Evans/Sachs Family

family photo

2011-06-20T14:14:00.003-04:00

We have very few photos of our whole family, and this is not a really great one, but we're all in it, so I thought I would share. My old friend Lisa took it (thanks, Lisa!) this past weekend when we saw her at her sister's close to Rochester.

Note the water bottle in Sam's pocket. He told me later that whenever we stay at someone's house, he likes to find a good source of treats and put a few in his pocket for the road when we leave. He had some Hershey kisses in the other pocket. This admission does explain some things about laundry in the past few months. This is the same boy who, as he was wolfing down homemade waffles made by our generous hosts (thanks Lynley and Ryan!), asked, "Are omelets also available?"

caught in the act

2011-06-18T14:08:00.004-04:00

I found Ozzie getting ready to put Baby Anna down for a nap. He was singing Twinkle Twinkle to her. I'm writing this to remind me how sweet he can be...since he's lately had a lot of moments of unsweetness.

Rebecca, see that spot where we painted in the dark, and I never fixed it? I don't suppose you'll have time to paint the whole room with me when you come visit?

the rental units

2011-05-26T09:31:00.003-04:00

My parents came to town, and we had a great visit! They are not only willing to discuss Pokemon for hours, but they will also eat pretend food and sleep on a slowly deflating airbed--you can't really ask for more of house guests. They took in many Ithaca sights (book sale, Wegman's, farmers' market, waterfalls, my concerts, Sam's class poetry reading, etc) and then went to NYC for a week. Boundless energy!

Ozzie doesn't want to move back into his room ("that's grandma and grandpa's room"). I was bad about taking photos, but here are a few.

Abe's winter

2011-04-27T14:01:00.003-04:00

I was looking through photos of the past couple of months, and I want to share some of Abe. Since it's 80 today (snowed last week--probably will again next week), here are some winter pictures.

Belated birthday shot of the five-year old knight with his cake.

The pre-k winter soccer group. I think of Abe as little, but clearly he won't be little in his kindergarten class this fall.

Abe's favorite soccer move. During the final class, every time any ball came anywhere near him, he stopped all action with his fancy footwork, leaving all the other kids a little impatient.

St. Patrick's Day viewing of Darby O'Gill and the Little People (a favorite from my childhood). Ezri is wearing green, in case you can't see.

A late winter storm. I wanted to have a photo of Abe in his full-body snowsuit. Next year I supposed it'll have to be snowpants.

Could it be

2011-03-06T21:27:00.002-05:00

that someone has spent a little bit of time reading Lego catalogs?

Abe's birthday!!

2011-03-06T08:18:00.005-05:00

Abe turned five on February 14. And what a party we had the weekend before! He had never had a real "friend party" before, so I had promised him he could have a big one this year. I didn't realize quite how big it would be (you know how you assume that not everyone you invite will come? turns out you can't always assume that), but it still went well. We had it at the YMCA. The kids first played downstairs in the toy/ball pit area (didn't bring my camera, sorry), then upstairs cupcakes and snacks, "pin the shield on the Lego knight," and crafts. I only remember a couple of short-lived tears, and that's not bad for twenty kids. But he's had his big party--next year we will shrink the guest list.

I can't believe my (second) baby is so big! Almost ready for school.

the terrible you-know-whats

2011-02-14T15:22:00.008-05:00

Today is Abe's 5th birthday. But I'm not blogging about that today. Because last week was Oscar's 2nd birthday, and I need to put up photos from that first.

Oscar had a terrible day on his 2nd birthday, and the days since have not been all that great. I think the only way he could be having great days right now would be if his only activities included listening to Baby Beluga on repeat, eating graham crackers, and having a "bath with bubbles and cups." All day long. I mean, those things do happen everyday, but there are all of these other things that need to happen in between, like getting dressed, leaving the house, getting in the stroller or car, holding hands while crossing the street, listening to something besides Baby Beluga so the rest of us don't light the cd player on fire, etc.

