Buby + Bleu

Through a Child's Eyes

2012-01-31T01:00:00.000-05:00

Everything is way cooler.

The Guatemala Backpack Project

2012-01-30T22:53:00.009-05:00

My friend Alana started The Guatemala Backpack Project this past holiday season as a way to get her three daughters involved in service and giving to children less fortunate. She reached out to her inner circle and asked them to fill backpacks for the young students at the Kemna' oj School, who were on summer break at the time.

What a simple, brilliant idea! Buy a backpack for a child {anywhere--it's a small world!} who cannot afford one and then fill it with notebooks, folders, pencils, crayons, markers, glue, scissors, rulers, sketch pads, water bottles, underwear, socks, etc. I was thrilled to help, and I'm grateful to my friends Seda, Christine, Karin, Sara, Allison and DJ for helping, too. Alana collected 56 bags and sent them all at once to Guatemala through a volunteer with her friend Judy's organization From Houses to Homes.

As you can see in the photo above, the bags have arrived. The new school year has begun, and I can only imagine the smiles they have brought.

Students at the school holding loaves of bread for their families. Photo passed on by Alana.

Happy Monday!

2012-01-30T11:25:00.010-05:00

Today is a GO! day for us, but I want to quick assure you that we are all alive and well. No more sickness in this house. Ollie Bear has his 15-month ped. visit later this morning {is that even possible?}, so I'll post his stats when I can.

The Mathematician

2012-01-27T22:59:00.005-05:00

Photo courtesy of Buby's teacher.

My Poor Husband

2012-01-27T20:40:00.011-05:00

Has beautiful hair.
A daughter who doesn't like barrettes.
And a wife who can't resist a laugh.

The Walk Home

2012-01-23T22:02:00.002-05:00

More Instagram photos from our snowy Saturday.

Post-Sledding Lunch Date

2012-01-23T21:25:00.003-05:00

My people.

It Snowed. At Last.

2012-01-22T23:00:00.015-05:00

Saturday. Awake. Pajamas inside out and backwards. Excited screams. Buby's wish. First real snow since October 30. Banana-blueberry pancakes on the griddle. Coffee. Shower. Boots on. Hoods up. Frigid! Sledding on a hill in the middle of nowhere, two minutes from everything.

Conversations about mittens. A few tears. An unexpected smile. Bleu is sledding on my lap now. And loving it. Lasts four runs. Races back to toasty warm vehicle to find Daddy and a sleeping Bear.

The mighty 1st grader and his mama are just getting started though. Cold? Not us. One sled down. Six to go. Lopsided tie-dye voted fastest in the world.

Baby wakes up. He's curious. I snag him and down we go. Wheee! Few more runs while Bleu looks on. Hot lunch at an almost-forgotten restaurant. Hits the spot. Did someone say cocoa? Big kids walk home with Daddy. I drive. And pause. And laugh as they skip all the waaay home.

Where Buby continues to shower himself in winter bliss. His favorite season. A small orange bucket from the kitchen--for scooping--and he's all set outdoors.

1.21.12

i heart

2012-01-22T01:55:00.011-05:00

Instagram. I love it for capturing little pieces of our every day when I don't have a real camera ready. {Sadly, my camera recently bit the dust.} If the family is venturing out on a weekend I often snag Tom's iPhone because of its built-in camera quality and cool apps.

The social media aspect of Instagram doesn't appeal to me yet--I keep our accounts private--but I enjoy all the filters. WAY more fun than your average cell phone photo.

Good Evening

2012-01-16T23:35:00.008-05:00

My favorite times to visit the park are late morning and early evening. Often I walk there with the kiddos under a setting sun and back home under a beaming moon.

We usually have the whole park to ourselves this time of year, which is fantastic. Buby and Bleu spin fast on the metal wheel, and luckily Bear still gets a kick out of watching from the sidelines. How freaky is it that only one of them shows up in the first photo?

Happy Weekend

2012-01-15T21:46:00.006-05:00

Buby and Bleu sorting through a mountain of stuffed animals this weekend.

Now that our house is healthy--and I'm feeling myself again, I'm psyched to leap into 2012.

I didn't make any official resolutions {never do!}, but I love assigning a personal theme to each year and crossing items off my weekly and monthly to-do lists. The theme for this year is SPACE. I feel like we've outgrown our space, and I need to figure out more and better ways to manage it. I am waaaay behind after spending the first half of January battling a super virus and total exhaustion.

The good news is that I've scheduled a donation truck to come here on February 1. That's phase 1. The next two weeks should be productive. And messy. And really good for the soul. I have such an urge to live with less. I'll let you know how it goes.

P.S. My theme for 2011 was SIMPLIFY, and I accomplished that in a huge way.

Bits + Pieces {end of year}

2012-01-09T09:36:00.014-05:00

Some random, never-posted photos from the end of 2011.

Bleu ate a lot of soup. Tomato basil is her favorite.

I turned 35 on Dec 21. The day was perfect, but I'm still having a little trouble with the number.

My girl sent brown balloons into the sky for her brother's first birthday.

The wee ones turned the living-room-off-the-playroom into a massive fort.

Bleu went to "Daddy's New York City" for a whole work day.

She charmed the office, rode a carousel, adopted an American Girl and named her Jo Jo Murphy.

We colored. A lot.

My Oliver Henri has changed sooo much. I must give him a proper post. He's a real toddler now.

Buby built a long house for school with items collected from nature.

We obsessed over foosball {with My Sweets, Grandma DJ, Tom G, Buby, Parker, Spencer} in my parents' basement.

Buby's version of an Ickey Shuffle. We are still working on the art of gracious winning.

Bleu loved everything about rolling pool balls across the table in Grandma and Grandpa's basement.

Buby and Bleu filled their bead jars with good deeds.

I ate and drank chocolate. I can banish all other sweets, but chocolate keeps me alive.

Bear learned to stand on, walk on, and stay off the playroom shelves.

We decorated a tree for Thanksgiving.

We made and received fun turkey art.

We cooked a very basic turkey day spread for the 7 of us. We missed my mom's pies though!

I got into hot apple cider.

We took down Thanksgiving and put up Christmas. Here's the little tree.

We rearranged furniture in the lower living room to block Ollie from the big tree.

We roasted marshmallows and sat by the fire after the children fell asleep.

We made lists and learned to write our letters.

Buby's teacher made a single felt slip-on, and he was the only kid who fit into it.
It was a bit of a Cinderella moment for him, and he got to bring the slipper home.

Buby made this dream catcher in class. It's super cool and hangs in the playroom.

Bleu had a few fussdowns over getting dressed, but nothing we couldn't ride out.

We collected book bags and school supplies for kids in Guatemala. Dedicated post coming!

Buby and Bleu raked leaves on pavement and built a teepee with neighbor Allison.

More Ice Skating

2012-01-08T23:15:00.009-05:00

A few shots from our ice skating adventure last week. Please note:

1. My Sweets is on the bleachers with Bear, cheering through a chain-link fence.
2. Grandma DJ and I have Bleu; Tom G has Buby.
3. Despite appearances, I am not texting while skating.
3. I know I just said he loved falling down, but I forgot this one time. Not so much :-(

Crystal Mining

2012-01-08T06:08:00.002-05:00

Buby received this crystal mining kit from his aunt and uncle for Christmas. {Very similar to the Smithsonian rock and gem dig that Ella gifted him in the Fall.} It's the first thing he wanted to rip open when we returned home from vacation.

I highly recommend both kits. Crystal mining requires ample patience and perseverance, but Buby stuck with it for several days straight. After each discovery he screeched with joy! Finally on Wednesday night I had to clean up my table for a proper meal, so I put the last little chunk in a baggy for later. So far he's collected 12 crystals: 2 rose quartz, 1 dolomite, 3 amethyst, 2 agate, and 4 clear quartz/rock crystal. He was psyched to bring them to school the next day to share with his geology-loving classmates.

Tip 1: Take it outdoors. The mining block produced a lot of hard-to-clean dust, and I started wondering if he should be breathing it all in.

Tip 2: Stock up on finger-paint trays from Michael's. They are 17.5" x 12.5" with 1.25" sides. My kids use them constantly for their paint/craft/glitter projects.

13 Days + Counting

2012-01-07T05:17:00.007-05:00

Ollie decorating our January tree on Tuesday morning.

It's been a rough start to 2012. I've been battling cold viruses for the last 13 days. My baby and I are in the trenches trying to dig our way out. He's {finally!} fever free and beginning to look like his former self. Today is day 6 on amoxicillin for his ear infection.

My flu-like aches and chills have subsided, and the migraines come and go. Ollie and I both have a cough, congestion, and runny nose. This morning I'm pretty sure I woke up with conjunctivitis. Score! Why is it always on a weekend we need a doctor?

The other day my friend commented on how healthy my children are... how rarely we get sick. But when our house gets it, we get it B-A-D. My Sweets thinks he's two days behind me in the stages of sick. Thank goodness Buby and Bleu are healthy. They paid their dues over a week ago and are back in full force. We are trusting them to hold up the fort! Now if only they could get to the market, unpack our bags and clean the house.

P.S. Happy 13th birthday to my awesome nephew Spencer! I cannot believe he is officially a teen.

Boy Dreams Winter

2012-01-05T21:33:00.006-05:00

A teeny ice skater figurine I gifted Buby for Christmas.

