Our Thanksgiving Trek

My two Thanksgiving
turkeys.

Thanksgiving! It's been a big year, to say the least. Watching Elise grow into a toddler and Kalina into a surprisingly vibrant preschooler,  moving half a country away for an exciting job opportunity for Matt and seeing my book (albeit not my name!) in print have been some very real highlights. For these, and many, many other things, we are very grateful.

And we're also thankful for the family we now live within driving distance of. Or, as I was thinking last Monday evening, "driving distance." 

I'd spent the previous week preparing for the nine-hour trek north, plus the ensuing return trip, which would span two days and include a hotel stay. By the time I'd carefully secured everything from cold treatments for the whole family (including our humidifier!) to umpteen car ride distractions and snacks, I was unclear whether we were venturing to Minnesota or Mars: either way, we were prepared. I later learned I'd forgotten only one thing: swimsuits for Matt and I, but it didn't matter as the hotel's luggage rack ended up being entertainment enough for all of us. More about that later.

An indoor park in Minnesota.
Look, no coat!

Both girls entered the trip giddy with excitement, emitting cute-to-shrill screams every time I mentioned we were going to go visit Grandma and Grandpa. Clearly, we were making the right decision in taking this trip. For her part, Kalina carefully planned all of Lamby and Costume Cow's care for their stay at the Grandparents' house, even contacting Grandma once or twice to make inquiries about their accommodations. All conversations at home centered around, "Let's talk about what Lamby needs at Grandma and Grandpa's house!" To which I'd reply, "Alright, well, she'll need ____ (food, water, toys, pasture, snuggles, etc.)," and to which Kalina would return with a well thought out, albeit long-winded and not always rational, solution.

Out of the car and into a
tunnel!

We left promptly at 7:00 a.m.--and would've been out the door at 6:00 except Elise had been sleeping in the previous five days and we wanted to take full advantage of that. Although the little one was a bit grumpy at being stuffed into a cold car first thing in the morning, Kalina was all smiles, gripping Lamby and chattering happily about the nap Lamby was taking on her lap. 

By the end of the first hour or so, though, the bigger girl had realized that when we said it'd be a big trip to Minnesota, we meant it'd be a lot farther than the grocery store and even the zoo. Her smile faltered. I whipped out the first big car surprise--special markers that only color on special pictures of Hello Kitty. Eight minutes later, we'd tested all the colors and were looking for something else to do. How do I break it to a three-year-old that that was the something else? This became a common theme of the trip; I'm pretty sure she expected me to hand back a live kitten or its equivalent.

A brave girl and a brave lamb.

My biggest worry, however, had been entertaining Elise. How do you keep a child, whose main entertainment nowadays usually comes in the form of carrying handheld toys from one place to another, content for 9+ hours at a time while confined in a carseat? I counted on lots of napping, plus lots of snacks.

As it turned out, Elise surprised me on two counts: 1.) After the occasional "Am I really still in my carseat, and will a few high-pitched protestations change the situation?" the girl would calm down and quite contentedly fiddle with a book or toy for longer than I would've guessed possible. Her favorite activity was reading books upside-down and in fact, over the course of the trip she probably spent a good four hours with an upended board book in her hands. Another favorite? Spotting semi trucks on the road. "Tuh, tuh!" She'd tell us every time she noticed one. 2.) Over the three long legs of our trip, ranging in duration from nine hours to four hours, some of which was at night and each of which encompassed a naptime, Elise slept a grand total of about two and a half hours. This overlapped with Kalina, who slept about an hour and a half, by about 15 minutes total. And yet, we survived.

The best seat in the house.

But really, the drive went great, and about every hour someone commented on how glad we were that we weren't in an airplane, and how lovely the barren Iowa fields looked (we're truly midwesterners at heart). We zoomed through cornfield after cornfield, Matt driving and evaluating both crops and deer movements (or, more commonly, lack thereof) and me spending most of my time turned halfway around in my seat digging through toy/snack/book and CD/DVD bags and solving minor disagreements. After only two 15-minute stops, we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's house in record time.

And yes, the drive was well worth it! Kalina was over the moon with "her" room at Grandma and Grandpa's, which included a real big girl bed, a bed for her animals and even the litter box she'd requested before her arrival (for the kittens, of course). Elise was simply happy to be out of the car and allowed to toddle around at will. She soon claimed a pint-sized blue chair and four squishy balls as her own, as well as several teddy bears that she and Kalina both negotiated for the entire trip.

Thanksgiving dinner!

In addition to playing at Grandma and Grandpa's, we also explored the woods, which Kalina was not only happy to hike through, but also to lead me and Grandma through very gently, pointing out sites like a mouse hole and fallen logs, making sure we never stumbled and occasionally asking if our legs were tired. How sweet! 

And we explored the area library, which connected to an amazing indoor park, complete with a giant slide playground. Kalina set foot in a bounce house for the first time ever, and ventured down some fairly impressive (for her) slides, while Elise climbed on rocks, navigated an obstacle course of hanging bumpers, sailed in a pretend boat and pointed with frantic excitement at nearly everything.

One last story before taking off.

We also hosted Thanksgiving dinner for lots of Odegaard relatives. Kalina helped Grandma make placecards and get the dishes ready (or did Grandma help her?). Elise ran up and down the hallway, enjoying the sounds her feet made. When the guests arrived, Kalina greeted them with, "Happy Thanksgiving," at which point both girls would gleefully "gobble, gobble, gobble." What a duo.

As far as the meal was concerned, Kalina and Elise thoroughly enjoyed the rolls. Kalina ate the marshmallows out of a salad and then stuffed herself with turkey while Elise turned her scrunched up nose up at both without so much as a curious nibble. *Sigh.* Maybe next year my youngest will eat protein. The littler one did, however, manage a few bites of sweet potato and fruit before ending her meal, a feat rarely achieved by her big sister. (Everything was absolutely delicious, by the way!)

Helping Grandpa clean up
the blocks he was playing with.

