Friday photo: curly-face

Lars is still my little curly-face. I love his bangs which would look equally good on an '80s prom queen.

Friday photo: T-dog

Also, this kid.

(2008, 2009, 2012)

Friday photo: from my phone

I have been having phone problems. I curse the day I decided to go Euro-style with a Symbian OS instead of Android. I actually spent a few days debating and went with Nokia on purpose. I thought I wouldn't want to use apps but six months later I decided I was wrong. Nokia has lots of apps actually, but I am pretty sure I am the only one who uses them outside of Europe and the Middle East. There are a few redeeming qualities of my phone: one is that Swype works way better on my Nokia phone than on Matt's HTC phone. I love Swype and hope that by the time I get an iPhone...one day, whenever that may be...iPhones will have Swype too. Another is that the camera is pretty good. Which leads me to the point of this post, which is that whilst I was troubleshooting on my troublesome phone the other day, I scrolled through old photos I had forgotten about and had a good chuckle.

In October we drove to Ohio and met up with Matt's brother Jeff and his family, who were there on vacation. It was a fun and brief trip. By the time we were ready to go home, however, the kids had had enough.

Friday photo and a poem

Mother To Child

by Carol Lynn Pearson

Look --

Your little fist

Fits mine

Like the pit

In a plum.

One day

And one size,

These two hands will

Clasp companionably.

Help me, child

Forgive me

When I fail you.

I'm your mother,

True,

But in the end

Merely an older equal

Doing her faltering best

For a dear

Small friend.

Friday photo: photo challenge 16-20

Phew, it feels like it's been a month since I did one of these. Probably because it has. Or maybe 2 months. I really don't know.

16. MORNING

Lars playing in the room he shares with Ida. 7 a.m.-ish

One morning Theo and Ida got up, put on jackets and hats over their PJs, and headed out to the backyard to blow bubbles first thing. Didn't even stop to have breakfast.

17. WATER

My dad and Matt installed our sink and counters last November. Our old sink and counters were so disgusting, you have no idea. And I love our new ones. It's really a shame that they put them in over such crappy cabinets, but we didn't/don't have the money or time to do a "real" remodel. Ikea butcher block is super affordable and so was the labor, so Matt and I are very happy with the results and I hope my dad was too. I know it was a little bit painful for him to put a new counter over our terrible old cabinets but when he arrived and we presented him with the materials, he was willing. Matt put in the backsplash by himself later, which he is proud of, as he should be. I'm especially impressed with the cutting around the windowsill trim. And that he scraped out half the grout and put in new when I decided I didn't like the color...

18. SOMETHING YOU BOUGHT

My friend Mac gave me these flowers for my birthday but the thing I bought is the pail. I have several of these little metal paint buckets...I seem to pick one up every time I go to Home Depot, including just a few days ago...because they are so cheap (something like $2) and cute and versatile...as good for corralling sewing or painting supplies as they are for being an impromptu flower pot.

19. SWEET

Lars tried corn on the cob for the first time this week. Loved it!

20. SOMEONE YOU LOVE

I'm cheating because Hannah took this one. It's just way better than the one I took with my phone. I LOVE my dad. He did great at the Boston Marathon this year. Didn't set any PRs, but neither did anyone else in the record heat. The temperature got above 90 and it was brutal for the runners, whose course was in full sun the entire time. He worked hard and endured a lot of discomfort and pain for 4 hours--just because he could. Go Dad.

Friday photo: Didn't happen.

And, Friday photo is once again down the tubes. Sorry!! Instead, for your reading enjoyment, here are some updates to my list of Things My Kids Have Said Lately. And also a cell-phone picture of them playing in the sandbox. (It's so tiny, but they really don't seem to mind.)

Ida: "We're making Gayatri!"
Me: "Really, how to you make Gayatri?"
Ida: "We broke Gayatri and put her in the pan."
(Gayatri is a friend and their babysitter. And apparently--I'm just guessing here--has the consistency of raw spaghetti noodles.)

Ida: "Hello Kitty's getting ready for her birthday party present Christmas."

Theo: "Ida, fingers out of your mouth."
Ida: "I'm just keeping them warm."

I love listening to Ida eat Cheerios. She actually says "Nom nom nom nom" and sighs in contentment while she's eating it.

Theo: "I'm still hungry."
Me: "OK, you can have some broccoli."
Theo: "OK." (pause) "...That's one choice."

Ida and I were sitting on the floor in her room, playing. She held her blanket up to my back and said, "Do you want to wear this as a cape on your back, or go out of my room?"

(Apparently the kids have picked up on my trick of presenting "options" that aren't really optional.)

Ida: "I only like peppers that are not cooked. I don't like cooked peppers."
Me: "Why not?"
Ida: "Because I just like cooked marshmallows."

