What better way to celebrate our anniversary than by leaving the kids with Grandma and indulging in hour-long massages? We even followed up with lunch and a quick shopping trip before having to head back home!
Archive for August, 2008
Five Long Years
Sunday, August 31st, 2008Sweets
Friday, August 29th, 2008
Marty took Friday off from work and spent the morning making a peach cobbler with the peaches we picked last weekend. And while he was at it, he made one cherry pie, two quiches, and three little apple pies, too! Flora’s personal apple pie had a smiley face baked onto the crust, and when it cooled, we let her go at the whole thing. As if that weren’t enough sweets, she got a butterfly cookie at Starbucks the very next day. But oh how we pay in attitude for such indulgences!
Brown
Thursday, August 28th, 2008
Just because Mom likes me in brown.
Knuckle Sucker
Thursday, August 28th, 2008
Who needs a binky when I have a delicious knuckle anytime I want a taste? I’m partial to the second knuckle of my right hand pointer finger. In other news, my recent stool sample tested NEGATIVE for blood, so Mom’s diligent dieting has paid off. Thanks, Mom!
Millions of Peaches
Sunday, August 24th, 2008
The fam went up to Smolak Farms in North Andover for their annual Peach Festival on Sunday. We fed the geese, perused arts and crafts booths, listened to music, ate frozen treats, watched a dog parade, and of course picked peaches. After all that, Flora was just too pooped to check out the petting zoo and playground. Marty is ripening the pick in paper bags and plans to make a Peach Cobbler for us to enjoy the last flavors of summer.
Take a Guess
Sunday, August 24th, 2008
Guess what I’m doing behind this chair?
Um, Hi!
Sunday, August 24th, 2008
Like my sister before me, I say to you, “Um, Hi!” And yes, my cheeks and chin really are this big. Our friend Chloe in Taiwan says the Chinese believe “chubby face w/double chin very much a sign of good fortune!” Just like the Lucky Cat!
Lunch at Bruegger’s
Saturday, August 23rd, 2008
Lunch at Bruegger’s can only mean one thing — cream cheese! Finger-licking good.
Boppy Pillow
Saturday, August 23rd, 2008
Somehow hanging out on a pillow counts as recreation for Charley. When he’s on his tummy, he gets a neck and chest workout. When he’s on his back, he gets an arm and leg workout. And when he smiles, he gets a cheek workout!
Siblings
Saturday, August 23rd, 2008
Flora has been asking to hold Charley a lot, so I took advantage this weekend and snapped LOTS of pictures of the two of them. Of course getting them to BOTH look at the camera and smile is another story altogether.
Stone Zoo
Friday, August 22nd, 2008
We made an impromptu and what ended up being a marathon visit (think testy toddler and crabby baby) to the Stone Zoo today with my friends Mackenzie, Lila & Deacon, Emma, and Max. Charley got to hang out with Emma’s new sister, Juliana, who is just a couple weeks his younger. I liked the jaguar, leopard, black bears, and flamingos the best. After a pit stop at the picnic tables for a snack, we played on the playground before heading home for a much-needed nap.
Chi Li is Two Months Old!
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008
It was a great day for a walk, so Mom took me for a stroll around our neighborhood — nothing like spending your birthday napping in the fresh air! When we stopped at Peacuddy’s Cafe for some tea, Mom mourned the buttery croissants, the milk-chocolate chip cookies, and the butter cream-frosted cupcakes. But, she says I seem to be happier since she started the dairy-free diet, and is holding out hope that one of these nights I won’t wake up every two hours to eat!
Big thanks to our friends in Taiwan, Brand and Chloe, who managed to come up with a more auspicious name than Charley (think Prince Charles), and gave Charley the Chinese name, Chi 馳 Li 力 (pronounced Tsee-Lee). Chi, a word often used to describe a martial artist, means nimble, and Li means strength. Nimble and strong — very fitting for our big guy.
Pink Elephants
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008
No, not the “half in the bag” kind .. the “bag on your back” kind! Thanks to Papa and Amma, I’ve got a big-kid backpack to carry to school. Hmmm … I bet you’re wondering what’s inside my pink elephant backpack …
“I Scared Your Crap”
Monday, August 18th, 2008
Somehow I managed to get Flora and Charley to nap at the same time today. I thought Flora was still sleeping when I heard Charley stir, but when I went up the stairs, she was standing in the landing. Startled, I exclaimed, “Flora, you scared the crap out of me!” A few minutes later, when I was getting Charley from his crib, Flora said, “Mom, I scared your crap!” Funny.
