Thursday, December 22, 2011

Oh, And I Failed to Mention

Harper started walking this week. No, I don't have any documentation. Is she a second child or what?

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Santaland

We took our annual trek to Santaland on Saturday. Eight adults. Eleven kids. We met at 7:40 a.m. (pat on the back for that one!), caught the subway down, waited in line for approximately 10 minutes, snapped a few photos of the kids with creepy Santa (Harper noticed the creepy factor), grabbed breakfast at ABP, went to a puppet show and were back by a 11.

It was a perfect morning.

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Friday, December 2, 2011

Watching Rudolph

They may not look alike, but they are clearly related.

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

You must live in a 1.5 bedroom in NY

When your four-year-old prays that "Heavenly Father will make our house bigger."

Of course, yesterday he prayed that he wouldn't have to share his toys, so I can't take him too seriously.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Notes on Harper

Just a few thoughts about his little lady:
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Her hair bears an unfortunate resemblance to Krusty the Clown (particularly when she does her own during-meal styling):
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She is a menance. I've said it before. I'll say it again. And it will be true every time I do. She regularly eats dust bunnies. You know, clumps of dust and hair? Yeah. I gagged a little too. And that's not even the worst thing she's put in her mouth. I won't tell you the others because, believe me, you would no longer be her friend.

She does a better job folding her arms for prayer than Elliot. (Note to self: work with Elliot on folding his arms for prayer.)

She says hi, bye, and all done. And I swear she said "here you go" when giving me the remote the other day.

She loves Sesame Street, Elliot, reading Moo, Baa, La La La (over and over and over), and Vanilla Joe Joe's.

She does not like walking (or when we try to encourage her to walk), being sick (my patient patient is long gone. A cold now makes this girl CRABBY), diaper changes, and when we refuse to read Moo, Baa, La La La for the twenty-second time in a row.

She drives me crazy. She is an absolute joy.

You may or may not want to watch the following:

Friday, October 14, 2011

Trip to the Firestation

Elliot's class took a trip to the our local fire station this morning. It's only two block from our house (so close that I figure, hey kids, go ahead and play with those matches. We're covered!) It was fun to get to meet all of Elliot's friends. Plus, they all had to wear the most ridiculous (and therefore adorable) white hats with the name of their school on the front.

The firemen did a great job with their presentation. Elliot, however, was not the most attentive pupil.

I learned:

1) In an emergency, call 911.
2) Don't hide from scary firemen wearing their oxygen masks.
3) If you are on fire, stop, drop and roll.

Elliot learned:

1) A fireman's hat is really heavy.

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Sunday, September 18, 2011

Picnic in the Park

We celebrated Harper's birthday with a picnic in Central Park with friends. It was a beautiful day -- and Elise brought her camera and captured it all. (Thank you!)

Here are some thoughts on parties in New York:

Sometimes you have to share your space with some random people. Like professional ballroom dancers doing a photo shoot. And pot smokers. (To their credit, we were in Strawberry Fields).

You can scare away said random people if you give enough kids whistles and Chinese yo-yos.

Your stroller is almost better than a mini-van (Don't believe it? Check the photo at the bottom).

(Sorry for the weird formatting -- these are actually scrapbook pages).
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Thursday, September 8, 2011

This little lady

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Somehow managed to turn one. What?! I'm still not sure how that happened.

Here's ten things about Harper on her 1st birthday.

1. She is a menace. For instance, last week I was in the kitchen doing dishes when Elliot started yelling, "Harper's doing a no-no!" I came running to find her standing at the toilet, playing in the water while Elliot was peeing into it. Menace, I tell you.

2. She is loud. And talkative. All day long, we hear "Yeah, yeah, yeah!" And I love it.

3. She adores her brother. When he walks out of his "room" (if you've been to my apartment, you know why I put that in quotation marks) in the morning, she practically jumps out of my lap to greet him.

4. She's easy-going. Sure, she hates it when I take something from her she's desperate to put in her mouth (legos, anyone?), but once she's sure she's been heard on the issue, she drops it. And I love her for it.

5. She's a picky eater. A recent development, I'm afraid. Luckily, she doesn't know who she's up against. I am perfectly happy to put the same bite of mashed potatoes into her mouth ten times, if that's what it takes. (Clearly, I do not share her lovely, easy-going personality).

