fast away the old year passes
December 31, 2009, 8:59 am
Another year has come and is almost gone and here I am again with my usual feelings of nostalgia and wonder and thankfulness. Thankfulness for the obvious things: Troy, Huck, our city, our humble apartment, our neighborhood, coffee, family and friends. Wonder for what the new year holds: Where will Huck go to school? Will I get a job? Are we really turning 40? What will Huck’s new cousins be like? (Aunt Tina and Uncle Scott are adopting a baby girl in January and due with twins in July!) And nostalgia for all the things this last year held: Huck as ballet dancer, Huck as bike rider, Huck as swimmer, Huck as artist, Huck as mathematician, Huck as astronomer, Huck as magician, Huck as scientist, Huck as origami master, Huck as pre-schooler. I can’t wait to see this list a year from today.As is our New York City tradition on New Year’s Eve, it’s snowing and we can't wait to get out in it. Looks like all of Huck’s dreams are coming true today and I can't think of better pictures to end the year on than those of the three of us ice skating a few days after Christmas. Happy New Year, everyone!
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[ 3 comments ] ( 23 views )
staying home for christmas
December 26, 2009, 3:21 pm
Here are some pictures from our very relaxing, peaceful Christmas together at home in New York. One of my favorite moments was when Huck took a look at his stocking loot, which included many office supplies like a tape dispenser, stapler and dry erase markers, and said, "Not too much kid stuff in here!" with a gigantic smile on his face. Well, kid, what can we say? Santa knows you well.;)
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[ 3 comments ] ( 29 views )atta boy, max
December 25, 2009, 7:32 am
Merry Christmas to all of our family and friends!;)
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[ 2 comments ] ( 22 views )no angel today
December 22, 2009, 7:58 pm
The only problem with your dad working at your church is that when special events happen he's really busy running everything. The only thing worse is when your mom decides to help your dad out, like at the Christmas pageant. So sometimes, even when you've rehearsed your angel part and put on your angel costume and fixed your angel halo, you've got to stop the show 30 seconds before your big entrance and say, "No." And hopefully your mom will put down her camera and hold you. (Or take a couple quick shots of you cry-singing and then hold you.);)
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[ 1 comment ] ( 22 views )snow!
December 22, 2009, 9:25 am
More than spring picnics, more than summer days on the beach, more than autumn walks, Huck loves winter snow most of all. He talks about it year round. He daydreams of snowball fights and sledding and snow angels. So this family was pretty excited when the snow began to fall on Saturday, just in time to celebrate the first day of winter. Remind me to add about 30 minutes to all destinations. This kid takes his time in the snow ...;)
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[ 1 comment ] ( 6 views )introducing ...
December 18, 2009, 2:08 pm
Huck's brand new very old (and tall) antique bed! Oh, sure, he can hardly get onto it without help, but who cares! He now has the most comfortable bed in the house! And if you can't find me, check in the bed. I'm probably in there reading. Sometimes Huck is with me.;)
[ 3 comments ] ( 17 views )some december updates
December 17, 2009, 8:57 pm
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Here's Huck and his pre-school classmates, along with teachers Dorothy and Narcissa and an old fashioned sign that takes me back to when I was posing for school pictures. Huck is officially bored out of his gourd at school. Last week Dorothy told me he'd been acting a little "oppositional." When I asked him what was going on he said school was boring and he wished there was a Learning Center during free time where he could push a button and a voice would teach him things. I awkwardly explained this to his teacher and she decided to bring in some educational computer games for him, which he really likes. He did come home excited a few days ago because he'd learned all about Hanukkah and got to play the dreidel game. He excitedly told me about the eight nights and his love for menorahs and then something I said caused him to exclaim in a very disappointed voice, "Oh no, I told Ms. Dorothy we celebrate Hanukkah!"
