Wendytime

TWO YEARS OLD!

2009-07-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

Five Years Old!

2009-07-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

2009-05-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

Warm Weather Fun in the "Backyard"

2009-05-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

As you can plainly see, Victor and Ivan have been enjoying many popsicle parties these last couple months. I can't believe I haven't posted anything since the winter. How did that happen? I feel so busy all day long, by the time it is quiet enough for me to put a coherent sentence together, I am already fried and end up watching the Office on Netlix or going to bed early to read for an hour or two. I thank Nicole for allowing this time in the middle of the day. She invited Vic over to play while Ivan napped. What a friend you are! Alone time is sacred and I don't get enough of it. Sleep, Ivan, sleep.

Besides being a sticky mess, Ivan is a pure delight. He is always making funny faces and talking in wierd voices and doing wacky dance moves which never fail to make us laugh and laugh. Our little clown. He is also usually laid back and easygoing but lately is going through a major clingy phase, wanting to be held a lot more than usual. I love that he is extra cuddly but the carrying thing is not so sweet. My baby boy is heavy. I'm talkin' dead weight, diaper full of bricks. Needless to say, my back is bothering me a bit these days.

Here are the boys cooling off with their buddy, Matthew, last seen on this blog all bundled up on one of the chilliest days of the year. Now here he is in his birthday suit... My, how the seasons change things. Yes, that is our sled filled with water and a floating horse shoe crab. Don't worry, it is dead. Bryan found it on the beach a couple weeks ago and is now part of Vic's natural collection/toys. And yes, that is our old stove into which I want to put flowers... one of these days.

I bought Vic this coloring book for Easter. He has never gotten excited about coloring, but since there are mythical beasts involved he, of course, went crazy over this book and has been coloring ever since. He has gotten quite good, using lots of colors and staying in the lines practically better than I could. Ahhhhh... coloring, what a peaceful, quiet, calm activity!

Ivan trying to be a thief. He is hardly ever quiet, calm and relaxed. Always on the move, getting into something...

The boys seem to be growing closer everyday. They truly enjoy doing everything together. The other day, Vic asked me when I was going to have another baby, and I said we weren't really planning on having any more, that having the two boys was all we wanted. He was disappointed so I asked him "Why? Do you want to have another brother or sister?" to which he replied "no, I want another friend." I love watching them so deeply enjoy one another and know that life with our two boys is just going to get more and more fun.

Bonding over books...

2009-01-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

I want to focus this post on Victor since the last one was about Ivan who is basically back to his happy-go-lucky self and sleeping much better now, thank God!

The biggest and most exciting news is that Victor has started to read! He is only starting with the most basic stuff ("Bob book" series.) All of a sudden, it seems that something has clicked in his brain, and he totally understands how to sound things out... as long as he is focused which is not always the case. I'll tell you, it takes a whole heck of a lot of patience, more than what I've got, to get him through a book if he is anywhere close to la-la land, one of his favorite places to be. Anyway, I made a reading chart and put a star sticker on it for every book he reads. After he completes the whole series, he receives a surprise.

Bribery works so well on this kid. We also have a "Victor Sleeps Through the Night like a Big Boy Chart" in which he gets a sticker each night that he goes to sleep without Bry or me having to rock in his room until he falls asleep. You see, mama got a little fed up with that and had to put her foot down. Wish I'd done it sooner since it is going so well. We are on the ninth consecutive night. Hooray!

Bryan and I were just discussing that in the past several months, Victor has started to really mature. For instance, today at the barber shop, he just sat up on his chair and let the barber do his job, while chatting quite casually. At one point I overheard him say "my mom only lets me have sweets, like, once in a blue moon..." which isn't exactly true as he has dessert every night, but still, the point is he was conversing so naturally and confidently and well, more like a grown-up. There was no squirming or fussing like every other time he has gotten his hair cut. I was blown away and so proud.

I have to mention his latest obsession with mythical beasts, specifically the collection of little plastic figures he received for Christmas. He carries them all over the house and is constantly setting up scenes, flying or swimming them here and there. Ever since he got them, he would show them one by one to Ivan who would just stare and smile while listening to Victor pronounce their names in his Mr. Professor tone. Well, it just so happened that Ivan is now equally fascinated by the "beasts." Victor's enthusiasm rubbed off on him in a major way. For a while, there was a constant battle in our household over these darn things. They are Vic's favorite toys so I understand that it was hard for him to share, which he did many times (of course, after much coaxing and pleeding and Ivan crying of a broken heart). After several weeks of this, I could stand it no longer. We drove downtown to the bookstore and purchased a new set, just for Ivan who was beyond delighted. He just glowed when I handed the tube of beasts to him and told him they were his beasts, not Victor's, and he had to get his hands on "Backa" (Chupacabra) right away. The house is much more peaceful since and I do not regret my decision.

Victor's imagination is baffling to me. I don't understand how or where he comes up with some of the scenarios in his pretend world. They are oftentimes too complex and involved for me and at some points, my mind will basically just shut off and I can't even attempt to compute what is going on in his crazy head. He is on another planet sometimes.

Every day that goes by, he seems to enjoy his brother more and more. Their brotherly bond is becoming stronger and it is clear that they truly love and enjoy each other. Victor especially likes taking his brother by the hand and leading him places although Ivan won't always have it. By favorite thing is hearing them laugh together. It fills my heart with sheer joy and I can't help but join in on their laughter.

My darling boy, why do you torture me so?

2009-01-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

How can such an angel face be such a rascal? I ask myself this a lot these days. For well over a month now, Ivan has been teething. He is getting his eye teeth and I vividly recall Victor dealing with the arrival of these bad boys; it was also a very nasty scene. For some reason, these particular teeth seem to be the most painful to emerge. Every night, this poor baby (and his poor mama) have been awoken almost on an hourly basis. As a result, I believe sleep deprivation is causing me to have frequent headaches.

During the day, he is often cranky and quick to whine, especially when I am trying to cook. The teething is also causing some ugly diaper rashes which are even painful to the eye.

I often find myself wondering when this particular teething phase will pass. It seems to be going on and on and so far, only one tooth is visibly cutting through his gums. Lord, have mercy.

On a more positive note, when he is in a good mood (thanks, Motrin), he is absolutely delightful, constantly coming up with new silly ways to move his body and talk more and more. He calls Victor "doo doo" and is still obsessed with "orseys" (horses) and "gucks" (ducks) and is getting better and better at repeating much of what we say. It really is amazing to see how quickly he is learning to talk, although he still does his share of baby babble; like for some odd reason, he calls bananas "lallys." As much as this age can be a challenge, it is also such a fun time full of unbelievably adorable moments, and I can not get over how ridiculously fast he is growing and changing from a baby into a little boy. Despite being exhausted, I am trying to savor and enjoy him as much as possible (at least during the daylight hours.)

Out in the Cold

2009-01-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

The Thrill of Spotting an Airplane.

2009-01-08T18:33:00.000-08:00

This is one of my oldest and dearest friends, Christina's two year old boy, Matthew. Christina and I go way back to the summer after I graduated high school. We both worked at the local mall as market research interviewers and share some hilarious memories of all sorts of crazy people we met through that job. I'll save that for another time.

Anyway, she is one of my only close friends who has also recently entered motherhood and because of this I feel we have an even stronger bond than before. I love seeing her as a mom, and a great one at that, and watching her dear sweet boy's transformation from day one. It is so amazing to watch a newborn baby so quickly change into a child with such a colorful and budding personality. I just adore that little guy and love being his Aunt Wendy. He and my boys are already having so much fun together and we are just getting a glimpse of the havoc they will reap together in just a matter of a year or two.

These photos were taken the other week when Christina and Matthew came over for a visit. We had been in the house all day due to the arctic temperatures outside. I think one (or maybe all?) of the boys were getting a bit restless so we decided that a walk would do us good. We bundled up for a loooong five block trek up the street to the local cafe and then back home again, where we stopped at the playground that is a block from our home. The reason it turned into such a long excursion is because both Matthew and Ivan did not want any part of sitting in their strollers. Instead, they took turns pushing the baby stroller and walking freestyle. And of course for an 18 month old, there are many, many distractions along the way. I was itching to take some pictures and the two younger kids were having so much fun going down the slide and generally just breathing "fresh" air that it turned out to be the perfect opportunity to click away. The eldest complained about his hands being "soooo cold" but I am glad we ventured out because it turned out to be an invigorating outing for us all.

The Sound of Silence.

2008-12-27T09:10:00.000-08:00

It is two days after Christmas and all through the house, not a creature is stirring, not even a cat.

Finally, I am a getting a moment's peace. Ivan is taking his now one nap of the day and Victor is with his pop and the rest of the Hitch crew at the Please Touch Museum. Don't remember the last time I was able to catch up on my thoughts. Looking back on the past several days, I can say it was a really lovely Christmas. We have been spending tons of time with family, in fact, today we will be going to my aunt and uncle's house for yet one more day of holiday indulgence. I swear I have gained at least 10 pounds, but I refuse to get on the scale to check.

