We spent a totally superb awesome fun action packed yet also relaxing (what do YOU call sleeping in until 10am aka the new noon) silly great food art projects museums pink flamingos extreme body paint 45th wedding anniversary (yeah man that’s a life time) shopping glitter tattoos movies famous chocolate ice cream cousin worshiping weekend…..phew….say that all in one breath and it will give you that same exhilarating feeling we all came back with!
E-E, Oompa, Keith, Catherine, Sophie and Clara (and Remy) - we love you guys and can’t wait till the next time:
One year ago: Elodie’s Pre Birthday Party
Two years ago: Sand Cookies
Three years ago: 5 months - the video
Move over Lance Armstrong!
P.S. iPhone video quality and nervous me = not the best footage but at last we got her riding!
One year ago: At the car wash
Two years ago: Climber
Three years ago: 5 month day
This post is not only meant to show off neko’s incredible portraiture capabilities (notice Peter’s anatomically correct jew-fro and my sigerson morrison ballet flats) but an announcement (a big one):
What da ya think?
One Year Ago: Post #200
Two Years Ago: Ode to Zsa Zsa
Three Years Ago: Splish Splash
This summer has been gloriously, well, summery….
We have spent most of our weekends up in Accord, and this weekend was no different EXCEPT that it was filled with friends, babies, toddler-hood girlies, food, beer and discussing Google+. It was nice to lazy on the grass, catch up and be out there in the sunshine. Yes, I am so grateful for everyone and everything in my life (except the mosquito bites!):
P.S. This weekend three years ago we celebrating Andree’s baby shower by eating yummy cake and bagels…now, all this time later, we watch our daughters shovel away cream cheese bagels and M&M’s…..i know, we should have eaten salad and green beans!
One Year Ago: Camp Ooopo
Two Years Ago: Inner City Kids
Three Years Ago: Andree’s Shower
Growing up on the beach was a big part of my childhood: sand in every crack, building sand castles for 6 hours at a time, eating popsicles as meals, tan lines and a deep love of the waves, salt air and summer sun.
Yesterday was one of those days when the morning was filled with that ‘life is kinda perfect’ scent so that meant a shlep to Jones Beach.
Apparently the Atlantic is not at all like the Mediterranean pool I know and it gave me a lesson (I had salty water dripping out of me for about 2 hours) but neko and her cousins loved the swell, the crazy waves, the digging, the sandy sandwiches and the non stop car singing:
SIDE NOTE - PLEASE NOTICE WE ARE CELEBRATING THREE YEARS TO THIS BLOG - ALL DUE TO FRANCK - THE MAN WHO MAKES THINGS HAPPEN-POST TO FOLLOW))
(At least this time neko didn’t’ EAT the sand: See old Sand Cookie post)
One year ago: World Cup Soccer League
Two years ago: Not Crocs
Three years ago: The new minimode
A long weekend is always an excuse for, yes, you guessed it, face painting with the cousins!
Neko spent the weekend a la camp E-E & Oompo, where the activities included swinging up high (a lot), eating anything on the grille, watching Tangled about 300 times, worshiping her older cousins, sleeping in with Sophie (in the same bed no less), swimming in the pond, making colorful sand art, catching her FIRST fish (a missed photo op) and a lot of face painting (some body parts included):
We love you Sophie and Clara Mannes!!!!!
We love you Camp E-E & Oompo
One year ago: It’s my Party, America (Vermont)
Two years ago: Catching up with Bernstein Phillips
The past week we had a special delivery, middle east style, and by that I don’t mean humus in pita with a side of humus, i mean Sabba, Taly and Joy. Neko was proud that she could finally tell the two apart - yes, she thought they were both either Joy or Taly for the last year or so.
Whenever they were around she promptly showed off her fart/ peepee joke skills, her tea making, counting and being excitably loud. She displayed amazing skills at reading silly ivrit books with Joy and learned her ‘teen’ numbers with Taly.
Pics below are from our picnic day at Governor’s Island, a magical wonderful place:
Come back again please!
One year ago: Hanging in Israel
Two years ago:Monkey jumping on the bed
As we come towards the end of what seems like the most stressful week of my life as a parent (hysteric Jewish mom - yes, you can say that), various things have, for lack of a better poetic word, been brought to the forefront of my mind - and here I will share them with you (after the cute pics):
* Never ever take your nanny for granted (we love our Rhonda like she is one of us and miss her and ache for her and wish for her dearly) and tell her she is amazing all the time, if you can.
* Never ever take the grandparents for granted (Peter’s parents happen to be so naturally the most fun, attentive, adventurous and loving couple around) and tell them all the time how much you appreciate them and need them!
* Never underestimate stay-at-home mothers again (it’s the toughest job out there)
* Remember the community you live in and cherish it (thanks for everyone for helping us out within minutes - you saved our anxiety ridden asses)
* Always be thankful for what you have and take moments to celebrate life, happiness and all it throws at you
* Oh - and why the hell did it take me this long to leave neko with her grandparents? It’s totally awesome (for lack of a better poetic word)!
This post is dedicated to E-E and Oompo who made everything better this week and love Neko more than we could ask for!
One year ago: Israel - the 2010 Version
Two years ago: Summer Solstice
and then did them anyway….
Anyone who know us had heard about our sleep challenged child.
Or, to put it like it is, she has been sleeping with us, on and off, since she was 10 months old.
That’s a lot of nights of not sleeping well.
A lot.
Recently neko has simply refused to sleep in her crib, coming up with a varied and interesting list of why she wasn’t comfortable (even her shmate can get hot, apparently) or scared or lonely or WHATEVA…she just wouldn’t stay in her crib…we would put her down for the night and believing she was asleep go about our evenings (this is around 9:45pm since it took us 1.45 hours to convince her), and then, as we dragged our sorry tired asses up to bed, we would find her blissfully asleep, draped diagonally across all our pillows. Yes, she would climb out quietly and just go to our bed. We are tired and sick and tired…This calls for drastic measures!
This is what we did:
(I am ashamed with every fiber of my being at this plastic hideousness, but it’s only for 2 months (which one of our readers claims it first) and she adores it. She cried when I told Peter (firmly) at the store that I couldn’t do it…the designer in me just couldn’t)
The results: let’s wait and see.
One year ago: Israel Vacation
Two years ago: Hair Do’s
We are posting this a week after the long memorial day weekend - the getting back to work week was a little harder than usual….
Spent the weekend with the Pollock Chiens, yes, that includes Phoenix. We were mostly housebound, letting the kids enjoy the outdoors, each other, the food, me enjoying not doing much and us all enjoying the onset of summer (with the exception of Justin’s sinuses):
Our minor excursions included some animal feeding and a massive gorgeous hike (tell that to my thighs) which the kids proceeed to hike themselves (ya think it’s time to sell off the backpacks?):
As always, it was so nice to spend some quality time with our neighbors and friends! Till next time….
One year ago: Water Bug
Two years ago: Memorial Day Hurrah with Chalarons
