Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Look Who's Talking!

Nate's vocabulary has really increased in the last few weeks. He says many words without realizing he's saying them. Clear as day, he'll say something like, "kitty cat" and if we ask him to repeat it, he won't. I remember this phase with Olivia too. It's amazing though. Given that he's a boy AND a second child, it's normal for his verbal skills to be a bit behind. He is proving that wrong. George and I have tried to make sure that Livy doesn't talk FOR Nate. We let him take his time and try to say things or communicate in his own way. Here is a list of words he likes to use:

ball
mama
dada
sissy ("sssss")
thirsty ("sissty")
sock
up
down ("da")
uh-oh (his new favorite)
Santa
dog ("da")
baba
out
poop
kitty cat
apple ("app")

I'm so impressed with out little man. I think he's going to be a little chatterbox just like his sister

Monday, December 15, 2008

Christmas Medley

It's that joyous time of year when all the radio stations are playing Christmas music to get us in the holiday spirit. Olivia really likes all these songs and is singing along every chance she gets. Last night, I went to bed right after I put the kids to bed. As I lay there trying to fall asleep, I can hear Livy in her room singing, "He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you've been good, he knows when you've been bad, so be good for goodness sake..." She gets the verses a little mixed up, or sometimes inserts a line from "Jingle Bells" in the wrong song but it is so cute! In the car the other day, James Taylor starts singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" but I don't recognize it because the first few lines are different. Olivia asks, "what's this song?" I reply, "I'm not sure but I know it's James Taylor. Doesn't he have a nice voice?" Olivia agrees, "oh yes! I like this song. Yes. Yes."

We've also been watching lots of Christmas movies on DVD and Video on Demand. She seems to think that every movie ever made should have a Christmas version. Today, after watching, "The Grinch" and "Home Alone" she asked for "Tinkerbell The Night Before Christmas." George said he'd suggest that one to Disney.

When Santa (Grandpa Dan) called her, she asked for "a T-rex and an apatosaurus for my baby brother." There is a giant, remote control T-rex in Target that she loves. I think it's a little too advanced for her (plus it's about $150). Fortunately, I did buy a smaller, motorized T-rex. I told her that I didn't think a big T-rex would fit in Santa's sleigh.

I can't wait to see her and Nate open all their presents. Ever since I became an adult, my parents have been telling me, "don't buy us anything. Christmas is for the kids." I couldn't really understand how they felt that way, but now that I have little ones of my own, I can totally see where they were coming from. The anticipation I used to feel waiting to open my gifts pales in comparison to the anticipation I have now, waiting to see my kids on Christmas morning. Their joy is the best present of all. Unless of course, George wants to buy me a pair of shoes. Uggs maybe? Ballet flats? Anything in a size 10, thank you very much and Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Oh the Joys of Parenting

Something magical happens during childbirth whereby you lose any trace of aversion to body fluids and other bodily emissions. I think it's a critical adaptation which allows us to care for our offspring for the first several years of their life. I had a joyous morning filled with a few instances of close encounters of the poop and pee kind.

First, Olivia is still refusing to poop in the potty. She'd much rather just poop in her panties and let me clean up the mess. This morning she had on her jammie pants without underwear (my fault) and the poop fell out her pant leg onto the kitchen floor. She called out from the kitchen, "Mommy! Poop!" and I walk in and see her standing with her foot in the pile. I hurry to clean up the mess on the floor before Nate can walk in and "play" and then try to get the dirty pants off her without making more of a mess. I failed at that, so into the bathtub both kids go.

So the kids are in the bathtub getting clean but doing a little too much splashing. I'm sitting on the floor next to the tub and getting wetter than I would like. I scold them both for this and ask, "please, keep the water in the tub." A moment later, Nate crawls out of the tub, stands next to me, and pees all over my leg. I guess he was going to get me wet one way or another.

I love these children. They could pee and poop all over the house and I'd just clean it up and move on. Don't get me wrong- Olivia putting her poop in the potty can't happen soon enough, but until then, I'll just deal with it. At least it gives me good material for the blog!

Monday, December 08, 2008

Craft Time

Olivia has been driving us crazy about the TV lately. It's totally my fault. I'm a TV addict and she is her mother's daughter. We turned off the TV today and tried to keep her occupied with other activities. She was really resisting our efforts until I remembered that I had a special crown to decorate. It was included in our last monthly Brighter Visions kit. Each kit includes a book, workbook, CD, and craft project. We all enjoy when the kits arrive because the workbook alone (and all the stickers) can keep Olivia occupied for hours. I am so thankful that my good friend Beth told me about them.

