October

Aahhh. . . . you hear that? Silence. Just the heat and Leo watching poker on his computer, which is a pretty quiet  activity to watch. I approve. I can finally write in peace. Now you'll just have to excuse my typos as I am still adjusting to my new keyboard. This will be a long one . . . we've been busy.

October was non-stop. In addition to the State Fair we also enjoyed some other Fall Activities, of which there are many to choose from around here, like a local corn maze. Nathan was much more into picking up old pieces of corn than anything. We didn't exactly follow the path to look for all the hidden "stations" but rather cut through to the other side to see the cows. We were able to get right up close to see them. Nathan was amazed by all this real-life mooing. He tossed the corn in to the cows in return for the entertainment. He is so cute when he moos now, even if he is seeing a horse, goat or other four-legged animal instead of a cow. Nathan also loved climbing on the tractors that day. Give him anything with a steering wheel and he is a happy boy.

A few days later, Nathan and I went to another farm with a big group of people where the entire point of its' existence is to entertain kids. Hill Ridge Farms is the place to go. They have the traditional sand box, ducks and swings but they also have goats and chickens, an entire little structure for kids to jump in the hay and another to jump in kernels of corn. Nathan's favorite turned out to be the train. He wasn't so sure at first and didn't appear to enjoy our short ride around in it. But after we got off and he realized where that "choo choo" sound came from he was all about it. He ran in that direction and waved every time it came by. We took a hayride to where you pick out pumpkins and you can sit and eat lunch. I think he had fun and I know he was tired but the pictures I got do not reveal any smiles. He must has been concentrating on all this new stuff. Next year we hope to bring Daddy along.
Friday of this same busy week we were off to NY. October 22nd was Lily's due date, and although there wasn't much activity to indicate she would be coming out to party soon, I couldn't wait around until she was born. I had to go to NY! So on her due date, we ventured up, Nathan and I. My Mom was going too but in her own car. I called her to tell her we were on our way and she said she had already gotten a call that morning. Being 4:15 am there were few other possibilities; Lily knew we were coming to meet her! How perfect! We were anxious for news all day but in the end, Friday was not the day. She didn't wait too long. On Sunday afternoon I was there in the hospital holding my first little niece, only a couple hours old. She was born at 10:21am, 7lbs 4oz, 19" long and with the cutest little round face you ever saw. New mommy and daddy seemed to be naturals from the start and handled all the company in the hospital room really well. This little girl is so loved already - she had better get used to the company!

While the trip was centered around Danielle, Greg & Lily, there was much to do otherwise. By the way, in case you were wondering, Nathan did great in the car. I was really nervous about doing this alone. While mom was out there on the same road at the same time for support, I managed it fine on my own. On the way up Nathan slept on and off several hours, we stopped in DC to visit their small aquarium (yes, there is one there!) and we stopped at Greg's new house in Jersey before getting to Rockland. Nathan whined only a small amount compared to what I envisioned. Once again he made me a proud mama.
Saturday we visited with Greg & Danielle at their place (while poor Danielle was suffering from back labor!) and Nanni was hanging around with us as well. It was a full car as Joey and Matthew had come home from college in hopes of meeting Lily also. (Oh yeah, they wanted to see us too. Nathan has a way of convincing people to travel!) Little did we know that would be the last day we saw them as just a couple. After a short visit (and a quick mow of their lawn - you gotta do something nice, right?) we were off to the Nyack Halloween Parade. Back home I was missing out on a neighborhood Oktoberfest, so to do something else that brought back many memories made up for it. Nathan, at that point was not into his costume but I think he enjoyed watching the other kids all dressed up. He was very excited to spot an "Elmo" who also happened to be holding a monkey. I thought he was going to knock the poor kid out of his wagon he was so excited . . . and probably confused. The crowd got a little thick but Grandma Jo was able to get down low in the front to make sure Nathan didn't miss a thing - especially a GIGANTIC t-rex that swooped down to "take a bite". Fire trucks, dinosaurs and elmos -oh my. We had a fun night.

Sunday, as a I said, turned out to be Lily's Birthday. We got word late the previous night that they went to the hospital. That back labor was unbearable. When I woke up the first thing I did was call for an update. Thinking this may take all day we took our time enjoying the morning. But when we got the call around 10:30 we wished we were already there as Lily had finally arrived and we were all more excited than words could express. Matt came down to meet her, but Joey had to go. As I said, the room was packed with Martins and Keplers and even Nathan got to meet little Lily, whose name he can say very well, btw. I think he was a little unsure of the shift of attention that had most definitely taken place. This is a lesson we will continue to practice.

