1559 miles. That is how far we have traveled so far since beginning our journey east.
I am typing this from the road on our netbook. I am not a Windows fan, but I must admit having the netbook has come in quite handy as we travel - internet access at any time as long as there is a Verizon signal. Nice.
We are currently heading east on Interstate 90 in Wyoming with hopes of arriving in Rapid City SD by 10:30pm where we will rest our weary heads for a few hours before waking and heading down to Mount Rushmore to say hello to a few gentlemen who made quite a difference in their time here in America.
America.
America, the beautiful. We have spent the past 2 1/2 days saying, "WOW!" quite a bit. I am so very glad I allowed Brian to talk me into taking our time and driving this northern route across the country. Going through the Teton Pass from Idaho to Jackson, Wyoming yesterday was a dreamy alpine experience. I didn't think the USA could get any more beautiful until we made it to Yellowstone National Park where I didn't think it could get any more beautiful until we drove through the Wyoming Scenic Byway US 14 from Greybull to Dayton where I truly just may have to say is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SCENERY ON ALL OF MOTHER EARTH. (And I have seen a lot of places, let me tell you!)
But I am getting ahead of myself.
Jackson WY reminded me a lot of our trip to Banff, Canada 2 years ago. The streets are lined with log cabin businesses and the Motel 6 was the most modern comfortable quaint $53 joint I have ever stayed in so inexpensively. The drive through the Teton National Park and on into Yellowstone was spectacular with its snowcapped mountain vistas and crisp clean air. The majority of the lakes were still mostly frozen over, their thaw creating raging brooks and rivers that rushed alongside the roadway creating a noise that rivaled my beloved white noise sleeping machine. We got to Old Faithful with about 45 minutes to kill before she erupted. We wandered around the grounds in the frigid 46 degree air with rain spitting on us waiting for the timely explosion of boiling water, enjoyed the natural occurance for about 4 minutes before hopping in our car to warm up and continue on our drive through the park. As I get carsick so easily, I got to drive the windy roads and Brian took video upon video of the scenery. I will post some as soon as we get to a place that will let me utilize the wireless on my Mac.
We were out of Yellowstone by about 3:30pm thinking we had seen our fill of beautiful for the day. WRONG. As we left a little town called Greybull and headed east on US 14 towards Sheraton WY, we encountered the Wyoming Scenic Byway through the Bighorn National Forest. I was blown away. The colors of the mountains, the waterfalls, the trees, the snow fields, the raging rivers, the loudest birds ever, the windy and windy roads with death defying curves on cliffs that fell what looked to be the full 9000 feet we had climbed. When we finally crested the mountains and got our first glimpse of the neverending green plateaus on the east side of the mountain we gasped in amazement. It was gorgeous - I may even say heavenly. I was so very proud of my little Toyota Matrix for working so very hard to get us through 3 national forests in one day!!
We got to webcam with the kids for a few minutes this morning. They don't seem to miss us at all and are having a great time playing with their cousins, Leah and Frankie. If all goes as we plan, we should be reunited sometime on Sunday. Giant thank yous to Gramma Lou and Aunt Lisa and her kids for keeping the kids occupied!!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
"Say goodbye to Hollywood..."
We got up at 3:45am Monday and were on the road by 4:15 to get Gramma Lou and her brood of grandkids to LAX for their 6am flight. It never ceases to amaze me how adorable Emma is when you arouse her that early from sleep. She talks in the sweetest highest pitched voice and questions you on the play by play of everything that you are doing. "Mama, are we putting on my shoes?" Yes, sweetpea, we are putting on your shoes. "Mama, is it dark outside?" Yepper, it is dark outside! "Mommy, are we getting in the car? Mama, is that Mr. Moon? Mommy, are we gonna ride a big airplane and go New York?" etc etc. Benny just stares around all wide eyed and excited knowing he must be heading out on some kind of adventure.
We made it to the airport in a timely fashion, got our bags checked, and boarding passes printed (including a security pass for me to get through to the gate to help out). Security was a breeze - my nephew, Frank was a huge help wrangling Emma - and we got to the gate with just a few minutes to spare before pre-boarding started. I said my goodbyes at the gate, it didn't even phase the kids - the phrase, "Peace out!" comes to mind... I was sad for about 2.2 seconds until I remembered I still had the bedrooms to pack and to finish off the kitchen.
So off home I went and literally spent from 6am to 4:30pm packing and cleaning and packing and cleaning.Then we had our last dinner out in LA with Uncle Raul and Aunt Laurie at a sushi restaurant in Granada Hills. I laughed at the irony that I was eating sushi as I closed out the LA chapter of my life when I had come to LA 12 years prior from Japan...
Gramma Lou survived the trip with a quick layover in Chicago to stretch and feed the babes. She said both kids behaved well and Emma only broke down the last 20 minutes of the last leg of the flight before passing out 10 minutes before landing. Typical!
