Nutcracker

This is becoming one of my very favorite holiday traditions.  It was Little One's third, and Little Miss's first, year to go with me to the Nutcracker.  My mother took my sister and I when we were little, and I have such precious memories from that, so the nostalgia is like thick buttercream icing on the cake of a night out with my Littles. I wasn't super sure about Missy's attention span, especially as the show didn't even start till after bedtime, but She was transfixed.  Until She finally fell asleep in my lap during the second act, She was completely absorbed in the magic of the ballet, as was Little One of course.  I loved watching their faces even more than watching the show, and had fun making it a special night for all of us.  At intermission I brought out cookie sandwiches for them, and as we waited for the second act to begin I surprised them with little nutcracker dolls wrapped in shiny tissue paper.  It was one of the sweetest evening I've had, and since that night there has been much twirling about the living room, and Miss frequently spends entire days answering to nothing but Clara.

Cookies!

My Little ballerinas

Didn't quite make it to the finale

Sprinkle

As the sand in my pregnancy hourglass began to run low, some friends and I decided to squeeze in one more girl's night.  We met up for dinner and they surprised me with a baby "sprinkle" for Little Mister!  Because I apparently have friends with excellent taste, the gifts were all fabulously cute.  I never want to hear again that "boy stuff" isn't as cute or fun and "girl stuff" because I know now, for sure, that it is a lie.  The cuteness is out there!  There was also cake and good company, and much celebrating of the Mister.

Swimming Lessons Smell Like Polka

C: "...the pool must be in here somewhere..."

Little One: "let's follow ours noses! It's this way! I can smell the 'cordian!"

C: "great! Wait, you smell the what now?"

LO: "the 'cordion!"

C: "The accordion? You smell it?"

LO: "Yes from the pool water!"

C: "...oh! The chlorine?"

LO: "Mom. That's what I said."

Tells It Like It Is

Missy: "No.  I don't want eat this dinnah.  I want some dessert, a'stead.  I'm NOT goin' eat it!"

Little One (shocked): "But! But Little Miss, you HAVE eat yours dinner! Why, don't you know?  There is kids out there, places, what don't have any dinner.  They don't have any good food like this to eat.  So, if you eat all yours dinner, then, you can grow big and strong, so you can go and help them. See?" 

Missy: "You want help the kids, Little Wan?"

Little One (gravely): "Oh, yes, Miss.  Yes, I do."

Missy: "Great! You can eat my food.  I don't want help people.  I want appa'sauce." 

What Sisters Are For

C: "No, Missy.  Not until you make your bed."

Miss (wringing Her hands): "Oh! Oh Oooooohhhhhh!"

Little One (walking up and putting an arm around Miss's shoulders): "Ok, Missy.  It's ok, come on.  Let's go see 'bout that bed up there.  I'll help you." 

Missy (brightening up and squeezing Little One): "Oh yes! Oh yes T'ANK you! B'cuz, b'cuz it can be weally hahd.  It can be weally hahd to make a bed wif'out a sistah.  Some-times, you need a sistah to help you wif things, right Little Wan?"

Little One: "Oh yes, Missy.  That's what we are there for!  And after we make your bed, we can play baby and Mama!"  

Miss: "OK!  And Little Wan?  YOU can be the Mama."

Portrait of a Family

As the baby-belly days dwindled, I asked a truly talented friend to take some photos of us.  Aren't they sweet?

Family love. Bliss. Happy, smiley, sweetness. Didn't my friend make us all look so cheerful and loving? I told you she is talented. She did, and it was no easy feat.  Because Missy.

Oh, Missy.  My girl with a curl.
I woke Her from Her nap for this activity.  She was not at all amused.  Not even a tiny bit.
Those photos above are some of my favorites.  But in the interest of honesty?  This is about how it really went:


And in a way it's a favorite, too.  It's nice to preserve the loveliness of a family's smiles.  But if a portrait is supposed to capture the true essence of something, a moment of life and personalities as they really are?  This one is prize winning.  I'm keeping it.  So I can always look back, laugh, and remember- yep. That's how it was.