After the hospital visit, Tim & Jen came along with Dad, Jo, Nathan and myself. We stopped at a small playground for Nathan to monkey around with his uncle then we were off to Brooklyn. We saw Tim & Jen's apartment and then went out for a delicious dinner. Brick oven pizza, bread and yummy desserts with Nutella inside. A fantastic way to celebrate a great day. (In case you didn't know, Nutella is my new fascination. I sadly cannot get enough)

On Monday Nathan, Joanne and I went to Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn where TJ (Tim's Jen) works. Since we were visiting the new Kepler Family at the hospital in the city anyway, going further south to Brooklyn again worked. It was super cool to get back stage VIP treatment. We saw fish, frogs,snakes and lizards all up close. She showed us the best place to sit and eat lunch (watching the monkey's and their babies play) and she gave us food to give to the cows, goats, sheep and alpaca. Nathan did well putting his hand out and feeding them. He was so cute taking it all in. Seeing as we are very into monkey's (in addition to Elmo's - more on that later) he really enjoyed seeing all the different types that were there.

Tuesday we visited with Grandpa Truck in Orangeburg. He was prepared with the great idea to go to a local playground where there was not one or two but at least four different play sets to explore. Nathan enjoyed this  as his spidy, climbing skills are quite impressive. We saw ducks in the pond and I enjoyed the amazing leaves all around - it was definitely the peak of leaf season that week and it was so amazing! We returned for lunch and then off we were to our next destination. But not before he passed out in the car not five minutes after we left. He slept for a solid three hours. We did it Truck - we wore him out!

Later that day I went shopping at good old Shop Rite (Which took me forever. I'm so used to my own grocery store. I felt very lost!) to get items and made dinner for Dad and Jo. I think they were pleased to have dinner waiting for them. Dessert too - Pumpkin Pie!
Wednesday was another visit with the Keplers. I was very much looking forward to holding Lily for a bit longer and enjoying the company of my brothers and sisters (in laws!). I wasn't thinking much about it then but now I realize how cool it is that we were all sitting around with another little new person, in Greg & Danielle's new place . . .  when did we grow up? And aren't we so lucky to be so close and enjoy each others company so much. I would have liked to stay all afternoon but someone was once again feeling a little left out. Nathan didn't have things to keep him entertained and the poor kid kept getting yelled at only because he's curious in a non-baby-proofed home. We had to get out of these before we both went crazy so we made a quick stop at Hunters office to say hello (I always have a list of people to visit, even for a quickie) then off to Grandpa Trucks again for dinner.

Babci and neighbor Faye were there as well. Nathan was happy to be in the spotlight again as he received gifts from the moment we got there. He got a Halloween goodie bag from Faye and from Truck he received his first Elmo. He was super excited and so was I. I was beginning to feel guilty he didn't have one to snuggle. Fortunately, his grandparents pay attention. When we got home later that night he got his 2nd Elmo from Pop and JoJo and yet another from Gigi when we got home from NY. He has a cute little family of Elmos, all different sizes. And he loves them all! We had a quick visit with friends Jay and Kerry as well. (I got to see her baby bump. I hate missing all this stuff in NY!)

Thursday was a day of leisure as I wasn't sure if I was going to stay or go. But Pop decided to take the drive back to NC with us and we were leaving on Friday together.  So my long-time friend Suzi came over and we enjoyed a few hours together. Much more than we have been afforded in several years. I miss my old friends dearly, so the time together is always cherished. We went to Rockland Bakery to get some good stuff to bring home (I wouldn't have been allowed to come home without bagels) and then Nathan and I went to Twin Ponds to feed the ducks and enjoy the weather and changing leaves.

Friday Dad, Nathan and I left by 5am and got home at 2pm exactly. That's the trick - leave early! Dad ventured off for a few hours then returned for a nice dinner at home. We went wondering together (with Leo!) the next day too. Pop and Nathan enjoyed trains and just being together. I was so sad to drop him off at the airport on Sunday. But being together for over a week was just the thing we needed. A little taste of home, time with our growing family and new adventures to show my little man. It was well worth the long drive up. And we get to do it all over again in December!