Nevertheless, he is adorable and chatty and oh-so-literate (books books all day long--that request is more fun for the rest of us). And he's two! I remember when Sam turned two I thought he was such a big kid. Now two is all baby for me.

decorating cupcakes

Happy Birthday! The candle photos did not turn out well, since a candle (still unlit) poked him in the eye right before singing. He took a couple of minutes to recover.

enjoying Aaron's homemade honey ice cream

beautiful baby

dreaming of warmer climes

2011-01-31T17:17:00.004-05:00

Sorry I've been absent here. We've had a lot going on since our big trip over break. Broken pipe in the basement, RATS!!, a frozen pipe, did I mention RATS!!!? And by the way, it's way below freezing over here, and I'm not hardy enough to enjoy long treks in the ice (I had to look that up to make sure I didn't mean "hearty," but the "hardy" definition is correct: capable of enduring fatigue, hardship, exposure, etc.). My outdoor activity consists of rushing either to and from the kids' schools/babysitter or rushing to and from the car on my way to Wegman's or the gym. And now that the semester has started, rushing to and from the bus to Cornell. Anyway, I'll stop whining, and post some photos of our REALLY GREAT winter trip to California.

a literary event

2010-12-22T23:09:00.004-05:00

Today Sam's class had their Authors' Celebration. The kids had worked very hard expanding and illustrating their stories, and you could tell. It was helpful to have the sound system, especially since a certain toddler was reading Polar Bear, Polar Bear very loudly to himself in the back of the room. And let me tell you, that teacher is a genius. She planned a dance party in the middle of the readings, just when the kids were getting extra-squirmy.

big kid

2010-12-22T22:59:00.005-05:00

Oscar is now a big kid. Not a baby. Even though he walks around holding his arms out to Aaron and me demanding "Pick you up," he's definitely growing up.

Friday afternoon

2010-12-11T14:02:00.006-05:00

Yesterday Sam and Abe and our neighbor Samuel disappeared upstairs, and after quite a while, I realized it was pretty quiet up there. Too quiet. So Oscar and I came up to investigate, and we found all three on the top bunk reading Garfield.

So that's who finds Garfield funny! I don't remember laughing at him even as a kid.

Oscar is wearing a shirt that his brothers both wore before him, and it was a hand-me-down to our family--that's the best kind of recycling.

Chanukamania

2010-12-07T13:54:00.005-05:00

We had a short but packed trip to Boston to celebrate Chanukah with the Sachses and Gabors. Some highlights:

Sam and Nathaniel create and play a Pokemon-esque card game.

Abe loves his new Polo book.

Rebecca sports a fancy new hairdo.

Ozzie spends quality time with both Gram and Aunt Debbie.

By the way, my big Chanukah gift from Aaron was a fab new camera. I am currently reading the manual and learning new tricks.

Legopalooza 2010

2010-11-20T22:38:00.006-05:00

Sam requested a Lego birthday party this year. We did the best we could to accommodate him. A few Lego activities mixed in with the regular birthday party bedlam. I tried with the cake, I really did, but you can tell I was a cake decorating class drop out. Please don't google Lego cakes immediately after looking at this--wait a couple of days to let the memory of mine fade. At least the kids recognized it. If Sam wants a Lego cake again next year, maybe I'll try my luck with fondant. And next year he'll have enough candles to fill up the brick!

How many kids can fit inside the secret compartment of the bunk bed?

Lego building game

scavenger hunt for the Lego cake

another year bites the dust

whirlwind TX trip

2010-11-14T22:47:00.007-05:00

This past weekend I jetted to suburban Houston with my bro Daniel to visit our Grandpa Bob. We really had a fun time, and even though the trip was short, we did a lot with Grandpa. And let me tell you, he is incredible. At 98.5, he is slowing down a bit, but that's mostly just physically. We talked and sang and ate and shopped with him, just like we've always done. He's cracking jokes and chatting up the aides in his abode and asking for more hot sauce at his favorite Mexican restaurant. It was truly fabulous to see him and spend time with him.

