The Galt Gang

Recent events

2011-10-06T12:55:00.005-05:00

Solomon turned two! He requested "ice cream truck" for his party. We settled on making him an ice cream cake.

School started and Tihun joined in on the fun. She is in kindergarten and is doing great. She can't wait to start each day and has been described by her teachers as the role model for the class. The twins are in second grade. They have had a little bit of a rocky start (absent teacher, substitutes, misbehaving...), but seem to be doing better. Adaline has declared herself the best math student in the class and Arthur, the best reader. Those two have never struggled with a lack of self-confidence!

Daddy walks them to school most mornings...

While Solomon and I stay home and have treats.

This is my first experience with one kid at home, and I must say it is wonderful. I feel like a new mom walking around with my little stroller and my little one kid. I am so much more laid-back and spontaneous. And Solomon seems to be enjoying it too. I wondered if he'd be sad being home alone, but he likes the extra attention from me. He is growing up so fast---riding a scooter, hitting a baseball, begging to potty...and he never stops talking. But I thankfully get a little peace and quiet during nap time. It is nice to get a little calm from the storm that was/is 0 to 2 to 4 kids.
And finally, Tihun pulled out her own tooth! It has been loose for a while. It was bothering her, so she just yanked it out. After hearing the pop of the tooth, she calmly replied, "I got it." Adaline immediately rushed it down to put under Tihun's pillow and then started sobbing. Adaline hasn't lost any teeth yet and she was devastated that her little sister lost one before her. I think this is only the beginning of little sister passing her older siblings. You should have seen her on a skateboard the other day. She's a natural at all things physical (and so is Solomon). Something that I can not say about the older two :) Lots of fun!

Oh, and I suppose I should mention that I followed in Adaline's footsteps and cut my hair to donate to Locks of Love (the longest layer was 16 inches!). She sort of regretted cutting her hair after the fact. She would cry on the couch saying, "I miss my hair." When I told her that I might donate mine too she replied, "Serves you right for making me cut mine!" Ouch. She came with me and enjoyed watching the shearing (and really enjoyed her first salon experience). It feels great!

7 years old!

2011-07-22T18:18:00.000-05:00

There was much celebration for Adaline and Arthur's birthday last week. We had a family party on the night of their birthday, Uncle Marshall took them on a breakfast date, and we invited friends over for a birthday party in the back yard on Saturday. I am posting tons of pictures...I guess I'm missing family and friends and wanting them to connect to the big events in our lives. So here goes!

Each child got their own mini-cake.

I love this series of Arthur. Shocked by his cake--7 candles really are bright.

Contemplating the wish.

Satisfaction.

Sweet kids! Arthur thanking his sister for her homemade card.

The party. Several friends from school and neighborhood.

Cupcakes this time.

We always sing separately to them in case you haven't noticed :)

Lots of relay games in the back yard (this is egg and spoon).

Dress-up relay was the finale. Very cute!

And of course, presents! All of the kids had a great time. Happy 7th to Adaline and Arthur!

Another milestone in the family: first stitches. It comes as no surprise that Solomon was the first to send us to the ER for stitches. He jumped off the couch and hit the coffee table with his mouth. His teeth (front and back) went through his lip, basically removing the entire bottom of his lip. The plastic surgeon did 20-25 stitches to put it all back together. They were both inside the mouth and under the lip. It was very gross, but Solomon was so brave. He giggled through a large portion of the procedure and made jokes with the doctor the whole time. He also tried to re-enact the fall so that the doctors could get a clear picture of what happened (because I didn't see it and they were asking me lots of questions). They had to tell him over and over not to jump off of the hospital bed. Hilarious!

This sort of shows the stitches underneath his lip. He is completely back to normal now. You hardly notice the scar because it is just under his lip line. But our coffee table still bears the marks of the incident. Three teeth marks are imprinted on it where he fell! It's a miracle that his teeth are still in his mouth! Oh, Solomon. I'm afraid this is only the beginning of your life in the ER. I told the plastic surgeon that we will probably see him again soon!

Class Mascots

2011-06-27T11:39:00.004-05:00

Tihun and Solomon are like little rock stars when they show up at Adaline and Arthur's school. All of the kids in their class rush to greet them with hugs and kisses. The kids carry them around like little baby dolls and tend to their every need. Adaline used to get a little possessive when this happened-- "She is my sister, and I need time with her"-- but she is fine with it now. Solomon loves big kids and Tihun loves attention, so they are both happy with the situation.

Tomorrow is the last day of school, so all of this attention will come to an end. But I have no doubt that we will run into a lot of their friends all summer as we go sprinkler, pool and playground hopping. Next year Tihun will enter Kindergarten so Solomon will have to be the mascot for two classes. Should be fun!

Homecoming Anniversary

2011-06-20T20:10:00.001-05:00

It's been one year since Tihun and Solomon joined our family. How blessed and joyful our family is with these two little people in it. We are so thankful!

Amusement

2011-06-12T17:39:00.004-05:00

Our family recently went to Knoebel's Amusement Park in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. Jamison's dad and stepmom took us two times, and it was quite a treat! There was probably more laughter and fun than I can remember having with our kids. It was also interesting to see how seeing them in a new environment highlighted a part of each of their personalities that we had never seen before. Adaline was fearless, which was a huge surprise. Nothing ever scared her and she rode everything that her height allowed (including 2 large wooden roller coasters). She giggled and raised her arms throughout every ride and found solidarity with her fearless dad. Arthur was as excitable as I have ever seen him. Even at home he is still studying the map and talking about all of the rides. Today he designed and drew "Knoebel's 2" with 10 new rides. He was extremely trepidatious, but fought through the fear and rode every ride that Adaline did (and forced his terrified mom to ride every ride with him). Tihun was content to pass on the scary rides--a first for her because she usually keeps up with the big kids on everything. She enjoyed riding the kiddie rides with Solomon. Solomon had an enormous smile on his face no matter which ride he was on. The higher and faster, the better for him. This actually comes as no surprise, and is consistent with his character so far. All of the family had an amazing time!