My oldest boy lives for winter. Snowflakes. Snowballs. Snowmen. Snow angels. Sledding. Skiing. Skating. Cocoa. Cider. Boots. Layers. Handmade hats. Gloves. Scarves. Drying by the fire. He loves it all. Snug and cozy is his season.

The fact that it hasn't snowed in our part of NY -- not even a flake -- since the huge October 30 storm is pretty much killing him. What a teaser! Every night before bed Buby turns his pajamas inside out and backwards because his teacher once told him that if the whole class did this -- and put a spoon in their freezer -- that it would snow. If you promise Buby snow, he will do anything. His little sister even went along with it for about week. He's the dreamer; she's the realist.

It was so friggin' cold here earlier this week that we were sure it would snow. But this morning brought sunshine and unseasonably warm temps in the '50s. So I must ask. If it is already winter where you live, would you please send some our way? For the Bubs? Thx.

Electronics, Etc.

2012-01-04T23:46:00.014-05:00

I love photos of Buby and his cousin at my mom's house on Christmas Day. These boys are two of the sweetest, and seeing them grow old-er toge ther makes my heart smile. But Buby's attention to technology last week also made me crazy. It felt like a theme vacation.

Our six year old doesn't have a whole lot of experience with electronics. We deliberately keep things simple at home. He builds, draws, puzzles, reads and explores in his free time. We don't do high-tech gaming systems, tvs in bedrooms, kids on web, etc. I have a strict no movie rule during the school week and never turn on the tube for myself until after 8pm. On weekends My Sweets might rent a G-rated film from Redbox or watch The Food Network while he cooks, but that about does it for media consumption around here. I wish we'd never discovered On-Demand.

Enter Family Land. We spent the week after Christmas visiting Grandma DJ and Tom G... and their never-ending supply of animated films and shows, iPad games, Angry Bird phone apps. Buby was in heaven. Then we mosied on over to my parents' to see family... and it was more of the same. Every two seconds someone was handing over their hand-held or popping in a new movie for all the wee ones. Gadgets now are so instinctive--and addictive--that children of any age can master them in about 5 minutes flat. I was completely blown away by what I saw Buby do with other people's toys. And everyone had them--grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins.

Of course it was vacation {and we were stuck indoors... and sick} so I didn't mind at first. Especially since Bleu and Bear didn't partake and most of the apps were educational. I admit I was impressed how fast Buby learned all 50 state capitols on the iPad, but by mid week I'd had it with the screen time. Too much zoning out = cranky kids in my book. I missed home and our more quality interactions. I guess we'll never be a big gadget family because I'm a stickler for face time. REAL face time. Yes, My Sweets and I have our share of smart phones and laptops {and now an iPad 2 he surprised me with for Christmas}, but our stuff is ours. The children don't and won't have free reign to play anytime they want. Their awake time is too precious.

Wow. That sounds selfish, but really I don't think littles should own expensive hand-held devices or be left to play them for hours on end. Moderation is key, and it's a slippery slope. I'm sure one day Buby will voice his own opinion. But for now he's six and fully immersed in the joy of being six.

I know people feel very differently and will say that electronics are just a reality of the times. That in many ways the fast-changing tech scene prepares our kids for tomorrow. I don't know. I can't stand the thought of tweens running around with personal internet devices in their pockets... posting to Facebook in their rooms at night. I'll always be old school on this one, but I am curious. What do you think? How much of the i-world do you let into your world? And your child's? Leave a comment and tell me. I have good friends on both ends... some who don't own a single television and others who have years of late-night Wii tournaments under their belts before they even start school.

When Buby was two I had a mother's helper named Kiki who was 11. She once asked me, "When will he get his first cell phone?" I thought she was joking but quickly realized she and her girlfriends already had them. Eeks! My initial response was, "Never."

P.S. Yes. They'll have phones. Someday. For emergencies. Ha!

Ice Skating

2012-01-03T00:56:00.006-05:00

Last Friday Buby (6) and Bleu (3) took it to the ice for the first time. They loved everything about it, even the falling. The rink we visited in Family Land didn't have any ice walkers for beginners, so I mostly held onto Bleu while Grandma DJ and Tom G assisted Buby. My Sweets had Bear in the stands. They were super busy trying not to laugh.

I'm still amazed that Bleu agreed to wear the stiff lacing boots. They aren't at all comfortable, and you know she's all about comfortable. We stayed a little over an hour, and it's definitely something we'll try again. Perhaps next month at Citi Pond at Bryant Park, since My Sweets can watch us from his office window.

* I snapped these photos with Tom's phone. A few more coming from the camera.

i heart

2012-01-02T01:17:00.001-05:00

12.25.11

Holiday Recap

2012-01-01T00:54:00.012-05:00

Happy New Years, everyone! I didn't post sooner because I've been cuddling a sick baby in my arms for several days. He's laying across my lap as I type.

We went to Family Land perfectly healthy on the 24th and came back sick as dogs on the 31st. Buby, Bleu and Bear thoroughly enjoyed their 9 little cousins from the 24th--26th, but then symptoms started overnight, and the rest of the week was a complete wash. It hit us in different ways on different days. We cancelled plans and took almost no photos.

I think this is the third {or fourth!} year getting sick over winter vacation. We look forward to visiting family and friends Upstate, but given our track record I'm tempted to spend the holidays 2012 at home. Ollie got it last and worst of all. He's been battling an upper respiratory infection, high fever, loss of appetite, cough, and general out of sorts-ness since Friday evening. This morning our pediatrician added ear infection to the mix. Cool! He isn't sleeping at all, so My Sweets and I are comforting him around the clock.

Meanwhile... our halls are decked with luggage, laundry, gifts, and ornaments waiting to be put away. It's a mess here. The bright spot is that we've enjoyed a wonderful and healthy month leading up to vacation. It was a very merry December in our house, and we accomplished everything we set out to do! Wishing you all a healthy start to 2012!

I used my friend Karin's recipe for granola this year, and it was out of this world! I'll post later.

Under Grandma's Tree

2011-12-27T23:56:00.000-05:00

12.25.11

Little Brother

2011-12-27T23:28:00.006-05:00

Ollie Bear last week at a birthday party for one of Buby's friends. He was irresistibly cute.

Christmas Morning {for us}

2011-12-26T08:46:00.010-05:00

December 23. Home. Just our little family of 5. Early morning. Many surprises. Twinkle lights on two trees. Holiday music. Hot coffee. Cinnamon buns. Santa gifts. Mommy/Daddy gifts. Sibling gifts. Grandpa gifts. Maria gifts. Velvet stockings. Smiles. Pajama party. Play.

Christmas Eve {for us}

2011-12-25T23:55:00.007-05:00

December 22. Last day of school. Bake for Santa. Spread reindeer food out back. Attend birthday for Buby's classmate. Have the best time watching my three let loose with their pals. Shop for Christmas jammies. Happiness. Home late. Stories. Anticipation. Good night for them. Long night for us. Assemble. Inflate. Wrap. Sparkle. Sleep.

12.22.11

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T00:25:00.001-05:00

Wishing you all the most joyous holiday! We are in Family Land enjoying ourselves and devouring my mom's chocolate-covered cherry mice. Don't they look delicious? I just wanted to say hello and let you know I'll be posting random photos throughout the week.

Ornament Project 2011

2011-12-24T00:51:00.000-05:00

Here's a sneak peek at Buby and Bleu's ornaments this year. They started with one multi-color ball of yarn and a handful of plastic globes. The rest of the supplies we already had, including clear glue, jewel-toned glitter, and water balloons for the hallow spheres.

Ornaments 2010
Ornaments 2009

Horse + Carriage

2011-12-22T18:10:00.000-05:00

When is the last time you took a horse and carriage ride... right past your house? We did it recently {for the second year in a row}, and it was such a great experience.

Teacher Gifts 2011

2011-12-21T20:00:00.008-05:00

Today the kiddos and I delivered 6 small teacher gifts. They were very simple {in thought and execution}, but I still like how they turned out.

Each wooden basket included a handmade ornament and thank-you note by Buby and Bleu, a jar of yummy chocolate-chip-almond granola I made the night before, and a gift certificate to our village coffee shop, which is also right next to the school.

The reason we did 6 baskets is because Buby and Bleu each have two full-time teachers, plus the directress of the school, plus the art teacher they share on Wednesdays. We did not do an official holiday gift for Buby's Monday art teacher or for the Tuesday music/piano teacher simply because they weren't ready in time.

Every Night

2011-12-20T23:58:00.003-05:00

While I clean up dinner. Bleu loves to pretend she has homework. Buby finishes his real homework and then starts his paper crafts. Bear looks on.

Rainbow Snowflake by Buby

2011-12-20T23:18:00.001-05:00

He wants it to snow in the worst way.

Quick Friday in the City

2011-12-19T09:27:00.012-05:00

Grand Central Station, walk to Rock Center, bagels, coffee, cut through Bryant Park, put ice rink on list for next time, kiddie party at Daddy's work, face painter/magician extraordinaire, meet new friends, black olive pizza, catch train home for Gallery Night.

All three children did an amazing job on the train, in the office, and walking around town on such a cold and windy day. Ollie was a happy playing maniac all afternoon, and the second I put him in the Ergo to walk to the train he passed out and slept on me for almost two hours. I could not have planned it any better.