Here is Queen Olivia showing off her new crown while working on another glittery project.


We had so much fun decorating her crown. I can't wait till this month's kit arrives with more projects. I'll have to get creative and develop some other projects for her to do until then!

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Santa Baby

Nate really likes hats. He especially likes the Santa hat. He puts it on every chance he gets and runs through the house with the white puff ball tassel bouncing behind him. He's looking like the cutest little Santa in these pictures.


Speaking of hats, yesterday we were in Toys R Us and while George was standing in line to pay, Olivia and I were trying on funny Santa hats. They also had one hat that looked like Frosty the Snowman, complete with top hat and carrot nose. I thought it was really cute so I put it on and started singing, "Frosty the Snowman..." I'm pretty sure Olivia was, for the first time in her life, embarrassed by her mother. She didn't even laugh. She just looked down, kind of sheepishly, and said, "Mom. Take it off." Then she walked in the other direction. It gave me a little chuckle to see her respond that way and I can just see us, 10 years from now, when she really thinks I'm the biggest dork that ever lived. I wish I would have bought the Frosty Hat. Maybe Santa will bring it to me?

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Festive Home

Despite the fact that we are, ahem, still living amongst a few boxes, things are looking a bit homier now that we have most of the Christmas decorations up. We got snow last week which I figured was my cue to get the outside Halloween decorations taken down. Then George asked me when we can start putting the Christmas stuff up. Since we are leaving for Florida on Dec. 20th, I figured we can decorate for the holidays a little earlier than we usually do. George, Nate and I got a head start on the outside lights on Sunday while Olivia was napping. This old house doesn't have any outlets outside so poor George was having to string this extension cord to that one and then connect another, etc... Somehow he managed to get everything lit up AND hooked to a timer. As we were hanging lights, Nate was stumbling around the yard in his new puffy winter coat. It's so puffy that Nate has a hard time moving his arms. Oftentimes, he'll fall down and not be able to get back up. So, he was stumbling around, falling in piles of leaves, looking as cute as ever. Things are looking like a winter wonderland out there. Now we just need more snow.

After Olivia woke up, we started decorating inside. George had already put up the tree so I only had to drag the ornament box up from the basement and get to decorating. She and Nate happily "helped" me. Olivia was busy handing me ornaments out of the bin, or running especially cute ones out into the living room for Daddy to see. Nate was just grabbing whatever he could out of the bin and flinging it around. He's gentle that way. Even though we only put ornaments on the top 1/3rd of the tree, it looks pretty in the corner of our dining room!


We found stockings, candles, my Gingerbread House, wreaths, and a lighted garland that we ran up the banister. All this has catapulted Olivia into major Santa mode. First, when she saw the snow last week, she asked, "Is Santa coming?" Now with the house decorated, she oscillates between running around on some sort of Santa induced high, and sitting quietly on the couch admiring things saying, "Oh, it's ador-bable." There's been a constant fight over who gets to wear the Santa hat and christmas tree bell necklace. There was a scuffle over a tiny snowglobe. It was dropped on the kitchen tile and broke which made Olivia cry. She said that Santa was going to be mad that she broke it. Every night we read, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" at bedtime and everything she sees on TV is on her Christmas list. I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year. I think it's the first year that she understands what's happening AND we're headed to Florida for the holidays. It will be so much fun to see her and Nate opening their presents and I'm thankful my parents will be able to enjoy that with us.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

The Weather Outside

We've had a sudden drop in temperature here which prompted me to bring out the winter coats for the first time. I thought the kids looked so cute all bundled up that I had to snap a picture of them.


Here is Olivia showing off the hat that her Nanny in Montana knitted for her. How cute is it?


This is such a nice time of the year. I love the transition from fall to winter. Crispness in the air, just enough to make you feel alive, but not enough to make you uncomfortable. The cooler weather definitely makes me think about putting up Christmas decorations. Olivia is fascinated with the animatronic yard animals we've seen at Home Depot and any Christmas figurine toy that moves and makes music. She runs down the Christmas aisle at Walgreens and turns on every one she can reach. She'd do this all day if I let her. Nate is particularly fond of an annoying little bouncing Santa I bought on clearance when we were in Seattle. He's been played with so much that his legs got broken and he doesn't bounce anymore but that doesn't keep Nate from having fun and bouncing along.