The movers arrived promptly at 8:45am on Tuesday just as I was packing up the last box (or what I thought was the last box - there is always ONE MORE BOX!). They had the truck loaded and tallied ($300 more than the estimate I was given...) by 1:30pm and we were on the road with the seats of the hatchback folded down, doggies in their beds in the back, headed northeast bidding adieu to Los Angeles by 2:00pm which was actually our goal for the day. Imagine that.
We headed up the 405 N, to the 5 N to 14 NE through Lancaster and Mojave. There we connected with the 395 and headed north through the amazing snowcapped Mammouth Mountains. Just east of Yosemite we headed northeast on the 167 into Nevada just as the sun was setting over Mono Lake. We shot up the 95 from Hawthorne connecting with Interstate 80 East pulling into Winnemucca NV at 11:20pm clocking 586 miles on the odometer our first day. Not too shabby.
I just got a call from Gramma Lou. She took the kids over the the maternity ward of the hospital where she works to show them off to her coworkers. Emma got to see a newborn baby and was very excited. She told the ladies that she wanted to "borrow the baby" and play with it. HAHA! Gramma Lou is doing an awesome job not only taking care of the kiddos but breaking Benny of the binky habit. Aunt Lisa's giant dog, Duke, was like minded literally snatching it out of the tiny kid's mouth everytime he saw Ben sucking on it and chewing on it himself. Good doggie. Good doggie.
We made it to the airport in a timely fashion, got our bags checked, and boarding passes printed (including a security pass for me to get through to the gate to help out). Security was a breeze - my nephew, Frank was a huge help wrangling Emma - and we got to the gate with just a few minutes to spare before pre-boarding started. I said my goodbyes at the gate, it didn't even phase the kids - the phrase, "Peace out!" comes to mind... I was sad for about 2.2 seconds until I remembered I still had the bedrooms to pack and to finish off the kitchen.
So off home I went and literally spent from 6am to 4:30pm packing and cleaning and packing and cleaning.Then we had our last dinner out in LA with Uncle Raul and Aunt Laurie at a sushi restaurant in Granada Hills. I laughed at the irony that I was eating sushi as I closed out the LA chapter of my life when I had come to LA 12 years prior from Japan...
Gramma Lou survived the trip with a quick layover in Chicago to stretch and feed the babes. She said both kids behaved well and Emma only broke down the last 20 minutes of the last leg of the flight before passing out 10 minutes before landing. Typical!
The movers arrived promptly at 8:45am on Tuesday just as I was packing up the last box (or what I thought was the last box - there is always ONE MORE BOX!). They had the truck loaded and tallied ($300 more than the estimate I was given...) by 1:30pm and we were on the road with the seats of the hatchback folded down, doggies in their beds in the back, headed northeast bidding adieu to Los Angeles by 2:00pm which was actually our goal for the day. Imagine that.
We headed up the 405 N, to the 5 N to 14 NE through Lancaster and Mojave. There we connected with the 395 and headed north through the amazing snowcapped Mammouth Mountains. Just east of Yosemite we headed northeast on the 167 into Nevada just as the sun was setting over Mono Lake. We shot up the 95 from Hawthorne connecting with Interstate 80 East pulling into Winnemucca NV at 11:20pm clocking 586 miles on the odometer our first day. Not too shabby.
I just got a call from Gramma Lou. She took the kids over the the maternity ward of the hospital where she works to show them off to her coworkers. Emma got to see a newborn baby and was very excited. She told the ladies that she wanted to "borrow the baby" and play with it. HAHA! Gramma Lou is doing an awesome job not only taking care of the kiddos but breaking Benny of the binky habit. Aunt Lisa's giant dog, Duke, was like minded literally snatching it out of the tiny kid's mouth everytime he saw Ben sucking on it and chewing on it himself. Good doggie. Good doggie.
Friday, May 21, 2010
I LOVE the BEACH!
As you know Benny has a myriad of names around our home. Daddy added two new ones to the mix last night. As Ben has been sick and has a constant runny nose that he basically smears all over his face and into his hair and Daddy is 1/2 Russian, he nicked named Ben "Benny Boogersmir." Also, since our young son seems to have a affinity for going #2 in the bath and has already done so 3 times in the past week (so yucky!), Daddy blessed him with his Native Indian name, "Poops In Tub."
BACK TRACKING a week to the Cruise...
On Saturday we spent the day at Disney's private island called Castaway Cay. It had gorgeous white sandy beaches and clear blue water. The ship docked about a 15 minute walk from the main beach, it was pretty hot and there was a tram, but we decided to hoof it and wear off some of those dinner calories from the night before! Along the path was the actual pirate ship from Pirates of the Caribbean and here was my attempt at getting 3 generations of Batter men in a photo:
Emma's back of the head makes a guest appearance...
