She'll be chugging round the island ...

Pip challenged his train set to make it all the way around the island. I was skeptical that it could do it, but we organized our pieces and set out to the task. Sure enough, we made it all the way around with a few extra tracks to spare! Made cooking and cleaning in the kitchen area a bit difficult for a few days.



Finally I was able to convince Pip to relocate his infrastructure to the eastern front and they meandered around and under the kitchen table for a few days.

Cuddles

We decided to watch a couple videos after bath tonight. Both kids were beat after long days with no naps. I was delighted to get cozy cuddles from both.

Earlier Vivie and I were shopping at the grocery store and she introduced me to this game I'll call "double take". We both look away from each other, kind of keeping one another in our peripheral vision, and then do a double take back to look into one another's eyes. You want to give a good head shake for effect and be the first to establish eye contact. Had us both in stiches while we waited to check out.

She played a little bit with me again when Daddy was taking our pics.

Breaking out the Paints!

The paints did not make it into the temporary apartment, due to their messiness, so when we finally broke them out today it was a fun event. I must say, using the island was very nice. Kept the ness contained and prevented the kids from running around in between drawings.

Vivie (in her 80's work-out gear post doing a few arm circles with Daddy this morning) had the longest staying power. She still loves to start out with regular painting and then ends up painting her hands and making hand stamps.

Pip on the Bowflex

Despite all the evidence to the contrary, I don't think I can count on constant shoveling of snow to get me into shape for the spring rugby season. So I dusted off the Bowflex (well, at least cleared away a space in the as-yet unpacked "junkroom"). Pip got all fired up about it, and I think he's going to be a fine gym partner to keep me motivated. He was up this morning at about 7, chattering in my ear about doing some exercises. His favorite routine involves a hybrid bicept curl/squat while standing on the bench. Here he is cranking out a few reps and then showing off his guns.

Lite Brite

We're goin old school around here. Found this in a catalog over Christmas, but apparently so did lots of other people and it was backordered. It finally arrive this week! I was thinking it may be something to keep Vivie entertained kind of on the level of Pip's legos. They both actually liked it! The only downfall was that the little lights wanted to pop out when you pulled your finger away so it took a wee bit of finess and technique.





Obviously, the fact that there are 400 teeny tiny lights that spill all over my floor is not ideal. They should make some sort of toy magnet which picks up tiny toy pieces and sorts them into canisters for you. Moms would go crazy for it.

Sledding on the stoop

When you have this much snow you get to the point where there's not lots of places left to put it. So Phil figured why not shovel half the steps onto the other half and make a sled path. Sounds reasonable.

Vivie took a turn but was not impressed.


Here's Pip's ride:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqz9n-IPm9Q

Hanging upstairs

Pip and Vivie discovered they have a very nice angle when they are upstairs. They can sit up there and hang their legs over and watch what's going on below. Pretty cool!

Sofa Flips

We having running room again! This means laps around the house whenever Vivie selects her gingerbread sweater (screaming "you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man!") and sofa flips. Here Pip illustrates his latest indoor physical challenge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSUfjoa4GL8

Ambush!

Pip learned the word "earn" over the past 2 weeks. He spotted a "storm trooper helmet" at Toys R Us one day when he was there with Phil but they weren't there to buy Pip a toy and his hopes were vanquished. When he came home we decided that if he earned the helmet, we'd but it for him. After some negotiating, it was agreed that 10 helpful deeds would earn the helmet.

It took about two weeks (not that he wasn't helpful more than that in the span, but we only counted certain deeds and only when he remembered to ask for the deeds to be added to his tally). Soon he had 10 entries on his tally log and had earned the helmet. We drove to Toys R Us and found it and on the way home he was so cute ... "Mommy, now that I know what earn means, I like earning things." Very sweet.

Anyway, the helmet is pretty awesome and not only has a series of statements of its own, but also will amplify his voice to sound like a storm trooper! Here Pip and Vivie got into costume and ambushed Daddy when he got home:

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

Roaring 20's

Between the sequined headbands from Grammie Balas and the Marti Gras beads, Vivian is smack in the middle of the roaring 20's. She loves her flapper outfits and I must say, rocks them nicely.

