First Friday in our new house. Here's how it went.
- Kate woke up at 5:15. No idea why she's waking up so early. They went to bed a little late last night, too. Fortunately, some magic occurred where she actually went back to sleep. On her carpeted floor. Ultimately we all slept past 6, which is a big deal around these parts.
- Went down and made coffee. Set up the new DirecTV box in the playroom, much to the delight of the kids.
- Gave them breakfast. Cereal, raspberries. I know why Jack likes them so much, they're fantastic. As was the watermelon we had after dinner last night; like candy. Really amazing how good it was. Kate wasn't going to get any because she didn't eat much dinner. I told her to eat two pieces of hotdog and she'd get watermelon. Looking right at me, she slowly ate her two bites.
- We got dressed and went to "the baby playground." (The smaller of the two we can walk to.) Jack said he wanted to go to Bruce -- the one we have to drive to. Forget it, Jack. We walked the two and a half blocks with ease, then played on the swings and raced. Maybe Jack will be into track. I liked the idea of track, but I was never particularly fast.
- Came home and had snack bites on the front porch. Jack said, "Our first time sitting out on our front porch!" For lunch, macaroni and cheese. Kids inhaled it, as they usually do.
- Kate napped, Jack and I played superheroes. Basically we make his action figures fight. Scott and I used to do something similar.
- We played in the backyard for a bit. Got out Jack's toy golf clubs, balls. They kicked those around, we raced more.
- Had an apple snack on the front steps and colored with sidewalk chalk on the sidewalk. First time we've done that anywhere. It was nice.
- Lots of people walked by with dogs. Jack said, "It seems like a lot of people here have dogs. We need to get a dog."
- They raced more on the front porch. I cracked them up by talking in slow motion. "Reddddddddy.....Settttttttt......" Jack's first porch-length dash took 7 seconds by my count, his last only 1. But I was talking in slow motion, after all. At times he ran in slow motion, but not always.
- Emily came home. The Rosenfelds came over for gin and tonics, their girls played with Jack and Kate. We sat on the back deck and ate pizza.
- I carried the kids up the stairs and we got them into bed. Think they were exhausted.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Father's Day
It was our first morning in our new house, so we really didn't have much in the way of breakfast in bed or what have you. I got cards from Jack, Kate and Emily; I drank lots of coffee; and we unpacked a few things. DirecTV came, but they couldn't get us hooked up. So it was sticky and hot and the day looked to have some packing and probably whining in it (since the kids were up too early), so we decided to go to the beach.
I asked Jack if he wanted to go; he had been watching TV and that usually led to him saying, "No." I ignored it and said, "Great! Get your suit on!"
We piled into the car and headed off. Kate napped some. It was overcast most of the way to the beach and I worried about rain. But it didn't. Instead the rest of the day went like this...
- We went down to the water and splashed at the edge and made mudpies
- Jack and I went in the water and found shells. Kate and Mommy went back to the towels for a snack for Kate
- We made sand castles
- We had sandwiches and chips and a coke and they were fantastic
- We found a horseshoe crab in the water and we admired it for a bit until we realized it was either very sleepy or dead. Then we moved away.
- Kate splashed me from the edge of the water and I splashed her back. She laughed
- Jack and I fought the waves. Jack said we had to punch and kick the whitecaps. I explained that this was an infinite job but we spent the next 20 minutes doing it anyway. He seemed to have limitless energy. I was exhausted.
- We fought the waves more
- We'd been there about 3 hours, probably our longest beach trip ever, and were getting ready to leave. I packed up the stuff while the kids got distracted on the way back to the towels by a mudhole. They continued playing.
- The kids napped in the car on the way back, chins down on their chests
- At home, I gave them their first baths in the new tub. Both were covered in sand and mud. And groggy from napping. And happy.
- The Rosenfelds had us over for dinner. I was expecting hotdogs, but as we walked in Cathy held up a huge, writhing lobster. I was surprised, Jack was alarmed. And the lobster and beer were both awesome.
I asked Jack if he wanted to go; he had been watching TV and that usually led to him saying, "No." I ignored it and said, "Great! Get your suit on!"
We piled into the car and headed off. Kate napped some. It was overcast most of the way to the beach and I worried about rain. But it didn't. Instead the rest of the day went like this...
