Requiem for a Nanny

2009 has been a difficult year for the Newman side of the family. With January came the passing of an Uncle who spent more time than any of us knew battling cancer. April came quickly after when on the 10th day, a Great Aunt - Auntie - left us after more than 100 years. The summer came and we started to heal. Ivy turned 1 and Bryce turned 3. Lots of firsts - walking and talking; more of the same - golf in the yard, tricycle riding, and too many cookies. Things were getting better. Then August came...and Nanny went. A car accident was the terribly tragic end to more than 95 years of life...not fair.

I'd like to think that there wasn't anything she loved more than us, her grandchildren...but that would be a lie. Her Great Grand Children brought more joy than a fresh bakery roll covered with fresh tomato and nice piece of American cheese. I'm told it took several days for the smile to go away from our last visit at the park in Waco earlier this summer. ...A gift I'm glad we were able to give her. And for Nanny...who was always quick with a quarter for the toy machine at the grocery store, or a bakery fresh cookie, or even a crisp $20 bill...her last gift to us (and our kids) will be something we can cherish for a lifetime.

So with our new piano so elegantly displayed, I'm thrilled to have music brought in to our house (although not as excited as Bryce was when the 'packer' truck showed up to deliver it). But more than that, I'm glad that we'll have something we can look at, and listen to, that reminds us of her.

With much love...

Hook'em Horns

Our friends Kyle and Missy were in town so we met up with them at their tailgate before the Texas football game. It was great to see them and meet their 2nd child, Kendall. The kids have never been to a tailgate and Bryce was very excited to go see some football. We didn't explain that he would not be attending the game and he didn't seem to notice once he saw all the food and activity at the tailgate. It was more than a little crazy trying to park and get to the tailgate. With 100,000 people attending the game and probably another 200,000 tailgating, it took a while to find a place to park. We had to walk a long way but we had the jogging stroller so it wasn't terrible.

Bryce wandered around with Russell to check out other people's set ups and then he and Ivy proceeded to eat everything they could get their hands on. When Bryce was stuffed he announced that it was time to go. Perfect timing, we headed back to the car and made it home in time for Russell to watch the start of the game.

L'Shana Tova

We had our own Rosh Hashana service on Friday. Paige made a nice dinner and we lit candles and said prayers. Bryce was anxious to sing happy birthday and blow out the candles since he saw that Paige had also made a (honey) cake for dessert. Apparently 'honey cake' is the Jewish equivalent of Christmas Fruitcake...personally I think it gets a bad rap since ours was delicious. We even had an authentic blowing of the shofar thanks to YouTube (and Uncle Arnold's email). Happy New Year!

Bugville

For Bryce's birthday one of his friends got him Bugville. Instead of digging in the dirt to find caterpillars, you send away for them...much neater. They arrive in a little container where they live for several days until they cocoon and then turn in to butterflies. Bryce anxiously watch them make their way to the roof of the container (although he kept his distance so they didn't bite...do caterpillars bite?). Once they formed their cocoons, every day we checked to see if there was a butterfly...and then all of a sudden...THERE WAS!!!! We hatched 5 butterflies. They lived in their cage, but after a day we set them free. One was smart enough to stick around since we kept providing food and water. We'll see when and if he joins his friends. I think for his next brithday he's ready to graduate to GrizzlyBearVille.

Finger painting

Bryce wanted to paint today and Ivy didn't want to miss an opportunity to get messy. This was her first time to try it. She quickly smeared paint all over her paper and then got an evil glint in her eye as she looked around for other things to get paint on. Bryce tried to teach her how to keep paint on her OWN paper but she just wasn't listening. Luckily this project was started right before bath time so the damage was cleaned up quickly.

Also-you may notice Ivy in pigtails. Her hair is always falling in her eyes and she started pulling out her bows so I gave piggies a try. The first time I did it was Saturday. Her her was styled before Bryce woke up. When we he woke up and first saw Ivy he looked at her strangely and then asked "Mommy, where's Ivy?" He didn't recognize her...too funny!

