Tinky Winky

Cara has been so funny. She has turned into the bossiest of 2 year olds and talks non-stop. She repeats everything we say and is "reading" her books aloud. She has one that she loves that has a line "no more monkeys jumping on the bed" and when we read it to her we say that line while shaking our finger at the book. The other day I saw her sitting on the floor and shaking her finger, saying "No more bed" very emphatically.

Lately, she has taken to putting her nose about 2 inches from mine and saying "mommy, mommy, mommy" each time with increasing urgency, the final one coming out in a near growl and all the while she is patting each of my cheeks with her tiny hands. Often she just wants my attention but sometimes she wants something else...a pretzel, some Halloween candy or sometimes who knows what. But want it she does, badly.

This morning, she was wondering around in her fleece jammies and a very wet diaper and Jim looked down and her and remarked "she looks like a Teletubby. And she did.

Snowman

Halloween Weekend

We had a great Halloween and the kids really got into it. Jarrett because I think he kind of understood what to expect for the first time, and Cara because Jarrett was into it. Jarrett dressed up as a dinosaur and Cara was a mouse...sort of. Couldn't get the girl to keep her hood on, so most of the time she just looked like a woolly toddler.

Jarrett and I had been practicing all week so he would be ready for trick or treating, role playing the whole bit.
Me: Okay, we walk up to our neighbor's door and what do we do?

J: We knock knock knock (pantomiming)

Me: Then, they open their door, and what do you say?

J: Tankoo!

Me: No, not yet, what do you say first?

J: Tricky treating!

Me: That's right! Then what does our neighbor do?

J: Dey give me candy!!!

Me: Uh-huh...then what do you say?

J: Tankoo!

Me: That's right, I think you are ready!

Jarrett had school on Friday and they had a costume party and parade. I pretty much think in this photo Miss Janet might be saying "Jarrett, get back over here". I say that a lot myself.

Let me say there is no amount of tuition discount that could make me take a job in a preschool. It is no place for a control freak.

That evening, and by that I mean afternoon, because around here people start trick or treating around 3 pm, we took the kids around the 'hood for some big fun. Jarrett was absolutely cracking us up. He had a ball and so did Cara though she got tired of walking and carrying her candy bucket...but hey, she's 2, that's a lot of work for a wee one. The routine went much like our above role play with only a few hiccups. The most alarming one was that on the first few houses, as soon as people opened their doors, Jarrett would just walk in and start looking around. We had a tough time convincing him that trick or treating took place on the front porch. Finally, when we knocked on a door and he heard a large dog barking, we were able to convince him that if he didn't want to meet a big dog face to face he might want to stay on the front porch...so he did. But that didn't stop him from craning the entirety of his upper half around our neighbors' legs to take a good look around their homes. Jeez..Nosy Norton!

a brief moment in her hood

Our next door neighbor and babysitter, Katherine. The kids LOVE her, and we do too

I think it is fair to say we enjoyed trick or treating as much as the kids did...it ranked right up there with our former Halloween parties, with a lot less clean up. Still had a hangover though. It was a sugar hangover, but a hangover all the same.











On Saturday we took the kids back to Sesame Place. It was a nice warm day and the last weekend it would be open till next spring. Our tickets were still good. And, I think I mentioned before, it is only 40 minutes away.

She thought this ride looked like it would be fun

Then, once she was in the air, she changed her mind

Enjoying the teacups

She had been dipping her cookie in ketchup. That one's for you, Auntie Carol.

Done With the Weather Bragging

I think over the last few weeks I have bragged to several of you "down south" that we are actually consistently having better weather than you are. Done! Done with that because I just looked out the front window and it is snowing to beat the band. Here's the crazy thing...it's also thundering. Did you know it could thunder and snow together? I don't think any of it will stick because it's not below freezing...but I think I will stay off the roads just the same. NJ drivers are crazy enough without adding snow, or even heavy rain to the mix.

Okay, maybe it is sticking a bit.