6. She spends 75% of her time in the stroller. Or at least it feels that way. Is it the same with babies and carseats in the suburbs?

7. Though she loves to be upright and cruise along furniture, she is not in the least interested in walking.

8. She has the most adorable, big, gap-toothed smile ever. Well, adorable on a one year old. One a 14 year old, we'd probably be talking headgear.

9. Her favorite playground pastime is climbing up slides. And she's pretty good at it. Today she made it all the way up a slide without a single push from me.

10. She flirts with men in our elevator. Usually they flirt right back. Occasionally they ignore her and I am offended for her.

This seems like years ago-

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First Day of School

If anyone had told me a year ago that I'd send Elliot to full-day, five-days-a-week public pre-k, I'd have laughed.

Yet, here we are. And look how excited he was! I could hardly get him to hold still for a picture.

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So even though my heart is breaking a bit to let my baby go (why don't I have $15k on hand for private, part-time school?), I think he's ready.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Elliot Says

After watching the Backyardigans Polka Party:

"Mom, I want a tuba for my birthday. A big tuba. I really love the tuba."

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Week in the Life Project

At the end of July, I carried my camera around for entire week in attempt to document our day-to-day life. I've started putting it together and thought I'd post it here as I do. Here's Tuesday:

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Monday, July 25, 2011

Politically, but Not Regliously, Astute

Sharing Time Teacher: "Who is our stake president right now?"

Elliot: "Obama."

Awesome.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Beach Day

Elliot couldn't get enough of the water and Harper couldn't get too little. Suprisingly little sand was consumed (wiser than her brother, perhaps?)

And I'm sure Chris would like me to note that Harper did have clothes on for most of the day.

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Friday, July 8, 2011

Harper Kate - 10 Months

And look what she can do (even at 6:30 a.m. in a dirty airport terminal.)



In other (very important) news, Harper will not need baby dentures after all. Her two bottom teeth just broke through.

Favorite Things:

Elliot
Any toy that is not a baby toy
Pot Roast (even without the teeth, she downed it)
Going outside
Ritz Crackers
Eating her headbands

Least Favorite Things:

Getting out of the bath
Getting her pajamas on
Bottles

Most common expression seen on Harper's face:
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(Meeting her Aunt Tamarra for the first time. Don't be offended, Tamarra. That is how she looks at everyone. Everyone except for Elliot, that is.)

Thursday, July 7, 2011

She's Back!

And we're so glad. Here's 8 of the 9 of us on my roof. Alia, we missed you!

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PS - She's still wearing her tag because she hadn't been released yet. Not because she's weird. Though she is a little weird. :)

PPS - My mom says she can tell we are getting older because it was incredibly easy to take a picture of us all with all of us looking at the camera.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Bubble Beards

Because a bubble goatee is just funny:
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Not pictured, but even more funny: Harper losing her temper when I removed her from the bubbles. I'm not sure why I find angry Harper so amusing. Maybe it's because she's so placid 99% of the time that I just can't seem to take her balled up fists, scrunched up eyes, and barking yell all that seriously. Elliot and I just look at her and giggle. Look - Harper's mad! Hahaha!

(Elliot's likely internal dialogue during all of this: "Girl, that's all you got? I could do better than that with one hand tied behind my back and my free thumb in my mouth. You've got some big shoes to fill, little sister. Big. Shoes.)

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Scooters

Are a big deal around here. Can you tell?

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Might as well start young.

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Side note: As I watch Elliot scooter across Broadway without holding an adult's hand (but with me close by, of course), I often think that this would give most of my friends in the 'burbs a heart attack. (Steve? Are you still with us?) Around here, however, it is quite a common sight for kids his age. Elliot in a parking lot of a Costco, however, freaks the heck out of me. Funny what you get used to...

Friday, June 10, 2011

City Kid

When you turn off Broadway to walk down a tree-lined side street and your four-year-old says, "Mom, is this the woods?" you know you've raised a city kid.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Harper Kate - 9 Months

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While still in the 99th percentile for happiness, it turns out Harper has a bit of a feisty streak. This generally manifests itself when I'm eating something and won't share. Boy, does that make her mad (and, me, amused). In fact, I was very nearly clobbered over a pretzel the other day. Poor girl needs some teeth!