Enjoying Spring

2011-04-22T18:55:00.001-05:00

Spring cleaning! Time to dust the cobwebs off this blog again. Before I took these recent pictures, the last photos on our camera were of the snow in February. It's been that sort of season--huddled up inside, trying to survive without a thought of capturing memories. It was a long winter. But now we are out and feeling good! The daffodils and tulips are saying hello, the ramps are making their highly anticipated appearance. The cool spring air is so energizing. The big kids are on spring break from school, so we have had extra time this week to enjoy the outdoors.

This trip to Coney Island was so refreshing for us all. It felt great to just let the kids run around without so many boundaries and restrictions. And I love how these pictures highlight their interactions with each other. This is pretty typical of them--Arthur and Tihun have a special bond and Adaline has a unique patience with Solomon. It is fun to watch them pair off in different ways.

I'm not sure what else to say to catch up on the past five months. Tihun turned 4 years old, Arthur lost his first tooth (and swallowed the second), Adaline donated 10 inches of her hair to Locks of Love, and Solomon says a new word almost daily. Solomon demolished his crib (while in it) and has to have a crib tent (a.k.a. cage) to contain his adventurous naughty self. Adaline and Arthur are obsessively reading the Boxcar Children series and are devouring books every night (largely due to an extremely early bedtime for their age). Tihun is now fluent in English and has also picked up every other American child-like behavior (tantrums, whining, rolling eyes...) Lots of fun in the Galt household. There is never a dull moment!

Oh, and last weekend the 3 big kids were in their first wedding. Arthur and friend blew Ethiopian horns to announce the bride's arrival. The girls slowly "decorated" the path for the bride and dumped out the pail of flowers at the end of the aisle. Super cute!

Our African Princess

2010-12-01T12:02:00.012-06:00

Our little Tihun just had her second visit to the hospital. This time for just an outpatient procedure (colonoscopy), but the hospital nonetheless. This 3 year old has been through a lot of medical ordeals since arriving in the U.S., none of which she would have endured in Ethiopia. On one hand, this is a blessing. Coming to the States has possibly saved her life because she wouldn't have had access to such great medical care in Ethiopia. So we are thankful. But it is also overwhelming to watch your little girl be poked and prodded on such a regular basis. We are sad for her.

Another convoluted situation is her response to all of this invasive care. She has no fear. The first time she was immunized, she calmly handed her arm to the nurses and blankly watched as they repeatedly pricked her. She endured multiple (seemingly painful) attempts at drawing her blood without a flinch. Meanwhile, Solomon needed a whole team of medical professionals to hold him down. The doctor was worried about me when he freaked out so bad on his first visit, but I was fine. That is the normal response of a child being held down and hurt. But when Tihun complied without any acknowledgment of the pain, I starting weeping. That is not normal--it should upset her at least a little.

There are also positives to this, of course. We are constantly in awe of how strong this child is. I never get any resistance to the things we have to do for her health...nebulizer treatments, stool samples, ANOTHER trip to a doctor... She had to fast for her colonoscopy and drink a LOT of laxative in a short period of time. No complaints. No whining at the incessant bowel movements. Can anyone name a 3 year old that would respond in a like manner?? Unbelievable. To top it off, when it came time for the enema (I know, too much information), she listened to the explanation of what was about to happen and immediately complied. And what followed was one of my favorite moments with Tihun (seriously, after an enema?)! We laughed. We giggled and laughed so hard that we were crying--all while she was sitting on the toilet losing every bit of substance in her body. But we laughed.

Sorry for the graphic image, but I can't help sharing how amazing this little human being is. And this description of her medical self is true of her personality in general. She takes everything in stride. Nothing phases this girl. She has been exposed to innumerable new things, and she experiences them as though she has seen them before. She is so confident and eager. I have to be honest that when I pictured adopting a 3 year old, I imagined one response: panic. We have a child who was removed from everything she knows (except her younger brother, which is a significant continuity), and plopped into a new family and environment and culture. Surely this child is going to panic, and panic often! But, no. Tihun has shocked us with her laid-back, confident, trusting personality. Who is this little person? I think I will spend my whole life trying to answer that question.

Watching Tihun navigate through all of these issues makes us reflective about her past. What has this little girl been through? What kind of pain has she endured? How much love and joy must she have experienced to possess such confidence now? She had over 3 years of life that we know nothing about. It is mind-boggling to not know every detail about your child's life.

Yet again, the other side of the coin--we are thankful for her life before we knew her. It shaped her into an amazing child. It formed beautiful qualities in her that we would have never been able to create. God has shaped and is shaping Tihun into an inspiring person, and we will never foolishly take credit for that. We will just give thanks.

