Monday, September 29, 2008

Uncle Meatball

Uncle Meatball is one of Husband's best friends. He's been a part of our life forever. He was in our wedding and one of the "foursome" . The foursome, consisting of Husband, Uncle Meatball, P and myself. Way back, before kids, the four of us spent many weekends together- watching movies, playing videogames, playing D&D to wee hours of the morn cruising the mall and just hanging out. Then about 7 years ago, two things happened. P. moved to Florida and two days later I gave birth (which btw, P was supposed to be my back up emergency ride to the hospital if Husband was working. He's lucky I didn't need him!). And thus, like I said things changed. Uncle Meatball sort of flittered out of our life for awhile, reappearing for a few visits and disappearing again. He reappeared around the time Moe was born and went to some book signings with us (trying to get me to let R.A. Salvatore sign my two week old Moe). Then he was gone again. Uncle Meatball started coming around again a few months ago and for the girls, it's like he's always been here. Always been apart of their lives.

Tonight, while Husband and I were fixing dinner, Uncle Meatball was playing with the girls. We heard them squeal and him chase them upstairs. * They were playing hide-and-seek. A few minutes later, Uncle Meatball joined us in the kitchen. All was quiet.

About five minutes later, he says "well, I guess I should go find those kids now". Hehe. This went on for awhile.

Husband thinks we need to hire Uncle Meatball next time we need a babysitter. I'm not so sure of that yet - thought of the girls eating junk food for supper and watching anime fill my mind. As Husband says, their could be worse.....

Thanks for coming back Uncle Meatball.

* I should also mention that Uncle Meatball is about 6 1/2 freaking feet tall. He's huge (which is exactly what Einey said the first time she saw him when she was three)!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Happy Birthday Baby-cakes


Moe, my little peanut, my baby cakes, today you are four. Four! I can hardly believe it. This year, you started school. You go three mornings a week, but are having so much fun. You come home and tell me stories about the kids in your class. I can only imagine the stories they are telling about you. You also started playing soccer. A sport you've wanted to play since you could walk. Only now that you can play, you don't want to. This past weekend, you went in on your turn, eager to play. You sped off down field with the ball, scored and ran off the field. Total playing time for that game was 2 minutes, 15 seconds.


I've watched you blossom from the active baby to the ever inquisitive, curious and always getting into trouble toddler to the big girl you are now. While you still cannot write your name, you are leaps and bounds ahead, trying to process things like your older sisters. You know the life cycles of bugs - in fact, we released your precious Gem Hunt, the last of our caterpillars turned Monarchs yesterday morning. You have the air of a big kid in a little body.
Happy Birthday Baby cakes! I love you.

The Best of Moe:
Moe's Birth Story

Two
Three
Stealing Silverware
Oh yes
Maybe they're looking for their babies
Found a peanut
Moe's coffee addiction


Moe-isms

When picking Moe up from school the other day, I asked if she wanted to go get smoolies*

Only if I can get a coffee smoolie.

No, you cannot get a coffee smoolie.

Fine, then I'm not going to have any.

Fine be that way. I'm getting a coffee though.

Fine, I guess I'll have a coffee smoolie.

No.

Then I'm not having anything.

Fine.

*Smoolies = smoothies

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We were working on her "homework", tracing the letter "A". As I started to erase a part to have her fix it, she looks up and asks "are you crazy momma?" Um, yes, yes I think I am.

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*holding up four fingers - I wish we had this many kids in our family mommy.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Autumn in New England

Autumn has to be my favorite season. One of the great things about living in New England is that it has four distinct seasons. Last year, at this point, it was still wicked hot. I remember taking the girls apple picking and it was still in the mid 90's. They were wearing shorts and short sleeves and were sweating. It was very un-fall like. And the weather went right from super hot, to downright freezing last year. There was not "fall".

This year, already, the temperature has been seasonable. It's chilly in the morning - which means the girls need to wear a sweater or light jacket. By mid-day, the temperatures, while only reaching the mid to high 70's, have been very warm. In the morning, I love feeling the chill on my arms as I head out for my morning walk. I know, that by the time I finish, the temperature will have changed considerable. I love seeing the low lying fog, the Monarch's lazily flying around. To smell the cool crisp air with a hint of wood smoke. As the season progresses, the wood smoke will increase.

This week, the girls are going apple picking with school. I've already put mums and scarecrows in the front of the house. Already, we've seen the leaves start to change. In lower New England, the peek leaf peeping times are usually early October.

The girls have been excited. They've been saying "it's fall, it's time to go to the fairs! It's time to go to the farms!" And they are right. New England has scores of agricultural fairs throughout the season. And while we missed the two big one's nearby, we may still try to fit in a trip to the Big E. And farms - I believe they mean for apple picking. And hay rides. We tend to try and go apple picking a few times in he fall if we can. And while were at it, we pick up mums, pumpkins, gourds, fresh apple cider and candy apples. Thankfully, we have a few apple orchards nearby!