Checkup Time

We went for Nate's 15mo checkup this morning. He's 27lbs 14 oz (88th percentile) and 31 1/4 inches (50th percentile.) I'm actually surprised he doesn't weigh more than he does. He and Olivia weigh about the same now but he feels much heavier to me. He got a few shots but handled them like a champ. His pediatrician is especially pleased with his verbal skills (most boys and 2nd children lag behind normal but he is at the level of an 18 month old with his vocab) but wants me to start making him sleep through the night via "tough love" which equals cry it out. She also noticed his molars are on their way in.

Olivia was chattering away the whole appointment telling the doctor she's a "little bit sick" and "needs a baybaid." She also told the nurse that Nate "needs his checkup." She was a little wound up this morning and kept interrupting everyone asking for fruit snacks, which she used to get at the doctor's office in Hamilton, and stickers. On the positive side, she likes going to the doctor's office which speaks to how fortunate we have been to have great doctors in both Seattle and Hamilton.

So, I guess it's time to crack down on Nattie man's nightime requests for cuddles and "ba ba." I know I'll feel better when we're all sleeping through the night, I just dread the process of getting him there. Olivia was pretty easy. After two days, she realized she wasn't going to get what she wanted at night and gave up. Nate has a whole different personality though and I fear he's going to be one of those kids that cries until he pukes. I'm hoping for the best though (and preparing for the worst!)

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

A Gobble Good Time

My sister sent me a recipe for turkey sugar cookies. I've been trying to do more crafty things with the kids and Olivia is really interested in helping me in the kitchen these days so I thought we'd spend an afternoon decorating some cookies. First, I have to complain about the person who decided it was a good idea to use candy corns on Thanksgiving cookies, when I couldn't find a candy corn within a 10 mile radius of here. Does every existing candy corn self-destruct the day after Halloween? Who woulda thunk-it? Poor George was on a wild goose chase after work that day trying to find us candy corns. He did a good job of improvising and we were able to complete the turkeys without incident. Here are a few pictures of the kids enjoying the cookie decorating.

First: the frosting.



Second: add the eyes (mini M&Ms) with a dot of black icing. Olivia decided her cookie needed a few more eyes.


Finally: add the beak and legs.


Doing art with kids is all about the process, not the end result. I think they did a fabulous job and I had as much fun as they did making our gobble gobble cookies.

Monday, December 01, 2008

Crack-a-lac-a

One of the funniest things that Olivia has started repeated is our term for the butt crack: crack-a-lac-a. The first time she repeated it, we laughed hysterically so of course she says it every chance she gets. Last night she had taken her clothes off and was headed upstairs for a bath. Charlie followed her up the stairs and gave her a little lick on the bum. She giggled and yelled, "Charlie! Don't lick my crack-a-lac-a!"

Recently, Nate has started tugging and pulling at the back of his diaper until it is almost falling off. Today, he looked so cute with his little drawers showing his bum, I had to snap a picture or two.
I took this picture a few weeks ago when he was looking particularly handsome in his new carpenter jeans. He is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen, whether he's showing crack or flashing that million dollar smile complete with dimples!


Monday, November 17, 2008

Naughty Step Reflection

Olivia had a great day but her behavior deteriorated as the day wore on. George placed her in timeout on the Naughty Step and because she wouldn't sit still, and kept sassing him, her time kept increasing from two minutes up to six. He'd say, "if you don't be quiet, you'll get more minutes" and she kept replying, "No!" After a few minutes of quiet, he looked over and saw this:


I asked her what she was thinking when she was in timeout and she said, "not being in timeout anymore" and "daddy gave me three minutes."

It's been interesting that just recently, when given a timeout, she's actually begun to connect her infraction with the punishment. She's always able to tell me why she was in timeout, whereas before, she wasn't making the connection.

Later, George asked Livy why she was such a handful. I told her, "tell him it's because you have a mind of your own." Just as prompted she said, "I have a mind of my own."

That's my girl!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Slides and Storytime



We just recently used Nate's birthday money to buy a Step 2 All-Star Climber. He and Olivia have been having so much fun climbing up the rock wall and going down the slide. It's the perfect thing for us to have inside as the weather turns colder outside. The first few days, they wore themselves out on the slide. Nate really likes to play peekaboo through the hole. It didn't take him long to figure out how to climb up the slide either. Look at that smile - you can tell he's having a ball!


Olivia has been getting adventurous with her sliding, doing it on her belly, and on her back looking up. She even tried to ride a little cart down the slide but it was too wide and got stuck. I'll try to capture some of her antics and post them as well.