Both boys were totally thrilled with what Santa brought them. For Vic, it was a dragon Christmas and for Ivan, horses. Some of the gifts are already lost or broken. Imagine that.

As for me, I am absolutely wasted. Feel like I have had a cold or have been fighting a cold for several months. Trying to take care of the boys and keep the house from looking like a pig sty with no energy makes me feel overwhelmed and sort of blue. I believe my fatigue is due partly to hormones, partly to all the holiday mayhem but also I think having no time to myself is having an affect on my whole outlook on life. In 2009, I need to have some sort of real Wendytime. I haven't figured out what that may be yet. Maybe some sort of exercise class, like yoga, or even more appealing at the moment, a weekly movie night with my girlfriends. I don't know. I just think I need to make more time for myself or else a cranky lady, who has been appearing from time to time and whom no one likes, including myself, will be here to stay.

Believe.

2008-12-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

Today was our annual "Christmas in the City" trip with my mom and my brother's family. We did the Reading Terminal holiday train display, Wanamaker's (Macy's) light show, the same one that I have many memories of seeing as a child, a stroll through Dicken's Village, a visit and photo with S. Claus and then a final stop at the giant Christmas tree at City Hall. We spent the remainder of the day playing, eating, talking, laughing at my parent's place. It was loads of fun, but I am almost too tired to form a sentence.

Regarding the picture, Ivan is clearly not wanting to be on Santa's lap but he enjoyed observing him from a distance and even gave a high five to the jolly ole' St. Nick. Victor was very serious and told Santa as soon as he got on his lap that he wanted some mythical beasts book and a paint your own dragon kit that he saw at Barnes and Nobles. Hope they are still there. He is holding up his favorite toys of the week, a yoda head space craft and a cut-out of a spider monkey (from Spy Kids 2).

Must. Sleep.

Doctor, Doctor, Give me the news...

2008-12-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

A cross-eyed moment.

Important business to discuss on his cellular phone.

"How exactly do I go about removing these here spectacles?"

I realize these shots are out of focus but I love them just the same. Two typical expressions from one silly goose.

Preshool Drop-out

2008-12-02T17:29:00.000-08:00

So, here it goes...

I officially pulled Victor out of his preschool this afternoon. When I picked him up yesterday, I ended up having an informal conference with his teacher and I got the sense she was frustrated and no longer willing to deal with him. She said she really doesn't think Vic is getting anything out of this experience. He constantly craves their undivided attention, which they simply aren't able to give to him considering there are 17 other children in his class. During the structured activities, he seems to do okay but whenever there is free time, he does nothing but cry and ask to go home. SO, I thought the best thing to do for everyone involved was take him out of there and try something different. It wasn't the right place for him. At first I was upset and emotional, but the more time I have to think about it (I didn't sleep a wink last night, so tired) the more I realize that it really isn't THAT big of a deal. Victor is an amazingly wonderful child. So what if he has an extremely hard time being away from home and specifically, me. He is only four years old. It is our society that urges us to get our children away from the home at such a young age, and that is why I was feeling the pressure and stress to get him used to school right away. Many children are okay with this transition but he is obviously not developmentally ready. It seems unfair to him (and me) that I force him to be without me when I am home and able to provide him a loving and safe place until he is ready, which I know will happen eventually. In the meantime, I am going to be looking into different classes and programs, ones that allow the parents to be present. We really are in no rush. If I have to home school him for a while, then I am totally fine with that.

Springtime...

2008-11-22T20:05:00.001-08:00

DSCN0079, originally uploaded by wendyhitch.

Oh, how I miss thee.

Fall is Fun!

2008-11-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I took these photos of Ivan, who was admiring the newly fallen fall foliage. He was making sure that I had noticed the beautiful colors all around, which of course, being a lover of autumn, I had. We were in the playground outside of Vic's preschool, minutes after we had dropped off a sad, protesting little boy. Yes, believe it or not, Victor is still having issues with going to school. I thought surely by now he would be over the whole crying, wanting to go home thing, but such is not the case. It is rather confusing to me. He seems to look forward to it when he first wakes up, but right before we leave he starts trying to convince me that he is just too tired to go and as I help him put on his shoes and jacket the sad tears start a-flowin'. He has development this new intense attachment to his "blankie" and the thought of being away from it for three whole hours is just too much for him to bear. The teachers say he is always asking when he can go home, complaining that he is "so tired" and wants his damn blankie. This past week he has improved a bit, still emotional at drop-off but not so much during the time he is there. We are having a play date with one of his classmates this Friday. Hopefully, having a friendship with this little boy, Vinnie, will make things easier on him.

I am trying not to be so worried about it because he seems absolutely normal at home, happily pretending, creating all sorts of fantastic stories, often times too complicated for my dense adult brain to process. It is clear that the trauma of going to preschool is not going to scar him later in life.

Ivan, on the other hand, has no cares in the world. He is one happy-go-lucky child. Curious and into everything, he keeps me oh, so busy. I am downright exhausted at the end of each day. He has really enjoyed this fall season and has taken on the habit of finding a pile of leafs, then plopping down in them with the hopes that either his big brother or myself will bury him up to his neck in the crunchy, crackling goodness. He is such a pure joy and makes me smile, giggle, laugh constantly.

Squirrel Fascination

2008-11-12T07:24:00.000-08:00

Ivan has developed a love of squirrels. We often go to our local park while Vic is in preschool so that he can watch their frantic pre-winter hustle and bustle. Sometimes when he is in a more vigorous mood (obviously not at this moment), he may even try to creep up on one... but if he gets too close and actually makes eye contact with the little rodent, then he gets rather nervous and runs back into my arms. Whenever we see pictures of them in books, he points and stares and wants me to say "squirrel" over and over. Really, the same goes for horses, cows, crocodiles, and dogs. To be honest, I believe I have become quite a successful animal imitator. I could easily make animal sounds in my sleep.

Playing House...

2008-11-03T17:13:00.001-08:00

Parading around with dragons

2008-10-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

I am almost too tired to type. It has been an extremely long day. We were brave (crazy) enough to join the two million people for the big Phillies parade. All four of us were packed into a can of sardines el train and then squished onto the sidewalk. But the experience was pretty unforgettable ; a multitude of happy faces, red Phillies gear everywhere, confetti and toilet paper streamers filling the sky, and of course lots of loud enthusiastic cheering. Quite a sight to see and after all is said and done, I am glad, yet exhausted, that we went.

And then after all that excitement, we still had Halloween to celebrate...

Wild Times at Story Book Land...

2008-10-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, the four of us went away to the beach house to celebrate our ninth wedding anniversary (doesn't that number make us sound old... but we were married very young, you know). Anyway, we spent the day on Saturday at a great little amusement park for kids, Story Book Land, an old joint from the fifties and, oh my word, what a blast we had! I really think Bry and I enjoyed ourselves just as much as the boys, if not more. Above, you see the fellows looking at the Three Pigs display. These adorable little houses were set up all over the park and at the push of a button, the characters start to move and on comes the old-fashioned music and the narrator's voice, telling a very summarized version of the classic story. It was absolutely magical for the boys and so much fun to watch their little faces light up with excitement as they took turns (not always willingly) pushing the buttons. Unfortunately, there was that darn big bad wolf of the Little Red Riding Hood house that scared the living crap out of Vic. He held it together as we watched the beast explain why his teeth were so big, but the image of it has been haunting our poor child for the last several nights. That evening, he was a bit out of his head with exhaustion and he seriously had a mini-panic attack when he saw a picture of the wolf on a brochure. He bursted into tears, saying "HOW can I get it out of my MIND..." over and over with increasing fear. Finally, he screamed out "HOME!! I WANT TO GO HOME!!" This boy loves being at the beach house so when he said this, I knew he was really beside himself. It seemed he was almost having a nightmare while still awake. I told him that he is super tired and that once he wakes up in the morning, he won't even hardly remember that stupid big bad wolf. This seemed to comfort him and he wanted to go to sleep right away. This has happened for the past several nights, as soon as he gets tired, he starts to think about that damn wolf and asks to go to sleep, which he does promptly, as early at 7 o'clock.

Onto more photos...

Here are Bry and Vic riding the "happy dragon" ride, one of his favorites, as he is really into dragons as of late. He is even going to be one for Halloween. Ivan, too.

Next, the A-mazing Hay Maze. The baby didn't stay on Daddy's shoulders for long. His frantic squirming said, "I demand freedom" and once his little feet hit the ground, he was off... exuberantly busy, run/stumbling here and there, and then suddenly stopping to study some particularly interesting pieces of hay and then of course, he couldn't resist hiding in the many nooks and crannies. Had to keep my eyes (and camera) on him.

Probably the biggest highlight of the day for young boy was this "Bubbles the Dragon" roller coaster. We went on twice, both times in the front seat. I know I'm a major spazzola. And I was only hamming it up a little.

