The "Everything" Store

There was a time when Sunday mornings meant one thing: Thrift Store.

It's hard to even conceptualize a time in my life when I could wake up when I wanted to (!), start my day with a run and a leisurely cup of coffee, and have no one but myself to worry about. But once upon a time, that was true. I'd cruise out to 82nd avenue where a few of the best thrift stores in Portland, Oregon were, or if I was feeling especially adventurous, 162nd Avenue. Sundays, after all, meant everything was an extra 25 percent off, to say nothing of whichever color tag they discounted that day.

I love SO many things about thrifting. I love the challenge, I love the element of surprise--what will I find today? I love the aspect of nostalgia, of coming across little things that remind me of my childhood or people who have come and gone from my life.

Every once in a while I still get the itch to go "thrifting." It's complicated because it's not the kind of thing you can rush, and the only decent thrift store I've found relatively nearby is still a good twenty minutes away. Our weekend errands are not usually what I would call "leisurely" and they almost always entail dragging a kid (or four) along on. I brought Leo and Ellie to a thrift store a few years ago and it was a confirmed disaster--we spent way too much time looking at broken and in some cases altogether scary looking toys. Neither one of them would stay in the same place and they were touching everything.

But it dawned on me that at 5 1/2, it might be time to try again with Ellie (Leo would probably be fine now too but we've been trying to give them plenty of time apart on the weekends whenever possible as we've been deep into Def con Level Nine with the sibling rivalry lately, not sure why).

So last Sunday, Ellie and I set out to Goodwill in Springfield, New Jersey.

"What kind of a store is it?" Ellie asked me from the back of the mini van.

"Well, it's kind of...an everything store!" I replied, knowing the tone in which I delivered this information was key. "Imagine a store where you can find almost anything, and you never know what you're going to get. It's sort of like...a treasure hunt!"

Ellie's eyes grew wide. "Are there toys?"

"Yes," I answered weakly.

When we arrived at Goodwill I appeased Ellie by going straight to the toy section. Luckily she was unimpressed and agreeably moved onto the clothes. She immediately began scanning the racks for me, asking me what size I was. Bless her heart, she held up one hideous skirt after the next, asking me if this one or that one was "fashiony enough?" You have to give her credit for trying.

In the end, she was the best thrift store shopping buddy I could have asked for. She was patient and kind and complimentary, albeit perhaps a bit too enthusiastic (everything I held up to myself in the mirror she pronounced "Oh Mommy that's SO pretty on you!").

And I think there was something special about sharing this little pastime from, well, my past, with one of my children. At some level, I feel like when I shop at thrift stores (OK, stop snickering) I reconnect at some level with the "Old Me," the one who had lots of outside interests and plenty of time to actually indulge myself in them. In the end, I wound up buying something for literally everyone in the house but myself (I'm not complaining, sometimes that's just how it goes when "thrifting" and you just have to be very zen about it).

But I think you'll agree that Ellie garnered the best "score."

Because one picture of this gorgeous little beauty (the dress!) just won't suffice. With that second shot, I was trying to get a better view of the flower appliqué. Instead you get blurry Harry and some bonus homemade cardboard glasses/goggles.

I can't be sure of the date but I'm guessing from the look of it 1970s? I need to get a good look at the

label (Saks Fifth Avenue) and do some serious Googling.

Red is hands down my favorite color (especially on my little girls!) but it took me a while to figure out what I loved so much about this dress.


Of course! It's almost exactly like the dress worn in "Annie."

It made me extra happy that Ellie was so excited to actually wear this dress. I think she latched on to the fact that it's red and she knows that's my favorite. Lately, whenever we're in a store she'll point out the red items to me. But several times in the past I've bought things for her and brought them home, only to be met with a look of disappointment or disinterested shrug (I'm hoping that was a snippy four-year old phase--almost six years old is, dare I say...quite entertaining, she's morphing into quite a little considerate companion these days).

And this morning she practically skipped to school (the red cowboy boots were her idea) wondering aloud, "I wonder what Miss M. will think of my dress?"

Yesterday as we set off on a walk to the park she noticed a flyer on the ground by our driveway, it was a notice saying that a Goodwill truck would be in our area picking up donating items.

"Look, Mommy!" she said pointing to the Goodwill logo, "It's the everything store! When can we go back there?"

Folks, my parenting work is done.

As Seen This Week

Not many people can get yogurt in their eyelashes. It's a talent. (Then again, when your eyelashes are six inches long...oh never mind)

Seen on my walk to work this morning, in midtown Manhattan:

Ah, nothing screams Autumn in New York like pumpkin beer, pumpkin and Mallomars?


I am in love with jeggings on toddlers.

Especially on this toddler. And let's be honest, it's really only the under age five set that can truly pull them off.

You With the Stars in Your Eyes

Leo, presenting his latest version of the solar system. I feel like he's made a lot of progress since his last version.

Leo continues to be fascinated with all things space. If you ask him about space? Make sure you have some time. Because he will talk. A lot. He knows that Jupiter has a big red spot on it. He loves to talk about saturn's rings (made from ice! And rock!). And he feels very bad for Pluto, who, as everyone knows, was demoted.

You may recall this interest began in the spring, when his class began studying the solar system. We're doing what we can to encourage Leo. Superheros are fine and good but space exploration in eight year olds is something I can really support.

Erin bought him a special "space" issue of National Geographic, which he absolutely devoured. He'd been asking for "space dvds." We found some on YouTube (who can forget "Interplanet Janet?") but a little more research on Amazon presented us with this jewel. Ellie positively groans when Leo asks to watch it but I think she secretly enjoys it.

Back in July, Grandma and Grandpa bought Leo these for his birthday (they hang from the ceiling).