Gallery Night

2011-12-18T23:09:00.011-05:00

Friday night one of Bleu's classrooms was transformed into an art gallery. It was so well done. Hundreds of projects were beautifully matted and displayed. There were musical performances by both classes. Buby's sang a Yiddish song about peace, and Bleu's crew sang two favorite tunes {one in Spanish!}. There were twinkle lights and hors d'oeuvres, lots and lots of families crowding the hallways, and children skipping excitedly between exhibits. They all beamed with pride.

Both art teachers attended, as well as all of the student body, their families, special guests and members of the community. The school raffled off a painting donated by one local artist and raised money for more art materials. So much effort went into this event, since it was originally to be held at a local art gallery but moved to our school after a scheduling conflict.

My Sweets and I had the children in NYC all day for another function, and I completely spaced on clean-up duty after bringing the kids home... so I cannot say I helped with any of it. I owe an extra thanks to all of the parents who did.

Sneak a Peak: Friends

2011-12-15T10:54:00.004-05:00

I was told at p/t conferences that Bleu and her bestie Ella are pretty much always together in school. They like to work together, snack together, art and music together. Apparently they've formed a tight girl tribe with another preschooler named Serafina.

And in case you are wondering, I do comb my daughter's hair every morning. My Sweets saw these photos and asked WHY so disheveled. It just is. Bleu has super thin/fine/wispy hair and doesn't like to fuss with headbands, hair clips, etc. I pick my battles.

ThanksMas at Sara + Daymien's

2011-12-13T18:32:00.006-05:00

Bleu was on a coloring frenzy.

An eclectic mix of old paintings that Sara's parents brought up from the South. A few she painted herself!

Sara dishing up a storm while the men fried a turkey outside.

10 silly place settings from one tiny bag of randomness.

A moss hunt for this project due the next day.

I never got around to posting these blurry iPhone shots from Sara + Daymien's ThanksMas gathering two weeks ago. Our city friends had us out to their sprawling country house for an afternoon of coloring, cooking, rock collecting and nature hunts.

Sara's really sweet parents were visiting from Florida, and it was fun to see Bleu latch onto Mama Lyle for the day. She doesn't normally warm up to people so fast. The highlight of the day for the children was when Sara let them choose rocks from her "sentimental places" collection. Oh, and notice all the framed artwork along the staircase railing? It's called emergency baby proofing.

Christmas Tradition #5: The Giving Tree

2011-12-12T14:02:00.008-05:00

This is a new tradition for us and one we hope to continue for many years. The first weekend in December our church put up The Giving Tree in the main hall. From the branches they hung the names of 550 children in need this holiday season. Immediately following the 9am mass parishioners flooded the hall to sponsor a child.

The names were going fast, and by noon they were all registered to specific families. My Sweets grabbed tags for a 6-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl. The boy wished for building blocks and the girl for clothes in size 4T. The suggested limit was $25 per child.

As I stayed up wrapping two sets of building blocks for the little boy, I starting throwing in fun extras I imagined he would like. Suddenly I wished we had given him more. For the little girl I bought a new winter sleep set and then raided Bleu's closet for new 4T clothes. In case you didn't know, Bleu's tactile defensiveness is something we work through on a daily basis. Because of it she has a wardrobe full of pretty things in size 4T that she will never EVER put on. All of the wasted items in her closet were making me feel bad, but filling two big boxes with shirts, pants, sweaters, never-worn snow boots, sneakers, sparkly mary janes and accessories felt amazing. I wished for that little girl's address so I could always send her things.

Walking into the main hall yesterday morning with our wrapped gifts totally took my breath away. The above photo, snapped with Tom's iPhone, shows only a tiny fraction of the presents that arrived within the first hour. We could see the giving right before our eyes, and it was magical. The children were taken aback by the generosity of strangers. According to a friend who organizes the project, everyone who took a name has come through with gifts... for 550 children. That is a Christmas miracle!

Next up our parish will deliver bountiful holiday food baskets to 150 local families who are struggling. They do it at Thanksgiving and Christmas in addition to running a year-round pantry. I started a donation bag last night but will be sure to include the children in filling it the rest of the way. Such good lessons for them, especially in light of all the receiving they'll be doing next week :-)

i heart

2011-12-11T14:05:00.011-05:00

Country living.

We always pass this tractor on our bagel/coffee run after church. It represents so much of what I love about this area. It's not just farmland outside the city. It's bustling villages and quirky displays, charming folks and yummy cuisine.

Christmas Tradition #4: The Elf

2011-12-09T17:44:00.019-05:00

If you ask our children what's their favorite part of the holidays... I'm pretty sure they'd say the elf. Even the baby is borderline obsessed this year.

The elf magically appeared in our kitchen in December 2010. Buby and Bleu quickly named him Luca. He watched over our house all month, flying to the North Pole at night to report our good deeds to Santa. This year we celebrated his return a few days after Thanksgiving. Each morning the children race downstairs to find him in a different spot. It's so cool.

The elf's one rule is that he cannot be touched. Or he'll lose his magic. Our children adore Luca and b-e-l-i-e-v-e with all their hearts. They talk to him and leave notes for him to deliver to Santa, which he dutifully does. They know that on December 24 old St. Nick will ring his bell and call Luca home, and we won't see him again for a whole year.

One day last week Buby came home from school and ran straight to his art bin. He whispered, "I'll show them. I will draw a picture of Luca so they can SEE." He proceeded to draw/color/cut and list 10 characteristics of elves. He was excited and happy to do it. I was folding laundry when he asked, "Mom, how do you spell mischievous?"

Note: Buby's best friend Grace has a similar elf named Louis, and Louis is mischievous. Dump-all-your-clothes-on-the-floor-while-you're-sleeping mischievous. It's hilarious the stories. Our elf is a good elf.

I suspected Buby might bump into skeptics at school this year, since Montessori runs in three-year cycles. Last year Buby was the oldest in a 3-4-5 primary class, and this year he's the youngest in a 6-7-8-9 elementary class. But Buby is standing firmly in Luca's corner. The next morning he tucked his artwork into his book bag and confidently showed all of his friends at school. I held my breath.

Later I asked him about his day. He mentioned that Faye didn't believe in elves. And that Andrew insisted elves wore green and not red. Then he stated {very matter of fact}, "Mom! We're going to have a school field trip. I will bring everybody here and show them Luca. They want to see him. Yeah!!"

Uh oh... I'm so curious as to how the teacher responded.

My little boy believes in magic, and so our house is a magical place this time of year. He truly believes in Santa, elves, reindeer, and superpowers. And why shouldn't he? His mind, heart and sentimentality are all part of what makes him so awesome. Truly he is an AWESOME kid, and I'm not just saying it because he's mine.

Buby is only in 1st grade {and has two younger sibs at home}, so My Sweets and I will be LIVID with anyone who spoils this holiday for him. If you spend any time with our family you know. It's not about convincing someone that Santa is a real-life modern day person--we don't talk about him like that. It's about allowing a child's imagination. I believe in believing. The ability to do so is a wonderful gift to cherish and protect. It's not up to us adults to crush it.

And while we're on the subject, here's some of Bleu's art this week. Her version of Luca, a manila tree, and a gingerbread man with raisin eyes.

Happy Day, Brother!

2011-12-07T23:00:00.014-05:00

Today my little brother turns the big 3-0. I went onto his Facebook page to steal a photo, and this was the only one of him with his sidekick Duncan, a choc lab who also goes by Dunkie, Chunky Monkey and Chunker. Of course, there were approx. 4 million shots of him and his girl Liz. That's because he's in luuuuuuv. Billy + Liz sitting in a tree....

Other tidbits about my younger brother: He's got the prettiest blue eyes. He's sweet and thoughtful. He loves animals. He's awesome {and rambunctious} with my kiddos. He is a bottomless pit. He will cook and likes to entertain. He played college ball and stands by the Bills through every loss. He has a beautiful Harley that collects dust.

He's had the same three best friends since elementary school. He's tall. Very tall. He's usually super chill. He's loyal. He makes up his mind about something and rarely waivers. He will argue a point passionately. He hugs and says 'I love you'. He is careful about what he shares with his big sister. I get more details from my mom.

He will drink wine now {thanks in part to Liz}. He still soaks his food in hot sauce though. He's handy in the home-repair dept. He has enviable people skills. He's a movie buff. He's a guy's guy who isn't afraid to wear yellow, pink and purple. He's one of Buby and Bleu's very favorites. He's an excellent Foosball competitor, second only to moi. Ha!

He writes the most sappy greeting cards {I've saved many over the years}. He makes me laugh. He calls me "Jeneeeeeee." He refers to our mother as "Mama" on occasion. He's totally the baby in the family. Totally. But we love him for it. Happy birthday, B!

p.s. If Billy is the big 3-0 today, that means in two weeks I turn the big 3-5. Eeks!

Sneak a Peak: Native American Homes Project

2011-12-07T10:34:00.007-05:00

Each student in Buby's class was assigned a different style Native American home {wigwam, longhouse, teepee, grass hut, chickee, adobe, igloo, wattle + daub}. The task was to construct their own version using a variety of materials--sticks, leaves, grass, etc.--and turn it in by Monday, December 5. Buby's teacher just shared a few pics.

Aren't they cool? I'll post a more detailed look at Buby's longhouse later. His fave parts of this project were the nature hikes he took with Daddy to collect bark, sticks and moss; and researching 10-20 facts for the written assignment. His least favorite parts were me chasing after a fussy Ollie while he built it {he would have loved my undivided attention}; and the oral presentation of his written paper to the rest of the class.