Another fall favorite is the ever popular corn maze. We have a few small one's nearby, but none can compare to the one at Lyman Orchards. If your in the area, I highly recommend checking it out.

If you've visited my blog regularly you'll know that my family loves hiking. Autumn is a great time to go. Although we didn't hit the woods as much as I wanted to this summer, I hope we can get in a few hikes before winter. Towards the end of October, I'll usually drag my girls out into the woods to capture a holiday picture. Last year, I got some great shots of my girls out in the woods.

Another great fall activity we enjoy is just grabbing our camera, hoping in the car and driving to points unknown. We usually wake up at the crack of dawn, give the kids a yogurt drink and some "trail mix" (a bag of mixed cereal, sometimes with mini marshmallows, peanuts and/or M&M's). We then pick a back road and head off for the day. We stop at cemeteries, roadside streams, trails and other points that interest us. We take pictures and enjoy the crisp weather. At some point, we'll stop for coffee and hot chocolate. Then we'll find a small stand for lunch and keep driving until we feel it's time to head back.

Fall is full of memories. Husband and I got married in the fall - we had an outside reception, overlooking the hills in CT. It was perfect. Although it's a time where plants start to die back, it still gives me a kind of mental awakening. Time slows down. We settle back into routines. School in the morning. Soccer three evenings a week. Soccer Saturdays - with games starting at 9:00am. Homework. Crock pot stews on those days where it just feels right. Despite which seems like a hectic schedule, I feel more relaxed. More rejuvenated. I know there is plenty to do to prepare for winter, yet, I find work comes easier.

Even though you're probably still adjusting to heading back to school, I highly recommend you spend some time outside. Visit a farm stand, state fair or apple orchard. Bake breads, cook stews and enjoy the waning days of sunlight. Before we know it, the sun will be setting by the time the kids step off the school bus. We'll be confined inside for many hours of the day.

Cross-posted at New England Mamas

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Tuesday Randomness

Whew, it's been awhile!

I'm happy to say, Moe has happily skipped into class this week with no tears! I think part of it was she had a "pet" to share Monday morning. We found another monarch caterpillar on Saturday at soccer and it was still in caterpillar Monday morning so she brought it into class. Of course, overnight, it went into it's chrysalis. But that's okay.

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The other night, the girls and Husband were watching a show about Dinosaurs on the discovery Channel. At one part, (and I was only half listening), the narrator mentioned that it was time that the future of the species in questions future relied on his genes (I think he was the last male?). To which Einey replied "but he's not wearing any jeans".

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And in other news, I've done more purging of the toys. I've recently given away three bags of stuffed animals, tossed two bags of junk, and given away a bag full of baby blankets (those were donated to a local pregnancy center). I also gave away a few miscellaneous toys. And I've donated some miscellaneous items to our soccer leagues yard sale (and have a few more things I want to bring over).

The house is looking more organized. There is still clutter (there always will be) but some useless stuff is gone.

I've ordered the bedding set for Einey's room. So once that comes in, we can figure out how to paint her room. I want to paint it before I order her new bed though as it will be easier without alot of furniture in there. Unfortunately, that means I'll probably be painting by myself (which may or may not be a bad thing). I wish Husband would be around to help, but he's T minus one week away from Hell Schedule (two months this time - the end of November cannot come fast enough!).

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I've ordered the girls their Halloween Costumes. Except for Moe. She cannot decide which darn Princess she wants to be. If she doesn't make up her mind soon, she's going to be Little Red Riding Hood.

And that's about it.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Where were you when?

I totally stole this Meme from Kikarose. She twittered that she wanted other to play along and since I don't have anything constructive to write about this week (I'm sure you don't want to hear about how Moe cried going to preschool again today or how I cleaned out my playroom and tossed 1 giant bag of garbage and three bags of toys or how I've been moving plants around in my yard - dividing them and moving them to better spots). Right? So where was I?

Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster - January 28, 1986
I was in first grade. I remember sitting in the middle school band room watching it with the other first graders. We were sitting on the stair floors and watching it on an old TV. I remember we were all talking and then it got quite. One of the teachers shut the TV off and someone turned the lights back on. That's all I remember though.

The Oklahoma City Bombing - April 19, 1995
It was my freshman year of high school, so I must have been in class somewhere. I think maybe history? I don't know, but I remember there was an announcement made over the intercom.

Princess Diana's Death - 31 August 1997
I honestly don't remember.

