Cookie Monster look sad/perplexed?
2007 @ Sesame Place – Meeting the Characters seemed like a good idea at the time…
The actor in the costume does a really good job
Archive for September, 2008
Photos from vacay
We made it home. The leaves are already changing. There was a frost warning, and our sitter who was watching the cats moved our tomato plants under the eaves. We still lost most of them. I am not too sad though. 12 tomato plants is just too many. The container gardening on the deck went better than I expected. Next year we will branch out to some other veggies.
We had a lovely week, Bean held it together really well. One meltdown due to a missed snack, but otherwise everything was perfect. The weather was great with the exception of our last day. It was just too windy to go to the beach, but the pool is sheltered and heated, so we spent the day there instead.
And she's off
Loving rolling in the waves, rolling in the sand
The jeans were not on much longer. Fortunately we were pretty much alone
2 seconds before I had to go fetch the kite from the fence
She will be getting one of these for her birthday
Sunset view from the roof deck
I love NJ
I permanently moved to NY 11.5 years ago (did I mention I am getting old?) – we lived in apartment in the (ahem) city we work in for awhile, then we bought our lovely home 9 months before we were married. I have established myself in my professional, volunteer and personal lives in NY. I adore my home, I love the little town we live in – even more now that a mom and pop place opened in the “*Town* Proper” that serves an excellent diner style breakfast. The breakfast makes my Jersey girl heart sing.
We vacation with H’s parents in NJ. I love this state. When we cross the border, be it on 80 or 78, I feel a little flutter in my chest. I love to drive here because you actually have to think about what you are doing every now and then. I love to shop here, and nearly bought a t-shirt that says “Jersey girls do not pump their own gas” . I also love to walk here – always somewhere new to see, eat here – diners, diners everywhere, and even stop at rest stops along the Parkway. NY has throughways all over the state, with all kinds of employees working at them. I have never had an employee at a NY rest stop show me where the family (read: spacious and relatively clean) restroom was. It happened twice in NJ between Perth Amboy and our vacation spot.
If anything ever happens to my job, or H’s job we are hightailing it back here. Insane cost of living be damned. This state rocks. Even if you have to go right to turn left, almost all the time.
Now, where is that Bon Jovi CD?
Finally
We are here.
Peace and Quiet
After an amazingly good ~6.5 hour drive we are here. Thankfully we only had 4-5 rounds of everyone’s favorite “when will we be at the beach?” game. After we arrived and got the perishables in the fridge, we hit the beach, swam in the pool, warmed up in the hot tub and had a yummy grilled dinner. Here’s to six more days of the same.
First day of preschool, year 2
Everything went so well! Not a tear was shed. No clingyness. I could not be more proud of her, and she was pretty proud of herself.
We had gone over (and over) how things were going to happen, and we had the dare I say good idea of putting a positive/reward spin on the fact that she would go to the before care program if things went well the first day. We got there the first day, and there was a minimal amount of existing chaos (she does not respond well to those kind of situations) but she changed her shoes turned around to give me a hug and a kiss. The look on her little face told me she was working hard to hold it together. And off she went.
When she got home that night I was treated to a 10 minute diatribe on everything she did that day, from the snack to the old friends to the new friends (Mommy – now I know THREE Sophias!) to the works she chose to when her sitter picked her up, etc. The whole thing culminated with “So do I get to go to (name of before care program) tomorrow?” Why yes little Bean, you do.
The difference between this year and last year is amazing. I do not know if it is maturity, familiarity with the process, or a combination. It is probably the combo option, but it is a great feeling, to see her take a deep breath and stride right into her classroom.
Note to Bean
When you begin protesting taking a nap at 10:15 in the AM, it is a pretty good indicator that, in fact, you do desperately need a nap.
Love, Mom