Get Ready for Fireworks!!

2011-12-05T08:00:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite holiday traditions is driving to a Festival of Lights along the Hudson River. It's always the first Friday in December and without fail the the coldest, windiest night of the year! But, seriously, if you are a fan of lighting up the night sky, this grand finale will bring you to tears! It's better than any July 4 display I've seen.

Every year we park and stand in the same spot along the water, directly under the fire. It feels like a big treat, like a secret that hasn't spread yet. I often wonder, "Where is everybody?" This year we met up with friends from the city {and their parents who just arrived from Florida and thought this was bitter C-O-L-D and awesome}. At one point Daymien's friend Stefan shouted, "This is crazy! What are we celebrating?" The answer: everything.

Here's a look at my Friday Night Lights post from last year. I don't do anything fancy with the camera, obviously. I simply turn off the flash and shoot in P/Daylight setting to open the shutter and let in as much light as possible. The results are kind of cool. Have you ever photographed fireworks? I'd love to see.

Before the show started. Isn't it funny the baby was standing and the big kids were sitting?

Sneak a Peek: Deck the {School} Halls

2011-12-03T22:10:00.009-05:00

Bleu came home from school raving about the twinkle lights and ball ornaments hanging in the lobby. I don't always go in at pickup time, so I checked the parents-only FB page.

Sure enough they are decking the halls. Love little white lights, don't you? I know they are busy planning the upcoming "Gallery Night" on December 16. The children's artwork will be displayed throughout the school, donated paintings from local artists raffled off, hors d'oeuvres served, etc. Should be a wonderful evening for the whole family.

If you're local and would like to attend {anyone can come!}, it's from 5-7pm and just $10 per family. The money goes to art materials for the children. You must purchase your admission ticket in advance. Let me know and I'll hook you up.

*Photo taken by the school directress.

The Park

2011-12-03T09:00:00.007-05:00

Monday was a free day for Buby and Bleu due to parent-teacher conferences. My friend Allison watched my three plus her Ben while I walked over to the school. The meetings all ran very late and long, and Bleu had to miss her gymnastics class because of it.

By the time I got home my girl was melting into a puddle of fuss, and Bear had just split his lip by tripping on a doll crib. There were more tears over lunch, a friend stopped by to drop off backpacks for a charity, and then we switched gears.

Sometimes all it takes to change the course of our day is a simple walk. My children--and I think all children--need to be outside. Fresh air forgives all. We went to the park. We took our time. We ran and played and forgot all about the persnickety morning Bleu just had {sorry, Allison!}. In fact, I caught the wee ones hugging several times during our hike.

Later that night I noticed Buby and Bleu getting into it again. "Mom! She pushed me!" and "Well, HE won't move!" That kind of stuff. The good vibe was disintegrating fast. Immediately I turned off the dance music and pointed both kids to the playroom couch. "Sit there. Don't move." I have a pretty low tolerance for bickering. Everything was quiet for a minute and then I said, "Gavin, quick, tell Nola something you love about her." He did. And then I turned to Bleu and said, "Now Nola, tell Gav something you love about him." They faced each other and the sweetest thing happened.

Buby: "I like your big brown eyes, Nola."

Bleu: "Thank you. I like your red paints, Gavin."

Buby: "Thanks. I like your rainbows that you draw."

Bleu: "Thanks. Gavin, I like how one day you read me all the princess stories while Mommy was putting the baby down for nap."

Buby: "I like how you take care of your babies."

Bleu: "I like how you use scissors and not cut your fingers."

Buby: "Thanks. I like your nail polish, Nola."

Bleu: "I like your nail polish."

Buby: "Oliver, I like your cute baby butt. Haha."

Bleu: "Oliver, you are cute.

Bleu again: "And Mommy... I like the bags that you put up. Can we open one now?"

By the end the two were laughing hysterically. And hugging. And back on track.

Just Because...

2011-12-02T23:38:00.018-05:00

I sure love My Sweets. In fact, he's the best man I've ever met. The best friend. The best father. The best.... of the best.

I love that he spent a whole morning stringing lights--it's one of his least fave things to do--because the rest of us adore twinkle lights. I love that he went out for an errand and surprised the children with a snowman bearing balloons. I love that he is warm and funny and charming and quiet. I love that he gets us, challenges us, supports us. I love that he moves Luca before bed if I forget.

I love that I can't wait for him to walk through the door! I love that his handsomeness makes my heart pound from 100 yards away. I love that he will run a bubble bath and bring me champagne. I love that he makes me laugh out loud... after 19 years. I love that we can sit by the outdoor fire pit after dark {just us} and not say a word. Simply be. I love that I can tell him anything. A-n-y-t-h-i-n-g. I love that he's my #1 fan. And I his.

I love that he plays guitar, nurtures our sons and dances with our daughter. I love that when I had a less-than-awesome week here he came home with my guiltiest pleasure {fried dumplings}. And as we sat down to eat them together he slipped me an envelope from my favorite spa. Inside was a note saying he'd booked me a treatment for Friday at 2:15. "Just because."

Yup, he's a keeper. I would have been elated with a plain old shower {one where I didn't have to keep the door open and watch after my crew at the same time}. The facial was such a treat though! I almost fell asleep. And when I returned home two hours later there were three beautiful children running about and a wrapped box of chocolates from our village chocolatier on the counter. Happy weekend!

P.S. 'Tis the season for winter fireworks, festivals and tree lightings. Plus, Buby has a longhouse to build from scratch before Monday for his Native American Homes Project, and we are headed to a friend's country house on Sunday to celebrate ThanksMas. Excited!

The Heartbreak Kid

2011-12-01T13:16:00.018-05:00

This morning started out like most school mornings. I woke up shortly after 7 in Ollie's room {a story for another day}, found my Buby quietly organizing stuffed animals on his bed, lifted Bleu's shade, approached her with great care.

She's hardly a morning person, my girl, but I'm always proud of how she works through it. She reluctantly rolled over, laughed at my goofball-ness, even offered up a few Bear hugs, went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, got dressed, ate breakfast. We were out of the house at 8:20, and she was in good spirits. In fact, she skipped all the way to school. The whole block and a half.

Then a combination of things happened that usually don't. Once we turned the corner her brother ran ahead. There was no Ms. P. at the top of the steps where I drop her each day. Eventually Ms. A. came out, but that's Buby's teacher and she's not in Bleu's circle of trust yet. I walked up the first few steps and said "love ya" and turned to go. She quick did a 180 and buried her head in my leg. "I don't want to go to school today," she panicked. Her squeeze tight, her voice cracking.

It's not like she's never said that before. Two other mornings since September {one being this past Tuesday after six days off} she has put up a minor fuss about leaving my side. But when we reach the steps she bucks up and walks in with her head high. No tears. Ever.

Ms. P. heard us on the steps and ran out. Just then Bleu turned and saw her best friend Ella walking toward the school, crying. I don't know who saw who first, but they both fell into a sea of tears. Ms. P. grabbed Bleu just as she was trying to follow me back down the stairs. I threw out another "love ya" and walked away. I felt myself cry.

Guys, I totally botched this one, and you could see it from a mile away. Six years in, and I have zero experience leaving a crying child. I expected this to happen many times during Bleu's first year of preschool, but I thought when it did I would be super strong. The kind of strong you only get from birthing three children. But today I was melting in uncertainty. My heart told me to grab her, run home and snuggle her and the babes 'til it was time to pick up Buby at 3.

In these occasional wars between heart + head, my heart usually reins supreme. Mama instincts run so deep. But today--at drop-off-- I had to be smart. Bleu is a creature of consistency. Bleu has school tomorrow and every school day after that, so my head said to follow procedure. To be loving, to be quick, to keep my wits. The teachers have it.

I walked home slightly broken hearted, fed Ollie breakfast and then checked in with the director via email. She wrote back that my girl was OK. She'd walked her upstairs where Ms. M. took over and asked, "What can I do to help you?" Bleu responded, "Can I trace my name?" {fyi: Bleu is on a name-writing kick.} She settled right into her work and I'm told skipped into Spanish class a short while later. Ms. P. took the time to reassure me and even sent two shots with her iPhone. I bet that doesn't happen at every school.

Today I have a whole new appreciation for all the moms who lovingly hand over their children even {and especially} when they are experiencing a brief bout of cling or moment of sadness. It 'aint easy to do when AP is all you know.

P.S. I returned at 11:30 pickup to find a smiley faced Bleu. Two guesses where we went!

Christmas Tradition #3: The Advent Bags

2011-12-01T10:28:00.009-05:00

It's December 1. My bags are up. I feel like an elf sneaking down at night to fill them a few at a time. Each day brings one special surprise.

Some examples: a trio of handwritten love notes to my littles; a coupon for a 'treasure hunt' in the park; a paper promise of an afternoon stroll to the 'cookie shop;' a teeny grow-your-own gingerbread man; two mini boxes of Glee organic gum {which I introduced the big kids to on Halloween}; rolled up pipe cleaners for crafting; two favorite bell ornaments from last year; new felt snowflakes to hang on the kid tree; and a bunch of very clever post-it note clues for them to find their winter coloring books that I have hidden somewhere in the house.

