If I Hide Here

No one will ever find me (standing on the back of the couch) and I won't have to go to bed. 

Sword Fight

Swords are big in our house right now, so the kids are fighting with swords lately (so far no injuries).  Vivian has a stance, not sure where she learned it and Sam fights with one hand behind his back- I think from a fencing lesson from his grandfather.

Stickers

Better than on the furniture.  

Trampoline

                                                   with her caregiver- jumping beans

Mysterious Banana

So when the banana that I unpacked from the snack bag was set on the counter, next to a screw driver and ended up looking like this, I asked Sam if he had repeatedly stabbed it with the screwdriver.
"No," he told me and went back to doing what he was doing.
I remember reading an article once about a crate of bananas that arrived at a store and then at someone's house, with tarantula eggs in them.  I briefly thought that perhaps there was some strange insect or critter that came with the fruit.
I went back to Sam with the banana in hand.
"So you didn't stab the banana with the screwdriver."  I reiterated.
"No," he told me again.  I was totally perplexed and ready to start purging fruit.  A few minutes later he finished what he was doing and found me studying the other bananas.
"I stabbed it with a Lego," he told me as he passed by.

If you don't ask the right questions you don't get the right answers.

Under the Snow

Scootering with the kids and found a mound of snow not yet melted, complete with an entire parking curb now revealed. 

Time to Go Home

The last night we were in Brooklyn and everyone was almost asleep, Vivian sat straight up in bed and said, "I go home now."
"No, not now.  Tomorrow,"  Sam and I told her.
"No mama," she told me and held up her fingers, "two more minutes and I go."

Rainy Day in Brooklyn

Cousins

We drove to Brooklyn yesterday to see my brother's family, what should have been a 4 hour journey ended up being about 6, mainly due to traffic.  Not to jinx the return journey, but the kids were incredibly well behaved in the car.  They are both delighted to be here, though Sam's behavior is not wonderful.  Vivian is thrilled with her baby cousin and keeps peppering the poor kid with kisses.  They had their first bonfire tonight and smores.

Zoo Art

Sam went to the zoo with his school and for the first time that I can remember, drew something other than cars, boats, planes, or superheroes.  

Then he got so excited about his drawings that he thought maybe he'd make a book, of all the things that live in the air, land, and in the sea.  "Like all of the animals that fly and the planes.  Everything in the sea and the boats, and the land animals with the land vehicles."  So small steps...

 

What a Difference

Finally outside and playing again.  We've hung out after school at the playground just about every afternoon this week, reluctant to leave now that the sun is finally shining again.  However, although the snow is finally melting, it feels like fall.  There are leaves everywhere and not much is in bloom.

This was two months ago, when I thought I'd never see the last of the snow.
February 16 snow



And driving to get Sam today I spotted this huge mound of snow (under the grit) at Fresh Pond Plaza in Cambridge.  Just lovely to think about all the nasty crap in the air that ends up coating the snow.

Hamming it Up

The kids are at a stage where they'll do just about anything to get the other one to laugh, it gets pretty silly around here.  These videos are from two separate occasions.

"Back in my Day"

The kids were eating breakfast the other day when Vivian passed gas.  She started giggling, "I gas," she told us.

Sam looked at her, "Viv, that's nothing.  Back in my day, I farted so loud it woke the whole house up."

Chris said, "back in your day?  How old were you?"

"Um, three maybe?"  Sam told us.

Supposed to Be Eating Lunch

Vivian's Other Birthday Dance

This dance was on her actual birthday, but at her friend's birthday party.  I walked in after a work meeting to find her dancing with just one other child in the midst of the party, as happy as could be.  It makes me think of the song "I Hope You Dance."  As a parent (& a teacher), children are so innocent and you just hope they don't lose that spontaneity and ability to enjoy every minute.  I hope she is always able to dance with no inhibitions.

"I Hope You Dance"

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Princesses

So when I had a girl, there were a few things I wasn't looking forward to- one of them was the overwhelming amount of pink that seems to be a constant bombardment at every store, aisle, and activity to do with girls, and the others were the newly released line of Disney princesses.  The pink happened by default as we get a lot of hand-me-downs and I'll take what I can get.  The Disney princesses we managed to avoid altogether for exactly two years.  And now they're here.  And after Vivian went to a princess party/crafts activity at the library with her caregiver, she refused to take off her princess dress.  For two days.  Today I hid it.

Princesses.

Spontaneous Tap Dance

My sister took this video at Vivian's birthday party when she broke into a spontaneous dance in the kitchen.  My grandmother, Fifi, used to love tap dancing and would do the same thing in the kitchen, so it was very bizarre to see.  There is a lot of my grandmother in Vivian, her fiesty love-of-life attitude, her dancing, and some of her actions.  I wish they had known each other, but it seems like somehow perhaps they do.

Easter Concern

Sam running to find eggs in the backyard.

A few more photos from Easter morning of the kids collecting eggs (with the last of the backyard snow melting in the background!).  It was brisk out there though, mid-forties!  I'm not entirely sure why the Easter bunny thought it was a good idea to leave eggs outside...

When I told Sam later that morning that we were going to his grandparents for Easter dinner, there was a worried silence.  He seemed deep in thought about something.  After a moment he asked Ina very small voice what we were eating.  

"Um, chicken I think?" I answered, trying to remember.

"Okay..."  he paused, "so we're not eating the Easter bunny?"

"Oh no, we're definitely not eating the Easter bunny."

Vivan saying, "wow," impressed with her eggs.

Goodies!

Whoopee Cushion

Their father thought this was a great gift.  Of course they both love it.  I have to say, it does keep them occupied for long periods of time and they have learned how to take turns with it.

Stuffed Olives

Once upon a time I would look for blue cheese stuffed olives, or almond stuffed olives for my martinis.  Tonight I was stuffing black olives with chewable anitbiotics so that Vivian would take them.  I thought I was so smart getting the chewable form so that we didn't have to hold her down twice a day to administer the liquid medicine. Joke was on me... until I stuffed the olives... though I'm guessing I'll need a new plan by tomorrow... 

Easter

Easter Eggs, Two Year Old & Recipes

Texting with my mom after dyeing eggs with the kids.  They loved it but fought, it appears Vivian has an ear infection, and it ended with a lot of cracked eggs.