Merry Christmas!!

We are in Michigan enjoying family, wonderful meals, a bit of snow, and of course the holiday spirit. We'll get some pictures up soon. For those of you we were not able to see, we miss you and hope you are celebrating the season in a very merry way.

Tree Topper

I was feeling that our tree was a little bare on top, so the other day I made a star. I had this idea floating around in my mind, and I have to say, I think it turned out rather nicely. I drew a star on the fabric, cut through two pieces and sewed them together almost all the way around. Then I turned it inside out, stuffed it with Poly-Fil and stitched up the little hole. I sewed a cone of fabric on the back so it would rest comfortably on the tallest point of our tree. Here is the finished product:



And a side view:

She's Two

Eleanor's birthday week has been incredibly fun. We got a huge box of birthday gifts from Nonna and each day she has opened one present to a chorus of Ohhhs and Ahhhs. We also had a drop in Music Together class on Tuesday and everyone sang Happy Birthday. That same day we tried to go see the Nutcracker Fantasy at the Puppet Company but Eleanor lost interest about three quarters of the way through so we just came home. Thursday a few friends came over for some pink sparkly birthday cake and another round of Happy Birthday. Seems that Eleanor loves singing and having Happy Birthday sung to her. Unfortunately, birthday week is ending with a bang. Eleanor was up about every half hour to forty five minutes last night crying. She has been unable to tell us what is bothering her but luckily we have her two year "well" visit today so we can talk with her doctor. Now, post doctor visit, we know that it is a recurrence of her ear infection. Hopefully this time she can kick it!




I also decided that this might be a good place to record some of her favorite things, since I haven't done anything with the baby books since Henry's arrival. (Everyone said that would happen!) So, here is a brief list of questions with Eleanor's answers and then my assessment of the situation based on watching her:

1. What is your favorite color?
She says, "Red, Blue too." (I'd say she likes blue too.)

2. What are your favorite toys?
She says, "Baa sheep, car vroom vroom, moo cow, a purple one too." (My take -- definitely giraffe and blankie. Though she has been loving the little plastic bathtub animals lately too. Plastic animals include: baa sheep, moo taw (cow), penny (penguin), munch (monkey), etc.)

3. Where do you like to go when we go outside?
She says "Tree, Daddy outside too." (She usually likes to go for an adventure walk or Glen Echo.)

4. What is your favorite book?
She says, "Purple one, green one." (This week it is probably Amelia Bedelia.)

5. What things do you like to do or play with?
She says, "Baa sheep, giraffey too, love giraffe." (I'm starting to think she may not really get what I am asking. My take on her likes: read, play, adventure walks, and generally run around.)
6. What is your favorite food?
She says, "Soft food, Daddy's food." (I think she loves ice cream, raisins, clementines, noodles -- macaroni and cheese, grape juice, and orange juice. She will eat just about anything though!)

What fun it is to have a two year old!

Budding Photographer

Eleanor has been fascinated with the camera lately. Maybe it is because we have barraged her with paparazzi style photo sessions since her birth or maybe it is the new video camera we recently got. Whatever the cause, she wants to hold the cameras and take pictures. So, we have given her the old PowerShot digital camera to play with. Here are some of her very first shots, some assisted by me, others taken on her very own:

Eleanor's stool


Giraffe and duck


Momma's knee


Momma and Henry

Library Books - week of December 3, 2007

We finally made it to the library -- a week ago. I've added a couple train books to our handy train book list. Here are two of this weeks other hits:

1. A Truck Goes Rattley-Bumpa by Jonathan London, illustrated by Denis Roche
This is the most requested book since our arrival home from the library. Eleanor likes trucks almost as much as she likes trains. This book has an added bonus, a little squirrel to find on every page. I think more than anything she just likes saying "rattley-bumpa".

2. Wombat Divine by Mem Fox, illustrated by Kerry Argent
We picked up a couple of Christmas books and I think this one is pretty cute. Eleanor doesn't seem thrilled with it but the story of a sweet wombat who wants desperately to play a part in the Nativity play strikes a chord with me.

Eleanor's Winter Pals -- Snowmen and Women

Eleanor has been enjoying the company of some soft wintry friends. We had a bunch of teddy bears, snow men and one Christ-moose (thanks Jess!) in with our ornaments. These stuffed buddies have taken up residence on one corner of the couch. We also added one new snowman last week in a moment of weakness on my part when we were at Target. The round little guy with the red hat and scarf came into our family after having made two consecutive visits to the doctors office and to Target for antibiotics for each of the kids. Eleanor occupied by jumping the snowman along by the puff on his hat waiting for a prescription? Done and done.



Anyway, we also had our first snowfall last week. Vince was so excited about it that he brought a heap of snow into the dining room at breakfast time and proceeded to create a lovely small snowman with a large carrot nose on the table for Eleanor. I don't think she quite knew what to do!

