Dyeries

Hannah and Jane at 3.5 years

2010-03-16T11:35:00.003-04:00

I keep thinking Hannah and Jane are looking less and less alike, but now I don't know.
What do you think?

More recent pictures of Jane here.

My parents' payback

2010-03-14T08:01:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I wonder why my kids do the things they do, like how they can be so destructive, or why they continue to do something after we've told them not to time and time again, or how they can lose things so easily, etc., etc., etc.
Then I understand, and it all makes sense. It's called payback.

After having kids, I understand what my parents went through.
Therefore, there are few things I would like to apologize to my parents for.

I am sorry for...

• waking you up too early in the morning
• waking you up during night
• writing in your books
• ripping the pages of your books
• playing with your jewelry
• losing your jewelry
• losing heaven knows what else
• writing on your walls
• writing on your sheets
• writing on my clothes
• cutting my clothes
• cutting your clothes
• screaming when you came within a foot of my hair with a hairbrush
• screaming in public
• picking my nose in public
• not eating
• making messes with the food I did eat
• hiding food in places where they were left to fester and grow
• getting into (destroying) your make-up
• breaking your vases, jars, frames, plates, mugs...

If you think I missed anything, just wait. I'm sure I will be able to compile another list of sorries in another five years or so.

I know this won't make any difference in what my kids do or don't do, but it makes me feel better. It must make you feel better also to know that payday has finally come.

(The list of actions above are not necessarily specific to myself, but they have happened, in my childhood or in my children's. Either way, I'm sorry.)

An outing, outside, out of doors, just for fun!

2010-03-08T19:45:00.007-05:00

It was warm enough on Sunday to just take a walk because we wanted to.

We do walk. A lot. But in the cold, we walk only to get from point A to point B.

We couldn't sit inside on the warmest day of the year thus far, so we went up the hill to "our" foot bridge to watch trains.

This was the first time Claire has watched the trains outside of the stroller and up close to the fence. I would say it's a rite of passage if you live in these parts. I think it makes a big difference with her little self out there in the big world without the comforts a stroller can provide.

Like her sisters before her, she got really excited, yelling and bouncing her little knees, shaking the fence.
She didn't budge as it rode right beneath her.

We moved on to the little square or plaza beyond the trains.
I am always amazed at how easily Hannah can make friends, and when there is a dog involved, there are no barriers.

Claire had no reservations about this big man in the biker jacket. She walked up to him and raised her arms up for him to pick her up. She wanted to see the dog too. The man tried to put Claire down but she wouldn't let him. As comfortable as she seemed in his arms, she was just as curious about him as she was the dog. She continued looking back and forth between the two.

Still, she stayed.

Jane was around. As usual when there is a crowd, she was doing her own thing in the background.

We practically had to drag the girls away when it was time to leave.
It was nice to get out... and to make new friends.

~•~

Interesting to Dan, and us

2010-03-05T08:48:00.006-05:00

Dan has this Tumblr blog (seen it?) where he posts all the videos, photos and articles he used to send to me throughout the day. He titles it Interesting to me...

I like watching the videos. Some are stirring, some are thought-provoking, some are shocking and some just really crack me up.

This music video of OK Go that I watched with the girls was just fun and interesting and it made us feel good. If videos were rated based on how many times the girls watch it, this one would be in the top ten.

The video was filmed live and features the Notre Dame marching band. Pretty cool.

And if you haven't seen the other version of this song in video, you should. It's crazy genius! Crazy fun!

*******

If we are talking about the girls' favorite video, this one that Aunt Kerianne shared with us a while ago would be it.

Another kind of tea party

2010-03-04T21:49:00.002-05:00

The girls were wild today. Not only that, but they just couldn't/wouldn't get along.
The usual indoor activities are just aren't good enough in this final phase of Winter, so we have to get creative.

I suggested having a tea party in the bath tub with bathing suits, and the girls went wild again, in a good way this time.

They were friends again, and for once, they got to drink as much tea (water) and be as messy with it as they wanted.

~•~

Happy Birthday, Papa!

2010-03-01T17:15:00.004-05:00

This video is for my dad, but if it's your birthday and you want to pretend your name is Papa, you can have a birthday tea party with Hannah too.

This video cracks me up. You would think she was reading a script or that lines were being fed to her in her ear. I definitely helped her think of things to say, but it's like she was nervous or something. I'll let you see for yourself...

She really does love her Papa. She kept saying "I love you, Papa!" but I only put one clip in there.

~•~

Shh...

2010-02-28T21:00:00.000-05:00

I took the girls to Primary after Sacrament meeting, and I came back to a nearly empty chapel.