* In the event that you think our Tihun is perfect, let me reassure that she is not. (She threw a tantrum just after I wrote this post.) I am just highlighting some wonderful things about her and choosing to leave out some of the not-so-wonderful ones. :)

Halloween

2010-11-02T20:40:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure if anyone even reads this blog anymore...after a 2 month plus hiatus. This blog is so stagnant that there are these random spam businesses leaving creepy comments on old posts. Yuk. (Let me know if you know how to get rid of these bugs.) It's not that we aren't doing fun things worth writing--we are--it's just that I can't bring myself to look at the computer at the end of a tiring day. I'm happy to report that we are surviving with 4 kids and even enjoying a "normal" sort of family life much quicker than I had imagined. I think we look and act like a family that has been together for a long time--not just 4 short months. Yet I am most certainly off-duty by bedtime and in great need of relaxation. And, sorry folks, blogging is not on my list of relaxing things to do. :) Maybe I should just cave and join Facebook. It would probably fit with my schedule a little better... So, once again, I'm not going to attempt to play catch-up from the last couple months. I'll just try to get back on board with the latest events...
Halloween is fun in our neighborhood. People really get into it. There was even a vampire opera on a stage in the middle of the street--they lost their teeth from eating too much candy :) I love the day-of, but never seem to get around to the costume-planning frenzy. We just lay out all of the dress-up clothes we have before each event and try to be creative. We did our cutesy costumes on Saturday (pictured above) for the festival in our park. My personal favorite is Adaline's flower--completely made up and pieced together. Dad said she looked more like Lady Gaga.
We decided to go with scary costumes for the main event. It all started with Adaline wanting to be a princess vampire. She looked really nasty, I must say. (I should add a close-up of her.) Tihun wanted to be a flower girl, but I convinced her to be a flower girl-turned-witch by slipping some black on top of her frilly dress. Solomon had to ride on Dad, and we used lollipops to keep him happy. He had several before the night was over. Our friend Ben carried Solomon later and used him to get more candy. One of the benefits of having 4 kids--4 times the candy!
Speaking of candy, we have trained our kids for years to always pick chocolate when given a choice. Before we leave, we drill them. "Laffy Taffy vs. Mr. Goodbar, which do you choose? Quick!" It was easier this year because the older kids can read. So we told them our personal favorites to look out for--mine: Snickers, Jamison: Reese's. And our training worked! They were happy to report when they found the last Reese's in the big bowl of Jaw Breakers and Jolly Ranchers. Arthur actually told one woman "no, thank you, I would prefer not to have Laffy Taffy..." and she gave him something else (ouch! maybe we took it a little too far?)

The only problem with this plan is that the kids didn't realize that WE were going to eat all of that sought-after chocolate. Arthur tried to find a Reese's THE NEXT DAY and couldn't find one because Jamison had eaten all of them (and I ate all of the other good stuff). He was so upset that he went to all of that trouble to get yummy candy and his parents ate everything but the gross stuff that we drilled them to leave behind. Oops. That's the problem with them getting older and smarter. We can't fool them like we used to. So now I've promised Arthur that I will buy him a Reese's because he's never tasted one and he'd like to know what the fuss is all about. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of going trick-or-treating? Now I have to buy my own candy because I am such a selfish sugar-craving mom? Oh well...I do receive some payback for my wrongdoing. Every evening (including this one) I feel lousy because I've overdosed on sugar and high fructose corn syrup. My kids are limited to one candy per day, but their mother has a different system for consuming the loot. Eat until sick.

And while we're on the topic of sicknesses...the most difficult part of having 4 kids so far has been the vast number of illnesses. At any given time, there is at least one child with a fever or a cough or vomiting or wheezing (Tihun and Solomon have pretty severe asthma). It's hard to take care of one sick child when you have 3 healthy ones bouncing off the walls. I feel like a nurse--giving nebulizer treatments to 2 kids, staying 48 hours in the hospital with Tihun...and a sanitation employee--cleaning up diarrhea, vomit, accidents...it almost feels weird when they are all healthy, but it never lasts for more than a day or two. But I am thankful that the worst of this transition is just a physical one. I can imagine much more difficult problems with going from 2 to 4. We are alive and well...but coming off of a sugar high at the moment :)

The Farm and Woodstock

2010-08-26T18:49:00.001-05:00

We recently took a day trip to Stone Barns Farm in NY an hour outside of the city. Friends of ours are cooks there, so we were able to get an insider tour while the place was closed on Monday. It was a lovely day seeing the animal and vegetable/fruit farm. Then our friends prepared us an amazing lunch and we ate on the terrace of the fancy restaurant (that was closed). The view was spectacular. (Pictured are the kids' letter t-shirts made by my friend. You can't see them all, but each shirt starts with the first letter of the name of the kid wearing it. In case we get confused. They are super cute walking around in matching outfits!)

All of the kids loved the tomato house. They all ate dozens of tomatoes off the vine. Yummy!

Tihun worked really hard to catch a chicken. I finally grabbed one so that they could pet it. She was so upset when we left the chicken coops. We finally figured out that she thought we were catching it to cook and eat it. Oops. Communication breakdown.

The Berkshire pigs were enormous and stinky. The restaurant slaughters and eats 3 pigs/week.

Again, we are so thankful for friends! Some friends of ours have a house in Woodstock, NY, and they let us stay there for 3 nights this week. It was rainy and chilly, but still great to get out of the city for a longer amount of time. Lots of mud playing!

We ate outside when we could--even when it drizzled on us. The place was so beautiful!

Fun Stuff

2010-08-21T21:48:00.001-05:00

Front row seats at orchestra in the park

Quadracyling on Governor's Island

Overlooking Brooklyn Bridge from Gov Island


Sculpture climbing on Gov Island

A & A camping trip with Dad and friends

Hiking and wild blueberry picking with friends


Little Solomon skipped many naps to have all of this fun! (Mommy is very annoyed with blogger right now. I can't get pictures to do what I want. I have many more to post, but I'm tired of waiting/failed attempts. Maybe more later...)

Oochee

2010-08-04T19:40:00.007-05:00

What is it about being outside? Is there some magic in the air? I have spent a lot of effort trying to keep our family at home--bonding, resting, renewing...this is what you are "supposed" to do when you adopt children. Create a safe and structured environment. Make sure that they know that you are their forever parents (and forever siblings). Reassure them that this is it--no more huge changes or moves. This worked for about a week or so in our home. Now, staying indoors usually results in grumpy, fighty frustration. I'm amazed at how walking outside can change everything. Constant arguing and whining can just melt away when you cross the threshold. Enemies (a.k.a. siblings) become best friends. Stressed parents become patient and playful. It really is magic.