Tot Shabbat

We are going to try to go to Tot Shabbat at the Temple on a more regular basis this year. We went once last year and Bryce was nervous and we didn't make it through the whole program. One year makes a big difference...Today was all about Rosh Hashonah and the kids had so much fun. They sat on the steps of the bima while the rabbi led everyone in songs. I was worried when the rabbi opened the ark to take out the Torah that Ivy would wander in and touch things. She was very respectful and didn't do that but another kid did. We were model participants :) Both enjoyed the rabbi's blowing of the shofar and the "sermon" since a cookie monster puppet helped explain the importance of Rosh Hashonah. Afterward Bryce made a challah cover using apples for stamps and the kids loved the apples and honey snack. I didn't think to bring the camera so here are some not too good shots from Russell's phone.

Also-Ivy had her 15 month checkup this week. Miss Personality loved "talking" to the doctor and got a good report. She is 20.6 lbs (10%) and 29.25" (25%). This is where she has been the whole time so that means that she's growing consistently.

Back to School

Bryce went back to his nursery school today. He is going 3 days a week this year and was pretty excited to go. Last year the first couple days were tough on him so I was relieved that he was looking forward to class. My pictures are terrible. He was much happier than I could capture...

Ivy also had a great day. We are doing a gymnastics class and she loves it. Today the teacher asked if Ivy would like to do a forward roll. Ivy grinned and climbed up on the mat. Sarah started ti put Ivy into position and before you could spot her she did her perfect roll. Sarah and I were very impressed. She loves flipping off the furniture at home so I'm glad we have a nice safe place to let her experiment...

The Bust Out

I harken back to a simpler time. A time where we would put our children in their beds, and they would stay there. As Edith and Archie would say..."those were the days!" Well, not so much any more. One of our small children...the one who sleeps in a bed and is not guarded by four slatted walls...feels that bed time is merely a suggestion, and not a requirement. He has developed a sneaky little habit we like to call the "bust out".

As implied by the name, anywhere from 10 seconds to an hour after he gets in bed we hear the slow turning of the handle; the slight creak of the door; and then the all to familiar giggle/snort or faint call of "mommy" or "daddy" (although that's only if no one has spotted him immediately upon his escape). And while this is common place most evenings...sometimes several times per night, I do think our favorite is when on a Friday night, Paige and I are in the media room watching a movie and we here a soft tap tap tapping on our door. It's hard to get mad...it's even harder to keep a straight face because it's so cute when he gives you that "I just did something I'm not supposed but I know you think it's funny and you're not going to yell at me Smile." You can't fully appreciate the silliness until you see it live, but I managed to film the escape one evening just to give you a taste...Enjoy.

Woot there it is...

Woot the hell is woot? Well, apparently it's a website where every day they post a deal and you can take it or leave it. You know, the kind of deal that could bankrupt you based on how much money you're saving? Sure, maybe you didn't need a canine rectal thermometer that has a blacklight on the other end, but it was so cheap how could you pass it up?

Well, thankfully...on occasion there is something worth while. In this case, one evening in between beating my father and her sisters in Facebook Scrabble, Barbara saw something she thought was too good to pass up...a Thomas the Train Engine Set. So...it showed up today and Josie didn't even have time to maul the FedEx man before Bryce had the package open.

He didn't think Paige was doing a very good job putting it together, so he took over reading the instrcutions...
And before you know it...he and Thomas and Stanley were off to play


Thanks Pops and Barbara!!!

Family gathering

What would a weekend be without a trip to my parents? This weekend was special because my grandparents, Aunt Barbara and Uncle Arnold, and Aunt Carol, Uncle Philip and cousin Mandy were all out for lunch. Bryce is getting over the croup and Ivy was coming down with it. Slightly sick kids make for calm well behaved kids. Everyone had a great time.