I won't say where these two spent the next hour, but I will say they had a peaceful rest.

~•~

Grounded, sort of

2010-02-28T20:32:00.005-05:00

As I sit here, Hannah is brushing my hair and going through her list of things she wants to be when she grows up...

I'm going to be a hair-brusher, (pause) and an author and drawer.

Aaannnd I'm going to play the piano and dance.

And I'm going to be a mom because everyone needs babies.
And I'll be a fire fighter.

But I don't want to be a princess because they have too many things and too much gold.

But I'll be Hannah forever. I love being Hannah.

There's one more thing. I am going to have a good husband and I'll keep him forever.

The end. That's all.
I think I'm tired.

That's our girl.

Snowy morning from our kitchen window

2010-02-26T23:11:00.000-05:00

It has been snowing again, a lot!
Even though March is around the corner, it's hard to be hopeful that Spring will be here soon. Last year, we had snowfall in March.
As much as I don't totally love Florida, I wouldn't mind being a snow bird there for a weekend getaway.

~•~

My closet challenge

2010-02-25T18:52:00.003-05:00

Behold, my closet!

Some of it, at least. It goes back behind the wall to the left. However, my everyday clothes are front and center.
Fascinating, isn't it?

I don't have a ton of clothes, but I have more than I wear. With so little room, I have to go through it every few months and purge the things I don't, won't or can't wear anymore.

Sometimes, I keep things because I really, really do like them. I'll look at something on the hanger and think, "I really like that still. I would buy that at a store today." That's my test. I have to still be willing to buy it. If it passes the test, I keep it.

The problem: I still haven't worn 30% of those things that I kept since the last time I purged.
The challenge: I am going to wear one new thing every day throughout the entire day. If the item doesn't make it through the day (if I change because I don't like it on me), I have to get rid of it.

There are things in my closet that are very cute and quite new (well, new meaning before I had Claire) but might not fit. Even if something could fit me someday, and it doesn't work, I have to give it away.

Today, was the first day. I pulled a shirt out that I haven't worn in a while and I wore it all day. I'm still wearing it. I think I'll keep it.

When I have completed my challenge, you are all welcome to ransack my pile of giveaways. :)

~•~

What gets me through

2010-02-24T21:54:00.001-05:00

is this...

(Photo by Hannah)

It's no secret that I want winter to be over,
that I want a yard,
that I want a bigger home,
that I want to be in a better place to raise my children,
that I want friends who live close to me,
that I want to leave the house right now just to go buy a light bulb for our darkened kitchen but I can't take the car because when I get back I won't be able to find a parking spot (maybe that last one was less commonly known).
It all makes my everyday in New York... tough.

Some days are just like that. I know that no matter where I live, I will have tough days, even if I have my very own, private parking spot. That doesn't make me feel any better though.

BUT, I do have these little rascals that smile at me, that say the funniest things, that give me crazy love, that pretty much make all of the everyday in New York worth it.

Good thing I have them.

~•~

Transformer

2010-02-22T10:20:00.003-05:00

What started out like this...

Ended like this.

Goofy kid.

A letter to Gramma Gracie

2010-02-18T07:41:00.003-05:00

Dear Gramma Gracie,

You have pretty hair.

Thank you for coming to visit us in the snow and for [Hannah's] birthday.

Thank you for helping us make blankets, for reading to us, for taking good care of us, for taking us on the carousel and train and for playing with us when mommy and daddy were gone.

We love you and miss you.
We want to come visit you sometime to jump on your trampoline, and we want to give you a flower.

Love,
Hannah & Jane (& Claire too)

Hannah's birthday

2010-02-17T20:46:00.003-05:00

It was a great day for Hannah. Dan took the day off, grandma was in town, school was out. There were a few low points, but still, a great day.

We took Hannah and Jane roller skating for the first time ever. They were both very excited.
It was harder for Hannah than we both expected (she skates, and falls, like she's on stilts). I forgot to tell her that she would fall and that it was no big deal. She took a couple of hard falls and she cried. I felt pretty bad for her. I tried to teach her some techniques which seemed to help because she started to get the hang of it, but when the time came to go, she gave no complaints (although, not willing to get photographed).

Jane had a different experience. She took to skates so well, keeping her balance and moving quite fast for a little beginner. She often wanted to do it on her own. She was not NEARLY as eager to leave as Hannah. She wouldn't get off the floor (we may have been the last ones). She screamed as we pulled her off the rink. She screamed as we ripped her skates off. She screamed as we carried her out to the car. She screamed in the car until she screamed herself to sleep.
If you're lucky, we'll be able to show some choice video footage soon.