The next day, after some sad goodbyes, we headed back down to Iowa for a whirlwind visit with several family members and friends. A four-hour drive seemed easy, and mostly was, and we soon landed at Uncle David and Aunt Debbie's house, where Grandpa Hanks, Uncle Tom and Angela were waiting. The kids played with toys and/or, in Elise's case, sat tiredly on Daddy's lap watching football. Old pros by now at sitting, they happily navigated not one, but two restaurants (one for supper and one for brunch the next morning) with some entertaining/wrangling help from Daddy. 

In addition to catching up, we also convinced Uncle David to perform his famous elephant noise for the girls, who happily joined in. And to think I used to be afraid of it!

Look! Kalina's not sitting by either
parent! What a big girl!

At the hotel, two sleepy girls found a second (or third, or fourth, or eighteenth) wind as they enthusiastically raided the hotel room for anything of entertainment value. Kalina got a lesson in using the "old-fashioned" phones, the likes of which she'd never seen; Elise tested her pack and play (with help from Kalina); Elise colored on herself and me with the pen I was using to write down some directions; and Elise "filled and spilled" the free toiletries into and out of the ice bucket, etc. I had to laugh at my good-natured little tornadoes. The pre-bedtime crazies culminated in a ride up and down the hallway on the luggage rack, after which both girls settled down remarkably well and slept just fine.

Elise tries out her bed,
with lots of toys from Kalina.

The next big event, after Mommy sneaked out for some early Christmas shopping with Aunt Debbie, was brunch with Uncle Alan and Aunt Diane. Kalina cheerfully re-introduced Lamby, and Elise graced them with some of her, "I'm bright and happy as long as I'm in Mommy's arms" smiles. The little one did consent to be held by both for a total of about 30 seconds. 

And then we once again hit the road, making one final quick stop at a friend's house in Pella. We saw Curtis, Jess, Isaac and Lily before heading home.

As expected, the homeward trip was the most long difficult, as no more naps were to be expected in the 5 1/2 hour trek and the road was rainy and dreary. Actually, the mood was pleasant until about 4:30 p.m., when the sun all but gave up its somewhat weak attempts to illuminate a mid-winter world below dense cloud cover. Poor thing, I think we almost burned it out. I used its last rays to eek out a few more stories, until Kalina had to squint at the illustrations and I could no longer make out the words. 

Kalina and Lamby practice sleeping.

We raised our spirits with some kids music before resorting to bottomless snacks/supper and Veggie Tales to carry us through the rest of the drive. Kalina and Lamby peacefully passed out around 7:30, even amid Little Sister's 45 minutes of wailing/screeching. By 7:45, both kids were asleep, and we arrived home 15 minutes later. Matt had the car unloaded by the time I put all the sleepytime articles in place. Neither child was happy to be awakened to be put to bed, but survived the transition well enough.

To add festivity to festivity, Grandpa Hanks followed us home to stay a couple days. He and the girls played endless games of "Hide the Thimble" and "Fall back and stand me up" before his trip, too, was over. 

Ready for a ride (except
Matt).

Our Thanksgiving trek passed by in a bit of a blur, but it was a happy blur, and we promised everyone we visited to stay a bit longer next time. The promise holds true: we fully intend to see a lot more Iowa cornfields and midwestern friends and relatives--and for this possibility, we are truly thankful.

Last day of Preschool

A "chair ride."

I know what you're thinking: "Wait, Kalina's not really the preschool type. We thought you were going to wait until she was, oh, say, eight to send her."

And you wouldn't be wrong. While Kalina loves all the typical preschool activities, with the exception of following along during fingerplays and action rhymes, she's still fairly adverse to other kids and being anywhere that Mommy (or Daddy) isn't.

But when a "gentle separation" preschool at the local amazing kids' museum, for ages 2 1/2 to 3 1/2, for an hour weekly, that I could attend with her for at least the first 6 sessions of 9, for a reasonable fee, came into my notice, you can see why I couldn't refuse to sign my girl up. After all, eventually we're going to have to make the break. And besides, Kalina really could use some work on her action rhymes. Here's the rundown:

Behind the scenes: I cautiously began talking up preschool a few weeks before it began. We visited the kids' museum and played, so Kalina would know it'd be a fun place to be. We discussed the fact that she'd have a teacher to help take care of her (Kalina's really into being taken care of), and she'd get to do cool stuff. Even as cool as painting and crafts. I let her know I'd be attending with her, but that her animals would need to ride in the stroller. However, she'd be able to bring her Pinkies along. All of this was acceptable to Kalina, and we set out with a happy attitude.

Preschool Day 1: We left Elise in Grandpa's capable hands to go play in the rest of the museum, while Kalina and I, with probably equal levels excitement (a lot!), headed off to find her classroom. As we waited to go in, we eyed the other kids (Kalina with suspicion, me with high hopes for a future bestie for my girl), made name tags and scribbled with colored chalk. Soon enough, the door opened and Ms. Dorie's sugary sweet preschool-teacher voice invited everyone inside, and the kids to each sit on a colored shape in a circle.

And off we went. Kalina, being one of the oldest, was also one of the more proficient, and she stunned her mommy by participating a little. After a short "circle time," with a book and a song and such, the kids were invited to play.

What a playground! The teachers, obviously braver than I, had set up easels with paint, a play-dough table, a craft table, a "sensory" table with gelatin to poke and squeeze, plus lots of little games and such. As they're paid to clean up after my child, I suppose they didn't mind it quite so much.

Kalina sat down at the play-dough table, and probably would've stayed there the rest of the class had I not prodded her toward painting and other activities. I did feel a bit guilty for directing her play in such a stimulating environment, especially when I'm trying to teach her to be more independent. However, that feeling was overridden by the fact that we could get painting out of Kalina's system without me having to deal with the mess. And we have plenty of play-dough at home. Besides, I wanted to play with some of the other stuff, too.

Fortunately, Kalina didn't seem to mind being gently nudged toward the easels (she practically took off running, in fact), and neither did the teachers who had to clean up her splatters after she filled two large sheets of papers--and a decent portion of the plastic-covered floor--with brushfulls of paint. And then we played in the sand table, and then it was time for everyone to help pick up before more circle time to conclude the class. I wished it could've lasted all day.

