Christmas 2014

And lo, here we are - the eve of New Year's Eve. On the brink of 2015, which is the year. THE YEAR. The one in which Steve finishes 8 years of post-med school, 12 years post-college training, and get a grown-up job. This is amazing for him (you can't go much more than 8 years past med school), and also very exciting for our family as it means we will start our real, grown up lives - find out where we will live, where our children will be "from", put down roots and start traditions that aren't tinged with moving on soon. So this is all very well and good and thrilling and I'm excited to announce... 

that we don't know yet. He has several irons in the fire. Good options, all. Confirmed, nothing And now that the holiday season is winding down (and I have to figure out how to store the new toys without making any long-term storage plans), the giant unknown is haunting me. And that's a post in itself. 

I intended this to be about Christmas! And so, it will be. We really enjoyed the season this year, and I have more pictures on my phone that I want to share soon (Santa arriving by helicopter in the North End!). Because my husband is a machine (in a  good way) who plans everything to a t, we finished our shopping the first week of December and were able to enjoy the festivities - like sitting by the tree, wrapping presents and listening to Christmas music and chatting after the kids were in bed. Or making cookies and fudge for fun without any rush, wander the streets counting Christmas decorations. enjoy holiday parties without feeling any frenzy. The last few years, honestly, I have felt so rushed that the season passed me by, and this year I think we hit the right balance. But for now, I just have photos of Christmas Eve and Day. 

On Christmas Eve, I finished work early and Grace and I went ahead to church to get good seats without making Henry sit a moment longer than necessary. We got soaked on the way there, but then we got to sing carols with the choir and it was wonderful. Afterward, we came home, getting further soaked, and tried to take a family photo. I think 100 were actually taken... and these are the best.

After dinner, the kids opened their new pjs and books from Rudolph. Their book was the Smell of Christmas (or similar), a scratch-and-sniff book that Bucket and I had as kids and loved. My mom still has it, but all the smells are gone from overuse, and now my kiddos have one, which delighted them just as much as I remember.

Mailing envelopes make great hats.

 Scratch-and-sniff.

And the children slept until 6:30 AM! This was good, because nothing says Christmas Eve like a few episodes of Serial, so Steve and I were tired... Boy were the kids jazzed! Not pictured are the scones, coffee, and new (turkey) bacon recipe wherein you rub brown sugar on it and cook under the broiler and then feel only a smidgen guilty while you inhale it.

After gifts, the kids played, I cooked, and we took a walk in the balmy weather. The kids took their new umbrellas and were unbelievably cute playing Mary Poppins. A friend whose family was out of town joined us for the afternoon and dinner (and having his undivided attention was a gift in itself to the kids), and we took no more pictures. Because memories are all we need. And living in the moment.

We are still listening to Christmas music and eating fudge and enjoying the glow of the tree because we party until the Epiphany! Merry Christmas!

Fall happened

I suppose technically it isn't winter for another week, but we're wearing down more often than not, so it counts. 

On Halloween we had a butterfly, a rainbow fish, kermit the frog and fuzzy bear. 

Henry was uncertain at first, but got the hang of trick-or-treating and ended up the most committed of the bunch. He was dedicated to every. single. house. Heaven help you if you tried to pass one because of the (ridiculous) crowd. The big kids started to poop out and were begging us to carry their buckets of candy because they were toooooo heaaaaaavvvvyyy. And they were sooooo tired of getting free candy. Henry did not give up. 

We saw some great costumes: 

- Baby dressed as a lobster, in a stroller made to look like a pot, with her parents dressed as chefs (pssst, EMILY).

- Baby in a bomber jacket with stroller made to look like a fighter jet, complete with Top Gun theme song blasting, and parents dressed in runway control workers (this was Henry's classmate).

- Kid riding in red wagon transformed into a Duck Boat (and in this case dressed as a Red Sox player with trophy).

We realized too late that Henry is the perfect size and wobbliness to have been a minion. Maybe next year!

And, here are some photos of the color during a hike at Middlesex Fells. New England, you definitely have fall going for you.

So much is/has been going on, but I really do want to keep blogging... I also need to make some notes about what the kid are like these days. They are basically best friends with a special adoration of a tiny boy for his big "sisssstah". They pummel each other, and it's not always clear that they are playing the same game (though they think they are), but they also love love love each other, and Grace definitely looks out for Henry. They get so excited to see each other in the morning and after school, which is the greatest thing to see. Henry loves to try to keep up with Grace and her friends, and mostly they include him. It's so funny to see him try to be with the big kids, and he is so happy when they let him play.

Lately...

Indeed, everything you have heard about fall in New England is true. Beautiful, picturesque, love it. The only problem is the winter to come. 

Mischief

 Tantrums

Bedtime shenanigans (this guy loves to brush his teeth)

After school playtime

 

 Apple picking

  

  

 

Apple store 

Last hot day

 These three are just about inseparable on the weekends

 Homework

 New jammies

All for all

A while back a friend, also with a daughter and a son, posted something on fb about rape (and the old bs about asking for it) and educating boys on gender, power and violence issues. We agreed that as parents of children of both sexes, we have the great opportunity to work this issue from both sides.

