Well Trained

October can only mean one thing around these parts (these parts being wherever I happen to live)... Halloween is a-coming! I really, really like the costumes, the decorations (admittedly these have been weak for the past few years given some people's propensity for messing with my stuff), the candy corn, the cute kids... I love it all. I've made Molly's costumes for the past two years and was planning on making her agreed-upon (in February) spider costume this year... until she decided that she wanted to be a train conductor instead. I'm a bit stymied about how to go about making this (I'm pretty sure I can't pull off making a conductor hat. I'm not really a precision sewer). I have some ideas and will probably end up having to buy parts of it but if anyone has any suggestions, let me know... my best idea was to try and steer her back to being a spider but her willpower seems to have quadrupled lately and I have a feeling that my time is better spent figuring out this train conductor deal rather than go up against the force of the blonde tornado.

Chugga-chugga...

A Grand Affair

Back to our trip out east... while John and I went off to celebrate Sarah's (and Tom's, I guess we need the groom for it all to happen) gorgeous wedding on the Cape (there are brides and then there are BRIDES. She was stunning and her dress was about as perfect for her as you could get), the wee little munchkins headed north to Maine for some QT with Grammy and Grampy. I don't worry about the kids at all when we leave them with any of their grandparents. I know they are in superbly capable hands (I mean, look at how John and I turned out. Proof is in the pudding, folks. HA.) and there is nothing that the kids could want for. I do, however, sometimes worry about the grandparents themselves. When I'm at that point in my life and I've said sayonara to my own offspring, I want to enjoy sleeping all through the night and for my alarm clock to have an on/off button (I've looked on both Molly and Jack and they don't have one. I think I was robbed). Maybe my folks have gone a little loco but they seem to welcome the opportunity to hang out with the small people day and night. And, just as Kate predicted to me in the weeks leading up to our trip, the kids slept better for my parents than they do for us. Awesome (except for the part about them not always sleeping well for us). I'm guessing some of it had to with the fact that grandparents have endless energy, are super fun, will patiently answer the same question over and over, will bring them outside to show them planets and stars, are shocked every fifteen minutes when the clock chimes and Molly says "hey, the clock is chiming!!", can spend three times as much time filling bird feeders because of the extra "help", and will simply wear small people out in a special way... in my kids' cases, it was also because they got to enjoy two of their favorite activities:

Going to the playground and...

being nearly nudie. My kids love moving around in their skivvies like it's nobodies business. It's a big event if we (and by we, I mean them) keep their pants on all day. 

Thanks to all the grandparents for our hours, days, and nights off . We've loved every second of them (and missed the little people for most of those seconds, too). Thank you so, so much to mom and dad for soldiering the double trouble team for a whole weekend. You guys make it seem so easy and the kids don't even care that we've been gone (mom and dad who??)... Sign up sheet for another weekend trip is on its way. 

By the way, I'm sitting here writing this and Molly is upstairs in her bedroom BELTING out the Star Spangled Banner... what a gift these funny little people are to us. 

Say What?

I feel like my house has suddenly become much louder (I really didn't think that was possible). When both kids are napping, it's as if a sound switch has been turned off and I really notice the lack of constant chatter... and now it's from both small people. Molly has always been a constant babbler/talker/singer/question asker. Now, she's added about a quadrillion more questions to her repertoire (where, what, how, what happened, remember when... ) and she's also started rhyming. Aye yay yay. Molly in the wally, Jack in the back, Daddy in the maddy... you get the idea. If you don't get it, I'll ship her out to you for a few days. It's really funny and I sort of can't help but laugh (except when I'm trying to get her out the door and she's dawdling and rhyming or I'm 10 minutes away from the allowed "first glass of wine" time of day and each rhyme seems to slow the clock down).

Jack, not to be outdone, has suddenly started talking and communicating too. I think these things happen out of the blue but when I stop and watch him, I realize that he takes in A LOT and just waits until he's got something mastered before he actually does it. He was that way with clapping... we showed him and showed him how to do it but he refused to do it on his own until one day, he randomly sat up in bed and just clapped his little heart out. We've been doing the "more" and "all done" signs for a while but he's only been marginally interested.... until this week when he started doing both regularly (thank goodness!). He also started saying his version of duck and kitty. It feels like we've opened up the flood gates a little bit... I just hope he finds some space in the day to get his words in. Captain Speaks A Lot doesn't leave much wiggle room for others.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

We had a very, very, very fun and tiring (see below) trip to the east coast to catch up with a lot of our crew (we were bummed that we couldn't see everyone). We were able to celebrate birthdays, weddings, new homes, and jet lag... who could ask for anything more? I was absolutely horrendous at taking pictures so I'm hoping that anyone who might have snuck in a shot or two will be kind enough to send some my way.