It's been a few weeks since I've posted so I'll give you a little update: Olivia is doing well with her potty training. She almost never has a pee pee accident and is staying dry through her naps. She is having a hard time with the #2 though. Will not put it in the potty but has no problem making a deposit in her panties which makes getting the dirty pants off her tricky. Overall though, I'm happy with the progress she's made.

Nate is really trying to talk. He has a few words in his vocabularly already: ball, dada, mama, baba and I think he said "el" for elmo the other day. He grunts and points a lot and for the most part I usually understand what he's trying to tell me. He's not using his sign language as much as Olivia did. He does tell me when he's "all done" or "thirsty." He's also become interested in books lately. For the longest time, I couldn't get him to sit still to read to him. He only wanted to grab the book and rip the pages. He's bringing me books to read to him now, which is really neat. Storytime at the library is cute. He makes his way to the front of the crowd and stands right in front of the book that's being read. He points at it a lot also. He's also very social so he'll make his way around the room, flirting witht he mommies. There was an elderly lady there with her grandaughter that he was fascinated with. I don't think he had seen anyone that old before. Here are a few pictures of the kids at a recent storytime with a special visitor!


Nate worked his way right up to Pooh and kept poking him in the side of his belly. Olivia waited very patiently in the line for her turn to snuggle with Pooh.


So, that's about it: we've just been keeping busy with fun things like our new slide and storytimes. I'm sure we'll be posting more often as the holiday season nears. Olivia is already asking to have her picture taken with Santa!



Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Precious Pirates

Here are a few pics of our little pirates trick-or-treating. Olivia was sooo funny. She would march right up to the door, bang on it with her little fist "knock knock knock" and say "Trick or Treat!" She was invited in to one of the first houses we stopped at, so she marched right into every other house we visited. She got pretty brazen towards the end, and would say, "Trick or Treat! I want some candy." If no one answered the door, she'd stomp off mad, saying, "Ohhh, no one's home!"

Cute as Olivia was, Nate was even cuter. He was tromping right through the yards, following his big sister up to the doors. Looking a bit unsteady on his feet as he tried to keep up, it seemed as though our little scaliwag had too much rum. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. My sister's legs are longer and I'm trying to run.


We worked up a scary appetite while trick-or-treating so we drove down into the city for an authentic philly cheesesteak sandwich. I wish I had a picture of our dinner. They were huge, filled with beef, cheese, and yummy green and sweet peppers. None of us thought we'd finish ours, but they tasted so good we just couldn't stop eating. Kathy was sharing hers with Nate and she couldn't shovel it over to him fast enough. The next day, daylight revealed a carseat covered with shards of cheesesteak. We were in a food coma by the time we returned home. Arrrghh! It was a perfect fall night. I can't wait for next year!!

Friday, October 31, 2008

Morning Exercises

This morning, Olivia was down on the floor and began performing some modified yoga poses. It looked like so much fun, I decided to join her.

We did side leg lifts, and some exercises for our tush. Afterwards, Olivia said, "Sanks mommy for exercising with me."

Monday, October 27, 2008

Just-a-Swingin

The kids love to crawl into a blanket and let George swing them around. They can't get enough of it!



They are also looking super cute in their new Elmo and Thomas the Train jammies. Hard to believe that Nate is already well into a 2T and his big sister is barely in a 3T. Last time we were at the doctor, Olivia only weighed 3 pounds more than Nate. He's our big boy!

Super Sunday

I'm a little delayed in getting these pictures posted but a few Sundays ago, we had a park marathon! It started with a trip to a park close to home, then the dog park for Charlie, and somehow we ended up in Chestnut Hill at another really neat park. I am really digging these spontaneous days, though it goes against my type 1 personality. If it were up to me, I'd plan an agenda, complete with mapquest directions from place to place. On the other hand, George gets an idea, we jump in the car and go.

Nate giggles the whole time he's swinging. Livy had so much fun chasing and kicking the soccer ball. At the 3rd and final park, the sand box was a big hit.

Nate really likes the slide. I got a bit too adventurous and let him go down without holding onto him. (Don't worry, it's a really short, small slide.) However, he face-planted into the mulch. Bad mommy! He took it in stride and wanted to go again. He's so fearless!

We are really enjoying these adventures. It's what makes moving so much fun. Who wants to unpack when there's so much fun to be had? We had a little saying at UF, "You can never re-live a party, but you can always re-take a class."

