Ben turned to me on Tuesday and said to me, very seriously, "You know what, Mama?"
"Yes, Ben?"
"You really need to take Julia to Target."
"Why's that, honey?"
"Because, Julia wants to buy me a birthday present, and you only have four more days till my birthday!"
"I'll keep that in mind, Ben."
Never mind that in actuality I had five more days!
--Jen
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Ben's Loose Tooth
Ben has his first loose tooth! I simply can't believe it. How can time go by so fast? He is turning six on Sunday and that just seems impossible....
He's very proud of it.
And Julia's proud, too, because she assured him he'd get a loose tooth when he was five. She was beginning to think she'd lost her touch!
--Jen
He's very proud of it.
And Julia's proud, too, because she assured him he'd get a loose tooth when he was five. She was beginning to think she'd lost her touch!
--Jen
Daily Quote
Because you're not what I would have you be, I blind myself to who, in truth, you are.
--Madeleine L'Engle
--Madeleine L'Engle
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The Greatest Neighbors in the World
I mentioned our around-the-corner neighbors Linda and Dennis around Halloween time. They are the older couple who live on the busy street around the corner and walk their dogs on our quiet street. They also brought the treat bags in a wagon through the neighborhood, with their tiny dogs Charlie and Bear dressed in costume.
My kids are in love with those doggies, so we often talk in the front yard as they go by. We give them chicken eggs sometimes, and they repeatedly told us all fall, winter and spring that we can come swim in their pool any time we want to, even if they aren't home. Their kids are grown and gone, and they hate to see the pool go to waste. They welcome friends, especially those with kids, to come over any old time to swim.
Now, in the cool weather, it was easy to say great, we will. But as it became summer, I wasn't sure what to do. We have nice neighbors here, and we chat cordially when we see anyone outside. But it isn't like the fifties where we come into each other's homes, borrow sugar, or play cards on Saturday night. I wasn't sure about gregarious offers of pool use. But then again, I thought their offers were certainly genuine, and I didn't want to hurt their feelings, so yesterday when we had nothing to do (for the first time this summer, it felt like!) we got our suits and sunscreen on and walked around the corner with a carton of eggs as a thank you.
At first we didn't think they were home, because nobody answered the bell. We let ourselves in through the back gate and were about to get in, when Linda came out the back door, all smiles and welcomes, with Bear and Charlie in tow. She hadn't heard the bell as she'd been bathing the pups for their trip. She was over the moon to see us! She told me how they'd thought we weren't going to come, that we hadn't taken the offer seriously, and that they'd even come by to invite us again but never found us home. (See point 1 above about the first chance to come over!) She kept saying how glad she was, how welcome we were, how we should come any time we wanted to---and that it was especially great we'd come because they were off to their house in Maine tomorrow (today) until September 9! And that we can come as much as we want to while they're gone, because the pool stays in better shape with people swimming. (They have relatives coming to do the chemicals and care.)
So how is that for the best neighbors ever? The kids are so happy that we have a pool to go to when we want to swim, and I'm happy it's not our pool to care for! And it is a lovely inground pool with lots of comfortable furniture to lounge on (including a hammock and garden swing). We had a great afternoon swimming and playing.....I love it.
--Jen
My kids are in love with those doggies, so we often talk in the front yard as they go by. We give them chicken eggs sometimes, and they repeatedly told us all fall, winter and spring that we can come swim in their pool any time we want to, even if they aren't home. Their kids are grown and gone, and they hate to see the pool go to waste. They welcome friends, especially those with kids, to come over any old time to swim.
Now, in the cool weather, it was easy to say great, we will. But as it became summer, I wasn't sure what to do. We have nice neighbors here, and we chat cordially when we see anyone outside. But it isn't like the fifties where we come into each other's homes, borrow sugar, or play cards on Saturday night. I wasn't sure about gregarious offers of pool use. But then again, I thought their offers were certainly genuine, and I didn't want to hurt their feelings, so yesterday when we had nothing to do (for the first time this summer, it felt like!) we got our suits and sunscreen on and walked around the corner with a carton of eggs as a thank you.