The topic for the day, by the way, was colors. Kalina has had a good handle on her colors for almost two years now, but she never minds a review. And she was extremely excited to receive a laminated yellow color square, in addition to a backpack, to bring home to practice with.

I was probably more relieved than I should've been to see that Kalina was not the shiest child in the room. One boy was afraid of songs and stories, and had to be taken out for a while. Others cowered in their moms laps (which, admittedly, Kalina probably would've done a year ago). It was nice to see how far we've come: very.

Preschool Day 2: The next week, we learned about apples. Which meant, in part, that Kalina picked all the clothespin apples off of a pretend tree, and then played with play-dough while I put them all back.

In fact, as I remember, all the kids surged toward the play-dough table, it being the only thing they really recognized, and brightly colored, at that. I began to wonder if Kalina would remember that there's more to preschool than play-dough, which happens to be my "I'm desperate to cook dinner" activity at home. I hoped she'd move on, and eventually she did. She was overjoyed to receive a red color square, running it to me for my protection as soon as it was in her hand (even though class wasn't quite over yet).

During this class, I chatted with the teacher about strategies for "gentle separation." She suggested I step out a few times to visit the bathroom, etc., so Kalina could get used to it. Seeing that Kalina was already doing just fine, I welcomed the opportunity.

Preschool Day 3: Next, we talked about Fall. Out came the parachute at circle time, and the kids poofed  fake leaves into the air. Kalina had more fun watching than participating, but at least she was having fun. The girl didn't even blink when I told her I had to leave the room for a few minutes to check Elise's diaper, nor did she blink when I came back. I later asked her if it'd be okay if I left for longer, and she responded with suspicion. Could Mommy have an ulterior motive for this class?

Preschool Day 4: Prior to class, we talked about how eventually Kalina would head to preschool alone, with just the teachers. "And the teachers will help me reach high things and wash my hands," commented Kalina. "Yes!" I exclaimed. "They would be happy to help you do those things!" And we practiced asking for help from teachers. "And if Mommy is gone forever, I will just play with the teachers," decided Kalina. I assured her I'd be back, something I'm not sure she entirely believed.

While we were waiting for class to start, Kalina played with blocks with a classmate. Yup, that's right! She played with another child. They built bridges together.

Preschool was all about farm, and Kalina was in her element--she's pretty much an expert on animals and their noises. I stayed out of the room for about 15 minutes, and Elise reaped the benefits--we got some good-quality goof-off time together.

During circle time at the end of class, the teacher allowed each child to choose a farm animal puppet to play with. Kalina decided on a tiny donkey (a baby donkey, I'm sure). The teacher then led the kids in a rousing game of put the animals to sleep, and then wake them up with lots of farm animal noises. Kalina participated for the first round, but thereafter refused to wake her donkey up. I guess it needed its rest.

Preschool Day 5: On this day, about Pumpkins, Elise and I actually explored another part of the museum for a while. Kalina again loved class, and especially painting a pumpkin with purple sparkly paint at the beginning.

Preschool Day 6: Halloween was the theme this week, and Kalina was proud to tell everyone she was planning to be a duck. By this time, I was able to leave the room for most of the playtime, staying only for circle times. And when I returned, I could tell Kalina had had a great time by the paint splatters covering her clothes, shoes and hands (which I could tell had been washed all by herself). Kalina was given a pipe cleaner spider to bring home, and chanced to find another left in the lobby. What a day!

Preschool Day 7: The next week, Kalina was sick, but was up to attending a class later in the week instead. This class was full, and the teacher seemed a bit stressed rather than cheery (couldn't blame her). I stuck around as much as I could with Kalina, but Elise made it a challenge to stay in, as her stroller was quite in the way this time. So I popped in and out, and solicited the help of one of the teachers to try to keep an extra special eye on my oldest. I think Kalina enjoyed the train theme, and tolerated the strangeness of the kids and different teachers, but it was probably not her favorite class. Still, a good experience.

Preschool Day 8: After circle time on this food-themed day, I got to watch Kalina dive into a baby pool of pretend "spaghetti and meatballs" with several other girls. And at the end, one teacher mentioned that Kalina acted goofy during class. Could it be that my girl was actually comfortable enough to be herself?

Preschool Day 9: On this last day of class, we talked about turkeys. Kalina had practiced her "gobble gobble" ahead of time, a skill that she was not the least bit hesitant to show off throughout class. She all but snuggled up right next to Ms. Dorie for circle time, forgetting the formality of carpet squares altogether, and once circle time was over, played next to the same troupe of girls she had the previous time (with the teacher's help, of course. Kalina also managed to find at least a few of the turkeys "hidden" around the room (she found at least two during the five minutes I watched, anyway), firmly and confidently stuck feathers into a nylon-covered styrofoam ball to create a turkey, and she appeared to be an expert at navigating the different activities. At the end, the girl even proudly taught me how to play turkey bowling.

This blog with be incomplete without special thank-you to Elise, who weathered her confinement to the stroller for these classes remarkably well, considering the veritable playground that surrounded her each time. She hardly shrieked like a wild monkey at all. In fact, at first the littler girl simply enjoyed watching the teacher and the other kids. As she aged developmentally, however, and grew increasingly bored of acting the part of the patient observer, she did begin to demand more. By this time I was able to take her out of the room to entertain her, and once I handed her off to Aunt Nancy. And I occasionally let her hug a giant Elmo in the classroom (Elise, not Aunt Nancy).

Also, I did pack for Elise like I was packing for a week's stay in a bomb shelter, with her favorite snacks, toys and books to distract her. In fact, I packed it all in a separate bag, which meant that every trip to preschool we brought two bags, any rain gear we needed to carry, plus Kalina's artwork and handouts. It barely all fit in my broken-down stroller, and usually by the end was trailing on the ground through the museum, garnering raised eyebrows and sympathetic looks.

What a perfect first preschool experience for Kalina! And would you believe I completely forgot to get pictures? Never mind: she's enrolled in next semester's "big kid" class, where she'll attend for a whole 1 1/2 hours instead of 1, and enjoy a snack. And don't tell her this quite yet, but parents aren't supposed to attend this class, so Kalina will weather it on her own. Won't she do just great?

