66˚ on Nov 26 in NY = happiness!

We met up with Grandpa, Aunt Lisa, Cousins Lean and Frank Friday morning for breakfast at the local diner before heading back to NY. The return trip was uneventful - unless you call needing the Heimlich maneuver "eventful." Yep, Daddy busted out the Heimlich on a McDonald's cheeseburger eating Emma. So, I guess our trip home was actually "eventful."

Note to self, make sure your kid while eating a fast food cheeseburger and exclaiming, "Ooh, pickle! I love pickles!" actually does a better job of chewing the pickle before swallowing... Turns out, Emma, accomplished a once in a lifetime feat of chewing the pickle but somehow only swallowing the center of the pickle, leaving the outer ring to get stuck in her throat like a long piece of fettuccine gagging her and rendering her choking and breathless! Daddy reacted with lightening Daddy skills, Heimliched twice, she coughed out the intruder pickle and started breathing again. (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my husband???)

She was pretty shaken up by the scare, but not enough to NOT finish the burger. Go, Emma.

So, just to clarify... TWICE we have stopped at a McDonalds on the return trip from PA to NY, and TWICE we have had Emma eating drama. (If you recall, she once choked on a french fry and vomited all over our fancy new-used minivan...). Perhaps we should stick to Wendy's... Em prefers their junior bacon cheeseburger anyway. I mean really, BACON!

Speaking of bacon, Saturdays are pretty busy around the penthouse. So busy I usually forget to remove a protein from the freezer in time for it to thaw for dinner. Today was no different so Em ended up with leftover turkey for dinner (no complaints), BUT not Benjamin. He ate FOUR pieces of center cut bacon and a few plates of Auntie Annie's Mac and cheese. Seriously, I went into the village to do some Christmas shopping ("Black Saturday" - shop LOCAL and support the Mom and Pop shops!!!) and came home to Daddy giving me the play by play of Benjamin requesting, "Want more, Daddy?" as if to say, I WANT MORE and if I am all cute about it I know you'll give it to me.

(FYI, I purchased ONE awesome gift shopping local for my husband. I came home, we got the kids to bed, and then my husband OPENED the gift!! Yes, once again, this is why I shop on Dec 24th or order from Amazon and have it shipped to wherever we are celebrating Christmas. IT'S ME!! I can't delay the gratification of giving! HAHAHA!)

This afternoon we enjoyed the "Santa Parade" in our village put on by our local Chamber of Commerce. I teared up watching my kiddos enjoy the firetrucks and boyscouts and local dance school kids and the Dickens Festival characters all costumed up, etc. marching by. It was cheesy and small town and a wonderful example of WHY we happily left the big city to settle in our little seaport village where on a daily basis we run into someone who truly does "know our name".

Proof of the FUN:

click on me to blow up

What I LOVE about this pic is Emma and George covering their ears as the firetrucks let the sirens go, Ben being a silent observer, and my pal Jen getting the kiddos in the spirit of the whole parade magic by waving at all the folks marching by.

Today was another one of those GOOD days.

Gobble Gobble

Now that Ben is talking more and using catch phrases at appropriate times, my stellar parenting skills are becoming increasing obvious. For example, yesterday in the car I raised my voice for some reason and he said, "Mommy, zip it!" which is a phrase I have been known to use when Em is whining and whining and simply won't quiet down. *oops!*

Thanksgiving was a great day with family. We cooked some good eats (have I mentioned lately how awesome of a chef Daddy is? - his maple syrup chipotle deviled eggs stole the show!), "We" minus Ben. That kid is seriously missing out. Gramma's turkey was juicy and yummy and the sweet potatoes were to die for. Did I mention apple pie? Pumpkin pie? Whipped cream? NOPE. This kid pooh poohed it all. Silly rabbit...

Also since his trip to Denver where perchance he thought I abandoned him for the weekend, he has been increasingly needy in a bigtime Mama's boy way. He constantly wants to sit on my lap, especially at mealtimes, which we need to nip in the bud asap (easy to do in our own home, not so much in a restaurant or at Thanksgiving dinner where other people are trying to enjoy their meals). He screeches like a dieing baby pterodactyl piercing eardrums across the land. *ouchie*

Homeward bound today... Wish us luck for an uneventful journey. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

Turkey day 1 of 4

We snuck out of town a day early to head to PA for our Thanksgiving celebration with family. About 10 minutes into the drive Em realized she forgot "Melmin" her stuffed giraffe and the flavor of the week (day?) toy. We were not turning back, especially for a toy we knew she didn't really play with, and she bawled for a good 20 minutes...

