All the Single Ladies!

Today we went to Canobie Lake Park with Tasha and Aislinn. Hands-down it was simply the most beautiful day of the year. Warm but not hot, no humidity, a light breeze. Sun everywhere. Pip and Vivie were ecstatic (needless to say) and we were only sad that poor Daddy had to work.

Pip's an expert at lots of rides. He loves the helicopters and space rockets because you can control the lever to move them up and down and push the button to make them buzz. For Vivie, though, this was the first time she willingly braved any rides. Her favorite was definitely the pony express. I think she rode it at least 10 times and would have rode it twenty if we let her. You can kinda see from this picture, but she preferred to sprawl her arms over the coach and fully lounge in the seat.



They even tried the swings (kiddie version) -- and given that Vivie loves regular swings (do underdog mommy! again!) I thought they might actually like it. Nerp. Vivie moaned throughout the whole ride but didn't escalate into a full cry. She was very relieved to get off, though.


The wagon was an excellent choice ... featured a sweet recline option with full visibility. No cup holders, but Vivie didn't mind.


One of the most hysterical things I have ever witnessed as a Mom happened here at the park ... I was laughing/soaking up the joy of it all and I simply could not be bothered to grab my camera. But here's what happened: It was about 3pm and Pip was threatening to collapse into a full tantrum of exhaustion if he didn't get an ice cream. I wanted him to eat something more substantial first (let's not discuss the quantity of sugar he ingested up until this point) and he was holding onto sanity by a very fine thread. Anyway, I convinced him to sit by this little stage where a song and dance routine was being performed to distract him and get him to eat a little. Vivie sat in her wagon with a bag of cold, cooked carrots and Pip was a lifeless (and very hot) blob in my lap munching on a waffle.

The song and dance act was a Tribute to Divas so you can imagine how mesmerizing it was (think cheesy but boppin' versions of Britney, Lada Gaga, Miley, etc...). Then they broke out with "Single Ladies" by Beyonce. "All the single ladies! All the single ladies! Put your hands up! oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh" You get the point. So I'm clapping along enjoying myself when I turn to look at Vivie. This girl literally heard them call for "put your hands up!" and she raised one arm stick-straight into the air, fingers pointing to the sky and thumb folded across her palm. No wavering. She had no idea about all the dancing and singing going on around her. She was too busy carefully pushing cold carrots down into her tank top one by one. After maybe getting five in there and cooling off a bit, she fished each one out and popped them, whole, into her mouth. With one hand! Because the other is still up ... "oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh!" I almost peed my pants. Mmmmm.... salty cold carrots now!!

Vuvuzelas

It's the World Cup! Yes, the USA lost this weekend and we were all broken up ... but one can't abandon the game just because your team is out of the competition. It was time to rededicate ourselves to the sport and what better way than with some light Vuvuzela action?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm1svQglg2g

(Ok, these were really whistles Pip and his friends got in their goodie bags after the birthday party today ... but honestly ... the resemblance is uncanny.)

Naughty or Nice?

This weekend it was time for business. The POD arrived. As did about 40 Sterilite plastic storage containers. Saturday Phil and I spent boxing, prepping, disassembling, and hauling. I like to think that all those years as a "rugby wife" have earned me a thing or two. Sunday was a bit of payback as Brillo stopped by in the 90 degree humidity ready to lift all our heaviest stuff. Phil and Brillo "tetris-ed" it into the POD in impressive fashion. It's amazing what we got done in 2 days.

