K, S, and P

I didn't take nearly enough pictures while Katie and Sterling were visiting. Maybe they should blog all the pictures they took on the iphone (nudge, nudge). These pictures are from their second day here. After a fun day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and cupcakes at Sprinkles, walking home we stumbled on this fountain at Lincoln Center and it was hands down the girls' favorite thing all day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite things about their visit was that Lydia and Phoebe could play together. They LOVED it, and I loved watching them (and sometimes forgetting about them until they made a giant mess).

I'm a one trick pony

Rafe was looking so cute the other day that I wanted pictures.

It wasn't until I loaded the pictures onto the computer that I realized that I had taken pictures of him in almost the same outfit on the same blanket just a few days before. For the same reason.

 Can I add consistency to my list of desirable attributes?

Apparently I really like little boys in plaid.

On the other side of the lens

Adam and I recently went through our photos and put together a photo book. We kept clashing over which pictures to cut. Never happy with the way I photograph, I was always in favor of cutting the shots of me, but Adam was insistent that we needed at least some with me in them, and since there are so few to start with, they all had to go in. 

"Bleurgh," I said.

Adam told me to hand him the camera more often and tell him to take photos of me and kiddos. 

 So I did and was reminded of why I prefer to remain unseen. These two were the best of the bunch of 30 or so. 

"Bleurgh," I say again.

In other news, the reason I wanted a picture was because I realized when we were out and about that all 3 of us were wearing plaid shorts. Then Lydia got wet/dirty and I changed her into the spare outfit I had with us: plaid shorts. 

Adam says I dress the children like myself. I guess I can see where he'd get that.

And you can barely tell that our shorts are plaid in this picture. You win some, but I think you lose more.

Mimicry

One thing that has surprised me in parenting a two-year-old is realizing how much she watches me. I am her world, so it's obvious that she'll do things the way she's seen me do them, but I hadn't thought of it until I noticed her phrasing things exactly like I do or carrying around a phone and keys (and metrocard in NY) ALL THE TIME.

Here's another example of mimicry (it actually happened awhile ago, but I just found the pictures and it made me laugh). I pulled out some potatoes to make for dinner and found that some little person had gotten in to them. Look closer.

They've all been poked repeatedly with a fork. Every single potato in the bag was like this. I don't know when she did it, but I can imagine her sitting down and working on each one of them. 

Basically, my two-year-old knows how to bake a potato.

Parenting win?

Hey guys

Baby Rafe has exactly one spot that is both safe and soft (I'm not going to go so far as to say it's comfortable because it's an odd little baby chair that we got for free) in our NYC apartment.

We're missing our Bumbo (these pictures were taken before we left). I think he's just the right age for it and will enjoy sitting up like a big boy when we get back to Bloomington.

"Where did mine ball go?"

Governor's Island is a strange and quirky place. The ferry to get there is free and many of the events are free and...it's unclear what the purpose is. We had a nice Saturday family outing (possibly the last one we will have with Adam here in New York) there. 

 The main event was this odd mini golf course, obviously designed by nine different people (one for each hole). 

Lydia didn't quite grasp the concept, demonstrated by her penchant for picking up the ball after the first hit and walking it to the hole. "I win!"

Yes, you do, my girl. 

Cute boy

Add this hat to the growing list of things we've lost somewhere in New York. 

We're like Hansel and Gretel, but with baby items instead of breadcrumbs.

English is confusing

I'm fairly certain Lydia can't tell the difference between the words "taste" and "chase." 

One of our favorite games recently is "Chase," where she pretends to be a puppy and crawls around chasing me. I run off yelling that she's going to get me and I'm so scared and oh what am I going to do and save me Baby Rafe and I can't get away, etc. Laughing hysterically, she crawls up to me and...wait for it...licks my leg. She's "tasting" me. She thinks we're playing a rollicking game of "Taste." 

It inevitably ends with an icky face and the astonishing proclamation. "Mama taste yucky. Want to play taste wi Dada."

No kiss it better

Although in the past, Lydia has been mortally afraid of band-aids, her tune has changed recently. She asks for one every time she falls down (which is about every 5 seconds. WHEN do they learn to watch where they're going?!?), even if there's no visible wound. I anted up and paid the extra 15 cents to get some colored band-aids recently, which, in hindsight, was probably a mistake.

This morning, she asked me for a "puhple banay." I told her we only used bandaids when we had owies. 

She stuck her finger in her mouth and bit it. "Puhple banay for mine owie, mama?"

Nothing gets past Lydia.

