Just me and D

I love when I get the opportunity to do something with just Drew or Katie.  On Saturday, Andy was able to come home from the hospital and work from home for a few hours while Katie napped.  Drew and I got on the bike and headed to the park.  Since it was the day before Halloween, Drew wore his TRex costume.  There was a play put on by the Central Park Conservancy at Belvedere Castle in Central Park called A Monster Musical Adventure.  We got great seats right up front and just before the show was about to start, my friend Kika and her children Gabi and Colton surprised us.  Drew was so excited to watch the show with Gabi and the two of them sat quietly with their mouths open, only talking when they were cued by the actors to shout and cheer. The show was really cute and a great start to our Halloween festivities. 

After the play, I asked Drew what he wanted to do and he decided he wanted to go to rock climbing.  Rock climbing is one of his favorite things to do in the park and he was so excited to do it as a TRex!

Poppy and Grandmom visit for the day

I don't think that I can ever get tired of seeing my children play with my parents.  They have so much fun together.  The kids get crazy right before Poppy and Grandmom arrive and they are always so happy the entire time that they are here. Whenever my parents come to visit, they bring lots of junk food with them because they know that I typically don't buy it for them and they think the kids are missing out or something.  I have almost given up on trying to stop it.  Katie actually asks Poppy for cheese doodles by name now.  Great.  My parents came to NYC for the day this past Thursday and the kids were so excited that they "decorated" the apartment the night before in preparation for their visit.

So proud of their decorations! 

As soon as they arrived, Drew and Grandmom immediately got to work on one of their favorite things to do together: cook!  First, they prepped dinner in the crockpot.

Grandmom has taught Drew all about using spices in his cooking!

Then they made dinosaur cupcakes for dessert.

Chocolate + dinosaurs = happy Drew.

Next, we headed to a picnic in Central Park followed by soccer practice. My mom had even made her famous chicken cutlets the night before for our lunch.  Yummy!

So cute!

Drew was thrilled because Poppy, Grandmom and Daddy were all at soccer to cheer him on.  Andy's hospital in only a 5 minute walk from the soccer field and he was able to surprise Drew at practice during a short break in between surgeries.  After soccer, we took Poppy and Grandmom to get cupcakes at Cake and Shake, one of our favorite snack places, then to one of our favorite playgrounds, the Ancient Playground. 

Sweet Katie fell asleep eating her chocolate!

After a fun afternoon in the park, we headed back home to work on a project that Drew was really excited about doing with Poppy.  I actually got this unopened toy from a garage sale in NJ a few months ago for $2, but it is listed on Amazon.    I Dig Dinosaurs Triceratops Skeleton Kit is a great toy!   Using tools and safety goggles just like an actual paleontologist, you have to carefully excavate the triceratops fossil bones.  Then, you piece them together, paint them, and you have your own dinosaur!    My friend Megan had given Drew an I Dig Dinosaurs TRex Kit for his 3rd birthday and it was a huge hit when we did it over the summer.

Working on excavating the fossils.

It was hard work and took a long time to get them out!

Drew posing with his triceratops while wearing his dinosaur costume.

Drew excavating the TRex back in June.

What a perfect day...I didn't have to make lunch or dinner, I didn't have to chase the two kids around the park and playground like a crazy momma and I was able to relax and watch my kids have a blast with their Grandparents.  Plus my dad scored a parking spot right in front of our building.  PERFECT.

This is for you, Mike.

My brother Mike makes fun of my blog because everything is "just so wonderful".  Well, I do have a great life and I am very happy.   Anyone that knows me knows that I am a big dork and they like me anyway.  But, since Mike does read this blog, I figured he would want to hear about some of the not-sot-wonderful stuff.  

This is a long detailed story, but very funny.  And gross.  Actually, it is mostly gross.  And not funny for Janinne at all.  Except because she is so great she thought it was funny too!

