The Next Weird Al?

Eeleeze Navi Don = Feliz Navidad
Suzie Snowflag = Suzie Snowflake

Ambivalent at the Tree Farm

What he was saying was "I Want a Puppy"

9 Months

In a few hours you will be 9 months old. This time has gone so much faster than with your brother, without the craziness of neurosurgery and novice parenting dragging things on, and with the manic whirlwind of two energetic boys in the house. You were a week early, so you've already spent more time here than protected in my womb, but 9 months is still bittersweet and exciting and wonderful.

Happy birthday, my little baby. My big boy.

Bath

Classy Child: A Play in One Scene

The scene: Sunday dinner. Harrison sorts green peas onto the table. Smushes a green pea with his thumb.

H: Look! I made a booger!

The end.

Rancher Segregationist

In his spare time, Harrison runs a segregated horse ranch. He doesn't look kindly on the orange horses mixing with the brown horses, or the black with the grey, etc.

That's What Tiggers Do Best

Harrison's new excuse for misbehavior:

"But that's what little boys do!"

Christmas Card Photo Outtake

Family Fun with PhotoBooth

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

My 2007 thankful list (in no particular order)

1. not having to worry, stress about/transport to, from/pay for child  care--thanks to my mother, who is an endlessly patient, giving, and loving coparent to our boys;

2. our public library system

3. fresh, local produce; farmers markets, and Hurd Orchards (especially our own red raspberries, which were amazing this year);

4. the previous owners of this house, who unwisely removed the beautiful (original?) wooden front storm door to our bungalow, but wisely stored it safe and sound in the attic;

5. living near the Genesee Riverway Trail and the Strong National Museum of Play;

6. Letchworth State Park, which always reminds me of my grandma;

7. Battlestar Galactica, because it is frackin awesome;

8. a healthy pregnancy, 5-hour natural labor, and 10 perfect fingers and toes;

9. nightly family dance parties in the living room and Harrison's slick moves;

1o. Everyday Food magazine, which saves me every Saturday when I'm planning my weekly menu, and Val and Tara for the annual gift subscription;

11. family walks and Harrison's collections of leaves, pine cones, and sticks

12. friends and family who can cook well and cook for me;

13. old house blogs, websites and the library's do-it-yourself books, and  a motivated husband

14. being able to share the journey of motherhood with my best girlfriends;

15. Harry Potter resolution--finally!

Parent Teacher Conference

We just had our first parent-teacher conference with Harrison's Montessori teacher. Oh my god.
Here's what Doug sent me as a follow up:

From: Douglas
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 12:13 PM
To: Sarah
Subject: harrison in future

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Genesee Riverway Trail

This is our favorite place in the neighborhood and just a 15 minute walk from our house (or 2 minutes by car with the kidlets)! 

Our usual sightings: turtles, ducks, a family of swans, blue heron, gulls, fish, cattails, lily pads, red-winged blackbirds, cyclists, motorboats, and kayakers. Harrison loves it!

On the Move

Brownie Points

The Scene: Me and Harrison. 4:15 Sunday in our kitchen. Making brownies. 

Me: These will be done in a half hour, but we need to wait until after dinner to eat them.

Harrison picks up and "reads" brownie mix box.

Him: Mommy, I read the box and the box says right here that you should eat these first and then dinner. 

_________

Crafty he is.

My Munchy Munch

Apple Picking in Massachusetts

Every October we take a drive out to Northampton Mass. to visit beloved Aunties Tara and Val. Last year we added apple picking to our itinerary, and this year had a great time as always. Griffin even got in on the action and tried to eat/take home a few handfuls of apple leaves!

Harrison loves visiting farms and farmer's markets. This fall he's been apple picking twice, took a visit to the pumpkin patch, and this summer we went picking twice at Hurd Orchards: once for raspberries, peaches, and blueberries, and once for blackberries. His pails always come back completely empty--my dad suggested that they should weigh him before and after.

He had a hard time picking out a pumpkin this year, as shown below. Every pumpkin was declared to be "too dirty."

Happy Halloween

The Griffman

I am obsessed with this child. I want to eat his adorable head.

The Bear Pillow

This is the pillow/comfort item that Harrison sleeps on every night.

Now, he's a sweaty kid and despite routine washings, the thing STINKS like dirty feet. You can see that the pillow has other issues: The stuffing is falling out the top, the corduroy wales are worn off in several spots, the right ear is mangled--It's generally a sorry sight.

But really, it's the smell that has lead us to conclude that the bear pillow's days are numbered. These are the memorial photos-doesn't Harrison look sad?

Rededicated

If I actually type these words out...these words here:

I am rededicating myself to this blog. I swear. Really.

...then I have no choice other than to be rededicated to the blog, right? Because if I say I am rededicating myself and then I don't, well, then that would make me a liar.

And I am no liar.

So what I'm going to do might largely be photobloggish, but I will try and write some captions or tidbits when I can.

What can I say? Life is busy and full with two kids and working full time, and that's that! There's little time for blogging.

Here are the boys. Do you think Harrison's hair looks like a mushroom? I cut the bangs myself. Mom jeans--here I come!

I am not a photo blog. I am not a photo blog. I am not a photo blog. I am not a ph

Retitled

...and then there were two:

birth-

two weeks-

eight weeks-

Record Player

Hi, Ya'll! I'm not dead, just busy and preoccupied!
Here's an email exchange my sister and I just had:

Sarah:
Doug reports that this morning in the car Harrison said, "Daddy, set up the iPod." because he wanted to hear a certain song. [The Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Song by the Flaming Lips.] HAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH

Val:
"Set up the iPod!" What?!?! In our day, it was, "Sarah, sing Madonna songs until dad yells at us to shut up!"
______

Val is talking about this game we used to play on car trips--car trips with sticky vinyl seats, no air conditioning, FM radio, and endless AM sports play-by-plays emanating from the front seat. We called this game "Record Player." I would sit with both of my arms in from of me, crooked at elbow so they formed a U shape. Val would request a song, I would do a jukebox, record-dropping impression, and start singing.

We were very creative, but my Dad was not impressed.

______

Harrison's favorite demands are Weezer, The Flaming Lips, The Beatles, and Islands. Yesterday, Doug turned him on to The Butthole Surfers.

He has better taste than we ever did.

Image: Val, this one's for you.

NovDec06 079-1
Originally uploaded by Hoops2.

"I want to read the newspaper on the potty like Grandpa."