Greetings from NY

2011-10-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

2011-09-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

Catchin' up

2011-06-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

2011-05-04T18:32:00.000-07:00

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T12:44:00.001-07:00

2011-04-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

2011-04-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

2011-04-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

2011-04-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

2011-02-27T15:04:00.000-08:00

Thomas James

2011-02-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

The floating head of death..

2011-02-13T10:28:00.001-08:00

There is a Far Side Cartoon from years ago that I really liked. It was some parents threatening a child to behave or else the "Floating head of Death" would come to visit. Outside the child's window was a balloon with a scary looking face. I should scan it, but I am lazy. Lately we have had our own.

Oma gave Katie some balloons from a New Year's party, and they are still floating away somehow. In the last couple of days, a couple of them hover around. We watched one go across the room and then down the hall into the kitchen. It hovers about shoulder height.

Mike woke up the other morning, and the balloon was right over him in bed. So the balloon had independently ventured up the steps, turned a corner, and settled right down near him. Pretty freaky! It was next to me this morning, although Mike admitted manipulating the balloon. So when you come to visit, a shadowy figure may quietly float up right next to you. Do not be afraid.

Snow sports

2011-01-03T10:53:00.000-08:00

Katie has progressed to manning the sled herself. Our snowman collapsed after a couple of mild days, and Katie points at it and says, "Snowman fell down, Snowman crying".

Gunde Part 2

2011-01-03T10:51:00.001-08:00

So I was watching a Olympic documentary last night, and I could have sworn the man they were featuring was named Gunde. We looked it up, and apparently my hearing is still pretty good. Now we do not have to think of a boy's name! We also spelled it correctly.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunde_Svan

2010-12-25T20:25:00.000-08:00

Deckin' the Halls...

2010-12-12T11:01:00.001-08:00

We need a little Christmas...

2010-12-11T18:41:00.001-08:00

I am determined to get Christmas planning over with this weekend. We decked the

halls today since it was a lot warmer than it has been. We put up our first ourdoor light display, and it looks pretty good considering our lack of planning! Tree is up, and Katie helped put on a couple of ornaments. Just want to get the big stuff out of the way while I can still move!

Gunde

2010-11-30T18:35:00.001-08:00

Feminist

2010-11-14T09:22:00.000-08:00

I have noticed a pattern while ferrying Mike to and from the train station. Apparently Mike is supposed to drive the car to the station in the morning, and then I switch to the driver's seat when he gets out to wait for the train. This is reversed during the pick-up. I just do not understand why the husbands drive when they are just going to jump out of the car. Are there more treacherous roads on the way to the station that the wives are not capable of negotiating? I just think it is weird. Is is supposed to be chivalrous? Who knows.

2010-11-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

Halloween

2010-11-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

Tricks and Treats

2010-10-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

Last year we were not home on Halloween, so we left a bowl of candy on our porch. When we got back home, it looked untouched. This year we did the same since we went to Mike's parents house. I filled up a plastic pumpkin and attached a sign that said "HAPPY HALLOWEEN". Mike then decided to add a small sign that said, "Take some" to prevent any confusion. When we got home at 10, the pumpkin and the candy were gone. All that remained was Mike's little sign that said, "Take some".

Pumpkins and Potties

2010-10-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

Katie's new favorite book revolves around potty training. She wants to read it at least 10 times a day, but she was not showing much more interest in actually going to the potty.

I think the book could use a little work. See if you can finish this rhyme correctly...

"Off goes my diaper, Teddy sits on my lap, I wait a bit, I look inside, and then _______________________________________________________

The line is the book is then I laugh and clap. I do not know what you were thinking!

Last night during the pumpkin carving (done by the one most resembling a pumpkin right now), Katie decided she wanted to use the potty. She actually peed in the potty which was a miracle. I am sure it will not happen again for months, but maybe the book is paying off.

She also likes her new legos, and is very proud of the tower she built! She is not the only one having fun with them.

She likes to make the face the pumpkin has. We were going for suprised, but that was suprisingly difficult to achieve. I think it looks scared.

Green Eggs and ....