I'm just impressed all those planets (except for Earth, which unceremoniously came crashing down on Leo's bedroom floor sometime in August) are still intact. Speaking of home decor, while searching for an image of the ceiling planets, I came across this, which would be abso-stinking-adorable in Leo's room:

I curse you, overpriced Land of Nod bedding, for all the the fantasies (and at $229 for a full-size quilt, I do mean fantasies) you plant in the heads of well-intentioned parents everywhere!

Because Fourteen Month Olds Need Shoes Too and Early Risings=Even More Olympics

Hello? Anyone there?

Oh, the days dawn early around here lately. It seems as though 5 a.m. is the new wake-up time for at least one baby and sometimes two. By 6 a.m. at least one big kid is up. Sometimes two. Which leads me to my question, which I think top scientists should be studying:

Why is it that children (babies are excluded from this) rise a good one to two hours earlier on weekends? Ellie moans and groans through her Monday through Friday mornings but come Saturday she is up with (often before!) the sun and the chickens and she is positively peppy. I mean, I know why she's so exuberant, she doesn't have to go to school or camp! But it's the early hour that I wonder about.

You think it's a cup. Harry knows better. In Harry's world, anything can be a phone!

Friday afternoon I got off work a little early and figured I would take advantage of the fact that with Leo and Ellie at camp, I wouldn't have to drag all nineteen children to the mall (Striderite=Proper measurement=Lots of wide shoes=Harry appears to be following in Barney Rubble aka Leo's feet) to buy Harry's First Shoes (sniff!).

Boy shoes usually don't excite me but I did a bit of poking around online and found these and well, how can you go wrong with the name?

Normally, I do what I can to avoid loading and unloading the babies and the Giant Ridiculous Stroller 2.0 in and out of the car, particularly on a 95-degree, humid, August day, but now that I'm back at work (again, sniff), errands with the babies are more novel than drudgery. So I thought this little after-work/pre-Big Kid camp pick-up would be a fun little treat for all of us. So I circled the parking lot amidst Harry's late afternoon meltdown and sweated my way through the folding and the unfolding of the stroller and the unbuckling and the buckling of two sweaty, semi-compliant individuals. You can imagine my surprise when I rounded the corner where the Stride Rite store was in our local mall, only to find the windows darkened.

The store had been closed for two months, the kindly Mrs. Fields manager informed me. Gah. That's what you get for doing all of your shoe shopping online, I suppose.

Still content to be barefoot at all times, Lucy cruises around on whatever object or human (or dog) she comes across. Ellie, an ottoman or an empty Zappos box all serve as perfectly suitable push toys. She does the stand and squeel, where she looks like she's about to take a step. But no. Meanwhile, her language is exploding. When you enter a room she says "Hi! Hi! Hi!" until you greet her back. She's been calling Erin "Mama" for weeks. The other day I was holding her while making Leo's scrambled eggs and I swear she pointed at the pan and said "hot," clear as a bell. Speaking of pointing, it's her favorite thing. She points all the time. Such a rude little thing, right? She's also finally picking up sign language. When I asked her if she wanted to "eat" this morning, she signed "more."

Both babies wave "Hi" and "Bye" like professional Hi and Bye Wavers. Sometimes it's two minutes after we've arrived or left, but hey, we'll work out the details eventually.

Lastly, and unrelated to anything I've just said (5 a.m. wake-ups, people. 5 a.m.) I just have to say again, how much I'm enjoying watching the Olympics with the kids. One plus side to waking at 5 a.m. on the weekends: Plenty of Olympic viewing opportunities, and hey, they're even live! Ellie and I watched some of the marathon, bright and early on Sunday (Harry and Lucy appeared disinterested and sloth-like Leo slept until an unheard of 6:45 a.m.). The night before, we watched another one of my favorite events (after gymnastics): synchronized diving. Ellie asked me what it was and I explained it was when "two girls jumped into the pool at the same time."

"Do they hold hands?" Ellie asked.

Man, do I love her.

TGIF: New Shoes Edition

Don't you wish you could just bottle this kind of self-confidence? Ellie models her new sneakers.

In case you were wondering, it was "Fairy Tale Character Day" at camp today. For Ellie, the decision was obvious and easy (well, as easy as it can be to choose just one princess dress). For Leo...the choice was more complicated.

And so, I give you Super Grover Leprechaun Boy (hard to tell but he IS wearing a cap AND a Leprechaun hat left over from St. Patrick's Day festivities). I just knew that cap would come in handy someday and resisted the urge to put it in the giveaway bag during one of my recent, weekly clutter purges which really ought to be done daily.

And because that wasn't exciting enough, it was also New Shoe Day: sneaks for Ellie and Crocs for Leo. Here's a testament to how important online shopping is for our family. Last week the strap on one of Leo's sneaks broke. He brought it to me and instructed me to "Call the mailman."

In other news, how is that Crocs can be so hideous on adults yet so adorable on little kids? Don't even get me started on the tiny turquoise pair I put on Harry the other day, hand-me-downs from a friend.

I am absolutely giddy about Leo's Crocs (yes, my life is that exciting, try not to be too jealous). His feet are kind of freakishly wide--we don't secretly call him Barney Rubble Feet for nothing--and not only is he notoriously difficult to fit, he's, hmm, how shall I put it...very attached to wearing shoes that light up. He's owned a variation of these for the last three years (mostly because they are one of the only pairs of "light up" shoes that come in extra wide). Ask me how I feel about the fact that my son owns exactly two pairs of shoes: sneakers and rain boots (seriously, he's that difficult to fit and that intent on the "light up" factor).