Later, we took a walk to our neighborhood playground. While Charley napped again in the stroller, Flora and I played in the park. Flora had fun climbing, scaling, and sliding … then served up a picnic lunch of “pancakes (mulch) and syrup (grass).” Delicious.
“Doll House” (with The Swans)
Saturday, August 16th, 2008
Our neighbor’s across the street, Joan and Ed Cassidy, have a real play house in their front yard that Joan’s Great Uncle built for her mother in Lockport, NY. Ed is working on fixing it up but they let me play in it whenever I want. There are little chairs, a blackboard, and a fully stocked kitchen. I took Uncle Greg and Melanie over there after lunch at Peacuddy’s. I served Malanie a second lunch on the front porch — ice cream and tea. You’ll see that Matilda the cat, who belongs to our neighbors Sue and Dan, likes the “doll house” too.
Pecuddy’s Cafe (with The Swans)
Thursday, August 14th, 2008
When Nana, Uncle Greg, and Melanie visited this week, we made a mad dash for lunch just before a thunderstorm hit, and walked to Peacuddy’s Cafe. We snacked on sandwiches, soup, desserts, and “special drinks” while we waited the storm out. Afterward, we walked to Candy Castle for some slush and penny candy before heading back home. But we only got pics of Uncle Greg and Melanie — Nana never lets me take her picture.
Play Mat Shots
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008
Two Month Checkup
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008
(This is my face before the shots). Even though I am technically only 7 weeks old, I had my two month old checkup today with Dr. G. Since my last physical three weeks ago, I’ve gained 4 pounds, 5 ounces, grew 1″ taller, and racked up another .5″ on my cranium. At 14 pounds, 8 ounces, I am in the 99th percentile … at 24″ tall, I am in the 91st percentile … and at 16″ head circumference, I am in the 78th percentile. But we discovered that I most likely have allergic colitis — an allergy to cow’s milk protein (not the same thing as lactose intolerance), which I should outgrow by the time I am one year old. Clearly the irritation it is not preventing me from thriving, but might explain my screaming, grunting, and problems sleeping! For Mom, it means she has to eliminate cow’s milk products from her diet while she breast-feeds. Boy, she must really love me to give up cheese. And I mean a lot.
Binky Lover
Tuesday, August 12th, 2008
One in my mouth and one in my hand is how I roll with my binkies. Mom says, “Sigh.”
First Baseball Hat
Tuesday, August 12th, 2008
Lynch Park with Papa and Amma
Sunday, August 10th, 2008
On Sunday, we took Flora and Charley’s Papa and Amma to Lynch Park in Beverly. It is a beautiful public park with beaches, lots of rolling lawns, a rose garden, a playground, and a snack shack. Flora played on the climber while Charley napped, and then we all camped out at the beach. Flora and Marty made a “reservoir” to play in, and Charley and I hung out under the beach umbrella. We made sure to follow up our snack shack lunch (Pringles make the best duck bills, you know!) with some frozen treats before heading back home.
Revere Beach with Papa and Amma
Saturday, August 9th, 2008
Flora and Charley’s Papa and Amma from Kansas City came to visit for a long weekend. The kids kept them busy with lots of playing outside, even more playing inside, a trip to Lynch Park in Beverly, dinner at Stearns and Hill Bistro in town, and a walk along America’s first public beach, Revere Beach, with lunch at the original Kelly’s. Flora had fun looking for shells in the sand and walking the sea wall, while Charley was content to nap in the cool ocean breeze. More pictures and stories to come!
Orange
Thursday, August 7th, 2008
The nursery walls are orange, so it seems any photos snapped in there take on an eery glow. I’m sure you are relieved to know that Charley has not been getting into the sunless-tanner.
Tough Guys Wear Black
Thursday, August 7th, 2008
Home Bowl Advantage
Saturday, August 2nd, 2008
We’ve been talking up peeing and pooping on the potty with rewards of special treats. I’m sure the experts wouldn’t agree with our strategy, but I assume they never had kids. The promise of this big lollipop has been weeks-long, and today, Flora finally got to have at it. A) She told me she had to go poop B) She dragged her potty into the living room from the den (where she had used it to go pee earlier) and C) She went poop … a lot. This is the second time Flora has pooped on the potty, and her first time at home. Hurray, Flora!
In other firsts, Charley giggled today. Attempts to get it on video failed, when Marty discovered I had left the recorder on, and the battery was dead. Next time!