Going out to play

A wagon ride! Girls in matching,
adorable outfits!

It's that time of year again. The brilliant leaf colors pointed out by me and ignored by both kids every car ride (someday they'll appreciate them!), the frantic searching for outerwear that fits and isn't stained, and the forced trips to the park to "store up" outdoor fun before winter's chill hits for real. Ah, fall.

One of many benefits of being a stay-at-home mom is that on glorious days, whatever the season, I generally get to go outside. In daylight, and to play in grass, or leaves, or snow, or whatever's out there. Depending on the rest of the day's activities, and the general mood of the children, this may mean we don't actually make it past the doorstep until 5:00 p.m., and must return into the house 15 minutes later for diaper changes, forgotten stuffed animals, dinner prep, and whatnot, but it's more than many people get, and I'm grateful for it.

Aunt Nancy and Kalina
showing off their animal
face hats.

I have a rule that as long as everyone's healthy (and often even if not), and it's not absolutely sopping wet or below freezing cold, or meltingly hot (and usually even then, if only so we appreciate the inside of our four walls that much more), we will be spending a portion of our day outdoors. Matt, being outdoorsy himself and no doubt hoping his girls won't turn out as "soft" as I am when it comes to bugs, dirt, and whatnot, seems to fully support this. So out we go.

Sometimes we call it "getting the mail," or at other times, in accordance with a strange old family saying handed down through my dad's family, "getting the stink off." Either way, we're outside. [Side note: the other day Kalina insisted that her kittens had already licked the stink off of her. Nice try, Sweetie, but you're still going outside! Now, march.]

While Elise enthusiastically pounds on the door at the mere mention of "outside," Kalina often has to be prodded through it. Sometimes I bribe her with the promise of a wagon ride, or wax paper on the slide (thanks, Grandma and Grandpa! :) ) or a "snack picnic." Sometimes these don't work and, well, I simply have to prod.

Aunt Nancy and Elise goofing around
with a giraffe.

On the best days, we head to a park. Being in a new locale, we keep discovering new ones. Ranging from fabulous to somewhat sketchy, they at least ignite the inner explorer in each one of us. But that brings up new challenges, mostly to the tune of, "How do you keep two small children from becoming dangers to themselves and each other six or more feet in the air, especially when the oldest insists on clenching several stuffed animals under her arm and occasionally on you acting out scenarios using them." How?

When Elise was still tiny, it was easy. She'd sit happily in her stroller, or submit to being carried in my mei tai, or even hang out on a blanket, while I kept a careful eye on Kalina. Of course, during this phase Kalina mostly disliked parks of all kinds and often vied Elise for the stroller. At which point I'd let the baby dangle from a swing (during this time she liked swings, as long as they weren't swinging) and let Kalina sit in the stroller, and there we were, at the park. Whee!

Our first trip to the zoo here,
and the hippos decided to
spar. Elise and I were both
entranced.

As Elise grew, she began to want to crawl around, too. And eat the mulch. My strategy was to barricade her on some playground platform so she didn't get too dirty/munchy and hope Kalina didn't do anything too scary, or ask me to perform too many kitten puppet shows. This would generally work in 30-second increments.

Next, Elise wasn't content to merely crawl around parks, she desperately wanted to walk and climb stairs. Problem being that she couldn't walk--not alone, at least, or effectively tell a 3-inch drop from an 8-foot one. She also developed more of an opinion in the direction she wanted to head. Kalina, meanwhile, decided she liked parks again, as long as I was playing with her. During this mercifully short-lived phase, I attempted to steer a somewhat unwilling Elise in safe directions, usually toward Kalina, while cajoling the bigger girl's requests to, "Make the kittens not know who will catch them at the bottom of the side," with lots of, "I'd love to, Hon, just a minute!" I'm not sure any of us really had any fun at the park during these outings.

Our current park phase has both girls exploring happily on their own. Elise, who still hasn't developed a healthy appreciate for heights, scales anything she possibly can and crawls through the narrowest tunnels, nearly oblivious to the fact that I'm often in hot pursuit right behind her because otherwise I won't make it to the nearest dropoff before she does. Kalina, on the other hand, now slides, climbs and ventures away from the playground with only Lamby for company. Which is just wonderful, I think, even as I chase her down while holding Elise so that the little one doesn't get herself into a sticky situation without me around to rescue her. Sometimes this little dance we do has me getting more exercise than both of the girls combined, a fact I probably don't appreciate as I should. Occasionally, though, if Elise takes an interest in gathering sweetgum seeds or Kalina takes Lamby to try out the swings, I get to focus on just one child, or simply keep an eye on both of them. How peaceful!

We're all warily intrigued by a colder, snowier winter than we've been used to, and unanimously voted to purchase a bright pink plastic sled at Target the other day to try on our backyard hill at the first falling of snow. Kalina is already making big plans to bring her kittens and Peep, the penguin, outside, while I'm mentally stuffing each of them into a nice, dry Ziploc baggie for the adventure. Elise has already practiced walking around in Kalina's rainboots, which I'm sure will prepare her perfectly for wielding her own size of snowboots around the yard.

And so our outdoor adventures will continue. Rain or snow or shine, like them or not. Fortunately, we usually do.

Tricks and treats

I can't believe they stood
still for this picture.

It's Halloween! Here's our holiday in review:

Two months ago: Kalina decided it'd be fun if we all randomly startled each other, and especially at mealtimes. We've kept the game going, and even Elise joins in with the cutest little "Boo!" you ever heard.

One month ago: We chose costumes. When we first asked her, Kalina wanted to be a sign that says, "Don't touch any signs." Since then, she changed her mind to "A duck!" and stuck with it. Ebay brought it home. Kalina then decided that Elise should be a dog, Mommy should be a bunny and Daddy should be a balloon. Unfortunately, she was overruled and Elise received a fluffy bunny costume in the mail (the baby loves bunnies, as well as ducks, but ducks were taken. She does, however, adore Kalina's costume and often tries to hug her when she wears it.). The three-year-old was disappointed and a bit surprised when she learned Mommy and Daddy wouldn't be dressing up, but got over it.