Bonus: I got to hold my cousin's four-day old baby Levi. And by the way, this is her 12th child! As always, I was impressed by her cool, collected demeanor. Can you imagine?

waiting for dinner

2010-10-08T23:43:00.004-04:00

Tonight we ordered pizza, and as we sat around outside waiting for it to arrive, Sam made a sign. The pizza guy was amused and pleased (I guess touched would be too strong a word). He said no one had ever made him a sign before, and that he didn't even need to know the address because he could immediately recognize his destination. Sam is saving the sign.

First Grade!!

2010-09-07T15:32:00.002-04:00

Cape Cod

2010-08-28T23:22:00.002-04:00

Cousins, beach, mini-golf, dessert, etc. Awesome.

still here--summer recap so far

2010-08-11T21:18:00.006-04:00

I've become so lazy about posting to this thing. I'm sorry to the one or two of you who still check it. I've been sucked into putting up photos on Facebook (argh!) because it's easier, but I still want to maintain this. So here are a few.

We went to Utah for a family reunion and birthday celebration for my mom.

Oscar got a haircut and learned how to walk (actually, he couldn't walk in this photo, but until I put up a movie of him walking this is the best you'll get).

Sam and Abe got short haircuts and built lots of things out of legos.

My brother Daniel and I did a sprint triathlon, cheered on by Aaron and the kids.

I almost hesitate to say it because I might jinx it, but here goes anyway: MORE TO COME.

happy day

2010-05-09T23:39:00.003-04:00

My three monsters on Mothers' Day 2010.

See all that clean laundry in the background? Still waiting to be folded.

weeks ago!

2010-04-21T20:39:00.002-04:00

Weeks ago, we had Passover. And we went to Amherst, where Debbie and the other Gabors hosted a wonderful, big seder. And Daniel L. got matching matzah ties for most of the boyfolk. It was a great time to catch up with cousins and enjoy the holiday. Thanks for the good time, guys, and I promise to catch up with the posting.

matchy matchy

2010-03-30T20:53:00.002-04:00

Thank you so much to Aunt Sarah for this awesome birthday gift for Abe. He loooooves it, and he and Baby Anna get loads of compliments on their outfits.

It's time for either

2010-03-22T17:49:00.002-04:00

a trim or a barrette. If only they were curls, we could get by without either.

Happy Day

2010-03-17T14:03:00.003-04:00

I remember when my mom used to make us this on St. Patrick's Day morning. Or am I making that up, mom? In any case, the kids liked it.

MIA

2010-03-16T15:19:00.003-04:00

Upon returning downstairs after putting Oscar down for a nap, I found this.

sleepover

2010-03-15T23:26:00.004-04:00

Sam slept over at his friend Max's house last weekend. It's hard to believe he's old enough for sleepovers. AND they even slept together in the guest bed. We've tried to get Sam and Abe to share a bed in a hotel on occasion without success. But he said they went right to sleep and then discussed Bionicles in bed when they woke up in the morning. Not sure if the jack'o'lantern slept in the bed too.

snow days

2010-02-27T21:37:00.002-05:00

We got a foot and a half in this storm. Two snow days! Luckily, it wasn't as windy as predicted, so it was fun to play in as well as beautiful. Having said that, I wouldn't mind being done with it for the year (who am I kidding? two months of winter to go).

p and p party

2010-02-24T20:38:00.003-05:00

Abe had a pink and purple birthday party. There was a very exclusive guest list, and everyone had to wear pink and/or purple. And we ate pink and purple things. And played with purple balloons. And danced to boogie music. It was fun, except that Sam threw up in the middle, but hey, what's a birthday party without a little drama? And then, the next morning, Abe received THE BAT CAVE of his dreams, and that's what they've been playing with everyday since. He also loved all of his other gifts (play food, tea set, books, etc), but THE BAT CAVE might be his favorite.

getting ready

2010-02-12T20:46:00.002-05:00

Abe's birthday is on Sunday (that's right, Valentine's Day), but the festivities began today at nursery school. He wore his crown all afternoon. He almost wore it into the bath, but I was able to convince him that might not be the best idea.

birthday cupcake

2010-02-09T15:38:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Oscar!!!!

