Alden update

I keep meaning to make a list of Alden's words, and in the meantime it keeps getting longer. :)  He's at the stage right now where he repeats everything we say and he's starting to have quite the little intelligible-only-to-us vocabulary.  He's walking more and more sturdily, still often while flapping his hands by his head.  He is fully into the "into everything" stage - just nonstop pulling things out of cabinets and making messes.  He's attached to me, but loves Daddy and has a handful of other adults he will reach for out of my arms.

Some favorites off the top of my head...

egguh - egg (usually yelled over and over while Alasdair is holding him & cooking breakfast)

baba - banana

nuhk - milk

nak - snack

muh or muffo - muffin

nigh nigh! - night night. when we tell him it's bedtime, or when he's telling me he's tired.  boy loves to sleep.  usually said while holding his ear, his clear tired sign since he was tiny.

hugga - hug.  he gives the best hugs, and is still by far my snuggliest baby.

go - go.  or maybe also "girls" ?

Em - Emily (he lights up when she gets home from school)

Dar - Adara

Mumma

Dada

ball

dugga - dog (or any animal)

stro-ro - stroller

boo! or ah-bah! - peekaboo
my! - mine
take-oo - thank you (usually said while handing me something)
uh oh - the classic baby "drop it so you pick it up" game
mo - more (Usually as in "Alden, say please" .. "Mo!"
Nooo! - He doesn't know how to say yes yet.
uppah - up
poop

too - ,me too

wallo - water

(Most of our September videos are of Alden talking or laughing...)

By far his dominant method of communication though is an ear-piercing shriek.  This is how he gets our attention, tells us he's upset, happy, bored, etc.  It might just put me over the edge if he weren't so darn cute.  And boy is he cute.  

We love you so much Alden boy!  Or Chowda-man as Adara calls you most of the time. 

Daddy is very diligent with your haircuts.

Walking around the driveway while the girls play, looking so independent.

I think I forgot to mention here that Granny & Miss Ruth came to visit!

You share my love of edamame.

How are you big enough to play at Romp & Stomp already??  Wasn't Adara just sleeping through this in the baby bucket seat while Emily clung to my leg?

Watching Adara & her friend Emma get tickled.

There is nothing cuter than a baby in a towel.

This about sums up a lot of your life.

 but you always have a big sister to hold your hand

peekaboo!

One thing you can almost always keep up with the girls in is eating!  Pizza is one of your favorites.

Back to School, Part 2

Whoops, I never shared Adara's first day of school pictures!  She started the week after Emily, and has been loving it.  She goes three mornings a week to the preschool at our local elementary school, and is delighted to be at Emily's school.  No nerves or separation anxiety here!  She's also been staying for lunch these first few weeks, and as she's been the only child signed up for the lunch program, she loves the chance to sit and talk to her teachers for 15 minutes.  She's one of the older children in the class, and her teachers tell me that she is often the role model for how to sit at circle time, etc. and that's she's very independent and capable.  

As soon as Emily got off the bus, she started asking Adara all about her first day. :)

Adara has also been going one afternoon a week to the Hampshire Cooperative Nursery School's afternoon program.  It's an outdoor program based on exploring and learning about nature, they've done things like catch grasshoppers, learn about NH snakes, bake apple crisp, and helping clear sticks from an "enchanted forest" that will become an outdoor classroom.  She was nervous pulling in here the first day, as she'd never seen the place and didn't know anyone in her class, but once we walked into the playground area, she wouldn't even look up enough to let me take her picture.

This week, she'll also start one more afternoon per week at a local middle school's early childhood education program - the students who are learning about child development need preschoolers to practice on. (read: 2 hours of free babysitting).  

It's certainly more school than she needs at this point, so we're going to see how it goes for the fall   But, at the moment she's loving it and it's allowing me to keep up with my job so that I can actually focus on the kids while they are home.  

And just for fun, a photo of me at nursery school at age 4.  :)

Boston

Another post I meant to write about the last week of summer vacation....