Two weeks ago: We headed to the local farmer's market for pumpkins and other fall goodies! See previous post.

Kalina helped frost these.
And then I helped re-frost
these. Yum!

Kalina and I scooped and carved each
of these little "snack-o-lanterns."

One week ago: We began preparing for the costume playdate we'd (I'd) decided to hold for our friends. It took us all week, but we managed to make two snacks and two crafts, clean one story of the house and be almost into our costumes when the doorbell rang, three days ago.

Twins! And no, they did not
call each other (neither did
their mommies).

Nine children attended, and Kalina the Duck welcomed them happily, although Elise the Bunny was more likely to join in their play. This, by the way, was when Halloween began in earnest, as we'd never tried to put Elise into a costume before (she slept through the holiday last year). But she wore it willingly enough, and did not even seem to mind sitting on her poofy, yet rather solid, tail.


Two days ago: In fact, the young toddler must have really enjoyed being a bunny, as the next day she carried the costume over to Daddy and lifted up her arms as though she were asking him to dress her in it. And how could he refuse this request? Theorizing that she'd enjoyed its warmth, he pulled it over her fleece sleeper, put up the hood and put the paw thingies over her hands and sent her in to "see Mommy" so I could get a good laugh. Which I did, and then removed the paw thingies, and so the baby happily played in it for a good hour before we had to remove it for naptime. Except her costume wasn't quite complete, apparently--Elise later insisted on wearing sunglasses with it. And so we entered the "hilariously cute" stage of child-rearing.


We also carved pumpkins at this time. I hadn't counted on Elise doing much more than watching, however, she became a very active participant. She enjoyed "carving" and "scooping" every bit as much as Kalina did, although Kalina's help was a bit more concrete. Elise did show a natural aptitude for lid-fitting, while Kalina excelled at pumpkin-goop-removal-with-spoon. Daddy, for his part, carved cute, unique faces in each pumpkin in record time, while Mommy proved her worth by stopping Elise from tumbling down the deck stairs, and keeping her from falling on a pumpkin carver. All in a day's work.

A trick: Kalina trying to put pumpkin
goop onto Elise

Today: We prepared Kalina and her friends for Halloween. The kittens eventually decided to dress up as dogs for Halloween (or was it flowers? Or balls?), while Lamby decided to be a cat. Kalina relayed her plan for them to go door-to-door saying trick-or-treat and accepting candy, but they did not actually do this: the only friend who went along with Kalina was, appropriately, Little Duck.

To foster a festive spirit, we doled out a few treats during the day, and made some pumpkin crafts. Even without these, Kalina was pure sunshine and rainbows--I'm not sure I've ever seen her in a better mood. I let her get away with only 20 minutes of downtime, seeing as we'd started sewing a dress for Lamby together and I was as excited to finish it as she was.

However, Elise had other plans, and celebrated the day by skipping her afternoon nap (maybe she was jealous that her only treat so far had been watermelon? "I'll make my own treat!" she decided.). I counter-celebrated by loading both girls into the car to spend a gloriously beautiful afternoon at a surprisingly empty park. Lamby's dress will have to wait until tomorrow.

After a rushed dinner and a flurry of costumes, we were ready to head out into the neighborhood, along with our friend Lucy (age 1 1/2) and her dad. Kalina took charge: our shy little girl became bold indeed when faced with candy. Elise was content to chew on a candy wrapper (with the candy safely sealed inside), and Kalina, for her part, happily quacked and flapped at the smallest request, at times using Daddy's crow call for a more realistic "quack."

Soon the dads took the "bigger" girls farther up the road while Elise toddled around the yard and I chatted with neighbors and manned the candy, which had been severely depleted. Elise found her gourd to roll around and was as content as a little bunny could be.

Kalina and Daddy returned and the three-year-old, who shows remarkable restraint for a three-year-old (and even for some thirty-year-olds), looked up at me with hope in her eyes that I couldn't let down. Right before bedtime, I allowed her her choice of candy.

The girl chose a grape Tootsie Pop:

Her: Can I chew it?
Me: Not yet, it's a sucker. But eventually it'll get soft and you can. That might not be until tomorrow, though (I didn't know how long it'd take for her to make her way through a lollipop).
Her: Now is it soft enough?
Me: Not yet.
Her: Now is it soft enough?
Me: Not yet.
Etc.

Just how many licks does it take to get to the middle of a Tootsie Pop? Eventually, after lots of dedicated effort, she made it. Crunch.

I also let Elise enjoy a bowl of Cheerios on the floor. She was super excited.

Happy Halloween!

It's the simple things.

Sometimes I worry about the future. It's just what mommies do. But it's not always a dread of the "terrible teens" everyone keeps warning us about, or fears about our kids getting food poisoning from the chewing gum they picked up off the ground (why is the stuff so darn colorful?!?). No, sometimes we wonder what our days will be like when no one is singing to us about kittens playing outside in the rain (and wearing their boots, of course), or giggling whenever we ask them were our nose is. What then?

After the initial "What did I get myself into and how many thousands of diapers will I change before this is all over?!?" freaking out is over, and we're up on our feet again, most of us mommies at some point realize that yes, time really does fly (all those grocery-store strangers were right after all!), and so we'd better make the most of it before we're all too old to make campy crafts and read about bears that talk and discuss plans for the kittens to tunnel to the other side of the world.

For me, that's meant that I've finally stopped hoarding stickers for that "rainy day" that never seems to come. We now go through pages of stickers for no other reason than to peel them off one sheet of paper and stick them directly to another. Makes no sense to me, but it does to someone. And what if one day no one wants to play with stickers?

It's also meant that we got our pumpkins not at the grocery store, and not at the giant pumpkin patch filled with bounce houses (and other kids), but at the local farmer's market. Ten minutes away means more time for the corn pool and ride-on tractors and the only swing Elise has ever liked at all.