My favorite boys on the train. Ivan is blowing a kiss.

Double-headed Monster?

2008-10-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

No, just Victor and Atari. These photos were taken about two months ago as the kids had just come in from playing with the hose in the back. As you can plainly see, they are utterly thrilled about sharing a towel to dry themselves and stayed in this position for quite some time. When the towel became loose and fell off, I was asked to wrap it back around them.

I babysat Atari from the time both kids were about a year and a half until almost three years old and I am ever so glad that I did. They have such a wonderful connection, almost like siblings but a bit more friendly (most of the time, anyway.) Now that they are big four year old preschoolers, whenever she is over, these guys basically just go off on their own, into Vic's room or deep into our bedroom closet or really wherever and do some hardcore pretending... while I get to relax a bit and enjoy taking care of just one child. It's nice, real nice.

He's crazy about corn on the cob.

2008-10-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

We eat it very often. It is one of the few things that keeps him quiet and occupied... and is not thrown on the floor.

Behind Bars

2008-10-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

This baby is getting more and more wild. Sometimes I think it would be safest if we just kept him in his crib more often, although he would never let that happen for more than maybe ten minutes at a time... and of course, I would feel too guilty not letting him free, free to destroy the house and put some seriously nasty things in his mouth. He is just too quick for me and before you know it, I discover that he has something swishing around in there. Recently, besides the occasional tiny toy of his big brother's (that shouldn't have been left on the floor), I have fished out a dead fly and kitty cat throw-up. Bleahhh!!!

There are times when he gets in these devilish moods (usually when he is tired and needs extra attention) and all he wants to do is bite, pinch, or pull our hair. He finds it hilarious when we yell out in pain. I am trying to discipline him but nothing seems to faze him and he just continues to abuse us.

Also, Ivan has NO fear of strangers and will approach and grab anything and/or anyone within reach. The other day at the library, his groping fingers came within centimeters from a man's bandaged elbow, ready to pinch off the big band-aid, but fortunately, this time I got to him first. Oh, and the entire time we are ever at the library, forget looking for a book for myself to enjoy, I am forced to follow this crazy child and quickly pick up the hundreds of books that he has thrown on the floor and prevent him from raiding all the garbage cans and digging in the plant pots. I am sure all the librarians get nervous the instant they see us come into the building. Thank goodness, Victor usually finds a book that interests him and stays in one place, intensely studying every pages.

I forgot to mention the fact that he is loud, super loud. His varied shrieks are outrageously ear-piercing, and he takes great pleasure in trying to scream at the highest pitches and as loudly as humanly possible, especially when we are all in the car with no place to escape. But just look at him, he is far too adorable to make us angry, or at least stay angry. And he does actually have his peaceful, angelic moments, like when I shot these photos of him after a gloriously long nap, but they never seem to last very long. Despite all his boisterous behavior, which I do realize is quite normal for his age, I am greatly enjoying and loving him more and more everyday.

Update on Victor:

He is getting used to school! Still gets a little sad right before we leave the house, but today was the first day that he didn't shed even one tear. So we had a "party" for him at dinnertime. We had gone to Trader Joe's right before mealtime, and the boys brought home balloons, like usual, but this time we used them as party material. I brought him to the table on my shoulders while cheering for him, and he got to eat an ice cream sandwich from the deli for desert. He was delighted.

In the kitchen sink

2008-09-26T07:13:00.000-07:00

Ivan developed a pretty nasty diaper rash, so I decided to put him into the sink to soak his bottom with warm water which somehow seems to work wonders. Besides, there is something so darn cute about a baby in a sink. Vic was in the other room pretending something or other and when he came in to the kitchen and discovered his baby brother in the sink... well, he just couldn't resist getting in on that sort of crazy thing. I have never seen him undress so quickly.

Excuse the cluttered mess that is my kitchen. Most of the bathroom (toiletries and such) is still being stored in there.

Update

2008-09-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I hate when I am right. Yes, things have progressively gotten worse with Victor and preschool. When I pick him up, his teachers Mrs. Maria and Mrs. Debbie, looking slightly weary, have both let me know that young boy has been crying a lot throughout the three hours that he is there. Today was by far the most traumatic drop-off session. Usually he gets weepy and clings on to me a little right before I split, but today, oh my word, he was hysterical and was trying to escape, while screaming "Please take me home, Mommy. Help me! Take me home, pleeease!" over and over. It was absolutely awful and I wouldn't wish this experience on my worst enemy (not that I really have any, but you get the point). He was seriously acting as if I was taking him to a torture chamber. It was outrageously dramatic to the other moms and teachers, but so heartbreaking to me. I somehow forced myself to walk away, turning my back on him, when all I really wanted to do was scoop his little body into my arms, dry his tears and tell him that he didn't have to stay. Believe it or not though, when I came to get him, they said today was much better and my poor baby only cried for about a half hour rather than an hour and a half like the day before. I'm thinking he used up too much energy in the first five minutes. The crazy thing about all this is... I did the same exact thing to my mom when starting kindergarten. In fact, I remember actually managing to flee from the classroom into the hallway, desperately chasing her down. Sorry about that, Mom. Now I know how you felt.

First Day of Preschool

2008-09-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

So, today was a very momentous one. Our first born has started his school career. He will be going to a local rec center for preschool three days a week for three hours a day, which I feel is the perfect amount of time for him at this point. If we had the option of a half-day kindergarten next year, then I probably would have skipped preschool all together, mainly because I really enjoy having him home and I feel he gets a great education outside, exploring the world. Unfortunately, our city has a law against half-day kindergarten, which is so annoying to me, therefore we have to prepare him for a full day of school, five days a week, next year. The very thought of him being away from my side for such long periods of time makes me shudder, but I am hoping that this year of preschool will help me get used to this fact.

Anyway, the first words out of his mouth this morning were "I can't wait to go to school today!" which thrilled me to no end. You see, the past several weeks have been full of reminders and explanations of starting school, so he obviously had built up some anticipation for the big day.

Above you can see that his breakfast was a special one. Usually, I serve him whatever I am in the mood to make, but today he was allowed to request whatever he wanted, which were pancakes and eggs. I went a bit overboard but surprisingly he ate it all (just not in one sitting).

I was pretty much a ball of nerves the entire morning and during our walk to the center, which is several blocks up the street, I started to feel pretty emotional and had a hard time talking. I asked him how many hugs and kisses he wanted before I left (thanks, Nicole, for the suggestion) to which he answered ten. He remained pretty chipper but as we approached the building, he said "I hope I don't cry." I told him that it was okay if he does. Here he is in front of the building. I love the hands in this shot. To me, they are symbolic of my child breaking away from home.

As we entered the classroom, his positive attitude went right out the door. His eyes instantly filled up and he began to hold on to me, saying he didn't want me to leave, nor did he want to play with any of the toys he saw. He even begged me to let Ivan stay with him. I told him that Ivan and I would go home and stare at the clock, waiting to pick him up in three hours. He liked that and made me repeat it several times. So, I waited until almost all the other parents had gone so that his teachers were able to give him the attention that he needed. I gave him his ten hugs and kisses and left as he cried big sad tears. Broke my heart.

But here he is after school holding his art work that is now hanging on the fridge. So happy and proud of himself. We made it through the first day! Even though I have a bad feeling that things may get worse before they get better, I am confident that we will both get used to this whole school thing.

Monkeys

2008-09-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

There is this tree in the backyard of the beach house in which the children practically lived for the five days that we were down the shore. It is the perfect height, high enough to make them feel like adventurous tree climbers but low enough to the ground that we didn't fear them breaking any limbs if anyone happened to fall off it. I am telling you, almost every second of daylight , when we weren't at the beach or off on some exploration, was spent playing happily in the branches. Every now and then, there would be some squabbling over a certain prime location, but most of the time the kids were perfectly content in their arboreal worlds. Even lil' Lily ventured up there. Her big sister, Carolynn, shocked and bursting with pride over the fact that her two year old sister could perform such a feat, said "we should call the newspapers!"

"Hey Ivan, Wait up...Gotcha!!!

2008-09-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

Last week, we went down the shore with my sister-in-law and her three kids. What a perfect way to end the summer!

Here we are on the observatory third floor of the Atlantic City Aquarium. The weather was absolutely sublime and we were all super happy (except for poor Suzie, my headache-prone sister-in-law).

It was really a lovely moment. And for once, Ivan was ahead of the crowd. As you can see, his cousins adore the baby of the family, constantly trying to hug and make him laugh. And he eats it right up, of course.

Adventure by a Stream...

2008-09-03T05:38:00.000-07:00

So, here we are this past Labor Day weekend, taking a walk in the woods by a babbling brook. It was a beautiful late summer afternoon, full of glorious sunshine. We took a little hike and then explored the stream for a bit. Victor, with the help of Bry, found a bird's nest, an exoskeleton of a cicada, and a dead milipede. He was delighted, to say the least. With these things and the three horse shoe crabs from Atari, he has now started his very own nature collection, just like his pop. He is quite proud of his collection and stops to admire it many times throughout the day, making sure it is in a safe spot, out of the baby's reach.

