The boy with the best name out there
The boy with the best disposition and amazing appetite (he even eats paint)
The girl and the boy who spent the weekend on the swing
The dog who is old and sweet (and kinda can’t hear or smell anymore) and allowed neko to walk her
The girl and the boy who looked at giant pigs and climbed tractors (Woodstock Animal Sanctuary - the place where vegans rule)
The boy’s parents who made us dinner and are such great friends
The girl and the boy who hiked in backpacks while holding hands
The boy and the girl who were pooped at the end of the fresh air filled days
The best weekend in our slice of heaven
(Most photos courtesy of nina)
One year ago: Labor Day with Elodie
Two years ago: Chubbie neko in pijamas
A weekend at the beach with the Hoffman- Chalaron clan was spent in sheer bliss:
We stayed in a hippie chic type bungalow community where the ocean was 4 steps away
Our daughters exhibited a love for each other (they would hold hands and caress each other without being asked to perform) that makes my heart grow mush
Neko and elodie spent hours (seriosuly) jumping on the trampoline while chanting Ring Around the Rosy (I keep hearing it in my head even days later)
They (by that I mean the two cuties) worshiped the older girls that live in this place (think lanky pre teens that love children - one even named Dora)
They played Connect Four and did lots of dot painting
The weekend was a shining example of two smart funny (and gorgeous with the best outfits and tushies around) girls getting along, giggling and laughing together.
Weekends like this allow me to stand back and appreciate how lucky I am (oh oh cheese) to have such a super fabulous (if strong willed) daughter, amazing friends that I can be totally me with (by that I mean intense and obsessive), a warm giving husband (give me a back massage please) and a really incredible life.
Thank you Elodie for your friendship to neko and thank your parents for their general awesomeness!
One year ago: First hair cut
Two years ago: Sunshine girl
Ferry ride - Excited to ride a big boat to Andi’s house
Beach - jumping in the waves screeching with pleasure at the next big vone (one); looking for sea weed to feed Ariel the Maper (mermaid); building castles and hanging with the family
Boat ride - thinks life vest is a jacket; naps on my lap; loves bumpy
Riding on big bicycle - proud that she is riding tandem
Shira and family - neko keeps asking to see her friends (Lonny and Gabe are good nappers)
Shower - big girl territory now (it is only a hand held)
Sea Shells - wants to make art on them with a leaf (we have no clue what she means but it’s cute)
Fried Calamari - loves it since we tell her its chicken
Andi and Mark - best aunt and uncle out there and most gracious hosts - thank you so so so so so much!
Sand - getting out of every crack and crevice - may take a lifetime!
One year ago: Elodie turns one
Two years ago: Fire Island First Time
It was way too long (andree was not even showing the last time we all played) and neko missed her friend…
I had built up some excitement, prepping neko for the weekend with Elodie, and the early birthday bash we were throwing her. Although neko insisted it was her birday too, we hope Elodie had a good almost turning two weekend!
(Please note I schlepped balloons through Times Square at rush hour - and had to fend off tourists singing happy birthday to me!)
The two girls played AMAZING together, spending lots of quality naked butt time on the grass:
We ate like every 3.25 hours:
We picked berries (elodie eating her weight in blackberries):
The girls made art (in the buff), elodie asking to use salt over and over (sparkle sprinkle glitter is a big hit with the under 3 age group):
And neko made her debut as a very talented photographer:
Elodie - we love you (and your parents too) and although it’s not the same, we hope you enjoyed an early bday song and cake! Let’s play with more glitter soon!
One year ago: Sand-wiches
Two years ago: Neko’s Five Month Day
Next time we’ll pay her like 33 cents:
One year ago: Climber tushie kid
Two years ago: Bath time recap
P.S. She loved helping out - I now totally get child labor, this kid is being put to work!
Yoooohooooo
Wooohooooo
Apparently I got a lot to post about, especially since my subject is inspiring, deliciously cute and one hell of a dancer:
One year ago: Ode to Zsa Zsa
Two years ago: Miss Manners
First we thought it was just a plain old fever, but having watched Nemo, The Lion King and Pochano (Pinocchio in Nekoese) and having neko cry that she wants to be lay down, I realized something was off (she even refused ice cream):
After a brave visit at the doctor (neko thought it was funny doc was using q-tips in her mouth and not her ears and tickling her with thermometer under her arm) we got a coxsackie diagnosis (say that fast like 8 times). This basically means that we are home bound (hellish heat outside and contagiousness), watching more movies (i’ve got animation overload) and making the most of it, like playing impromptu dress up:
Truthfully, I was kinda worried that this is what brought it all on, but ends up it may just be the sandbox:
One year ago: Crossword Puzzle
Two years ago: Hearty Laughter
The past few weeks have been filled with balls - soccer balls.
Peter spent every chance he got checking scores, watching highlights and sneaking in recorded games late at night.
Soccer fever even touched neko:
Although Peter may have high hopes for her to be the next maradona (although she must be taller than him by now), for now, we cheer on as she learns to kick, but mostly, she likes to straighten up and color coordinate all the cones, over and over.
We’ve only been back 7 days, and a lifetime of things have happened.
We only spent 13 days there, yet I feel like neko experienced so mcuh love, so many family members, saw so many things, and said so much stuff for the first time, and that if I don’t somehow write it all down in some sort of post format, well, then it will tumble into the back of my mind, along with thousands of neko memories.
Trying to look back and remember everything sometimes feels like I’m on super fast rewind mode and someone stole my pause button.
So here are some things I want to keep:
- North Trip - Neko runs wild in Klil wth her Sata (Savta) and Shashar (Shachar); loves kitties; refuses to sleep; reads books in the dark and learns all about Mosito Box (Mosquito Bites):
- Begging/ Demanding to wear her gida (glida) shirt basically every day
- Morning After - Neko wakes up giddy and happy in our hotel room, following the wedding, but obsesses over her burn wound and the fact that I touch de light ima, I touch de light for the next few days.
- Riding in glass elevator and screaming I see da water each time the shore line appeared…this occurred about 8-12 times a day.
- Discovering the snack drawer at my dad’s house and one afternoon, totally unobserved, sneaks away quietly, only to be found (by me as my father observes this all calmly) 13 minutes later, sitting across from her Saba, shoving away mouthfuls of choket (yeah, Saba thought it was hilarious).
- Begging to go to Misa’ada (restaurant) and then asking the waitress immediately as she sits down for chinken, while doing cheers with everyone as soon as water is placed on the table.
- Our last day - Spent running errands, getting in some last sun rays and playing on the hot nadned with Sata and Shashar:
- Airport - neko insisting to put her packpack on the check in belt and only removing it after the nice lady gave her some name tags:
- Jetlag - the seven hour time difference was killer to us all, but we made it through and are now proud to say we can beat time zones in less than 48 hours!
- Our next trip - Local!
One year ago: Independent Spirit
It’s August NYC hot (and it’s only June)- and you all know what that feels like: grimy, sticky, walking through a heavy mass of ’someone forgot to turn the hair dryer off’ type feeling.
Solution: bust out the kiddie pool!
One year ago: monkey business