At first we didn't think they were home, because nobody answered the bell. We let ourselves in through the back gate and were about to get in, when Linda came out the back door, all smiles and welcomes, with Bear and Charlie in tow. She hadn't heard the bell as she'd been bathing the pups for their trip. She was over the moon to see us! She told me how they'd thought we weren't going to come, that we hadn't taken the offer seriously, and that they'd even come by to invite us again but never found us home. (See point 1 above about the first chance to come over!) She kept saying how glad she was, how welcome we were, how we should come any time we wanted to---and that it was especially great we'd come because they were off to their house in Maine tomorrow (today) until September 9! And that we can come as much as we want to while they're gone, because the pool stays in better shape with people swimming. (They have relatives coming to do the chemicals and care.)
So how is that for the best neighbors ever? The kids are so happy that we have a pool to go to when we want to swim, and I'm happy it's not our pool to care for! And it is a lovely inground pool with lots of comfortable furniture to lounge on (including a hammock and garden swing). We had a great afternoon swimming and playing.....I love it.
--Jen
Have You Met Mrs. Meyers?
OK...you all know I am not a fan of housework. I do it because it needs to be done, but I get little if any enjoyment out of the act of cleaning--my happiness comes from it being over! That said, I love Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products. They don't do any animal testing, they all smell gorgeous, they are all biodegradable and made from plant extracts, and they just make me happy if I have to clean something. Target carries their products, but not at an very inspiring price. I've been buying the all purpose cleaner there in geranium (my favorite scent so far) because you can water it down so much that basically they can charge whatever they want. I fill a spray bottle almost to the top and add perhaps 1/4 cup of cleaner to that. The smell is still beautiful and it cleans very well. And that way, I can let the kids spray the counters as much as they want to without worrying they are wasting this expensive cleaner or poisoning themselves.
That said, I was shopping on drugstore.com the other day. I was looking for Mutt Mitts (which are degradable dog poopy bags, because we all know how much I loathe plastic shopping bags and all the damage they do to the environment!) and this site seemed to have the best price I could find. I noticed that the site gives free shipping for orders over $25, so I certainly wanted to take advantage and started poking around. I was ecstatic to find the entire line of Mrs. Myers for a lot less than Target sells them for, so I kind of went a bit berserk!
Let's see, what did I get? In geranium scent, I got the laundry detergent, hand lotion, liquid soap and room freshener (which I will NEVER stop buying! It smells so good sprayed on the beds and near the kitty box!) In rhubarb, I got dish soap, countertop spray, window spray, and all purpose cleaner. Finally, in lemon verbena I got the surface scrub (like Ajax or Comet but natural). I was going to get the dryer sheets, fabric softener and I think there were even more, but I figured that was enough cleaning to get me started! I was surprised not to find a floor cleaner...maybe you're supposed to use the all purpose cleaner for that. So I ended up getting another all natural product for the wood floors.
The best part is, I never left the house, I didn't pay shipping, and my products arrived in two days. Go drugstore.com! I am your friend for life now.
--Jen
That said, I was shopping on drugstore.com the other day. I was looking for Mutt Mitts (which are degradable dog poopy bags, because we all know how much I loathe plastic shopping bags and all the damage they do to the environment!) and this site seemed to have the best price I could find. I noticed that the site gives free shipping for orders over $25, so I certainly wanted to take advantage and started poking around. I was ecstatic to find the entire line of Mrs. Myers for a lot less than Target sells them for, so I kind of went a bit berserk!
Let's see, what did I get? In geranium scent, I got the laundry detergent, hand lotion, liquid soap and room freshener (which I will NEVER stop buying! It smells so good sprayed on the beds and near the kitty box!) In rhubarb, I got dish soap, countertop spray, window spray, and all purpose cleaner. Finally, in lemon verbena I got the surface scrub (like Ajax or Comet but natural). I was going to get the dryer sheets, fabric softener and I think there were even more, but I figured that was enough cleaning to get me started! I was surprised not to find a floor cleaner...maybe you're supposed to use the all purpose cleaner for that. So I ended up getting another all natural product for the wood floors.
