Pumpkin Patch ‘09

We were so excited to head out to our local pumpkin patch again this year.  We have been going to the same location for three years now.  It’s so crazy to think that the first time we were there, we only had Bean and he was only this big:

Then, we had Annabel and took her for the first time last year:

Of course, two days ago, Bean had a fight with his new train table and the train table won.  So I knew all the Pumpkin Patch 2009 photos would feature this lovely, front-and-center, eye and nose cut:

Oh well, off we went!  It was a beautiful day.  The sun was shining.  Mr. (not scary at all) Scarecrow met us at the entrance:

We grabbed the pumpkin wagon and went on our search for the perfect pumpkins:

Annabel loved playing peek-a-boo in the pumpkins.  (She will play peek-a-boo anywhere and at anytime. )

Here’s Bean on the same blue tractor he rode the first time we came to the patch:

There are also TONS of gourds and small pumpkins for sale.  I always buy a bunch to use for my dining table centerpiece.  I so LOVE these little guys. (Bean included!)

It was a great day, er 27 minutes, at the Pumpkin Patch.  See you again next year!

OMG! It’s Elmo!

Our family of four ventured out to see our very first live performance event, Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up.  I really wanted the kiddies to see Elmo and company for their very first live event.  They love Sesame Street and watch it every single day.  They know, and love, all the characters.  They know the songs.  But the show was not coming to OUR neighborhood.  Bummer. It was coming to a neighborhood a million miles away.  (Or, so it felt. ) But I decided to go ahead and order tickets for the next town over.  It would take us 90 minutes to drive there.  90 MINUTES.  That’s how long the show is!

But guess what?

IT WAS SO WORTH IT!

The mini road trip was not bad at all.  I loaded the car up with snacks and every Sesame Street book and toy I had in the house.  It was 90 minutes of Elmo and Abby Cadabby build up.  When we arrived, the first thing we did was… BUY STUFF.  We were prepared, but, MAN, is that stuff expensive.  We spent $30 in five minutes on an Elmo light up twirly thing for Bean and a stuffed Elmo doll for Annabel.  NOTE:  I WANTED to get Annabel the Abby Cadabby doll, but they did not have any!  I was shocked!  A mom behind me groaned about it too.  Every little girl wants the pink fairy doll, don’t they?  Abby is just too cute for words.  They had the Elmo doll (of course), Cookie Monster, Big Bird, and Zoe.  I don’t get the Zoe doll.  She is barely in Sesame Street at all.  Maybe they sold out of Abby? Oh well, it really didn’t matter.  Annabel can say “Elmo” now so once she saw the little red furry monster doll she started shouting “ELMO!” and the choice was pretty clear.  (Never mind that we already have TWO other Elmo dolls at home, right?)

The show was a blast!  We had great seats on the floor.  Daniel and Annabel loved it.  They were either frozen in awe or laughing, screaming, and dancing.  I had so much fun too.  Every character from Sesame Street was in attendance, including Grover, my favorite. There were super cute musical numbers and I loved the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  They ended with Elmo’s World and Mr. Noodle was there!  Very fun.

There was even a short intermission.  It was just enough time for a balloon man to walk in front of all of us parents with 100 huge Elmo balloons.  And all of the kids start screaming and begging their parents for one.  And, OF COURSE, we had to buy one for Bean! ( And, get this, they were only TEN BUCKS each!  AHHH!)

Okay, so the entire thing was a LITTLE pricey, but the memories were definitely PRICELESS.

(This blog NOT brought to you by the Visa card, although it was used.  A LOT.)

We heart you Sesame Street!

Feeling Better

It was a really long week.  Everyone was sick.  First, Bean got it.  Then, my husband.  Then, me.  And finally, Annabel.  It was a yucky, germy, summer cold. It meant saline drops and Infant Tylenol for the kiddies and NyQuil and rum filled tea for Mama and Daddy.  The week also included ALOT of INDOOR activities.  There was an excessive amount of television watching (Sesame Street, Little Bear, and various Baby Einstein videos) while we all relaxed on the couch or floor pillows. 

There was also an overwhelming amount of hours spent tinkering with the GEOTrax train set.  Setting it up.  Breaking it down.  Setting it up.  Breaking it down.  You get the idea.  I really did love the extra book reading moments, sticker fun, and, of course, the cuddle time.  But, by Saturday morning we were all ready for a little Vitamin D on our bodies.  I was also personally ready for some retail therapy.