Kinks

I had hoped that today I would be able to sit and fill you in on the last few weeks. A blog has been requested and I try to deliver when someone has asked something of me. 

But I'm a little annoyed. I got a new laptop. This is not the annoying part. I love it and I'm super excited about it. But my spacebar is a little temperamental. Or I'm  just not used to it. So when I just type normally everyword seems toruntogether like thisand it's really a pain to slowdown and/ or goback to fix it. So I'm annoyed that basic typing is a challenge for me. 

And Nathan loves me. This is also a wonderful thing. But he only appears to be happy when we are practically attached to each other. I deal with it during the week but by the weekend I expect to get a bit of a break with Leo around. But no, Nathan is only completely ok in the world if he is sitting on me, touching me, playing around me (loudly) or a combination of these so that there is little I can do. And so I am annoyed at that too. I need some room to breathe and someone to listen to me when I say "STOP!!!!" a billion times. 

So stay tuned. When I work out the wonderful kinks in my life, I'll update you. 

Killer on the Loose

The first year we were in NC we went to the State Fair. If you are from here you know it's a pretty deal. Having gone that one time we had our fill for a while. This year I really wanted to go so Nathan could experience it too. Young or not, it's something to do.

 Everyone goes to the fair. You eat, play, ride, repeat. But mostly eat. They have the most ridiculous items - a majority of which are fried. We tried the snickers and the PB&J sandwich. Wow. They were really . . .  fried. Nathan seemed to enjoy it. I was a little worried about him since he didn't take much of a nap today after I ran him ragged at the mall this morning. Still, the kid was a trooper. He loved the movement, the lights, the music and the people.  We had him play a little fishing game where he won a ball (a pick over a stuffed fish or duck) and he got a little taste of the fried stuff as well.

Towards the end we found a special tent where there were life-sized cut-outs of Nathan's favorite cartoon characters from TV, like Curious George. Nathan was so happy to see him he went right over and gave him a kiss. Twice! We saw Elmo too. The kid was excited. They had some cute kid-type activities which made me happy since he's still too young to do most other things. 

On the way in Leo tried to win us a fish but the beer pong king couldn't do it. On our way out, I thought I would give it a try and wouldn't you know it, I did it! I won one and a girl gave me two of hers so we went home with three new pets. Yay! Nathan was so excited about the fish and wanted to just hold them. It was a nice prize at the end of a long afternoon.

And then Jen the Fish Killer struck. I was very careful to pull out a nice fish-bowl-looking container, I cleaned some rocks for the bottom and I carefully filled the bowl with fresh water for our guests. We read up on some homemade fish food. We were taking care to keep them at least more than a week to get some enjoyment out of them. I should have left them in the stupid plastic bag they came in. Elmo, George and Wyatt (yes I named them) died barely an hour after we got home. Leo had to confirm it as I didn't want to believe I caused their deaths so quickly. What an awful person I am. Whhhaaaaa! Ok, it's not that big a deal but I am upset. Nathan was really excited about it. At least he won't remember tomorrow. I think. I have a feeling I will be going out to get fish again sometime soon. Next time I will be sure to have fish food waiting and maybe I'll have Leo take care of them. And people want me to get a dog . . . .

Elmo, Crayons, Firetrucks & Horses

A while back you may recall I may have said something negative about Elmo, from Sesame Street. My feeling was that he was an outsider, a newbie, not one of the original characters I remembered growing up with on SS. Well, I suppose I have to eat my words as Nathan currently sees and says "Elmo" all the time. On diapers and diaper boxes, TV, books, shirts, etc. He loves that furry red monster. There are days I will go around the house singing "La,la,la,la,la,la, Elmo's World" (ha - now it's in your head too if you know what I'm talking about!) and I hardly realize it, now that Elmo has been introduced to the family. I'm not saying I fully accept him, but I'm taking steps towards forgiving him for taking over Grover's place. I mean, when's the last time you've seen Grover on SS? HE doesn't have his own show called "Grover's World"! So, we will try to be friends. According to Nathan, I have no choice.