Rocket Launch

Rocket launch
A few hours from where we live, there is a launch pad where real rockets really go into actual outer space.  Really!  As we are a proud family of science geeks, we all think that this is super cool.  So when a launch was scheduled that we could actually witness, we could not resist.  My mom was visiting and because she is awesome she hopped on board when we heard about the launch and quite immediately piled into the car and drove three hours into the late, shivery night in order to hop out just exactly long enough to say, "OOooooohhhh!  Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" watch the streak of fire fade into the sky, and then drive three hours back home.  All that driving and we got in around midnight on a school night, all for about 8 seconds of rocket.  And I tell you, Peanuts, it was worth it!  Because it was a real rocket going to actual space!!  The coolness.  It boggles the mind.

You know you're impressed.

We also made a fun trip out of it, watching Mary Poppins in the car and stopping at a diner so full of character we could taste it in the fried food.  The batter is made of bread crumbs and character.

It was almost as cool as the rocket, although I would not recommend the clam fritatta.  TOO much character.

Veteran's Day

My Veteran

Just over a year ago we were standing on a dock, waiting to welcome J back home.  In the moments just before we saw him, when the sailors began filing down the gangway, everything that had been forced behind doors and under stones in my heart rose like floodwater and began to sting my eyes.  All the worry, the hope, the proud moments and the weak ones.  I will never forget that moment, the one in which it seemed ok to let those things exist because it was going to be over.
We're a lucky family.  J has been gone only once, not for too long, and he came back. Since that moment I have never stopped being thankful for that, and never stopped crying a little in the deep parts of my heart for all the families who are not so fortunate.
For me, though Veteran's Day has always mattered, it will never be the same. This year, I took time to be extra thankful both for J, for the fact that we were able to spend the day together, and for the sacrifices made by those who never will be tangible to their families again. We celebrated all this deep meaningfulness (and also the fact that J got the day off) by taking a trip to Montecello.
We picked apples in an impossibly picturesque orchard on a hill, and then learned all about one of the most influential men in our nation's history- Thomas Jefferson- by touring his home and museum. A fascinating character.  In interesting estate.  A lot of hard questions to answer like "what's a slavery?"  It was a full, educational, and lovely day for us all.

Hot Cider!

Catching Up

It's cold outside, the baby has a cold and wants to be superglued to me, and I slept only a few hours last night and am feeling lazy.  What better opportunity to sit my sleepy self down with a Mister  in my lap and catch up on some of what we've been up to since the fall?
Starting way back in the almost unimaginable, pre-historic days before Mister.  It seems like He has always been part of our family. Better record those earlier days on here fast- they are starting to slip from my memory already.  Look out for the blog tidal wave.  Here we go!

Magic

LO: "Look Mommy!  Look at all the pink clouds!" 

C: "Where?  I don't see any clouds."

LO: "Well.  That's a'cause they're in my 'magination.  You have to use magic to see them."

C: "Oooh, I understand."

LO: "Yeah! Yeah, that's the problem.  Try again, Mommy.  Use your magic.  You will see them." 

Little Mister Sniffles

Sick newborns are definitely good contenders for the most pathetic-little-thing-ever award.  Especially when they are colicky and sick, and even when the sickness is really nothing but a little pre-school party favor cold.  It's hard to be happy when you have to choose between eating and breathing.  Most of us prefer both.  

Little Mister, however, is doing his utmost to hang in there with mostly just the trembling lip.  Me, too.  However, He does have some rough evenings.  Unfortunately for me, this means that I have little time to do much other than cuddle, rock, and walk the baby between chores and time with Mister's sisters.   Fortunately for me, I get to cuddle, rock, and walk the baby all day and that's a pretty nice job if you can get it.  