This has been true of the Galt family thus far, and Tihun and Solomon are following suit. Solomon grabs his shoes constantly begging to go outside. He points at the window and makes his little "I want it" grunt. Tihun begins at 7 o'clock in the morning asking when we can go "chow" (goodbye) or "oochee" (outside). Our days are 100% better if we make it outside. The problem is that I don't have a lot of options in this stage of life. Four kids are difficult to manage in most environments, it's so hot that we can hardly breathe, Solomon takes 2 naps...but I've found a few things that work for us. Splash pools and sprinklers are our friends.

So far my favorite outside adventure with the kids (with other adults) has been the beach. We have gone twice (day trips) with the kids and were surprised at how well it went. Adaline and Arthur LOVE the waves. Tihun enjoys the sand and was impressed by the "telik woo ha" (big water). Solomon dives into either water or sand--literally DIVES.

I'm so happy that our whole family loves to be outside. Why fester inside when you can blister outside?

*That is Arthur's head at the top of the wave in the last picture. The waves were intense and they didn't mind being knocked around a bit.

One Family

2010-07-25T19:49:00.003-05:00

In one sense, Tihun and Solomon have joined a new family. They have lost their birth family, their birth country and culture, and everything they know, and they have become part of something new. This is simultaneously tragic and beautiful. Nevertheless, it is their story, and our family has chosen to become a part of their story. Our family is blessed to have them in our lives.

In another sense, we are happy to be able to keep them in the same family in which they were raised. Both Tihun and Solomon were baptized as Christians in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church a few days after they were born. Last Sunday, we were able to take vows before our church to promise to uphold their baptismal vows. We did not know them when they joined God's family, but it brings me joy that we are able to keep them in the same family. It's only one continuity in their transitional little lives, but it's the most important thing that I can think of to stay the same.

I can't show you too many pictures of the ceremony because I was weeping pretty quickly into it (which is not pretty). I didn't realize that we were taking vows, and certainly hadn't read them, so I was taking it in as they were being asked. Our pastor asked the simple question, "Do you take these children to be your own?" and I responded with a weeping yelp. Very embarrassing, but I am thankful for the emotional experience. It was good to stand in front of so many people, promising to love Tihun and Solomon and raise them as part of God's family. I felt the weight and joy of it, and let it all loose in front of hundreds of people :)

That evening we celebrated at an Ethiopian restaurant. Tihun was ecstatic. She ate a ton and ruined the beautiful Ethiopian dress I bought for her baptism (before I knew she had already been baptized). She also enjoyed speaking Amharic to the wait staff who were very sweet and kind. It was a special celebration!

New Creations

2010-07-12T13:32:00.003-05:00

There's no way to adequately catch up on recent events in our family. A month ago we met and took custody of 2 beautiful children, Tihun and Solomon. We raised them for a week in Ethiopia, made a 24-hour trek to America, and introduced them to their brother and sister and home. They have experienced innumerable "firsts" and transitioned beautifully to our family. I can't begin to tap into the experiences we and they have had, especially in the limited time budget that I have these days raising 4 kids :) I can only reflect for a moment now and try to blog about life as it comes from here forward. Maybe one day I can go back and reflect on the trip to Ethiopia and the 1st month of life with our new children.

Tihun and Solomon have experienced so many new things since we have met them--first bath tub, first car seat (not a fan of the buckles), first stroller (thankfully big fans), first restaurant, first playground, first pool, first fireworks, many new foods...but perhaps the most poignant is the addition of a new brother and sister. Every other experience is just that, an experience. It comes and goes and they learn something new. But these new sibling relationships are constant and dynamic, both amazing and difficult. Tihun and Solomon are having the easier transition in this area, perhaps because they have had dozens of "siblings" to live with in various orphanages. Their worlds have certainly been turned upside down by moving and joining our family, but in this area, the twins' world is being transformed in a more dramatic way. Tihun and Solomon are not used to the attention of a mom and a dad. Arthur and Adaline are not used to sharing the attentions of their parents. Tihun is very independent and has had to navigate through relationships with all sorts of kids. Adaline and Arthur have had the house to themselves for almost 6 years.

It has been a huge stretch for A & A, and often quite difficult, but it has also been the cause of delightful new creations. Adaline is especially attaching to Solomon, even though she has rarely been interested in babies. We are now hearing a new voice and a new giggle that Adaline uses with her brother. She uses a tone when she speaks to him that we have never heard before. And she has a joy and laughter when she plays with him that is foreign and new. This relationship has created something all-together new and glorious. Arthur has never had a sister who needs and wants his help. He walks around with the Amharic translation book and works on phrases that allow him to communicate with her. In fact, our whole family is using dozens of new words all day long--not just when we speak to Tihun, but even with each other. We are creating a new Galt family "language," without even intending to do so. A & A interact differently on the playground now--instead of just playing, they are often pushing a brother or sister on the swings or introducing them to a new piece of equipment. New behaviors and patterns are being formed as a natural result of Tihun and Solomon joining our family.

New relationships and periods of transition produce growth that is full of friction and toil. We are certainly feeling the growing pains around here and are quite tired! But we are also witnessing new creations--new laughs, new roles, new voices--and we are thankful for these two wonderful creatures who are wildly blessing our family.