Dresses

We had friends over for dinner on Saturday and Ivy and I thought we would wear cute summer dresses. She looked so pretty we had to take a picture. Bryce was equally cute but too busy trying to take his own pictures with another camera that he would stand still long enough to pose.

Splash Party

We had the kids party in the backyard on Saturday. Bryce was excited and kept saying "after nap, splash party"...well nap only lasted about 4 minutes but he stayed happy all afternoon so it didn't really matter. Big thanks to everyone who came and also to my parents who took us out to dinner afterward.

Walk this way

Well...we knew the day was coming. Ivy's been thinking about walking since the spring. Once she saw this big kid running and jumping around the house she knew she was all about it. Unfortunately for her, I think her focus was backwards as she seemed to focus heavily on trying to jump before she could actually walk. I think she's since realized a more balanced training program consisting of both power walking and her plyometric jumping would ultimately lead to more core strength and better results. I'm glad she's finally figured this out because the cost of PowerBars and Energy drinks was about to bankrupt us. We've already missed the deadline for the 2009 Chicago Marathon so she'll have to wait another year for her Boston Marathon qualifying time in the under 3 group...in the meantime...she'll work on more gracefully exiting the couch after she's climbed on top and not getting herself stuck on top of the play table.

Happy Birthday Bryce!

Bryce is 3 today! He celebrated with Gabby. She came to gymnastics and then took us out for lunch. His party is this weekend. My kids love celebrating birthdays over as many days as possible...
Ms. Sarah sang happy birthday

Bear walk on the bars

On the beam

Milkshakes!

Party

We went to my parents' today to celebrate Uncle Mark's birthday, Mimi & Papa's anniversary, and the sale of my grandparents' lake house. Bryce loved yo-yoing with Uncle Arnold, singing with Papa, and digging with Jack. Ivy alternated between chasing the dogs and letting people hold her. She is going through a cute phase where she wants everyone around her to hold her. Big thanks to all the family for stuffing the kids full of pizza and cookies and making sure they passed out on the way home.

Dentist

I took Bryce to the dentist on Monday for his 1st checkup. I was trying to keep the whole thing low key so I didn't take a camera. Apparently I'm the only parent in the world who doesn't come prepared because the hygienist asked if I wanted to take pictures and then looked at me funny when I said no.

Bryce did great. He hopped in the chair, sat still for a cleaning and even took x-rays. I couldn't believe how he maturely he handled the experience. He was very proud of himself and came home to tell Russell that he had no cavities. He has no idea what cavities are but he knows that he doesn't want them. Good thing we didn't take Ivy, she's been biting lately...

Trip to the beach

My grandmother was nice enough to let us borrow her condo in Port Aransas for a long weekend. I went there as a kid and was so excited to take my kids. We all had a such a good time. Bryce loved all of the digging in the sand and Ivy loved the ocean waves. My parents did a great job entertaining the kids and it was great to have Dede come visit us there. One of our best trips ever!

More Family Fun

Russell's mom and stepdad came to spend the weekend with us. It is hot here so we tried to plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities. We took the gang to the farmer's market and LBJ library and spent a lot of time playing at home.

A Girl's Birthday Wish...Waco

Ivy woke up today and said, "Da...dada...Ma..da...deg" which translates to, "Hey, you tall people, I'd really like to continue my birthday week with a trip to the doctor so they can jab me with some needles and then pile in the car and head up to Waco for the afternoon." So...who are we to disagree?

Ivy had her 1 year checkup and weighed in at a slender 18 lbs 1 oz and 27.5 inches. She's still in the 10th percentile, but the doctor said that 10 is the new 90 so Ivy feels well ahead of the curve on that. She did get some shots, but a bouncy ball and a band aid helped to fix the water works pretty quickly.

After that...we hopped in the car and headed to....(drumroll please) Waco.