2010-10-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

Katie's current favorite book is Green Eggs and Ham. She says, "Ham" when she wants us to read it. She has quite a reaction when the grumpy character tries the Green Eggs and Ham and actually likes it.

Fall Fun

2010-09-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it is finally not brutally hot everyday, and we have been taking advantage. Katie got some new striped PJs that she was really excited to talk about. She picked them out and liked the stripes. She woke up in the morning saying "stripes".

2010-09-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

2010-08-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

Update

2010-08-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

Katie suddenly likes yogurt (only strawberry so far). She also enjoys disco dancing in my socks!

The rebirth of Suess

2010-07-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

I am sure most are familiar with our plant (although mostly Mike's baby), Dr. Suess. When my family was in town, I made Mike put him outside since he is huge and takes up half a room. I felt terrible when we forgot about him, and he ended up getting frozen one night. Mike moved him back in, and I have been looking at that dead plant for months. I know Mike does not like to give up on dead plants (sound familiar Coleman?). I glanced at it tonight, thinking it was time to say goodbye, and I noticed this phoenix rising up from the ashes. So Mike's persistance paid off.

2010-07-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

2010-07-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

Somebody digs her wagon! Who knew running down a hill could be amazing entertainment and keep Mike in shape?

2010-07-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

2010-06-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

Katie had so much fun playing with Stephanie!

Talkin' bout my generation...

2010-06-23T05:09:00.001-07:00

So we were at the beach the other day, and sitting on the bench people watching. There were all of the stereotypical muscle dudes with a ton of tattoos hanging out down on the beach. Then this observation came out of Mike's mouth, "When do a pair of shorts turn into Coolots?" I have not heard anyone utter "coolots" since about 1980, but he was right. Their shorts were more of the capri length.

Father's Day

2010-06-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

Kuni had a fun Father's day at the German Club. She was a trooper in the heat, and she enjoyed making lots of friends and trying out wandering around in a big place!

Bummer

2010-06-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

This is the Fowler-Hilliard Hut, and I just found out it burned to the ground last fall! Of course it was through an email from the hut association that was soliciting donations to rebuild.

BB

2010-06-07T08:23:00.001-07:00

All I have to say is HOLY $%^$#&#%*#@##!!

2010-06-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

Who Cares?

2010-05-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

Last night Mike came across a show that was examining how to have sex in space. Apparently some scientists have spent a fair amount of time trying to think of ways to make it happen. It seems that the lack of gravity gets in the way. Maybe that's nature's way of preventing your space station mates from needing to "get a room".

BB 2

2010-05-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

So A+K if you saw the episode last night, did A have a new type of nightmare? I think the opening and closing scene were foreshadowing too.

Saturday Fun

2010-05-16T05:47:00.000-07:00

I have a feeling I know what Katie will want to do at Oma and Grandpa's house from now on! I love how proud of herself she looks in the blurry walking pictures!

Oma of the Year

2010-05-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

Oma held Katie for a nap in her arms for 2 hours today. Now that is the royal treatment, and hopefully she can feel her arms again soon.

The director

2010-05-05T08:47:00.001-07:00

I have been finally weaning Kuni, and Mike has been putting her to bed the last couple of nights. She directs him first to get the boppy pillow, then points at the light so he turns it off, and then she snuggles with him in the nursing position to relax for bed. She knows what she wants for sure!

Lazy Weekend

2010-05-02T17:47:00.000-07:00

We had beach weather this weekend, so we were not productive at all. Who cares when there is fun to be had by all! She has been really loving the beach. She has a grand ole' time playing with the sand and watching all of the action. She is getting to the age when she is going to be dirty every day.

This morning

2010-04-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

Katie is starting to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" by herself, and it is cute (got a picture of it!). She is loving pushing her stroller base around, and it is only a matter of time until her first steps. She is so proud of herself walking around and pushing the stroller!

Breaking Bad

2010-04-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

A+K
Did you watch it last night? Mike has a prediction for the season, but I will not post it in case you are waiting to watch the latest. Those new brothers are so spooky.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-breakingbad-20100416,0,1023342.story

Zoo!