The kids and I had the best day trip to Boston last week.  I wasn't sure how all the driving in one day plus navigating the city would go, but everything worked perfectly.  The kids were good in the car, we didn't get lost or stuck in traffic...It was pouring rain when we left home, but by the time we got to our first stop, the sun was shining.  I'd been wanting to get in to a good running shoe store and since there are none within an hour of us, I took advantage of being on the road anyway.  The kids were really good in the store despite it taking me an hour and a half to decide on shoes!

The main reason for the trip was to meet up with local friends who were spending the summer in Boston.  We parked at Gov't Center and had a nice half mile walk to meet them at the aquarium.  The kids loved it, especially Emily.  Alden was happy to walk up and down all the ramps.

a little overwhelmed by the city, but having fun

Emily could have looked at penguins all day

the big tank

touching starfish

climbing the tanks ;)

treats from Market Pastry!  I'm still thinking about my cannoli :)

fountains

Despite all it takes to wrangle 6 kids in the city, Sarah and I were able to talk and catch up. We sat in this lovely grassy spot for awhile in the late afternoon while the kids ran in the fountains.

And then, as a great bonus, because everything about the day happened a few hours later than I planned, I realized we'd still be in the city at the end of the work day, so we got to meet up with Becky & Nicolas for dinner!  I think the girls may have been even more excited to see Nico than Becky... which considering their love for their aunt, is really saying something.

The girls and I talked for awhile while we drove home before they fell asleep. We also watched the coolest lightening storm in the distance for the first hour and a half of the trip.  It a fun day of visits, and most of all a really good adventure with my kids.

Pool Mascot

A little out of order but I have to post some of these...  I'm sure I've mentioned many times how spoiled Alden & I are by all the big kids who love on him. He really was the pool mascot by the end of the summer.  He even charmed his way up into one of the lifeguard towers!  (He was playing around the bottom of the ladder and pointing, and the guard brought him up in his lap.)

the boys cheering him on as he ate goldfish off Ethan's belly. looked a little like fraternity hazing. 

 all the boys circled around Alden while he mooches snacks...

while the girls were circled around this woman who had her pet butterfly (?!?) at the pool.

hugs for Micah before football practice

hanging with the birthday boys.  

what do you mean I'm not 12?

(I know I'll blink and he will be!!)

making faces in the window to make all the kids laugh.  and then climbing all over the top of the car and making faces in the sunroof!

River

After the pool closed for the summer (sigh), we discovered another great place to swim.  I'd been meaning to check out a certain river access point all summer, and a few Sundays ago the kids and I finally made it over there.  Right behind a field where we've played some pickup frisbee and a playground the girls love is an easy path down to the White River.  It's shallow most of the way across, and the current is mild enough that I could get 3 kids across by myself.  (Apparently earlier in the summer it was much deeper and faster, but by late August it's a great spot!)

I took this video of Alden saying "hi" and it reminded me so much of this one of Adara (at 12mo).

I am going to miss swimming with these girls every day!

Today was the 3rd day of school, but it was 90* so we picked Emily up from the bus and went for an afternoon swim. :)

Back to School, Part 1

My big girl started first grade yesterday.  She was pretty nervous, and sad that her closest friend wouldn't be in her class.  I was praying there would be no tears at drop-off and hoping once she got into the classroom she'd remember how much she loves school!  

This about sums up little sister's feelings on the matter.  The night before she asked, "Is tomorrow the day Emily goes away in the morning and doesn't play with me anymore?"

After lots of big smiles, Emily asked me to take a picture with her "regular smile."

I love this video of her in the car before we walked up to school!

  

Parents aren't allowed past the door, so I was so thankful for sweet friends for her to talk in with!  (I'm quite sure she would have clung to me otherwise.) Lucy put her arms around Mallory & Emily's shoulders as they walked out to the playground, and led them towards the first grade classes. Emily looked a little hesitant, but never looked back!  

When she got off the bus she said, "It was awesome! ... Well, it was medium." She hasn't raved about it, but no terrible reports either.  She's been happy to see a few familiar faces (including the paraprofessional from her kindergarten class who moved up and is in her class again this year). I'm hoping she'll settle in and start enjoying herself more soon!  Adara is having a harder time adjusting, asks for Emily a lot and throws a lot of tantrums that begin with, "But why don't I ever get to...?!"  She starts preschool next week and I think we will all be ready!