Holidays can be hazardous

Beware the holidays. They present numerous hazards to the young and those who live with them.

Hazard #1: The cookies
This is what happens when you let the two-year-old "hold" the green sprinkles while you pipe icing onto the cookies. Notice, though, that he matches his socks.

If you can get a glimpse of it, note also that the cookie sheet is mostly full of the green sprinkles that he poured onto one poor gingerbread man. We switched from sprinkling to dipping at that point--so we ended up with a lot of green cookies!


We had a good laugh. What's the fun of sprinkles if you don't get to apply them liberally? (By the way, Nathan is not green any more--these sprinkles, which are nothing more than sugar and dye, didn't stain Nathan like that darned popsicle did last summer. Makes me really wonder about the popsicle...)

As an aside, Rachel insisted that I take a photo of her holding her special favorite cookie. It's a princess crown, in case you can't quite make it out, and she molded it herself freehand. She wanted the photo to be of her looking at her cookie, and so here you go.


Hazard #2: The carols

We recently watched the video of Rachel and her "Gleria hat" from almost two years ago (two years! Egad--where does the time go?) and now, every time Nathan or Rachel takes off a bib, they leave it on their head and belt out a few Glorias. On the day I snapped this, he even switched his bib to costume mode before breakfast was over. (I wonder if he'll still be able to sing at church on Friday with no bib on his head. Perhaps we should bring one just in case.)


That's "Gloria in excelsis. Gloria," to those in need of translation to Nathanspeak.

With Rachel, there is no question what she's singing. She has learned all the words this year and loves to sing the whole song--in fact, she sang it all by herself to a party of seniors at the Y last week when her class stopped by to sing Rudolph. I wasn't there, but I wonder if she made this same mournful face for the partygoers... (Warning: It's rather long. Sorry if it takes a moment to load.)

Isn't she sweet? The very unprofessional cameralady apologizes from the shakiness of the image when she laughed, but at least it got Rachel to smile a little!

So what is hazardous about these sweet children singing? Well, the length of Rachel's Gloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooria should be your first clue, particularly when you imagine it repeated all day long. The other trouble is that some carols have repeating lines. When you just sing lyrics and haven't quite got melodies down yet, you miss the usual clues about when you should stop repeating. I stopped counting when "We wish you a Merry Christmas" came out for the 26th time in a row, with no mention of a happy new year. And the bells jingle at least three or four times before they go all the way. It's cute, and I know I'll miss it someday, so I'm glad to have these moments (and the videos!), but sometimes they are very looooooong moments!

Such a big boy!

Sweet Nathan has passed a couple of big milestones recently. He turned two last month. Actually, if we counted all the birthdays he has celebrated since then, he'd be about 130 now. He really got into the whole birthday thing this year (having three in our house in close succession probably helped!), and we sing and blow out pretend candles several times a day, most days.

Nathan became a cousin when Baby Natalie was born right before his birthday. It's crazy to me to think that this is just how old Rachel was when Nathan was born! Natalie is a sweet baby and we adore her. (Well, one of Nathan's early sentences was "I don' lahk baby cuh-yen," which still has David in stitches whenever he thinks of it. But that was just once, and he was in a mood. Most of the time he talks of her quite adoringly!)














AND--here's the biggie--Nathan got a haircut! He went from having a wild mop



to having a darling, fairly tame little 'do.



And it makes him look like such a big boy! Hard for Mama to get my head around, but really quite cute. It's already growing in curly again and a little wilder, which helps with his image, I'm sure.

People told me, when Magellan turned out to be a boy, that we would have fewer battles about clothes and colors than we've had with his sister. Not so! Shortly before his birthday, Nathan received a pair of blue socks from Grand-Merr and discovered how fun it is to choose his socks every day. He promptly began refusing to wear his usual white socks. Now he has a variety of colors to choose from, and the battle each morning is to persuade him that one of the several clean and attractive pairs is a good pair to wear for the day. I haven't quite got the rules figured out, but some of the colors are just less appealing on some days, and stripes are definitely a last resort. (As in, "Well, Mom, if you can't get it together to do laundry every other day, then I suppose I'll deign to put these striped monstrosities on my feet, purely for warmth.") Same for clothes--he's been choosing his outfits (often less enthusiastically than Rachel, to be sure, but not always!) for some time, which makes for some interesting pairings. He's a ton of fun, and now that he can talk so much more, he's become even more amusing--both to his parents and to his beloved Rachel!