Belly Laugh

Henry had his first giggle on Friday. I don't know what Eleanor was doing but whatever it was, it made Henry produce a big, giggly gut-laugh. I wish I could have recorded it -- what a sweet little sound.


(By the way, this picture is not from that moment when he first giggled, just thought it was cute.)

Trains, Trains, Trains!!!

We visited Brookside Gardens yesterday and was it ever fun! There was a lovely model train exhibit set up in the conservatory. So, even though we had to wait for a half hour for it to open and it was cold and rainy outside, we had a marvelous time. The outside time in the rainy garden was pretty nice too -- Eleanor is definitely the boss these days. She has started telling us which way we should go when we are out on adventure walks. If there is a bridge, her decision usually involves crossing the bridge multiple times.







The train set up was really amazing. There were several trains running on different tracks, including a freight train complete with caboose and an Amtrak train that made stops at a little station. My personal favorite part of the exhibit was the model of the Wheaton ice rink. I was talking to a gentleman who had helped set the display up and he said it had taken 600 man hours to complete!! I guess they had to set up the entire display on plywood, cut holes to put the plants in, and of course put all the tracks together. I think it was worth it though based on Eleanor's reaction and the squeals of delight coming from the other kids.

A New Obsession

I haven't been writing as much as I would like lately, due to the fact that I have been obsessively sewing. I have been using a book that I mentioned before called Bend-the-Rules Sewing by Amy Karol. I just want to make every single thing in the book immediately and even as I sit here typing I feel my fingers itching to get back to that old sewing machine. The moments when both kids are asleep are so few and precious, like moments when I used to skate and would fly around the rink by myself free as a bird. I don't mean to sound as though I dislike spending time with my kids, of course I love being with them more than anything, it is just nice to have a moment to do something other than nurse, change diapers and deal with two-year-old tantrums.

So here are the things I have been working on lately. Yesterday, I attended a baby shower for a friend and was so pleased to give her a handmade bag, bib and burp cloth with some of my favorite California Baby bubble bath. I even made the tag to match from a coupon sent by Target that was the perfect color. Vince must have thought I was crazy -- as soon as the kids would go to sleep for the night, I would hole up in the laundry room with the machine, the iron and the book to sew. I think it turned out nicely:



Now, I am knee deep in my first (small sized) quilt. I had the most fun picking out fabrics but, boy, is it difficult to figure out which things will match when put into a quilt. I probably spent at least 45 minutes deciding which patterns and solid colors to buy, all the while worrying that Henry was going to wake up and Vince would be stuck at home with no milk. It all turned out just fine -- I got some fabric and Henry was still blissfully asleep when I returned. So here is the general plan for the quilt, I've gotten some of the panels together and am going to work on it a bit more right now!

Favorite (Baby) Things -- Snack Trap

I am back in baby mode, thinking of favorite things, since I have a baby shower to attend this weekend. It made me realize that I haven't put up any baby/toddler favorites lately. So, here is my little review on the Snack Trap.

When Eleanor was just starting solid foods, a friend told me that I would definitely need a Snack Trap. She showed me the one her daugher used and I thought it looked fine, nothing out of the ordinary. But, the seed had been planted and when I saw it at Buy Buy Baby, I bought it. Thank goodness I did, it has saved thousands of Cheerios from being lost to the depths of our car, the couch or any other dark and deep place that children's food might be lost.

The Snack Trap is basically a little cup with handles and a lid that allows toddler hands in and out without too much spilling. It really works amazingly well. We got a knockoff at Target and I have to say that the one actually called the Snack Trap works the best. We happen to have the pink one with the butterfly on it.

Here are a few of Leah's amazing shots from the spring, which happen to feature the snack trap that we couldn't get out of Eleanor's hand:

In Just Three Years...

So much has happened in just three years. I always like to think of the day we got married as the birth of our little family. And how that little family has grown! I love all of the memories from these recent happy years; the birth of Eleanor and Henry, celebrations with extended family and friends, outdoor adventures and all of the quiet moments around the house. Our family brings me so much joy. I love you Vince and look forward to many more years together.

Thanksgiving and the Tree

We had a truly fabulous holiday with a full spread and a nice large gathering of family. The only downfall of the weekend was the cold that had Eleanor coughing and Vince and I complaining about our sore throats! I hope everyone else doesn't come down with the bug. At any rate, we owe a huge thanks to everyone who helped make it possible -- especially to Mu and Tada who came a few days early to help ready the house and prepare the food, not to mention the playing and reading with Eleanor and Henry. It most certainly would not have been possible without them.