Ivan seemed perfectly content in the backpack for a while, his head turning this way and that, trying to soak up all the gorgeousness around him. But by about half way through the hike, he started squirming around, wanting to get down and walk himself. And when he did, oh man, there was no stopping him. He was off, on a mission to explore. At certain random times, he would plop down and start running his hands through the dirt, staring at all the tiny pieces of organic matter in his chubby palms... then he'd get up and start quickly waddling down the path again. It was so wonderful and fun to see him completely stimulated and absorbed in the natural world.

All in all, I would say it was truly a perfect family outing.

This modern child...

2008-09-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

Victor started up his first blog this morning. Go, check it out at victorblogofscience.blogspot.com.

He is all excited about it and wants all his friends to come over so that he can show them. I guess he doesn't really get it. Anyway, I have a feeling that he is going to be obsessing over this for a while so get ready for some serious creature fun.

Wanna be a cowboy?

2008-09-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my parents treated all their kids and grandkids to an overnight stay on a dairy farm in Lancaster county. We all had a really wonderful time, especially the children. We were able to feed all the different animals and even milk a cow, which Vic decided against at the last second. I think the overwhelming smell of manure made him grossed out. Anyway, above you can see Victor and dear Aunt Rachel checking out the bunny house. And below is Victor, looking a little scared, with some big momma cows walking behind.
Ivan smiled like this practically the entire time we were on the farm. I think he liked the fresh country air, but I know his favorite moment was getting a fistful of horse poop and squeezing between his fingers before I had a chance to stop him. Nasty.
Pat the bunny. (One of his favorite books at the moment actually.)
Nana demonstrates for her boys how to feed Brown Sugar, the cute and very hungry goat.
Here are Daddy and Ivan, witnessing the rooster and geese feeding session.
Uncle Jon assisted the children.
Vic with Brown Sugar again.
More tire swing action.
A peaceful moment with my babies.
I don't know. I'm pretty sure they liked it here. In fact, Victor has not stopped asking when we were going to go "back to the farm."

Time to cruise...

2008-08-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

You must check out Ivan's expressions of wonder in the last two photos. Go ahead, just click on them. Get ready to enjoy the cuteness.

Nothing like some hose fun to break up the humid day.

2008-08-26T06:36:00.000-07:00

Tire Swing Action

2008-08-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

Look how much fun these kids are having!

This series was taken a couple weeks ago. We were spending the day at my parent's swim club and had just finished a picnic lunch at the playground when all this giggling and excitement erupted. While it was progressing, and even now looking at these pics, I don't know who is enjoying themselves more, the two babies and red heads (really, stawberry blondes) of the family on the swing, or silly boy Victor who is running/spinning them around and around and around... as fast as possible.

I just love seeing their playful connections in these photos. Ivan is delightedly soaking lil' Lil up in the first two shots, and then the next one where Victor and Ivan are looking at each other with identical gaping mouths, full of huge laughter, it just... melts my heart. These types of moments are some of my very favorite, in fact I am usually put into a blissful state while watching my guys laugh and have fun with each other and other children.

Ivan and Belle

2008-08-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

Two naked babies, happy and refreshed, heading home in the double-stroller after a dip in the local pool.

Belle is the child of our friends Mike and Porter, and as her name suggests, she is one of the most beautiful little girls in the world. Ivan was elated to be sitting beside her, repeatedly being offered snacks from another toddler's hand. It was obvious he was feeling that life couldn't get much better for him.

Can anyone guess what flavor of water ice Vic had today?

2008-08-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

I will give you three choices from which to guess. (This is going to be tough.) Was it lemon, cherry or blue raspberry? I know this is very difficult to determine.

So, anyway, we went for a walk in the neighborhood this evening, heading straight for the water ice joint, located a couple blocks down the street. So far this season, Victor has been happily sticking to our favorite flavor of lemon, which is all I ever get. But recently he has been expanding his refined palette and asking to try some new flavors. Needless to say, this one he really loved. We sat at the table for quite some time, enjoying our refreshing sweet treat. Once I finished mine, (with the help of Ivan, of course) we decided it was a good time to start our walk home. Unfortunately, as we were about a block away, he tripped and fell fairly hard on the pavement, dropping his remaining water ice. Man, did that kid cry out in sheer agony! I was certain that he would stand up with bloody knees, but as it turned out, his main concern was for his spilled, half- frozen liquid sugar, splattered all over the sidewalk. As soon as I quickly mentioned the fact that we could go back and get another scoop, his tears ceased and all was well. Sometimes, it is delightfully easy to turn my boy's frown upside down.

Ivan at the baby pool.

2008-08-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

Hello, Mr. Stag Beetle!

2008-08-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

As you can imagine, Vic was more than thrilled to have become acquainted with this "little" insect. He just stared and stared. I still can't believe that I was brave enough to hold it! (Don't mind my hairy, deformed arm. As a teenager, my bike tire got stuck in a trolley track and I flipped over the handle bars, dislocating my wrist. The hairiness is just hereditary. Sexy, huh?)

The new cousins...

2008-08-05T17:27:00.001-07:00

Here they are, our newest family members. From left to right is Madeline, Amelia and Peter. The girls were in the middle of a rip-roaring dress-up session and Peter just happened to be running by. As far as I could see in seven days, Madeline is "strong as an ox," as silly and fun as can be. Amelia is a major sweetheart, full of some of the most dramatic expressions I have ever seen, and Peter is a bashful boy, who says "nyet," with a shy smile, to everything, even when you can tell he really wants to say "dah." It was so cute how every time the baby was around, Peter seemed driven to help and deeply enjoyed taking care of him every chance he could. I deeply enjoyed it, myself.

The thought of these darling kids makes me smile. I am overjoyed for them to have such great parents and greatly look forward to getting to know them all better in the years to come.

Madeline is flippin' happy.

2008-08-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

Prince Charming

2008-08-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

Hammock Hellraiser

2008-08-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

"Summa, Summa, Summa time...Ooooh Summa time. Let's just sit back and unwind.

2008-07-31T07:14:00.000-07:00

We have been home for a week now after some major living it up, with TWO weeks worth of vacationing. Since our return, we are trying to adjust to life back home in the city which hasn't been too difficult because we have been staying busy with several visits to the pool, different playground excursions and even a special trip with Kathryn to an arboretum out in the 'burbs which has a special exhibit of 17 tree houses. It turned out to be a hot day in the sun but beyond fun.

So about our vacations, the first week we drove up to the Pocono Mountains and shared a place with my brother, his dear wife, and their three fabulous children. What a pleasure it was to spend some real quality time with them! The rest of our immediate and extended family stayed in two other places, and we would get together with them for a few hikes and every night for dinner. One day, Bryan took Victor white water canoeing with the rest of the family. It seemed to be a nice bonding thing for the two of them to have a little adventure together, without mommy and baby brother.

What a ball the boys had all week playing with their cousins! They kept busy outside exploring and finding creatures, absorbed in their own little worlds. I'll tell you, it was a glorious sight to behold.

As refreshing and fun it was to get away from out normal lives, there was not a whole lot of sitting back, unwinding on my part. No, not much of that at all, not with a new toddler on the loose, whose curious fingers must grab at everything at record speed. The boy is on a mission to examine everything in his sight every waking second, and in the process, he can create some dangerous situations for himself and the people and/or things around him. Thank goodness, our "destroyer baby" is still on two naps a day. I think there is still some sanity in me because of them.

Victor, on the other hand, was not much trouble at all, in fact, he was a purely delightful child almost the entire time we were away. As long as he has some food in his tummy and enough sleep under his belt, he was good to go, with bursting enthusiasm for the natural world around him. I can't get over how outrageously imaginative and inquisitive he is. He was determined to have fun with his cousins every chance he could. When he wasn't off in the woods earnestly trying to find some interesting creatures, or really any creatures at all, to put in his "bug habitat", he was sitting down, quietly cutting out something or coloring. I was so proud of him.

Our visit to Michigan was as lovely as it always is. We had the most amazing sunny weather, did lots of swimming and boating, and eating tons of delicious food that my sister-in-law, Betsy, prepared for us. She is an amazing cook.

Their beautiful home is located right on Lake Michigan, so they have their own private little beach, along with a woodsy section in the back, a gorgeous garden, a trampoline, a hammock, different types of swings (even a baby one for Ivan), and a tree house. So, yeah, it was basically a week of heaven for us. And this year was extra exciting because my sister-in-law and her husband just adopted three siblings from Russia. We happily welcome Peter, who is 8, Madeline, 7, and Amelia, 5, into the family. They are such great kids, full of exuberance and goofiness, making them oh, so fun to be around! Victor and Ivan especially enjoyed having other children around to connect with.