One of Hannah's birthday wishes that she made months back was to have cotton candy. Not sure why. We bought some at the skating rink and we tortured her by making her wait until we were done skating. Finally, I gave her a handful of the stuff, and I knew right away she didn't get what she was expecting. She almost spit it out.

I guess I should be glad she didn't like it, but too bad it was a disappointment for her.

Hannah was expecting to open presents first thing in the morning, before everyone else even got up. So as soon as we got home from skating we made preparations for a little party.

We invited two of her friends over at the last minute and the frenzy began. She couldn't even stay in one place in between presents.

In no time, the party was over and playtime with new toys began.

Later, I crashed hard on the couch with the girls and we watched a movie.

Happy Birthday, Hannah! We think you rock!

*******

These were your gifts on your fifth birthday, Hannah:

• A tea set (your favorite and long awaited for)
• DVD's Beauty and the Beast & Madagascar (you just love movies)
• a TinkerBell puzzle
• clothes and shoes, including some fun dresses and haute couture jeans
• a baby doll (you can't have enough)
• deluxe princess sticker/work book

*******

Some stats:

Height: 45 inches, 90th percentile
Weight: 40 lbs. (it seems like she has been 40 lbs forever), 52 percentile

Out of our mouths- Hannah and city living

2010-02-16T19:03:00.005-05:00

I know that Hannah wants to move to get into a bigger place with a yard, but I didn't know she wants no more to do with the big city.

We were watching the Olympics and the camera panned the city of Vancouver. It looked huge, like New York, I guess.
"Wow! Look at that city," I said.

Hannah just stared at the screen and said,
"I don't want to live in that kind of city. I want to live in a village. A small village."

She always knows just what she wants.

~•~

Packin' it in

2010-02-16T08:21:00.000-05:00

With the Olympics on TV, Gramma Gracie in town, Valentine's Day, and Hannah's birthday, it was a busy weekend.

Friday morning, Dan's mom arrived. After Hannah got home from school, the girls started making blankets with grandma. It was fun to watch her teach them and to see the girls get into it.

Saturday, Dan and I were able to go to the temple and get a city bite to eat-- that means food from a corner cart.

We came back knowing we'd have to get the girls out, but it was so cold, we didn't know what to do, where to go.
We decided on a mall with an indoor carousel and train ride. The girls were so excited.
I've taken them on the carousel before, but they got to do both this time.

I got to do some shopping so it was worth the travel.

Valetine's Day seems to get a bit overshadowed by Hannah's birthday, and with it being on Sunday, we kept things simple. We kept the girls entertained with a heart craft, games and other activities. Then we watched some Olympics.

Hannah woke up way too early on the morning of her birthday because she was so excited about being five, but I think I'll save the rest for her own birthday post :)

~•~

Lest we forget...

2010-02-11T15:52:00.004-05:00

Hannah has been worried that we are going to forget her birthday.

We printed up a calendar page for her when February began because she was so anxiously excited about when her birthday was. She has been placing it where she knows I'll see it, but I've had to return it to it's hiding place behind her bedroom door a couple of times when we've had to show our place.

The other day, the calendar was strategically placed on the inside wall of our bedroom right next to the door, with a few hints.

I didn't even know she knew how to use exclamation marks.
I seriously doubt we will forget her birthday with these new reminders.

~•~

Hannah Leibovitz

2010-02-09T09:20:00.004-05:00

Hannah was the art director for this photo shoot. She arranged everything on the couch and the chest, including some things behind Jane that weren't even going to be seen.
She also had Jane sit with her arms held out. Jane didn't get it "right" at first so Hannah had to show her...

Hannah fixing the set, and Jane's thinking, "Now, what am I doing here again?"

"Hold it like this, Jane."

"No, out like this." (can you see the sigh on her face?)

"That's it, Mom!"

I should have asked her about it, what to call it, or the symbolism behind it???

(Yeah, the pics are bad. I should have taken time to get the settings right on my camera. The girls ask me to take so many pictures, sometimes I just click so I can oblige them. Oh well. )

In Portsmouth, RI

2010-02-06T22:37:00.005-05:00

Too cold to do this today...

So, we went bowling.

Good times.
Still, too bad we had to get in and out of the cars to feel the biting chill. Brrr!
Maybe the Truscotts will let us hibernate here???

~•~

Rhode Trip

2010-02-03T23:01:00.003-05:00

The girls and I drove up to Portsmouth, Rhode Island today to visit the Truscotts for the weekend.
My friend Julie has really tough pregnancies so I decided to come and provide any and all services I can to her. She deserves it.

We are looking forward to a long weekend away from the city.

~•~

Good Morning!

