I Heart You Nork

On this day, Mimsy and I watched the live feed from NY Times Square. Derek is the Creative Director on a major project for Dell Computers that took over Times Square asking everyone what they would do if they had the power to do more, and letting them tell the world. There was an incredible response and we are so proud of him.

Mimsy says, with the power to do more, she would, "learn to twitter."

Making Room for Mimsy

Meet Mimsy. Isn't she something? She is our new kitten that came to us by two hipsters walking by our house on a sunny October afternoon. Two girls had heard her crying from underneath the base of the street light on the corner of 95th and our street. She was very skinny and very frightened. We gave them a box and they continued door to door to see if they could find her owners. Well, an hour later, she was ours and no longer homeless.

She hid underneath a chair for her first afternoon here and wouldn't let us touch her. She ate and drank and watched us. She played with her new tickle feather toy, but wouldn't let us get too close. By evening she was out of hiding and found affection with Greta. She watched Greta play games and read books on the ipad and inched closer and closer to her. And, then she was in Greta's arms and has been ever since. She pearls (purrs). She loves Greta and Jack and now, 2 weeks since our meeting she is right at home and we love her so. Welcome home little Mim!

Greta named her Mimsy. It made us laugh when she suggested it. She said, "I just made up that name!" I think it fits her perfectly....But, Jack on the other hand, insists that her name is Mimsy Alice. Alice is his contribution. I have no idea why. Dat a nice name.

We are making room for Mimsy. As I type this, Derek is cutting a little cat door in the playroom so Mimsy can take care of all her kitty needs in private. Currently her kitty box is in the hall bathroom and Jack said, "Dat tinks, bleh. Dat not go in here." I had to laugh at him. Jack has a sensitivity to smells but a soft spot for her other attributes. He sings her lullabies. He said, "Mamma, you sing her babymine, ok?"

I think she will find herself loved here. I am so glad she made it from such a dangerous situation near a very busy street and also with a red tailed hawk on our block...Derek says she reminds him of Jude. I think she was meant to find us.

Falling

Greta and Jack and I have spent a lot of time outside in the warm sunshine this October. The leaves have smelled so sweet to me. I take the ipad and set Pandora to Halloween Party and we let our imaginations run. Sometimes I just sit and watch them and listen while I scan through Pinterest. Sometimes I let my imagination run with them. We have lost almost all of our summer sand from the sand box as it has found its way to our wild, overgrown garden restaurant by sloppy waiters. Perfect timing. Soon we will be serving snow cones, anyway.

But today we camped out beside our pretend campfire. Leaves make great pillows and sleeping bags sleep two if you don't snore.

On this Eve of Halloween

Greta and Jack have wishes for a frightfully delightful time. We have been filling our days with spooky treats. October has ended too soon. I think it is our favorite. Our pumpkins are carved and smiling, too.

Greta and Jack watch The Nightmare Before Christmas every day while we eat lunch. They sing the songs and what a hoot it is to hear our own Jack sing, "someting wong wit Jack..." and "Making brekfast.." This is Greta's artwork of her favorite characters, Sally and Jack.

The kids have two spooky Halloween boxes that creak and squeak and moan when opened. They are filled with treats every morning for a week leading up to Halloween....And no rocks. We have had a really good time treating the kids to Jack-o-lantern donuts, and spooky little things from the craft store. Greta and Jack are great at making monsters and love putting little black spiders in the corners of my bedroom to scare me. It's all fun and games until one shows up in your bed...

Happy happy Halloween!

Littlest Ballerina

A little curtsy. She hopes you enjoyed her show.

Greta is enrolled in ballet and tap again this year and we think her class is the most adorable little group of girls in tights. They are so sweet and are doing so well. Swan Lake is in their future. Every few weeks the studio offers a "sit in" for parents to watch and take pictures. I love the organized chaos of the sweeties. I love to watch them all watch themselves in the big mirror and be so excited that their moms and dads are there. Greta kept making hilarious faces and some kind of gorilla/ monkey arm thing. I am so proud.