I will be posting photos of them and other summer vacation photos in the next day or two.

For now, I must sleep...

Story time with lovely Nana

2008-07-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

Here is my mom, whom I call Mommy and her grandchildren call Nana. She has always been a lover of books, her favorite being the Bible. Here she is reading an old book with photographs of a baby doll who is lost in the woods and befriends a teddy bear and other forest creatures. It is a book that I completely adored as a child but seemed to have forgotten until my mom whipped it out at the beach house and started reading, instantly capturing the interest of all the kids (besides Ivan, who was napping at the time.)

I never realized it before, but I so appreciate the way that she sculpted in all her children a desire to read. She made books a consistent part of our lives and took us to weekly visits to the library for story hour, the same library that my dear deceased Aunt Lucille worked as a librarian. When I was about seven years old, I used to pretend that my book collection was a library and put a card in the back of every single book. I still have some of them with the small index card, stuck on the page with pink ballet tape, and the words "Name" and "Date" scrawled on top with blank lines underneath. As I recall, this was some very important business at the time.

So, I am striving to carry on this love of books over to my boys and, to my delight, Victor has always been obsessed with books. Having received many over his four years as gifts and as local thrift store purchases, he has acquired an outrageously huge book collection.

The thing is, I feel guilty that I don't read to Ivan nearly as often as I have read to Victor. I really do try but, unless he is absolutely exhausted, he is just too restless and would rather get down and explore. Still, he has some favorites that he enjoys, and I can tell that he loves our weekly library visits, almost as much as Vic and I do. I am hoping that he gets into reading soon though because, in my opinion, there is nothing quite as relaxing and wonderful as curling up on the couch with my baby and reading a good children's book. I guess, only time will tell.

My dear Dad, I just love him.

2008-07-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

Here they are: my dad, aka Pop Pop, his grandkids (minus Ivan) and his beloved sea gulls. These photos were taken in the backyard of "Nana and Pop Pop's beach house" a little over a week ago. Their place is located right on the edge of a golf course, which makes for a beautifully serene setting. So quiet and peaceful... that is, until five LOUD and very enthusiastic children come into the picture, ready to feed some stale crackers to the seagulls with their seagull-loving Pop Pop.

For as long as I can remember, my dad has always adored these particular birds. We have numerous photographs of me and my brothers and sister, over the years, throwing up expired crumbs for the gulls to fight over. Many times they would come right up and boldly grab food directly from our upraised hands. I have a vivid memory of my dad tossing them bits of old bread and with a smile, saying "I love sea gulls," in such a happy, affectionate manner that my sibling and I found it completely hilarious, and now this quote has remained a family joke.

I, personally, find seagulls obnoxious and aggressive, and if I am too close to the feeding frenzy, I cringe with anticipation of getting pooped on. But I still harbor a slight fondness for them solely for the fact that they are so part of the beach experience, which is probably why my dad thinks they are so fabulous. Anyway, I love looking at these pictures because they show my dear pop making more lovely seagull memories for the next generation of kids. They are thoroughly enjoying it, and he is in his glory. Don't they all look so peaceful and content in the last photo, where they are watching the last birds gorge themselves on the remaining food? Good stuff.

Uno Bello Bacio (a beautiful kiss)

2008-07-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

WOW...A (dead) SHARK!!!!!!!!

2008-07-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

A sunny, stormy day at Sesame Place

2008-07-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, my mom and I took the boys to Sesame Place, where "we became kids again". My friend, Nicole, arranged a group of 15 moms/kids to get together and buy group tickets at almost half the cost, which made a HUGE difference, considering how outrageously expensive the regular tickets are. We had a wonderful time even though the weather was a bit on the cool side, with some thunderstorms rolling through. This actually worked out to our advantage because there were not a whole lot of people there, so no waiting in lines, which can really make me crazy, especially when a whiney voice incessantly asks "how much longer?" So, it was nice and relaxing, but cold, on the many water rides. My mom was such a trooper. She was shivering, but still had a smile on her face, ready to have more fun. What a fabulous Nana!

Here you see Ivan in a train car, my mom and Vic climbing on the nets, and Vic and me on Super Grover's Viper Trail, a roller coaster that we went on FIVE times, the last time resulting in some major nausea on my part. As you can see from the intense excitement on Victor's face, this was his favorite ride, which has caused him to think Grover is "super cool."

Blow out the candle, I mean sparkler.

2008-06-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

This birthday boy was awe-stuck the moment we brought out his sunflower cake on the porch, as we belted out heartily, "Happy Birthday, DEAR IVAN..." and the little balls of light exploded from the sparkler. "What on earth is going on here?"

(Mike, thanks for yet another great birthday cake photo.)

In his birthday suit...

2008-06-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

How can it be that a whole year has gone by?

Last Wednesday, June 25th, we celebrated Ivan Alexander and the day he came into this world, the day we all became happier people. It is baffling to me when I look at pictures of him from last year. How can he have changed so drastically in 365 days? He started out as a precious eight pound bundle of sleeping and ever-nursing baby, and now would you look at him, our little mover and groover, who has such a rapidly developing personality, full of ever-changing emotions, joy, fascination, contentment, curiosity, frustration, sadness, loneliness, fear. Just like we, humans, all experience, but on a much higher, more intense level. He is utterly fascinating to Bryan and I, and most who know him.

He is at that stage where he is constantly on a mission to get into the things he shouldn't have anything to do with. For instance, he believes the water in the toilet bowl is his own personal pool in which to splash around. And my house plants are there so that he can rip them apart little by little and take fistfuls of dirt with which to decorate the floor. And whenever Daddy's bike is in view, his chubby little hands gravitate straight towards the greasy chain and (if I am not quick enough) grab on tightly. I'll tell you, he is lucky that he is so darn cute and always ready to light up the room with his jolly smiles, because it hard to get mad at him.

What a little love bug he is, too. Much more of a snuggler than his big brother was at this age. It is pure bliss to get a hug from such a soft, fluffy sweetheart.

Also, our boy has inherited my side of the family's love of food. This guy is always hungry, ready to eat anything, at any time of the day. Hope his appetite decreases a bit because he is already ridiculously heavy. I have never had such strong arms.

We were actually down the shore with family this past week of his first birthday, the same week last year, when Bryan and I, full of anticipation, drove back to the city for a scheduled induction, leaving Victor with my family at the beach house. I have been reminiscing about how joyful (yet, painful) that time was, meeting him for the first time and those magical first days of his life. I hope these memories continue to stay as fresh in my mind as they are now, though I am fearful they will fade in time as most memories do.

Happy first birthday, dear, sweet, funny Ivan. We love you more and more everyday. (Stop growing so quickly though, will ya?)

(By the way, in the top photo, that is Victor's two-headed dragon in the background, not an enormously strange poop with wings.)

Opposite emotions

2008-06-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

Wild about watermelon.

2008-06-18T17:57:00.000-07:00

Here are Vic and his best friend, Atari, enjoying some cold, juicy chunks of sweet, sweet watermelon. I can't seem to get enough of the stuff. In fact, we have all been eating it on a daily basis. To me, there isn't anything quite as refreshing and satisfying as a dripping piece of heavenly watermelon after a long, hot day. And I like to say to the kids as my mom used to say to us, it's "nature's water ice. Eat up."

Einstein

2008-06-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

Portraits of a baby who tries to swallow balls.

2008-06-18T17:43:00.000-07:00

Fantastic Farmers

2008-06-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

These photos were taken at the local children's museum. One of the highlights is this great farm yard section where all the the kids go crazy, including my boys, who spent a great deal of time and energy here. Pure entertainment for the spectating parents.

Main Objective

2008-06-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

MUST. GET. DADDY'S. SUNGLASSES.

Got'em, but only for half a second.

Here you have the consequence of trying to be a thief of daddy's fancy shades.

Brotherly Love

2008-06-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

Look how happy and sweet these guys are. I can hardly stand it. When I look at photos like this, I can hardly control myself. I just want to hold them as tightly as I can, kissing them over and over. I used this one for a Father's Day key chain.

"How big is baby....SOOO BIG!!"

As rough and greedy as Vic can be with his baby brother, he is really madly in love with him. Minutes after Ivan goes to sleep at night, he says, "I miss Ivan."

I love this photo because of the affectionate, gentle pose that Victor has. It looks like he is trying to inhale Ivan, which I often feel like doing myself. These tender moments don't happen as often as I would like, but when they do, my heart completely melts.

Foot Tickle

2008-06-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

This boy is just so darn squishy. I just can't help tickling him any chance and in any way that I can. He is so delicious.

Wait a minute, is he flipping me the bird?

Why I oughta...

Birthday Blues

2008-06-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

My first baby turned four years old yesterday. I can hardly believe it.

I keep thinking that if there were only a way that I could slow time down a bit, I would.

We had a great day of celebration. The instant he awoke, the "birthday boy" was glowing. Seeing his excitement brought me back to the days when I felt my birthdays were super special, almost magical. Now I have to remind myself through out the day that it is my birthday because I keep forgetting. I keep getting confused about my age already, too. Is that normal at 30?