Meanwhile Phil came up with a fabulous idea for assuring we'd actually be able to work. An ice cream chart. Brilliant. I operationalized the idea. One side for Nice, one for Naughty. We came up with faces for Nice that included: Happy, Help, Thinking, Share, Nap, and Quiet. Naughty: Fight, Yell, Cry, Whine, No. Good behavior earned a face on the Nice side, naughty a face on the other. They were all about it! We promised ice cream cones if they had more nice than naughty by the end of the day. Day 1: Pip had 6 naughty and 9 nice; Vivian had 4 naughty and 6 nice. The game continued through today when even Daddy got in on the action and was given his own chart. He got a bandaid logo for helping Vivie when she got hurt, a cuddle face for cuddling with Vivie, and a Happy face for amusing Pip. Pip also gave him a naughty yell face, but I wasn't sure I witnessed any yelling. I think Pip just relished the idea of getting to scold Daddy for once.

Is this a healthy choice?

Ok, Pip has officially learned how to clambor up the pantry counter to the snack shelf. If I wasn't disadvantaged before, now I'm completely out-manned. Everyone knows you can't eat Cheetos-twists without licking your fingers clean -- and who wouldn't want a thick film of blue sidewalk chalk with that? Mmmmm. Can I count this towards some sort of mineral multi-vitamin?

Bowling for cups

Silence. Sweet silence. I just ask for a moment here, maybe another there. Preferably between the hours of 7am and 7pm. There are not many of these moments.

I was folding laundry in the living room when I heard it. Rather was assaulted by the sound. So loud! Plastic cups can make quite a racket!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmejECZrTpU

Mud in the Face

Pip is a sucker for the hose. Anything resembling a hot day and the little guy is begging to be unleashed. I often relent but try to put some time limit on his drenching on the back yard. I've long since tired of watching his spectacle and generally have plenty to attend to inside. So after warning him he had FIVE minutes to squirt at will, he was on his own. Perhaps 2 minutes later I hear a banging on the slider ... this is what I found.




Turns out he had a little game going called "Squeeze-nozzle-to-full-jet-and-hold-one-inch-from-ground-while-placing-face-directly-alongside-the-spray". This game was fun at first, until the ground became saturated, soft, and muddy. Then you get what you see above. Makes Mommy laugh, but Pip? Not so much.

Father's Day 2010

It was a great Father's Day weekend here. Jen and Matt came to visit on the tail end of their Cape Cod trip, so I took the excuse to bag a few days of work. We hung out and watched some World Cup, enjoying a tasty Irish breakfast at McGann's and cheering the US squad to an incredible 2nd half comeback.

The weekend itself was packed with fun family activities. We took a spur of the moment trip to Halibut Point to crawl around on the boulders at the tip of Cape Ann. That place has just the right level of risk to make it worthwhile. Tripping on chunks of granite (which happened), slipping on slimy rocks polished by years of pounding waves (which happened), or plummeting a hundred feet into a water-filled quarry while throwing rocks (which --thankfully -- didn't happen)! After finding a safer spot, Pip and Vivi spent an hour at their games while Nat and I watched some Yoga fanatic bust some poses next to the crashing surf.

At one point, Pip pointed to an "island" off shore and wanted to wade out to it. Well, too deep for that, but we practices a bit of island hopping to get out to it. This is us at the half-way point, trying to decide if going further would be a good idea. Of course it was! We made it out a few more rocks to a big one just off to the right in this picture...

Babysitting in Style

Okay, the secret's out! If we're asked to take care of your kids, they will be bribed with ice cream to be good. Simple as that. If they seem sad to see you and want to go back to "Mommy Natalie" and "Daddy Phil's" house, now you know why. Sorry!

I'm not going to bed!!!!

Aunt Jen and Uncle Matt came for a visit this weekend!!! Pip and Vivie were thrilled. It was like Show and Tell when Jen came to pick up Pip at school. He was very proud to show her off! We had a busy weekend, watching (sadly) the Celtics lose Game 7, playing games, eating yummy Vanilla cake that Jen made, and hanging out. My absolute favorite part was when Jen and Matt put Pip and Viv to bed. I think this was a highlight for Pip and Viv too. From downstairs, I heard some books being read for a bit. Then some jumping and laughing. Louder. Louder. Wait, do I hear my kids gleefully screaming "WE'RE NOT GOING TO BED!!!!!" and launching themselves off the small bed onto the air mattress?