This year I'd like to include a few basic act-of-kindness prompts/challenges to Buby and Bleu. Something they must think of themselves, that's in addition to the Giving Tree project at church and the Guatemala Backpack project we're doing with friends.

Also {this is where YOU come in}, I would like to fill a few bags with short greetings from faraway family and friends. If you want to send Buby, Bleu or Bear a lil' love note before Christmas Eve just email or text me--or leave it in the "comments" for this post--and I'll stick your message on pretty paper and slip it into a bag. Let's mix it up.

To read more about our advent tradition click here, or to revisit my December House post from last year click here.

Christmas Tradition #2: The Story Basket

2011-11-30T22:32:00.020-05:00

The holiday books are out, and my Bear cannot help himself. The tradition goes like this: I sneak into the attic on the eve of December and bring down 24 of our favorite holiday titles. I wrap them and place them in a big basket in the foyer, and the next morning the children take turns choosing a book a day to curl up with and read as a family. We all love this. We read the books over and over until January, and then I pack them back up.

Well, this year I definitely wanted to cash in on my mom's mad wrapping skills before she skipped town, so I darted up to the attic last Friday after the wee ones fell asleep. That's when I realized I had accumulated close to 50 Christmas titles {largely thanks to Grandma DJ}. I tried to get it down to 24 for the story basket, but I just couldn't. I pulled out six books that I didn't particularly enjoy reading aloud, and my mom and I stayed up late wrapping the other FORTY THREE. And laughing. What can I say? I feel attached to each and every one of them. Two days later my friend Allison gifted us another awesome title that was a duplicate in her house, so we're back up to 44 faves.

The basket holds a wide range of holiday goodness, including:

1. The Magical Christmas Horse by Mary Higgins Clark (HC)
2. The Tiny Star by Arthur Ginolfi (BB)
3. Clifford’s First Christmas by Norman Bridwell (PB-Scholastic)
4. Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holidays Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (HC)
5. The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson (PB-Scholastic)
6. The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck (HC)
7. Dumpy Saves Christmas by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton (HC)
8. Corduroy’s Christmas by Don Freeman (HC)
9. God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergen (HC)
10. Best Christmas Book Ever! by Richard Scarry (HC)
11. The Story of Christmas by Patricia A. Pingry (BB)
12. The Carpenter’s Gift: A Christmas Tale About the Rockefeller Center Tree by David Rubel (HC)
13. Gingerbread Mouse by Katy Bratun (PB)
14. Olive, The Other Reindeer by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh (HC)
15. I’ve Seen Santa by David Bedford (PB-Scholastic)
16. Clifford’s Christmas by Norman Bridwell (PB-Scholastic)
17. Christmas by Dick Bruna (HC)
18. Here Comes Santa Claus by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman (HC)
19. Santa Mouse by Michael Brown (HC)
20. The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy by Jane Thayer (HC)
21. Is It Christmas by John Prater (HC)
22. Christmas in the Manger by Nola Buck and Felicia Bond (BB)
23. Harold at the North Pole: A Christmas Journey with the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (PB)
24. Thomas Kinkade A Child’s Christmas at St. Nicholas Circle by Douglas Kaine McKelvey (HC)
25. Oliver’s First Christmas illustrated by Kristi Valiant (HC)
26. Mary’s Christmas Story by Teresa Olive (PB)
27. The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear by Stan and Jan Berenstain (PB)
28. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer retold by Dennis R. Shealy (PB)
29. The Christmas Story by Patricia A. Pingry (HC)
30. Mary Engelbreit’s A Merry Little Christmas: Celebrate from A to Z (HC)
31. The First Christmas: A Pop-Up Book (HC)
32. Who’ll Pull Santa’s Sleigh Tonight? By Laura Rader (PB)
33. The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats (PB)
34. Tomie’s Little Christmas Pageant by Tomie DePaola (BB)
35. The Twelve Days of Christmas (HC)
36. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Original Story of Rudolph by Robert L. May (HC)
37. Silent Night by Vicki Howie (HC)
38. The Animals’ Christmas Eve by Gale Wiersum (HC)
39. B is for Bethlehem: A Christmas Alphabet by Isabel Wilner (BB)
40. Merry Christmas illustrated by Kathy Couri (mini BB)
41. The Christmas Star by ZonderKidz (min BB)
42. The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by James Marshall (BB)
43. The Night Before Christmas: The Classic Edition by Clement C. Moore (HC)
44. Humphrey's First Christmas by Carol Heyer (HC)

Sneak a Peek: The Art of Dreamcatchers

2011-11-29T16:40:00.000-05:00

All photos taken by Buby's teacher.

Christmas Tradition #1: The Tree

2011-11-28T23:03:00.037-05:00

We didn't buy anything on 'Black Friday' except for a Balsam Fir and some crazy-good roadside BBQ in the middle of nowhere. {I love not shopping when everyone else is. I avoid the stores at all cost. Being outdoors with my lovelies was much more fun!}

New York was blessed with warmth and sunshine over the Thanksgiving holiday, so we took it and ran. My parents came to town for three fun-filled days, and as it's tradition to saw down a tree together once a year ~ either theirs or ours ~ I chose a new-to-us farm that was opening for the season on Friday morning. {Thanks to our friend Ron for the recommendation.} It's an hour from our house and offers 9 varieties for u-cut. Hip hip!

The end goal was a Concolor Fir, a whimsical variety My Sweets and I fell for several years back. When we started meandering through the aisles Buby decided he wanted a Balsam instead. Or a Douglas. Or Spruce. Anything BUT a Concolor. Apparently he doesn't fancy bluish tones on trees, even though it's his "bestest" color any other time of year. Buby is a purest in all things Christmas.

I've never been one to get in and get out at apple orchards, pumpkin patches or tree farms. I do not like to rush the magic of the hunt, nor do I like to slow the energy and momentum with a lot of posing. My Buby and I are so similar in that way.

Unfortunately he set his tender little heart on one tree that was impossibly too big and tall for our place. That seriously bummed him out, so we all scurried in search of suitable alternatives. "Look, Buby! Over here!" and "Close your eyes. I think you are going to love this one!" We would have never gone with a tree he didn't really like. Buby lives for this.

Bear was happy in the Ergo and happy to explore.

We have a winner! All the littles were in agreement.

By the way, this guy loves his Grandma.

Loves, loves, loves her.

We use the same wooden saw every year and carve in the date. It will make a wonderful keepsake someday. Buby went first and then Bleu.

Five years ago my mom bought this sweater for Buby. Oh how time flies.

Bleu was having a blast! She was all about the measuring tape.

Some hard labor is good for the soul.

This shot makes me smile for some reason. Too out of focus for a Christmas card?

Once again, a family shot never occurred to me. Even with two grandparents at my disposal, I never thought to jump in.

Isn't it funny that last year Bleu missed out on the whole Christmas tree experience--twice--because it was freezing outside and she wouldn't wear a sweater or shoes? And I mean, we couldn't physically get her into them. This year it was warm and she's bundled.

The baling process sort of amazed Buby, watching it beside my dad.

Matchbox + Shag

2011-11-22T20:46:00.006-05:00

I keep running into these two photos on my desktop. I took them last month during a quick trip Upstate. They remind me of Grandpa J's farm. Of the old wooden treasure box he keeps under his dining room window sill. Of the little metal cars inside that My Sweets and his bro cherished as boys. Of how Buby and Bleu burst onto the scene the second we arrive to zoom zoom those cars over wall-to-wall shag.

By the way, I didn't mean to fall off the grid. My nights have been mostly unplugged due to extra-quality time with My Sweets and a super wakeful teething/nose-running/nursing baby. Plus some baking, overnight guests, holiday prep, and household must-dos. All good things, but I'm waaay behind on email correspondences, blog posts, etc.

If I'm not online again before Thursday, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! My parents will be arriving tomorrow and staying through Sunday. So excited. And thankful...

Biker Baby

2011-11-19T21:46:00.006-05:00

Uh oh. Appears another boy in this house has gone biker on me.

Buby Loves Tennis

2011-11-19T15:51:00.015-05:00

And we looove to watch him play. Lessons are year-round, but at the end of each fall/winter/spring session there is a Friday evening tournament where athletes in the 6-9 category compete against each other.

The match was last night. {It was Buby's first ever, since he was in the 4-5 age group last year.} The vibe was definitely big deal-ish, since Daddy skipped out of work early and Grandma DJ happened to be in town. And guess what? Buby's team came in 1st place! Hurray for Bub! He carried around a shiny blue ribbon all evening.

This afternoon My Sweets and I were invited to a parents lesson, during which there was a lot of laughing with and at each other. Turns out tennis takes some skill. We walked away with sore forearms a whole new appreciation for the sport our son plays. Very fun date.

Bleu Loves Gymnastics

2011-11-16T13:59:00.014-05:00

And she's such a riot to watch. This is her third year of super fun weekly gym classes, and we'll continue for as long as she wants to go. I'm starting to see it all come together. Last week she flipped on the rings all by herself! I was amazed, and so was her teacher.

Sneak a Peek: Bleu's Morning

2011-11-15T22:08:00.005-05:00

Photos taken by one of Bleu's teacher.

Six Miles

2011-11-13T10:42:00.009-05:00

These photos from a recent family hike illustrate everything I love about fall in New York.

Hoodie sweatshirts. Kicking up leaves. Running free.

The chirps of nature. Happy kids.

Babies in carriers... maybe for the last time.