Once she got that out of her system, she was quite a pleasant traveler, even in a bit of construction traffic at the Water Gap. She only requested 2 potty breaks and we made the trip in a little over four hours. Ben made the trip without a fuss and pulled into Grandpa's driveway after four hours with a dry diaper. This kid is ready to be potty trained. Anyone wanna get on that for me? Girls, I know how to train. Boys, not so much!

The kids slept in the same bed last night and slept well - waking at about 6:45am. I am hoping we can make this permanent so i can get rid of the toddler bed in their room and just have the one full size bed! (How very other-country of us!) Seriously, that would be awesome! Although when I asked Em this morning how she slept, she announced without hesitation, "That was the worst night ever!" It flowed out of her mouth so naturally that I thought she had been practicing that sentence over and over and finally had an opportunity to use it!

new workout

I dislike working out. It's no secret. I love power walking with a friend around a lake pushing double strollers (Afton!), I love running / walking with a gaggle of girls training for our fake 5 ks (Kim, Lori!), etc. What I dislike is working out on my own (running solo!), doing Wii fit (video games bore me - they remind me of how much time I WASTED in my youth), etc...

I would much rather sacrifice something I LOVE TO DO to lose weight, which is exactly what I did this past year. I now weigh 136 pounds - I haven't weighed 136 pounds since I was in junior high school. Yes, the placement of the pounds is very different at age 40 then it is at 14, but the point is, for the first time in a very long time, I actually enjoy putting on a pair of pants and looking in the mirror to see the results. Hooray! (PS, I simply sacrificed calories. That simple. 1400 a day...)

That diatribe is leading me to this. Sunday I was in charge of the Awesome Foursome for about 3 hours and let me tell you, those kids worked me out! My favorite part was this:

That's right, folks. This caboose was sporting about 160 pounds of KID and this mama was the conductor! But, I gotta tell ya, this is the kind of workout I actually LIKE!!! On the hills, Georgie was encouraging me, "You can do it!" I was trying to set a good example by tugging and tugging saying, "I think I can, I think I can..."


So, exercise Gods, feel free to throw a little bit more of this stuff my way. I will still count calories to maintain, and I promise, I will never ever ever work out solo ever again. :)

Let the Holiday parties begin!

Thanksgiving Feast at PreK

Em's PreK class had their Thanksgiving "feast" at school on Friday. All the parents were invited to witness the festivities and we were cracking up. They were dressed as pilgrims - as you can see above - and each recited what they were going to eat for Thanksgiving dinner. Em was one of the only kids to "get it right" saying she was going to eat "Turkey", one girl said turkey pie, the Italian kid said Pasta and pastina, some kids said pizza, the Asian kids said noodles - it couldn't have been more stereotypical.

The "feast" consisted of mini bagels, fruit salad, apple juice, and popcorn bagged in their cornucopias. You know, just like the first dinner with the Pilgrims and the Indians. YUM!

Catch up once again!

At the mall with Ben a few weeks ago he noticed all the Christmas decorations in every store. He said at least 20 times, "Look, Mommy, it's Christman!" He cannot for the life of him say Christmas! He even calls our friend, Christopher, Christman.

On Wednesday I was in desperate need of a BJs run after being away all weekend. It was pouring down rain and I had both kids with me. I have gotten so spoiled going with just one kid or no kids now that Emma is in school!! Well let me tell you, my kids can be angels or they can be rotten little monkeys. They were the latter that day, fighting in the cart, yelling and screaming over who gets to hold what, etc. People were staring but (patting myself on the back) I did not "lose it" in the store. I actually calmly talked to them about the proper behavior in public. Yay, me! I guess having 3 kid free days can do that for a Mommy.

Since then, I have lost it my usual 2 or 3 times a day. But hey, one good day is a start, no?

