and I wouldn't be able to get to her. My friend Kristin had just told me on 9/10 that she and her husband and decided to try to have a baby. And the next day the world changed -- it felt like we couldn't even think about the future. And that is exactly what terrorism is all about.

After about a week or two of panic and fear and walking around in a daze, I realized that I was spending all of my time preparing for the unknown and that I had this precious little baby to take care of and to love. She was happy, she didn't know what was going on, she just wanted to snuggle and wiggle and squeal with delight. I had to start functioning again for her sake. I shut off the news and I turned my attention back to what was most important -- living each day with the people that I love.

I will never forget that time or that feeling, and I don't think that any of us ever should. I thank God for the people that are willing and able to fight to protect us, I pray for all of the people who were lost that day and for the loved ones that they left behind. And I pray that our children never have to know that feeling of terror. God bless us all.

The Latest in Toddler Fashion

Introducing the latest style from "Baby Rap", modeled by the newest, coolest rap artist out of New York -- Lil' K! Ok, we did not actually dress her in this "ensemble" -- she did this herself -- sunglasses, backwards hat, snowboots and all. Not bad, only two years old and already mastering the art of accessorizing!

Silence is Golden

Just a quick post before I head off to bed -- early tonight -- I feel like I've been working the night shift lately, but more on that later! I just had to share about my dear friend Kim (friends about 18 years, I think! Amazing since we are SO young still!). Anyway, Kim and her husband Michael were blessed with triplets -- if I ever feel exhausted from chasing after my kids, I think about them... The triplets started Pre-K this past week and Kim sent out a cute note and pictures of them going off to school (how adorable is that picture?). I sent her a note back and asked her whatever was she going to do with her time while they were in school? Kim replied, "Girlfriend: 1) Workout, 2) Shop, 3) Straighten out my "piles" and 4) Listen to silence!"

I can completely relate to the joy of having a chance to catch my breath and listen to -- well, NOTHING! My own thoughts in my head... I love my girls with all my heart but every once in a while (several times a week?) I feel like I want to turn the volume down on everyone in my house! Tonight, after dinner and before bedtime, I was sitting on the couch feeling quite tired and ready to go to bed myself. My 7-year-old had dressed herself in last Halloween's Tinkerbell costume and was flitting about the living room singing made-up song after made-up song. Pretty melodies, bizarre lyrics... Something about visiting her cousin Gail (doesn't have one) to play a game of charades and she was rhyming Gail with all sorts of words like bail and jail... No idea where this stuff comes from. Anyway, she was competing (volume-wise) with her 2-year-old sister who was watching "My Friends Tigger & Pooh" and it was an episode about Rabbit trying to sleep and being kept awake by a woodpecker pecking on his home (a tree). So while the tv was on, and her sister was tapping around dancing and singing, my little one is loudly giving me a play-by-play of the episode. Let me recap for you, "Pecker, and pecker, and Rabbit, and Lumpy, and so Pecker, and Lumpy and Pecker" and on and on...

Sometimes it seems neverending -- today all four of us went to the dentist (littlest one just went along for the ride) and while I was sitting in the chair, with the tv on in front of me (our dentist is hi-tech -- flat screen tv's on every chair, which is great for distracting my daughter while her teeth are being cleaned) tuned to the Disney channel, as my littlest one is in her stroller behind me, and her older sister is in a little chair next to her. So, I've got the sound of the tv, the sound of whatever the hygienist is doing to my teeth, the little girlie calling, "Mommy, guess what?" and the older girlie talking a bluestreak to the hygienist who is not doing a very convincing job of making interested polite listening noises. Today really was a louder day than usual in our house... Maybe it has something to do with the phases of the moon, or the tides or something.

I love to hear my girls laughing, I love to hear my girls playing nicely together or singing a song. Tonight at bedtime they were trying to do their prayers before my husband and I got into the room and I could hear my sweet baby say in her sweet baby voice, "Our Father" which sounded like it had a "v" instead of a "th" -- those sounds are all so sweet to me. Even so, there is something so peaceful about this time of the day when everyone is tucked into bed and the whole house is quiet. But tonight, instead of staying up to enjoy the silence -- I'm off to get some sleep myself!

What is your most peaceful time of day?

