Sunday, May 31, 2009

Sidamo's first bike

Yes, it's pink. Yes, it's sparkly. Yes, it's awesome.





Neighborhood Picnic



Have I mentioned how much I love my local moms' group? It has connected us with so many incredible families, and it has given me such a feeling of roots in this community. It's also a powerful group that has effected real change in schools, business, politics, and the economy in our neighborhood—a true testament to the power of moms to drive their communities.

Today was the third annual picnic for the moms' group, and somewhere around 750 people were in attendance. It was such fun.












Monday, May 25, 2009

New York (a.k.a. the George and Sidamo Show)


A few weeks ago we went to New York for the week (can you see the Statue of Liberty behind us? She's the little pillar a few inches behind and to the left of Sidamo's head). I had to go for Mindful Mama reasons, and Greg and the kids joined for a little vacation. We stayed with my sister Meaghan and her family in their incredible Chelsea apartment, and the kids had a ball.


Sidamo and George have finally realized that they can actually be friends instead of just competitors for toys. Either that or they've carefully calculated just how much more mischief they can accomplish if they join forces.


Just as proof that we did bring Nora, here's my one picture of her from the entire trip.


It rained the whole time we were in New York, which is actually quite lovely when you're from arid climes like ours (though I feel kind of silly saying that today, three days into nonstop, torrential rains—unheard of in Colorado). Luckily I was able to find Sidamo the raingear of his dreams at Century 21:


And it was quite fitting, since the NYFD was the highlight of Sidamo's trip. One day while I was working, Greg and Meaghan took the boys to the park. As they were walking there, they passed a fire truck. The fireman, seeing the wonderment in George and Sidamo's eyes, invited them in. He even pulled out some helmets for them to wear and let them turn on the lights. Hea. Ven.


On the next block, and on top of the world, Sidamo saw a parked ambulance. He shouted, "I want to get in that one!" To which Greg replied, "Nice try buddy, but you can't just get in every emergency vehicle you pass." To which the ambulance driver replied, "I heard that. Get in!"


Seriously, he has reached his pinnacle. You might as well give up now, Damo, because it's not gonna get any better than this. The park lacked a certain luster after such adventure.


Another day they all went to the Natural History Museum while I worked.

It was all fun and games until Sidamo saw the whale, and then the joke was over. I think his fear of underwater creatures might trace back to the 3D Under the Sea movie Greg took him to a few months ago. Or it could just be that whales are freaking huge.


A wonderful trip all around. Lots of good work done, and lots of good family and friend time to boot. We often come home from our New York trips thinking, "Hey, why don't we live there?" But then we remember that on our salaries (make that, salary) New York would look very different. And then I take the kiddos for a walk to our local park, in the (usually) dry spring warmth, and point out about 100 different flower varieties to Sidamo and Nora on our way, and I remember that I really do love it here in our small-city, big-mountain world.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

11 months





Yikes! How does this keep happening? I blink, and baby girl is another month older. In the past month she has cut her first tooth (finally!), gotten much more steady on her feet, and continued to assert her dominance over the household. And in good news (I'm going to whisper this part) she seems to be figuring out the sleep thing. I'll just leave it at that so as not to jinx anything.

I'm starting to think about her first birthday, which seems entirely impossible. Wasn't it just minutes ago that I was lamenting the fact that she had overstayed her intrauterine welcome? In fact, didn't I just take this photo, like, last week?


Slow down, baby girl. This time is too precious to just race through the way you're doing.

But speaking of birthdays, what should I do for her first birthday cake? For Sidamo's first birthday with us, it was a no-brainer: FIRETRUCK! But Nora's passions are a little less defined at this point. Well, except for that one thing (or those two things, I guess), and Greg has already suggested it. Luckily this place is not too far away.

Would that be setting a bad kid's birthday party precedent? Would we write ourselves out of the birthday circuit forever?

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

The culinary lives of ants




Sidamo: Mommy, what do ants like to eat?

Me: Umm, I think they eat crumbs of food and stuff.

Sidamo: No.

Me: Oh, no? Well then what do they like to eat?

Sidamo: I think colors [his word for M&Ms] and hamsters.

In case you were wondering.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Trashman

In the car with Sidamo the other day, we passed a garbage truck.

Sidamo: Is that a garbage truck?

Me: Yes.

Sidamo: It drives around and picks up garbage?

Me: Yes.

Sidamo, after a long, thoughtful pause: I have a garbage tricycle.