2010-04-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

2010-04-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

2010-04-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

She looks like a picture of sunshine eh? But it is now time for tough love and finally teaching her to sleep on her own. Party time! I am running on empty.

Easter and Playtime!

2010-04-04T20:26:00.001-07:00

Kuni has mastered getting into and emptying her entire toybox. It is her new past-time. We had a quiet, but pleasant Easter weekend with agreeable weather.

Scary

2010-04-02T04:31:00.000-07:00

Kuni has been playing with the TV remote for months. One of the buttons lights up when she pushes it, and she used to love to gnaw on it. Her new method of playing with it now is to push a button, lift it in the air, and point it at the TV. Holy Crap, time to throw out the TV!

Tourists

2010-03-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

One!

2010-03-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

Specially Equipped

2010-03-17T04:32:00.000-07:00

I treat in a hotel pool, and it was really crowded on Monday since there were about 100,000 without power just in Westchester county alone. What is there to do when school is out and you are staying in a hotel with your family? You guessed it, you descend on the pool. I keep all my pool toys in a crate, and I minimized what I normally carry in there. I still does not stop kids and adults alike from ransacking my stuff. I have to keep getting it all back. If there is a couple of kids in there when I am treating, I usually share my toys. I just do not share when there is like 20 kids, otherwise my crate will end up empty. As I got my stuff back from this one group of kids, I told this boy nicely that it was "my equipment". Later as I retrieved an item out of my crate, the same boy said "excuse me, a rubber ducky is not equipment".

2010-03-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

2010-02-27T12:53:00.000-08:00

My Stalker

2010-02-27T12:47:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, Mike was at the gym around closing time. It was just him and a few twenty-something girls standing in the hall putting on their coats. The girls were wanting one of their friends to dance, and she responded, "I can not dance with all those stalker types hanging around". Mind you, Mike was the only person anywhere near these girls.

Flash forward to today. We went to Rockefeller to enjoy the 2 foot snowfall today, and we took turns with Kuni. When Mike was out skiing, he struck up a short conversation with a woman who was walking her dog. The woman initiated the exchange, and they did the usual "what kind of dog is that?" and "Is your dog friendly?" discussions. When Mike skied away, he said the usual "See you later". Then he heard the woman say softly, "I would not count on that".

For Mensa Members Only

2010-02-26T09:59:00.001-08:00

Ready to play along? What is the symbol on the block in the top picture? If you answered, the letter "K" you are correct.

Now please identify the symbols on the same block pictured below.

RIP Frosty

2010-02-11T17:45:00.001-08:00

Mike built this snowman last night. He had a really hard time getting the second snowball off the ground and onto the base, but he managed somehow. We were out all day, and the last scene is what greeted us. I can not believe it was leaning at such an impossible angle without falling. He plans on fixing it tonight.

Snow Day

2010-02-11T04:06:00.000-08:00

Katie enjoyed her first walk in a bunch of snow. She watched the kids go sledding, and enjoyed the ducks!

2010-02-08T20:22:00.000-08:00

I discovered something new tonight. I was holding K and she was straining to poop. I then felt some warmth between us. Needless to say, it was a record setting, diaper exploding, result. Mike commented that she did a "big girl poop". Oh, they grow up so fast!

2010-02-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

Kuni's Doppelganger

2010-02-02T20:39:00.001-08:00

2010-01-27T04:41:00.000-08:00

What's cookin?

2010-01-21T20:46:00.001-08:00

So far, I think Katie may be a vegan. She has not really liked any meat or dairy foods we have introduced. She did enjoy tofu though. Her most violent reaction to any food so far has been to yoghurt. She actually shuddered when trying to eat a spoonful.

Sunday Night

2010-01-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

2010-01-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

I was watching the weather the other day, and they described the evening forcast as "unseasonably cold". Am I missing something? I think a cold night in January is seasonable, thank you very much!

Life is not fair

2010-01-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

Whenever Kuni says mama, she is always about to cry. Tonight she finally said Dada, and she was giggling and smiling!