On Friday, Jarrett's school planned a field trip to a pumpkin patch and we all went. It was a gorgeous day and a lot of fun. They also had some animals which I think was Jarrett and Cara's favorite part of being there. Jarrett got a big kick out of feeding the animals which kind of tickled me since he lately seems to have developed a fear of dogs. Full grown ones that is. Cara wasn't so much about putting her hand in the fence to feed them but loved watching Jarrett do it.

On the Hayride

Also in the news, Jim had a birthday last Friday and we had a little celebration. Poor Jarrett, he has celebrated Cara's birthday and now Jim's and he just can't understand why it isn't his yet. I have explained to him that first it was Cara's, then Daddy's, then Halloween, then Jarrett's birthday and I think he may have it now. I think that because everyday, at least 10 times a day, he tells me, ticking each event off on his fingers. "Mommy, first it's Cara's birthday, then Daddy's birthday, then Halloween's birthday, then Jarrett's birthday, right? Yes, Jarrett. "Then I get big Doc, right?" Maybe so, Jarrett. My worry? First thing Saturday morning, he's going to wonder why we aren't celebrating his birthday. Oh, well, a teachable moment.

Friday night, when I was putting Jarrett to bed, he absolutely touched my heart. I was tucking him in and telling him I loved him, saying prayers and all that. As i was about to get up from the side of his bed, he said to me "I want Mommy music". I wasn't sure I understood him so I asked him to repeat himself and he did. So I told him I would turn on his CD as I left the room and he said to me "how 'bout you sing?" so I asked him what did he want me to sing, should I sing the moon song? And he says "no, sing don't cry?" Don't cry? What's don't cry? then he sings "baby don't cry?" And then I knew. He wanted me to sing Baby Mine, which I learned from a cassette (that's how long ago it was) that my sister Lisa copied for me of Disney songs recorded by popular artists. This one happened to have been done by Bonnie Raitt and it has long been one of my favorite songs and one I had dreamed for years (like close to 20 of them) that I would someday sing to my kids. And i have, to both of them, sung it regularly. Partly because it is one of the only songs that I can just sing in its entirety off the top of my head but mostly because I love it. And that busy little boy stared into my eyes the entire time I sang it to him and when I was gave me a big grin and said thank you. Absolutely melted me.

On Saturday, we had tickets to the 3rd game of the World Series in Philadelphia...how exciting is that? We went and had a great time although did not stay for entire game because the weather was awful. It was cold windy and very rainy and we just weren't willing to sit out in it and there was really no place to sit or even stand out of the weather. Now had it been the Cardinals playing, we might have been willing to risk pneumonia for the whole game. Again, still so exciting to have gotten to go at all.

Did you think we were the only babies who wouldn't go to our seats?

Bicycling and Sesame Place

This weekend, at long last, we (VERY belatedly) celebrated Jarrett's Gotcha Day. He got a new bicycle Friday and we worked with him on learning to ride it. It has training wheels but it's a booger to explain to a four year old how to pedal. Telling him to push down with one foot and let the other one come up doesn't really work so well because inevitably he pushes the wrong way and uses the brake rather than propelling himself forward. If anyone knows the secret to setting this boy free on his wheels, please let us know.

does not like wearing the helmet

But Cara does

On Saturday, we took the kids to Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA. It's kind of like Disney, but smaller and really focussed on younger children. It is only about 40 minutes from here so it was perfect.

Parts of the park are set up to look like the Sesame Street set

and they have tame rides and lots of activities that are interactive.

We went t a little show, that our kids loved and actually sat nicely all the way through it.

We couldn't resist buying the video of Jim and Jarrett on the roller coaster, or "choo-choo train" as Jarrett likes to call it. Take a look, too funny.

We went to a "character dinner" and it was actually a lot of fun and either the food was pretty tasty or we were just hungry. We met Ernie, Bert, the Count, Zoe, Big Bird and the Count. Granted, Jim and I were more excited to meet them than the kids were but it was still alot of fun. Jarrett and Cara were both kind of afraid of the life size characters,

though J did decide that he could be friends with Ernie and Elmo. Cara never did get past wanting to have a long distance relationship with them.

J even scraped up his nerve for an Elmo photo op...well of course, it was Elmo.