I was thinking about that again while watching EmmaWatson's speech at the UN. Sure, this offers a good counterpoint, and while watching, I too was unhappy with the statement ""We don't often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that they are, and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence." That sounds like trickle down gender equality, which seems awfully patriarchal (and nonsensical) to me. But I don't think that was her intent, so nuance aside, her remarks are an awesome call to arms to embrace feminism, especially to a generation that seems to really find that a dirty word. My own friends don't seem to be so negative about the word (or maybe it's just that my female friends are all such fabulous, sophisticated, thoughtful people that they see the utter absurdity of statements like "i believe in equality but i don't like the word feminism.").

So back to parenting and my kids. I am hyper aware of the gender stereotypes I project onto Grace and try (failing often) to counteract these biases. I am probably less vigilant with Henry, maybe because at some level  male stereotypes are perceived as less damaging. People always call Grace "cute and sweet" and Henry "tough". They are both all of those things and many more. And as parents of a daughter and a son, Steve and I have the opportunity to raise tough, sweet, strong, caring, ambitious, respectful, active, sensitive people. PEOPLE.

First day of Kindergarten

Words fail me. She loves it so far.

New England Vacation: Part 3

The final part of our lobster and ice cream tour of Maine was in Kennebunkport. We had been looking for a house rental or something interesting and tripped over a hotel in Kennebunkport with great reviews as a family resort. Steve kept calling it the "Dirty Dancing" hotel because it looked to be that old New England style place with activities for kids. We weren't sure if it would great or washed-up, and it turned out to be terrific. A charming old place with plenty of character right on the river. There was a giant lawn with activities - bean bag toss, basketball, ping pong, and an activity tent for kids, plus a pool, poolside bar, and adirondack chairs overlooking the river. The kids were entertained for hours (we had to drag them inside) and we could just relax while they played - coffee on the lawn in the morning, drinks in the evening overlooking the river. And the many families were very mellow and friendly. We would love to go back, but probably won't have the opportunity before we move (assuming we move, which is likely).

The first evening was hot, and we walked into town for - lobster rolls and also had the most amazing lemonade we've ever had. Ever. After dinner of course we had to stop for ice cream on the patio. What's better than sitting outside on a hot summer evening, eating ice cream and people watching? The walk between the hotel and town was about ten minutes along the river and past quaint houses.

After (delicious) breakfast, ping pong (Steve and me), playing in the fairy house (Henry), crafts (Henry and Grace), and face-painting (Grace), we took our coffee and walked along the ocean. We were looking for a lighthouse that we never found, but it was so pretty and we did see the Bush compound. Grace asked all about it and really wanted to ask the guard if she could meet the former president. She then pushed hard for Steve or me to run for president. It's a lot to try to explain to a five year old with a fuzzy understanding of the nation-state concept.

Steve and Grace climbed out on the rocks.

 It all looked pretty benign.

And then, oops...

 They got drenched.

Steve thought it was funny. I found it hilarious. Grace was not amused.

Spent the afternoon by the pool and playing bean bag toss.

Henry had forgotten to nap, and he's at the most difficult age for restaurants, but Steve and I really wanted to go to a restaurant we had read about. We kept him awake as long as possible, and then he fell asleep just in time for us to enjoy most of our meal (lobster and fried clams!) and have a conversation. We love him, but his manners are wanting so now and then it's nice to not have to wrestle with him while dining.

 

And he was lovely company on the way home (after he devoured his dinner - we did feed him).

 

And then he was up so early! I guess he wanted special time with me, hanging out in the lobby and climbing up and down the porch steps (where we met a woman from Quebec who told me that her toddler son attends a daycare that runs from 3pm to 1 am because it's geared toward families with parents who are doctors, nurses, law enforcement, and in the restaurant business) and because it's government subdized, is $7 per day. She was kind enough to warn me that I may not want to know...).

Pajamas and crocs are the look for the one year old set.

Steve and Grace joined a kayak tour. I had a coffee and read for 20 minutes while Henry was asleep in the stroller. It was kind of amazing. I should have taken a picture.

One final stop to ensure we tested all the ice cream flavors.

It was such a good trip. As soon as we walked in the door at home, Grace collapsed in a heap, sobbing, because she wanted to go back to the hotel because it was so fun. However, we did learn that coming home on the Friday before a three day weekend makes for a great end to vacation. We caught up with friends, spent an afternoon having brazillian bbq (steve's favorite thing in the world, i think), and did some final summer in Boston stuff (splash pool, carousel, fireworks on the harbor) before buckling down for the new school year. I then took Tuesday and Wednesday off to be with Grace since school started Thursday - we hit the pool and library and got hair cuts and just eased back into real life (ok, well,  i haven't quite embraced it yet).

Oh, Maine, I liked you before, but now I think I love you. I'm ready to go back.