2010-02-09T15:28:00.002-05:00

Our baby is one year old today. We had his birthday dinner last night, since we're busy tonight, and I don't think he'll notice. The highlights were the broccoli (good boy!) the cupcake (a little confusing at first but not unpleasant) the presents (some new, mostly old, the most popular of the moment being a hand-me-down plastic cell phone that plays a bunch of songs). Can't believe he's one!!!! And that I went to see Revolutionary Road when I was pregnant with my third child (what baby wouldn't want to make a quick exit after seeing that?). Happy Day!

more LEGO EXHIBIT!!!!

2010-02-03T20:53:00.001-05:00

LEGO EXHIBIT!!!!

2010-02-03T20:45:00.001-05:00

We went to Rochester last weekend to experience the Strong Museum's Lego exhibit. We had a great time! They had Lego art created by adults, and the Lego exhibit for kids was also framed as a castle exhibit. Great combination. Here are a few shots. Sorry for the glare on the large Lego sculptures.

dress up

2010-01-26T20:59:00.003-05:00

Last week we had a playdate in Danby on MLK day, and luckily Sarah took some good shots of the favorite activities. Snow White, Winnie the Pooh, a rock star, and then a whole rock band! The costume possibilities are endless in that house.

edible

2010-01-20T20:16:00.003-05:00

We can't get enough, we all just want to eat him up. I do keep trying to remind myself that with each of our kids, we've thought he was the cutest baby in the world, and then later I've looked at photos and thought, hmmmm, yes, cute, but maybe not the cutest in the world and maybe even kind of funny-looking. But we're not there yet with Oscar. He *is* the cutest baby in the world.

in honor of MLK day

2010-01-18T17:11:00.002-05:00

young grasshopper

2010-01-03T20:20:00.002-05:00

Grandpa teaches Abe how to bowl.

the drive home

2010-01-03T11:37:00.003-05:00

I'll post more about our Christmas trip later, but what I'll tell you now is that this place was the highlight of our drive home. If you ever find yourself in Newberry, PA, do not miss this place. Excellent donuts!

shhhhh, don't tell

2010-01-03T11:26:00.002-05:00

Abe's favorite baby is Baby Anna. Oscar loves Baby Anna too, but he usually can't so much as smile at her without Abe grabbing her away. So you can imagine Oscar's delight when he found himself alone with Baby Anna during Abe's bath last night. Wait, you don't have to imagine it. Here's the video.

road trip #1

2009-12-22T14:48:00.007-05:00

We had a short but very eventful trip to Boston last weekend. We had the Chanukah party, a party for Miriam/Gram's birthday, and a veritable blizzard. Here are some shots.

Cousins building "Snow Town" (I'm not sure what Snow Town had to recommend it besides a tunnel).

Eighty years old and loving it! (I actually made her say that when I took the picture. Oh, what my relatives put up with.)

"Too cute not to pick up," says one person in this picture. "Look, I have three teeth," says the other.

Next stop, Christmas in Virginia.

royalty

2009-12-22T14:43:00.002-05:00

Behold Abe, the king of winter, upon his icy throne. Every year Ithaca has a display of ice sculptures on the Commons, and often the weather doesn't quite cooperate--things start melting instantly or it's too cold to even walk around and look at them. This was a good day, and the throne was intact, but some of the other sculptures, including the ice slide, had melted a bit too much for our tastes (and safety standards).

kindergarten homework

2009-12-08T17:06:00.003-05:00

and another one

2009-12-04T23:31:00.003-05:00

Look what Oscar can do! This was about my tenth attempt to catch it on video (which explains Sam's question). Luring him with a slice of pizza finally did the trick. The first thing he did with his new skill (after getting the pizza) was to crawl to a big box of duplo legos and start throwing them one by one across the room. I guess he's been waiting months to do it.

my dancing bear

2009-12-01T20:45:00.002-05:00

Just a couple of tricks Oscar has added to his CV.