Let's Go on a Train Ride

Just because it was such a pretty day...

Not sure yet which side of the tracks they prefer.

The tunnel of love!

Look at us! We're on a train!

Go to the light.

Pile of gravel.

Top of the pile of gravel.

Someone said cupcake.

The anticipation is mounting.

The wind was working against us, but we are handy.

Does Greta approve?

Hobo breakfast.

Hobo breakfast. Happy birthday Jack!

They're 2, they're 4, they're 6, they're 8....

Jack is 3! There was no party better suited to him than a train party. We had a hobo breakfast at the KCNRR and rode the train on a gorgeous October morning. Jack picked out his overalls and hat and smiled the whole time. He knew it was for him and he felt so special to be 3...finally!

It really was such a beautiful day and the park is so open and sunny. The train runs in a large circle, through a dark tunnel and over a bridge. It crosses a road and has a signal to make it official. The train is operated by 3 old grandpas that get such a kick out of the kids. It is quite an event for everyone.

I made egg foo casserole, fruit salad, and mini cinnamon rolls iced with cream cheese frosting. We picked up dozens of chocolate sprinkle donuts from Krispy Kreme and had steaming coffee and "Diesel Fuel" punch. The kids wore engineer hats and handkerchiefs and each got a hobo blanket to sit on while downing donuts. We sang happy birthday to Jack and had vanilla bean cupcakes with light blue butter cream frosting and red sugar sprinkled on top.

The kids all sat on a blanket in the sunshine and unwrapped gifts and begged to play with them. We rode the train over and over again and then chuffed home for naps and left over donuts. Greta and Jack love the train and have been a few times before this party. In the tunnel they like to scream. Don't say I didn't warn ya!

Yay 3! Happy Birthday to Jack Jack! I wish him back all the joy he has given us. He is a wonder and makes this world brighter....So smart and so generous. Jack lives to make everyone smile. He is tidy and organized - everything must be just so. Jack knows he has cool hair and a killer smile. Jack rocks. His favorite colors are blue and green. He is begging for a bright green bedroom. He loves to eat chocolate sprinkle donuts, Jelly Bellies, pepperoni pizza, and salad. He loves lemonade and Shatto chocolate milk. Jack is sensitive to smells and makes the most hilarious faces accordingly. After bedtime he often calls me or Derek to his room to tell us, "Someone tooted in my room. It tinks. (he fans his nose.)" Jack, you are our boy! After bedtime he also sleeps with a flash light and from the crack under the door I watch the beam of light move around the room as he looks for monsters. He naps like a champ and wakes up smelling sweet with awesome bed head and ready to eat jelly beans. He loves his Papa and asks me often to go visit him. They are connected. He hangs by Papa's chair and rubs his leg. He begs candy off of Papa, too, and Papa loves every minute of it. Jack stretches on his tippy tippy toes to kiss Papa's cheeks and he makes me melt because he is so sweet. We love our Jack and can't believe 3 is here already!

The Worm is Hers

Derek took this little picture the other morning before we started our day at Preschool. I think Greta looks like a little girl now, growing up and becoming her own little person more than ever. She has a lot of passion for the arts. I told Derek that I wouldn't be surprised if she was artistic like he is or musical like me, but she tends to excel in both. I feel so proud and so amazed. I feel a sense of responsibility to nurture her gifts and guide her with them. I let her stay awake after tucking her into bed and draw on her magna-doodle and she draws the most detailed doodles! She is also writing words and copying text from books. She fixates on it, and is so proud to show me what she writes. She calls me up to her room and says, "Are you not impressed?" She wakes at 4 am singing. This, I am not feeling as keen about, but who can blame me. She is sweet and caring and loving. She is driven and serious about these things that motivate her. She tries to dance on her toes and twirls and twirls. She has written songs and performed them for her class. She puts a song in my heart.....starting at 4 am, that early bird.