The best part is, I never left the house, I didn't pay shipping, and my products arrived in two days. Go drugstore.com! I am your friend for life now.
--Jen
Monday, July 21, 2008
Puff, the Magic Dragon
We had the pleasure of driving out to the Barnes and Noble on Nesconset Highway by the Smithaven Mall yesterday evening to see Peter Yarrow (of the folk group Peter, Paul & Mary) perform. He has coauthored a picture book and CD of Puff, The Magic Dragon and nominally was at B&N for a book signing, but the real draw was the performance. He sang songs and talked and related with the children watching in a way that was just magical. You could see everyone was hanging on his every word, the kids were smiling and singing and clapping along. He spoke of the present times being a return to the ideals of the sixties, where if we all just pull together we can change our world to one where peace and justice reign. That he held everyone in thrall is just the only way I can think of to express what went on.
The line for the book signing was pretty long--we waited around 40 minutes, I think, and were about halfway down the line. Part of the reason it was so long was that Peter spoke to everyone, signed the book or mementos they'd brought, gave hugs and took photos. I honestly think he is about the most sincerely caring person I have ever had the pleasure to meet. It was obvious that he was genuinely glad to meet each person, not just going through the motions as I imagine many celebrities do. He looked right into your eyes as he spoke, he put his hands on the children's hair or hands, and his hugs were real rather than perfunctory. Just talking to him for a few moments was amazing.
Anyway, I just wanted to share because it was a really fun evening, and I guess I'm a bit star struck. I think he put it best when he noted, "I wrote this song in 1959 (Puff) and the fact that four year olds know all the words never fails to amaze me."
--Jen
Daily Quote
You can judge your age by the amount of pain you feel when you come in contact with a new idea.
--Pearl S. Buck
--Pearl S. Buck
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Cecily G.--a Book Review by Emma
Everyone knows the Curious George series, by H.A. Rey. However, you may not be aware that George is actually in other stories of Rey's, one of which is called Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys. I took this book out from the library because Emma loves Curious George, and of course Rey's illustrations are wonderful. I have always thought that Cecily was a bit of an odd story, but as usual, it takes the perspective of an almost-4-year-old to really cement that idea!
Cecily G. (short for Cecily Giraffe--get it?) is lonely when all her friends and relations are captured and sent to zoos. George, his mama and seven siblings are sad because their forest has been cut down and they have no home anymore. When Cecily meets the monkeys, she is delighted to have some lively new friends and invites them to live with her. They share many wacky games---the monkeys love to SKI, and since there is no snow, they tie Cecily's head to a palm tree and use her neck and back for a ski jump....one wonders where monkeys would get skis, much less learn to ski when they live in Africa, but I guess we're just suspending our disbelief for the sake of the story! Cecily also makes a good seesaw, bridge, parachute jump and hook and ladder when her house inexplicably goes on fire. She also manages to walk on stilts, and the monkeys turn her into a harp by tying strings to her head, nose and front feet (the rest of her sits curved appropriately so that she looks like a harp...)
However, when Cecily turned herself into a sailboat for George and his family to ride at the beach, then takes off her skin and hangs it to dry on a clothesline, Emma reached her breaking point. Shaking her head, she announced,
"This story is just not realistic!"
Enough said.
--Jen
Cecily G. (short for Cecily Giraffe--get it?) is lonely when all her friends and relations are captured and sent to zoos. George, his mama and seven siblings are sad because their forest has been cut down and they have no home anymore. When Cecily meets the monkeys, she is delighted to have some lively new friends and invites them to live with her. They share many wacky games---the monkeys love to SKI, and since there is no snow, they tie Cecily's head to a palm tree and use her neck and back for a ski jump....one wonders where monkeys would get skis, much less learn to ski when they live in Africa, but I guess we're just suspending our disbelief for the sake of the story! Cecily also makes a good seesaw, bridge, parachute jump and hook and ladder when her house inexplicably goes on fire. She also manages to walk on stilts, and the monkeys turn her into a harp by tying strings to her head, nose and front feet (the rest of her sits curved appropriately so that she looks like a harp...)