It all started on Sunday night when Janinne and I were putting the kids to bed.  Katie and Drew were drinking their milk and I was reading stories to them.   All of a sudden, Katie, who was on my lap, started projectile vomiting all over the place.  It was so strange because immediately before and immediately after, she was very happy.  In fact, right after she threw up, she started running around the room dancing with Drew.  The throw up was all over their rug and me but somehow missed Katie since the force of it cleared her by a good two feet.   We cleaned up the mess, said good night and the kids both went right to bed.  Both kids slept happily all night.  On Monday morning, Katie seemed fine and Drew did as well.   We went on with our day as planned having fun with Janinne in the city.  However, at night, when we were again getting the kids ready for bed, all he** broke loose. 

We had just finished giving the kids a bath and we were playing in their room when we noticed that Katie was saying "Poopy" and pointing to the play kitchen in the corner. Janinne and I see poop everywhere on the floor and the carpet by the kitchen. Katie has a diaper on and Drew is potty trained so I quickly grab Katie's diaper and come back with a hand full of poop.  Somehow the poop had escaped her diaper and was dripping down her leg.  Just as we jumped up to clean the mess and clean poor Katie, Drew turns to us and starts projectile vomiting purple and red everywhere on the carpet.  (Of course, he had just eaten a bunch of berries.)  He starts crying so I hold him and he then starts to vomit again on me.  Ninne looks at me and asks what she can to do to help.  Hmmm.....Katie is full of poop, Drew and I are covered in reddish-purple vomit and the carpet is covered in poop and vomit.  What a wonderful world!

We decide to throw the kids back in the bath, I quickly change and Janinne and I start cleaning the rug.   In the meantime, Drew says "I feel better now" and decides he wants to help us clean the rug.   Janinne looks over at the play kitchen and again sees little spots of poop everywhere on the carpet. I hear her saying to herself that she really thought "I got it all earlier" and how could she have "missed such a big pile" when we realized that somehow Katie does not have a diaper on and is again pooping everywhere in the room while she is walking around and stepping in it!  WHAT IS GOING ON?  Andy calls at this point and decides to come home to see if his little monkeys are okay.  He gets home and Drew throws up again in the hallway, in his bed and in the bathroom.  We clean up the mess, give out lots of hugs and kisses and put the kids to bed.  Andy goes back to work and I go to bed because I have been feeling sick all day and now I think I know why. I just hope Ninne doesn't catch it!    Drew wakes up a few times in the night, eventually falling asleep in our bed, but not before he pukes in it right next to me and Andy.  The next morning the kids thankfully felt fine.  Throughout this whole thing, 25-week-pregnant Janinne got on her hands and knees helping me scrub the carpets, cleaned the random pieces of throw-up all over the apartment, and dealt with the horrible smell all with a smile on her face.  She did call her husband and tell him that they should reconsider the color for the couch they are about to purchase. 

As my dad said, Janinne is NEVER going to visit again.

Back to my original point about my brother, and all of the wonderful blah blah blah...   As I just finished writing this, I realized that this is not an example of something not-so-wonderful. This is an example of a fun memory that Janinne and I will always share.   I can see it now--- on the phone with Janinne, laughing at the chaos of the night and enjoying the memory together.   Sorry, Mike, I will try again another time.

By the way, I didn't think any pictures would be appropriate for this blog.

What a wonderful friend!

Drew, Katie and Janinne

As a mom, it is a wonderful feeling to see someone who truly loves your kids. Someone who thinks your kids are just as great as you do.  I am so lucky that I have an entire family and close group of friends who I can see that they feel this way about my children. One of these people is one of my best friends from college, Janinne, who recently came to visit us for a few days from Boston.  Janinne is about to become a mother herself and is glowing and beautiful at 25 weeks pregnant.

I loved seeing Janinne pregnant! Doesn't she look great?

My children must have sensed something special about Janinne as well because they instantly responded to her warmth and kindness and her genuine interest in everything about them. They wanted to cuddle, read books, hold hands, and play with her.  They loved saying her name and asking her to do something with them. She fit right into our life here and they were happy to have her be a part of it for a few days.  There was one moment when Janinne was playing trains with Drew and Katie in their room and I overheard Drew say to her "I am really glad that you are here." That sums it up.

Drew loved Janinne's gift of paint-your-own dinosaurs.

Drew made Janinne play all of his favorite games....

and go on all of his crazy adventures!