After dropping Emma off at school Thursday morning while driving home, Benjamin said, "Hey, Mommy, bagel?" I said, "Sorry, buddy, we don't have any bagels. How about a waffle?" "Nope! Howbout bagel?" "I said we don't have any bagels. How about a waffle?" "Nope! Howbout bagel?" We repeated this about 10 times, each time Ben voice got higher and higher and sweeter and sweeter. The final straw was when he said unprovoked, "Palaaaaaaaze, Mommy? Palaaaaaze?" Needless to say we ended up at Dunkin Donuts buying the kid a bagel with the change in my ashtray...

While trying to get reacquainted with the East Coast time zone, Ben woke up at 3:30am the other day and was awake until at least 5:00 (I heard him talking to himself). Miraculously he stayed in his bed the entire time!! It didn't help me to get any sleep because I kept waiting for him to get out of bed, but at least he stayed in bed!

Home Sweet Home again

The Batter Bunch was scattered around the states this past weekend. Ben had a blast w Gramma Lou visiting Aunt Miki and Uncle Sean. I got lots of texts w pic/videos attached of them playing here and there (Denver Zoo, around the house, etc). But it you ask the 2 years & 10 month old all he talks is the trains and riding the airplane. As per usual, he was chauffeured around in the hand me down pink umbrella stroller - what is new is that he now refers to it as his "bike" and has a fit when it needs to go through the security X-ray machine or when it is taken from him at the plane door to be gate checked. Other than those times, Gramma reported he was an absolute stud on the planes, napping, playing, and sitting quietly with little or no struggle. Woohoo!

Daddy and Em are currently on an airplane flying back from FL where they were visiting an ailing Grandpop. It was a challenging 3 1/2 days, but Em also was on her best behavior and enjoyed solo attention from Daddy. They hit up a few parks in the area and each time Em was confident in her ability to make new friends easily. I think I am most proud of that skill in her! I can't wait for us all to be reunited under the same roof at midnight.

As for me, I was on the early flight Sat to CA so I could attend the wedding of our dear friends and colleagues, Jef and Laura. It was a great "family reunion" really - so many of my pals from my restaurant years were in attendance. Sunday was childfree football with Auntie Colt - always a special treat - with lots of cross country skyping going on through out the day. I worked Monday and caught the red eye back to JFK. Then drove 2 1/2 hours to Gramma's house to retrieve my kiddo - always an AWESOME heart melting reunion w that kid (I swear he grew at least 3 inches over the weekend!). Took a 90 min power nap, then hopped back in the car w Ben and drove 4 hours back to NY to get our dogs from the sitter. It was a very long day, but Ben was so easy in the car - Daddy's car, so no DVD player. We simply chatted and played eye spy and snacked and talked Thomas et al, and the time flew by. What a rare treat to not be sidetracked w electronics - I think I rely on them too much...

I just set my alarm to wake me in an hour to go pick up Daddy and Em at our local airport (30 min away vs JFK an hour away). Hopefully I can transfer Ben without waking him. Kim, if u read this before 10pm, can u monitor my son so I can keep him in his bed? :)

Bowling!

Emma and I went bowling w our pals today. Let me tell you, when you are a man down kiddie bowling is much much easier!

All of the kids were 3-6ish, most lost interest by the 8th frame. But not Emma! Our stud played through to the end winning the game with a score (that sadly) rivals mommy!! Yes, she is the E.

Come on, Mommy!

Dropped Benny at Newark airport this afternoon for his trip with Gramma Lou to Denver. It was a two hour drive via NYC and the kid was a stud in the car watching Cars2 on the DVD player. We breezed through security (kids under 12 no longer have to remove their shoes which used to be the cause of a Benny meltdown) and made it to the gate (pitstop for a slice of pizza for him) meeting up w Gramma who flew in from PA. Ben was happy go lucky the entire time and when it was time to board, he hopped into the umbrella stroller and said, "Come on , Mommy!" We walked together to the boarding podium, then Gramma took over the stroller. Ben smiled at me as I kissed him goodbye but the smile did not last once he comprehended that I was not coming with him. He said, "Come on, Mommy!" over and over each one getting progressively more desperate. Then the bottom lip jutted out and the big tears started rolling down his face, "Come on, Mommy!" he squeaked for all the passengers to hear. They all looked at me with that "this kid is adorable" look sympathizing with my breaking heart as Gramma wheeled him down the gateway.