2010-02-02T09:21:00.003-05:00

Trying to pretend there's not a huge camera taking pictures of me with bed head and face so I can enjoy morning cuddle time.

~•~

On a Sunday afternoon...

2010-01-31T22:39:00.003-05:00

Minna is sleeping and I need something to keep the girls quiet so they don't wake her. So we make a movie.

What's up, Claire?

2010-01-29T16:29:00.007-05:00

Claire is up, apparently. She has been standing a lot and for long periods of time, even on this bed (which looks like she's about to slide off of. Sorry. That tilt bugs, but I had to snap fast and leveling it would crop off that cute little head. OK I'm done).

Back to the babe, she doesn't seem like an infant anymore. She has made so many milestones and shamefully, with all the blogging I do, I haven't documented everything.

So, I mentioned she stands, and well. We have seen her take a shaky step here and there, but she's not walking yet. My prediction is that she'll be walking in the next couple of weeks, though, and definitely before she turns one in March.

Claire is VERY vocal. Sometimes she uses her chords to yell out for our attention or in protest, and sometimes she uses them in a more preferred manner by actually saying words. So far, she has just said "Da" for Dad (Woody is also "Da", who looks enough like Dan, I suppose) and "Du" for diaper. Seriously, I can tell the difference. She knows what she's talking about, too.

She is also communicating with a few signs like "eat", "all done", "bath" and "diaper". She also is progressing with word recognition. I love it when I say "kisses" and she just smiles big. She knows those are the best.

Claire still only has two teeth, and she doesn't have the amount of hair her sisters had at this age. I know because I haven't been able to put that little hair sprout on top of her head yet.

Claire is not the roll of chub she was last summer. She has slimmed throughout her body, a little too much for the likes of our pediatrician- she dropped from the 50th to the 10th percentile in two months. I'm not worried though. She seems healthy to me.
She is also in the 50th percentile for height and head- she's following Jane's height patterns.

I think that's about it, except that she likes to shake it to a groovy beat.
She's just awesome.

~•~

Video: A city journey

2010-01-26T17:08:00.008-05:00

VIEWER ADVISORY:

Before you push that little play button, you might want to know what to expect.

The video below is not an account of what we did at a particular destination, which is what we usually do. The destination plays just a small role in this little feature. Instead, I wanted to highlight the journey to and from that destination, a journey which represents most of the other journeys we take into the city. After watching, you might agree that it is indeed a journey.

I wanted to have a record of the things we do to get into Manhattan and with kids. That means a lot of walking, subway transfers, carrying the stroller up or down stairs, and chasing our children down the sidewalks before they get lost in a crowd. It also means seeing a lot of interesting people, places and things.

I should mention that we had some company join us (Dan's cousin Micah and his wife Cheryl) which made all those challenging things a lot easier since we outnumbered the girls. Plus, they took some video of all of us-- together! Thanks.

So, if you haven't moved on to another blog by now, and you're wondering what in the world I'm talking about, you are free to watch and enjoy.

Something to do

2010-01-25T20:45:00.003-05:00

When I was in Utah last weekend, my SIL, Shara, was telling me how she can't do enough things for/with her nearly five-year-old daughter at home that will keep her engaged/interested/entertained.
That's how Dan and I feel about Hannah lately. She seems... bored, and we all know what boredom leads to: undesirable behaviors.

I keep thinking of things I can try with her or buy her, but that's not always the answer, is it? She's already in Pre-K five days a week, but we need her in classes of something, anything. So then we consider the cost of such a thing and we are back to square one-- home and BORED.

What's that got to do with the bowl of water and random contents, you ask?

It was the most entertaining thing for Hannah today to guess whether or not something would float in water. She loved it and was so entertained.

We tried:

an almond

a necklace

a mason jar ring

a Pez dispenser, sans candy

a straw

an empty bottle

a plastic spoon

a clothes pin

a small plastic dish

and an apple

She loved the experiment and she kept trying to do it secretly after I told her we needed to clean up. That's me, stifling her inquisitive spirit.

When Dan came home she tried to tell him about the "operation" she performed (she had forgotten the word experiment). Then, she came in to where I was taking a bath (uninvited) to test out the bath water's properties in keeping things afloat. She didn't seem to notice that I was practically yelling at her to give me privacy. So focused, she is. Dan had to come and escort her out. Sorry if that was TMI. We're not a private blog, are we.

Anyway, at least I had something for her to keep her entertained

Eventually, and probably soon, the cost of some extracurricular activity is going to be insignificant compared to the benefits of having her involved in something.
Now I know why my parents always had us in sports, dance and music lessons, even when they could have used the money on groceries. It kept them sane. Oh, and they probably did it for us kids too ;)

~•~