Student of the Month

2010-05-31T19:40:00.008-05:00

We received shocking news last week. Arthur was selected "student of the month" from his class. We were surprised because he has not proven to be the model student--I probably shouldn't elaborate, but let's just say we were surprised. Adaline has been in much less trouble at school this year, so we were surprised that he was selected and not her. Nevertheless, we could not have been more happy about this news. Arthur definitely struggles with insecurity (and it gets worse when his sister is praised), so this was a huge boost for his tender heart. To be honest, the award is no big deal, but our family made a big deal about it to make him feel special. (As a side note, Adaline naturally was so proud of her brother and didn't show an ounce of jealousy. She sang "student of the month" all week and was so happy for him. She is so sweet to her brother!) We told him that we could celebrate in any way that he wanted. His initial idea to have 2 friends over was canceled, so we told him that he could have any meal that he wanted that night for dinner...any restaurant, any home-cooked meal, anything. He thought for a few minutes and came up with this: "Bread. Dipped in oil, with some butter. And broccoli." Later he added sausage and deleted the broccoli. I thought, really? That's all you can come up with? But our little boy loves bread (nice crusty bread) and he loves to give it a "bath" in some nice olive oil with herbs and spices. He was so happy and we had a great celebration together. Here are pictures of the award ceremony. (Oh, and we already got the heads-up that Adaline is in line for student of the month for next month. The teacher alternates girls and boys, so Arthur providentially got it first.)

Here is a catch-up on happenings in May:

My birthday request: camping. We decided to stay in a cabin for the first time because rain was predicted. It turned out to be a good choice. It rained all night.

Spring Fling fundraiser at the school complete with face-painting:

Last art class at Pratt:

Field trip

2010-05-27T09:53:00.003-05:00

We had a hot field trip to the aquarium yesterday. Waiting for the sea lion show was brutal, so we passed the time taking pictures. Field trips are always an adventure! Our kids' school is a uniform school, but for some reason on field trip days, they get to wear play clothes. That way they blend in with all of the other kids so that we can lose them constantly. I never looked at one animal--just kept my eyes busy looking for stray children. We were so hot and tired (especially after our stuffy bus trip home), so we decided to play in the playground sprinklers afterward. Very refreshing!

Also, we booked our plane tickets last night. We are going to Ethiopia June 2-14!!

2 weeks!!

2010-05-20T19:43:00.002-05:00

Hopefully we leave for Ethiopia in 2 weeks. We can't wait! We are still waiting for our visa interview to be confirmed by the US Embassy so we haven't booked airline tickets. We have learned more about our kids this week. The first being that Solomon is walking! I know that developing well is a good thing, but I have to say that I was sad when I heard the news. I would have loved to see the first steps. Tihun has been described as smiley, not shy, sweet, and friendly. She also likes to draw and is still posing for the camera. Oh, and she doesn't like trains--all girl, they said. Solomon, on the other hand, has been described as "serious" by more than one person. And he is reported to be "all boy" and we were told to get ready. Lord, have mercy on us.

Presenting...

2010-05-07T20:27:00.002-05:00

the newest members of the Galt family

Tihun and Solomon

We can't wait to meet you!!

(we passed court and are hoping to travel to pick them up in early June)

Waiting

2010-04-22T18:30:00.002-05:00

We are eagerly waiting for the newest Galt arrivals. Our first court date was postponed, so we await court date #2. The only news we hear of our future kids is from other parents who have traveled before us. We have given permission to 2 families (working on 3) to take pictures/video of our kids. It is very exciting to receive these snippets into our kids' lives.

The first set of pictures (and a bonus video) consisted of our daughter hugging and kissing (practically tackling) her little brother. Her personality felt all too familiar (Adaline #2--look out!) and he was very chill. It was sweet to see her affection for her brother and relieving to see his apparent laid-back nature (don't we deserve #4 to be a little calmer than our current experience?).

We recently received the 2nd set of pictures, and they were not so enlightening. Our son is crying in his crib and our daughter is grimacing at the camera. Clearly it was not good timing for them. I still enjoy these pictures because I've never seen my son cry and I've never seen my daughter frown. It is still a glimpse into their lives. Plus, I'm a mom and I am aware that kids cry and kids don't always like to smile at a camera. It's not personal, right?

I was very excited to show these new pictures to Adaline and Arthur when they came home from school. I flipped open the computer and began with the zoomed-in shot of their brother crying. I watched Arthur closely as he is often quiet and thoughtful when he sees his siblings. I watched as his eyes began to water and he had the look of utter concern. Then I looked at Adaline and saw her wiping the tears from her face. Whoa. It was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen.

They were very solemn throughout the entire slide show. They didn't know what to do with the thought of their brother and sister being sad. Adaline wondered if he was crying because he wanted his brother and sister. Later Jamison asked her why she cried when she doesn't even know him yet. She quickly corrected him and said, "We know him. He's ______ (his name)."

It is an amazing ride to bond with these kids from afar. To wait for them, yet still go on with normal life. To wonder what the wait is like for them (they don't even know about us yet and won't until we pass court). Clearly Adaline and Arthur already feel a connection to their brother and sister--even though they haven't met them. They specifically prayed for them for months, and they "know" them because God has specifically given them to us. We cannot wait to see the many blessings they will bring to our family!
*Bonus pictures: Easter celebration. We had 20 people gathered around long tables in our living room. Very fun!

Saying goodbye to the Galt twins blog

2010-03-24T19:07:00.004-05:00

Settle down, fans (Moms), I'm not getting rid of this blog...I'm just going to have to change the name. The twins will no longer be the only center of attention in this blog because our family is about to grow. And keeping with tradition, we are growing by two! We like to keep the numbers even, I guess. We have been in the process of adopting from Ethiopia for over 2 years, and we just received our referral a couple weeks ago. We are happy to announce that we were referred a 3 year old daughter and a 6 month old son. They are absolutely beautiful and we can't wait to introduce them to you all. All of this is pending court date approvals, etc. (at which time we can share their names and photos). We hope to travel to bring them home in around 4 months or less.