Zoo-per good times

Another girl had a birthday in our house this month (turning more than four), and she decided to spend it at the zoo with her darling children. David left work early and joined us for a surprise. It was a terrific day--gorgeous weather, no crowds at all, and ample cooperation and good-nature from said darling children--really, a gift!

We reprised our giraffe impersonations and inaugurated Nathan into this tradition. (He was there last time, but he had no room to stretch his neck out!)


We got up close and personal with some enormous bison, we watched bears swim, and we did some serious climbing at the playground. And then we rode the carousel. Rachel chose to ride a flamingo (There I go, stating the obvious again!), and Nathan opted/was guided to the adjacent frog. (He's begun to speak in sentences, which is wildly cool. We are enjoying his new communication skills and the opportunity to watch them develop. However, his ability to express his own opinions is likely to complicate things a bit, once his opinions are something other than "whatever gets me closest to my beloved hero Rachel!")


It was a really good birthday. Thanks, zoo--and family!

Four

We had a pretty special day a couple of weeks ago (not sure why this is sideways--sorry!)...

Rachel had a party with several of her friends. We celebrated with a pinata, fun games, and cake, of course!


And one of her favorite presents was a set of super-cozy pj's. (Thanks, Uncle Tim and Aunt Jen!)


She tells us frequently about things that 4-year-olds do that 3-year-olds didn't. Today, for example, she called quietly for me, then told me that 4-year-olds don't yell for their parents. (Here's hoping that one sticks for more than today!) And yesterday I heard that she's big enough now to go upstairs without telling me. (Except that she prefers that I come along to scare off any wolves or sharks we may encounter. This girl has a vivid imagination!) It's hard to believe that our sweet baby girl is four, but we can't imagine life without her, just as she is!

More Halloween fun

Oh, and did you hear who was named Homecoming King and Queen?

Just kidding--we went to a Halloween party of our own a few weeks ago! It was fun to get dressed up, and David even gave me a corsage!

Happy Halloween!

We've had another successful (meaning: fun) Halloween! Rachel and Nathan got to carry lighted jack-o-lanterns in a procession at church this morning (always plenty of room for excitement when you give a toddler a lit candle), and then this afternoon, we went trick-or-treating! Rachel went as a darling "flower fairy" and pulled it off quite well...


and Nathan went as an ear of corn...


He was adorable (really, could he be anything but?) and drew a lot of appreciative (and appreciated, by Mama especially!) comments as we toddled up and down blocks. He started the day with no real comprehension of Halloween, but he figured out his role pretty quickly--anything his beloved Ray-to (Her name has gotten a second syllable; Shel is no more, alas!) enjoys, he is determined to do likewise.

He has also figured out the concept of ownership and was very reluctant to let us carry a single piece of his increasingly heavy load. Rachel was a real sweetheart--she looked out for Nathan at each house as they climbed stairs and held their own in crowds of much bigger kids. Together, they brought home a very respectable haul, which they were so eager to count that dinner had to wait a bit.

Here's hoping your Halloween was similarly fun, safe, and sweet! Happy haunting!

Shades

And, just because I think too-big sunglasses on little faces are so funny and cute, I present to you...

Galosh, galosh!

It rained this morning! A lot! Enough to make some really good puddles. So guess what we did after school today? We put those galoshes to good use, and it was a blast! First we started with the not-exactly-a-puddle-more-like-just-a-wet-spot on our patio.

We shuffled through fallen leaves.

Then we found some more impressive puddles in the alley and did some serious splashing.

We love fall!

To the rescue!