But Leo has "water play" at camp and if all goes well we'll spend a lot of time at the pool in the coming weeks, so he really needed some type of shoe that could be worn around water/get wet. The last time I attempted Crocs on him it was an utter fail--not only were they too small (narrow) but he broke the strap in the back almost instantly. But this time, we started talking about getting Crocs and he tried on a pair of Ellie's that are too big on her but they fit Leo! And he liked them! And did I mention they don't light up and he doesn't care? He asked for orange and his wish was my command.

Did I also mention how awesome it is to have big kids who can put on their own new shoes (see below)? That's been the case for some time, but we hit another big milestone this week: both big kids can strap themselves into their car seats. Can you imagine what it will be like when Harry and Lucy can do that? That's when you'll see me in the front seat kicking back with a cigar and a brandy. I mean, what will there be for me to doooo?

Leo took this photo this morning. Not the best picture but it's just so "us," I had to include it. Happy weekend to all!

Holidays: The Good and the Bad

Ellie is in absolute love with Halloween. Every car ride or walk is a search for decorations. "Mommy did you see those ghostas?" She calls to me from the back of the mini-van. Not sure where that pronounciation came from but that's it. The other day as we were pulling out of the mall parking lot I pointed out the "haunted house" to her (one of those pop-up places that go up every year that caters to teenagers and people who actually like to be scared). She was fascinated and pummeled me with questions about it all the way home. Was it real? What's in a haunted house? Why is a house haunted? Is our house haunted?

So. Many. Questions.

It's a total cliche but the whole holidays through the eyes of a child thing? It is pretty great.

Sidenote: I went to Target on Friday in search of an orange or "fallesque" kitchen rug. Couldn't find any because all the kitchen linens/rugs were CHRISTMASY.

Are you kidding me?

A Room Of Their Own

As I mentioned a few posts ago, at long last, Harry and Lucy are out of our room (um, I mean, the babies have an official nursery).

View from the doorway:

Lucy is still wee enough to sleep in the Pack N Play, so that's her spot. Meanwhile Harry is bunking in Ellie's old crib. We're dragging our heels on buying a second crib until we absolutely have to. Which will be soon. Yes, yes, I still need to do something about those little windows and the naked curtain rods (the rods have been there since we moved in). Gah.


This was Ellie's old room, which was pink when we moved into the house. Pepto-Bismol pink (not exaggerating). We promptly took care of that in a painting spree and converted it to this soothing, gender neutral green. Little did we know I would give birth to the Queen of Pink. When she turned about three and became pink-obsessed I sort of wished we'd kept it pink, but that was before we added two more people to the family and long before I could have ever imagined Leo and Ellie would share a room. Of course now, I'm so glad we painted it green before Ellie was born because it's such a nice, neutral, suitable-for-boys-or-girls-or-hey-how-handy-both!-color.

I'm in absolute love with that tree wall decal. When I first put it up I used to go into the room and just look at it. It just makes me feel good. Calm. I hope the babies think so too. That rocker belonged to Erin's mom (she rocked Erin in it) which I think is very sweet. Also, it's very comfortable and roomy. Harry must agree as we spend a lot of quality time in it together, at 1 a.m., and 3 a.m. and 4:45 a.m.

I'm not big on "themes" but I guess I'm sort of going with "trees" and "nature and birds" here. I picked this green rug because I think it looks sort of "grass-like." It's very soft and thick and cozy and you can say what you want about Ikea but they do certain things very well. I thought this rug had it all, very reasonably priced and great (so far) quality. Wow I suddenly sound like an annoying carpet salesperson. Sorry.

And I pretty much freaked out (in a good way) when I found these curtains which aren't "matchy matchy" (which I hate) but compliment the whole tree/bird thing just perfectly. And yes, they need to be hemmed.

There still isn't much on the walls, but there isn't a ton of wall space so I doubt I'll hang much more than what's up. This photo was taken by my friend Stephanie Willson, who did our amazing newborn photo shoot (coming all the way from Florida to New Jersey to do it). Yes those are tiny Lucy and Harry heads.

Ye trusty sound machine (highly recommended). That frame on the left are 3-D ultrasound images of the babies four days before they were born. The one of Lucy (on the bottom) looks exactly like her (which shouldn't be surprising since, you know, it is her). But still! Those pictures are incredible, when you think about it.

This is a drawing Leo made when I was pregnant with the babies, a few days after I took him and Ellie to an OB appointment with me (yeah, that was fun). It was winter break so the kids were home from school and my dad and stepmom, who were supposed to be there watching the kids had been unable to come because of that little thing called the Blizzard of 2010. The drawing depicts me on the exam table getting an ultrasound (standard for every OB visit when pregnant with twins). On the left is Leo and Ellie, in the middle is the doctor (those little "dots" are the keys on her "computer.") And very faintly there near Leo and Ellie, you can see, babies. I knew the minute Leo showed me this drawing back in January that I wanted it in the babies' room.

Hopefully a lot of good times and plenty of sleep will be had in this room.

We've had a bit of both, already.

To Be Filed Under: Because How Often Do You Have a Baby Girl?

Enough about Irene. Let's talk cute baby stuff!

The other day I was cashing in a gift card to diapers.com and stumbled upon the new line of Trumpettes socks and Oh My Goodness the cuteness. I was going to go with the old standby Maryjane but come on, snore. Because, look!




Did you catch the name of the style? Lucy. I just couldn't resist and figured it was pure serendipity.

They're a little big on Lucy-Peanut. But she'll grow. And I just could not resist. Because how often do you have a cute little baby girl to put cute little baby girl things on?