Once we got to the beach, we headed straight for the water. Benny had a blast playing in the sand.
It took quite a bit of coaxing to get both of the children to get into the water, but once we did they had a BLAST. Emma kept screaming to the delight of Daddy and I and lots of other parents playing about, "I LOVE the beach! I LOVE the beach!" And continues even today, requesting that we go to the beach - little does she know they don't all look so beautiful! She didn't want to go into the water deeper than her legs though. Daddy stole her once to bring her out deeper and you would have thought he was a stranger kidnapping her with the way she kicked and screamed! Here is a short video of them playing:
Benny is at that age where he loves to smile at the camera - not this day though - the kid was way to busy to even look at me!
BACK TRACKING a week to the Cruise...
On Saturday we spent the day at Disney's private island called Castaway Cay. It had gorgeous white sandy beaches and clear blue water. The ship docked about a 15 minute walk from the main beach, it was pretty hot and there was a tram, but we decided to hoof it and wear off some of those dinner calories from the night before! Along the path was the actual pirate ship from Pirates of the Caribbean and here was my attempt at getting 3 generations of Batter men in a photo:
Emma's back of the head makes a guest appearance...
Once we got to the beach, we headed straight for the water. Benny had a blast playing in the sand.
It took quite a bit of coaxing to get both of the children to get into the water, but once we did they had a BLAST. Emma kept screaming to the delight of Daddy and I and lots of other parents playing about, "I LOVE the beach! I LOVE the beach!" And continues even today, requesting that we go to the beach - little does she know they don't all look so beautiful! She didn't want to go into the water deeper than her legs though. Daddy stole her once to bring her out deeper and you would have thought he was a stranger kidnapping her with the way she kicked and screamed! Here is a short video of them playing:
Benny is at that age where he loves to smile at the camera - not this day though - the kid was way to busy to even look at me!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
water babies
Porter + pool = pooped.
That is how I will sum up today. Emma spent 3 hours playing with her buddy Porter today (THANKS, P's Mama!!) and when she got home we spent another hour at the pool. The girl was so tired from playing that she passed out in the beanbag chair by 7pm. Whohoo!!
Ben LOVED the pool. He loved it so much he screeched and squealed each and every time I tried to take him out of it to head home. The kid has no fear and is an absolute Aquaman. He, too, was asleep by 7:10pm. I finally had to literally carry 2 soaking wet crying toddlers from the pool to our pad when it was time to leave. They both kicked and screamed the whole way which possibly tuckered them (and ME!) out even more - if you have been to our compound you will know that our place is farthest from the pool... Can you say bulging biceps?
Raisins. If you need to entertain Ben for 5 minutes so you can get something done, give the kid a mini box of raisins. He loves them. He loves eating them. He loves digging them out of the box. He cries when that last one is stuck in the corner and he can't quite reach it. It is so darned endearing to watch that I almost don't get the thing done I needed to do because I have so much fun spying on him.
Last week for my birthday, our buddies brought cake and fudgesicles (sp?). The other day Emma asked me for a "mexico." A what? "A mexico, mama?" What do you mean, what's a mexico? "A MEXICO. You eat it and get chocolate all over." OOOOH, a popsicle? "Yeah, mom, a popsicle." Ha!!
That is how I will sum up today. Emma spent 3 hours playing with her buddy Porter today (THANKS, P's Mama!!) and when she got home we spent another hour at the pool. The girl was so tired from playing that she passed out in the beanbag chair by 7pm. Whohoo!!
Ben LOVED the pool. He loved it so much he screeched and squealed each and every time I tried to take him out of it to head home. The kid has no fear and is an absolute Aquaman. He, too, was asleep by 7:10pm. I finally had to literally carry 2 soaking wet crying toddlers from the pool to our pad when it was time to leave. They both kicked and screamed the whole way which possibly tuckered them (and ME!) out even more - if you have been to our compound you will know that our place is farthest from the pool... Can you say bulging biceps?
Raisins. If you need to entertain Ben for 5 minutes so you can get something done, give the kid a mini box of raisins. He loves them. He loves eating them. He loves digging them out of the box. He cries when that last one is stuck in the corner and he can't quite reach it. It is so darned endearing to watch that I almost don't get the thing done I needed to do because I have so much fun spying on him.
Last week for my birthday, our buddies brought cake and fudgesicles (sp?). The other day Emma asked me for a "mexico." A what? "A mexico, mama?" What do you mean, what's a mexico? "A MEXICO. You eat it and get chocolate all over." OOOOH, a popsicle? "Yeah, mom, a popsicle." Ha!!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
They call me mellow yellow...