By grace of having friends with bigger feet, both Rachel and Nathan have recently received galoshes. Though it has not rained since we came into this windfall, we are already enjoying the galoshes thoroughly. This morning, while still wearing their pj's, both Rachel and Nathan had their galoshes on and were busy tromping around the upstairs fighting fires. (They also wore sweaters and jackets for their fire coats.) David and I were assigned to be "fire helpers"--mainly, I suspect, because we weren't wearing boots. Once they were dressed, the boots went right back on for continued heroics, and when we came downstairs, the "real" fire helmets went on immediately. It is great fun to watch them pretend together--and as an extra bonus, I feel very safe with such great rescue personnel on the scene!

Notre petite danseuse

Rachel has begun ballet! What a proud moment for a mother. Well, to be quite honest, Rachel has begun what the park district terms "pre-ballet," a class they call Twinkle Toes. (We checked. Her toes really do twinkle after class.) I probably don't need to tell you that she is lo-o-oving it. Nathan and I are banished to the playground outside during class (It's rough, but someone has to play at the park, you know.) and then the teacher calls us all in during the last few minutes to see what they've been working on. The first week we saw an interpretation on "Life Cycle of a Butterfly," and the second week it was chasse steps, also known as "Unicorn Riding." (Does this woman have her finger on the pulse of her audience, or what?) It's a hoot. They did the unicorn riding while holding hands in a circle, and I think the intention was that they would travel around the circle. What actually occurred was that the circle traveled around the room. I don't have any good photos, but I thought you should know about Rachel's new endeavors all the same. I'll post photos when I have some. In the meantime, you can imagine eight little pink leotard-clad preschoolers galumphing around the room yelling "chasse! chasse! chasse!" Yep, if it looks amusing and darling and a little absurd, you've got it.

Michigan Sunsets

We had a marvelous vacation--it was several weeks ago now, but it really was marvelous. (I think my longer absences from the blog are because Rachel doesn't nap anymore. Or do quiet time. And even Nathan's naps have gotten shorter lately. Not a lot of Mommy-time, and when I have it, this is not usually the place I sit.) We spent four days in a cottage--just the four of us.



We went to the beach.



We saw an amazing sand dragon.



We climbed a dune.



We watched a movie. We went for bike rides. We read books.



We took cookies to the beach after dinner to watch the sunset.



We did some amazing stone-skipping--David had several niners!
And we took what is apparently now our traditional vacation photo. Dora, Baby, and Doggy enjoyed the trip, too!

Mmmm...pie

We had a birthday at our house last weekend! We celebrated with David's favorite...Tex-Mex. And there was a trip to the park, and a picnic, and lots of celebrating. But the main thing, ah, the main thing was the blueberry pie! Gorgeous, yes? (I'm not proud or anything, you'll note!)


Rachel had a purple tongue.


So did Daddy.


And Mama.


But Nathan beat us all--purple tongue, purple face, purple hands, purple armpit! We even had to scrub blueberries off his knees and feet.

This is a kid who likes his pie, and likes it good! (It was good, so I can't say that I blame him!) Happy birthday, Daddy!

Second first day

Rachel started school again this week. The summer has--as usual--been simultaneously looooooooooooooong and too, too short. She goes to school three days a week this year, in...the big kids' room! We didn't get a whole lot of information out of her, but we know that she has a pretty small class and they sing a different good-bye song. And when David asked her if she's going to like school this year, she said, "Yeah." But the inflection was spot-on: Duhhh!

Here's sleeping beauty just before she turned into a schoolgirl again.

One paparazzo saw through her disguise and snapped a photo at breakfast.


A moment with Daddy before he left for work.


Buckled into the trailer for the bike ride to school!


One last photo with her pal Olivia before they headed into the classroom.

And then she was off. Here's to another year of learning and fun!

(Nathan enjoyed the day, too. He got to go to the library and park alone with Mom!)

Nathan speaks!