Ginormous specimens for our leaf collector.

Textured terrain. Rock walls. Color.

Crisp air. Trail mix. Elevated views.

Three and six year olds who ask me to record their little discoveries.

Hikers in hippie heart pants. Layers upon layers of shale. The perfect walking stick.

Handsome daddies and their daughters.

Whimsical forms. Distant lands meeting the sky.

Simple gifts from the heart.

One year olds. Contentment.

My loving girl with cocoa-bean eyes.

Childhood memories in progress.

Determination. 106 steps up. Not one complaint.

Life. Everywhere.

Afternoon adventures. Gazing up in awe.

Celebrating one small feat and eight sore feet with a lovely dinner out.

i heart

2011-11-10T09:34:00.004-05:00

Trevor Eissler. Take 5 minutes to watch his video on Montessori.

What Bleu is Drawing These Days

2011-11-10T01:14:00.002-05:00

Rainbows. Lots and lots of rainbows.

Gnomeo + Juliet

2011-11-09T00:11:00.002-05:00

Every few months My Sweets will visit a Redbox on the weekend and come home with something G rated for the family to watch. The last movie was "Gnomeo + Juliet," and it was a hit with both of the big kids.

Buby's a romantic with a really fun sense of humor, so it's no surprise he loved the film. Already he's talking about dressing up as Gnomeo for Halloween next year, beard and all.

Apple of My Eye

2011-11-08T23:32:00.008-05:00

Holiday Plan + Links

2011-11-07T10:29:00.019-05:00

We do a lot of our holiday shopping online, and I'm trying to zoom ahead this year in order to stress less in December. My goal is to have all gifts {with the exception of our annual kid craft} wrapped and packed by the 1st. Is that crazy ambitious for a procrastinator like me?

I say it every year... I'd really love for the commercial aspects of the holiday to be smaller, more edited and not at all wasteful {less is more!}. Plus, My Sweets and I are stepping up our charity and college-savings efforts. Times three.

That said, I have a simple art theme going for all nieces, nephews, 2nd cousins, etc. this year. And, bien sure, there will be a smattering of carefully vetted goods under our tree on Christmas morning -- some from Santa and others from us. I've been paying extra attention lately to how our children are playing and with what so that I could search the world {wide web} over for a few random things they never knew they always wanted.

Here's what I've seen and loved so far. I'll narrow the field way down and order by Friday.

FOR THE BUBSTER:

*Klappar Lantlig glove puppets.
I bought. Buby puts on regular puppet shows with whatever we have here.

*Doorway puppet theater.
My mom had this idea, and I said go for it.

Honey I Shrunk the Foosball table.
Obsessed ever since Lake George... But we have no room for a full-size table in our home, so I like this travel-size option.

Botany cabinet control chart.
He collects leafs. Trust me, he'll like this.

Pocket doodles for boys.
For our constant illustrator.

Orange/fuchsia u.f.glo lites.
I'd get for Buby and Bleu to share. We are a big nightlight family.

Monogrammed "Buby" dancing ribbon ring in rainbow.
I can see all the kids running with them during our nightly dance parties.

Animal hand tattoos or Monster hands.
This would go a long way at school.

Scribble It postcards.
For the boy who makes, shares, and gives art. And lives far from family.

Charley Harper coloring book or Make art mistakes book or another maze book.
I'm a longtime fan of C.H. {see illo at top}

Kids' knitting bag.
Don't laugh, but I think he'd really be into this.

Jacquard Tie Dye kit.
He's into tie-dye and has expressed interest in trying it at home.

Alphabets origami kit.
Because he is the king of 3-D paper designs lately.

Kid's Dance Express #1.
Nothing in our house gets more use than this CD. We need to switch it up.

FOR BLEU BIRD:

*Duktig baby doll bed.
I already bought.

*Klappar Lantlig glove puppets.
I already bought.

The Plan Toy dollhouse basement.
To expand her existing dollhouse.

Wooden doctor's kit.
She plays doctor and vet constantly and without any proper tools.

Sandpaper numbers and Lower and capital case sandpaper letters.
The same set they use in school... for play at home.

Montessori small movable alphabets with box.
Amazing tool and a steal from this source.

Children of the World floor puzzle.
This just screams Buby and Bleu. A must have.

Tie-up wooden shoe.
We've practiced on this at B&N. I like it better than the Montessori board Buby borrowed from his teacher.

Monogrammed "Bleu" dancing ribbon ring in rainbow.

Kid's Dance Express #2.
Nothing in our house gets more use than this CD. We need to switch it up.

Note: I bought and put away a Rapunzel doll. She's been asking ever since Buby got a Flynn Rider doll from Grace for his birthday.

P.S. Buby will be making Bleu a cocoa mug with her name on it. That girl is such a good sport about the fact that nothing comes printed with her name, but she'd love a personalized cocoa cup like her bro's. He has TWO, and she quietly seethes with jealously.

FOR BABY BEAR:

*Exorre Toddle wagon.
My mom bought on our last trip to IKEA.

*Mula stacking rings.
My mom bought.

Double-sided Tinya drum (8 or 10") or Remo kids gathering drum.
It's his favorite thing about music class.

Wheely Bug cow.
Small size. Adorable. He's ready to zoom zoom.

Handmade weather set.
I want to use these to start each day with Bear.

Shape sequencing sorting set.
He's big into sorting right now.

Monogrammed "Bear" dancing ribbon ring in blues.

Peek-a-Boo playsilks.
His other favorite thing about music class, and anytime I do laundry.

Jae Keun Song wooden fishing set.
Look at this! It's too cute and totally suits our house of fishermen.

Mini Masters box set.
I've purchased this for other people's children and want a set of our own. So wonderful...

Kid's Dance Express #3.
Nothing in our house gets more use than this CD. We need to switch it up.

P.S. Buby and Bleu will be putting together Bear's first "who loves me" album. Our baby is totally smitten with family photos, particularly Buby's baby book.

Trick-or-Treat, Alas

2011-11-04T09:00:00.004-04:00

As mentioned, our village postponed Halloween until Wednesday from 6-8pm due to all the power outages. Buby, Bleu and our bee-utiful friend Grace happily handed out treats here for the first 45 minutes, and then Benji, Bear and Ella joined us as we roamed the dark, crowded streets for another hour or so.

I'm not going to lie and say I loved that part, but I'm pretty sure all the kids did. They were fantastic. Everyone played for a while at our home, and then we called it a night.

Sneak a Peek: Buby the Student

2011-11-03T11:49:00.001-04:00

Photo by Buby's teacher.

Sneak a Peek: Bleu the Student

2011-11-03T10:00:00.009-04:00

Bleu has 20 kids in her primary classroom. They work individually, one-on-one, and also in small learning circles like the one above. Bleu's teachers don't use their camera phones as often as Buby's, so when I do get to be a fly on her classroom wall I feel extra lucky.

p.s. Today is Spanish class for both children, and I'm hoping for some real funny commentary on route to tennis later. Last week's car ride was so interesting, because they pulled out the flashcards and started "teaching" each other.

p.s.s. I normally post late at night (if at all lately--sorry}, but the last two days baby Bear has fallen sound asleep on my lap/right arm around 10:30 in the morn, so I've cracked open the laptop and quietly caught up on a few things {with left arm only} before running to fetch Bleu from preschool. It's funny, but I'll take it!

Watercolor for Madison

2011-11-03T00:01:00.004-04:00

Buby's friend Madison {from his old school} turned six the same day Ollie turned one. Since we had to miss her party for ours, the kiddos and I drove out to her place on the 25th to drop off a gift and two 12x12 watercolors on canvas. Bleu painted a "rainbow and purple popsicle" for her girl crush while Buby painted, well... you can see his description below.

Sneak a Peek: Rangoli Artwork

2011-11-02T23:20:00.004-04:00

I believe these Rangoli designs came out of Buby's study of Diwali. Aren't they beautiful?

Sneak a Peek: Halloween at School

2011-11-02T22:20:00.005-04:00

Buby's school doesn't do Halloween with costumes or parades, but he and his classmates did manage to whip up some gourmet bone sticks, kiwi lime pops, and a German apple cake in celebration. My boy could hardly wait to taste the fruits of his labor! Also, he sewed the dark green burlap "boo" bag all by himself. I was impressed and so was he.

All photos by Buby's teacher, who is so awesome to share them.

Gaming Costumes

2011-11-02T13:00:00.006-04:00

Our six year old sort of dictated the gaming theme this year. I showed him the Costume Kingdom website for ideas, and immediately he chose this Match-It-Up/memory costume {not shown}. It's one of his fave card games, and he loved the fact that it is an actual working board with Velcro cards that he and his mates could play. Very Buby.

Bleu was free to choose whatever, but after many minutes of scrolling declared her love for this Twister ensemble. I ordered both and decided to make Bear an Uno wild card... since he just turned 1 and is a bit of a wild card himself. As luck would have it a customer service rep called me a few days later to let me know Bleu's choice was no longer avail.

I'm not that crafty and can't sew even a little, but I had a free hour on Saturday {since my mom was here to entertain Bear}, and I cranked out two very basic costumes in that time. For Bear I fabric-painted a plain white sweatshirt and paired it with black sweatpants. Et voila! It was so dark the other night I will try to snap a pic of the kids in costume tonight.