I was teaching the kids some tongue twisters and I heard Theo practicing a few minutes later: "Peter Piper pickle pickle peppers...beautiful...in His Son, Jesus Christ...in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Theo and Ida were sitting on my bed and Theo was talking about....something.
Ida (interrupting): "Theo, look what came out of my armpit! A crumb!!"
Theo: "Oh." (pause) "Good." (keeps talking)
Ida: "Theo!! Did you see the crumb?!?!"
(Mostly I loved how indignant she was that Theo would dare ignore something so momentous as a crumb coming out of Ida's armpit.)

Ida, at the end of her bedtime prayer: "Please bless that we don't kick a ball into somebody's head, and it hurts. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

And, just so I don't leave him out.
Lars: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH"

Friday photo: 11-15

11. WHERE YOU SLEEP

This picture is from last spring but it still looks like this, minus a bassinet. I loved that hand-me-down bassinet from my friend Mackie but had nowhere to store it after Lars grew out of it, so I passed it along to another mom. Another difference is that I currently have our winter duvet on the bed. Most of the year I use this white cotton one, but from about November to March we sleep under an old plaid flannel duvet, which is not the prettiest thing but it is definitely warmer in our cold attic room. I think it's been warm enough at night lately that it's time to change back to the spring one. yay!

12. CLOSE-UP

Matt is really not a fan of close-up pictures so in an attempt to be funny I texted this to him the other day. He told me he didn't receive it, so there went that. All is not lost though. Now you all get to enjoy it. Just looking at my eye crossing like that is making my head hurt again.

13. IN YOUR BAG

I'm off bags. My purse is falling apart and it's kind of heavy and annoying. I needed a new wallet so I got this sort of clutch type thing which holds all my normal wallety stuff plus a cell phone, gum, Benadryl tablets for Theo, and keys. I have diapers and wipes in the car so I'm pretty much set with this little guy.

14. SOMETHING YOU'RE READING



I got rid of a bunch of books but couldn't part with a few childhood favorites. It's been at least 15 years since I picked this one up.

15. HAPPINESS

Sometimes I wonder how these tiny, loud, beautiful little people could all possibly belong to me. Happiness indeed.

Friday photo: 7-10

7. FAVORITE

In case you were unaware...my kids look exactly like their dad. This picture on Ida's night stand is Matt at age 3 or 4(ish) with his beloved dog Jenny. The other picture is me at about the same age--we had very similar haircuts.

And in case you were unaware...Matt is my favorite person that I've ever met. I've met a lot of people, you know.

8. YOUR SKY

This isn't a great picture but I like it because it reminds me of pulling up the shade every morning in Lars and Ida's room. Every morning the east side of our house is flooded with sunlight. (It also reminds me that I need to wash the windows.) I love, love, love winter morning light. And I love the silhouettes of bare trees in the winter. I can do without snow but I have become addicted to the changing trees of Virginia's changing seasons. Loaded with "popcorn" in spring, lush and green in summer, flaming orange and yellow in the fall, and even dead in winter they're stark and beautiful.

9. DAILY ROUTINE

Fancy, huh? Sometime in the past couple of months Theo got it into his head that he needed "monkey slippers." Not just any monkey slippers but monkey slippers featuring the Paul Frank monkey on his "monkey shirt." He mentioned it so often (e.g. "Mom...I think I need some monkey slippers") that I finally took him seriously and told him he could earn some monkey slippers. He is getting pretty good at his "jobs."

Of course Ida needed a chart too. (or "shawwt" as she calls it) I asked her what she wanted to earn after her chart was full and she suggested, "Um...maybe a toy just for me to play with."

10. CHILDHOOD

Anyone else play with Lady Lovely Locks? Oh how I loved those dolls. Lady Lovely Locks, Mistress Raven Hair, Maiden Curly Crown, and the brown-haired one I can never remember the name of. I don't have any of the dolls left but I do have this funny plastic bowl. Sometimes Ida eats cereal out of it but most of the time it is in the play kitchen in Theo's room.

Oops--the (evil) black-haired one was Duchess Raven Waves. Maiden Fair Hair was the brown-haired one. There's a Facebook page.

Friday photo: #4, 5, 6

4. LETTERBOX

Getting the mail is a serious job. I am terrible at all things mail-related. Sending it, checking the mailbox, I'm just bad at it. When my mom comes to visit, though, she takes Theo and sometimes Ida with her to mail her own letters and to get our mail. And she lets them open the box themselves. They love it, of course.

5. SOMETHING YOU WORE

I wear this necklace almost every day. Recently the pearl charm came off and was lost forever. I blame Lars, Puller of All Things.

6. MAKES YOU SMILE

Abandoned Elmo on the kitchen floor.

Friday photo: is back.

Remember Friday photo...from like 3 years ago? Is it really back, or is it wishful thinking on my part? I don't know. I am following my friend Alisha's photo-a-day challenge but I think I'm just going to do a handful of photos each Friday. I am going to follow the plan though. See below...