The best part about catching the germie cooties from your children and getting sicker than they ever were is that you don't feel one iota of guilt when you gorge on comfort food to make you feel better, even if the feeling only lingers for a second or two. I have a full blown deep in my chest ugly owie cold that I think Benny now has, too, because he is sneezing and snotting about as much as me. So, while at the market this morning infecting all the other shoppers, I picked up a tube of ready made chocolate chip cookie dough that was on sale with every intention of baking up the cookies and eating them all by bedtime tonight. I got home, preheated the oven, opened up the tube and realized - dum dum dummmmm, yepper, I had already packed the cookie sheets. I have no idea which box they are in and I am not going to tear through a bunch of boxes knowing I could just as easily pop over to my friend, Stacey's place a few doors down and borrow hers. But did I? NOPE. I ate the cookie dough raw - because in my heart of hearts that is what I really wanted to do to begin with. And, now I won't have to share with my kids. Mean? Nope, they INFECTED ME! : )
I still have more vacation fun to write, but I'll keep you in suspense for another day or two and fill you in on what has been happening around here for the past week besides packing and sickness. Ben has two new obsessions, doors and puddles. If a door is open, Ben MUST close it. If the lid on the toilet seat is up, Ben MUST close it (first he will swish his hands around in the bowl water... no more "if it's yellow, it's mellow" in our house...). Puddles. Unlike other little children who love to JUMP in puddles, Ben will lay down on the ground next to the puddle and drink it. Yes, drink it. Ben drinks puddle water. Thankfully here in CA the sun dries up the puddles fairly quickly so the water isn't stagnet. Oh, but wait, we are moving east where is rains often and the sun isn't nearly as efficient. AAAAAck.
We have sold ALL our living room and kitchenette furniture (thank you craigslist) and have just the rocking chair and bean bag to sit on. Yesterday while watching Emma's best buddy, Evie, out of the blue she said, "Hey Brenda, Where's your couches?" Then this morning Emma wanted to watch a movie but she wanted to sit on a "chair" (i.e. couch or comfy side chair) not the bean bag. She wanted a "real" chair. Daddy explained to her that we are going to buy new ones in our new house in New York but she wasn't satisfied with that answer, she wanted to be comfortable now.
I still have more vacation fun to write, but I'll keep you in suspense for another day or two and fill you in on what has been happening around here for the past week besides packing and sickness. Ben has two new obsessions, doors and puddles. If a door is open, Ben MUST close it. If the lid on the toilet seat is up, Ben MUST close it (first he will swish his hands around in the bowl water... no more "if it's yellow, it's mellow" in our house...). Puddles. Unlike other little children who love to JUMP in puddles, Ben will lay down on the ground next to the puddle and drink it. Yes, drink it. Ben drinks puddle water. Thankfully here in CA the sun dries up the puddles fairly quickly so the water isn't stagnet. Oh, but wait, we are moving east where is rains often and the sun isn't nearly as efficient. AAAAAck.
We have sold ALL our living room and kitchenette furniture (thank you craigslist) and have just the rocking chair and bean bag to sit on. Yesterday while watching Emma's best buddy, Evie, out of the blue she said, "Hey Brenda, Where's your couches?" Then this morning Emma wanted to watch a movie but she wanted to sit on a "chair" (i.e. couch or comfy side chair) not the bean bag. She wanted a "real" chair. Daddy explained to her that we are going to buy new ones in our new house in New York but she wasn't satisfied with that answer, she wanted to be comfortable now.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Boat fitness
Both kids have full blown colds now and don't want to do anything. The plus side is I am actually getting a ton of packing done because they are just vegging on the floor in front of the tv. I know that sounds terrible, but what it really is is LIFE. Auntie Cold added Lion King and Monsters, Inc. to our movie collection and both are a HIT with the kiddies. Thanks, Auntie Cold!!
Disney Cruise... where was I?
After our meet and greet with the princesses we docked at Nassau in the Bahamas. As I have been there before and know it is not necessarily a kid friendly place, we decided to stay on the ship and take advantage of all the floating city had to offer. We spent the morning swimming in the Mickey Mouse pool. Emma had a blast with all the kids - and there were certainly plenty to play with. She even went down the giant water slide. I thought I would be able to go with her, but it was a "No Adults Allowed" zone - I put her on it, then raced down the stairs and around the pool to pluck her off it. I think she enjoyed it but I didn't get to see any of it go down because I was running full speed to meet her at the bottom. She didn't cry and didn't seem to be scared of it, but also didn't request to go down it again!
After lunch, we walked around the ship exploring all the nooks and crannies. Daddy and Emma went to see "The Princess and the Frog" playing in the full sized movie theatre on the 4th floor. I thought I would attempt to tucker Benny out by letting him wander around the deck on the 5th floor which goes all the way around the ship. I think we circled the boat 3 times, climbed up about 9 flights of stair inside the ship and still this kid DID NOT TIRE. 8 second video proof:
After the movie we joined forces and tried to get the kids to relax on the deck chairs. HAHAHA, they sat long enough for me to get a picture and off we went!