For Bleu's I used a cardboard box that Wal-Mart had thrown outside to recycle, white acrylic paint, glittery adhesive-back paper from Michael's {I just traced and cut circles out of it}, yellow paint, and a polka ribbon and stickers I already had in my craft bin. My spinner was supposed to be attached to a headband or bracelet, but she wanted to carry it in her bag instead. I bought her a cozy white sweatshirt and red sweatpants.

Halloween Day Goofy

2011-11-01T23:15:00.005-04:00

We were a good 50 minutes early for Bear's endocrinology follow-up on Monday afternoon, so we killed some time goofing off in the car while the littlest finished his snooze. See his reflection in the mirror? It's my version of a group shot these days.

We've decorated these ghosts the last few years right before Halloween. It's the one exception I make to my no-store-bought-cookie rule, because it's fast and easy and loads of fun for the littles. They can really take charge on this one.

This year Bleu went nutty with the ghost eyes, and we had so much extra melted white Ghirardelli that we started dipping pretzels for Grandma to bring home to Grandpa. {But the next day we were so consumed with having no heat or electricity that we forgot to pack them up for her.} Buby and Bleu are allowed one a day leading up to Halloween, and then we dump the rest.

I mentioned I'm not a huge fan of Halloween. I wish I felt differently, but it's never been on my Top 5 holiday list, even as a kid. We are all about dress-up bins and make-believe the rest of the year, but Halloween costumes rarely impress.

Things I don't particularly like about the day: Candy {our littles don't hoard junk food, even on October 31}; sending my three and six year old up to a stranger's door to collect the candy they can't have; scary movies; haunted houses; creepy music; carving pumpkins; forced couples costumes; teeny boppers dressed like prostitutes {I'm shocked each year at how many of these I see}; older teens and twenty somethings knocking on my door after 8pm for free candy. Ah. Told you... I'm like the grinch who stole Halloween.

I do try to be a good sport for the kids though and have implemented some traditions to which we look very forward: I let the kiddos choose or craft their own age-appropriate costumes, decorate a Halloween tree, hang artwork, read Halloween-themed picture books, and trick-or-treat for the experience. This year they are going TWICE, so I figure I get bonus points no? They trade in their bags {in their entirety} for something way way better from Tom and I. And they love it!

My friend Maria definitely helped get me into the spirit this year! She sent a surprise October-themed box right to our house. It was jam-packed with books and ornaments and caplets you drop into water and watch grow into cool Halloween shapes. Buby and Bleu went wild over every item in the box. My fave was the fuzzy orange socks {above}. I wear 'em and wash 'em and wear 'em again. I aspire to be half as thoughtful as my sweet friend Maria someday. She's too good to me.

And here are some more goofy car shots for your viewing pleasure. My kiddos are experts at killing time. I will post some costume shots next.

10.31.11

October Storm

2011-11-01T22:39:00.006-04:00

By now you've heard about the crazy storm that hit right where we live this weekend. The perfect ending to a bizarre week. Saturday morning My Sweets and I moved our remaining outdoor furniture into the garage attic in preparation. He trimmed trees and mowed lawn.

Around noon an extremely heavy, wet snow started to pour down from the sky. I was out shopping for costume undergarments to be worn in our village's annual children's parade later in the day {you know me, last minute} and came out to a blanket of white as far as the eye could see. It was incredible! The flakes were huge and film-worthy and continued without interruption for the next 10 hours.

I arrived home to find My Sweets stirring up the tastiest pot of three-meat chili I've ever had. The rest of the afternoon consisted of shoveling, crafting, homework assisting, milk warming, dance partying, and Ghiradelli over Nutter Butter ghosts. My mom {in town for just two days} was busy teaching Ollie "sooo big!" and getting giggles out of Buby and Bleu.

Saturday evening My Sweets and I tucked the kids into their beds about a half hour earlier than normal and handed Bear over to my mom just as our good friends Sara and Daymien arrived for a quiet night on the town. The four of us walked down the middle of our moonlit, snow-covered street catching quarter-size snowflakes on our tongues. Sara commented on how "romantical" it all was, and I couldn't help but agree. It seemed an unreal scenario for October 29.

Every restaurant in town was closed due to the storm, except for the one I currently think is the best one, and that's where we went. I spoke with the chef/owner in advance and promised we would be there. She agreed to stay open just for us, her only reservation on a normally bustling Saturday night. We ordered a cheese platter, duck, fettuccine, hanger steak, wine and sweet French martinis. Good times.

A half hour in my mom texted a photo of my exhausted but happy baby and told me not to worry... and have fun. {p.s. I love her for that!} After dinner we walked to the bar across the street to introduce Sara and Daymien to an organic farmer slash bartender who is making quite the name for himself lately. We each ordered something and then the lights went out. Literally, the room went black.

I texted my mom. The house was dark, too. Luckily all three babes were fast asleep and none the wiser. We booked it home and buried ourselves in blankets. Our power and heat were restored about 13 hours later, but trees were down everywhere and lots of people are still without heat, electricity and running water. We spent Sunday relaxing, getting my mom back on the road to home and playing in the snow. Many schools were canceled or delayed on Monday.

Since part of our village is still in the dark, the mayor made the decision THE DAY OF HALLOWEEN to postpone Halloween. I heard a notice went out to the public elementary school, and children were crying in the halls. Can you imagine? After an early pickup from school, gymnastics, and an endocrinologist follow-up for Bear, we drove home and boiled pasta for some friends without any heat. Then we all costumed up and piled out the front door. It was true.... no Halloween in sight. So we hopped in our cars and drove four minutes out of the village to another neighborhood. We did our business there.

Honestly, I don't usually fancy Halloween. I sort of detest the ritual of trick-or-treating... the candy, the knocking on strangers' doors. But doing it AFTER the fact is even less appealing. And in retrospect there was something so satisfying about watching Buby, Bleu and Grace run from door to door last night. Aside from a few other friends we saw at the very start we were the only little group running about. There were a bazillion stars in the sky, a perfect crescent moon, and the crispest wintry air. On the car ride home Buby said this was the "best Halloween e-v-e-r!" Bleu pretty much concurred. I had to laugh.

My Sweets got home from work about 5 minutes before we pulled up, and the kiddos quick modeled their costumes. Buby and Bleu gladly traded in their treat bags for my annual Halloween baskets of awesomeness, and then Bear took his first steps. Unassisted.

The Year of Ollie

2011-10-27T22:28:00.002-04:00

It's true. My baby Bear turned one on Tuesday.

It amazes me the whole journey from birth to a year. The endless stream of emotions. The big and small changes to a family and a home. All the laughter. Tears of joy. Sleepless days and nights. Most people beg to know where the time went... how it passed so quickly. And usually I agree that life with little ones zooms by in a blink.

But I look back at snapshots of my third baby's first year and cannot believe he has only been with us for 12 short months. Hasn't it been so much longer? My heart says I've known and loved this sweet little boy forever. I cannot remember a day when he did not smile at me with those milky chocolate eyes, nurse at my breast, reach up for My Sweets, hug on Bleu, or totally egg on his big brother's silly side.

Oliver came into the world on a Monday and immediately made himself at home. He fit so seamlessly into our lives, and for that I will always be grateful. Happy Day to our babe! Enjoy the flashback.

As a newby Bear could sleep anywhere, anytime. Oh how I wish it was still true.

The day Bear was born I couldn't stop staring at him. I couldn't believe how lucky we were.

He bares a strong resemblance to My Sweets. The chin dimple is an instant giveaway.

Bear always liked to UNswaddle his arms and stretch them over his head.

Ahh. I miss these days.

I'm pretty sure that assisting with baby baths was Buby and Bleu's favorite thing to do.

Bear was readmitted to the hospital with a fever when he was just three weeks old.

It totally stunk, but I held my Bear tight all day and night. He officially became my hero that weekend.

Relaxing at Grandpa J's while the big kids play outside on the farm.

Buby was so gentle and affectionate with Bear right from the start.

This might be my favorite mug shot of all time. Those lips!!

Tired boys.

Loved these snowman pajamas. They will make it into the saver bin.

He crosses his feet all the time, and I'm happy to have evidence of it.

He used the swing once or twice before he decided he didn't like it.

Neck-strengthening exercises.

Like I said, he could sleep anywhere.

The smile.

Inseparable.

He loved tummy time and looking around.

Always drooling.

Looks a bit like my nephew Parker here.

Big gummy smiles.

The Boppies in this house are very well loved.

Classic Bear face!

Glad I borrowed this instead of buying, because he outgrew it almost immediately.

Oh the drool!

The zoo!

The lovies.

Captions to be continued tomorrow. I'm exhausted.

The end.

Bits + Pieces

2011-10-21T18:03:00.018-04:00

Buby's simple act of kindness. Photo by his teacher.

New ways to limbo at a dj dance party for Buby's pal Henry.

Bear happily napping in his "nest." {Thank you, Allison!}

A Sunday afternoon farm market and corn maze with Charles, Jack and the gang.

Bleu would not go ahead without her friend. She's sweet like that.

Pony rides are essential in these parts.

Bleu and one of her besties picnicking in the park after preschool.

Two boys watching their sis in gymnastics. It was Columbus Day, so no school.

Bleu teaching Bear how to navigate his unexpectedly AWESOME new $3 walker.

Bleu displaying her monkey traits. She can climb any wall.

We stopped by Gilly and Natalie's and checked out their RV rental.