- We went down to the water and splashed at the edge and made mudpies
- Jack and I went in the water and found shells. Kate and Mommy went back to the towels for a snack for Kate
- We made sand castles
- We had sandwiches and chips and a coke and they were fantastic
- We found a horseshoe crab in the water and we admired it for a bit until we realized it was either very sleepy or dead. Then we moved away.
- Kate splashed me from the edge of the water and I splashed her back. She laughed
- Jack and I fought the waves. Jack said we had to punch and kick the whitecaps. I explained that this was an infinite job but we spent the next 20 minutes doing it anyway. He seemed to have limitless energy. I was exhausted.
- We fought the waves more
- We'd been there about 3 hours, probably our longest beach trip ever, and were getting ready to leave. I packed up the stuff while the kids got distracted on the way back to the towels by a mudhole. They continued playing.
- The kids napped in the car on the way back, chins down on their chests
- At home, I gave them their first baths in the new tub. Both were covered in sand and mud. And groggy from napping. And happy.
- The Rosenfelds had us over for dinner. I was expecting hotdogs, but as we walked in Cathy held up a huge, writhing lobster. I was surprised, Jack was alarmed. And the lobster and beer were both awesome.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
New Home
We closed on our house Friday, getting ready to move from the apartment Kate was born in and Jack became Jack in. After closing, we gathered the kids from Aunt Cathy's and headed over.
Jack cruised right through the house and out into the back yard. "This big back yard is ALL OURS?" he said, thrilled. Yep. They both ran around a bit. Kate faceplanted at one point. Got up without tears. "Oops," she said.
They loved the back deck. They went up and down the stairs, up and down. Good practice I think.
Kate's room has stars on the ceiling. She LOVES them.
The basement steps seem a little steep. As I write this, Emily says, "Kate just body surfed down the final four steps. I think she found something she enjoys."
Yesterday we moved in. When the movers had gone, the kids were brought back over by helpful relatives. They immediately ran into their respective rooms and jumped on beds, happily.
They were up way too late last night.
This morning, Jack came in around 4. "I'm cold but can't find long pajamas." And 5. "I accidentally turned on Daddy's clock radio (his was still packed) and can't turn it off." And 5:45. "My foot itches."
We got up early on Father's Day.
Jack cruised right through the house and out into the back yard. "This big back yard is ALL OURS?" he said, thrilled. Yep. They both ran around a bit. Kate faceplanted at one point. Got up without tears. "Oops," she said.
They loved the back deck. They went up and down the stairs, up and down. Good practice I think.
Kate's room has stars on the ceiling. She LOVES them.
The basement steps seem a little steep. As I write this, Emily says, "Kate just body surfed down the final four steps. I think she found something she enjoys."
Yesterday we moved in. When the movers had gone, the kids were brought back over by helpful relatives. They immediately ran into their respective rooms and jumped on beds, happily.
They were up way too late last night.
This morning, Jack came in around 4. "I'm cold but can't find long pajamas." And 5. "I accidentally turned on Daddy's clock radio (his was still packed) and can't turn it off." And 5:45. "My foot itches."
We got up early on Father's Day.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Kate wakes up too early
Kate wakes up too early, and as a result she wakes all of us up too early. We try different things, and sometimes it works for a while, but whether we put her to bed earlier, later, whatever, she still seems to wake up too early. Maybe the guy next door has an alarm that goes off that early; if so, maybe it will change when we move.
Anyway, she wakes Jack up sometimes. He seemed tired tonight, and Emily said to him, "I know it's hard...Kate's been waking you up lately, hasn't she?"
Jack sighed, and held out his hands in exasperation. "Kate's been waking me up since she was born," he said.
Anyway, she wakes Jack up sometimes. He seemed tired tonight, and Emily said to him, "I know it's hard...Kate's been waking you up lately, hasn't she?"
Jack sighed, and held out his hands in exasperation. "Kate's been waking me up since she was born," he said.
Friday, June 04, 2010
Graduation
Jack's graduation from daycare was this morning. We got him dressed up in a little polo shirt and shorts, and Kate in a nice dress, and dropped him off early, so he and his class could get ready. On the way he caught his hand in the door. He cried but was OK. Probably hurt a decent amount.