Huck continues to be obsessed with math, the solar system, art, human anatomy and has decided to be a scientist when he grows up. He's also really into chapter books and is working on “Prince Caspian” from The Chronicles of Narnia with Troy. The two of us love to sit together in the chaise lounge in front of our TV fireplace reading the Magic Tree House books and going on time travel adventures with Jack and Annie. So far we’ve learned about Pompeii, Shakespeare, the Civil War, the Old West and the Revolutionary War. Which, come to think of it, is probably why he’s bored learning about the alphabet in preschool.
Huck is still having some issues saying goodbye (especially to me), and lately he’s been climbing onto my lap and hugging me tightly saying, “You’re just so wonderful! I love you TOO much. I can’t get enough of you!” Sometimes he adds some fake-crying as he stares into my eyes and says, “Looking at you just makes me so sad. I can't get enough of you!” Then there was the morning when he woke me up and declared my breath so horrible that my name ought to be “Gross Lady.” And in case his point wasn’t made strongly enough he added, “That should be your superhero name. Gross Lady.”
A few days ago Troy and Huck went Christmas shopping for me. Earlier this evening Huck got that look in his face that meant secrets were about to be revealed. Before I could stop him he told me every single detail of every gift they purchased, including the fact that Daddy got all the wrong colors and sizes of everything I wanted.
I'm not just a gross lady. I'm a lucky lady, too.[ 4 comments ] ( 27 views )
this afternoon
December 12, 2009, 5:18 pm
This afternoon was Troy's annual community party at the church where he dresses as a farmer (no idea why) and Huck gets to eat lots of cookies, talk to Santa about microscopes, sing carols, go ice fishin' and win crap prizes from Oriental Trading (weren't we just here?). And I'm not exaggerating when I say that for about an hour straight we sat on the floor while he pretended to be a magician who had somehow put me inside his crap prizes and was ripping my body into hundreds of pieces. (I'd like to thank my mom for sending him the video tape of fancy magicians who cut ladies in half.) Not only that, but at one point Troy asked me to hold his guitar so he could sing a cappella while holding Huck on his lap. During that five minutes I was mobbed by two year olds demanding I play the ABCs for them.I'm so happy that there's no exciting event happening till tomorrow morning and afternoon. Happy Holidays!
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[ 22 comments ] ( 62 views )this morning
December 12, 2009, 5:04 pm
This morning was Huck's last swim class at Riverbank State Park. He and Troy took a ten week beginner class with teacher Nemo (a very stereotypical New Yorker) and will hopefully continue in January (if Huck lets us). Apparently our son is not a natural fish in the water and is quite cautious to try anything that may cause drowning, even while his strong daddy holds onto him tightly. Maybe he'll like tap dancing!;)
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[ 17 comments ] ( 54 views )
who needs toys?
December 9, 2009, 11:43 am
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The other day a friend of mine with a son Huck’s age asked what kinds of toys he likes these days. She has a theory that kids age 4.5 don’t really play with toys so much as things found around the house. I think she’s right: Huck spends most of his free time folding paper, cutting paper, stapling paper and taping paper. He said all he wants for Christmas (besides the microscope he ordered us to buy him half a year ago which is wrapped and under the tree) is 28 rolls of tape. Yesterday I got out some construction paper and we made about 14 miles of paper chain, which is now strewn across the walls of our tiny apartment. For the past few months he and Troy have been making and inventing elaborate paper airplanes obsessively, one morning making 45 before I even woke up. Huck also can keep himself entertained for long amounts of time sorting playing cards in various ways and he’s always happy to read, draw, paint or do play-doh brain surgery.
Either he’s ready for a bunch of new toys or my friend is right. Send him some tape.
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[ 20 comments ] ( 61 views )o hair!
December 8, 2009, 10:17 pm
If you can't find Huck, chances are he's standing on the toilet looking in the mirror combing his hair to make it "look fake." And when he's all done with his important work, it really does.;)
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[ 12 comments ] ( 43 views )o christmas tree!
December 8, 2009, 2:01 pm
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[ 7 comments ] ( 36 views )