Wednesday This and That

The weather is getting warmer. Summer feels close. Some days are incredibly busy (well, as busy as I can possibly be in the shape I'm in right now). There are many house projects as you can imagine, trying to ready our decidedly not huge (though big enough thank you very much) house for two more people. Good thing those people start out small. Of course Erin is doing the brunt of the work (painting, moving furniture, visiting her friends at Home Depot). I keep getting yelled at for doing things like, oh, you know, washing the baseboards. But don't worry, I'm also doing plenty of laying around. I get little (and I do mean little) burst of energy and I just can't help but do something. And so I do it. And then I'm out of breath and contractiony and so I check the DVR and see if there is anything left to watch (there usually isn't).

Speaking of TV, have you seen this ad?

Watching a fair amount of daytime TV lately I've seen it a lot as it's on serious rotation. I cry every dang time. I know, I know, I'm hormonal. And I'm totally doing cloth diapers so this is in no way some kind of endorsement but still, this ad gets me (don't miss the baby with Down syndrome, of course). I know, I know, I am SUCH a sap right now. I know this. That's half the battle, right?

When I'm not crying hormonal tears, I'm focusing on the big kids and getting their rooms in shape. Monday I went to Ikea and got a couple of these (one for Leo, one for Ellie) which I just LOVE. When Ellie first saw it in her room (Erin put it together when she was at school) she called us upstairs--"Mommy! Come see what's in my room!" as if we didn't know it was there.

They are just so clean and cute and as my friend Lisa put it, an OCDers dream. By the way, I highly recommend going to Ikea largely pregnant. I didn't have to lift a thing! A nice gentleman put two bookshelves in my cart and another nice man in the loading area put the shelves in the van (his words: "I didn't want to find out whether you were having a boy or a girl right here in the parking lot.").

Yesterday we broke out the swimming pools (plastic baby pools). This year we wised up and bought two and of course, Leo and Ellie still had to be in the same pool. Those two, I swear. Pictures of that to come. In the meantime:

I don't know what Leo was mad about here. It seems like someone is always complaining about something, someone is always doing something to annoy someone else. But at the same time, Leo and Ellie get along really well, if that makes sense. (Photo credit for these pics is my friend Dorrine, who was recently here visiting from California).
In other news, yes, it's popsicle season again.

This picture. That belly. Holy cow. That's all I have to say.

Ellie must change her clothes twelve times a day. This was Sunday. I think this was outfit #11.

Leo and two of his favorite things. A ball and his dog.

Some of the Cutest Things EVER and Also: The Terrifying

Want to know how to make a six-year-old boy extremely happy?

You’re looking at it.

I mean, it's a lunch box with a cape. How cute is that? I dropped him off at school today and peeked through the window as he held up his new prized possession to a group of six year olds who seemed to be ooohing and aaaahing appropriately.

This is also cute.

I mean, seriously. I have, admittedly always been a sucker for a little sailor suit.

Aaaaaand the not so cute.

More like terrifying. This is 22 weeks and some change. That means I have roughly four months to go.
And keep in mind, black is slimming. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I look (and feel) about seven months pregnant. Serious gymnastics began this week. I felt my first kick/jolt. Erin felt it too which was fun. And for the record, that is not a gray hair streak, that's my dirty bathroom mirror (although I assure you there are plenty of gray hairs).

Oh, this is also cute. Leo is in love with the belly. He comes over to me/it several times a day to “say hi” to the babies. He makes sure to say hi twice and kiss both of them. Ellie very thoughtfully points out “this is one baby and this is another" because I explained to her about there being a "Baby A" and "Baby B."

I am feeling so much better than I was but still feel pretty green in the evenings. Dinner often consists of popcorn and cranberry juice (health nut, that’s me) simply because nothing else sounds good. I keep waiting for crazy pregnancy cravings to kick in (i.e. You know what sounds good honey? Pizza wrapped in a cheeseburger, deep fried, with a side of Pad Thai. Yeah!). So far, none of that. I actually wish I was hungrier. Not that weight gain has ever been a particular problem of mine. Ahem.

Leo Can Have the Duplos. I'll Take the Caviar.

Happy Hanukkah!

(Photo from a past Hanukkah. Last night was not the sixth night).

This seems to be the first year that anyone is very interested in lighting the menorah. Ellie rushes to get the candles every night and asks me how many we need. Leo refuses to assist in the lighting, preferring to keep his distance from the flame I guess, but he sings the blessing along with me. Ellie is fascinated by lighting the candles and wraps her little hand around mine as we light each one together.

Of course, I’m sure the presents aren’t hurting in piqueing their interest in the Not As Glamorous As Christmas Holiday. Growing up, I did not come from one of those “a present every night for eights days” families. I scoffed at those spoiled ones (hmm…jealous much?) but now that I’m a parent? Well? I have to admit. Giving little presents every night is more than a little fun.

Yesterday I spent way too much time on the gathering of the little gifts. A trip to the Lego store in Rockefeller Center was amazing. Crowded, but amazing. I settled on this (a Duplo Hayride!) and Leo was in love. He didn’t want to go to bed because he wanted to play with it. Then when he finally came upstairs (with the truck of course), he wanted to take a bath because he wanted to bring the hayride into the bath.

And so I think it’s safe to say that this holiday season for Leo will be recalled as the year of the Lego. We went with Duplos because I think they’ll be easier for Leo. I hope I’m right. I played around with some of the “bigger kid” Legos at the store yesterday and they are tiny and even I had a hard time fitting some of them together and especially taking them apart. I’m stifling the urge to go back to the Lego store on my lunch break today for another little set like the one I gave him last night. It’s all leading up to the piece de resistance, which is this, to be given on Christmas morning.

This weekend I’m thinking about latkes. The latkes (and other recipes) featured here look amazing (creme fraiche and caviar? Yes please!). But I’ve never made latkes that actually tasted good and did anything more than make the house smell like onions and potatoes for a week. Maybe because I forgot the caviar? So maybe we’ll go with takeout. I am a sucker for sour cream and apple sauce though.

