One day from now, my little man will turn 6 months old, and to celebrate, we thought it would be fun and appropriate to dress up and go trick-or-treating! (I can only imagine how much fun it would be for a kid whose birthday really falls on Halloween!)
Spoiler alert: Abby and Zach are going as a ladybug and bumblebee, or Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy from one of Abby's favorite books. We got a taste of how cute a bumblebee could be when Zach wore his costume to Barnes & Noble's dress-up storytime yesterday. He looked as sweet as honey :). And my little ladybug-to-be, who caught a school cold and kindly passed it on to her brother and mommy, is ready to rock her black and red dress, tights, turtleneck and boots on Sunday. Frankly, I haven't been this excited for Halloween in a LONG time!
Hopefully if we are all in good health and spirits, we'll make it to two parties, Stew Leonard's (trick-or-treating and free ice cream for kids in costume on Sunday!) and to our neighbors doors all before we collapse in a sugar overload. In a half-ass attempt at bribing Abby to use the potty, we already planted the seed that she will only get candy if she goes to the bathroom. We shall see how long that lasts!
I'll post pics after the weekend and I hope everyone has a fun time!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Mid-Month Review
Alas, my favorite month of the year (and not only because it's my birth month) is already more than half over! Which means that we are quickly approaching Zach's 6-month mark and the start of the oh-so-fun holiday season.
What have we been up to this month, you ask? Well, like every other family in the Northeast, we went pumpkin picking last weekend at Outhouse Orchards. Between the pony rides, hayride, swingset, fresh food, ice cream truck, band and pumpkin patch, there was more than enough for everyone to do. Unfortunately, Jason got a little ambitious when pushing Abby on the "big girl" swing and she fell off it - thankfully with just a scare for us all, nothing more.
We are also working on cleaning out our loft/office area to make a real room for poor Zach, who routinely alternates his sleeping arrangements between a pack and play in our closet and a crib (with Abby's pink sheets) in the loft. We are hoping to get a wall built ASAP so we all can go back to having our own spaces, and the kid can have some blue or green crib sheets of his own!
I celebrated my birthday night at Abby's school at storytime, where the parents took turns reading to the group and the kids enjoyed cookies and milk. Afterwards, we came home and enjoyed cake and other delicious treats.
And last, but definitely not least, last night Abby FINALLY decided to SIT on the potty again, which she hasn't done in a very long time. Nothing happened, but we are back to celebrating the baby steps in this horrific process known as potty training. And should the day ever come when she is out of diapers, we will no doubt celebrate in a very big way!
What have we been up to this month, you ask? Well, like every other family in the Northeast, we went pumpkin picking last weekend at Outhouse Orchards. Between the pony rides, hayride, swingset, fresh food, ice cream truck, band and pumpkin patch, there was more than enough for everyone to do. Unfortunately, Jason got a little ambitious when pushing Abby on the "big girl" swing and she fell off it - thankfully with just a scare for us all, nothing more.
We are also working on cleaning out our loft/office area to make a real room for poor Zach, who routinely alternates his sleeping arrangements between a pack and play in our closet and a crib (with Abby's pink sheets) in the loft. We are hoping to get a wall built ASAP so we all can go back to having our own spaces, and the kid can have some blue or green crib sheets of his own!
I celebrated my birthday night at Abby's school at storytime, where the parents took turns reading to the group and the kids enjoyed cookies and milk. Afterwards, we came home and enjoyed cake and other delicious treats.
And last, but definitely not least, last night Abby FINALLY decided to SIT on the potty again, which she hasn't done in a very long time. Nothing happened, but we are back to celebrating the baby steps in this horrific process known as potty training. And should the day ever come when she is out of diapers, we will no doubt celebrate in a very big way!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Zach Earns His Wings
Zachary earned his first set of wings this weekend when he and mommy went to Chicago! We got very lucky on several fronts when we left: it was a torrential rain and wind storm with every road leading to the airport flooded, but we made it just in time. The gate agent must have felt badly for the single mom traveling with her adorable baby and not only gave us the bulk head, but an extra seat for Zach as well (thank you Steven Webber at AA)!!! With a little assistance from fellow passengers, we got settled and Zach did great on his first flight - he ate, pooped, played and slept a little. We even landed in Chicago early, so there really is a first time for everything!