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Potty Progress

I did it! I finally did it. I just dug in and started potty training Olivia a few days ago. She's been talking a lot about going to school and most pre-schools require they be potty trained prior to admission. I didn't want my laziness to be the reason she couldn't get into preschool. I guess I've been putting it off because of the move and because of all the stories I've heard about how time consuming it is. Wasn't sure how I'd handle that time suck, plus Nate. I'm pleased to report, however, that she is doing very well! We've been wearing only big girl panties, except for nap time and night time. She's had a few pee pee accidents, but is really getting the hang of it, and even put her poo-poo in the potty twice! Each time she's successful, she gets a gummy body part. I know. It sounds gross, but she really likes them. Each time she tells me which part she wants: eyeball, nose, ear, foot, finger or teeth.

I have to admit though, it makes me a little sad to see her growing up. I have these fast-forward moments occasionally where she's doing something I think is really grown up and in my mind's eye, I see her getting on the school bus for the first time, riding a bike, as a gum-smacking teenager, or graduating high school. Even strangers in the grocery store tell me how fast they grow up and to enjoy these years. It must be true, because even in the short time I've been a mom, I can already see how quickly time passes. Seems like just yesterday we were new to Montana, she was toddling around, and I was pregnant. Today, she's singing "BINGO the dog" at storytime, putting her pee pee in the potty, and Nate is trying to talk. Amazing.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Drive-Through

We have a nifty set of windows in the living room that open up to the porch. When the kids are out there playing, it's pretty convenient to open a window and be able to see and hear what's going on. It didn't take Olivia long to figure out that when she stands at the window and we're on the other side, it's a lot like a drive-through. We've been playing "Mc-a-Donald's" placing pretend orders and even exchanging coins.

The next day, Nate decided he wanted a part-time job too. He hopped right up and started taking orders, with a smile!


"I want a fruit and yogurt parfait, and a pair of those dimples!"

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Things Kids Say

So this morning, our landlord's husband stopped by to meet us and take care of a few maintenance issues. We spent a few minutes visiting with him and introducing the kids. He made the mistake of talking with Olivia about Halloween costumes. He says, "I'm thinking of being a pirate. What do you think of that?" Olivia responds, "and Nate's gonna be a pee-nus!"

Oh Lord.

This isn't the first time Olivia has suggested one of us dress up like a penis. Usually, we're talking about Halloween, how she and Nate are going to be pirates, and she'll suggest that Daddy be a penis and Mommy will be a 'gina. At least she's got the right part paired to each of us. It just brings up that whole debate about using correct terminology or cutesy names like pickle and cookie. We've used those kind of names too but I figured it was time to talk to Olivia about the real names. Boy did that bite me in the butt. Maybe I should have waited?

Monday, October 13, 2008

Fall is in the Air

Ok, it was 73 degrees and sunny here, but the leaves ARE turning and it gets pretty chilly at night. My in-laws in Montana report their weather conditions are 23 degrees with SNOW. Hallelujah that we moved away. Our last snow of the "winter" was on June 10th and the first snow of the new season on October 11th? So, what...3 months of non-winter in Montana? Thanks, but no thanks.

Anyways, we set out for the pumpkin patch today but after looking at the map and determining that the one I found online was just across the state line from Trenton, NJ, we decided to visit a smaller farm only a few miles from home. However, on the way, we passed a fall festival that was happening and decided to stop there instead. The kids had an absolute blast!

There was music and dancing, a petting zoo, bouncy rides and a choo-choo train.


Check out Nate's fancy footwork above. He loves to tap his toes when he hears music. This looks like the famous Michael Jackson move.


Olivia refused to let George walk alongside the choo-choo. She told him, "No. You stay here with mommy." So, she squeezed in between two older girls and away she went.


Arrgghh! Tomorrow we'll get pumpkins!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

I Could Make Money

I remember reading the funny little anecdotes about kids at the end of the Reader's Digest and wondering what kind of stories about my kids I'd have to tell. On Friday nite, we definitely had a Reader's Digest moment with Olivia. We were at a local restaurant and she was being her typical outgoing self, talking to the couple at the table behind us. She was standing on her chair, turned around, and babbling on about everything under the sun. Things like, "Daddy bought me Sleeping Beauty, and, then he kissed her." Pause "And then it just happened. Mommy put soap in my mouth." I asked her, "Well, do you remember why I put soap in your mouth? You said a bad word." Olivia looked at the woman, cocked her head to the side as if trying to recall, and said (with a poker straight face) "Dumbass. Right." We all burst out laughing.