T-giving

2009-12-01T20:33:00.003-05:00

We had a great Thanksgiving, we really did! We went to Amherst, celebrated with Aaron's family, also had my brother and a good friend visiting there, hiked, ate out, played Wii, snuck out to a movie, etc. Sadly, you'll have to take my word for it, since I neglected to take my camera out of its bag the entire weekend. But in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here's a poem Abe performed at his preschool Harvest Brunch.

and before that

2009-11-25T15:18:00.002-05:00

Sam turned six! When I first had Sam, the limit of my imagination for my children was age three. Then it became age five. Now I guess I'm just going to have to get used to bigger and bigger kids (kids who might be taller than me in a couple of years, for example). We had a family party and then later a friend party. He wanted a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting decorated with Reese's, and then a lemon cake with vanilla frosting decorated with mini M&M's. I'm getting tired just remembering last week's baking activities. There was also the school celebration...blueberry corn muffins. I might wait until Abe's birthday to bake again. Yeah, right.

the new news

2009-11-22T19:59:00.002-05:00

I'm giving up trying to post in order. I just get too behind that way. The most recent new news here is that Sam lost a tooth! I remember exactly where I was when I felt that little tooth popping through his baby gums for the first time (in the car driving to Fenway Park when he was seven and a half months old), and now it's out. Weird. The tooth fairy brought $1 (less than many I've heard, but still a lot more than the dime(?!) I got as a kindergartener).

so behind

2009-11-16T09:52:00.001-05:00

Let's see. Someone had a big birthday in our family, and it wasn't me. Doesn't he look about 21? It hardly seems fair. Happy Birthday!!

autumn is for

2009-10-31T23:40:00.003-04:00

leaf jumping!! Enthusiastic Sam, athletic Samuel from next door, and happy (and tentative) Abe. Everybody loves it!

the whole gang

2009-10-31T23:17:00.003-04:00

Our Halloween gang gathered again this year to try to get at least a little real food into the kids before hitting the streets for candy collecting. Sam as Shaggy, Max as a robot, Lucy as a skeleton, Isaac as a bat, Ezri as a bee, Abe as a cowboy, and Jasper (not seen here) as a bear.

You may remember

2009-10-31T23:04:00.004-04:00

the last time Abe was a cowboy for Halloween. Three years later, he reveled in his cowboyness, and galloped along on his horse ("Horsey Horse Horse") for blocks at a time. I considered wrangling Oscar into the suit for a photo op but decided against it.

Oscar gets discovered

2009-10-30T15:14:00.002-04:00

by the kindergarten girls. They insisted on calling him Sam Junior.

overnight

2009-10-26T10:48:00.002-04:00

These pajamas used to fit. Like very recently. What with the growing and the loose tooth and the reading and the approaching birthday, I feel like I can't keep up!

quick windy trip (say that five times fast)

2009-10-24T14:16:00.009-04:00

Last weekend Oscar and I made a quick trip to Chicago, taking along Zach and visiting family and friends.

The lovely Evans ladies of the house.

The lovely Evans gentleman of the house (with his young guest).

The littlest cousins.

Outstanding brunch at Lucky Platter in Evanston with Meg, Emily, and Zach (who ate a full brunch platter and still managed to get his best time ever in a 5K just a couple of hours later).

Oscar claps!!