In the meantime, He is smiling on purpose now, laughing even!  And that's pretty well worth it all.  

One Month of Mister

Imagine showing up at someone's house, not knowing the language, with the severe handicap of being unable to walk, talk (or do anything really), and being surrounded by the chaos of two dogs, two small children, and various visitors.  Quite the shock after a peaceful lifetime of solitude, wouldn't it be?
And yet, this sweet Mister has come through a whole month of this overwhelming circumstance with grace far beyond his days.  He's taken it all in stride nicely, and though  it has only been a month (yesterday), we've gotten to know a few things about our new addition in between all that chaos.
For one, the poor thing takes after His older sister in that He suffers from a terrible newborn rash and also (cue doomsday soundtrack) from colic.  He does not have the ALL-evening-without-a-second's-letup colic that Little One had, but his woes are enough to keep us on our toes (Reaching for the coffee).  Poor little thing.  Sometimes 4PM hits and his lip pops out and trembles.  His knees draw up and out comes the Pitiful Wail.  We look at Him and kiss His forehead and say gently, "there, there, Little Mister.  You're giving it a good try.  But if you think you can phase us with that mewing little cry you have no idea how battle-hardened we are, son."  I'm not sure whether it's His subdued personality, a less intense case of it, or the fact that our experience makes us both better at knowing how to ease the trouble and less phased by it, but in the end this round of Colicky Baby has been slightly less exhausting than the last.
Other than the evening colic drama and a few nursing issues, though, Mister is a breeze of a baby.  He is unperturbed by the raucous noise of the household, does not complain about being dragged out into sub-freezing temperatures for pre-school drop-off.  In fact, when not in pain or really, really hungry, He is not at all a fussy guy.  As long as He has a clean diaper (a true must for our gentleman) and a full tummy, all He asks is to be snuggled as much as is humanly possible.  He loves to be cuddled SO much.  So, so much.  Fortunately, there is a whole household full of people who are only too happy to oblige.
He loves the bath, loves the play gym, and loves to be read and sung to.  He likes to look right at your face with a concerned, serious expression, as if trying to classify you for His research on alien species, and then break out into a huge grin as if deciding that you are at least a very amusing creature.
He's a pretty calm, happy little dude.  Of course, He has spent His entire month of life being constantly and extremely adored by a crowd of fans. Plus, He has the cutest, most awesome sock collection probably ever.  Who wouldn't be happy with all that?
Overall, the sweetness and cuddliness far outweigh the colic and the frequent night time demands for attention.  They even outweigh the laundry and that is a hefty level of tonnage.
Little Mister, I never knew what it would be like to have a boy.  I wasn't sure I was, you know, that kind of Mama.  But you have so quickly and completely set me straight about that.  It turns out that having a little boy is amazingly fabulous.  It is heart-explodingly joyful, just like having little girls has been.  It turns out that having three littles is wonderful and perfect.  And, my goodness, so are you.
What an incredible month it has been!  What a lifetime it will be.  We love you!

I Haven't Seen You Since Last Year

Hello, Peanuts.
Happy 2014- can you believe it?
I have some catching up to do here, if I can.  I kind of dropped the blogging ball at the end of 2013, because Colic.
It's just as well, though, because no one was awake long enough to see any other balls drop on New Year's eve, I assure you.  I provide failure by metaphor as a service.
Today is also the first one we've had without company since Mister's arrival.  No offense to you all but, in this gig of mine, adult interaction is a rare and priceless gem. When I have the option, I'd sort of rather spend my slivers of time between diaper changes, piano practices, hi-ho-cherio-ing, and working on my imposing 3-D artistic rendition of the Swiss Alps (in the medium of half-folded laundry) speaking to an actual person's face than typing, even if it is to you lovely Peanuts.
That said, all the faces are gone now, and there are critical moments of family history in need of plastering on the world wide web for posterity, so it is my hope that I will have the opportunity to bore you with it all soon.  In the meantime, happy New Year!  What are your big goals and dreams for 2014?  My first resolution is to take a shower and  brush my teeth without anyone crying about it.  I aim high.


