Changes

So...as you probably know, we are moving/have moved from our wonderful, homey, cozy, much much too small condo into a rental that our friend just bought.  We will close on our condo sell on Friday.  The plan is to find a single family here in this town we love so much but for now we are just waiting for our dream house (and a couple thousand dollars to make up for the tiny bit of a low price we accepted).  I'll have some pictures of our cute little apartment to show later but for now I have three cute kid stories.

1 - One of the days that Aaron took off to help pack I had a short meeting to run to while the girls ate breakfast.  With my ponytail, jean skirt and cardigan I was ready to head out the door when Meggie says "Mom!  You BARBIE!"  And yes, I floated around all day because of that comment.

2 - Same day I was feeling bad for upheaving the girl's lives (although they've been nothing but excited to move) and apologized to Tessa that the house was such a mess.  She looked around, bewildered, "Mom, its not messy...all the stuff is in BOXES."

All in one day, a daughter who thinks I look like Barbie and one who thinks I'm a decent housekeeper.  Bliss.

3 - The story in which we anthropomorphize our house.  Meg has struggled a little bit with all the change around here, but not as much as I thought she would based on the fact that "House" has been a character in her chatter for quite some time.  In her prayers she thanks Heavenly Father, not for our house, but simply for "House."  And the other day I listened to this conversation.

Tessa:  You can be on a team with Momma and I'll be on a team with Daddy and Quincy.

Meg:  Momma and House.

Tessa: No, just Momma.

Meg:  No!  Momma and House.

Tessa:  No silly Meg, you can't have House on your team, a house doesn't have arms and you have to be able to HUG to be on a TEAM.

Meg: O-kay.

Blog Mooch

I'm pretty sure she hates it when I do this but her pictures are vastly better (and there are more of them) and, well, she posts on her blog occaisionally.  So really I have no choice but to link you to my sister Laura's blog for info about our 4th of July holiday.

As Tessa says - Happy America Day.

Ballet.

The girls started Ballet today.

Sorry, no pictures.

It was a pretty last minute thing and I wouldn't really think of myself as someone who puts a TWO year old into a CLASS.  But the girls are basically always doing their own version of Ballet, inspired by the one Angelina Ballerina video we borrowed from the library four months ago.

This is how I know it was a good move.  Meg put herself to bed at 6:30 and the last thing Tessa said to me before I put her to bed was "There are no doors into the ballet room, you just walk in and you are there...That. Is. So. COOL!"

They were so happy that MY head nearly burst with happiness.

(Also, imagine the little body that did the running in the post below this one, doing ballet.  Serious cuteness.)

Run Meggie Run

10 Years

Happy Anniversary to US.

Or, if you are four or younger, Happy 10 Birthday to our Family.

We all made wishes before we blew out the candles.

We'll let you know when they come true.

Meggie Baby

Meg turned Two.

She really is so stinkin' cute I don't even know what to do.

She and I went to her library group and on the way I asked if she wanted me to tell people it was her birthday.  She carefully nodded her head yes (she just learned how to do that) but acted shy whenever I did and the other person, appropriately, made a big fuss.

She loved being the center of attention.

Self Worth

Today Tessa was in a good mood.*

Today whilst I was doing some work at the coffee table Tessa plopped down on the couch next to me and put her feet on my lap in a very "pay attention to me" sort of way.  It wasn't helpful.

But you know what...it is nice that she feels like she is so super special that I should pay attention to her.  I wish I felt that way about myself more often.

Oh look...Aaron is doing some work at the coffee table right now...

*this is important, otherwise she would have just been being bratty.

When your kitchen looks like this...

At 5:00pm on a Saturday - then you know its a pizza night. 

This...also a pizza night.  

The pictures above are from the past two Saturdays.  Sadly, in terms of organization and to-do lists, I feel less prepared to sell after two weeks of hard work than I did when we started.

I thought of trying this (prepping to sell) last October but Meg wasn't walking yet and it just wouldn't have worked.  Nowadays the girls entertain each other for minutes on end.  Its HEAVEN.  They spent yesterday afternoon chillin in their new camp chairs (note to self, do not go to Christmas Tree Shops when trying to de-clutter your house!).  Meg especcially was really into enjoying the good life.

Rollerskating

Punk Rockers and other such things

Snow Bunnies

 

Little Punk Rocker Sheena Boom

And band member Lux Ivy

Diva WWF wrestler Princess Frost takes down Spunky Doe

Yoga gurus Crack of Dawn and Rainbow lead their class in the down dog.

Every Birthday Needs Balloons!

When the girls found out it was Grandma C******'s Birthday today there was only one appropriate question.

"Does she have balloons?"

Just in case she doesn't...

8:35

I once told a friend who's son turned four that "four year olds are just kids, not even little kids anymore."  And the pictures below really prove that point.  But still, a few nights ago, Tessa stood as tall as she could and said "Look how big I am!" I was overcome by how small, sweet, and innocent she is.

Four years - whoa.

 

For those of you who knew that Tessa was insisting that she'd be turning FIVE - nine days ago, completely on her own accord, she asked me shyly "Mom, when will I turn four?"  and I tentatively responded "in nine days...?" and she smiled. 

3-5 year olds are ADORABLE!

"Are you ready for the movie star?"

And just because I can't help it

Tessa - 9 weeks old.