Over the weekend, we went to the cemetery to visit Zach's Grandpa Joe and Great-Grandma Faye, we met up with some friends and enjoyed the local specialties, including deep dish pizza, Dairy Queen and cheese fries. Clearly it was not a trip for anyone on a diet!
Zach met his extended family and his Grammy's close friends on Sunday when Grammy went a bit overboard with a catered party for him which included "Z" mini-cupcakes and way too much food.
All the while, Abby enjoyed some daughter/daddy (and grandparent) time, had her 3rd visit to the dentist and visited the Greenburgh Nature Center for like the 5th time this year. She and daddy also took Sadie for a much-needed grooming.
The trip home was pretty easy, though Zach was on my lap during it instead of his own seat. But we made it home in one piece and I realized how much easier it is to travel with a 5-month-old than a 3-year-old (which I never would have done when Abby was 5 months old)!
Over the weekend, we went to the cemetery to visit Zach's Grandpa Joe and Great-Grandma Faye, we met up with some friends and enjoyed the local specialties, including deep dish pizza, Dairy Queen and cheese fries. Clearly it was not a trip for anyone on a diet!
Zach met his extended family and his Grammy's close friends on Sunday when Grammy went a bit overboard with a catered party for him which included "Z" mini-cupcakes and way too much food.
All the while, Abby enjoyed some daughter/daddy (and grandparent) time, had her 3rd visit to the dentist and visited the Greenburgh Nature Center for like the 5th time this year. She and daddy also took Sadie for a much-needed grooming.
The trip home was pretty easy, though Zach was on my lap during it instead of his own seat. But we made it home in one piece and I realized how much easier it is to travel with a 5-month-old than a 3-year-old (which I never would have done when Abby was 5 months old)!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Adventures in Maryland
This past weekend, Jason and I packed up the kids and a whole lot of luggage and headed down "south," to visit friends in Maryland. Our roadtrip began Friday at 5:30 pm (yes, we chose to sit in rush hour traffic) and we arrived at our first destination just outside of Baltimore (our friends Karrie & Michael's house) around 10:15 pm. Thankfully, both kids fell asleep in the car and transferred nicely. That was the first night that Abby slept on an air mattress and she did great, other than waking up at 2 am confused about where she was!
Saturday morning we hung out with Karrie & Michael's kids at their place and then packed up everyone yet again and drove to Rockville, Maryland. Our plan was to surprise birthday girl Lauren at brunch, which went perfectly as we saw the look on her face of pure shock when she walked into the restaurant and saw us there. After enjoying some birthday cupcakes we brought down from Magnolia Bakery in NYC, we sent the husbands off with 6 kids (ages 4.5 months - 4.5 years)so that Karrie, Lauren and I could enjoy some girl time with massages. The kids also had a great time at the town fair, getting balloon animals, their faces painted and playing in a bounce house.
Saturday night was adults night out at Rosa Mexicano in National Harbor. We had a great night of perfect weather and with no children, we all were able to engage in real adult conversation for a change!
Our trip ended Sunday morning when we left early so that Lauren & Dan could get their house ready for an open house and attend a few birthday parties. Zach took his usual 30-45-minute naps throughout the day so the poor guy was exhausted at night. But all in all, it was a fun and action-packed weekend that we all enjoyed!
Next up - a mommy/son trip to Chicago next weekend (and Zach's first flight) which will be a lot of fun assuming Mommy can get through the airport and plane ride in one piece. Abby and Daddy will enjoy their time together as well, and Jason and I will be sure to compare notes about who is easier - the 5-month old or the 3-year old!
Saturday morning we hung out with Karrie & Michael's kids at their place and then packed up everyone yet again and drove to Rockville, Maryland. Our plan was to surprise birthday girl Lauren at brunch, which went perfectly as we saw the look on her face of pure shock when she walked into the restaurant and saw us there. After enjoying some birthday cupcakes we brought down from Magnolia Bakery in NYC, we sent the husbands off with 6 kids (ages 4.5 months - 4.5 years)so that Karrie, Lauren and I could enjoy some girl time with massages. The kids also had a great time at the town fair, getting balloon animals, their faces painted and playing in a bounce house.