We did manage to get a tree as well, though the farm that we have cut trees at for the past couple of years had sold the property and had no more trees for do-it-yourselfers. We were all cold and tired so we decided to just get a pre-cut tree rather than driving to another farm. We did have a nice lunch at a cute little place in Clifton, VA on the way home, complete with peanut soup and a caboose in the parking lot.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend, the rest are up in the Thanksgiving Week set.

Eleanor helped with food prep:


The table(s) was dressed with leaves (from adventure walks), wooden acorns, Lake Superior basalt, and gourds:


Everyone ate:


The camera's timer worked it's magic for a family portrait:


We had fun with the caboose in Clifton, VA after picking out the tree:


We had a few minor hangups with the tree:


But eventually managed to get it up and decorated:

River of Leaves and Museums

The majestic sycamore in our backyard certainly is beautiful. However, it produces more leaves than we were able to believe when we started our raking. Vince made a comment about our backyard wanting to be the woods, and I think he was right on. At any rate, we eventually got the lawn cleaned up, only to find it covered again this morning. Ah, fall. Despite all the complaining about hard labor and blisters, it really was a beautiful day and Eleanor and Henry enjoyed watching us rake. Eleanor even helped out a bit.





We also enjoyed having Grandma and Grandpa here over the weekend. We visited the Udvar-Hazy Center (the new part of Air and Space) and the National Portrait Gallery on Saturday and Sunday respectively. The airplanes definitely made an impression on Eleanor because she is still talking about them. All in all a wonderful weekend.

Dark and Light

There was a beautiful moment today, after the rain, when the sun was illuminating the fall colors and the sky behind was still dark. If it hadn't been for the power lines and me being embarrassed that I was in my pajamas trying to capture the moment, I think I would have had some nice shots!

Neglecting my Job

This is how I see the responsibilities of my current job:

1. Take care of Eleanor and Henry. This includes day to day stuff: feeding, playing, reading, going for adventure walks, bathing, etc., as well as once-in-a-while stuff: doctors appointments, playdates, music classes, etc. This, thankfully, is not the part of the job I have been neglecting!

(Here is where the recent neglect starts...)

2. Managing the house. This includes: keeping the kitchen and living areas somewhat clean, making sure that everyone has enough clean clothes, yard work, etc. After having my wonderful father-in-law help out with kitchen maintenance for a few days, I have gotten very lazy. My least favorite chore (unloading the dishwasher) has caused a major backup in the (extremely small) counter area. So, today while my little angels are sleeping I decided to turn around my delinquent ways and got things spic and span. Feels good.

3. Updating the family via blog, Flickr, web cam, phone, etc. about the babes. I haven't been writing much lately and I realized last night that it had been two whole weeks since I put any new pictures up. Sorry, grandparents! I really do mean to do this more often but the past couple of weeks Henry has decided to go on sleep strike and I haven't felt much like sitting in front of the computer. Well, last night Henry got back on track with a solid 9 hour performance, so I was able to post some pictures and am (as you can tell) back at the blog.

4. Other duties as assigned.

Anyway, I am lucky to have the job and I hope that I can be more attentive to the responsibilities laid out in the description. And on that note, a funny picture of Henry in his old man pants:

Thanksgiving This Year

I am so excited to have our first major holiday here with our little family. It started out that we were not going to travel but my sister was going come into town to spend the weekend with us. She has done this before, most recently when I was pregnant with Eleanor. (Vince's comment about a turkey under my shirt was pretty funny and true.) Now this year's party includes grandmas, aunts, uncles, cousins -- we are going to have a huge houseful of family -- the perfect way to celebrate our thankfulness.


As the gathering has grown, I have decided that I need to be at least a little bit organized in order to have enough food on the table to feed everyone. I've been thinking that I'll just put together the menu here on the blog and any of you who are coming can tell me what I've missed or if there is something you can't live without on Turkey Day.


These are my thoughts:

** Turkey (of course)

** Mashed potatoes, my favorite

** Green bean casserole, for Vince

** Broccoli casserole, a family tradition on our side (with Cheese Whiz - yum!)

** Cranberries, gotta have 'em

** Stuffing, another "must have"

** Pies: cherry, berry and pumpkin -- with real whipped cream - double yum!!


What else? Maybe a squash? Bread? Wine?

Library Books - week of November 5, 2007

Last week we checked out a bunch of books from the library that were not very exciting to Eleanor. If they are not of interest to her, they do not get reviewed. Now, however, we have a fabulous stack of books, which she finds much more appealing, so I figured it was time to do another library book roundup.

1. Peek! A Thai Hide-and-Seek by Minfong Ho, illustrated by Holly Meade
Eleanor is just starting to get into hiding and seeking so this book is perfect. The daddy in the book is looking for his little girl all around the yard, which happens to be filled with all sorts of exotic creatures making interesting noises. The rhyme is nice and I've even learned that "Jut-Ay" is the Thai equivalent of peek-a-boo. An added bonus -- the little girl is semi hidden on each page and Eleanor takes great pleasure in pointing her out.

