Big Brothers

Matt and I decided that it was a good time to tell the boys about the baby. We told them after church on Sunday when we were eating donuts at our favorite grocery store. They were so excited to hear about the new baby. Really, genuinely excited. It was so fun to see their reaction. Matt asked them if they thought the baby would be a boy or girl. Christopher thinks it is going to be a boy. Daniel thinks it is going to be a girl. Daniel also thinks that, "This baby is going to be a girl, and then you will very quickly have another girl, Mommy. Then our family can be 3 and 3." He cracks me up sometimes. The boys have been talking about being big brothers. It's fun to listen to. Christohper told me today that the baby can sleep in his bed if it wants to. He'll take the big pillow and the baby can have the pillow pet. I really can't wait to hear more little thoughts from them!

New York, New York

Last weekend I left the boys at home with Matt and headed to New York to visit my sister Kelly and my Mom came, too! We had a wonderful weekend full of great company, great food, and an awesome city. Last time I was in New York City, I was 22 and had just graduated from Notre Dame. I was really poor, so I crashed in three different places over a short week. It was a bit on the crazy side, but I was able to see most of the sights. So I didn't have to check too many landmarks off the list on this trip. We just enjoyed seeing different neighborhoods and tried to avoid Midtown.

Friday, after a light trip with no checked luggage or kids in tow, I explored Kelly's neighborhood while waiting for Mom to arrive. She lives on the Upper East Side at 78th and York. It's a great residential area. I spent the better part of a couple hours at this market called Agata & Valentina. It was so visually pleasing and was laid out in somewhat of a serpentine manner that was fun to explore. It was also full of awesome smells. See the apple pie construction below. Just imagine how it smelled! I had a traditional bagel and smear for lunch. Delicious! Why isn't there chive cream cheese everywhere? Once Mom got there, we started our stroll down Madison Avenue through the fancy shops.

The apple pie in construction.

Lovely pastries!

Pasta in progress.

Look at all the ravioli choices!

No Wisconsin girl can resist the cheese department.

I couldn't believe how much produce was piled on this display.

Stand back and look.

 Our one Madison Avenue purchase, macarons from Lauderee.

So pretty!

Yummy!

A stop at The Plaza ended in a brush with fame. Jimmy Rollins of Phillies fame was hanging out there, too.

All the way down to Radio City Music Hall and Rockafeller Center before a wonderful dinner at Mesa Grill.

Saturday morning we headed down to Times Square to hit up the TKTS booth to get some show tickets for that night. The line was really, really long. Luckily I found the "Play only" line which had about 20 people in it. 30 minutes later, we had tickets to War Horse in hand and were off to eat, again.


The boys love this picture!

This one too!

 From Midtown, we headed to Soho and Nolita to do some more exploring.

Snooty Soho coffees.

Cool Soho dining. Seriously, tacos cooked in a VW van? What's cooler than that?

Kelly's smiling because the roasted corn in a cup was so awesome!

I guess there are no pictures of the next 20 hours or so. Sorry. It was complete with a lovely Italian dinner in Kelly's neighborhood at Uva. War Horse at one of the theaters in Lincoln Center. I had to crash after the show. A headache and a growing baby wore me out. That's right, baby Lee No.3 is on its way!

Sunday we headed to mass and then brunch in the neighborhood. Then we walked to the Met and explored Central Park. I love the park. It is such a treasure for the City.

Had to take this one for the boys. So many children's books rerepresent this painting. They had to see the original. It's amazing!

...And Then We'll Have a Little Talk

Bedtime has been challenging recently. Daniel is still practicing being noctournal, and Christopher is going through the big transition from crib to bed. This irritating behavior is starting to slip back into the bathtime hour, too. Tonight, I was not going to let the boys spin out of control during bath, so being of mild temper and little drama, I announced that, "you two are acting like you belong in an institution." Maybe not my best pronouncement, but at least I announced it rather than screaming it at them. Well, it made an impact. Daniel promptly inquired about institutions and asked if jail was one. I figured that was about as close of a concept as he would understand, so I said that it was. During bedtime I learned what the take-home message was from Christopher.

"Mommy, if we don't listen or break the law the police officer will come to our house, and he will take us and put us in his car. Then we will have to ride in his car to jail, and we will have a little talk. Then he will drive us back home, right?" He repeated this several times, just to make sure he had it right. Then he announces, "Mommy, I'm not going to break the law and have to go to jail, but I think Daniel will."

So, now I'm second guessing my announcement. Hopefully there's no permanent damage.

Attention Nocturnal Preschooler in the House

My 4-year-old, Daniel, has decided that he would like to explore being nocturnal. A few days ago, he started laying the groundwork with inquiries like -

• If you are not nocturnal, are you tournal?
• You know Mom, if I stayed up all night and slept all day, I would be nocturnal.
• So Mom, do you think on Sunday, I could maybe stay up in the night and sleep in the day?

I really have a difficult time understanding why he is asking these questions. It feels like all I want these days is a bit more sleep. I'm quite convinced that Daniel and I have much different attitudes when it comes to sleep. Sleep comes easy to me, and I really do enjoy it. I love my 7 plus hours of sleep every night, and I'll take a nap any day that I can get one. There is a Nova Scotia exception to this rule. Too much fun up there for naps ;) I have always felt that Daniel needs more sleep than he gets. Recently it dawned on me that, I've had this same thought for four years. Maybe he doesn't need as much sleep as I think he does. Maybe he's nocturnal? Maybe he thinks his greatest thoughts in those hours between being put to bed and falling asleep?