Emily and I and Kate sat in this little church hall next door to the daycare. It was all decorated with balloons. The administrator made some opening remarks, and then his class -- all of whom would be going to kindergarten in the fall -- paraded in. They all wore little mortarboards and carried flags; Jack held his flag up high. They took their seats and he fidgeted with his hat.
After some opening remarks from teachers, a student was called up to lead the Pledge of Allegiance -- Jack. He recited every word clearly so that everyone could hear. Emily and I swelled with pride.
Each child came up and announced their name, age, and what they wanted to be when they grew up. Each parent tried to get pictures and make out what they said. We didn't catch what Jack said; later it turned out that he said, "I haven't decided yet." Good job, Jack.
The kids sang some songs together (Mr. Sun, Happy and you know it, etc.), then got their diplomas, one by one. Pretty cool.
After came food, pictures with friends, and ice cream. Jack picked an ice cream sandwich.
Jack and one of his classmates since he started there, Olivia, struck goofy poses for pictures. Very funny. All that was missing was them throwing their caps in the air.
At home, Emily and I gave Jack his graduation present, a hardback edition of Where the Wild Things Are. I sat down and read it to him, and he said, "Can you read it again?" So I read it again, and as we finished he took it out of my hands, sighed, and said, "I love this book."
I needed to mail a package, so I asked Jack if he wanted to come with me. I told him he could press the buttons on the machine. So he came (with his book and stuffed doggie), and helped me press buttons, and put the package into the bin. As we left, there were painted footprints on the floor, about six feet apart. He leaped and stretched his little legs to step in each of the footprints on his way out of the post office.
We took the shortcut through the office park, past the duck pond. "Hi, Sloppy!" Jack yelled. He calls the duck with a green head Sloppy, apparently because of the way he eats his bread.
As we parked and walked up our steps, Jack said, "I've got a funny joke. Pretend I'm still holding your hand." Then he snuck over and stood behind the edge of the garage. I played along. Then he said, "Now pretend I'm invisible." I continued, walking ahead as if I was holding Jack's hand. He jumped out, laughing. "That was a pretty good joke, right?"
Emily and I and Kate sat in this little church hall next door to the daycare. It was all decorated with balloons. The administrator made some opening remarks, and then his class -- all of whom would be going to kindergarten in the fall -- paraded in. They all wore little mortarboards and carried flags; Jack held his flag up high. They took their seats and he fidgeted with his hat.
After some opening remarks from teachers, a student was called up to lead the Pledge of Allegiance -- Jack. He recited every word clearly so that everyone could hear. Emily and I swelled with pride.
Each child came up and announced their name, age, and what they wanted to be when they grew up. Each parent tried to get pictures and make out what they said. We didn't catch what Jack said; later it turned out that he said, "I haven't decided yet." Good job, Jack.
The kids sang some songs together (Mr. Sun, Happy and you know it, etc.), then got their diplomas, one by one. Pretty cool.
After came food, pictures with friends, and ice cream. Jack picked an ice cream sandwich.
Jack and one of his classmates since he started there, Olivia, struck goofy poses for pictures. Very funny. All that was missing was them throwing their caps in the air.
At home, Emily and I gave Jack his graduation present, a hardback edition of Where the Wild Things Are. I sat down and read it to him, and he said, "Can you read it again?" So I read it again, and as we finished he took it out of my hands, sighed, and said, "I love this book."
I needed to mail a package, so I asked Jack if he wanted to come with me. I told him he could press the buttons on the machine. So he came (with his book and stuffed doggie), and helped me press buttons, and put the package into the bin. As we left, there were painted footprints on the floor, about six feet apart. He leaped and stretched his little legs to step in each of the footprints on his way out of the post office.
We took the shortcut through the office park, past the duck pond. "Hi, Sloppy!" Jack yelled. He calls the duck with a green head Sloppy, apparently because of the way he eats his bread.
As we parked and walked up our steps, Jack said, "I've got a funny joke. Pretend I'm still holding your hand." Then he snuck over and stood behind the edge of the garage. I played along. Then he said, "Now pretend I'm invisible." I continued, walking ahead as if I was holding Jack's hand. He jumped out, laughing. "That was a pretty good joke, right?"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