2009-10-23T20:34:00.003-04:00

Turns out it's just as exciting the third time around. Maybe even more exciting, since there's a bigger audience.

see ya summer

2009-10-10T00:09:00.004-04:00

We kept up with our annual tradition of eating a banana split to say goodbye to summer (even though it's technically been over for a few weeks, we had to wait to be safe). Rebecca and Austin came with us, and we considered getting three banana splits but were happy we just got two. We thwarted Oscar's efforts to stick his hand in the ice cream at every turn, so he had to make do with baby puffs and the wipes package. Maybe next year we'll need three.

Mama, Mama take my picture!

2009-10-07T22:45:00.002-04:00

Abe showing off his sushi book before taking it for show and tell (and he really does love sushi. Following in your steps, Nathaniel).

And the kids playing/wrestling. Even Oscar tries to get in on the action.

the namesake

2009-10-01T21:53:00.003-04:00

I made a quick trip to New Haven on the way home from Boston (well, not really on the way home, but sort-of) earlier in the week, and Oscar and Abe and I had the chance to go see our former landlords, Abe and Zoia. That's right, Big Abe and Little Abe. They warmed right up to each other, even though they hadn't seen each other since Little Abe was a baby. They were sweet as usual and force fed Abe cookies and chocolate truffles. They almost fed Oscar a truffle when I wasn't looking. And Big Abe, a lifelong dental technician (he made false teeth in the basement of our house), admired the kids' teeth (all of Little Abe's and Oscar's one).

for the die hard fans

2009-09-25T10:03:00.002-04:00

Mom, that's you! Here is a video of Sam's kindergarten class performing "Tony Chestnut" (that's Toe-Knee-Chest-Nut) for the whole school this morning. He's the tall kid on the left wearing a striped polo shirt.

Oscar reads and demonstrates the hazards of only being able to move in one direction.

2009-09-24T19:20:00.004-04:00

Plus a bonus view of the new rug in Sam and Abe's room.

our new addition

2009-09-10T23:06:00.002-04:00

first day of school

2009-09-09T09:05:00.003-04:00

First day of kindergarten. First day of preschool. Hey, where did everybody go?

321

2009-09-07T00:20:00.003-04:00

Who does this baby look like?

2009-09-04T20:37:00.002-04:00

I can't figure it out exactly.

and some more

2009-09-01T22:16:00.004-04:00

Before we went to Cape Cod, we went to Paris. It was such a quick trip that it hardly deserves its own entry (48 hours maximum), but it was Paris, so there you go. We went to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery, the Louvre, to several eating establishments, etc. We wanted to eat at Chez Oscar, but the workers were on strike.

working backwards

2009-08-26T22:35:00.003-04:00

The last part of our trip was going to Cape Cod. We always have a great time with the Gabors at the Cape, and this summer was no different. The weather was so nice that we almost got sick of the beach. Almost.

the magical healing powers of Denmark

2009-08-23T23:37:00.004-04:00

We are back from our big trip, and I am only posting one photo tonight. We had a great time despite a few small snafus. Here is Oscar showing off two tricks he learned in Denmark: 1) sitting up 2) WITHOUT a clogged tear duct. You can just google that if you don't know what it is, or take my word for it that it makes your baby's eye ooze and crust and then it makes your baby scream when you try to clean his eye. But it's been unclogged!

More to come.

bedtime on Farm St.

2009-07-29T20:15:00.002-04:00

Sarah, stars are burning in your eyes

2009-07-29T10:50:00.002-04:00

Aunt Sarah came to visit!!!!! We had a lot of fun, doing what Evanses do on vacay, playing games, swimming, going to movies, eating, etc, etc. Maybe Ithaca should be your summer home, Sarah?

doubling up

2009-07-26T22:18:00.004-04:00

Adriane and Christian came to town to visit and introduce Zora to Ithaca. Adriane and I each took a turn with our two little chunks, and let me tell you, they're both chunks--adorable chunks, but chunky nonetheless.

Thanks for the visit, guys. Are you sure you don't want to move back?

baby eats bananas, licks bowl clean

2009-07-21T14:46:00.003-04:00

Warning: This is a boring video. But he is the cutest baby in the world, so that's got to count for something.