Anyway, we waited with much impatience for daddy's return from his bike ride (which was only about an hour, but what a long, anxious hour it was.) and then he frantically opened his presents. He received a science kit, a bug habitat, bug vacuum, bugscope, a toy whale shark and marine iguana, the original Colorform set, a beginners scooter, a shark sticker book, and some little creatures. (Are we spoiling him?) I would say he made out like a bandit. After breakfast, he was already asking to pretend the morning over again. You see, we reenacted both Christmas and Easter for many months after they were over. Such fun, I'll tell ya.

After playing with his new gear, he and his daddy headed out into the baking heat to watch a big bike race downtown. While Ivan napped, I prepared for his kid party. Once they returned, all flushed and sweaty, Victor, my dear sister, Rachel, and I ran out to do some last minute errands, buy balloons, a ton of mini soft-pretzels and some extra fruit. We got home about 20 minutes before the first guests arrived.

The party was a success even though it was held at our air-conditioned home instead of the park, which was the original plan. Just too darn hot. About ten kids came and they all seemed to have fun. Believe it or not, it wasn't as hectic as I had expected. I had a baby pool set up out back, in which some of the kids splashed around. There was some bubbles and hose fun, as well. For a lot of the time, the majority of the children played happily in Vic's tiny room. I stayed away, dreading the damage, but fortunately the other parent's did a great job supervising. I got several reports that most of the time as the other kids were playing, Vic was quietly looking at his new books.

I had planned to play some games, like "duck, duck, goose" and musical rug, but only one of the kids were into it so it didn't work out. I guess they are still a bit too young for organized games, I don't know.

Today has been rough. Besides exhaustion, Victor is experiencing post-birthday blues, with some ridiculous melt-downs. We actually rewrapped his presents with newspaper (sans tape), and he pretended to open them all, acting surprised and happy. His new stuff is all over the house and Ivan can't help but notice and investigate everything. So, we are having issues with him not freaking out and sharing with his brother.

Tonight, as I finished brushing his teeth, he sort of stared out into space and then said with a big grin, "I'm four, now!!" I asked him, "how does it feel?" in which he responded, enthusiastically, "it feels good."

Thanks, Mike, for the great photo above, and also for his baby doll, Maylon Fish Hitch, whom he absolutely adores.

A Cutter and a Walker

2008-06-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ivan has become a toddler. He can now walk a good distance by himself, although it is more like the swaggering waddle of a drunk than actual walking. Still, I can't believe it. My baby boy has mustered up enough confidence to let go of my hand or anything else that he is grabbing and just go for it. And he does the cutest thing while taking his first several steps; he puts both hands straight up in the air while pointing and shaking one of his fingers. I am trying to figure it out. I think it's like a little dance to help him release some of his nervous excitement. Or maybe somehow it helps him concentrate on balancing or something. I have no idea, but for whatever reason, it sure cracks me up. I know he won't be doing this hilarious move for much longer, so I am enjoying it while it lasts. It is also the sort of detail that I would forget in a matter of months... unless I watch the home video that I just took today.

The only problem is that along with walking comes falling, and the poor thing has already done his share of crashing into things and bashing his head on sharp edges, like he did tonight. I held a bag of frozen spinach against his forehead and eye for as long as he could stand it, which wasn't very long. But he bounced back onto his feet right away.

For the past year, Victor has been absolutely obsessed with using his scissors to make "cut-outs." He uses our old National Geographics, or print-outs from the computer, or his out of date encyclopedia series, or anything at all, and cuts out things that he finds "cool", including the human heart, but mostly animals. He has really become an expert cutter at this point. The only problem was that he was starting to leave multiple piles of cut-outs all over the house, and I had had enough. So, now we are pasting them into a blank notebook which he has titled "Victor's Book of Science." This has proven to be a really great project, on which he has been fully focusing throughout the past several days. No videos even... he just wants to work on his book. Of course, I am really appreciating what a wonderfully quiet activity it is.

A Wonderful Walk in the Woods

2008-06-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

My babies in black and white

2008-06-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

Round Robin

2008-05-30T18:43:00.001-07:00

Spring... Oh, what a magical time it is. I always feel a new energy and love for life as the days grow longer and warmer. It is like being awoken from a long sleep by the budding trees and chirping birds. This particular spring has been absolutely gorgeous. Many, many perfectly sunny days with just the right amount of refreshing breeze. Knowing that these lovely days are limited, we have been trying to take full advantage by having plenty of picnics and playground outings. Usually it feels like spring and fall are too short, almost skipped over, in this part of the country, and that is why this year has been an especially wonderful treat. We are actually having a real, true spring.

Another reason it has been particularly enjoyable to us is because a mother robin red-breast decided to build a nest right next-door to our house. No one is living there at the time, and we were lucky enough that she deemed this spot, above the outdoor light, a lovely place to lay her eggs. I can't tell you how wonderful it has been to observe this busy mama bird; every step of the nesting process has been utterly fascinating and beautiful.

For the past month or so, it has been so exciting to step out the front door and notice the latest developments within the nest. We watched her working diligently on its construction, and then for days after, she was sitting there, keeping her eggs nice and warm. Of course, when we first opened the door, she would fly to the closest wire and wait to return when she felt it was safe. I often found myself talking to her out loud, telling her it's okay, we wouldn't hurt her or her nest. I think I even told her I loved her once or twice (I know that is a little bit wierd, but I sort of meant it and also wanted Victor to hear such positive words.) Many times, I would proudly point out the nest to total strangers walking by. She felt like my very own bird and I wanted to show her nest off. Most people thought it was amazing just like me, others just nodded, thinking I was a crazy lady.

Finally and much to our delight, we saw the heads of three fuzzy chicks sticking straight up out of their nest, their beaks spread wide open. We witnessed the mother dutifully feeding them worm after worm after worm. (And I thought I had a hard job.) So quickly it seemed the babies grew and lost there fuzz. They started to look around, more interested in there surrounding, and there continued to be much more movement and shifting around, trying to get comfortable in such a small space. I knew it wouldn't be long before they would be ready to leave the nest and I sort of dreaded it.

So, yesterday morning, while Ivan was taking his first nap, Vic and I were in my bedroom putting on our "day clothes" when I heard the mother bird sitting on the wire, inches away from our window, making this strange sound. The funny thing was that she was sitting there with a mouthful of worms, and I swear, (don't laugh) she was looking in the window at us and then back at her nest, making this almost panicked peeping noise, almost like she was trying to tell us something. I sensed that something was wrong so I threw on a house dress and poor Vic was only half dressed (no pants, just a shirt and undies) when I ran down the stairs to the front door. As soon as I looked out, I saw one of the chicks on the step. It was shaking and just sitting there, looking so small and helpless; I felt like I had to come to its rescue. So, now my adrenaline was running and I hurried back inside to get out the step ladder and a paper towel. Before leaving the house again, I called an old lady, neighbor friend, who is a major animal lover to tell her the news. She came running out, encouraging me to go through with the rescue mission. Keep in mind, Vic was following me around, looking like a neglected child, amused by the whole event. After many failed attempts, I finally scooped the poor little thing up as gently as I could, shakily climbed up the ladder and placed it back in the nest, only to have scared the heck out of the other two birds and out they both popped. You should have heard the loud gasping sounds Miriam and I made. Once out of the nest, the baby birds were pretty quick on their feet and were able to fly just for a second but then they would fall back to the ground with a thud (more gasping). Well, like a bunch of idiots, my neighbor and I continued to chase them all around the block, stopping traffic a couple times to prevent them from getting run over. Several times more, we tried to put them back safely where they were hatched. But it was no use, they were out in the dangerous world of alley cats, evil teenagers, and fast cars.

At one point, I heard Victor say, "Ewww...Mommy, look!" and he held up his finger with a little ball of bird poop on it. He claims that one of the baby robins had pooped on him, but I suspect that he was picking some off the step under the nest. The crazy thing is that I sort of ignored him because I was so fixed on trying to be a savior when I should have just left well enough alone. After sadly giving up, we went back in and heard Ivan screaming in his crib. We quickly washed our hands and got him. After finally dressing, I then had to run around and get everything together to spend the day at my parent's house. Under my breath, I said "I should have been doing this while the baby was sleeping instead of interfering with nature." Vic said, "Yeah, why did you do that?" I answered, "Because I was concerned about the birds," to which he replied "Well, I was concerned about the birds pooping on me."

Seriously though, I hadn't realized that I would become so attached to them, but now every time I look up at the empty nest, I feel a slight aching in my heart. I truly miss that mother robin and her sweet babies. Just like I will miss these sweet spring days while I am boiling in the heat of the summer.

Tow a bro.

2008-05-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

This is SUCH a blast.