Oh and also? The whole If you don’t get dressed/come upstairs/put your coat on/fill-in-the-blank, Santa is not coming and no more Hanukkah presents…Totally, totally works. It’s like, MAGIC.

What am I going to do on December 26 when they stop listening to me again?

Catch-Up

It’s been a while, so here goes:

-Can someone tell me where the whine button “off switch” on Ellie is located? Oh my goodness. I have had to dig deep for patience this week (having a cold hasn’t helped my mood or my fuse, I’ll admit it). This girl is emotional. Things need to happen right! Now! And things need to happen her! Way! Or else. All I can say is yikes. And also, sigh.

-Leo lost another tooth and this one is (um, was) in the front. And yet again, there is no tooth to be had. We think it happened when he was eating an apple and well, you know the rest.

-Suddenly, Leo answers almost every statement with “Where?” For example, if I say, Leo, it’s time to go to school. He’ll say: “Where?” I have no explanation for it though we’ve all had some good laughs over it. (And let me be clear, it’s not that he doesn’t hear me. He just asks “where” about everything. For now).

-Ellie makes the most adorable little speech gaffes and I usually don’t have the heart to correct her. She tells me she’s “tendering” (pretending). She reminds me “I care if my macaroni is cold” which seems to mean the opposite (that she actually doesn't care). The other day we saw a teenager breeze by us riding what Ellie announced was a “scootboard” (skateboard). I corrected her and then immediately regretted it. “Scootboard” is way cuter.

-I am astounded on a daily basis by her vocabulary. Yesterday as she watched with fascination as I attended to a little home improvement project. She asked me “Why does it have that screw?” How does she even know the word screw?

-I am currently obsessing over lunch boxes. Leo really needs a new one. Ellie does not but I fear the wrath of Leo got a new one and Ellie didn’t so I probably need to just bite the bullet and buy two. The irony is that Leo could care less about a new lunchbox and he’s the one that actually needs the new one. This is probably the one I’m going to get (in mariner blue/shark) but I’m not sure if Leo will be able to open it on his own. I’m also not sure how much this really matters. Ellie has requested a “Princess” one but I’m going to pretend like I didn’t hear her and probably get her the pink one with the butterfly.

I also really like these and this one in particular (it works because along with "Where," Leo recently discovered robots):

And for Ellie:

My hesitation is keeping them clean. I like to be able to throw a lunch bag in the wash in case of the inevitable leaks, and you're not supposed to wash these. Hmm.

-Speaking of shopping, I just need to tell someone about these.

How cute would they be with some tights and a little dress? Maybe if I tell people about them I won’t want to actually buy them.

-I’m about to be home with the kids for ten days. Daycare is closed all of next week for "teacher prep" and Leo’s school starts the day after Labor Day. I’m excited. We have some play dates planned. Some day trips. Both kids have their annual physicals. It’s all mundane stuff but it’s things I miss when I’m working. Oh and I have grand farmer's market ideas and hope to cook some actual meals (rather than Trader Joe’s defrost jobs (notthatthere’sanythingwrongwiththat).

-I have all kinds of cleaning and organization projects in my mind that I’m positive I won’t accomplish but it’s fun to dream. It’s also fun to eat breakfast outside (which Leo asks to do almost every morning during the week) and stay in your pajamas until noon on a Tuesday and we might just do that too.

Fragile Kicks and IEP Dillemas

I know everyone has been on the edge of their seats about this one.

Leo’s yellow Crocs were a huge bust.

Not only were they too small (OK, they fit but they’re a tad narrow for Barney Rubble Foot). He just doesn’t seem comfortable in them. And then about ten minutes after he tried them on for the first time, he succeeded in ripping the back strap off of one of them (oh my little Curious George/El Destructo, sigh). Apparently you can order replacements from the company (of course you can! Why am I even surprised?) which I’m in the process of doing, but I’m also considering just reselling the darn things on eBay. Oh well.

Meanwhile Ellie is obsessed with her pink Crocs. It’s all she’ll wear. Well, fifty percent summer shoe success isn’t bad I guess.

In other more “hard” news, Leo’s IEP meeting is next week. Gulp. I guess I should be more nervous than I am. I received a nice call from Leo’s physical therapist last night. I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m crazy because I answered the phone with a very suspicious tone as it was around the time that telemarketers call. Couple this with the fact that hardly anyone but Erin’s work uses our land line, well let’s just say I did not sound overly friendly. But I quickly warmed to her when I realized who it was (oops) and figured out that she called to check on Leo’s tooth (or lack of!) since, as you’ll recall, it was during a P.T. session that he lost a tooth earlier this week.

She also wanted to let me know that she would not be able to attend the IEP meeting, but that she was planning to propose reducing his P.T. sessions to once a week (down from three, one individual and two “group” sessions which is really only two kids).

She said Leo is doing fabulously and has made huge strides this year. He actually met all of his goals for the year back in December (so of course she created new goals). She added she’s noticing him making progress in other areas: last week Leo asked her for a drink of water, as a full sentence (this sentence thing is new and big, trust me). Her response: You can have anything you want if you say it in a sentence!
She pronounced him as doing “everything a typical kindergartner is doing with just a slight delay.”

This is great news of course, but I’m torn about reducing his P.T. On the one hand, it’s wonderful that he’s doing so well. On the other hand, is he doing so well because of all the therapy (three weekly 30-minute sessions)? Who’s to know?

Not a huge, mind blowing question, but one of the many that will swirl around in my head tonight as I lie in bed, having stayed up too late to watch the season finale of "Grey's Anatomy."