That evening after dinner we attempted the Broadway-esque show in the Walt Disney Theatre, Toy Story. Emma was so excited, "I wanna go see the SHOW!" and was pretty well mesmerized watching it. Even though she has never seen the movie, she loved watching all the toys sing and dance on stage and even remembers Woody and Buzz' names. Benny made it through about 1/2 of the show before getting wiggly and fussy and ready for bed. He and I snuck out and headed back to the room while Em stayed with Daddy, Abuelita and Grandpop.
When we got back to the room we found another towel creation:
Disney Cruise... where was I?
After our meet and greet with the princesses we docked at Nassau in the Bahamas. As I have been there before and know it is not necessarily a kid friendly place, we decided to stay on the ship and take advantage of all the floating city had to offer. We spent the morning swimming in the Mickey Mouse pool. Emma had a blast with all the kids - and there were certainly plenty to play with. She even went down the giant water slide. I thought I would be able to go with her, but it was a "No Adults Allowed" zone - I put her on it, then raced down the stairs and around the pool to pluck her off it. I think she enjoyed it but I didn't get to see any of it go down because I was running full speed to meet her at the bottom. She didn't cry and didn't seem to be scared of it, but also didn't request to go down it again!
After lunch, we walked around the ship exploring all the nooks and crannies. Daddy and Emma went to see "The Princess and the Frog" playing in the full sized movie theatre on the 4th floor. I thought I would attempt to tucker Benny out by letting him wander around the deck on the 5th floor which goes all the way around the ship. I think we circled the boat 3 times, climbed up about 9 flights of stair inside the ship and still this kid DID NOT TIRE. 8 second video proof:
After the movie we joined forces and tried to get the kids to relax on the deck chairs. HAHAHA, they sat long enough for me to get a picture and off we went!
That evening after dinner we attempted the Broadway-esque show in the Walt Disney Theatre, Toy Story. Emma was so excited, "I wanna go see the SHOW!" and was pretty well mesmerized watching it. Even though she has never seen the movie, she loved watching all the toys sing and dance on stage and even remembers Woody and Buzz' names. Benny made it through about 1/2 of the show before getting wiggly and fussy and ready for bed. He and I snuck out and headed back to the room while Em stayed with Daddy, Abuelita and Grandpop.
When we got back to the room we found another towel creation:
Friday, May 14, 2010
You're listening to 103.5
A rough 36 hours.
My birthday ended at Midnight Wednesday with Emma running out of her room all disoriented. She had a 103.5 fever that we attempted to control every 4-6 hours with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. What I learned is her body responds immediately to Ibuprofen and no so much at all to the Tylenol. Weird.
She was a complete zombie all day yesterday falling in and out of sleep while watching one movie after another on the dvd player. I couldn't even convince her to take a walk outside with me for fresh air - something she LOVES to do. She oddly had a great appetite but wouldn't drink anything - the opposite of what you are supposed to do for a feverish kid. She is still sleeping now (9am) but it seems as though her fever has finally broken so we are letting her little body rest and fight back.
PRINCESSES. We hopped the Disney ground transportation buses from Orlando airport to Pt Canaveral where we boarded the ship. The port building was pretty huge and when we walked the plank onto the ship you couldn't really see the ship so the whole time we were on the boat Emma kept saying, "I wanna go on the Princess boat! I wanna go on the princess boat." It wasn't until we got off the ship at Disney's private island that she made the connection that all the fun we had been having was actually ON THE BOAT.
We saw characters here and there on the ship, but Friday morning was the biggy for Emma, it was "meet the Princesses" time. We waited in line and she was pretty stoked. The closer we got to the front of the line the less stoked she got. By the time we were the next to meet the Princesses, she was in my arms saying, "I wanna go home." I am guessing because she idolizes them so much it must have been very intimidating for her. Snow White was first and she actually walked up to her and gave her a hug. We couldn't get any smiles or words out of her though! Cinderella came next and she FROZE. I had to beg her to stand by her side so I could get a pic! She wouldn't even go near Princess Tiana, and finally by the time we got to Belle a whopping 4 minutes of fancy dresses later, she was spent. A picture speaks a thousand words: (click on pic to blow it up)
The only semi-decent pic we got was from the professional photographer on the boat. I want to frame this one and hang it in her room when we get settled in our new place.
My birthday ended at Midnight Wednesday with Emma running out of her room all disoriented. She had a 103.5 fever that we attempted to control every 4-6 hours with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. What I learned is her body responds immediately to Ibuprofen and no so much at all to the Tylenol. Weird.