To Bryan's dismay, Vic has not been totally into riding his bike. What happens is, he will like it one day and then the next, he's scared and wants me to hold onto the handle bars in case he falls. BUT I think this whole towing business is going to change that real quick. It's really a win/win situation. Victor is gaining confidence on his "fire bike," you know Ivan enjoys the ride, and I get a good work-out, running next to them. I don't know how my neighbors can handle this, it really is painfully cute to watch.

Glass cleaner?

2008-05-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

Feet first, please.

2008-05-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

Bryan took this one today. I was busy keeping Ivan from eating wood chips. Victor knows that he is not allowed to go down the slide in this position, but obviously his daddy is unaware of this rule. Sure looks like fun. Thank goodness he didn't crack his head open.

Frog line-up

2008-05-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

Ever since Victor was a toddler, he has always been into lining things up. I think he craves the feeling of having complete control by keeping things as organized as possible. Also, being able to sit back and admire his work and keep track of everything is very important. When he was in his terrible two's and we were on a play date, he would become absolutely devastated and cry inconsolably if someone dared rearrange his perfect line-up. Now, he just gets nervous and starts to whine. What a difference a year or two can make!

Here he is in the "bug tree house" of his bedroom, lining up his favorite frogs. He was either pretending that they were in a gift shop at a natural science museum and some really nice person, like myself, was going to buy them as a present for a lucky little boy, named Victor's birthday. Either that or that these frogs are poisonous tree frogs of the Amazon rain forest, and just one of these little guys can kill 100 people, but he is a special scientist who is immune to their venom and can handle them as he pleases. You see, these frogs like him because they know he is trying to help the rain forest and therefore, won't hurt him.

Our talented friend, Dan, painted the "Victor" art in his bedroom when V was just a newborn. Isn't it great? It's adds so much character to the small space. I love it and am trying to get him to do an "Ivan" one, too.

Fun Friday

2008-05-23T17:53:00.001-07:00

The first photo illustrates the pure joy that Ivan feels while rattling his snack container, or anything else that makes a neat sound, or really anything that he finds interesting, for that matter. Also, please notice the dog in the top left-hand corner. What a stylish canine! Unfortunately, you can't see the white barrette on top of her delicate little head.

The second shot is of Ivan enjoying the early birthday present that I just couldn't resist giving to him because now is the time that he is learning to walk on his own and pushing the Radio Flyer Walker Wagon is the perfect way to practice his new skill. (Didn't I sound like a commercial?) It is amazingly entertaining to watch him cruise around with that thing.

The last two are of the boys rocking on our front porch...I wish. They were actually taken at my sister's place of employment where we went to eat a free scrumptious lunch. Notice Victor's favorite t-shirt, which says "prehistoric fishes." Someone must have designed this with Vic in mind. (Thanks, Nicole, for spotting this treasure at Target.)

All in all, it was a wonderful day, plenty of sunshine, perfect temps of around 70, lots of outdoor fun, pizza party for dinner, both boys in bed by 8. I can't complain. (Well, I did just spend over two hours making a huge batch of deviled eggs for tomorrow's Memorial Day picnic and now my legs are aching a little, but... whatever.)

Creature Crazy

2008-05-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

These are the latest in Victor's creature collection. He "won" them at a spring fair this past weekend. Boy, oh boy, was he thrilled!

He played happily with them for quite a while on Sunday morning right on the front stoop. I just love watching him absorbed in his own world. No cares in the world. Just him and his creatures.

Goin' for a ride...

2008-05-17T04:33:00.000-07:00

Ivan had his first bike ride!!! I think he enjoyed it although he was fully concentrating on removing his helmet the entire time. I had a total blast though.
Of course Vic had to get in on the fun. Notice how hard Ivan is trying to pull that thing off?
This is my kindred spirit, Kathryn, keeping the bike steady. I could go on and on about this girl. She is one of the most important people in my life, the most supportive and loving friend, kind, gentle, selfless, fun. She was one of my birth coaches for Ivan's delivery. I love her more than words could express.
How does that pick-up truck taste, Ivan?
This little doll-face is Baby Belle. Such a little sweetheart, that one. I just want to squeeze her. She and Ivan are already having fun together.

Gross, Yet Funny.

2008-05-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

I took this photo after our dinner break at a rest stop. We went on a road trip today to visit my oldest dear friend, Julie, who lives about an hour away... on a good day with little traffic. Well, today was NOT one of those days. It was a super rainy day and the roads were ridiculously jammed up. We had a long trip up and an even longer trip back. I was pretty close to going insane at certain points. Like when Ivan was crying very sadly with big, big tears. I couldn't resist pulling over on the side of the highway many times to retrieve his fallen pacies and even to nurse him at one point. Not fun. Fortunately, Vic was such a good boy and hardly complained. At one point though after about two solid hours of travel, he announced "I HATE sitting here and sitting here, driving in the rain." Now, I usually disapprove the use of this negative word, but at the time I couldn't agree with him more.

Despite the nightmarish trip, we really had a great visit with lots of laughs. We went to a pancake house for lunch where I got a tuna melt and Vic, a hot dog. (You see, we had waffles for breakfast and therefore, weren't in the mood for more sweet food.) Then we visited this really great local museum of natural sciences, which of course meant we had an extremely happy boy on our hands. Victor was in his element. I mean, he just soaked it all up, as quickly as he could. I even let him pick out three more creatures from the gift shop, but he has to wait to get them until his birthday which is less than a month away. A lesson in patience.

So, about the picture. How gross is this? Who in there right mind would have thought this was an appropriate or sanitary spot for an infant/toddler seat?!? Poor Ivan. I just couldn't resist putting him in there. I mean, it really was convenient to strap him down somewhere for a minute and I knew it would be one funny flick.

Don't worry, I immediately, completely scrubbed his hands.

Peace out, paci.

2008-05-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

BEFORE:
AFTER:

Hurray!! Victor is now officially a "big boy." This past week we said goodbye to his pacifier. I know, I know, the kid is almost four years old and it's a little nuts that we didn't do this sooner. You see, I had planned to do away with the blasted thing last year when he turned three, but it ended up being a difficult time to do it. With the arrival of his new baby brother, I didn't have it in me to take away his biggest comfort. And to tell you the truth, I wasn't ready to give it up. That pacifier had some miraculous power. Vic would be bouncing off the walls and the second I popped it into his mouth, he was instantly sedated, like I had given him a tranquilizer. It was great! So, really it is my fault that he has been addicted for so long. I was an enabler. And to tell you the truth, I think I am missing it more than he is.

So this is how we did it. I told him that when he is ready, we will take him to his favorite gift shop and essentially "pay" for two new things with his two remaining pacifiers. He didn't even hesitate when he said "I'm ready right now." So, after a couple more days, we put them in a zip-lock bag (because we didn't want to gross out the clerk) and headed on over to the museum where he picked out a plastic dimetrodon and a kit which included a chisel, a hammer, safety glasses and a "rock" with a prehistoric shark and two shark teeth hidden inside. What a mess we made on the kitchen floor being paleontologists!

It has been almost a week now and he has handled this all so unbelievably well. Only the first couple days in the early morning did he say "I need something to suck on," to which I replied only, "Sorry, Vic," and then waited for some major tear shedding. But after a couple whimpers, he went right back to sleep. WHAT!?! Could that be all? I was really expecting it to be a torturous couple weeks of bad sleep and lots of drama. I mean, this thing has been in his mouth evertime he went to sleep since he was a newborn. I guess he was ready. He is having a slightly difficult time settling down at night, but that is it. There hasn't even been any begging and pleading to borrow one of Ivan's. I am pleasantly surprised and oh, so relieved.

It helps that he still has his "blankie" which can be seen in both photos.

The day after, he said, wistfully, "I wonder where my pacies are right now." I couldn't bring myself to tell him they were in the trash, so I said "maybe a newborn baby is sucking on them as we speak." I could see that this answer made him happy.

I am so proud of him.

Now, I have to work on the whole dressing himself thing....

Motherhood

2008-05-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

I am utterly exhausted. Never do I sleep the night uninterrupted. There are bags under my eyes and my brain is in a perpetual fog. Sometimes, I seriously wonder if I am becoming prematurely senile. I can't remember what I did yesterday, and poor Bryan becomes quite frustrated when I mindlessly put empty milk containers back in the fridge.

Laundry rules my life. No matter how many loads I do in a day, there are many more waiting to get done. I can not walk around the house without tripping over toys and after cleaning them up, the house gets messy again, almost instantaneously. My clothes are stretched out from constantly being pulled and are never without multiple stains. My hair is overgrown but I can't seem to find the time to stop and make an appointment for a cut. Even after ten months, the skin on my stomach is ridiculously stretched out. My back aches every night after a long day of carrying my gigantic baby.

I am in high demand around the clock. Always needed. Never a moment's peace.

Yet, I am happier than ever. My life has more meaning and fulfillment than I could have imagined. The pure love and intense pride I feel for my boys every second of the day makes all the chaos, all the insanity worthwhile. I am truly blessed to be a mom.