Something else Nathan has taken a liking to: crayons. Yippee. (Insert sarcasm) I have been fairly good with keeping these away from him and we play together and only draw on paper. But it only takes a second of mommy and daddy being preoccupied for Nathan to discover new places to color. I must have been very busy as he had time to experiment with two colors on the wall of the foyer. Leo made two points "wow, those colors match his outfit" and "I wondered why you let him walk around with those." Umm, yippee he can match colors and why didn't you take them away from him?! Duh. In any event, there are at least 21 ways to remove crayons from walls and it was no big deal. All I have to say is I'm glad I spent a few extra bucks for good paint that is "scrub-able" and  thank goodness for Mr. Clean Magic Sponges. Those things are super amazing at many things. I may have to stock up.

Last weekend, Leo and I had non kid-friendly plans on Saturday (unless you think bringing your toddler to a beer festival is fun and/ or smart). So Nathan got to spend time with Gigi and Grandpa Ed. They came to get him in the early afternoon to go to a fireman's parade in Creedmoor. Apparently, Nathan really likes firetrucks in addition to Elmo and crayons. My mom said she was entranced by the big red machines and kept repeating his version of "firetruck" all day long. He now enjoys his "Elmo goes to the firestation" book and he likes to point out firetrucks on the road. It's pretty neat how much he is learning and repeating all the time now. It's like a switch has been flipped and he wants to learn it all.

Something Nathan isn't as big a fan of is horses. I think. I met with another mother and her son last week and we went to visit some horses. We feed them apples (or what was left after our boys had a snack out of them) and pet their gigantic heads. Nathan was less than a fan of this animal - they really are so big up close and a little intimidating I suppose.  He wasn't having it and wanted to watch the ducks instead. Either way, it was fun to see something new and every experience now is all the better for me. I know he is taking it all in and making choices about how he feels about things instead of just "being there" without much of an opinion. This is what having a kid is all about, for me - teaching him new things and seeing him take it all in. Our lesson for the rest of the week is "how to clean walls and put away toys". I'll let you know what he thinks of that.

Terrible Two's?

There are many myths you learn about when you go into this parenting business. One is 'morning sickness'. Don't get your panties in a twist - I'm not going through it and luckily I didn't when Nathan was on the way. I'm just sayin', it's one of those things that has a bad name since it's rarely only a 'morning' thing, or so I've heard. But there is something else I do know about first-hand and that's the 'terrible two's'. It's not true that it's at two years old that kids get difficult. It's happening now, at 18 months. The kid is a maniac!

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Nathan is a good kid. He's loving and happy and is very into hugs and kisses and he always goes to bed and he naps and he eats and all that good stuff. But there are other things he does not excel at during this time. Like, sitting still. The kid, as I said, is a maniac. It's like there is a bomb in his butt and if he goes less than 55 mph he will, indeed blow up. So he keeps on moving. We made the mistake of going out to eat tonight and we were reminded of why we haven't done that in a while. Actually he wasn't this out of control last time we went out. But he was this way when he and I flew to NY last month. Good LORD this kid is active! He does not like being confined to a restaurant booth, let alone mommies lap for an hour and a half. I have to say, I have learned to have patience, at least on the outside, because of this airplane experience. But it doesn't mean it's not hard to not yell at the kid who is throwing ketchup, mustard and sugar packets at the booth next to us. And so we attempted to eat, keep peace, entertain, contain flying food and hurry the hell up and go. Ah, relaxing!

He does have other qualities that are redeeming - it's not how he says "no" all the time (although it is mostly said at appropriate times). It's how he walks around saying "botball" (football) all the time (on the TV or not). It's how he loves to play around in the car and pretend to drive. It's how he looks in all his new big boy clothes. It's how he loves to kiss everyone, out of nowhere and on command. It's how he's learning new words and the names of our family; how he gets excited when he sees Gigi; how he waves to people on the street; how he wakes up and asks for "gilk" (milk) then runs to the window saying "woof, woof" in anticipation of seeing the dogs next door. It's how he says "momma" and "dada" when he misses/ wants one of us. Thank goodness for all his wonderful ways. His trying ones are so exhausting!

Mouse in the House

Last week we had a mouse in the house. One morning we found a half-eaten piece of chocolate. I dismissed it thinking it must have been Nathan being a sneak. The second morning I found the same thing. I thought this strange. Thinking a little more, and looking over at Nathan eating dinner at that moment, I thought it was much too clever for even him. He's not a neat eater and when he wants something he makes it known. No evidence on him? Yeah right. Leo tried to convince me, though, that it must be Nathan! I gave in but I was not completely convinced. We decided to put another piece of chocolate out but on a higher shelf in the pantry - one Nathan definitely could not reach. The next morning - another piece of my dove dark chocolate destroyed. Game on.