She was a complete zombie all day yesterday falling in and out of sleep while watching one movie after another on the dvd player. I couldn't even convince her to take a walk outside with me for fresh air - something she LOVES to do. She oddly had a great appetite but wouldn't drink anything - the opposite of what you are supposed to do for a feverish kid. She is still sleeping now (9am) but it seems as though her fever has finally broken so we are letting her little body rest and fight back.
PRINCESSES. We hopped the Disney ground transportation buses from Orlando airport to Pt Canaveral where we boarded the ship. The port building was pretty huge and when we walked the plank onto the ship you couldn't really see the ship so the whole time we were on the boat Emma kept saying, "I wanna go on the Princess boat! I wanna go on the princess boat." It wasn't until we got off the ship at Disney's private island that she made the connection that all the fun we had been having was actually ON THE BOAT.
We saw characters here and there on the ship, but Friday morning was the biggy for Emma, it was "meet the Princesses" time. We waited in line and she was pretty stoked. The closer we got to the front of the line the less stoked she got. By the time we were the next to meet the Princesses, she was in my arms saying, "I wanna go home." I am guessing because she idolizes them so much it must have been very intimidating for her. Snow White was first and she actually walked up to her and gave her a hug. We couldn't get any smiles or words out of her though! Cinderella came next and she FROZE. I had to beg her to stand by her side so I could get a pic! She wouldn't even go near Princess Tiana, and finally by the time we got to Belle a whopping 4 minutes of fancy dresses later, she was spent. A picture speaks a thousand words: (click on pic to blow it up)
The only semi-decent pic we got was from the professional photographer on the boat. I want to frame this one and hang it in her room when we get settled in our new place.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Happy Birthday to me.
In all the travel and moving hustle and bustle, I almost forgot today was my birthday. Almost.
I spent the morning at the dermatologist getting some moles removed and the one on my nose frozen off. Woooooo! And then the afternoon at the pediatrician for Emma's well visit. In between, I got the first of two birthday cakes and songs - ignore my freaky facial expressions - I am a theatre actor you know. Also ignore my gray roots - I am now 39 and can proudly show them off.
Our best buddies came over for dinner and I got round two of cake!! I got a whopping 4 seconds of video before my battery died, but it is the sweetest 4 seconds ever with my three favorite little girls. Play it over and over and over and it will feel like you get the whole song. : )
All in all, a great day!
(Cruise pics and stories to follow if I can stay awake...must wash dishes...fairy godmother no where in sight - she must have forgot it was my birthday.)
I spent the morning at the dermatologist getting some moles removed and the one on my nose frozen off. Woooooo! And then the afternoon at the pediatrician for Emma's well visit. In between, I got the first of two birthday cakes and songs - ignore my freaky facial expressions - I am a theatre actor you know. Also ignore my gray roots - I am now 39 and can proudly show them off.
Our best buddies came over for dinner and I got round two of cake!! I got a whopping 4 seconds of video before my battery died, but it is the sweetest 4 seconds ever with my three favorite little girls. Play it over and over and over and it will feel like you get the whole song. : )
All in all, a great day!
(Cruise pics and stories to follow if I can stay awake...must wash dishes...fairy godmother no where in sight - she must have forgot it was my birthday.)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Square one
What I learned about taking a trip with 2 children 2 and under is you can never pack enough pull-ups. Yes, Emma is potty trained, but I swear, between flyaway bus rides, long flights, waiting for luggage, long drives looking at potential places to live, more flights, a bus ride to the cruise ship... you get the picture. It was a nightmare and I burned through my allotted supply and the spares within 72 hours leaving me with lots of wet laundry. Good thing the cruise ship had a launderette! 2 bucks to wash, 2 bucks to dry, and a dollar for detergent - WELL WORTH IT, plus I came home with a suitcase full of clean laundry.
It has been a bit of a bear getting her back on track. She had 3 accidents today and I have a feeling with the upcoming move, we may be starting all over again in 3 weeks when we are settled in our new home. Oh well, I am not going to stress about it, that is why they invented pull-ups...
The kids were actually tolerable on the airplanes. I was worried about how I was going to occupy my so-called "hyper" child, Benjamin, for 5 hours stretches when it turns out he was the dream kid to travel with and Emzilla had the challenges. Ben slept lots, Emma - not so much. She is NOT a good napper and the early flight out wreaked havoc on her system. At one point she was "that kid" screaming uncontrollably for a good 20 minutes before I
finally held her so tight she couldn't struggle any more and passed out. The bathroom stalls on the airplane did little in their nastiness to encourage her to use the facilities, and on the older planes there weren't any changing tables so 'ole Benny was forced to flash a few fellow passengers on occasion. I must admit, I liked having Daddy to help! I've done those flights solo too many times and give huge props to the single parents I saw on the flights. Emma did keep quiet when she was watching a movie on her dvd player feeding her face with snacks (picture evidence).