And I even let Kalina pick her very own pumpkin, relinquishing her to Matt's care so that I neither put any ideas in her head about a smooth, round, pretty pumpkin or a certain price range I had in my mind. Daddy wouldn't stop her from bringing home a warty, scarred, misshapen one, I assured myself, cringing and smiling at the same time. So what if her cat pumpkin this year looked like it had been in a fight? (Because Kalina's always had a cat pumpkin--and has already asked for hers to be carved as such again this year.)

Kalina chose a large, only slightly lumpy one, to my relief. She and Elise then each picked a gourd apiece, Elise choosing hers for its resemblance to a ball, because what could be better to a 13-month-old? Unless it's a market full of pumpkins and gourds, each of them more exciting than the next. It was a good morning for both girls. And a good morning for Mommy and Daddy, too.

Elise paraded her gourd around the entire yard when we got home, even though it was too big for her to comfortably hold, especially since she was also hanging onto my finger for support over the uneven terrain. The poor baby had to stop every step or two to adjust the gourd in her other hand, propped up against her round tummy, lest it fall. I mentally noted that next time I take a 13-month-old gourd shopping, I should buy her one that's easier for tiny hands to haul. And that we should all be so happy with so little as a gourd.

Who needs toys, anyway, when your backyard is covered with leaves? Unless, of course, the toys help you rake. Or at least accompany you as you rake, because isn't raking more fun if you have friends along? Even if they're a bit cumbersome. And it's more fun with kids, too--even if they, too, are a bit cumbersome. 

Which brings us to the leaf pile, and the dilemma of, "Should I worry about the brown recluses, or should I instead worry what would happen if my children were never allowed to romp in leaves?" I'm happy to say--and so is Kalina, but not Elise, who did not trust the pile--that the leaves won.

Guests!

Grandma and Grandpa taking
the girls for a ride at the
local park.

One of the best parts about moving to a new place is that everyone wants to visit. At least once. Often for consecutive weekends. We've been having lots of fun seeing everyone and showing off our new place.

We've also turned it into a learning opportunity for Kalina. She now knows (in theory more than in practice, but that's okay!) how to properly "take care of" visitors, from offering them something to drink to sharing toys. Her favorite part, which she usually skips to after greeting them at the door, is giving them a tour of the house. She does occasionally remember to show them the guest room on the way back downstairs from her own room, and I should mention/warn you that everyone planning to visit our house for Christmas will most likely be deposited there, according to one of her enthusiastic plans. ("And all of the guests will sleep in the guest room!") It's not a big room, so we're anticipating standing room only. Hope you can all sleep like horses/bats.

Early Nebraska fans!

Grandpa Hanks was the first, and he arrived in time for Elise's birthday. He goodnaturedly submitted to being the test subject for the new mattresses in the guest room, sharing a small bathroom with the kids, tuning out our kids' poor sleep habits and surviving our somewhat sporadic hospitality.

Thank goodness he was a good sport. The girls both came down with colds, which soon transferred to Grandpa (he was still fighting it when he returned 10 days later). What's more, they were waking up at all hours of the night/early morning--loudly. Especially Elise, whose bedroom is right across from the guest room. And to add insult to injury, we didn't even own a coffeemaker--so he had to survive all of this without his beloved brew (along with the cold, he also brought a coffeemaker 10 days later).

Elise and Angela and a turtle
statue.

He'd deny it, but we're pretty sure Grandpa must've been glad to leave when he did. Fortunately he enjoyed some nice pampering the rest of this trip (visiting family and friends throughout the midwest), which may have softened his memories of our house because he did actually return on his way back through rather than just staying in a hotel, as we probably would've.  Even better: Uncle Tom and Angela came too! We were all able to catch up and take a look around our corner of St. Louis and sitting on sculptures of stone turtles in beautiful weather.

Uncle Tom was reclining on the rug.
Elise decided to snuggle up to his beard
for long enough for us all to grab a
camera.

The baby, by the way, enjoyed the attention--but only in small doses and on her terms. When it all got to be too much, she resorted to playing peekaboo games that outlasted any of our attention spans, and in this way, hid from the world. Really, peekaboo was an incredibly tactful method of gaining a little privacy--cute, but effective. It generally took her about three full days of quality time before she'd consent to let anyone pick her up. Or, in Uncle Tom's case, before she'd snuggle into his beard as he was lying on the floor.

Elise "mooing" her heart out.

Next, it was Grandpa Les and Grandma's turn to visit! By now, we had the guest routine down to a science and both girls demonstrated excitement appropriate to their age level: Kalina bounced up and down and did tricks to show her joy, while Elise watched and giggled.

Feeding chickens at the bird
sanctuary.

The grandparents showed equal amounts of excitement, as proven by the fact that they drove fast so as to arrive a bit earlier than expected. We rushed home from Target to greet them--and ended up following their car through the neighborhood to our house. I couldn't unbuckle Kalina fast enough, and she was soon gleefully dragging them inside to show them the most important areas of the home: her room, Elise's room and the basement.

Kalina showed Grandma and
Grandpa how to fish.

We thoroughly wore out all the big people, but the girls by visiting parks and other popular sites, many involving animals of some kind, and all outdoors as the weather couldn't be beat. And even when we were ready to come back to the house, there will still crafts to make, coffee cake to bake, puzzles to put together, toys to strew about the house and stories to read. I suppose you could say our kids really know how to entertain!

While everyone else fished,
Grandma, Elise and I got
to spend some quality time visiting
farm animals. Here's Elise setting off
on an adventure of her own.

One thing that's particularly fun about having guests visit is that while others are keeping my older child happily engaged, anyone who's left gets to follow Elise around. At a small farm, for instance, Elise got to pet super-soft miniature horses, point to ducks and wander around aimlessly to her heart's content, without a big sister on a mission leading the way. This happened at home, too, where the baby decided all of a sudden that she wanted to take baby-sized piano lessons. Grandma was happy to oblige.

Elise's new favorite activity is playing
the piano. Grandma was happy to indulge.

Kalina was management and Grandpa
labor for this puzzle.

And so, if you can look past the early mornings, occasional sniffle and high-energy household, we think we make a great destination for your next trip. Relaxing we are not--but adorable we are (well, at least two of us). Who wants to come next? 

A dinosaur ride for both girls!