Saturday With Grandma

2011-10-19T23:10:00.007-04:00

It began early with some yardsailing. Our whole village participated.

Buby and Bleu practiced their spending habits.

After lunch we headed to the batting cages. Grandma and Bleu mugged on each other a bit.

There's something about seeing your little boy walk into a batting cage.

He's growing up, and there's nothing I can do.

And don't even get me started on this one, who is about to turn ONE.

We finished the day with a short hike to a favorite fishing spot.

My Sweets frequents this park with Buby and Bleu on weekends.

Ollie kept cocking his head to see the gorgeous autumn foliage.

Resting on a bench with Grandma.

Finally it was feeling like October.

My Sweets goes on and on about Buby's impeccable cast.

We caught one! Bleu wanted a quick touch, and then we sent it back in.

Bear is tired, but he's a super sport.

I watched these birds change formation several times before settling on the "V."

Buby gets in a zone when he's fishing. Serious business.

The Baby Whisperer

2011-10-19T08:55:00.024-04:00

I often joke with friends that Bleu Bird is like the mother hen that rules our roost, but that's not exactly true. She's more of a baby whisper, as she was born with a strong attachment/nurturer instinct that is still a major part of who she is at the core.

I know most three-year-old girls have dolls and play mama, but Bleu has taken it to a new level. She has adopted dozen of babies, assigns them distinct personalities, and never forgets who is who. She navigates her busy day while protecting and comforting all the littles in her life. She teaches them to walk, go potty, chew their food, play nice. She knows where they are at all times and who may be ready for a nap or need some lovin'.

Bleu showing her baby, named Headband, the pretty waterfall.

Bleu is happiest and totally in her element when she feels responsible for the well being of another person. She's always introducing me to new additions and beginning conversations with "When I'm a real mommy..." I remind her that she can be a mommy AND PLUS whatever else she wants to be: trapeze artist, horse doctor, math teacher? She says, "No thanks. Just a mommy."

It's refreshing how different she and I were at this age. Yes I liked some dolls and talked to my stuffed animals, but I was much more tomboy. It's sweet for me to witness this ultra soft side of my girl. She will be an outstanding babysitter in 10 years.

10.8.11

The only downside to her mothering tendencies is that it can cross over into real-life relationships, particularly with her pal Ella who is also three but quite smaller in size. Bleu likes to help Ella, remind her of what they should be doing, direct her to the much-safer baby slide. Needless to say, it's not always well received.

The girlies clash from time to time when sensitivities erupt, but what comes across as bossy to another preschooler is usually very well intentioned. Bleu is loyal and cares about her friends to a fault. It's a matter of delivery, and knowing when to just pull back and let be. A lesson for all of us mamas, I think.

Specials + Extras

2011-10-18T10:00:00.014-04:00

I use the words "specials" and "extras" to describe our children's weekly activities. Specials are their regular in-school enrichment opportunities, and extras are any after-school sports or classes for which I register them.

One of many reasons we chose to send Buby and Bleu to the school they attend is because of the specials. Some Montessori schools offer them and some don't. And since 2011 is my year to simplify, I've made an effort to step up the specials and cut back on extras.

For instance, we are on hiatus from swimming. It's too much for a weeknight, plus the older two have been in year-round lessons since they were infants and are very comfortable swimmers for their ages. We will pick it back up later to hone endurance, stroke skills, etc. For now I'm happy to have it off our plate. Last year I said yes to too much, and this year I am saying yes to one extra-curricular per child. Their choice.

Here's a brief look at Buby's and Bleu's weekly lineup.

In-School Specials

ART CLASS {DRAWING}: Mondays. Pro art teacher, Mr. Mike, guides the elementary students in illustration techniques, etc. Buby enjoys this one-hour class a great deal. There will be a show this December at a local gallery. Looking forward.

LIBRARY: Mondays. Bleu's class will start walking there every week, and of course I bring the children myself at least once a week.

MUSIC CLASS: Tuesdays. Pro music teacher, Ms. S., brings music to both the primary and elementary classes. She sings and play instruments and delves more into theory and note reading with Buby's group. The much older students play recorders in addition, while Buby and several other first graders focus on...

PIANO LESSONS: Tuesdays. Ms. S. offers private piano lessons in the school's music studio. It's a full-year elective that we pay for in six-week increments. Buby asked and we agreed. He must practice 30 minutes a day, eventually on a full-size piano. My Sweets has plans to bring home the piano he's been storing at his father's, but for now Buby uses the electric Yamaha leftover from my childhood. Bleu wants in on the action next year.

ART CLASS {TEXTILES}: Wednesdays. Pro art teacher, Ms. J., comes in to lead both classrooms in more art adventures. Oh, and my children will learn to sew before I do!

SPANISH CLASS: Thursdays. Ms. B. teaches Spanish. This is Bleu's first year and Buby's fourth. So far they both enjoy languages. I personally recommend these flash cards!

BOTANY/ART GRANT: Fridays for Buby and Mondays for Bleu. Ms. Shawn is an extraordinarily talented artist, and she's collaborating with the school on a big project that involves botany and the history of our area. Can't wait to see the results.

YOGA: The elementary directress regularly leads the children in yoga. This doesn't happen at a set time, but Buby loves doing it and shows me every new pose he learns. I wish I had yoga in school growing up, don't you?

COOKING: The entire school works in the kitchen from time to time learning to prepare food. Today Buby and a classmate roasted a squash for afternoon snack.

After-School Extras

TUMBLERS CLASS: Mondays. Ms. Wendy coaches Bleu and her little friend Siena in gymnastics. We go to the best place anywhere. And I'm not just sayin' that because there is a French cafe there with piping hot chocolate croissants.

KINDERMUSIC: Tuesdays. Ms. Claire holds class at her studio for Bear and three other wee ones. We dance and sing and hum and rock and even bang on bongos. It's Ollie's first class without siblings, and he's eating it up.

TENNIS PROGRAM: Thursdays. Mr. John coaches Buby and other 6-9 year olds from all over at a fantastic indoor complex. And I'm not just sayin' it because there happens to be a cafe overlooking the courts that sells gooey fudge brownies. It's Buby's second full year, and he looks forward to it all week long.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: Sunday mornings. Buby attends a one-hour class one Sunday a month with his friend Grace. Religious education begins in 1st grade here. Parents are required to attend a separate class at the same time, and there is A LOT of homework.

So that's just a glimpse of what our wee ones are doing on top of their regular language arts/science/math coursework in school. They are outdoors as much as possible at school and home, and we try to end each day with books, warm baths, and a lil' dance party.

Saturdays are purposely void of organized sport for now. We like weekends free to laze around with My Sweets, hike, fish, and road trip with friends.

Sneak a Peek: Cooking at School

2011-10-15T23:30:00.002-04:00

Photos courtesy of Buby's teacher's iPhone.

Welcome Back Picnic

2011-10-15T23:00:00.015-04:00

Yesterday I walked the children to school at 8:15, per usual, and came right home with baby Bear to nurse, make coffee, eat breakfast, pack lunches, shower. At 10:30 we headed back to the school for a lovely Fall picnic.

The day before Bleu and her classmates had made mini apple pies from scratch and couldn't wait to surprise us. Buby's class all pitched in to prepare a scrumptious apple crisp recipe. As the picnic began the sun forced its way through the clouds, kids played, parents mingled, and leaves danced irreverently in the wind. It was a joyous couple of hours, and we all headed home for the day at 12:30.

I know early dismissals are a logistical pain for full-time working parents and those who drive a great distance to school, but for us... this year... it is such a treat! I loved having the rest of the afternoon at home with ALL of my littles.

Oh, and Bleu's class bravely offered to kick-start the picnic with three songs they've been singing in class. There are 20 preschoolers, and only 13 of them gathered on Friday morning, but they sounded terrific and even added sign language throughout one number.

Do you see Bleu in the purple top? She put on her signature "shy face" until all the singing was over. Too many spectators for her taste. I distinctly remember Buby donning a similar expression during every single performance his first year of school.

10.14.11

Happy Friday

2011-10-14T00:01:00.001-04:00

Sneak a Peek: Buby at School

2011-10-13T23:49:00.014-04:00

I think it's so awesome that Buby's teacher documents various little happenings throughout the school day and shares them with us parents {invitation only} via Facebook. The directress of the school does it as well, so I get to see plenty of my Bleu in her room, too.

In the top photo Buby tells me he just finished reading to some friends, and now he's taking questions. Ha. Looks like he's teaching the class.

School is going really well for both kiddos. Each day their lives are enriched beyond our wildest, and they are like little sponges soaking it all up. These early education years are the most important, and I cannot begin to express how good it feels to know we made the right choice for them.

C'est La Vie

2011-10-12T22:07:00.002-04:00

She wants to know why her big brother can do the batting cages and she can't.

Apple Buckets for Baby

2011-10-12T12:40:00.008-04:00

These wooden apples and buckets would have made the perfect back-to-school gift for my Bear, but I just spotted them on Etsy this afternoon while hunting down a handmade toy for someone else. That's the trouble with Etsy... too much pretty in one place.

These days our baby boy is completely into stacking, sorting, matching, and mouthing everything in sight. I love that the apples are hand colored in a non-toxic, water-based wash and sealed with an olive oil and beeswax combination. Only $30 and only 1 set left. Should we call it a birthday gift?

Babywearing

2011-10-12T00:06:00.000-04:00

I cannot remember life before the Ergo.