Daniel's primary source of nocturnal knowledge.

Maybe this whole nocturnal thought is just a way to prepare for the dark hours of the late fall and early winter. Maybe he's onto something. So if you see Daniel out and about, you might want to inquire about his nocturnal ways and let me know what he's thinking. For now, I'll just remind him that it's 8:10 pm and it's time to turn off the light.

End of Summer Fun

Our summer has been wonderful. The boys have had a blast. We have done more swimming, biking, playing, gardening than I can imagine. It's so sad that we find ourselves at Labor Day already.This weekend has been a weekend with a little bit of summer and a little bit of fall. On Friday, we resumed our indoor swimming lessons and got haircuts, Saturday makred the start of college football season and apple picking, Sunday was spent enjoying the lake for an outdoor wedding, and today we are headed to the lake to enjoy all things summer. The boys have changed so much this summer. Daniel is becomming more and more independent, and Christopher won't let him get too far ahead without doing his part to keep up.

Growing up in the South, Labor Day had no seasonal significance. Here it really is the transition from summer to fall. This is the first year that we have lived in Wisconsin that we are still experiencing really warm weather on Labor Day. After such a wonderful summer, it's hard to let go. I know that fall comes with so many wonderful things and the boys will enter it with open arms, but a part of me loves summer and the sun and the bountiful fruit and veggies and flowers, and the heat, and the humidity, and the long days. The days are already getting shorter, football is back, and school starts tomorrow. The change of seasons is inevitible; hopefully, I'll slide gracefully into fall instead of going kincking and screaming.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend and a video of the big jogging event. The jogging video is for the true fans out there. Nothing says quality entertainment like some stretching and little kid jogging. One of my finer parenting moments is featured at the end of the video. Usually other people catch those moments, and I did it to myself. Oh well, no children were hurt in the making of this video :)

Refreshing water after the jog.

Caught a lovely wedding during the weekend. Olin Park was an amazing venue. Congrats to Betsy and Chris!

Daniel hard at work Monday morning.

The boys were really enjoying our stop at the beach at Picnic Point this morning.

Sassy Cow Creamery Ice Cream Social

We had a great afternoon at the Sassy Cow Creamery Ice Cream Social. Here are a few pictures. Felt a little like a Nova Scotia day here. Lovely warm, windy weather, and we crammed in more non-essential activities in one day than necessary. This ice cream social fell at the beginning of the end. The rest of our day included Farmer's Market with a trip all the way up to the Observatory Level of the Capitol, mowing for Mommy and the park for the boys and daddy, frisbee, lunch and naps, ice cream social, and dinner at Laredo's. And I wonder why I'm tired at 8 pm.

Look Mom baby calves!

Driving the tractor...

"Christopher, it's not working, what do you think?"

Ready to go!

Dad had to get in on the fun, too.

I like this one!

Samples, pedal tractors, farm tours, factory tours!!

Daniel, we are ready...

I just need to feed the goat a little more hay.

Friends

Smile!

Yes, we fed them ice cream before trying to get a group shot.

Amherst Shore 2012

At the beginning of August, we headed up to Nova Scotia for our annual trip. The boys and I were lucky enough to stay for 12 days, Matt had to return home after a week. It was a wonderful vacation. Most of it was pretty sunny and warm, so we spent a lot of time on the beach and playing in the yard at the Farmhouse. I was lucky enough to have all my siblings there for a few days and Mom and Dad around for the whole trip.

The boys loved the beach, having so many friends around, playing golf and badminton in the yard, and the garden. Daniel is a fish and loves swimming in the ocean and exploring the gulleys. I've noticed since being home that they boys really miss having playmates or wide open spaces available all the time. So much freedom at the Shore. They got to go to their first Kool-Aid-Kid meeting and participated in the Sand Castle Contest for the first time, too. Soon enough they will be in the Mini Olympics and staying up for bonfires. No bonfires this summer. It was too hot!

We adults had our fair share of fun, too. A few Famous People games, the Games, and plenty of afternoons spent on the beach. Being there for so long was a treat! Hopefully we will have many more summers at the Shore. Now for a few pictures...

The start of a large collection of beach glass and special rocks, yes Mom those shells full of beach glass in the cottage are grandson contributions ;)

A mini canoe ride for Elliot, Christopher, and Daniel with Uncle Mike and Matt.

Picnic at the Farmhouse with Gigi!

Getting ready for the sand castle contest in their squares.

Daniel was so suprised to hear his name called for a medal.

Bronze medal winning creation ... if only there were a vertical cutout to show the depth of his upside down Christmas tree. The beach glass topper would be stunning.

Near high tide on a lovely beach day.

No trip to the cottage is complete without a simple project...build a new deck in three days...the cottage received a major facelift this year with a new foundation, siding, and a huge deck! It feels like a different place when you don't hear the glassware clink as you walk.

Saying goodbye to Aunt Kelly.

Getting ready for their mule ride with Grampie to start their morning. They saw actual bear tracks!

Last day on the beach, climbing the rocks with Elliot.

They are working in the kitchen of their rock restaurant. They accept rocks for payment. My kind of place!

Brothers