Abe's Saturday

2009-07-19T16:46:00.004-04:00

Bowling birthday party and ballet class. Oh, and movie night (Babe) later on in the evening. I know Abe looks a little bewildered in the ballet class movie, but he says he really enjoyed it. I had a friend bring an extra pink tutu for him in case the peer pressure became overwhelming, but he was happy just to hop around in his shorts and shirt. Next week the class will be divided, so it won't be quite as chaotic.

you know it's your third baby when...

2009-07-19T16:35:00.002-04:00

You ask the waiter to take a picture of you and your friend, and since your baby is not smiling and cooing for the camera, you dangle him off to the side to try to get him out of the picture. And we were there to celebrate the impending birth of Karin's third baby. I hope she wasn't trying to learn anything from me.

adventures in Korean cooking

2009-07-17T14:29:00.003-04:00

I *love* Korean food, but I've long been a bit afraid to try making it at home. But Aaron gave me this book for my birthday, and now I'm ready to go. After a trip to our local Korean market, I made ddukbokki yesterday. So easy, so tasty, and also a huge hit with the 5 and under crowd (as tested by Sam, Abe, and three little friends over yesterday). Tonight, another Korean taste test.

not much, just chillin'

2009-07-17T14:28:00.002-04:00

catching up 2

2009-07-16T11:16:00.002-04:00

Oh yeah, and we had a mini family reunion! I wish everyone could have been here, but we did our best to have enough fun for everyone who was and wasn't here. There was a little of this, a little of that, some swimming, some canoeing, some hiking, a movie, lots of eating, lots of cousin playing. All the good stuff.

spam

2009-07-15T14:00:00.003-04:00

Help my awesome cousin Drew get to Antarctica!!!!

nursing brothers

2009-07-15T10:18:00.003-04:00

Sam likes to try to nurse Oscar because he thinks it's funny, and Oscar is willing to play along because he loves Sam.

catching up 1

2009-07-13T14:20:00.004-04:00

We've been having so much fun lately I haven't been able to keep up. Lucy came for a playdate, and whew, we had a great time. Ruth was still here, and she pulled a wagon full of kids to the Sciencenter (I accompanied with Oscar). Lucy got Sam to do a craft (no small feat), and then he got her to do karaoke back at the house (not hard--only Abe doesn't like the echo of the microphone). I got a chance to imitate my mom back in the day around town with five children. And now I know how it is. If I thought people looked at me oddly (this could be with amusement, nostalgia, pity, disgust, etc) with three kids in tow, it's even *BETTER* with five. And the comments just don't stop coming.

stinky bacon

2009-07-07T15:05:00.004-04:00

What do four boys (ages 5, 4, 3, and 2) talk about when the lights go out? What gross things to eat for breakfast, of course. Here two-year old Gabe tells you his favorite parts of our reunion this weekend. Especially listen before and after bacon.

can you say overstimulation?

2009-07-04T22:38:00.001-04:00

Happy 4th!

2009-07-04T22:33:00.002-04:00

We celebrated by hiking, swimming, and eating.

look who's here visiting in Ithaca

2009-07-03T17:34:00.002-04:00

You don't need to go back to Boston. What does Boston have that Ithaca doesn't have? Huh?

Ruth in town!

2009-07-03T15:16:00.002-04:00

Ruth, our niece/cousin/Mama's helper extraordinaire, is in town for a visit. We've all been having a great, busy time, trying to pack in as much Ithaca fun as possible. All three kids fight for Ruth's attention, but she's managed to make them all feel special. Thanks for coming, Ruth!!

babytalkin'

2009-06-28T17:54:00.002-04:00

June olympics

2009-06-23T13:06:00.005-04:00

Abe finished his gymnastics session on Saturday and got a medal for his trouble. You can see that he's a proficient galloper now. Even though Abe is quite tentative in his physical activity (actually, no daredevils so far in this house), he LOVES gymnastics, and so I keep signing him up.