Two things I never want Tessa to say In Real Life

Some things are appropriate for a three year old to say "for 'tends" - but if I am really hoping not to hear either of these phrases used later on in her life.

1 - I called Tessa to the lunch table multiple times, finally she dashes to the kitchen breathlessly "Sorry teacher, I was late because my baby was sick."*

2 -  "I had a friend in college named Uma Zuma"  (No kid of mine will be spending her time with someone who has a name like that when she should be studying!)

*Only acceptable if she uses this when pursuing an advanced degree at any respected institute of higher learning, in which case it would be "Sorry professor...". 

Because its been so long...

And in case you missed it you can read about our Thanksgiving right....HERE   (Lets hope blogging hiatus ends soon or I might just have to post about Christmas on. my. OWN.)

Saturday in Boston

I have been avidly following the news on Jon Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity" and because the concept behind it perfectly fits my political viewpoint I felt inclined to participate in the Boston "Reasonable picnic to Restore Sanity" satellite rally.  Of course, true to the concept Aaron couldn't come because he had stuff to do (paint the house...pictures will be coming eventually) and since he had to be in Cambridge later that day (and we only have one car) I decided that the girls and I would make a day of it.  We took the bus into the city, a dream come true for Tessa...for the first 15 minutes.  After that she developed the glazed commuter look and started to wonder what was the big deal about the bus.  I started to get motion sick because of the driving of our rather angry bus driver.  We transfered to the subway, which Tessa liked and eventually ended up at the Boston Common.  The plan in my mind was a picnic in the park- but it was COLD and so rather than drag the kids to Burger King, then back to the rally location we just ate in the store and showed up at the rally 45 minutes late.  Once again, things to do. 

Honestly, there wasn't much going on.  No live feed from DC or any speakers or anything.  Mainly just people with funny signs.  I borrowed one (too busy to make my own) and this picture is priceless!

Those kiddos kill me with their cuteness.  At one point the group of about 200 people decided to march to the State House...well sort of.  Someone suggested it "Lets march to the State House" and others shouted "We are still eating"  Response - "Okay then, in 10 minutes."  Tessa and Meg really got into the march - chanting and singing to their own drummer whilst the rest of us walked along in a reasonable manner.  Then we left the group and hit the really awesome playground in the Common.

Fall in New England is such a blessing!

 

 

Tired baby.  Hours past her nap.

Then...

DUCK!

 

Tessa walked the whole day, all around the Common then down Charles Street to the subway stop.  She wanted to walk across the bridge over the Charles River but had a tiny little meltdown out of shear exhaustion.  Some Dunkin' Donuts helped perk her up and she didn't even fall asleep in the car on the way home.  She is really not a baby at all anymore.  Sigh.

More from October

Although Aaron was painting the house over Columbus Day weekend we still managed to squeeze in some time at the Topsfield Fair.
 

We keep trying to force Meg to love carosels...she played along for 20 seconds the off into Mommy's arms.  Tessa though, is a regular cowgirl!

This is ride Tessa hesitated to do last year (grown-ups aren't allowed to ride) and then when she got up the nerve she missed her chance by 30 seconds because it started raining.  I don't know if she remembers that, but this time she just climbed aboard and had a great time.

This picture embodies one of the sweetest things about Tessa.  I can't even explain it, but look at that shy yet completely thrilled little wave she's doing.  Kill me now it is so cute.

Meg and Momma rode the CRAZY BUS together (it goes up and down...oooooooo) She was very eager to go on a ride to, after watching Tessa  do a few. 

But when it came down to it, she didn't quite get what the thrill was.

Unrelated to the fair is this cake.  The candy corn just make it a Fall cake, instead of a "Mommy wants sugar, what do we have in the house" cake.

Pumpkin parade.

The squirrel that was living in our floorboards...Aaron dropped it off at a local park with a bag of nuts to replace the ones he'd been storing at our house all winter.  Good deed done.  Then when he got home our neighbor informed Aaron that squirrels mate for life...so now the pressure is on to catch the 2nd squirrel and re-unite them before squirrel #1 decides to shack up with a park floozy. 

The one thing we were unable to do at the Fair was ride the Ferris Wheel, even though that is the main thing Tessa requested.  Luckily for her there is a carnival that comes to Salem during Halloween (probably the same group from the Fair) so she and Daddy took a special trip downtown just so she could ride the Ferris Wheel.  She loved it.  Aaron isn't much for heights so his stomach started to get a bit woozy, but Tessa was unafraid.  Love her!

** (Ahhh....I might pass out, I just figured out how to add a whole bunch of photos at once in blogger AND move them around so much easier - maybe, just maybe I'll post more often)

The Halloween post posted on Halloween!!

We've gone trick or treating three times in the past 9 days, each with varying costume combinations based on my preparedness or the kids cooperation.

Our first ToT-ing was at Pickering Wharf in Salem...

(They are bears by the way)


This is from tonight...I made better bear ears for the girls (barretts) but mine look like mouse ears, oh well. It has that homemade "je ne sais quoi"

(And yes I posted this pic even though Meg's face is hidden because it makes my hair look great)

I'm pretty sure this is supposed to be a "bear face" that is coming across as a grumpy face, or maybe I'm just delusional. Oh, and Tessa did her own make up...not necessarily according to my plan...