Playing with a fountain.

Janinne loved watching Drew and Katie play together!

One of the only quiet moments of the day.

We took Janinne to a really cute puppet show at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre in Central Park. 

Now that I am at the stage of my life where I am busy with my young family, it is obvious to me how much my close friends mean to me.   I am so glad that Janinne was able to get to know Drew and Katie  and give me much-needed girlfriend time where I am not "Mom", but just a girl hanging out with a great friend. That she took the time out of her busy life to come to NYC  means so much to me. I cannot wait for Janinne to become a mom and to meet her little peanut. I know that she is going to absolutely love every moment of it!

A picture from sophomore year at college of our room group.  Wow, do we look different!

Molly turns 3!

Molly was so busy on her big day that I didn't get a good picture...but here is one from this summer that I just love!

We headed to Pennsylvania this past Sunday for my niece Molly's 3rd birthday party. Katie and Drew always have so much fun with their cousins Molly and Emma and could not wait to celebrate with them.  The birthday party was at the local YMCA and started in the gym where the kids played lots of games and had fun trying out their gymnastic moves.  On a side note, I grabbed the brochure at the front desk and took a look at the list of classes offered to families. I could not believe the prices! I guess that is one thing that I am excited about for life in the suburbs. 

Drew's big new move part 1.

Part 2.

Whatever Drew did....

Katie wanted to try.

A very happy Katie.

A very sad Katie.  She was told she had to sit out one of the activities because she was too little. 

Four busy cousins!

Happy Birthday Molly!

 After gym time, the kids enjoyed pizza, ice cream cake and a princess pinata full of toys and candy!  Happy Birthday Molly, we love you!

American Museum of Natural History

Staring at the giant whale during a visit this past week.

Our favorite museum in NYC has become the American Museum of Natural History.  It is an easy walk from our apartment and even though we have been tons of times, we haven't even come close to seeing everything there is to see.  Some visits we focus on dinosaurs, others we learn about planets, some days we look at reptiles and sometimes we just run around. The nice thing about being members and going as often as we like is that we don't have to spend an entire day getting to and then exploring the entire museuum, we usually just go for a couple hours and head home before everyone gets cranky. This is one of the things that I love about raising my children in NYC--- it is not a big event to go to places like this, it is just a part of our regular activities.    The kids learn so much while we are there and we all have a great time exploring. 

Drew and T-Rex! Look how proud he is to be standing with his buddy!

This past summer we spent A LOT of time in the dinosaur rooms.

We always take a snack break!

 

One of Drew's favorite trips to the Museum was when Grandmom joined us during one of her visits to NYC.  He loved showing Grandmom around and telling her all about his favorite exhibits.  Grandmom liked his tour so much that she bought him a special book called "How to Take Your Grandmother to the Museum".  It is a fantastic book that has become one of our favorites! 

Grandmom and Drew at the Hall of Ocean Life.

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Bye bye curls!

One of the nice little things about living in NYC is that I have never have to worry about taking Drew to get his haircut - he loves it!  There are so many cute hair salons that cater to the toddler and preschool group- Kidville, Cozy Cuts and Carousel Cuts are just a few.  Drew's hair grows fast and his curls quickly get out of control so I took him yesterday to Kidville on the UWS. The haircut was included in the Groupon deal that I purchased a few months ago so it was worth the walk.  We arrived at Kidville and Drew immediately said he wanted to sit in the police car while Katie chose the firetruck.  Even though she didn't get her hair cut, Katie had a great time playing in the truck, watching a show, and laughing at the bubbles being blown at her and Drew. 

So handsome!

We stopped at a playground on the way across Central Park. Katie loves the swing!

 

What can I say about Gram?

 
Gram turned 80 on October 16th and she threw a big party for the entire* family. Of course Gram would want to host a big dinner for everyone that she loves, because that is just Gram. She loves to be surrounded by her family and she spent the entire night smiling and laughing. It was a perfect dinner with everyone together that then moved to her house for more fun.  

My dad did a great job giving a toast about Gram.