Saturday night was adults night out at Rosa Mexicano in National Harbor. We had a great night of perfect weather and with no children, we all were able to engage in real adult conversation for a change!
Our trip ended Sunday morning when we left early so that Lauren & Dan could get their house ready for an open house and attend a few birthday parties. Zach took his usual 30-45-minute naps throughout the day so the poor guy was exhausted at night. But all in all, it was a fun and action-packed weekend that we all enjoyed!
Next up - a mommy/son trip to Chicago next weekend (and Zach's first flight) which will be a lot of fun assuming Mommy can get through the airport and plane ride in one piece. Abby and Daddy will enjoy their time together as well, and Jason and I will be sure to compare notes about who is easier - the 5-month old or the 3-year old!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
High Holidays & High Apples
This past weekend started off with celebrating the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. It was nice to spend some time with the family but fasting while your 3-year-old eats is not as fun as it sounds! I made it until 5:30 pm but was a tad bit cranky towards the end. We hosted the "break fast" at our house and Abby had a great time with her cousins Matthew & Morgan. Zach had a great time just being his cute self!
Sunday morning we woke up and saw the sun was bright so we motivated and headed up north to Wilkens Farm for some apple picking. Abby & Zach's cousins and our BIL & SIL joined us for a little while as they celebrated SIL's birthday. This year, Abby was able to reach a few more of the apples herself and was a great bag holder while Jason got the taller apples. Even Zach had fun as he tried to reach for the leaves and loved being outside in the gorgeous weather. We enjoyed tasting the various apples but the best part was going to the treat shop at the end and indulging in fresh apple cider donuts! Yum!
On Monday morning, Abby was very excited to bring some of the apples we picked to school to share with her class. Hopefully the kids all enjoyed the apples as much as we enjoyed picking them! Happy Fall!
Sunday morning we woke up and saw the sun was bright so we motivated and headed up north to Wilkens Farm for some apple picking. Abby & Zach's cousins and our BIL & SIL joined us for a little while as they celebrated SIL's birthday. This year, Abby was able to reach a few more of the apples herself and was a great bag holder while Jason got the taller apples. Even Zach had fun as he tried to reach for the leaves and loved being outside in the gorgeous weather. We enjoyed tasting the various apples but the best part was going to the treat shop at the end and indulging in fresh apple cider donuts! Yum!
On Monday morning, Abby was very excited to bring some of the apples we picked to school to share with her class. Hopefully the kids all enjoyed the apples as much as we enjoyed picking them! Happy Fall!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The First Days of School
Pre-school started off with a bang on Monday - the class (9 returning students, 3 new ones) seemed to hit it off and the teachers are (hopefully) getting into a groove. Abby had a nice time, other than apparently she was not so happy about putting away toys to go read a story and she threw a minor fit and hit her head when she threw it back in protest. Par for the course these days, but she was fine and the rest of the time was ok.
Yesterday was only Day 3 of Abby's second year and she came home from school with a fever! Last year she must have been sick at least 4-5 times so I was hoping that this year it wouldn't be so bad, now that her immune system adjusted to a bunch of runny-nosed kids all playing with the same toys and putting their hands in their mouths. But alas, that hope only lasted about 48 hours. Luckily she is fine - her fever is gone and other than a lingering cough and swollen glands, she should bounce back by the time school resumes on Monday after Yom Kippur.
In other news at home, I must have been in a fog for the first few months of Abby's life because I don't really remember how her demeanor was. I know she was a pretty easy baby but Zach seems to be a little saint (so far)! He is so smiley & happy, and will just hang out no matter where he is or what he's doing. He eats, sleeps and gives us the best smiles. So maybe he's a little short but his big personality will make up for his little height. I just adore the kid and can't believe I was so nervous to have a boy! I am sure I'll change this once he's mobile and active, but if what everyone has told me about boys being so loveable with their moms holds true, his future wife better watch out!!!
Yesterday was only Day 3 of Abby's second year and she came home from school with a fever! Last year she must have been sick at least 4-5 times so I was hoping that this year it wouldn't be so bad, now that her immune system adjusted to a bunch of runny-nosed kids all playing with the same toys and putting their hands in their mouths. But alas, that hope only lasted about 48 hours. Luckily she is fine - her fever is gone and other than a lingering cough and swollen glands, she should bounce back by the time school resumes on Monday after Yom Kippur.