Gramma just called to say he fussed for a bit as they were getting settled, then passed out for 45 minutes. Then happily watched movies and drew on his magnadoodle as the plane descended. Phew!

We miss Benny already! It's way quiet around here. Enjoy him, Aunt Miki and Uncle Sean. May he fill your long weekend with as much joy as he provides us on a daily basis. Feed him good food, potty train him, and send him home with clean laundry! Xoxo!

Bday fun

Emma was invited to a "sleepover" birthday party last Friday. The Mommy, a good friend of mine, was super smart and *asterisk* the "sleepover" to say, "Wear your favorite PJs and bring your sleeping bag! Party from 5-7pm only!" All the girls wore jammies and tons of fun was had, and all the kids went home in a timely fashion sufficiently tuckered out and already dressed for bed!

The Mommy had tons of fun activities  but my favorite was the Mummy game. When she first announced it, I thought she said the "money" game - I was equally excited about that! It turns out the girls were split into groups of three, handed a roll of toilet paper, and the race to make one of the teammates a "Mummy" was on! It was heaps of fun and Em had a blast. Mommy, too.

Em is also a stellar FREEZE DANCE player. Who knew?

Mummy game / Freeze dance

Ben happily did not attend the all girl party. He was at our pre-school pal's house wreaking havoc on their playroom for two hours. When I dropped him off the Dad, in Mr Mom mode, looked fresh as a daisy. When I picked Ben up 2 hours and 15 minutes later, the Dad - with two young sons of his own plus Ben - looked as though he could use a six pack. Go Benny!

Afternoon delight

Friday afternoon, Henry's Mommy suggested we follow through on an idea we had been bandying about for over a year. She even researched it on the internet, got the scoop and we headed out the door!

Train ride!!

That's right, folks, we took our kids on a train ride! As our station is the end of the line, when it pulled into the station it was completely empty and we had our pick of the seats.

There were tons of musical chairs going on!

The plan was to go two stations, hop off and catch a train immediately back. Fingers crossed the trains were running on time, because 6 kids four and under near train tracks could equal disaster. What we didn't realize was that it was Friday afternoon and the first stop is a giant university with 1000s of students heading home for the weekend. The train became sardine city, but we only had one more stop to go and it was actually kinda fun for the kids to be surrounded with so many faces to watch. The best part of the trip was handing their ticket to the conductor to punch - they felt like they were riding the Dinosaur Train!

We saw lots of fun things out the window. Emma: "I see plants! I see a house! I see a pool! I see horses!" Benny pretty much parroted everything his sister said...

"This is AWESOME!"

The trains were on time (phew!) and we only had about five minutes of down time at the station in St James. Of course, just to keep it interesting, in that five minutes Ben made a full speed break for the main street. Super Henry saw it happen and chased him down grabbing the hood of his coat stopping him about 10 feet from the road. Good save, Henry! We had snacks on the return ride home and the kids continued the musical seats game on the empty end of the line train. They were pretty noisy and I am pretty sure we annoyed the heck out of one commuter in particular, but the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves and it was a short enough ride. A good way to spend $5.50 round trip and our new favorite way to enjoy an afternoon outing!

Happy Halloween!

How have I not posted Halloween pics yet? Slacker Mama!

They both wore their costumes the entire day. Surprisingly Benny wore the hat! Whenever he encountered a person out and about he would point to his head and announce, "Woody hat!" Daddy took him to the store during the day to get himself a knit hat for Winter and informed me when he got home that our kid is a chic magnet. Apparently all these women, young and old, were googley eyed over our handsome little Cowboy. Ben loved the attention, so did Daddy. : )

We went trick or treating with George and Christian in their neighborhood and had a pizza party afterwards at their house. It was a fun night out! Considering I missed Halloween last year because of my commute to LA, this year's fun more than made up for it. Happy Halloween!

My favorite pic of the day! Waiting for the goods...

PIZZA!

Family pics

Remember those family pics we tried again? Well, these were the best two of the bunch. Emma, who has a beautiful smile when not asked to smile, cannot for the life of her smile beautifully on cue. Benjamin was just getting over a tantrum... (click on pic to enlarge)

My hubby is so handsome!

I was able to crop this cute pic of Benny (either Daddy was squinty or Emma wasn't looking...).