What can I say about Gram?  Well, Gram and PopPop have always lived next door to my parents house.  Therefore, we have always been extremely close.  I have the most wonderful memories of walking over Gram's house to have a snack of cheese and crackers, rice pudding and iced tea.  Actually, what am I talking about...I just did that this past Monday morning.  Anyway, every holiday or special event, I would run over Gram's and play in her jewelery box picking out jewelery for us to wear after we had compared our outfits, making sure we liked what the other was wearing. Gram came over on Sunday before the party and asked me if I liked her outfit and of course I did---she always looks beautiful!  When I was younger, Gram would go to many of my games in high school and college and she would always be right there on the sideline cheering me on and screaming words of encouragement. To this day, she remembers games and specific plays that I have forgotten and when she talks about them it is like she is right there at the game! Gram is a great cook and loves keeping the family Italian recipes alive from past generations. There are so many holidays that all I remember is sitting around the table with my entire family eating delicious food that Gram cooked for all of us with love. Over the years, she has created for us a collection of family traditions that make everything more special and more memorable. My favorite holiday has always been Christmas and I know that it is because of our wacky "open presents at midnight followed by a full meal at 2am" tradition that Gram started.  One of the best things about Gram is she never stops moving and is always up for anything and everything at a moments notice.  For example, if I am visiting my parents, I will call her house at 10am and say, "Gram, I am going shopping with Mom, can you be ready in five minutes?" And she will say, "Let me comb my hair and put some lipstick on and I will meet you outside in two minutes." Then the three of us would spend hours shopping, talking and having fun.

Gram holding Drew the day he was born.

Gram holding Katie the day she was born.

Last year Drew started going over Gram's house by himself, making the short walk to visit his great- grandparents.  He sits on the same chair and eats his snack and talks to Gram about who knows what just like I used to do by myself when I was little.  I know that it will only be a few months before Katie makes the two minute walk by herself.  What a special relationship it is between a girl and her grandmother and I am so lucky to see the relationship that has developed between my children and their great-grandmother.

Doesn't 80 look good?!

I love calling Gram and talking about our lives.  Or, even better, I love sitting with her and hearing her tell me stories about our family.   There is something very special about listening to someone who has lived such a full and wonderful life tell you about it through her memories.   We talk all the time and I always ask for her advice and guidance and I value her opinion very much.  She is everything that I want to be if I am lucky enough to turn 80.   She is family-focused, passionate, thoughtful, funny, witty, genuine, loving, smart, tough, feisty, loyal, and without a doubt the coolest Grandmom in the whole world. Happy Birthday Gram, I love you.



*The only family member who couldn't make the dinner was Andy, who was of course on call.

Fun in Collingswood

Late Saturday we headed to Poppy and Grandmom's house in Collingwood ready to celebrate Gram's 80th birthday party on Sunday.  We sang to Gram Saturday night on her real birthday but we were all excited about the big party the next day.

New bunkbeds!

Drew and Katie were so excited to see the new bunkbeds that Poppy and Grandmom bought.  Katie loved climbing up the ladder and when Poppy took away the ladder and put it against the wall, she started to climb up the wall! 

Go Eagles!

Sunday was a fun and busy day.  Mike and Kelly dropped off Emma and Molly early so they could go to the Eagles game.  We lined up the kids in their matching Eagles outfits and I took about ten pictures, but of course I couldn't get even one with all of them looking. 

Relaxing by the fire pit!

Poppy makes hot dogs for lunch!

Lunch in the Gazebo.

 We decided to have lunch outside in the Gazebo so the kids could run around outside.  We also talked Poppy into taking out the fire pit so the kids could cook hotdogs! 

Drew, Emma and Paulette playing hopscotch.

Paulette, Drew and Molly racing on the driveway.

Aunt Paulette came over to play with the kids and they loved playing her crazy games.  I have really great memories of riding bikes all over town with Paulette and singing "I've Had the Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing when I was a kid so it is fun to see my children play with her. 

Drew found another toy in Poppy's garage.

Katie on the roller coaster that she can now do all by herself!

Drew and Katie love Poppy's garage!  The garage is where Poppy keeps all of the ride-on toys, wagons, bikes and other fun stuff that the kids just go nuts for every time we visit.