That statement is actually not true. It would be more accurate to say: Nathan exclaims! Loudly, enthusiastically, and (mostly) monosyllabically. He announces most motor vehicles when they pass, demands cream "Teeeee!" on his bottom at every diaper change, identifies loads of animals and foods and objects, calls his sister "Chel" (Isn't that sweet?), and counts to eleven. (Well, he skips eight, but heck, I'm giving it to him.) Kid's pretty smart. In fact, whenever he sees a picture of ice cream (Aye teeeeeee!) or hears the word spoken, he points out the window--always in the correct direction, toward the nearest ice cream shop.

A ride with Nathan in the car sounds like this: "Fah! Fah! Fah!" Yes, Nathan, there's a flag. "Nuh fah! Nuh fah!" Yes, another flag. "Buhhhhhhh!" Bus. Wave to the bus driver! "Ammah!" Not an ambulance. That's a police car. They both have lights on top. Wave to the police officer. I laughed quite a lot the other day when we had an impressive convergence of vehicles. Some background information: We have some goofy rituals for car rides. We always say "woo-hoo" when we pass under train tracks. (Once he figured out how to say it, Nathan became the best one of all of us for remembering. Sometimes it takes me a moment to figure out why he's sitting back there hooting; then I realize we're under a track and join in.) Also, we sing "Fruit van, na na na na na na" (To the tune of Fontbonne, na na na na na na, for all you 1997 RA's out there.) whenever we see an Edible Arrangements van. (Long story, really not worth repeating here.) We often pass an EA store that is near train tracks, so Nathan has it all linked together in his mind. So here's what happened...

We were about to pass under the elevated tracks. Nathan began his cheer: "Ooooh!" Then he saw a bus and interrupted himself to announce it. "BUHHHHHHH!" Resumed cheer: "Ooh-ooh!" And celebrated the (not present) fruit van: "Foo-vah, na na na." So it sounded like this: "Oooh--BUHHHHHHH! Ooh-ooh! Foo-va, na na na." He got it all in there, and it was a hoot. Rachel and I were quite amused.

So I guess you can see that not all of Nathan's talk is monosyllabic. In fact, he's got some sentences. "I do," for just about any task that he plans to tackle on his own. "I see," when he sees a bus or wants to see the picture I've just taken. And tonight, as I was kissing him at bedtime, "Ahwa voo." And Nathan, I love you, too. I do, I do , I do!

It was the Arch!

20 points! We had a delightful trip to St. Louis...gosh, it was a month ago! Visited several sets of friends, discovered the fun of sitting on child-sized rocking chairs, wandered the Wash U campus (really fun to be there with our kids--think we'll ever be dropping them off there?),


and stopped to pick 10 pounds of blueberries on the way home. Rachel got to try out playing a real drum kit.


Nathan did not find Fitz's to be overly thrilling.


Rachel spent quite a bit of time upside-down, just like at home.

It was a lot of fun. Thanks to all who played!

Durn Skeeters

Take a look at my poor baby! (And know that these photos don't really do justice to his predicament.)



The mosquitoes didn't take long to figure out what we already knew--this is one sweet, sweet kid. He has welts on his leg that are half the size of his little leg. Poor kid! I feel like people are staying away from us in public places, for fear that he has some awful disease. Then there was the time that the lady working the counter at the post office asked the lady at the next station if she smelled furniture polish. They decided it was the floor wax, and I decided not to tell her that we were coated in citronella spray. I'm having to use it as much as we use sunscreen lately, all day long, just to get outside the house. Quite a switch from our practice earlier in the summer of eating almost every meal on the patio. This has been a summer of extremes--it started early, it's been crazy hot, we've had more rain than you could shake a stick at (We tried. Shaking the stick did not dry the basement.), the humidity has curled my hair in ways I've never seen before, and these dang mosquitoes are eating us alive! (Nathan is funny, though--if he sees any bug, he freezes in his tracks and shrieks, "Buh! Buh! Buh!" until we come and shoo it away. And if anyone slaps themselves for any reason, he asks, "Buh?" Not quite the introduction to the wonders of Class Insecta that I had in mind for my little scientist, but it is what it is. Maybe he'll be more of a vertebrate biologist or something.) Still loving summer, for all that!