Arthur and Adaline are thrilled to have a little sister and brother. They have been telling us for over a year that we should adopt from Ethiopia. (We might have fed them a little information for them to come to that conclusion.) The only difference in our vision for our family is that they were hoping for many more brothers and sisters--as many as 20 were mentioned. We're sticking with two. They have been praying every night that God would give them a brother and sister from Ethiopia, and now they thank God every night for answering their prayer. We can't wait to meet the newest members of our family!

So in a few months, we'll have to say goodbye to the Galt twins blog. What should it become? "Two by two"? "Keeping it even"? Any suggestions?

*The picture is of Arthur in a traditional Ethiopian outfit and Adaline with her Ethiopian dolls. Jamison brought her the first one last year. Recently a friend traveled back to Ethiopia and asked the kids what they wanted from there. Adaline said that she wanted another doll so that she could give it to her baby sister. So sweet! Arthur wanted pajamas :)

2010-02-28T17:51:00.000-06:00

Winter Break

2010-02-21T18:01:00.006-06:00

The kids had last week off of school, so we decided to pack in as much fun as we could. I miss all of the adventures that we used to take together in the city. Now that they are in school all day, we spend most of our time recovering and staying close to home. I guess that is not unusual...just an adjustment. Here is how we decided to spend our week together:
Monday: Empire State Building. We can see this building from our front stoop, and the kids are often asking to go up in it. So we finally geared up for the long tourist lines and did it. It took about an hour of waiting, and the kids were ready to leave after 15 minutes. We dawdled as much as possible, but soon headed to a Korean restaurant for lunch. Yummy! Adaline ate these tiny whole fish--we were impressed.
Tuesday: Sledding with friends. We had a wonderful time in Prospect Park sledding with lots of friends.

Wednesday: Swimming. We just joined the local YMCA and went for our second swim. I must take a picture of the kids (but not me) in the mandatory swim caps. Hilariously cute.

Thursday: Bronx Zoo with friends. There were not many animals outside because of the cold, but there are so many indoor exhibits that there are plenty of animals to see. And the kids get exercise wandering around the huge place. They always love the bug carousel.

Friday: Play dates. We had two play dates with school friends that were supposed to happen at the same time, but ended up being back-to-back. We practically had to drag the second friend out of our house at bedtime because our kids were melting down so heavily. She was insisting on a sleepover, but we stood strong. It was definitely one of those moments when you realize, "Have we done too much this week?" They had fun, nevertheless!
Saturday: Art class at Pratt. We signed the kids up for an art class because it is close to home and fun, but also so that we could partake of the practically free adult art classes that coincide. Unfortunately, the adult class filled quickly, but the kids enjoyed their second class this week. This is us admiring the sculptures on the campus:

Saturday bonus: Birthday party at the ice skating rink. I cheated and took the kids out with my boots on. I didn't get caught until the very end, and the referee or whatever you call him was very angry with me. It was worth it because I do not care for the knives-in-my-feet sensation that I get when I ice skate. Jamison couldn't help because he twisted his ankle a few weeks ago and it is still healing (ice skating is not so friendly on the ankles, either). The kids eventually were able to skid along by themselves. Arthur started to get the feel of pushing off with his foot--moving from "walking" on skates to actually skating--right before we had to leave. He is hoping to go back soon.

We ended up at neighbor's house after the party until late last night--topping the week off with a bang. The exhaustion and tantrems today have been lovely. I can't wait to see how the kids do going back to school tomorrow. We might need another week off to recover from this one :)

Oh, and that picture at the top is a big mound of snow on Pratt's campus...all black and nasty but still fun to play on!

Snow days

2010-02-12T19:11:00.002-06:00

Arthur and Dad have been sick all week, so it was up to me and sis to play in the snow. The first day was pretty rough because the snow was falling so heavily (see picture #2). The next day was sunny and beautiful. I had to continually convince her to sled because she kept wanting to build snow houses. And I don't have an excuse to sled unless she's with me :)

This is so frustrating!

2010-01-15T11:07:00.005-06:00

My kids have very different responses to this feeling. Last weekend I was working with Arthur on a 3-D train puzzle that was quite complicated. After an hour of laboring over this project, Arthur proclaims, "This is so frustrating!... I love it!" Huh? He is so motivated by complicated, detailed, and precise projects. He becomes obsessed with them and is unwilling to give up no matter how difficult (and annoying) they get. He isn't necessarily having fun, but he is challenged and learning--two things that my son loves. He is a little scientist, through and through. He needs to know the answer to everything, and he always requires a good explanation for why things are the way they are.

Adaline is quite different. If an activity even sniffs of difficulty or challenge, she is on to the next project. Her response to frustration is "oh, it must not be for me" (spoken in a princess voice). She feels no remorse over giving up, no insecurity that her brother is able to do something that she is not. She can't imagine participating in something that is not oozing with enjoyment and pleasure. She watched Arthur and I build that train for 3 hours (yes, I'm serious) with utter confusion. I think she felt sorry for us, really. She was happily painting and drawing on her own terms with no instructions or expectations hanging over her. Ahh...freedom.

Adaline is comfortable and aware of her differences with her brother. "God made me different, Arthur, and I don't really like doing those things like you do." Arthur, on the other hand, is perplexed by his sister. I secretly listened in on a conversation the other day that they were having after bedtime:

Arthur: Adaline, I just don't understand why you say that you see fairies.

Adaline: I do see them. All of the time. Everywhere.