We went to one of my FAVORITE stores: HomeGoods.  I SO LOVE this store and I rarely get to go there anymore.  It’s really hard to maneuver around the place with a double stroller and I am terrified of steering into the ceramic bowls and glassware.  There are too many awesome things to buy at HomeGoods.  I can’t always control myself.  Don’t even get me started on the holiday items.  On Saturday, there were already two long aisles and one front store display of just HALLOWEEN decorations.  I picked up a front door welcome sign and a cute ghost plaque.  Then, we all cruised to the kids section.  I really wanted this train step stool and some picture frames, but we managed to leave with just an adorable pink princess growth chart for Annabel and a fun fishing game for Bean.

I have been looking for a growth chart for both kids that was wooden and stable. I also wanted something that was unique.  This is the wooden growth chart we bought for Annabel’s room:

My husband laughs because “why does everything girlie have to have a unicorn on it?”  (Hee).

There wasn’t a “boy” growth chart version for Daniel, but the cashier said to definitely check back again because they get new stuff on the shelves every week.  “Come back again??”  “No problem, lady!”

Bean loved his new Melissa & Doug magnetic fishing game.  He even shared with his sister.  Everyone is FINALLY feeling better.  Amen.

Happy Fourth of July!

Other People’s Kids (And Clifford the Big Red Diva)

When I was married and the thought of kids was still in the distant future, I would gaze quizzically at families when we were out at the shopping mall, grocery store or having dinner at a restaurant.  Sometimes I would think, “Aw, that family is really cute.”  But most times I would think,  ”Why can’t those parents stop their kid from screaming or acting crazy or crying or WHINING??”  I didn’t walk in parent shoes back then, so I would be so annoyed and often (stupidly) think “Man, I would NEVER let MY kid act like THAT in public.”

Well, then I had kids and two things happened.  First, my Mommy sympathy gene appeared and I am no longer annoyed if other people’s kids are screaming or acting up.  I actually feel bad for them because being a parent is hard.

But another thing happened.  I realized that there are still some things that you CAN control. You can discipline your child and teach them manners. It’s a lot of work and stress, but you can do it.   But some parents just DON’T.

I’ve already mentioned my non-judging rule.  It’s hard to do, but I try REALLY, REALLY hard not to judge other moms.   I don’t know their circumstances and they don’t know mine, so it’s best to leave it at that.

This wasn’t a problem when both of my children were babies.  But now I have a toddler boy who is months away from turning three.  He is at an age where he likes to interact and play with other kids.  Most of the time it is in a completely organized and controlled environment like a Gymboree class.  But there are times when we are out and I have to deal with other people’s kids, whether I like it or not.

One example is the train table at our local Barnes & Noble bookstore.  Bean really enjoys playing with the trains there and I have taught him to share with the other little boys or girls who also come over to play.  He gets a lot of  sharing practice at home with his little sister.  It was hard at first, but now he is definitely understanding that he can’t yank something out of someone’s hand or bop them on the head.

But what am I supposed to do when some other kid behaves badly?  On Friday morning, we were at the bookstore to meet Clifford the Big Red Dog** and Bean went to the train table.  A couple of little boys had grabbed up all the trains and were playing in one corner of the table by themselves.  Bean went over and tried to grab a train.  I told him to wait and please ask the boy for “one train PLEASE.”  Well, Bean asked and reached out for the train at the same time.  Those two little boys stopped and yelled “NO” in unison.  They shoved by Bean and kept playing.  The worst part?  Their moms said nothing.  Bean didn’t get upset.  He just looked at me and I said, “Let’s just go.”  He was fine with that because we went to get a chocolate milk. (Hey, I never said “bribe” wasn’t part of learning.)

On Saturday morning, we all went to the mall where we stopped to play in that germ-filled center court playzone.  My husband watched Bean while I played with Annabel.  There were a bunch of older kids running around as well.  Bean went to climb into the passenger seat of a play car.  A little girl was already in the driver’s seat.  When Bean hiked his leg over to get in, she said “NO!” and wouldn’t let him play.  Later, he went back to climb onto the car and some little boys actually SHOVED him off and said “NO!”  My husband stopped, and yelled at the boys, “Hey! No pushing! Do not push people.” It’s awful to have to discipline other people’s kids, but it’s even worse when their parents sit and watch you do it and do NOTHING.