Christmas and NYE

2010-01-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

Hootie

2009-12-23T04:29:00.000-08:00

Mike and I have been listening to an owl hooting at night. He is so loud we can hear him with our windows shut. I have always wanted to see an owl. Of course his name is Hootie. The other night he was singing away, and Mike went outside to take out the garbage. He looked up in our neighbor's tree after Hootie hooted loudly, and there he was sitting on a high branch! He is a great Horned owl and you could see his "ears" and everything. We watched him for several minutes, and then he swooped over the marsh.

Christmas in Dumont

2009-12-21T05:39:00.000-08:00

2009-12-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

Turkey Day

2009-11-26T20:08:00.000-08:00

2009-11-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

2009-11-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

Kuni is resourceful. She likes to chew on the strings to the hood on my sweatshirt. Tonight when I took it away from her, she immediately found the drawstring on my pants to chew.

She also developed a crazy new skill in the pool. She throws herself in the pool. In the swim class, they have us sit the babies on the wall, and they "jump" in (you leap them into the pool). When I threw the toy for her to get, she leaped in after it! Thank God I was right there. I tried it again, and she kept jumping into the pool. I guess it was not a fluke. Once she gets mobile, we will be in big trouble. She seems fearless.

2009-11-12T12:46:00.001-08:00

Yesh!

2009-11-03T19:34:00.000-08:00

Mike has been excited about this for a couple of months. He spotted the truck near his office, but had not gone yet. He heard it was popular and had huge lines. A few months ago it was mentioned in a Times article covering the street food awards. The other night while watching the World Series, an ad came on and the truck was featured in it. That got Mike motivated to finally try to visit for lunch. The truck was scheduled near his office for today, so he finally got the street food he was searching for all this time!

Spot the Kuni

2009-11-03T05:09:00.001-08:00

Trick or Treat

2009-11-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

2009-10-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

2009-10-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

2009-10-23T06:15:00.000-07:00

She may look like her Daddy, but she sleeps like Mommy.

2009-10-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

2009-10-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

Serenity

2009-10-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

Now that it is fall, the weather is the best of the year. Perfect for cool breezes through open windows and walking about town. Here is what really happens:
1. A different lawn crew daily revving their leaf blowers down our street (with a nice cloud of gas fumes!)
2. Beach improvements
The Playland beach has heavy equipment moving on it all day to restore the beach. They are also building a restaurant and repairing the pier out there. Today a tree right in the same area was being trimmed. That drowns out the sound of the waves and sea gulls.

I am also finding out that my front lawn is dangerous. Today was the second time I almost killed myself via an acorn.

2009-10-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

2009-09-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

Riddle

2009-09-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

Why do people think that you are available to provide detailed directions and answer questions when you are out for a jog or a bike ride? These old fogeys first honked right behind me today(startling me so much I flipped them off) and then cut me off with their car! All because they wanted to know how to get to the airport. They are lucky I am nice.

6 months!

2009-09-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

7 to 19 pounds and 18.5 to 25 inches!

2009-09-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

2009-09-17T12:00:00.001-07:00

Should I be concerned about Kuni's childcare?

Livin' the High Life!

2009-09-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

Kuni likes her high chair. All the pictures were blurry from her super motion!

2009-09-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

Feedin' time

2009-08-29T17:04:00.000-07:00

2009-08-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

2009-08-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

Got a good laugh from this thanks to Ellen

Clone

2009-08-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

Katie met her clone at the pool today. This little baby was a couple of months older, but she had the same color eyes and hair, the same hairline, and nearly the same birth weight. It was pretty funny seeing them together. They could have been related for sure. It did not take her long to meet her long lost twin!

Happy Birthday!

2009-08-18T13:31:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to W and Raymor!

Katie swim laugh

2009-08-17T12:34:00.001-07:00

Hangin' with the K

2009-08-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

We strolled around the town park and Playland on Friday night. There were bands playing before the fireworks on both sides of the boardwalk. I still have not seen the fireworks yet this summer. They conflict with bedtime.

She was pretty happy as you can see in the pics, but started spazzing out on our way back. We ended up carrying K for about a 1/2 mile home. I guess we pushed our luck and stayed too long.

We laid low the rest of the weekend with her. It was too hot. I plan on staying in today too. I may take her for a swim later today if it works out with her nap.