Friday Listiness

I bow to the list. In no particular order:

Fish Oil: Dare I say that it’s doing something? Leo’s just been…lighter lately. Not so angry. More reasonable. Honestly, he’s been a sweet little pleasure. There have been no “Too Loud” incidents in the last week (at least at home and as far as I’m concerned when it comes to school, no news is good news). We even went out to lunch on Sunday and he marched right in without argument. True, it was one of his favorite places. Sadly, the Great Rice Incident of 2008, in which he managed to sneeze a half a cup of rice all over our table was not replicated, however he was kind enough to spill a good portion of the rice on the floor as he was attempting to throw it in the garbage. Yeah, sorry about that.

Three: It is becoming painfully obvious that Ellie is close to turning three. There’s been a real amping up of “I do it myself” and “No I don’t want that” and perhaps my own personal favorite, "Mommy you hurt me! Don't touch my Band-Aid!" And the emotions. Oh, the emotions. It must be exhausting to feel things as intensely as an almost three-year-old. A few mornings ago as she sat happily in the car eating her fruit bar while I carted the garbage and recycling to the curb, I had the nerve to open her door. I thought maybe she needed some fresh air. As I passed by on my way back to the car from the curb, I found a sobbing Ellie. “Mommy I want my door closed!” she wailed, giant crocodile tears coating her cheeks and neck.

File This Under It Was Bound To Happen Eventually: Speaking of things that are being “amped up,” I have one word: Princesses. Dear me. Suddenly, everything is Princess This and Princess That. And this morning, I think I met the culprit. A little girl at Ellie’s school has a lot of Princess accessories (I’m talking the fairly nauseating although guess ultimately benign Disney variety)—clothes, hair accoutrement, lunch box. I know I sound like a huge snob here, I guess I just wasn’t quite ready. I know we can’t all grow up in a bubble and you could do worse than Princesses, but, well. Yeah. Like I said, I wasn’t ready yet. (And I know what happens when you “ban” something).


Attitude: Last night as I was singing to Ellie and telling her a story, I started to giggle, as I watched her grind her pacifier nipple into her eye (she does this when she’s especially tired). “Mommy, why are you laughing at me?” Ellie asked, with all the exasperation of a thirteen year old.

The Reader: Leo is now reading books to us at bedtime. He does it with fervor and intensity and such purpose. I understand some of the words, and he’s definitely making a lot of it up from memory, but one thing is obvious. That boy is reading. Video to come (If he lets me. It could be tricky).


Milestone: Leo is bringing new meaning to the term “lost tooth.” Yup, another one "bit" (sorry, couldn't help it) the dust, another bottom one. He’s now missing two bottom teeth and by missing I mean just that. It was there and it was gone and the Tooth Fairy never even got a chance.


Shoes, Again: My obsession with finding Leo yellow Crocs for the summer has come to a happy end (I paid to much for used ones on eBay but Hey. I got them. I should have bought them from crocs.com when I had the chance last week but I was being cheap and I waited too long and now they are out of stock. I know that I’m enabling his yellow obsession but I seriously can’t think of anything more fun than yellow shoes (let’s face it, you don’t come across them often nor, as evident in my experience, easily). Leo and Ellie are so vocal about their favorite colors that I just can’t resist (because you know that of course I’m getting Ellie the pink ones). Whenever they are presented with a color option, then comes the chorus of Ellie: “I want a pink one!” and Leo: “Yellow!”

Smarty: This happened a month or so ago but I forgot to mention it. A friend recently taught me a new sign—“share” and I thought, wow I need to use that with Leo. I asked him if he knew the sign for share (because he knows way more signs than I do so I figured I should check to see if he already knew it). He looked at me blankly, so I said, Leo, do you know how to say share? (Sometimes I also forget that he now talks way more than he signs.)
Leo smiled and said “Ellie.”

Don't Like Football But I Like a Good Soap Opera: "Friday Night Lights" starts again tonight (for those of us without DirectTV). Best. Show. Ever.

Friday Listiness

1. The forecast for today is 70 degrees. SEVENTY. Yes, I’m shouting. Less than a month ago we had a blizzard. I love the three days of spring (and I know, I know this isn't spring yet but just a tease) we get in New York City. Trust me, we go from cherry blossoms to jungle humidity in about sixty hours here and I am relishing every minute of this little spring preview.

2. People are walking around midtown Manhattan in flip flops and short sleeved shirts. We are desperate (clearly) for warmth. Tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same. Our big plans include a trip to Trader Joe’s for homemade salsa ingredients and, well, coming home to make homemade salsa. And play outside. Compensate for last weekend's very busy weekend which included heading into Manhattan not once, but twice, and on the same day of the worst storm in our area's history. Weeee!

3. OK, fine. I guess I’ll throw in a little vacuuming, laundry and yard work too, just because the house/yard is crying out for it.

4. All this warm(ish) weather has me craving these for Leo:

And for Ellie:


I’m probably jumping the gun just a tad regarding sandal planning (we could certainly get more snow knowing the way things go around here) but hey, a girl has to dream, have goals and make plans.

5. For those who may not know, Leo’s favorite color is yellow. If given a color choice, ever, it’s always yellow. A yellow balloon at Trader Joe’s, a yellow cupcake from Magnolia. He meets yellow items with such enthusiasm that I’m not sure what he’s going to do when he gets yellow shoes. But I’m going to risk it.

I admit, I went a little back and forth on the yellow ones. Are they a little too something? Maybe. I don’t know. Honestly though, isn’t life too short not to wear yellow shoes, if given the chance?

6. Ellie has become our sporadic translator. For the most part, I can understand Leo pretty well and a lot of his language is contextual, that is I get what he’s saying based on what we’ve been talking about already. But sometimes, I am just stumped. What did he say? That’s when Ellie steps in and matter-of-factly announces “he said rock” or “he said owl.” I love that they know each other this well.

