From my monkey and her little banana sister to you, Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween!
Month: October 2008
My Tiny Teenager
My brother recently proposed to his girlfriend, so this morning I was telling Carolyn that soon she’d get to call Uncle Dan’s friend Genevra “Aunt Genevra”. She was all excited and talked a bit about their marrying kiss and living happily ever after. (Kid’s watched one too many Disney movies, methinks.)
Fast forward to dinner tonight…
She looked at me, and her little bottom lip started trembling, and she said in this heartbroken little voice, “Mommy, I don’t think I’m ever going to find a boy who will want to marry me when I grow up.”
I kind of thought I’d have a few more years before I had to start reassuring her about that! She’s apparently 4 going on 14.
Silly Scarecrows
Carrie’s preschool had their Halloween parade today, and they all got to make scarecrow costumes for it. Last year they made pumpkin costumes, but I think these are way cleverer. There’s even a construction paper crow on their hats!
Unfortunately, my camera battery died right after this picture, which was the first picture I took. It’s been taking fewer and fewer pictures before needing to be recharged, and this time it was 34 pictures from fully charged to completely dead. So right after school we had to go buy a new camera battery. Because I can take 34 pictures before the kids blink twice, and then it takes hours to recharge the battery. The camera (and therefore the battery) is almost five years old, so as rechargeable batteries go that’s a decently long life.
But really, did it have to die during the parade?!?
100 Years
My great-grandmother will be 100 years old on Wednesday. To celebrate this momentous occasion, all of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren came to a party in her honor. (Well, not quite all, but as many as we could get in one place at one time!)
She met both the girls for the first time, and we took many generation pictures (how often do you have five generations in the same room?!?) and many family pictures. And both girls got to dance with their great-grandpa to some live accordion music.
I hope someday I get to meet my great-great-grandchildren.
Four Years Old!
Dear Carolyn,
I’ve been pretty edgy and tense lately, and I think it’s because I was dreading today. I felt like my baby would be gone, and I’d be left with a big girl I hardly recognized…only, when you woke up this morning, you were still, well, you.
We had a fabulous day today. You started out with school, and had a little birthday party there, with chocolate pudding and a special story that I got to read (you picked Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep again – that was what you picked last year. I guess you like it!) After school we went to Wendy’s for lunch with your friend Joey, and then we went to Build-a-Bear, where you made a monkey…named “Potato”. Finally, we came home and Daddy and I made you a ham dinner (your request) and we had a pumpkin roll instead of a cake (don’t worry, the pink alligator cake is still on the menu for your party next weekend!) You got to open gifts, including the My Little Pony Teapot Palace you wanted so badly, and then you went to bed. Really, it was a wonderful, super day.
This past week I went through and read all the monthly letters I’d written to you up until now. It amazes me how much you’ve grown and changed. And it also amazes me how much I’ve grown and changed. I had no idea what being a mom really meant until you arrived, and although I still sometimes find parenting challenging, being your mom? That’s easy. Because no matter what, I love you.
Love, Mommy
Rhinebeck, 2008
We took a whirlwind trip to Rhinebeck over the weekend (we left Saturday afternoon and came back late last night…or early this morning, depending on your point of view!) I was determined not to buy anything to spin, as I haven’t spun anything I got at Hemlock yet, and I have to confess that most of what I bought last year at Rhinebeck is also waiting patiently in my stash. However, I did buy yarn. I’ve decided this must be the year of the sock and lace weight yarns, as I seem to be running out of needles in the 2 mm to 3.5 mm range.
Someday I’ll manage to take some pictures of the pretty things I came home with!
Three Months Old!
Dear Anna,
Yesterday you turned three months old. Three months doesn’t seem like a long time, does it? I’m pretty sure I missed a month or two in there! But at the same time it feels like you’ve been here forever.
You are an interactive, smiling, giggly baby already. You and I have wonderful conversations, where I ask you questions and you reply “ah-goo!”, “boo!” or “ppbbblt!” I can get you to laugh if I stick out my tongue at you. You also love to gurgle at the dogs and smile at your big sister.
So far you aren’t rolling over, but you’ve got great head control and you’re willing to tolerate tummy time for at least a little while most days. You definitely prefer to sit up in a bouncy seat so you can see the world, rather than laying on the floor or in your crib.
And speaking of the crib, you are an amazing sleeper. Well, at night, anyway! You will put yourself to sleep if I put you in your crib with a full tummy and a clean diaper around 7:30, and sleep anywhere from 8-12 hours straight. During the day, on the other hand, you might take 3 or 4 catnaps that are only maybe 30-60 minutes long – I’d be surprised if it totaled two hours. The car also does not work the same baby sleepy magic it had for your big sister.
You still do that little newborn stretch when I pick you up when you’re not all the way awake – where you arch your back, pull up your knees, and put your elbows by your ears. I’m not describing it well, but I love it, and I know it won’t be much longer before you outgrow that…
Today I put away almost all of your 0-3 month clothes, in a box with the things we couldn’t use from Carolyn in that size. I’m going to miss some of your teeny-tiny little outfits, and I have to admit I’m hoping you’ll someday have a little sister who will wear them. But while I’m definitely a little sad over how fast you’re growing, I’m so excited for all the new things to come. Just think, today you’re holding up your head and smiling, in a few months you’ll be crawling, and then walking, and then you’ll learn to talk and we’ll be able to have even more wonderful conversations.
Love, Mommy
Anna’s Baptism
Today we baptised Anna. Denis’ sister Mary and her husband Lou agreed to be her Godparents, and so everyone gathered at the 9:30 mass to celebrate with us. I was very surprised that Anna didn’t scream about having water poured over her head (she hates having her hair washed!) or having the chrism smeared in her hair. She did make up for it by screaming through the pictures we tried to take after, though.
We had a nice little party in the banquet room of a local restaurant after, and Carrie had a blast running around with her cousins and her friends.
I’m going to have a hard time washing Anna’s hair. I love how the chrism oil smells. (Just looked it up. It’s olive oil scented with balsam that’s been blessed by the bishop.)
Anna did not wear her big sister’s christening gown, as it was long sleeved and velvet (and it was 70+ degrees today, so it’s a good thing we didn’t try to use it anyway!) Instead, my mom knit her the most beautiful beaded lace gown out of a cotton/bamboo blend yarn. It is truly lovely, and I hope someday Anna has a daughter of her own who will wear it!
Maniacal Puppy Rabbit
Carrie picked out this…puppy?…for Anna. Only, it’s got a bunny tail. And it giggles maniacally.
Yeah. Next time remind me to actually try the toy before agreeing to buy it, OK?
Field Trip
Carrie had a field trip for school today. It was in the same place as last year, although this year the weather was much, much nicer. They also did some different activities this year – I’m not sure if it was because the kids were bigger or because the weather was nicer – including some neat tube slides that were built into a hill and a very tall slide that they rode down on old feed bags. She definitely had a great time, and came home with a cute little pumpkin.
Carrie holding a baby chick.