Attack on the Twin Towers - 11 September 2001
I was still sleeping when the first plane hit. I remember waking up, and turning the computer on. I remember noticing headlines about a plane hitting the tower, but when I clicked it, the link was dead. I remember Husband calling and asking me if I heard what happened. When I said no, he told me what happened. I remember trying to get a hold of my in-laws - it was their anniversary and they had mentioned wanting to go into NYC to the Statue of Liberty and Twin Towers that day. I remember finally reaching them. They woke up late (8am ish) and decided they weren't going to go after all. I remember getting back in touch with Husband. I remember wondering when he'd be home - his site became locked down - no one in, no one out. Even though it was the start of his shift, they didn't know when they'd be relieved. I remember driving to find my niece - her husband was in the national guard. She couldn't get a hold of him either. I remember driving to my mom's house. I remember my sister arriving. I remember the three of us sitting on a bed just watching the news all day long. I remember hold my stomach - my Einey - and wondering just what type of world I was bringing my child into. I didn't want it to be like that, like it is now. I remember Husband calling as often as he could, asking for updates. I remember him finally calling and saying he was coming home - they got relief. I remember going home.

Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster - February 1, 2003
I don't know where I was. If I had to guess - I would have to say I was at my best friends house with Einey and best friend R playing. I may even have been napping as I was in the middle of a very tough pregnancy.

7th Harry Potter Book is Released - 21 July 2007
This was easy - I was asleep.

Michael Phelps Wins His 8th Gold Medal - August 16, 2008
I was on the couch trying not to fall asleep. I feel asleep shortly after. IN fact, I nodded off during the race (well just prior) and woke up moments before he hit the finish line.

If you've reached this far, consider yourself tagged. Leave a comment and I'll stop by!

Hatched

Remember our Monarch caterpillars?

Well one hatched!



Moe was jumping up and down yelling for me to come look when she came home today (I had noticed it when I walked in the door). I can't wait for the older girls to get home and see it.

Before I picked Moe up from preschool, I noticed it looked close to hatching but the website I looked it up on said it still had about 24 hours so I left it at home. I was going to bring it and give it to Einey to bring in with her from recess. But I didn't. That's the last time I believe something I read on the web!

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Settling In

Today was day four of Moe's preschool year. The first three days, she happily ran off to her classroom with a kiss and wave goodbye. This morning, she came back for a second kiss. And then a third. And then a fourth. Then she reached for a hug and the tears started to flow. I had to hand her over, crying to the teacher, after prying her little hands from my shirt and walk out the door. I knew it's what I had to do. And I'd been there before. Not with my other girls, but back when I worked in a preschool. I knew she would be fine when I walked out the door. And she was. They say she cried for a few minutes.

I think part of it was because a few of her friends were sad this morning. She even carried one little girls bag in because she was so upset, so she walked with her friend and helped her. Meenie didn't want to leave me on days when her friends were sad.

When I picked her up, she was all smiles. She ran over to me and jumped up into my arms. She happily told me about her day. She had a good day (unlike yesterday where she missed recess because she refused to do her work and they were trying to get her to finish it).

It's just so hard to walk away when there are tears involved.

Friday, September 05, 2008

Whew, what a week

Moe started school this week. She was very excited to be off to school like her sisters and kept reminding me that I wasn't allowed to stay. We went in, I took some pictures of her hanging her coat up, near her desk and then she shoved us out the door sat down on the rug and told us to leave now. Husband and I then hit the track for some much needed walking (which I've started doing every morning) and then ran a few errands and enjoyed the time alone before we had to pick her up. She had a great first day. And then second day - which I went to work and Husband was on school drop-off/pick up duty.

Soccer has been going great. I love coaching - it's so much fun! Meenie is enjoying her team - no question about that. Einey is the one giving us a hard time. She has 1.5 hours of practice on gym days so she's exhausted. Her coach is great though. He saw her losing focus as goalie - so he moved her to defense. I'm glad he's willing to work with her quirks and attitude (although I'm sure she's not the only one). I don't know - she may want to take a season off - she's been playing 2 seasons a year for the last 3.5 years.

About the bet thing we've got going on at home right now (besides some room adjustments) are our caterpillars. It all started last Friday at soccer practice - we found about a dozen or so caterpillars. Not really paying attention - we left them there. Einey googled them and found out they were Monarch's. So we went back the next morning but only found one. It was a big rolly polly looking thing. The others - my guess already went to make their cocoon. By the next morning, we had a cocoon instead of caterpillar. He literally climbed to the top of the butterfly house when we put him in and molted the final time before starting his metamorphosis. Later that day we found another little bitty guy (who doubled his size overnight). Since then we found two more when we've been gathering milkweed. Husband squished one on accident - so we currently have one 5 day old cocoon and 2 caterpillars. I'm hoping to find more so the girls can bring them to school.

Last night I sent the girls out into the yard to pick up and put away any balls and other small toys floating away. Weather wise, it looks like we're in for a windy weekend as T.S. Hanna moves up the coast, so I figured I'd secure the toys. I don't want to have to hunt for them next week! I'm assuming their first games this weekend will be canceled.