7. I finally got my act together and contacted Leo’s occupational therapist about his “sensory issues” surrounding haircuts (or should I say his hysterical, scary, traumatic (for all of us) refusal to even entertain the possibility of a haircut). I tried to make a little joke of it in my note to the OT, saying something like “in case you hadn’t noticed, Leo will not tolerate a haircut" (my little ragamuffin). Parent/Teacher conferences are next week and she’s agreed to meet with me then. In the meantime she said she’s going to start doing some exercises with him that should help. I’m interested to know what those entail.

If all else fails, maybe the OT will cut Leo’s hair? Cause that's totally in her job description, right? (It's a shame the bus driver obviously failed to take the hint that he too could cut Leo's hair).

8. Lastly, an answer to my thank you note to Leo’s speech therapist for her note about Leo's reading of The Runaway Bunny (yes I am one of those parents who thanks teachers and therapists for every little thing they do, including taking the time to write me a note with a sweet detail about my child’s day. What can I say but that I come from a family of teachers and I know how hard they work/how overworked they are).

Her response:

"It is always my pleasure to work with Leo. He is a very, very hard worker. Each day continues to be richer than the last. Incorporating literacy into the sessions is an important part of speech therapy for my students. Leo responds very positively to books. Today he read "Brown Bear" along with me and did very well sounding out the words. Perhaps he has already read it at home, since he did such a great job. We worked on prediciton as well, and he was right on. Yes, Leo has become increasingly engaged and verbal recently and I believe this is the beginning of some very exciting times!"

I couldn't agree more.

Eight and Nine

Here are two more for the “Top 10” list for winter break. Why do I feel like this list might grow to "Top 20." Lists are fun.

Still kicking myself for not doing an "End of Year" post and so impressed with those of you who did. Would it be too late to write one in February?

Without further ado...

8. Adults Pursuits
Saturday afternoon (and not a moment too soon) I finally slipped out for some “Me” time. I did some leisurely kid-free grocery shopping (Heaven, even if it was Costco the weekend before everyone went back to school and also apparently decided to return their Christmas presents). I went to the mall to spend a gift card (a strand of fake pearls so I can be just like Julia Child—I re-watched “Julie & Julia” over the break, can you tell?).

But the highlight of my day was seeing a movie. Alone. I’m a huge fan of this. There is no haggling over what to see, no discussion of where to sit. It’s just me in the dark, alone, with a muted cell phone and for two hours, nothing and no one can touch me. I used to do this a lot before I had kids.

I saw “Up in the Air,” which was good but not great. I liked its intelligence, the writing was good and it definitely had heart, which for me, trumps everything. Ultimately I think I’m a sucker for any movie that has an Elliott Smith song in it (Oh, Elliott Smith, I miss you). I loved that they paired George Clooney with someone in his nearish age bracket, since it seems that it’s become Hollywood habit to have leading men involved with women who could easily be their daughters. Then I got home and IMDBed Vera Farmiga and hello she’s YOUNGER THAN I AM. She’s lying. She’s totally, totally lying. Right?

9. "Glee," Volume 2
I bought it with a leftover iTunes gift card that I forgot I even had (Christmas in January!). I think I burned a hole in Volume One I listened to it so much. I feel like a bit of a cliché for even talking about this, but it’s that good. It’s that mood altering and it doesn’t involve intoxicants so who can argue? On paper, it sounds absurd. Listening to covers of songs by Van Halen and Journey and Cyndi Lauper sung by teenagers? Riggghhhht. Sign me up! It just…appeals to the musical theater nerd geek in me (which is decidedly not buried very deep).

Maybe watching “Glee” and listening to its music has allowed me in some odd way to relive high school again but on my terms, and with killer, mostly upbeat but often sentimental, so all the better) background music. If I could do it all over I would not care so much, I would not worry so much (I know, so original) and I would definitely eat a lot more. Starvation=not recommended. And also? I should have been in glee club.

At this point, it doesn't matter at all. But still, things could have been so different.

Top Ten Things About Winter Break (In No Particular Order), Part One

Why hello there!

Remember me? I had SUCH grand plans about so many things this break. Household organization, cleaning projects, blogging and of course, time with the kids.

So I accomplished the time with the kids part. And then some. The other stuff, not so much.

Not that I’m complaining.

So, without further ado…

1. Leo’s Adenoid Removal/New Ear Tubes: The surgery went well, we go back for Leo’s follow-up next week. The worst part of the day (for me, anyway, I’m sure Leo would say otherwise) was the fact that we all had to be at the surgery center at 6:30 a.m. In the pre-op room Leo threw Ellie under the bus, calling out her name, in other words, suggesting perhaps she should be the one to get her adenoids out.

Six hours later we were home, lulled by Tylenol with codeine for an unprecedented nap (it’s been over two years since Leo took a nap at home).

I got cocky and rented a movie “On Demand” which of course I didn’t get to watch because he woke up. And the calm was short lived when Leo awoke at 3 a.m. the next morning, we gave him more codeine and it seemed to wake him up more. That’s when I learned that this kind of pain medication can actually amp up kids with Down syndrome. Well, of course it does. Why didn’t I know that?

2. Gifts:
We didn’t go crazy this year. The kids have so much. Overall I think they liked everything they got. The palace was not the hit that I'd anticipated (Leo actually seemed to enjoy it more). Oh well, you can't beat the price I got on that one.

Leo loves the airplane (it is really cute even if it’s not the like the ones I used to play with, sigh). He’s also having fun with this boat (seriously, to Leo, you cannot go wrong with a plane or a boat).

On a developmental note, I love watching Leo play with Little People and the like. His attention span is so much improved. He plays with such...intention.