In the meantime, however, she is working on other skills. She is a world-class clapper and likes to show off. I've been trying to get her to wave, but she'll only watch me for a moment and then start clapping. It's as though she's saying, "That's nice, Mom. But, come on. How cool is this?!"

She'll eat pretty much anything, smile at pretty much anything, and sit happily in her stroller for pretty much any length of time. We pretty much love her.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Picnic

We had a picnic in Riverside Park this afternoon. The kids may have gotten a little dirty.
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Sunday, May 22, 2011

Smelliot

This morning Harper had a record-breaking blowout. The kind where there is more poop outside of the diaper than in. The kind where poop ends up in her hair. The kind where there is poop on the new rug and on my shirt. The kind that requires an immediate dip in the tub.

Big brother, of course, was bothered that he didn't get to take an early bath as well. So I calmly explained that Harper was only getting a bath because she had pooped all over herself. What does Elliot do? He looks me squarely in the eye and deliberately pees his pants. As the puddle of urine slowly spreads and starts soaking the leg of my pants (I'm trapped! I have an infant in the tub! I'm completely helpless against the approaching tide!), he looks at me and says, "Now I need a bath, too."

I'm recording this so I can share it at his wedding rehearsal dinner. Or in a full-page ad in his senior yearbook. He deserves it, don't you think?

(Also, I think this is the kind of day that Chris ends up being sort-of glad he had to go into work over the weekend.)

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Elliot, Filmmaker

This is what happens when I leave Elliot alone with my phone.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Plants vs Zombies

Is, apparently, really interesting.

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Sunday, April 17, 2011

It's My Birthday Too, Yeah

Have I mentioned that Chris and I have birthdays exactly a week apart?

And that Chris totally won the who-can-make-the-other-person's-birthday-cooler contest this year?

In celebration of my having survived 30 years, Chris threw me a Survivor birthday party. (Side Note: If you don't watch Survivor and look down your nose at those who do, I pity you. You are missing some fabulous television. Go watch it. And while you are at it, watch Community and Friday Night Lights, too.)

It was awesome. AWESOME. Chris, aka Jeff Probst, planned it. Frank and Kara did the decorations. Erin did the food. I was surrounded by people I love.

Pictures below. The ones that actually look good were taken by my awesome friend, Marne.

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(Yes, that is Kara in the bottom picture.)
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And the wonderful people that made it happen:
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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

They Say it's Your Birthday

Last year on Chris's birthday, I woke up, couldn't breathe, and wound up in the hospital with pneumonia. This year Harper gamely kept the streak going and came down with RSV.

So this was Chris's birthday cake:

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That picture was taken before we'd even eaten a bite. After a day of doctors, nebulizers, and one sad baby, I ran over to Magnolias and got whatever they had left at about 7 p.m. That was what they had left. After a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday, Chris blew out a match. Sad, huh?

Fortunately, the day before, Kara and Frank babysat our boy and sick girl and Chris and I went on a tour of the city's independent bookstores. Our favorite was this one:
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It was our favorite because notes like these were all over the shelves:
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Chris got a couple of great books, we got some sushi at Nobu Nextdoor, and we got a break from our children. So, all in all, the birthday wasn't a total loss.
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Here's to a better one next year, babe.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Harper Kate - 7 Months

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This has been an eventful month for Harper. She learned to sit. She swallowed her first few bites of solid food (more on that in a later post). And she survived RSV + Ear Infection + Diarrhea + Horrible Diaper Rash (well, we are still working on the diarrhea -- but she has survived it thus far.)

And she is still a ridiculously happy baby.

Her favorite activities include sitting, smiling, and pulling on people's hair. Her favorite person is, of course, Elliot.

Her least favorite activity these days: diaper changes. Might be related to the diarrhea/diaper rash.

(Note: Between Elliot's two years of troubles and Harper's recent foray into the area, I feel like the world expert on diarrhea. I can describe consistency and color succinctly and accurately. I can gauge the water content. And I can clean it up faster than anyone around. Maybe I'll use this at the next Relief Society activity that requires me to share a "unique fact about myself.")

Saturday, April 2, 2011

St. Patrick's Day Parade

New York welcomed us back with beautiful weather and a parade. That's right. All those bag pipes and marching police officers were totally for us.

We watched the parade for about an hour and then asked someone standing near us if it was almost over. She laughed. We learned later that the parade was still going at 4:30 p.m. We left a little before noon.

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