Picnic Party

2008-05-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

WOW. What a glorious day!

Ivan awoke at the ungodly hour of 4 am. So, he was a bit ornery at times (and so was I,) but all in all it was a wonderful day. Victor created some beautiful art work this morning which really made my day. Up to this point, he has been a full-on book worm, no interest in coloring or drawing, just reading, staring at and analyzing millions of books. But he spent a big chunk of time while Ivan napped, quietly illustrating some prehistoric fish and crustaceans. I am so thrilled that he is finally getting into it. I love children's art work, especially my own.

We met out dear friends for a picnic lunch at our favorite waterfront park. It was sunny, warm and breezy- absolutely perfect weather. Noah, the sweetest and most musical little boy, is several months younger than Vic, and Ray, who is funny and feisty and could pass for Ivan's twin, is just a couple weeks younger than Ivan. We get together almost once a week, and the boys always have a great time together. And Nicole is a fabulous person and a wonderful example of what a mother should be. We are so blessed to have them as friends.

This evening, we constructed a tent in the "backyard" using old sheets and chairs. Atari, V's future bride, came over for her weekly playdate. They went in to play and we didn't see them again until dinner was ready. It reminded me of my childhood days when my brothers and I spent many hours making and playing in many forts.

la bella biblioteca

2008-05-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

So, here are the boys today at our lovely library. Earlier in the day, we went to an open house to check out a school for Victor to start kindergarten in 2009. (That is the reason for the name tag.) I really liked this old Quaker school and if it all works out, Vic will be in the same class with two of his best friends, Atari and Noah. Fingers crossed.

Sunny Stockley

2008-05-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

It was another glorious spring day. We cruised on over to the playground this morning and had some real fun. Victor rode his bike while I pushed Ivan in the stoller. I'm afraid we may have had too much fun, for now I am feeling oh, so very weary. Need to go to sleep and recharge. Thought it would be nice to share some of the photos I took with my new point and shoot- Nikon Coolpix S550. I really enjoyed playing with my new toy. Almost as much as Ivan enjoyed his dried apple.

See my snake?

2008-05-04T06:50:00.001-07:00

MY JESTERS

2008-05-04T06:20:00.000-07:00

We made these at the weekly art-n-crafts day at our local library, which we frequent at least once a week. I absolutely adore the place. It has saved my sanity on many occasions. There is a huge children section, although we spend a lot of time in the "adult section" where all the science books are. The gigantic windows provide tons of natural light.

Eight Steps

2008-05-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

This is a fun little game we play many times throughout the day. I place Ivan a couple feet in front of me and before taking my hands off his round fluffy belly, I make sure he has gained some sort of balance. Instantly, he recognizes what is going on and his face lights up. He has my full attention and it is time to practice his favorite trick of walking on his own.

Even before letting go, he is in forward motion. I quickly scoot back, extending my arms and wiggling my fingers. In a loud, clear voice, I say "C'mere, Ivan. Come to Mommy." With his mouth wide as can be, he shoots his arms up high and his little sausage feet are off. Laughing excitedly, Victor and I loudly count his quick steps and cheer him on. We are beaming with pride and Ivan is soaking it all in. When he gets within inches of me, he dives right into my arms and nestles his face deep into my chest where I hold him for several love-filled seconds, squeezing him tight while still laughing. This delightful process is repeated again and again, each time gaining more enthusiastic laughter.

Everyday, he is improving and before I know it he will be running, jumping, skipping and spinning. In a matter of months, I will look back at these days when my baby's greatest feat was eight solo steps, when he depended on my safe arms to catch him, and I will wonder where the time went. With this knowledge, I am determined to savor every step.

Spazzola

2008-04-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday night, around 8:30. The house is quiet, my boys all peaceful in slumberville. "Ahh, finally some Wendytime," I said to myself. "I am going to totally veg out." But first I decide to fill up a big glass of water and put a splash of Braggs apple cider vinegar in it because they say it is very good for you, with energizing and healing qualities. Both young lads have colds and I feel a little under the weather, in need of a healthy boost. Just after putting the lid back on, there is a moment that I stare at my bottle of vinegar, probably a small grin on my face, thinking how great it is to have a brand new 32 oz. bottle from Whole Foods. Well, I don't know if this ever happens to you but sometimes when I am holding something, the object is literally thrown from my hand without my having done a thing. No movement on my part, nothing. This darn glass bottle went flying out of my butter fingers, making a huge crashing sound. Well, thank goodness no one awoke and the glass didn't break, but a bunch of my beloved vinegar spilled all over the kitchen floor and the lid cracked in three places. After superglueing the lid back together (I am an expert supergluer at this point), I look at the brownish puddle and remember that vinegar is supposed to be a good cleaning solution, so I get down on my hands and knees and scrub the entire kitchen floor. It needed to be cleaned anyway. So much for relaxing.

Brave Young Man

2008-04-29T17:28:00.000-07:00

Although he is absolutely obsessed with the natural world, Victor is a true city boy. He is easily spooked by the woods, especially at night (which is understandable). I do believe he has gotten over his fear of owls, although the thought of seeing their big glowing eyes staring at him through the dense foliage really freaks him out in a major way.

The forest photo was taken a couple weekends ago right outside the Cape May Zoo. I'll have you know, he is not happily frolicking through the trees but rather nervously and quite spastically running as quickly as possible, yelling "Mommy, Mommy, I'm scared." You see, he had bravely wandered off a little distance from the picnic table where we were eating lunch when he says he saw "two so scary things. Something moved in a bush. It was probably a big black bear (ohhit ohhit) and then a bee flew in his... well, close to his eye."

The second photo is of a very excited boy, who just found a sea purse. This is big, folks. The boy lives and breathes sea creatures. After he found one, he was on a serious mission to find more, which with the help of Daddy, he was successful. When I asked him if we should bring them back to Nana and Pop Pop's beach house, he looked at me like I was nuts. "This is a living organism, Mommy, not a decoration." I should have known.

Let me begin.

2008-04-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

Hello to all who know me and even to those you don't,

I have decided to start a blog to record the craziness that is my life. Well, it feels crazy to me anyway, but I apologize in advance if it is a bit dull to any one else. I am having a wonderful time, living my life, and want to remember all of the fun times and also to share it with anyone who might be interested.

I have friends that live all over the country, family from Italy and France, and even some people that live in my own city with whom I have such a hard time keeping in close contact. These are all people that are very important to me and I think of very often. It's just that life gets so busy and before you know it, months have gone by without any communication at all. I don't like that one bit. So, it is my desire for this blog to be a way to keep my friends and family in touch with my life.

So, let us begin. I am a thirty year old woman, mother of two monkeys. I live in an East Coast city with my husband, Bryan, and our two boys, Victor and Ivan.

Let me tell you just a little something about my boys.

Bryan is my love of 14 years. We started seeing each other when I was only 16 and we married when I was 22. Anyone who knows us, can see that we are complete opposites. He is a quiet introvert. I am loud extrovert. Yet, we compliment each other perfectly. He is my best friend and knows me better than anyone. I am so happy that we are sharing this life together.

He provides for his family as a steamfitter for a local union. After a long 5 year apprenticeship, he became a journeyman less than a year ago. He fully enjoys his job, has met many great people and has acquired many important skills, but he is really a cyclist at heart. He puts his heart and soul into this sport, following a regimented routine, eating as healthily as possible, daily waking up before the crack of dawn to get in a workout. I have never seen anyone with so much drive for something. It really is quite impressive. I lack this kind of self-discipline.

Our first born is Victor Anthony, who will be four years old in June. Where does the time go?

There is so much I can say about this little guy that I don't even know where to begin.

He is an absolute joy and delight to Bryan and I and most who know him. He is also the most brilliant child that I have EVER known. His brain is full of information about bugs, sea creatures, all prehistoric animals, reptiles, amphibians and "all things that breathe." He wants to be a scientist, and at this point, I am certain that he will become a successful one. Sometimes, he leaves me speechless with the things that come out of his little, lisping mouth. He spends most of his free time playing with his many creatures, organizing them, setting up scenes with them, and of course, having some major pretending sessions with them. He is also a full-fledged book worm and will spend hours looking at his latest favorite science book. He is becoming the most wonderful human being and I am so proud to be his mother.

Our baby boy, Ivan, is now ten months old. Everyday he makes us all so happy with his ridiculously huge and easy smiles and long, loud screeches. He is determined to walk even though he has no clue how to crawl. He is our cuddly teddy bear with the largest, squishiest thunder thighs you have ever seen. Already, he is such a silly character and I am so excited to continue to watch him grow and learn.

I often wonder how we ever lived a contented life without these two people in our lives. We did, I know, but it is hard to imagine. Never have I enjoyed a period of my life so fully and deeply, and I feel so blessed to be able to stay at home with them. Although at times, I can be overwhelmed and exhausted, experiencing life all over again through their eyes is priceless. Every day is a new adventure.