Arthur: But if you say that you see them, then you are saying that they are real. And that is a lie. Why are you trying to make me believe in this fake stuff? (getting pretty agitated at this point)

Adaline: You don't have to believe in fairies. I believe in Santa Claus and you don't.

Arthur: You can't believe in all of this fake stuff. It isn't real. You can't say that you see them. That would mean that they are real. You are lying! (downright angry now)

Adaline: Arthur, let's just not talk about it.

Arthur: This is so frustrating! (mommy intervenes and calms him down)
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Unfortunately for Arthur, his sister does not come with an instruction manual, and she can not be easily manipulated or controlled. This is one frustration for which he is going to have to learn a new skill. And it is more of an art than a science. Good luck, buddy!

Merry Christmas!

2010-01-07T11:33:00.004-06:00

I'm not actually extremely late on the Christmas post since we celebrate the 12 days of Christmas. I'm only a day or two late, depending on how you count :) Anyway, we had a wonderful Christmas season this year--the Eve was spent with friends who made an extravagant Indian feast, morning was with Uncle Marshall, Xmas dinner was with friends at our place, a few days after Xmas was spent with family from NJ and WA, New Year's Eve was at a neighborhood party, New Year's Day was spent at a party with lots of friends, plus we hosted several fun play dates and had an enjoyable break from school. Dad was busy working and out of town, but he was generally more available in the evenings, which was a special treat for Mom. The season ended last night with our make-shift Epiphany Party (our celebration with friends was cancelled due to illness and my king cake did not get made because an appointment lasted longer than expected.) Jamison bought some "famous" red-velvet cake from our neighborhood and stuck a baby Jesus in one slice. Adaline was king for the evening (Arthur handled it like a gentleman.) And I threw together some meatballs that ended up being plain-old spaghetti meat sauce after I mutilated them :) Oh, well. Our theme for celebrating the 12 days was people and food. We enjoyed celebrating and feasting during this happy season!
Arthur's big present (from Grandma): A violin!
Adaline's big present (free from neighbors): A bike! (You might remember that we gave both of them bikes last Christmas--Adaline's was sold due to lack-of-interest, so this is round 2...she's ridden it once. But it will be hard to sell a free bike!)
Christmas morning with Uncle Marshall--orange rolls are our tradition. (But maybe not for long because I can't make them as good as my mom, and they are too much work if they aren't going to be good.)
Our gift to our kids (given on Epiphany): Marble maze. Very detailed and precise, which means perfect for Arthur, annoying for Adaline. Gifts are tricky with Adaline because she doesn't need ANYTHING to have fun--just give her a stick and some space and she's in fairy land in a second. Throw in some art supplies and dress-up clothes, and she is happy forever!

December catch-up

2010-01-04T19:06:00.005-06:00

Blogger and I are not as close as we used to be...and if there is a silence in blogging, then the pictures and events just pile up and I get overwhelmed. Oh well, here are a few updates on life in the Galt family. Pictured above is the kids' winter concert--they sang "Frosty the Snowman" and enjoyed every minute of their time on stage. (They are on the back row on opposite ends.) The kids have loved their new school and have met lots of friends. They were happy to return to school today after a 2 week break. Adaline woke up early this morning giddy about seeing her teacher and asking if we could have him over for dinner.

We had some nice snow before Christmas. We played in it in our neighborhood and then further enjoyed it outside of the city at a house with friends. We did some amazing sledding and the kids got to try to ski for the first time. We had a wonderful time!

*We especially enjoyed having our own personal "chair lift" to take us back up the hill after every ride down. It was our pastor driving some all-terrain vehicle back and forth for us. That's him in the fuzzy fur hood--thanks Pastor Matt!

Busy November

2009-12-09T19:47:00.010-06:00

Gigi was in town!
I surprised Jamison with tickets to the Met opera Aida. We had "partial view" balcony seats all to ourselves. Very fun!

Attempting to bake a cake for Marshall...a group effort and an exercise in patience.
Marshall's Bday. (Plus dinner party with his friends after the kids were asleep.)
Pastor-palooza weekend. Brian was ordained which brought several old friends in town.
Thanksgiving. (Plus Tammy behind the lense.) Uncle Jesse in town for 2 weeks!
Fun day with family.
Dim Sum in Chinatown.
Russian restaurant (with disco ball) in Brighton Beach/ "Little Odessa."
The Rockettes! Our friend Amy the Rockette got us tickets again!
The stage.
The 3D Santa part.
Rockefeller Tree.

OK, there's November. Is it December already??

2009-11-15T18:37:00.000-06:00

Halloween--4 phases, 4 faces

2009-11-01T16:59:00.004-06:00

We had four Halloween events this year (2 Friday and 2 Saturday). We never really nailed down a specific costume before hand, even though they had been "designing" monster costumes for a month. So they ended up with some mood-dressing, choosing a costume as we were running out the door to each event (with about 5 costume changes in between). We had really cool homemade full-body skunk and lizard costumes from the cousins, but those were rejected before each event for being too hot and itchy. So here is what they came up with out of our dress-up clothes:

#1 School party and parade. Arthur- pirate. Adaline- witch.#2 School dance (yes, dance)...DJ, soul train line, the whole bit. Arthur- super hero. Adaline- "fairy princess ballerina Thumbelina."
#3 Costume-themed birthday party. Arthur- clown. Adaline- "little red riding hood swimming in the sea." (Don't ask me. She has a mind of her own. She won most original costume with that one. More like most random.)

I had to put this one in here. He's just too cute. Arthur had a major wipe-out on his scooter on the way to the party. He was a very sad clown, but OK after I cleaned the asphalt off his face. The red nose is face paint, not blood :)#4 Trick or treating. Arthur- pirate, part 2. Adaline- princess fairy, part 2 sort of.
Gigi came in town to join us with Uncle Marshall. We had a great night in the new neighborhood.