Despite really long and frequent
games of peekaboo with Grandpa Les,
he became a real source of hilarity
by days three and four.

A nice rest during a park picnic.

Storytime with Grandma! 

Settling in

When I last posted about our move, we had unpacked most of our boxes, we'd done some exploring and we liked our new place.

And now, two months in (only two?!?), we've made a ton of progress. We've unpacked most of our boxes, done some exploring and like our new place.

Really? That's all? You know it's not. Here's the rundown:

Chapter 1: Exploring (and lack thereof)
Shortly after my last post, both girls contracted some sort of horrid midwestern virus and spent the next week scaring us with high fevers, snotting, coughing and feeling generally miserable. Matt and I avoided the whole thing (the virus, that is, not our kids' snot), most likely due to our own midwestern childhoods that must have rendered us immune from previous experience.

Unfortunately, this was the week we'd earmarked for trips to the zoo and various parks and museums, it being Matt's last free week before beginning his new job. Sometimes we can drag the kids out when they're sick and they do just fine--but not this week. We instead furniture shopped on Craigslist and with very quick trips to furniture stores, completed a few final house projects, and hoped each day they'd be feeling better.

We found a new fishing hole! Only 1
sunfish so far, but we will be back!

Monday morning, they were--but it was too late to benefit Matt any. I, on the other hand, was turned loose in a new city filled with free family activities with two mostly healthy kids to help me explore. This time, the only obstacle was my terrible sense of direction. Over the next few weeks, our "Let's go check out a new park/store/ice cream place!" was soon followed by, "Oops, I don't think this is the right way," which was always soon chased by a dozen questions to the tune of: "Are we going the right way, Mommy?" and "Are we lost, Mommy?" and "Will we ever get home, Mommy?" which you can imagine were lots of fun to answer in a patient, calm, upbeat voice while dodging  traffic in an unfamiliar part of town (which is pretty much all of it).

Nevertheless, we've managed to discover an amazing kids' museum, a small farm/park/fishing spot, the library, a farmer's market, a craft place akin to the one back in Durham, a wonderful nature center, a top-your-own yogurt place, a bird sanctuary, and much more. What we haven't yet discovered: the zoo, the mall (with the kids, anyway), a coffee shop with a play area (we miss you, Bean Traders!) and anything else more than about 15 minutes away, as there's been no reason to leave our immediate area.

And we haven't done it entirely alone, either!

Elise loves the plastic bunnies at the
local kids' museum. She often snuggles
up to several at once.

Chapter 2: Meeting people

Moving with kids can be incredibly challenging, but they make one thing easy: meeting people. I suppose if I chose to drag them through dress shopping at Nordstroms, or along to a pedicure or out for a late dinner this would not be the case--we'd be more likely to alienate other people than strike up a conversation. However, those pursuits are hardly on my schedule and instead we find ourselves in places where other mommies and small children find it reasonable to congregate, too.

I'm not very outgoing, but I have learned that most other mommies at the park will at least tell you their kids' ages and possibly some random fact about their recent escapades, eating habits or cute outfit. Even if we don't exchange email addresses, it's at least nice to chat.

While Elise snuggles bunnies,
Kalina is just around the corner
serving ice cream.

Not so for my child, though, who I must consider in the process of making friends. The other mommies' 3- or 4-year-old daughters soon single Kalina out as a target for play, and I surreptitiously apologize  for her standoffishness even while gently nudging my girl in the other girls' direction. "Maybe you could make leaf soup, or play chase!" I encourage. Then the other mommy inevitably tells me how her daughter is very outgoing and will talk to anyone, and I can never relate. Apparently, all the other quiet, imaginative girls are at home giving their kittens baths and whatnot.

And then there are those who take pity on us in our "just moved, know no one" state and invite us out to do things. And for knowing almost no one, we really do have some great friends so far!

And I'd be remiss not to mention the chance meeting of another nice mommy of two girls, aged 6 months and 2 years, who just moved here from Durham and who I actually have a few things in common with. We met randomly at a park, and decided to be friends.

The neighbors are also nice, with two girls a bit older than Kalina who are always happy to include her when they play outside, and occasionally  show up at our door wanting to play here. Kalina generally seems to tolerate, and occasionally even enjoy, their presence, and Elise thinks they're pretty entertaining.

Elise and her new birthday bean bag
chair! She was so excited, she couldn't
have it in her bedroom at nap or night
time for a while.

Chapter 3: Finding a grocery store

After finding friends, the next most important thing is acquiring food. This has, in fact, proven to be more of a challenge than friendships, as I was decidedly spoiled in Durham by my nearby grocery store that offered a wide variety of good food and all my favorite brands for good prices.

That aside, here's the process of finding a grocery store in a new town with kids:

Step 1: Acquire a list of potential grocery stores, and map them in proximity to your new home. Without internet access. I used our GPS. Choose the one that's closest, because you have to try, right?

Step 2: Write a giant grocery list, since you spent the previous week using up all of what you had, or packing it (and the truck hasn't arrived yet), or giving it away.

Step 3: Load kids into the car. Follow the GPS directions to the store, fiddling with it so it doesn't make you take the interstate (who wants to use the interstate to get groceries? Blech.).

Step 4: Arrive at a peaceful neighborhood exactly where it says the grocery store is supposed to be.

Step 5: Drive around a bit. It's got to be here somewhere! But it's assuredly not.

Step 6: Accidentally turn onto a really busy road that looks like it leads directly onto a fast-moving interstate, that will whisk you off who-knows-where. Freak out a little. Sing to the children and hand back toys to them.

Step 7: Take the first turn off of the really busy road. It's a gas station. Ask directions the old fashioned way. Acquire a few necessities, just in case.

Step 8: Realize you have to give up because you no longer have time for a big grocery run, considering you haven't actually located the store. Stop at McDonald's. Vow to try again soon.

Step 9: Leave kids home with the husband. Find the next-closest grocery store. Marvel at its wide aisles, clean floors, delicious selection and cheerful workers. Spend a fortune. Cross it off the list.

Step 10: Find the next-closest store, which isn't all that close. Drag the kids through it a good 2 1/2 times before finding (almost) everything on the list. Spend a fortune. Cross it off the list.