First Day of Second Grade

It’s official – I’m the mother of a second grader! Ugh… Where did the time go? It feels like I was just standing at the bus stop with my 3-month-old baby, waving goodbye to my kindergartner and wiping a tear from eye. Fast forward two years to this morning, when our second grader led the parade down the driveway, followed by our 2-year-old with her basket of Little People, Grandpa, my husband, and then there’s me juggling the video camera in one hand and the digital camera in the other. I did finally relinquish the digital camera to my father, who got a few cute shots of her getting on the bus, while I videotaped the whole thing. We looked like the Griswolds (“Family Vacation”), I’m sure! Amazingly, my girl is still not at the age where this is embarrassing to her – or maybe she IS at that age, but she hasn’t gotten the memo yet…

She had a good day at school, which was a relief because she’s been agonizing over it for the past week. We just tried to offer words of encouragement and tried to be patient with her – I remember being younger and having that same mini-anxiety attack that the summer was over and it was back to school. I also felt that way as each of my two maternity leaves came to an end, frankly! Fortunately, she liked her teacher, saw some friends in her class that she hadn’t realized would be in the same class with her, and – big excitement – her teacher handed out stickers for the kids to label their folders! She was less than thrilled that the bus took 1 hour and 25 minutes to get her home today... We live about 5 minutes away... But, she was surprisingly ok about that, considering how she feels about the bus.

Chaos returned to our house tonight between getting dinner on the table, homework done -- only 20 minutes of reading tonight -- there will be 20 minutes of reading every night, in addition to whatever other projects are assigned -- I sense there is a lot more homework given out now than back in the "olden days" when I went to school! ;) And then finally bedtime -- whew! And we'll start the whole process over again tomorrow! At least we have a week or two before we have to throw dance class and Sunday school into the mix!

How did your first day of school go this year?

Catching Up

It's been a busy week! Trying to soak up the last precious moments of summer, readying our daughter for her first day of second grade! (Tomorrow!) Enjoying one last summer bbq with friends, possibly our first and last sail of the season on Grandpa's boat, enjoying our pool a few more times before it is closed, and tearing apart our living room and kitchen to paint just a few days before Labor Day and a bbq at our house! Good times! ;)

But all is well now -- the furniture is back in place, the curtains are hung (that happened 45 mins before our company arrived on Saturday -- talk about last minute!), my girl's first day of school outfit is hanging in her closet (although if left up to her, it would be hanging on the knob of her dresser, with half of it lying on the floor, waiting for the cat to curl up on it!), her bookbag is packed with all of her new school supplies inside. Everyone's lunch is made and waiting in the fridge, and her father, grandfather, sister and I are all ready to walk her down to the bus tomorrow morning for a big send-off! She's been quite emotional lately, feeling sad about the end of summer and nervous about the start of school. She told me tonight she's not sure that she wants to be in the second grade! (Sorry Charlie -- no turning back now!) I foolishly decided not to take the day off today, to spend her last vacation day with her -- trying to conserve time off, I guess... But almost as soon as I got to work I called and left my boss (who was off) a message saying that I was leaving after lunch! Good thing too -- I thought I was so prepared for her to start school, but realized that the kitchen was not stocked for school lunches (her school does not have a cafeteria). A quick trip to the grocery store rectified that, and I also bought a little cookie cake and had her name written on it -- a sweet treat for our "First Day of School" dinner tomorrow night.

I got home a few hours early and she and I packed her lunch together (although I JUST remembered that I have to do a lunchbox note for her!!), and then I took out some magazines and photos and a large piece of posterboard and set her to work on our annual "End of Summer Collage" which was fun for her and for us to get to reminisce about what a great, busy summer we had this year! I also helped her with putting a collage together for her new school 3-ring binder. I had talked her out of the $8 (or whatever outrageous price) for a "Hannah Montana" 3-ring binder, and talked her into a less expensive "view-binder" that we could decorate ourselves. I did a lot of the hands-on work on this project and she supervised and acted as a creative consultant. Overall we were very happy with the end result! And with the pictures of family and friends (and Webkinz...) that we put in there (and of course, the Jonas Brothers...) hopefully it will lift her spirits everytime she sees it during the day!

So, that's what we've been up to at our house -- what have you been doing to get ready for the new school year?