The kids did well traveling, although I remembered on our return flight that I had officially pronounced one year olds as the worst traveling companions when Molly was that age. Jack, and all the wiggles he snuck on the flight, reminded me of that. Thankfully, my mom was crazy nice enough to fly with us so we had an extra set of hands. John had returned west earlier and I don't think wrangling these two on my own sounded like the best idea in the world.

We're still trying to adjust back to life in the west (since some people think waking up in the 5am range is a ball of laughs) and hope to be settled just in time to return for turkey day in a couple of months. For the time being, we'll just commit to starting school, a little sports class, and swimming lessons (and maybe gymnastics if I feel the need to be especially overcommitted and/or Molly is hanging from the rafters here at home).

Here are pics from part one of our trip -- to Block Island and beyond...

I'm either the world's most boring companion or we were all just having too much darn fun and we tuckered Mr. Excitement right out. Remind you of anyone??

Who doesn't love being reunited with Super Cousin? 

Is this friendship or what? We love when the Owens family comes to play. 

Jack started clapping one day... and hasn't stopped. He's also perfecting his "what happened?" look... I'm pretty sure that will be a useful tool as he goes older and battles with the blonde tornado. 

Apparently, there are also lots of interesting things happening on the other side of the door on Block Island too. 

You can never be too safe when waving at the ferry passengers... notwithstanding where the car seat is, of course.

Week number one ended with a trip to the Children's Museum for a kid exchange with my parents so that we could celebrate our hearts out at Sarah's gorgeous wedding for the weekend. Not before, of course, the safety animals played long and hard. I see OSHA in her future. 

Playmakers

We are about to depart for the east coast to do some visiting and weddinging. That is, of course, as long as Earl decides to let us sneak in as planned on Saturday morning. I'm doubtful but hopeful... in the meantime, though we haven't had the sizzling weather of the east coasters, we've still managed to find ways to entertain ourselves as fall makes its early arrival. 

We still have plenty of sunny days and the small people might never tire of water. Pouring, splashing, drinking -- what can't you do at a water table?

Jack gets some alone time at the table while...

the high waister cool cat (I didn't pick the outfit and I didn't request that the pants get hiked up and the shirt tucked in) was off exploring what objects she could bring back to the table. 

Per the usual, it was something that Jack wanted to shove in his mouth.

Big boss lady leading the action.

I'm not sure who is teaching who about blowing bubbles.

Luckily, on our less than sunny days, things inside the house also provide some good times, like...

the Dustbuster (or the big vacuum). Jack didn't get his love of vacuuming from me; the neatnik gene must be from somewhere else in the family. 

Playing Picasso. This went on for a good long time until it turned into a little too much body painting.

Stair climbing... with only one tumble so far. 

Reading in bed. I think Busytown might be busier than ever with the number of visits that Molly has paid there. She was not willing to smile until she was done reading, either.

Making a spectacular mess. 

We will be gone for several weeks so until our return, may you have happy and drooly smiles to brighten your day.

Ol' Four Eyes

Molly was playing up her geeked out look the other day. She seemed pretty comfy playing the part... hamming it up is one of her strong suits.

I don't mean to imply that glasses are geeky (especially since those are my glasses she's wearing). She really was acting funny. I have utmost respect for the the specs.

Waiting to Exhale

I'm not sure what Jack is waiting for but he spends a lot of time looking out the window... I hope whatever it is shows up soon. Thankfully, things like the trash truck occasionally roll by so at least there's something to entertain him while he's waiting around for who knows what. I have begun to wonder what thoughts go through that little head of his while he very patiently gazes out of the glass... maybe he's enjoying his few peaceful moments of the day, maybe he's wondering when the stork is going to show up to take him out of the crazy house and bring him to his real home, maybe he's hoping that the kid across the street is going to stop blaring his bumping party tunes on his car radio. Whatever it is, enjoy peeking out at the wide, wide world little buddy.