We set a trap that night and went to bed. The next morning. Empty trap. I was secretly happy to not find a dead mouse first thing in the morning but also pissed this stupid rodent was still out there - somewhere! The next night we moved the trap. The first time we left it on the shelf where the scene of the crime took place. It was so much work to get back up there apparently. So we set it right at the foot of the pantry to make it nice and easy. We added peanut butter AND chocolate for good measure. Again, we set the trap and went to bed.

I had drifted off to sleep but Leo woke me only 30 minutes after we went to bed and said he heard a distinct snap. We got up to discover a little tail sticking out of the trap. GOTCHA! Gross. Yippee. But gross. We disposed of the little . . . uh hem . . . rodent. And so I was feeling much better.

Apparently the popular opinion is that if there is one there are several . . .

Tonight I was in the bedroom watching TV and Leo was in the Living Room watching football (don't you love our togetherness around here?) and Leo called to me. He would not call to me across the house and risk waking Nathan for no reason. I came in to see his standing on the couch. Haha.This makes me laugh knowing why now. He said he saw a mouse. Alarmed and no longer sleepy I put on some pants to deal with the situation. Using Nathan's little flashlight I looked where Leo saw #2 and there he was, under the table. He managed to get into the underside of the table and into the drawer. Leo opened the drawer and actually saw him inside. I was on top of the table and Leo was to the side and we tried to scare him out (colander in hand to catch the little . . . uh hem . . . rodent). He ran. We ran. We missed him. Ggrrr . . . Like I was going to get any sleep!

Leo was tentatively standing behind the couch scanning the area. And spotted him. #2 ran behind the TV towards the fireplace. There is a space under the gas fireplace (that will soon be covered up) that he was able to run into. A light didn't find him and we have no idea if this could possibly be a real egress or just a hiding space. We set the trap and put it in front of the fireplace. I had said to put it near the pantry again. But Leo logically said "but this is a different mouse". So obviously he has different motives!

While standing around, with the light off to encourage him, while sitting here blogging actually, we heard the snap. Gotcha #2! He found his way in and we had to listen to his little feet kick before he finally died. Oh god that was awful. And kinda funny. We're surprised he came out with so much activity going on instead of waiting until after it was dark and quiet in the living room. But I figure he must have been hungry.

So now I feel a little bit better - there was no way I was sleeping well if #2 was running around. But now I'm curious about his friends. I have people coming over for an Uppercase Living Open House tomorrow evening. I'm hoping there aren't more hungry ones waiting in the wings. I don't think I'll sell much with a mouse running under the feet of my guests.

End of Summer

Summer seems to be coming to an end and I'm not sad at all. When you're a kid of course it's sad - back to school and all. But as an adult it means other things. Like nicer weather. Being in NC this cooler weather and break in humidity may be a temporary event, but I will take it either way. It allows me to enjoy the outdoors waaaaay more and I feel more productive. Just this weekend I power-washed the house and spent time in the yard doing things I put off for the last two months. Nathan and I took a walk this morning to a nearby neighborhood park too - something we also haven't done in a while due to the instant melting factor. 

End of summer also means closer to the holidays which means Autumn decorations. I know this is a super geeky thing to be excited for but think about this - I have a new house to decorate! Yipee! I have more stuff than I care to admit and now I think I have place to put it all. I can't wait! 

Soon, we will also get to wear new clothes. Well, Nathan will. We have several outfits he's never worn and have had since his birth. We also did a little shopping up in NY so he's well stocked - I think - as the coolness settles over us and we need long-sleeves, pants and sneakers. I'm in the market for new flip flops personally. You really can wear them eight months out of the year down here!

End of summer this year also means it's closer to meeting the new little Kepler. Baby Kepler is due to arrive towards the end of October and we can't wait! We will most likely be making a care\ trip up there to meet her when the time is right. I can't wait to hold my little nice in my arms and see one of my little brothers be a daddy. A most spectacular event - don't you think? There are so many things to look forward to as we leave summer behind us and move into the Fall.