After the dinner, we hit the gift shop and then loaded up to head home. We weren't 10 minutes out of the park before we heard some gentle snoring from the back seat, and I confess, I wasn't far behind them! Poor Jim...but I guess that's what you get when you make fun of your wife's driving.

has her blankie hanging out of her mouth. I guess she fell asleep mid-blankie-chew

She's Two, Part 2

Tonight, we finally had a birthday meal (lasagna) cupcakes and opened presents. I don't think Cara had one clue as to what it was all about and Jarrett was most certainly confused, but it was a fun night. More so for Cara than for J, certainly.

The poor little guy kept on saying "I want Doc" as Cara began opening a gift or card. We would say " we know, maybe on your birthday" but I don't think he ever got it. He's been asking us for Doc, a car that is a character from the movie Cars, for what seems like forever and we've been telling him that he has enough toys and that he can ask for Doc for his birthday if he wants to. Then, he has been hearing all about it being Cara's birthday and I'm not sure he made the distinction. I just looked through the photos and he just looked so happy, so full of hope at the beginning of the party and by the end, he just looks kind of like he pasted a smile on his face to be polite.

Cara's main gift from us is a toy kitchen and I think we may have found something she loves. Right now, we don't have a kitchen table so we set it up in the breakfast nook with the kids' toy table and chairs and she really went to town in it and brought Jim and I lots of things to "taste" until we dragged her little exhuasted self off to bed.

Enjoy the photos and know we love you!

Note Jarrett's joy at the sight of the plastic ice cream cone

Greens, Tomato and White Bean Soup

I made this the other night and it was so tasty. I adapted a recipe from our newspaper and we all loved it, even the kids. And best of all...it was SO EASY!


1 T. Olive Oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 box chicken broth
2 cans diced roasted tomatoes
3/4 c. whole grain orzo or other small pasta
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/2 c. water
1 can canellini beans, rinsed
4 cups chopped dandelion greens or escarole (I used escarole)
Parmesan for sprinkling

In large pot over medium high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the broth through water and bring to a simmer and cook until the pasta is tender. About 6 minutes.

Add the beans and greens, then cook, stirring often, until the greens are tender. About another 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with cheese.

(serves 4)

She's Two

This weekend we celebrated Cara's 2nd birthday...sort of. The actual day was Saturday the 11th but we were still unpacking, installing toilets and having a garage sale; so we didn't do anything on Saturday. Oh the joy of parenting the oblivious toddler.

On Sunday, since it was a beautiful day, we took the kids to Sandy Hook beach at the Jersey shore. We had heard it is the closest actual beach to where we live and was really pretty. The oldest functioning lighthouse in the nation is there and we went to see it. We then parked near the beach and started walking. Jarrett loved it but Cara wasn't so sure. She hated walking in the sand -- I wasn't all that surprised since she hated walking on grass for months. Still, it was a nice way to spend the afternoon. We tried ot eat a picnic snack on a beach blanket but the kids were totally thrown off by that. I think partly because we don't often do picnics or even eat outside...our fault! And then also, because they just couldn't stop putting their hands in the sand which meant the snack was sandy...their own silly fault! So, for the kids, the snacks were kind of a bust...too bad, as it was DELICIOUS muffins from the neighborhood bakery. Yes, I said it, neighborhood bakery. Did I also mention there is a neighborhood ice cream parlor? What a happy place this is!

Okay, back to the beach...we also saw lots of dogs there. I gotta tell you, people in Jersey love their dogs. Everyone seems to have at least one. It's rubbing off on me a little bit. I have caught myself doing sneaky perusals of the classified domestic pet ads. We met one dog at the beach named Felix. He was a six month old French Bulldog. He should have been named Mellow Yellow. What an easy going little guy. Cara loved him.

We got enough of the beach and began the long slow trek back to the car - then began the short slower trek from the beach road to the main road where we would actually begin heading home. By short and slow I mean 2 miles in 1 hour. By the time we got home, it was too late to cook, too late to open presents, too late to have our cupcakes. So, the birthday celebration will continue tonight. I am going to post some photos of the beach now and some party photos tomorrow.

Having some fun in our Sunday best

How cute is this dog?

Holy Cow! That's NYC!