  

Pisces

When you have a baby to nurse, you have a lot of literal down time to do important things like talk to Peanuts, post Instagram photos, and read magazines (thanks mom!).  In this month's riveting edition of Glamour, I noted on the horoscope page that Little Miss was born a Pisces.
Aahhhhh.  It all makes sense now.  She is celestially ordained to be a little fish.
This must be why Her life is so consumed at the moment with adopting the identity of fishes.  Particular fishes.  A couple of months ago, we borrowed "Finding Nemo" from the library.  Since then, queen of make-believe Missy (who usually "is" a cat all day every day) has spent a large portion of Her existence delegating roles.
"Dad! YOU ah Mahlin and I am Nemo! Mommy, you can be….can be… the Scary Divah! Sistah you ah Dori and baby brufah is  a shahk. OK!"
This role-assigmnent occurs approximately 2.47 thousand times a day, in various permutations.  Then the important part comes-
"Dad, tell me.  Tell me!  Tell me not to touch a fin on that boat!"
Missy lives to be told not to touch a fin on the boat.  She lights up with the anticipation of the admonishment not to touch a fin on that boat.  Because. Once She is told, She gets to reach out- (say it again say it again!)- and reach a little closer- (fits of giggles! Say it again!)- and (so exciting!)- can you guess?  She touches a fin.  On the boat.
This is SO Missy.
That in the entire 100 minute film, this 5 second bit is what most impressed and captivated Her.  The moment in which the child character rebelled against the parent.  Now we must relive and repeat the magic of that moment all. day. long.
This is the child who may never overcome the reverse-psychology lure of "don't eat that squash! Don't you dare eat it up!" and "Don't smile for the camera! NO smiling!"  The child who fears no time-out, no early bedtime, no lost privilege of any sort.  A child who, I am quite convinced, often refuses to eat Her dinner, put on Her shoes, or clean up a toy not because She doesn't like the food, the shoes, or cleaning up- but simply can't resist the higher joy of saying no.
I'm not that into astrology.  But I'm pretty sure Pisces must be known for swimming their own way, for being headstrong and feisty.  And for being so sweet and cuddly and lovable at the same time, that their parents can't help but adore them, even as they are driven crazy.    This is going to be awesome in about 10 years, isn't it?  

Nemo and The Forbidden Boat

Epipen Apron- Vegan Chocolate-Chip Brownie Lovechildren

When we had our big holiday cookie baking day, we ended up making over 600 cookies.  And yet, here we are. Christmas eve, and there are only a few sad looking cookies crumbling at the bottom of the jar.  Such is the joy of giving (oh, ok.  And of having eaten a ton of cookies).   

Combine that with the fact that the weather went from soaring through the 70's the last few days to taking a lemming-dive into the 40s this morning, and the fact that J went back to work this morning (and we had to take Mister to the Doctor and wow that did not go so smoothly.  Not so much).  What we have here is a recipe for cookies.  

To review: no cookies plus cold plus stress = COOKIES.  It's a simple recipe.  I use it often.

Today all three littles got tucked in for naps and I hit the sugar bowl.  I decided that what I needed was some chocolate, with extra chocolate, and maybe some chocolate.  With chocolate on top.   So I whipped up these suckers, which I highly recommend for anyone interested in chocolate-induced comas.  

I have included the recipe below, although in the interest of full-disclosure I totally made these cookies up on the spur of the moment by throwing stuff together in a bowl and did not take the time to measure anything.  So the recipe is an approximation based on what I remember and might need a little tweaking if you try it at home.  

You should, though, because the result of this combination of kitchen odds and ends is the sinful lovechild of a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie.  It will not make you skinny.  But it is guaranteed to treat cookie deficiency, winter chills, and even severe cases of for-the-love-of-goodness-put-your-dang-SHOES-ON-child-we-are-late.  Merry Christmas.