Sing it like Men

Today in Relief Society, the opening hymn was "I Need Thee Every Hour." Fairly standard. I felt like the page number listed wasn't quite right, as 334 is towards the end of the hymnbook, where the hymns for special occasions are usually placed.

All was made clear when I flipped to the page. "I Need Thee Every Hour (Men's Chorus)," it said.

The roomful of women gave it a good college try. Let's just say that when Baby Rafe kicked my hymnbook out of my hands and onto the floor, I didn't bend to retrieve it and was pleased as punch to have an excuse to remain silent.

Count your blessings

Today as we sat down for a healthy NY pizza dinner, we opened the box and Lydia snatched the little round thing that keeps the box from smashing the pizza. Adam then asked her if she'd say the prayer.

"Heh Fah, Bess da foo, Bess mine yi table I got from on top of the pizza, name Jesus Christ, Amen."

I'm sure glad she's got her priorities straight.

Adventures in Homeownership, 1 of many

On our first day in our new house, I heard Adam say (on separate occasions and relating to separate things)

"Just waiting for the smoke to clear."
and
"Uh-oh, big problem, dangerous problem, don't come down here. Sparks! Ouch!"

This should be fun.

Interview with Lydia

Cute Little Man

Lydia shares

Back before we moved, Lydia wanted to share some toys with Baby Rafe.

She did a pretty good job.

Lydia in NYC

Lydia has been a little trooper with all the changes we have thrown her way the past few months. She's still pretty cheery (as long as she's been fed and had some good sleep recently). She loves Baby Rafe (but doesn't talk to him - she asks me to tell him things), loves that she is a "Big Sister," loves our new house, and loves the subway (despite the fact that we all nearly died the first time I brought her along. Note to self: Lydia  will not even consider stepping over that gap). Recently she has been loving her baby doll and enjoying making meals with her play food. She has also started to refer to herself as I and me (instead of exclusively using the second person), which is cute and fun and exciting but really sad too. She hates getting her hair done, and when Mom helps her do anything. Our apartment in New York is particularly exciting for her because she can: open the front door, open the fridge, play with the knobs on the stove, lock her door, turn on and off the lights, and get the intercom cord around her neck (I'm sure I'm forgetting something). We clearly love that she can do all these things... Happy half-birthday Lyds (last week)!

An unedited, very long video...

...showing less than exemplary parenting, a not completely cooperative toddler and featuring Baby Rafe "talking" in the background.

Lydia brought "Go, Dog, Go" to Adam the night before this video and proceeded to "read" it almost word for word all the way through. This night she wasn't quite as willing, but it's still cute. Grandmothers might be the only ones who enjoy this video.

Anniversary Walk on the High Line

 

Still happily married after 4 years, 2 kids, 3 cities, 5 apartments, 2 schools, 2.95 degrees, etc. 

We had fancy plans, but it looked like it was going to rain so we came home, watched Thor, and got some soul food from "Charles' Pan-Fried Chicken" about 2 blocks up. A Hole-in-the-wall is an accurate way to describe the restaurant, but the Times thinks it's the best fried chicken in the city. It was oh, so tasty (if not strictly healthy) and I keep thinking about their banana pudding. I think we'll make it a tradition to do something a little whacky on our anniversary.

1st - "See How They Run" at the Empress Theatre in Magna, Utah. So low-budge and out in the middle of nowhere, but it was so, so fun.

2nd - Kismat Indian Restaurant in NYC - the food was fantastic, and since we hadn't yet realized that New Yorkers eat late, we had the place to ourselves. Lydia was 6 months and didn't make eating easy, but the manager or owner or host or something took a liking to her and carried her around saying "hi" to all the waiters. She was not particularly amused. 

3rd - We don't really remember. We probably got Aver's pizza and ate it at home (in Bloomington) then watched some Netflix. Obviously we didn't do anything strange for this one.

4th - The High Line, Thor, and Charles' Country Pan-Fried Chicken, mmmm-mmmmm-good.

He's such a baby

Baby Rafe discovered his toes today. Infinite likes.

Something I wish I had...

Any tips on how to make my home both fun and clean?

Blessing outfit

Adam gave Rafe a beautiful blessing nearly a month ago and I'm just barely posting pictures of him in his adorable blessing outfit (Thank you so much, Mom! It was perfect!). I even got some goofy smiles out of him.

I'm just so happy to have this little guy in our family.

I am also incredibly grateful for the blessing the gospel is in my life and that Adam can give our children blessings whenever we need them.

Oh, big yawn.

We also took pictures of the whole family at the church after he was blessed and those pictures will never see the light of day because...they're terrible. Really, really terrible.

What a star

Now THAT'S what I call a smile

Smiley and lookin' fat. Isn't this kid hysterical?