For Ellie, the tea set is getting lots of play. She’s also having a great time shopping through the house with her new grocery cart. And yes, there’s been plenty of the sibling rivalry I expected with this one. Sigh. And I blame her newest phrase “I want a pink one” (whatever it is, she wants it to be pink—on the way to the airport to pick up the grandparents she announced she wanted a “pink airplane”) on this book.

3. Fun In Unexpected Places
Did you know that the Elizabeth, New Jersey IKEA is located across the street (OK, highway) from the Newark Airport? I didn’t. But I can tell you that it’s a lot of fun to watch the planes take off with a gleeful five year old boy, even if it is about 10 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill. Although, I’m sure Ellie would say otherwise.

It’s also fun to play in the kid’s rooms at Ikea. While I figured they'd both make a beeline for the dreaded ballroom (which I was afraid to let Leo loose in, for fear he'd never want to leave (transitions are an, um, problem), it was the little "rooms" that really piqued their interest. Leo found about ten different beds that I’m sure he would have loved as his own and Ellie also enjoyed a real bed-she gravitated toward the pink adorned ones, shock (she’s still cribbing it and I plan on keeping it that way for as long as I can get away with it).

But probably my favorite thing that happened at IKEA was that Leo sat down at one of the kid's desks (there was paper and a pencil) and proceeded to write his full name. Perfectly.

4. Leo discovered “catch”
As in, playing ball. He can throw a ball with amazing skill and is pretty darn good at catching it. It can keep him occupied and giggling and engaged for a long time. He received a couple of nice, small, soft balls as gifts, perfect for playing indoors during frigid temperatures while recovering from minor surgery. And watching Leo play ball with his grandpa: Priceless.

5. Ellie’s First Haircut
Everyone seems surprised Ellie had never had a “real” (as in, I paid someone to do it and it wasn’t me). It was spur of the moment, Christmas Eve afternoon at the mall. Honestly, I think both kids were attracted by the sight of a row of television screens showing “Dora” (it’s one of those sit-in-a-Barbie-jeep-and watch a DVD places).

As hysterical as Leo gets, Ellie was cucumber cool. I watched her with fascination, the sight of a child not terrified by a haircut truly is a sight to behold. I love the cut, by the way. My instructions were, a simple bob, short, but long enough it could still go in pigtails (not that she allows those often). I think short hair is adorable on little girls. Think: Dorothy Parker meets Strawberry Shortcake.

And seriously, until she has an opinion, why not keep it easy? And let's be honest, with such epic cuteness, does the hair length really matter? Sadly, because it was unplanned, I didn't have my camera, so no photos of the main event (new year's resolution: bring camera everywhere!).


Before

After

6. Being introduced to my new favorite quote, by way of the always wise Cate:
“Everything will be OK in the end. And if it’s not OK, it’s not the end.” (author unknown)

7. Homemade gifts

And this might be my favorite gift of all this year. I am a sucker for the handmade. Bonus points if pasta is involved.

Stayed tuned for Part 2.

Bye Bye Hanukkah, Hello Weekend and Princess Enabling

Poor Ellie. This was so not the Hanukkah picture I was going for. Tonight is the last night though, so the pressure is on to, um, document it a little better than this. We'll see how it goes.

Back to poor Ellie. And Leo. What a week it's been. The weekend couldn’t come soon enough, for any of us. Last night, thanks to traffic from an accident on the way home, good old daycare pickup was at 8 p.m. They had to make my children grilled cheese sandwiches. Sorry, but I don't usually plan on having them there until after bedtime. Ugh. And yup, cue the mom guilt. I know it’s no one’s fault and this kind of thing is rare (has only happened one other time since September) and they will have no memory of this (I hope) but still, it is a long, long day for two little people and I can't help but think it takes its toll. And so I feel guilty. And I know, I know, guilt might just be the most useless emotion out there, but it’s also so easy to go there! And so hard to resist it.

I let Ellie sleep as late as I could this morning (not an option with Leo-our little rooster is up by 5 a.m. most mornings, sigh) and was prepared for more tears at drop-off since I knew she was tired and is still fighting that cough, but she actually smiled and squealed when we pulled up to daycare this morning, saying "there's my school!" It's heartwarming and humbling how resilient children are.

We have a mellow weekend planned, well as mellow as a weekend could be when it involves baking about six dozen cookies, and making about five pounds of Leo and Ellie’s Famous Holiday Mix (it’s not as hard as it sounds, it’s basically Chex Mix with red and green M&M’s) and compiling all of that into the requisite cute and appropriately decorated containers as gifts for the village of teachers and therapists. I know gift cards are what they really want and what everyone is saying we're "supposed" to get them but we just can't swing it this year.

Basically, it’s the calm before the (good) storm and the next holiday and the next round of relatives (Hi Grandpa! Hi Grandma! (they arrive from Oregon for five days on Dec. 26).

And speaking of storm, did someone say snow? Up to ten inches are possible in New York City and probably even more in our parts. Leo’s played in the snow before but last winter Ellie was still too little to really enjoy it. A few weeks ago we got a dusting and she was giddy, so I can only imagine what a real snowfall will make her do. I have to say, as long as I can get to the store tonight to finish up all my baking supply shopping, I wouldn’t mind being snowbound for a day or two.

Or the whole storm could just totally blow over and be nothing. You know the way things can go with these “Winter Storm Warnings.”

In other news, this little item just fell into my lap for Ellie (and to be fair, Leo will love it and I'm sure fight Ellie for it).

Just, I know, don’t ask.

As much as it pains me and goes against almost everything I stand for, I’m going to go ahead and give it to Ellie for Christmas/Hanukkah/whatever. All the princess crap just grosses me out but I fear that the more I fight it the more she’ll want it. It will be like my cousins who were denied sugar at home and so went on sugar binges at friends’ houses. I don’t want poor Ellie to feel the need to princess binge.