Mom's Group at the new house

We were so happy to have our Mom's group at the new house today! There was lots of room again for running, parading, pillow fighting, pirating, and exploring. I don't think Pip sat still for more than 2 minutes for 6 hours straight. Needless to say, bedtime was a cinch tonight. (And early too!)

Here's most everyone enjoying cookies with whipped cream:



And here they are exploring the hot tub. Thank God there's no water in it!

Snow!

The upside to all this snow is getting to play in it! With all the moving and packing/unpacking going on Pip hasn't gotten many opportunities. So he grabbed one when it was offered at Amy's house for Mom's Group.

Apparently the snow needs mowing:


And here are a few funny videos. In this one Pip tries to scale the rope wall of the climber. Just before this all three of the boys were trying to climb it at once and sliding all over themselves, making no progress. Finally Jameson succeeded ... this giving Pip hope it was possible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gQOCknJLZs

And here they are tumbling off the deck ... or what was the deck.

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

Scenes from unpacking

It was a busy weekend unpacking. Thankfully Grammie and Grandpa drove up to help us and we got a lot done. Boxes to unload, toys and books to organize, a big kitchen to unravel. Pip and Viv were generally in great spirits as toy after toy was revealed from our boxes. Plus there is so much room in the new house ... lots of places to run and hife and play.

Here they are stopped for a lunch break ... still in their jammies!


Pip was VERY excited to find his pirate dress up eye patch and hat. (Vivie wore the hat later and looked more like Bret Michaels than a pirate ... hysterical).


AND we found the window crayons! Here Pip shows off a beach scene he rendered on the playroom window: Mom, Dad, Vivie, and Pip by the ocean complete with a crab and a sun.

Moving Day

I left my camera at Janel's the other day, so I have no pictures to post with this entry. But I couldn't skip it. Today was supposed to be closing and moving day on the new house!!! Who would have known we'd be dealing with the storm of the decade! Luckily we were able to push up the closing by half a day and met everyone at the house last night. The walk through and close went very smoothly (thanks to Susan for watching the kids!) and we braced, hopefully, that the move would still happen today.

Apparently we were delusional. The storm was a doozy laying down almost 2 feet of snow overnight. We were awoken by the incessant beeping of the myriad bulldozers getting to work outside our window. The final nail in the coffin came a bit later when we talked to the movers and confirmed there would be no action today.

While I was disappointed, it actually took us most of the day to complete packing. Ok, it also allowed for me to have a 2 hour nap (with Vivie who outlasted me and ended it with a 1 hour endcap with Daddy) ... which Phil snapped on his phone ...

Later we had to drive over to OUR house to shovel it out. Well, Phil did the shoveling. And we met two neighbors who were very friendly. Apparently the woman across the street owns the "community" snow blower and while she was not home, the neighbor to our right came out, grabbed it from her garage, and helped Phil complete the job.

So the movers are due to come tomorrow at 8am and we'll move the apartment and then unload the POD, which is already in the driveway. Cross your fingers!

Dress Up

Fashioned these very official lookinf jedi capes for Pip and Vivie. For a blanket and string they worked out pretty well!

Not a Box

Yesterday it was a hair salon. Today it was an art studio (scissors are now forbidden in the Not a Box).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9VeCRwW-7A

Bangs

Uncle George is no longer alone in the doghouse. While I went to an info session for kindergarten (can you believe it!) Phil was home with the kids. Who were, admittedly, in an unruly, excitable mood after a whole day stuck at home.

I came home to Phil bragging about how well he did and how the kids were asleep without any fighting but just a bit after 8. I should note, that despite what is about to be revealed, this is indeed an impressive feat and deserves some kudos.

It should also be noted, in fairness, that moments before I left for the info session, Phil walked in the door after work to me in the middle of a rant directed at Pip and Viv. It was going somewhere along the lines about how no one cares how Mommy is doing and how Mommy is tired of everyone complaining and no one appreciating her and all she hears in whining and moaning and how she can't take it anymore and how no one cares to ask whether she is happy. Poor Pip was sitting at the table saying "I care about you Mommy. How are you today Mommy?" But I was too busy ranting to listening or responding to his cuteness.