This happens more than I like.  I don’t want my son to be pushed around and not stand up for himself, but I desperately want him to respect others and have manners.  It’s an interesting learning process with a boy versus a girl.  I feel like we should be teaching Daniel to defend himself a little more because he is a boy.  It’s not right, but I can’t help but to think that way.  It also makes me realize that we won’t always be there to protect him.  That’s really hard.

**So, Clifford the Big Red Dog was a Big Red Diva!  We had been counting down the days to his Big appearance at the book store.  We arrived and were told to sit and wait.  Thirty minutes later, he was finally escorted out from the back by a handler and walked up to a mini stage.  We were allowed to take photos of him for five minutes. 

Photos OF him. Not photos WITH him. 

They said ”No, Sorry” to personal photos because there was no time.  It was hilarious.  Who knew Clifford was such an A-Lister? Plus, I can download a photo of Clifford the Big Red Dog in two seconds from any website.  I don’t need a photo of him.  I want my kids to meet him so I can get a photo of that.  After five minutes, the handler told us to clear a path and stay to the side because Clifford was leaving.  Well, as Clifford walked by us, Bean ran up and gave him a high five!  And I got a photo!

I was so proud of my little boy. He didn’t follow the rules. Sometimes, there are exceptions

First Dentist Visit

I HATE going to the dentist.  I don’t know when it started.  I think it was with my very first cavity when I was ten. Once I experienced a drill, forget it.  I didn’t want to go back.   I have very “weak” teeth.  I know that sounds like the biggest excuse in the world, but I definitely have problems.  I always had a cavity when my brother and sister would be in the clear.  They ate the same foods I did and brushed their teeth the same number of times I did.  So why me?  It was very frustrating. 

Then, after college, I moved to New York City for a fun radio gig and I really just forgot to the go to the dentist for a couple years.  (It could have been that I was making peanuts and had no health insurance.)  When I finally got back in the dentist chair, I had to have my wisdom teeth pulled.  Then, I had a root canal.  Then, that same tooth cracked and I had to have it pulled.  I also had some not-so-nice dentists and hygienists who would say things like, “How could this hurt?  It SHOULDN’T hurt.”  Yes, because I’m LYING to you that I am in terrible pain.  The last time I went to the dentist was when I was pregnant with Annabel.  I had some final cavities filled.  I don’t think there is much else they can do to my teeth now except the regular cleanings.  Well, I HOPE. 

So, it makes perfect sense that I was super anxious when it was time to take Daniel to his very first dentist visit this morning.  He is almost three.  They recommend you take a child for their first appointment between two and three, so it was time for him to go.  He was excited!  He had seen a child go to the dentist on Sesame Street and ever since then he was constantly saying, “Mama! Mama! Daniel want to go to dentist too!”  I wanted to scream back, “NO! YOU REALLY DON’T KID!”  But I refrained and we made the appointment.

It was a blast.   The pediatric dental office is amazing.  There are colorful chairs and television screens and a video game console.  Daniel got to pick out his own toothbrush.  He wore headphones and watched Stuart Little on the ceiling (!) while the hygienist cleaned and counted his teeth.  He wore super cool shades.  The dentist said his teeth looked great and gave Daniel a high five. Daniel picked out a toy and we left.  It was fun and he loved it which was the most important thing.  (I wish they had pediatric dentists for grown ups.)

Oh, and they can already tell he will need braces. So we can start the Daniel Orthodontic Savings Fund now.

Short And Sweet

Congratulations Kris Allen - our new American Idol for 2009!  Well done my friend.  (And Adam will have an amazing career too.)  I can’t wait for both of their albums.  Although I wonder if Kris will go country.  I hope not.  I like country music, but I see Kris more like a John Mayer.  Time will tell. And Adam?  Well, I have NO clue what direction his career will go but it will be a fun ride to watch.

So our family is off on a long weekend road trip from Florida to Maryland (with stops in NC) and back.    Luckily we have done this drive two times before.  So I know what to expect.  But with two kiddies under the age of 3, you never REALLY know what to expect, do you?  (I’ll be on Twitter throughout the weekend so you can check me out over there on the right). I am excited to meet my new nephew and godson Luke.  There will be LOTS of photos to come.  Happy Memorial Day!