However, when Cecily turned herself into a sailboat for George and his family to ride at the beach, then takes off her skin and hangs it to dry on a clothesline, Emma reached her breaking point. Shaking her head, she announced,
"This story is just not realistic!"
Enough said.
--Jen
Grandma's Visit
You might have noticed that I haven't posted in the last week--or is that hoping for too much? :) Anyway, the reason I haven't posted is that we had our annual visit from Matt's mom, Barbara, who lives in Georgia. Though we've had the best intentions of visiting her, it hasn't happened yet...the drive is far too daunting at this point in our lives, and airfare for six is out of our reach! So she makes the trek every summer.
We picked her up last Saturday (the 12th) at LaGuardia, and basically didn't stop again till she left yesterday morning! In that week, we went to the beach, Splish Splash, the aquarium, the movies to see Wall-E, Greenport, Adventureland, and shopping. In addition, we ate out a lot, and Matt and I had two dates!
The first was originally dinner and a movie, but surprisingly, we couldn't find anything we wanted to see. So we settled on dinner and going to the beach to watch the moon and stars over the water. We ate at the Meeting House Creek Inn, a restaurant that we have long wanted to go to, but never have before. It was a delicious dinner with a lovely view of the marina, the sunset and finally the full moon. Very romantic and lovely.
The second date was to see "1968: Rock the World," an original musical at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson. It was a great show, full of laughter, tears and great classic rock songs (sung by the actors, not the original artists' recordings). We go there monthly for children's theater productions, which I adore, but it was nice to be there at night with just my hubby! After the show, we walked through Port Jefferson, and had some delicious ice cream and cappuccino at the Frigate, an old fashioned shop that sells ice cream and gelato, Godiva chocolates and fudge, and a myriad of other tasty treats. We'd like to go back with the kids for their family sundaes, where you choose the size (ranging from 4-12 scoops!) and then choose flavors and toppings. Sounds like lots of fun! After the ice cream we walked down to the water and watched the ferry for a bit, then meandered home.
Anyway, the week was full of fun and went by really quickly. It's always fun to see Grandma!
--Jen
We picked her up last Saturday (the 12th) at LaGuardia, and basically didn't stop again till she left yesterday morning! In that week, we went to the beach, Splish Splash, the aquarium, the movies to see Wall-E, Greenport, Adventureland, and shopping. In addition, we ate out a lot, and Matt and I had two dates!
The first was originally dinner and a movie, but surprisingly, we couldn't find anything we wanted to see. So we settled on dinner and going to the beach to watch the moon and stars over the water. We ate at the Meeting House Creek Inn, a restaurant that we have long wanted to go to, but never have before. It was a delicious dinner with a lovely view of the marina, the sunset and finally the full moon. Very romantic and lovely.
The second date was to see "1968: Rock the World," an original musical at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson. It was a great show, full of laughter, tears and great classic rock songs (sung by the actors, not the original artists' recordings). We go there monthly for children's theater productions, which I adore, but it was nice to be there at night with just my hubby! After the show, we walked through Port Jefferson, and had some delicious ice cream and cappuccino at the Frigate, an old fashioned shop that sells ice cream and gelato, Godiva chocolates and fudge, and a myriad of other tasty treats. We'd like to go back with the kids for their family sundaes, where you choose the size (ranging from 4-12 scoops!) and then choose flavors and toppings. Sounds like lots of fun! After the ice cream we walked down to the water and watched the ferry for a bit, then meandered home.
Anyway, the week was full of fun and went by really quickly. It's always fun to see Grandma!
--Jen
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