So Phil had his work cut out for him.

But all this said, I found this waiting for me the next morning:



Actually, a bit worse than that. Half of Vivie's hair on the front of her head was chopped off and standing straight up. I mean along her temple it was cut so close as be aspiring to MC Hammer. She and Pip proudly stated that they climbed into one of the big cardboard boxes we have staged for packing and made a hiding place. They brought along the scissors. Daddy had no idea. Vivie said "the hair was getting in my eyes so I cut it". Proud as can be. I immediately called Phil at work and he STILL had no idea, this means he did not notice her chop job throughout the ENTIRE beditme routine.

I grabbed some scissors of my own and attempted to cut the rest of her bangs so at least it would go across her whole forehead. I really can't believe it, though. All this time avoiding the bangs and now they are here -- for a long time. If I could turn back time! Cher and I both want to push back the clock.

Prince and Princess

So Vivie spent the evening before puking her guts out. I mean every hour from 1am to 5am. Even when there was nothing left to come up, she managed to find a bit of bile. :( :( :(

But by the time she woke up she was back to a happy but slower moving version of herself. I decided it was time to tackle some packing for the move (T minus 7 days!!!) and found her tutu and princess hat. She grabbed her fancy shoes and waa-laa, we were out of the funk.

We don't have much in the way of prince dress-up gear, but Pip managed to pull together his "bow and arrows" with some prince shoes, which we agreed weren't really prince shoes, but we would just pretend they were.

A note about Mom

Today Mom packed the WORST lunch ever. Seriously, was I actually expected to eat a cinnamon raisin bagel, grapes, carrots with hummus, and blueberry yogurt???? Pitiful. So I was starving when she finally decided to get me. But did she immediately whisk me off to McDonald's for dinner? No! She had the nerve to ask me to wait patiently while she talked to Jenna's Mom. For a LOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG time. Ugh. Then she said that since I ate only ice cream for dinner last night (true, but need we have brought that up) I had to have a healthy choice at home. How could I be expected to trust her to cook me dinner after a lunch like today??

I became weak with misery and could barely walk home. And it is officially TOO far to walk from where we have to park the car to the apartment. And she would not carry me. I cried the whole way out of school, into the car, through the drive home, and all the way into the apartment just to make sure it was clear to everyone how awful she was.

Ok, turned out dinner was fine, but let's fast-forward through that. And no mention of the fact that I got two treats afterwards for being in the Clean Plate Club. Not relevant.

She only gave me an hour to play with my LEGOs, which it should be noted I only got out of time-out tonight. And HOUR is not enough! I hadn't even begun my mega-ship masterpiece when she said it was time to clean up. Ignore ... always ignore whenever pressed for clean-up time. I vaguely recall her telling me, 5 more minutes, then 2 more minutes, then warning me it was about to get ugly. Ignore! Kids of America ... we must band together and ignore these completely unfair demands being placed upon us!!! Before I knew it she was cleaning up my LEGOs herself and putting them BACK IN TIME-OUT!!!

This is ridiculous. My Mom sucks and I want a new one. I am definitely NOT going to bed tonight -- EVER.

Sincerely,
Pip Balas

Hangin with Chase and Connor

Did we mention how nice it is to have Katie and Jon back in town! Just a quick phone call or email and a playdate is arranged. No flights, no car rides necessary!!!

The kids even play great together, allowing for us to carry on the occasional conversation. Bonus! For a while it was nearly too silent. I suspected the worst, but they were actually playing nicely in Chase's room:


Here Vivie gives her patented "angry face" to Phil, which you actually only get when she's quite happy.


Pip and Chase worked diligently on trains.

Snow Mountain

The maintenance guys at the apartment complex must get super-excited for big storms, because they evidently get to drive their giant front-end loaders 24 hours a day, moving piles of snow to and fro. It's borderline excessive. The end result is a two-story high pile which covers about 0.2 acres. No joke.

Pip has been exploring it for an hour or two each night for the past few days. Vivi finally agreed to come out and see what all the excitement was about. Here, he is showing her how to zip down the face of the mountain which is like an 80-degree slope.