Better investigate.

The Log and Admiral Frog

I read this controversial classic tonight for our sleep-over. Got wrapt attention from all.


I am scared to type it, but I think they are all asleep now. Vivie and Natalie went down easily (once I found Natalie's stuffed animals and help her through and extra potty trip). Pip and Nick tested all the bounds. I had to resort to removing Pip for a time-out and being the nasty bad cop. Pip was beyond pooped from his fun party day and while normally that makes for and easy night, I think the fun of having Nick here was too much to take. Tomorrow we're off to Aislinn's party and some open houses!

Never a dull moment!

Jump On In!

May have been a month late, but today was Pip and Vivie's joint birthday bash. I think we had about 40 kids in all and lots of fabulous parents in attendence. This shot doesn't even get us all! It was a mix of all our local friends. Awesome!



Pip's birthday song:


And Vivie's:

Birthday Cakes

Today was Pip and Viv's huge birthday bash. So last night I had to make the cakes. Some mom's take pride in their Halloween costumes, some their fine lullaby skills. Not me. I sing like a wet seal and I buy my costumes. But cakes I like to make myself. Much to Phil's dismay. Of course he was enlisted into the task and was caught muttering "why can't we just spend $100 any buy one??"

But his help really is key since without him I think the barn on the farm cake wouldn't have made it to the party. He installed a (sterilized) support bracket behind-the-scenes that kept everything in its place. He also engineered the cuts for the four so all the pieces slid into place. I think I tackled baking, icing, and decorations and was quite proud of my creations. Hey, is that Pip sneaking a swipe at the icing?


Fingers off!

Missing Drew

At the beginning of the month, one of Pip's best friends from school, Drew, moved to Ohio. His Dad was promoted to his company's HQ there and so off they went. While we tried to explain all this to Pip and sort of count down to the sad day, he really had no basis for what was happening. It all hit him that first week at school when Drew never came in. My poor baby came home every day downtrodden and lost. His teacher told me he pulled her aside one day and said he was missing Drew. Then Tuesday after school he got out some paper and a pen and scribbed all over it. He brought it to me and said: "This says, today is a terrible day. Tell Drew I love him and I want him to come back. Send it to Drew." As much as it tore my heart out, I was so impressed as his ability to actually work through the feelings. I encouraged him to write more and I think he wrote 5 letters to Drew. It got better after that, but still every once in a while I'll be driving and from the back of the car a little voice will say, "Mommy?" "Yes, Pip." "I'm really missing Drew."

:( Better to have loved and lost. Applies to friends too. Here's a pic of them just horsing around.

Is that pee?

The answer is no ... but frighteningly close to being a possibility.


Here's sweet Viv and Carolina resting after some mini-pool time.

Playstead Park

With the weather being so nice, we decided to take Mom's group to a park. Jess found a nice fenced in one in Medford with lots of climbers, a pavilion to eat, and the all-important swings. Vivie spends hours on the swings, she even doesn't mind if you walk away and let her sway until it comes to a stop. She understands I sometimes have other things I need to do! She'll just hang patiently until I work my way back over to push her again. "Do UNDERDOG Mommy!"



I got this crazy idea we should all pose for a group shot. This one below was probably our tenth try. Susan and Conor are MIA. Pip is hading behind a Jameson, and Vivie is looking the wrong way. But this is the best shot we got.


Pip prefers the tummy swing.


A shot of me and my cuddler.

Mom's Group birthdays

We celebrated 4 birthdays at this Mom's group: Vivie, Carolina, Susan, and Janel. What a busy month! Liz brought a cake with all four names squished in. Before we could sing, Pip was showing off his bandaid, which -- given his choice of jacket, didn't really come off as very macho.


Carolina about to blow out the candles!


Vivie blowing out hers, with a little help from Natalie!