2. Construction Zone by Tana Hoban
Tana Hoban created the Black on White book that I wrote about here. This book is equally as captivating but for an older (toddler-ish) audience. Actually, Henry enjoys it too. Anyway, Construction Zone features full color photos of heavy machinery, perfect for the truck/train/digger obsessed crowd. Each page simply has the name of the machine featured and the last page showcases thumbnails of each machine with a brief description of what it is doing. Eleanor enjoys pointing at the machines on the last page and having me read the descriptions in the order of her choosing. This usually involves reading the garbage truck and the dump truck much more frequently than any of the others.

3. The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper, illustrated by Loren Long
This is the classic Little Engine that Could with fantastic new artwork. This wonderful story is complimented so very nicely by the exquisite paintings. I love reading this book to Eleanor and giving the different engines that come along different voices. And, the images make you really believe that the dolls and toys are really about to cry -- slumped shoulders, sullen faces. If you haven't read the book, or can't remember how things turn out, don't worry, it ends well with the help of the sweet little blue engine.

Family Portrait

Every year, I want to have a picture of our family taken professionally. This is my anniversary present from Vince, weather he likes it or not. Every year so far -- this includes last year and this year -- I have made an appointment for the photos, planned our outfits, and corralled the family into the car to make it on time for the shoot. Vince thinks I am a bit crazy about planning the outfit, but, hey, without a bit of planning there could be complete color and pattern discord. At any rate, we were fairly successful this year, despite having a tired Henry and a zoned out Eleanor. Here are a couple of the shots from our session:

Memory

Eleanor grows daily -- every moment she learns and develops new skills. This is no surprise, at a young age humans are often compared to sponges, soaking in everything around them. I imagine that soon she will begin forming permanent memories, which lead me to think about my own earliest recollections. I was trying to think of my very first memory, one remembered from my own mind and not from a picture I may have seen. I think it must have been at nursery school. I remember playing at the side of the church where our nursery school was housed, on a grassy hill surrounded by bushes that seemed quite large at the time. The bushes, evergreens of some sort, had little red berries with holes on one side, which I am fairly certain were poisonous. My classmates and I would also play Wonder Woman, ride big wheels around the blacktop, and play in the snow. I remember indoors we hammered bottle caps on pieces of wood with real hammers and nails -- would this even be allowed in a nursery school now?! It certainly was fun though.

Thinking about these things for myself made me wonder what Nana, now into her nineties, would remember about the early years of her life. I asked her the other day, and I think I must have caught her off guard with such an unusual question. She told me that she remembered the birth of her youngest brother, I imagine the birth was quite different now than it would have been back then. This also made me think that I should ask the rest of you (family, and friends too if you like) what your earliest or most vivid memories are. If you feel like you want to share you can post a comment at the end of this. I can put them together in a future post and keep them for our future generations.


And, speaking of future generations, I went to an open house on Sunday for a nursery school for Eleanor. Can she really be at an age where I need to be putting in applications to preschools? I guess so. I think this place would be a perfect match for our girl -- and frankly it reminded me of my own nursery school. It is convenient, the parents and teachers were extremely nice and it seems that they have a caring, laid back atmosphere with outdoor time every day. So, next year my little baby may be making her way up the hill to her first school!

Photos of One and the Other

I took this picture of Eleanor the other day because I thought it was hilarious and adorable that she had fallen asleep with her book. Then, to be fair to Henry, I took a boatload of pictures of him being cute too. Here are a few:

Happy Halloween!!

We awoke this morning to a spooky fog hanging over the neighborhood, a perfect start to Halloween.



Though the fog quickly lifted, we spent the day doing fun Halloween activities. The first order of business was teaching Eleanor when to use the ever useful phrase, "trick or treat". She picked up on it quite quickly.



Then came the pumpkin carving. I managed to get most of the owl carved while they were asleep and finished it while Henry watched from his play mat. The seeds from the owl pumpkin also made their way into the oven with a bit of olive oil and salt to become a tasty after nap snack for Eleanor. I must admit though, the owl was not my design. I do like to create my own pumpkins but this year there were just too many other things going on, so a pattern from Pumpkin Masters had to suffice.



When Eleanor woke up she helped me carve the second pumpkin. She said she wanted two eyes and a mouth with smooth teeth. This is what we came up with:



Then, after dinner, the kids donned their costumes and headed for Baby Anna's house with their momma in tow. Eleanor went as a giraffe and Henry (obviously) went as mashed potatoes. Upon arriving to Baby Anna's house we practiced "trick or treat" once before approaching the door and the moment Sarah arrived with the candy bowl Eleanor immediately started saying "Some, some, some." Oh well.



At any rate, we had a lovely Halloween. And, I'm exhausted!