Step 11: Stumble across a budget grocery store that didn't appear on the GPS but isn't all that far away. Drag kids inside thanks to the promise of a racecar shopping cart. Find lots of things you need, but determine they don't stock several of your favorite products. Darn. Bag all your own groceries while pacifying squirming, impatient kids, because this is, after all, a budget store. Spend almost a fortune, but not quite. Decide that of all the options, this is probably  the best bet.

Step 12: Shop at Target in the meantime and decide that it would be your favorite grocery store if it only had a fuller meat/produce section.

Step 13: Miss your old store.

But enough about the grocery store challenge: while it confronts me in a big way at least once a week, it is one of the few we've faced.

Well, that and the spiders.

Chapter 4: The spiders

You may remember from a previous post the fact that we'd discovered brown recluses living in our house. Yikes! Well, we took some measures and they disappeared for some time--until we turned off our air conditioning, that is, and the air vents were there's to roam in again. (cue creepy music)

And then one night, Matt decided to turn in early. He brushed his teeth, donned his pajamas, which live under his pillow during the day, and took out a book for a little bedtime reading. That's when he felt a tickle near his armpit. What was that? Before he could rule it out as being "just my imagination," he felt it again. Pulling off his pajama shirt, he shook it out and sure enough--a spider dropped to the floor. He gently squished it before it could get away (gently for identification purposes--otherwise it would've assuredly gotten a full whack).

Even as he was identifying the spider as a brown recluse, he caught sight of a tell-tale welt on his shoulder. The spider had, indeed, bitten him. And real-life arachnophobia seeped into our household as he faced not one, but two emergency room visits, a couple medications, a systemic reaction, and a full week of hives, not to mention random aches and itches from his scalp on down.

He was given by one doctor a referral to a plastic surgeon, just in case, as brown recluse bites can wreak all kinds of havoc on a person's skin. Fortunately for Matt, his has done little damage beyond the hives.

The next day, a couple exterminators heard from me, and we had one out by Friday of that week. The day he came, I found another large brown recluse sitting out in the open on top of Elise's play blanket, and Matt found another in a sticky trap under Kalina's bed. I spent the rest of the day shaking out clothes, blankets and toys and trying to keep the girls out of the house as much as possible, as I no longer felt we were safe in it. We mentally replayed the list of houses we'd rejected before buying this one, and wondered if they'd have brown recluses, too.

The exterminator has now been out twice, and will be coming monthly until Christmas. The situation is much improved. We've warned all the neighbors, and they all look really surprised and consider calling the exterminator as well. Then talk turns back to the weather, which has been gorgeous.

Chapter 5: The weather

It amuses us that whenever we tell people we moved here in early August, they immediately say, "Thank goodness you missed the heat!" To which we can't help but reply, "You don't understand: we moved from North Carolina," as if they're hard of hearing, or understanding. .Neither of us can believe the fact that temperatures cool down in the evenings, and the humidity left when September began.

Next, people inevitably mention how cold winter was. I do believe we'll be in for a bit of a shock when January and February roll around, considering where we've spent the past eight years. But I'm hoping our entire childhoods spent in more northern areas of the midwest will provide something of a buffer against the chill.

In short, I think St. Louis will be milder all around than what we've both been used to, and so far, we're thrilled with the climate. But since weather is such a hot topic of conversation among new acquaintances, we will likely be discussing it many more times. That's okay: we are happy to discuss  weather as we stand in the midst of it with our neighbors, especially when it's so nice and we're looking for any excuse to stay outside.

Chapter 6: Our jobs

While I'm leisurely making smalltalk with the neighbors (and keeping Elise from making a beeline for the street, or toddling into the neighbor's sprinkler, or grazing, all while trying to persuade Kalina not to say out loud, "I don't want to play with those girls," (meaning the neighbor girls, whose names she knows, right in front of them), Matt's hard at work at his brand-new job. And how's it going for him?

All I know is that he comes home challenged, but cheerful every night, trooper that he is. Elise celebrated the occasion of his new job by shifting her wakeup times about an hour earlier, but Matt still heads to work without complaint (possibly relieved at times?). He likes the fact that he does real things, and people try to accomplish work instead of stop others from doing so. And he likes the work itself, and the company, and it's overall a very good fit.

As for me, my job changed little except the location, and you've already heard all about that. I will say that despite the extra cleaning, it's a lot easier to care for young kids when they have space to roam indoors, such as in an actual family room, a basement, or a bedroom that you can do more than turn around in. Not to mention a yard. With a swingset. And nice neighbor girls.

Chapter 7: The kids

In addition to the neighbor girls, in fact, Kalina seems to have acquired a handful of 2- to 4-year-old girl friends, and there are even a few within range of Elise as well. As many of these girls play in the same style as Kalina, or at least have something in common with her, we're slowly learning that other kids can be "funny" and even "nice."

Kalina has mentioned a few times that she can't remember the old house, but I don't believe her. I don't know exactly what she's trying to tell me, but I'll interpret it as, "I'm happy here and am not even looking back." She sometimes gets confused as to which familiar places are here versus Durham, but has not once requested to go back. As always, the girl is content as long as she has her family and animal friends around. Little Sweetie!

Elise has already begun to recognize the word "basement" as being a highly desirable place, and screams with glee and toddles over to be picked up, whenever we say the word.

Both girls enjoy watching the world (or the backyard portion of it, anyway), from our windows, seeing the mail truck arrive, and hanging out by the fireplace. They also seem to enjoy checking out the new sights around town, as many of them are cooler than, or at least equivalent to, what we had in Durham.

So, since we're having such a great time (spiders excluded), what do we miss about Durham? Our friends, for sure. Kalina still thinks of them fondly, but hasn't seemed to put it together that we haven't seen them for a long time, and won't see them for a long time. (Mommy, on the other hand, has.) A few places around town. The "feel" of the area. The ocean and mountains that we would be planning a trip to right about now.

Nevertheless, I think it's safe to say we're settled. Now to get some pictures on the walls. Maybe we'll settle for pictures on the blog for now.