Mostly she has been using this term with reference to Charlie. It usually goes like this, "Ahh cute dumbass." Or she chases him around taunting him with the insult. She has gotten several soap servings over this. It doesn't seem to bother her much. Either that, or she enjoys using the bad word more than she dislikes the soap. If she keeps it up, I'll have to up the ante. Vinegar is supposed to be really effective.

Never a dull moment around here, and thank goodness for that!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Imagination

One of the things that most entertains me is seeing the kids' imaginations at work. There were two incidents of this recently that I caught on film. First, I had blown up a small balloon for Olivia. After handling it for a few moments, it's shape morphed. She said excitedly, "Look! It's a binky."



A few days later, Nate knocked over the vacuum cleaner then climbed on top of it. He was straddling it as if it could really take him places and then added a little "bbbbbbb" sound effect. Maybe he was imagining it was a shiny new Harley Davidson?

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Today Was A Good Day

Despite BOTH kids waking up just past 6am, which is ungodly early for all of us (yes I know this wake up time is usual for some of you) it turned out to be a good day. For starters, the kids went back to sleep after George left for work so I was able to squeeze in another hour of shut eye and cuddling with Charlie Murph. Then, Nate and I got some more boxes broken down and packing paper bagged up. Olivia wanted cereal for lunch. As I was preparing it, she was jumping around the kitchen saying, "It's good. It's crunchy. It's milky!" She is her mother's daughter. I would eat cereal all day long. In fact, I was so excited to discover a restaurant in Philly called Cereality, that serves only cold cereal, and lots of it. Can't wait to visit there. That's one of those crazy ideas someone had then found the money to make it come true. The dude was probably sitting around stoned with his frat brothers "Man, I love cereal. If I owned restaurant, all I would sell is cereal." (Not to imply that the only people who smoke marajuana are fraternity members.) George thinks someone should sell cereal flavored milk, since that is his favorite part of the experience. They sell cereal straws, so why wouldn't cereal milk be a hit? Cookie-Crisp milk would be my choice. Yours?

Anyways, I'm still ultra frustrated that I can't find the iron. I found just about everything else that was in the laundry room. I'm sure the iron got packed in a box with the stereo or something random like that. The good news is...

THE COUCH IS IN THE HOUSE!!

Yep, after several technical measurements, decisions about how to approach the doorway, removal of door and the feet off the couch, George squeezed it in! I think the movers were just too lazy to bother with it. I was stressing about what to do with the couch and how to find/afford a new couch that would fit in the house, so this was a great relief to me! I told George he was my hero, and Olivia agreed, saying he was our "Super Hero." I think I'll take him out for a bowl of good, crunchy, milky cereal.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Home Sweet Home

Wherever you go, as long as you're with family, you're home.

The movers arrived on Tuesday but couldn't get the big truck up the driveway so they spent Tuesday unloading onto a smaller truck and we actually started moving in on Wednesday. The kids did really well and I did my best to keep them out of the way. Olivia was excited to see some of her toys and her big girl bed being brought in. Nate was most interested in helping Pat, the driver, put tables back together. He sat right in the middle of the table while Pat attached the legs, concentrating very intently on the screwdriver and the mechanics of the process.

All moved in but not nearly unpacked. At least I have enough out of boxes to function on a very basic level. I was in an unpacking frenzy on Thursday and wore myself out. I've been avoiding the rest of the boxes all weekend unless there's something I absolutely have to find (like silverware). We are very happy to be in our own space again, even if it is a chaotic mess. I thought I might include some pictures of the extended stay we were in for 10 very long days, and then contrast that with some pictures of our new home.



As you can see in the last picture, Olivia was getting bored in that hotel room and found all sorts of ways to get in trouble. She had a lot of fun riding the elevator and helping me do laundry though.

Here are several pictures of our new place which is located in Fort Washington, PA.


Going up the driveway.




Looking down the side yard to the back yard.

View from our back door.


The back of the house.

Up the stairs like a big girl.

One of two storage areas behind bedroom closets.
Olivia has coined these her "hidey holes" and loves to play in there.


Having fun with packing paper. These two kids were giggling and
splashing around in the paper like they were in the ball pit at McD's.
I wish all this packing paper made me feel like giggling.


We picked up Charlie in Harrisburg on Thursday night. George's friend Jess was flying in from Hamilton to see her family and she checked Charlie with her. He appears to have done well on the flight and is happy to be back with his people. We took him to a local dog park tonite and he had a lot of fun. We met a nice couple there with their two dogs and little boy. We gave them our phone number and hope we get to meet up with them again!