My Grandmother (Nanny) and Aunt Dot were visiting my cousin Hilary in Dallas. Nanny wanted to see the kids so we agreed to meet in the middle. We went to Cameron Park (in Waco) and had a picnic. Bryce loved playing with his cousin Morgan and Morgan enjoyed have a(nother) boy to boss around. They were fast friends and they were pretty cute running around together.

and Ivy had fun entertaining new people.

After a hot day running around and playing it was back home for some pizza (on the way home, Bryce announces "Hey Russell (he calls me Russell), I think maybe pizza for dinner." Great idea...so that's what we did. Glad we got up to see some family...we always say we'll do it more...hopefully this year we mean it :)

Ivy's 1st Birthday!

We will be celebrating Ivy's birthday along with Bryce's in July. They have the same friends, 2 parties seemed silly. Apparently no one thinks that was a good idea except for me so Ivy will be celebrating almost daily for the next 60 days :) We started off with a family dinner on Sunday. Russell is traveling today so he was going to miss the actual day. He missed her birth too so I feel like a trend is starting here...

My mom and grandparents came in today and we sang and ate cupcakes. Bryce is loving all the parties!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms that read our blog. We're having a great day. Took the kids for a run this morning and then it was off to swim and picnic at the pool. By the time we left Bryce was doing all the stuff he did last summer. We start swim lessons in June so hopefully he will learn some new skills. Ivy took to the pool like she does everything, follows after Bryce with no fear. We're going out for pizza to complete a great day!

Sweet Berry Farm

We met the Gray family for strawberry picking at a farm about an hour from here. The kids had so much fun! Bryce loved patting the goats, picking and eating the strawberries and digging for potatoes. A picnic and a homemade strawberry popsicle rounded out the perfect day.

Apple dessert?

Dinner...check. Playtime...check. Bath...check. PJ's...check. Apple desert...huh?! One of these things is not like the others. On a normal night, we eat dinner, play for a bit, take baths, and maybe have a snack. Usually this is something nutritious like an apple or raisins...sometimes we get crazy and have pudding or ice cream (usually before bath). The other night, about the time where either Paige or I would head downstairs for a "fresh apple" as Bryce calls it...he announced his desire for "apple dessert". "Oh, Bryce...you want an apple for desert?" "NNNNOOOOO!!!!" Bryce replied..."I want apple dessert!!!" Hmmmm...isn't this a quandary? What the hell is apple desert? Have we had this before? Does he think he means apple pie? Does he mean a turkey sandwich? The line of questioning to investigate went something like this:

Paige: Bryce did Mommy make this for you before?
Bryce: No...yeah
Paige: Did Mommy get it from the fridge or the pantry?
Bryce: Yeah
Paige: Did Mommy get it from the fridge?
Bryce: No...the pantry
Paige: Mommy got it from the pantry?
Bryce: No...the fridge
Paige: Did you eat it with a spoon?
Bryce: No...the pantry?
Paige: It came from the pantry?
Bryce: A spoon...and a plate
Paige: Ok...I'll make it...just how you like it
Bryce: NOOOOO....yeah!!!!!

Paige then exits the room. Bryce (and Daddy quite honestly) watch as Paige whirls around the kitchen cutting, slicing, microwaving, toasting...I think I even saw a Bunsen burner and a few test tubes come in to the equation. She was either making dessert or doing some kind of science experiment for the North Koreans. A few minutes later Paige bursts in to the play room holding...what else....Apple Dessert (coming to a Friday's menu near you). At that moment we exchanged a look that I'm sure all parents have in their arsenal. Without saying a word...the exchange went like this:

Me: WTF?
Paige: I have no idea, but he's buying it...so just roll with it
Me: Got it...but really...WTF?
Paige: Who cares...he's eating it
Me: True...nice job

And there you have it...one apple dessert. The best I could tell before Bryce inhaled it...it did involve some kind of apple product, but quite honestly...it was gone before I could get a good look.