a whole new world

2009-06-22T14:15:00.002-04:00

Oscar gets more active by the day. He can now roll from back to stomach and stomach to back, and just today he discovered the pleasures of the exer-saucer. Sadly, nighttime sleep has gotten worse, I guess because he's so excited about his daytime tricks.

last day

2009-06-19T23:08:00.002-04:00

Today was Sam's last day of preschool. And even though he's super ready for kindergarten, I'm having some feelings about it. Doesn't he look like a big kid?

four months later

2009-06-18T16:29:00.003-04:00

Oscar had his four month appointment today and received a clean bill of health. 75% for length and head circumference, 85% for weight. Current hobbies he enjoys are rolling over from back to front, sucking on his toes, and watching his big and big big brothers do anything.

fake camping

2009-06-14T23:02:00.002-04:00

We had a fake camping party in our backyard. I feel bad that we've never taken our kids on a real camp out, but I always seem to come up with some excuse (this year it's a new baby, although who knows? we might actually do it this year). So we (and some friends and neighbors) settled for s'mores on the grill and a tent on the lawn. When I told Sam he could only have one s'more, he said, "But mom, that doesn't even make sense. They're called s'mores because you're supposed to have more." Fair point, but he felt sort of sick after one, so we didn't have to argue about it again.

Abe had a turn too! (with Dad's help)

2009-06-10T11:26:00.002-04:00

third time's a charm

2009-06-10T11:17:00.003-04:00

Aaron has been taking Sam (and Abe usually tags along) to tee-ball two evenings a week. Last night I went for the first time to take a few movies. It was fun to see my boys out there, but I don't know about this 6:15-7:15 schedule. I don't think we'll mind when it ends this week.

my blooming garden

2009-06-10T11:09:00.004-04:00

So we've got some perennials (please notice the weeds in the background) and a few vegetables in the boxes (tomatoes, winter squash, and broccoli). My favorites are the poppies. The plants look like weeds, and then one day huge, papery flowers burst out of alien pods. And they keep coming back. That's also a plus.

my three-year old teenager

2009-06-07T20:11:00.002-04:00

Abe at breakfast:

Mom, you were like, does anyone want maple syrup, and I was like, yeah, mom, *I* do.

And the worst part of this story:

I HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT MYSELF.

moving right along

2009-06-06T19:41:00.005-04:00

We are slowly but surely getting Sam and Abe's new room ready. First we painted it "healing waters" with "delightful daffodil" trim. Then Aaron assembled the previously-mentioned bunk beds. Then Sam pretended to sleep in the top bunk. More furniture moving will be next, as well as removing that junk from the delightful daffodil shelves, but we're getting there.

daily workout

2009-06-02T14:00:00.005-04:00

Oscar tries and tries and tries to roll over, but it's just not happening yet. At least it doesn't keep him from smiling.

close up

2009-05-29T13:48:00.003-04:00

Sam and I tried and tried to get Oscar to smile at the computer for a photo, but this was the best we could do. His hair is thinning, but we have faith that it'll grow back someday.

snip snip

2009-05-23T15:39:00.003-04:00

Before and After. I liked the shags, but I was honestly starting to forget what Abe looked like. And that hair will grow back in no time.

skill-building

2009-05-22T08:30:00.002-04:00

must...grab...toes

only in Ithaca

2009-05-19T15:56:00.002-04:00

This plucky squirrel stole tofu from my neighbor's back porch, then brought it to his tree home in front of our house to nibble it in peace. Ugh (the squirrel, not the tofu).

moving the bunk beds

2009-05-18T13:58:00.008-04:00

We just bought bunk beds for Sam and Abe on Craiglist. They are now a pile of boards and drawers in the soon-to-be bedroom. Still have to paint, assemble, move furniture, etc. But you can see that Sam and Abe (and helpful friends) are excited. Dance party in Sarah's trailer!!