PHOTO A DAY CHALLENGE


1. YOU

2. BREAKFAST

3. SOMETHING YOU ADORE

4. LETTERBOX

5. SOMETHING YOU WORE

6. MAKES YOU SMILE

7. FAVORITE (or favourite for our friends across the sea)

8. YOUR SKY

9. DAILY ROUTINE

10. CHILDHOOD

11. WHERE YOU SLEEP

12. CLOSE-UP

13. IN YOUR BAG

14. SOMETHING YOU'RE READING

15. HAPPINESS

16. MORNING

17. WATER

18. SOMETHING YOU BOUGHT

19. SWEET

20. SOMEONE YOU LOVE

21. REFLECTION

22. YOUR SHOES

24. SOMETHING OLD

24. GUILTY PLEASURE

25. SOMETHING YOU MADE

26. COLOR

27. LUNCH

28. LIGHT

29. INSIDE YOUR FRIDGE

30. NATURE

31. YOU, AGAIN

So here are a few to start.

1. YOU

Maybe I should have used this one for the "closeup" instead. Yowza.

2. BREAKFAST

A year or so ago I started putting happy faces on Theo's toast with butter. Ida in turn asked for sad faces. Now they ask for it every single morning. Every morning it's the same: happy face for Theo. Sad face for Ida. And Grandpa Phil (I think it was) had the bright idea of making scrambled eggs into hair. If you are especially observant you will notice I am cheating a little by using an old picture: those were our old countertops.

3. SOMETHING YOU ADORE

Lunch with my favorite girl is a shining bright spot in my day. Theo gets on the bus and Ida gets out her lunch (which is of course packed just like Theo's) and we sit down to eat together. Sometimes Lars eats with us, sometimes he's already asleep. Of course I adore all of my kids, but a lunch date with Ida is just so charming.

Happy Friday.

Friday photo: Shoes

Here's another from Alisha's photo shoot. Theo loves his shoes and jeans and is refusing to make the transition to sandals and shorts. Ida on the other hand now has 3 pairs of Saltwaters to choose from (2 of which are Theo's hand-me-downs from when he was a year old!) and she loves it. Like me, she's definitely a sandal girl. And like me, she has definite ideas about what looks good on her and what she wants to wear. Rarely do I get to assemble outfits for her anymore. Theo's the same way. At least I still get to choose what goes into their dresser drawers in the first place.

Friday photo: Happy

Remember Friday Photo?? Well, it's back! for now.

Here are Ida, Theo, and Matt as they passed by me on the Bryant Park carousel. I love how happy Ida was to be on that horse. Probably what made both kids even happier was seeing their dad after four days apart... and after a 6-hour drive to New York City. (two hours of which were spent getting from the New Jersey side of the Lincoln Tunnel to midtown. Nice.)

Friday photo: What not to do

You may have thought I lifted this from my camera manual's "what not to do" sample photo (as in, how not to compose a photo), but actually it's me and Theo. Anyway there's my "Picture of Myself with My Kid(s)" for June.

Friday photo: Reading rainbow

Happy Friday :)

Hope you have time to sit down with a good book this weekend! (Ida recommends: The Baby's Catalogue by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.)

Friday photo: Obsessed

My kids are obsessed with wearing their coats indoors. Well, mostly just Theo is, but Ida does everything Theo does. I guess they are just naturally green-minded that way but I prefer to turn the heat up to 75 instead, which I do, and they wear their coats anyway. Because these children were born with a steely resolve--as well as an indifference to sweat--and really absolutely refuse to take their coats off without a fight once they decide they want to wear them.

Don't mind the pile of junk on the floor, or Ida's unsnapped overalls.

Friday photo: Ida is cute

Ida is cute and she lives a happy life, even if she is a little slow to perk up after naps.

Friday photo: betrothed

Post #2 for today.

Who is this mustachioed man, you ask? Click here to find out. and feel free to shout HOORAY! Oh, and Hester, are you mad that Andreas is wearing a mustache for his first appearance on my blog?

Friday photo: Shoot

Only in recent months has Theo discovered the ease with which he can snap photos with a point-and-shoot. (still needs to work on the pointing part although he is a pro at shooting.) I should have gotten him his own a long time ago.

You'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.

Remember Friday Photos? I am going to try to start doing them again whenever I remember.

I am reblogging this picture from Hannah but it is still appropriate for Friday Photo. It reminds me of warmer days (three weeks ago)...the wind blowing in my hair...and lovely conversation with my niece Ella, whom I was lucky enough to share a bike with on that day's ride.

Friday photo: Napper

Theo has always been a fantastic napper.

He won't sleep anywhere but a bed, but once he's in a bed he's out for a good 3 hours most afternoons.

Is it because he still sleeps with a pacifier? Probably! I'm enjoying it at any rate!