The first afternoon we were on the ship before we set sail, we had to do an emergency evacuation drill in full life vest regalia. As you can imagine, Emma got a kick out of it, Benny didn't. Look at the difference in the vests. Benny's was all tricked out with a hoodie and long sleeves. STYLIN'!
I will post Princess pics and stories tomorrow - GOOD TIMES, PEOPLE!
"Funnies by Emma" #2: We were enjoying playing with some kids Emma and Ben's age on a layover in Albuquerque who happened to be of mixed race, mulatto to be exact. When we got on our next flight and the plane was about to take off, Emma in all her innocent beautiful glory said, "Hey, where'd the brown boys go. I wanna play with the brown boys." It came from such a sweet place, her pure desire to want to play with other children that we couldn't scold her use of words and completely failed in correcting her and using it a chance for a "lesson."
It has been a bit of a bear getting her back on track. She had 3 accidents today and I have a feeling with the upcoming move, we may be starting all over again in 3 weeks when we are settled in our new home. Oh well, I am not going to stress about it, that is why they invented pull-ups...
The kids were actually tolerable on the airplanes. I was worried about how I was going to occupy my so-called "hyper" child, Benjamin, for 5 hours stretches when it turns out he was the dream kid to travel with and Emzilla had the challenges. Ben slept lots, Emma - not so much. She is NOT a good napper and the early flight out wreaked havoc on her system. At one point she was "that kid" screaming uncontrollably for a good 20 minutes before I
finally held her so tight she couldn't struggle any more and passed out. The bathroom stalls on the airplane did little in their nastiness to encourage her to use the facilities, and on the older planes there weren't any changing tables so 'ole Benny was forced to flash a few fellow passengers on occasion. I must admit, I liked having Daddy to help! I've done those flights solo too many times and give huge props to the single parents I saw on the flights. Emma did keep quiet when she was watching a movie on her dvd player feeding her face with snacks (picture evidence).The first afternoon we were on the ship before we set sail, we had to do an emergency evacuation drill in full life vest regalia. As you can imagine, Emma got a kick out of it, Benny didn't. Look at the difference in the vests. Benny's was all tricked out with a hoodie and long sleeves. STYLIN'!
I will post Princess pics and stories tomorrow - GOOD TIMES, PEOPLE!
"Funnies by Emma" #2: We were enjoying playing with some kids Emma and Ben's age on a layover in Albuquerque who happened to be of mixed race, mulatto to be exact. When we got on our next flight and the plane was about to take off, Emma in all her innocent beautiful glory said, "Hey, where'd the brown boys go. I wanna play with the brown boys." It came from such a sweet place, her pure desire to want to play with other children that we couldn't scold her use of words and completely failed in correcting her and using it a chance for a "lesson."
Port Jefferson
We are home safe and sound and absolutely wiped out beyond sleepiness. But our whirlwind tour of the east coast and the Bahamas was wonderfully worth it.
First of all we found a new place to live in a quaint north shore of Long Island village called Port Jefferson. This place transported me back to the 1800's when waves of immigrants were first coming into the United States. It is NOTHING like the giant metropolises I have been living in for the past 21 years and will take some getting used to! (click on the pics to blow them up)
The above pics are of the main street of the village. The following are the port at the end of the street:
And finally, our new house (apartment). It is one of 4 apartments in a building on a small mountain in the forest on the outskirts of town. It is peaceful and there is tons of yard space for the kids and the dogs (which you can't really see from this angle...).
I have so much more to write, but I am seeing double I am so exhausted. I will try to add more in the morning. I will leave you with the first of "funnies by Emma" from the trip. We were standing at the curb of LAX when Emma saw one of the "Parking Spot" transport vans. They are yellow with black polka dots on them and Emma said, "Look Daddy, the cheese bus!" thinking they looked like swiss cheese...
First of all we found a new place to live in a quaint north shore of Long Island village called Port Jefferson. This place transported me back to the 1800's when waves of immigrants were first coming into the United States. It is NOTHING like the giant metropolises I have been living in for the past 21 years and will take some getting used to! (click on the pics to blow them up)
The above pics are of the main street of the village. The following are the port at the end of the street:
And finally, our new house (apartment). It is one of 4 apartments in a building on a small mountain in the forest on the outskirts of town. It is peaceful and there is tons of yard space for the kids and the dogs (which you can't really see from this angle...).
I have so much more to write, but I am seeing double I am so exhausted. I will try to add more in the morning. I will leave you with the first of "funnies by Emma" from the trip. We were standing at the curb of LAX when Emma saw one of the "Parking Spot" transport vans. They are yellow with black polka dots on them and Emma said, "Look Daddy, the cheese bus!" thinking they looked like swiss cheese...