In other news at home, I must have been in a fog for the first few months of Abby's life because I don't really remember how her demeanor was. I know she was a pretty easy baby but Zach seems to be a little saint (so far)! He is so smiley & happy, and will just hang out no matter where he is or what he's doing. He eats, sleeps and gives us the best smiles. So maybe he's a little short but his big personality will make up for his little height. I just adore the kid and can't believe I was so nervous to have a boy! I am sure I'll change this once he's mobile and active, but if what everyone has told me about boys being so loveable with their moms holds true, his future wife better watch out!!!
Friday, September 10, 2010
A Little Labor Day Fun
It's hard to believe that Labor Day came and went so quickly this year! We had a lot of fun activities and we are sad to see the summer coming to an end.
On Saturday (our 6-year anniversary), we took the kids to Rye Playland for the evening with some friends and their 3-year-old daughter, Leah. The girls had a wonderful time on all of the rides and Abby even asked to try the "adult" rides (denied!). Zach just loved being there, and was looking around at all the people and lights. The girls tried a funnel cake for the first time and loved it (what's not to love!).
Sunday, we spent the morning & evening at my in-laws' country club, where Abby was more interested in the swings than the pool. After Jason picked up my mom from the airport, we went back to the club for a carnival and BBQ with the family and everyone ate a lot and had a great time.
Monday morning, we packed up the whole family (Grammy, mom, dad, Abby, Zach and Sadie)in our new 7-seater SUV and went for a long hike in the Rockefeller Estate. It was a perfect day outside and it felt good to burn off a few of the calories we consumed the evening before! Monday night, Jason and I had a post-anniversary celebration of dinner & a movie while Grandma babysat.
Tuesday rolled around Grammy and I took Abby to her school's "fun day," which consisted of time on the playground, meeting the teachers, and a visit from a Bee Keeper. It definitely got us all in the spirit for Abby's upcoming first day of school on Monday!
We celebrated Rosh Hashana with the family in the city on Wednesday night and in White Plains on Thursday night, and we went to a kids service at Abby's school. There was a lot of yummy food and we all seemed to have a nice time. Abby helped Grammy bake yummy brownies which we are excited to dive into.
It's hard to believe that Abby is starting her 2nd year of preschool on Monday. I am sure that Laura is happy to get her back into structured programming and I know she'll have a great time there. I am excited to see what fall brings - hopefully some apple and pumpkin-picking and maybe, just maybe, a little potty progress once school starts. Happy Fall!
On Saturday (our 6-year anniversary), we took the kids to Rye Playland for the evening with some friends and their 3-year-old daughter, Leah. The girls had a wonderful time on all of the rides and Abby even asked to try the "adult" rides (denied!). Zach just loved being there, and was looking around at all the people and lights. The girls tried a funnel cake for the first time and loved it (what's not to love!).
Sunday, we spent the morning & evening at my in-laws' country club, where Abby was more interested in the swings than the pool. After Jason picked up my mom from the airport, we went back to the club for a carnival and BBQ with the family and everyone ate a lot and had a great time.
Monday morning, we packed up the whole family (Grammy, mom, dad, Abby, Zach and Sadie)in our new 7-seater SUV and went for a long hike in the Rockefeller Estate. It was a perfect day outside and it felt good to burn off a few of the calories we consumed the evening before! Monday night, Jason and I had a post-anniversary celebration of dinner & a movie while Grandma babysat.
Tuesday rolled around Grammy and I took Abby to her school's "fun day," which consisted of time on the playground, meeting the teachers, and a visit from a Bee Keeper. It definitely got us all in the spirit for Abby's upcoming first day of school on Monday!
We celebrated Rosh Hashana with the family in the city on Wednesday night and in White Plains on Thursday night, and we went to a kids service at Abby's school. There was a lot of yummy food and we all seemed to have a nice time. Abby helped Grammy bake yummy brownies which we are excited to dive into.
It's hard to believe that Abby is starting her 2nd year of preschool on Monday. I am sure that Laura is happy to get her back into structured programming and I know she'll have a great time there. I am excited to see what fall brings - hopefully some apple and pumpkin-picking and maybe, just maybe, a little potty progress once school starts. Happy Fall!
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