Vegan Chocolate-Chip Brownie Lovechildren

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 replacement eggs (I used flax)

2 generous teaspoons vanilla extract

scant 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

generous 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup soy milk

1/3 cup applesauce

1 bag chocolate chips

preheat oven to 375f

Cream together margarine, shortening, and sugars.  

Beat in egg replacer and vanilla.  

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.  

Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and beat the heck out of them all until you have an ugly glob. 

Add 1/2 of the soy milk and beat until the glob lets go of the beater.  Add the rest of the soy milk and the applesauce and blend well until the batter is creamy. 

Stir in chocolate chips.  

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto cookie pan and bake for 10-13 minutes.  

Let cool before removing from pan.

Eat these suckers warm, preferably with milk or ice cream and with your fingers in your ears to further drown out the sound of children crying over lost shoes.  Ahh.  See?  All better.     

Advent At Our Place

Christmas Day is fun. 
Sure.  But, to me, the real joy of this season is in the anticipation, the build-up before the big day.  And also that part of the holidays about spending time with the people we care about.
So this year I decided to do an advent calendar for the Littles.  I love the idea of a countdown- it makes the wait even more exciting!  But to refocus on doing things together and making memories and all that fuzziness, instead of little treats inside each day the Littles get a note.  It tells them where to find a surprise, which in turn is a clue about what the day's special activity will be.  I think they like this treasure hunt part as much as the rest of it!  Missy gets to take the note out, and Little One has to read it.  Then they search together for their clue.
The first night, it was a little package with sprinkles inside.  Because if you know me, you know I must start things off right- with cookies!

Baking

 And decorating!

Grandma joined the fun, too!

This was kind of a cheat, since I really needed little elves to help me make and decorate all those hundreds of cookies so I could wrap and deliver them.  (Ssshhhhh!  I have them convinced it was a fun family activity, and not slave labor.)

The next night there were holiday prism glasses (which make little shapes appear when you look at Christmas lights through the lenses) hiding in the play car, and the activity was a drive through the light display at the beach.  You get to drive right down the boardwalk.


The next night was a little dollar-store angel to top the miniature pink Christmas tree for their room, and their activity was to decorate it. They got very creative, using necklaces as garlands, and love the idea of their very own tree.

One night they got some stickers, shiny santa confetti, and fancy stationary and had some hot cider while writing their letters to Santa.

I love this one because it also became a lesson in how to write and send a letter.  Little One learned about return addresses and so forth, and carefully printed everything Herself.

This year, both Littles insisted that they wanted to ask Santa for only one thing, and they both knew exactly and unequivocally what it was.  It's been a couple months since they made these decisions, and they have stuck by them so far.
Little One's wish list:   "A Toy Batman"
Missy's:  "A Piggy Bank to Save Money"
I love these choices.  They are so emblematic of who They are at the moment.  Little One is SO into the boys at school and playing superhero and running around saving the world all the time.  Missy wants so much to be like Big Sister and get coins for extra chores, and save them up.  Such a practical Little, She wants to save money, "To save it.  To keep it in there inside the piggy bank, so to save it so it can be safe."  I don't think spending it has occurred to Her at all.

We've also had holiday movie night


A walk/ride through the neighborhood looking at lights on an unusually warm evening


Door decorating


wreath making


Gingerbread Man Garlands

Santa Crafts
 

Salt dough ornaments for Litte One's entire class

And lots more fun activities.  Tonight we get to go to a pajama party with stories and crafts at the library, and there's a great show about international traditions at the children's museum Saturday.  I have some more at-home crafts ready, too. 

I'm having a lot of fun watching them get excited about the day's surprise, and doing these fun little things together each day.  It reminds me to step away from the hectic aspects of baby and holidays and enjoy the magic through the eyes of my angels.  I think we'll all be a little sad when we get to the end of the calendar!