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Polar opposites daily
When I was a kid the only jam my Dad would let my Mom buy was grape. I never understood it. Why couldn't we buy grape, and buy strawberry - my favorite - too? The other day at the supermarket I realized that I have become my father. Except I only buy strawberry jam. But, I will make the promise here for all in internetland to read, although I am known for my thriftiness, the day Emma requests a different jam, I will spend the $2.50 for a second jar for her!
Sometimes I think Emma is bipolar because her moods switch on a dime, then I remind myself that she is only 2 years and 9 going on 10 months. This morning was a great example of this. She woke up genuinely happy at the same time as Ben. She burst into tears and was a crying miserable wreck for the next 90 minutes because I got Ben out of his crib before I acknowledged that she was up and wanted to get up, too (keep in mind she sleeps in a full sized bed and can get up and out of bed freely...). She fussed and whined and cried and whimpered and moaned until about 10 minutes before we left the house to go to church. Then all of a sudden, she was happy and pleasant and helped me put on her pretty dress and shoes and chatted away as we drove in the car. This will all change the day she turns 3, right? No more terrible 2s?
During one of our wrestling matches yesterday I noticed Benny has both lower front molars coming in along with those slow growing eye teeth. He has been taking 3 hour naps every day for about 10 days now - I am guessing these are part of his growth spurt.
Did I mention we cut Emma's hair? We plopped her in front of Sleeping Beauty and bribed her to sit still with chocolate and had at it. It looks pretty good considering my scissors are duller than dull! I would put up a picture but she refuses to sit still long enough for me to take one.
Sometimes I think Emma is bipolar because her moods switch on a dime, then I remind myself that she is only 2 years and 9 going on 10 months. This morning was a great example of this. She woke up genuinely happy at the same time as Ben. She burst into tears and was a crying miserable wreck for the next 90 minutes because I got Ben out of his crib before I acknowledged that she was up and wanted to get up, too (keep in mind she sleeps in a full sized bed and can get up and out of bed freely...). She fussed and whined and cried and whimpered and moaned until about 10 minutes before we left the house to go to church. Then all of a sudden, she was happy and pleasant and helped me put on her pretty dress and shoes and chatted away as we drove in the car. This will all change the day she turns 3, right? No more terrible 2s?
During one of our wrestling matches yesterday I noticed Benny has both lower front molars coming in along with those slow growing eye teeth. He has been taking 3 hour naps every day for about 10 days now - I am guessing these are part of his growth spurt.
Did I mention we cut Emma's hair? We plopped her in front of Sleeping Beauty and bribed her to sit still with chocolate and had at it. It looks pretty good considering my scissors are duller than dull! I would put up a picture but she refuses to sit still long enough for me to take one.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Got Daddy?
Every day I see Benny comprehending more and more.
"Come on, Benny. Get in your highchair. Let's eat!" and he comes running to me to hoist him up.
"Hey, Benny, you want some milk?" and he follows me into the kitchen.
"You want to take a bath, buddy?" - kid goes straight to his bathroom.
But does he speak? NOPE, not a word. But Emma hardly said anything until she was 18 months and now - oh, yes, I am gonna say it, we can't shut her up.
He also is grasping social rules a bit. For example, he was playing with a toy and Emma grabbed it from him. He got pissed and grabbed the nearest thing, a lego, and threw it at her face. HA!
He is still incredibly sensitive to the "bad guy/gal" on tv and dvds. He runs away down the hall crying until they have left the screen. It is so endearing - I just want to scoop him and and love on him when he does that!
I caught Emma yelling at the dogs and swatting them on the rumps this afternoon when they were barking at the gardener. I actually said to her, "Emma, don't hit the doggies, that's not nice. Only Mommy can hit them." Really? Only Mommy? This kid is a carbon copy of my actions - I have got to be more disciplined!
Daddy should be home any minute... Hoo-to-the-RAY!
"Come on, Benny. Get in your highchair. Let's eat!" and he comes running to me to hoist him up.
"Hey, Benny, you want some milk?" and he follows me into the kitchen.
"You want to take a bath, buddy?" - kid goes straight to his bathroom.
But does he speak? NOPE, not a word. But Emma hardly said anything until she was 18 months and now - oh, yes, I am gonna say it, we can't shut her up.
He also is grasping social rules a bit. For example, he was playing with a toy and Emma grabbed it from him. He got pissed and grabbed the nearest thing, a lego, and threw it at her face. HA!
He is still incredibly sensitive to the "bad guy/gal" on tv and dvds. He runs away down the hall crying until they have left the screen. It is so endearing - I just want to scoop him and and love on him when he does that!
I caught Emma yelling at the dogs and swatting them on the rumps this afternoon when they were barking at the gardener. I actually said to her, "Emma, don't hit the doggies, that's not nice. Only Mommy can hit them." Really? Only Mommy? This kid is a carbon copy of my actions - I have got to be more disciplined!
Daddy should be home any minute... Hoo-to-the-RAY!
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