Field Trip

2009-10-24T18:17:00.007-05:00

The kids went on their first field trip this week. (I tagged along.) We went to a farm in Queens, the only farm in the city from what I was told. I would describe it as less of a farm and more of an assembly line forcing hundreds of kids through various stations of viewing/riding/feeding animals. Sometimes I felt like we were being treated like animals more than the actual farm animals. They were constantly being fed and petted and groomed, while we were shoved around and corralled like sheep.
It was chaotic and torturous for the adults, but fun for the kids.

The kids were very excited about their first school bus ride. Arthur and his partner started out happy (pictured here) but were flicking and punching each other the whole way home...I finally separated them. I'm not sure what would have happened if I wasn't there because the kids are all too short to see what's going on in the seats. The majority of the kids fell asleep on the way home. Not mine.

Adaline and Arthur were the only kids in the class who would hold a chicken. Their teacher saw them and said, "So the Galts are brave." Their classmates were very impressed. City kids.

Apple Pickin'

2009-10-14T19:01:00.006-05:00

Adaline has added a new impersonation to her repertoire: a Southern accent. She enjoys imitating her new Southern friend at school (who just moved here this fall). This would not be odd if Adaline's own mother was not from Mississippi and recognized immediately as being Southern by every person she meets in the city. It is surreal to hear your daughter speak like everyone you grew up with, but she is merely trying it on for fun.

I never really thought about whether or not my children would have a southern accent--being raised in Brooklyn by one parent of southern speak and one of a...? neutral? variety. They hear every accent imaginable in their little worlds. Their current teacher is Puerto Rican from Spanish Harlem. Adaline's teacher last year was from Trinidad and Arthur's had a stereotypical Brooklyn accent. Who knew what kind of accent they would have? I do know for sure now, though, that it is not Southern...at least not, Southern Southern. (I qualify in case some Northeasterners disagree.)

Arthur has a vibrant imagination himself. He doesn't stop at just imitating accents. He loves to "speak" other languages for fun. Usually this is just silly talk, but he has had his convincing moments. Last school year he tricked us into thinking that he could count to ten in Arabic and Chinese. This wasn't a huge stretch because one of his teachers and classmates spoke Arabic. (The Chinese was random.) He made each "number" distinct with different syllables that sounded authentic to the language in question. It wasn't until we asked him to repeat the numbers that we figured out his creativity.

He hears a lot of Spanish in class now, so he walks around the neighborhood speaking to his sister in "Spanish." Of course in this city, people hear foreign languages constantly. I'm just not sure how "foreign" they think we are--some unidentified nation with a Southern/British-accent English-speaking girl and a Spanish/Arabic/Chinese-speaking boy. Honestly, it doesn't turn any heads in our neighborhood--I'm not sure anyone has even noticed :)

Planting a Tree

2009-10-11T18:16:00.004-05:00

We benefited from one of Mayor Bloomberg's million trees donated across NYC. The kids and Jamison planted it in our backyard (with our landlord's blessings). Hopefully we live here for a long time and get to watch it grow.
Also, here are a few pictures from a street fair that occurred every Sunday in September a block from our place. This is where the free trees came from. I wish I had captured the random trees floating down the middle of the street on skateboards, carts, any wheeled device...it would have made a beautiful image.

Hula hoops for everyone!
There were several live bands playing at various stages. Arthur was serious about checking out the different bands. He got his groove on on more than one occasion :) Video forthcoming?
The kids also got to participate in painting a mural. A building collapsed a block from us and they decided to beautify the barricade that covers the empty lot.
The street fair also had a roller skating "rink" that the kids used for scooting/biking. There was chalk drawing, block building, food and clothing vendors...lots of fun in the street!

Barber Shop

2009-09-25T13:01:00.003-05:00

Arthur had his first barber shop experience. Dad had to take him to 3 shops before they found someone who would cut with scissors. Arthur was apparently very persistent and said he would "walk forever" to find a place that accepts his hair. He has been brushing his hair out of his eyes for a while, and now he looks like such a big boy. Why do haircuts add 2 years to a little boy? I guess I'm just sad that my little ones are in school and officially big kids.
----------
A couple Adaline anecdotes for the week--

Praying at the dinner table: "Thank you for Dad. Thank you for Mom. Thank you for my brother. Thank you for our house. Thank you for school. Thank you for food. Thank you for the world. [Pause] [Deep breath] I am NOT thankful that I don't have a kitty. I am NOT thankful that Daddy is sick of kitties (translation: allergic to cats, which is our excuse why we won't get her one). Amen."

Adaline loves to pretend to read our books. This week she picked up a Bible book and began to read (in her British accent, mind you): "A soft answer turns away wrath. Hmm. We'll see... I don't think so. I think a hard answer turns away wrath." The written text doesn't begin to give you the sense of how it sounded with her accent and intonation. But you get the idea :)

Kindergarten

2009-09-11T12:06:00.005-05:00

The kids started school this week. Today is their first full-day after two half-days. They were understandably a little overwhelmed when we arrived to a school yard full of noisy "big" kids and much chaos. But they were fine and quickly adjusted to the classroom. Their teacher has 25 years of elementary teaching experience in Brooklyn and has requested kindergarten for the last few years. I'm guessing he's the most qualified kindergarten teacher in NYC :) I am very excited about him--very energetic and fun, but also in control of his class...something that my daughter could especially benefit from. (I think she did the controlling last year.) They also have a special education teacher in the class with the same years of experience. The other fun thing is that I can say "they" and "their." The principal let me put them in the same classroom which is very exciting for them and me (and a little scary for the teachers). Lastly, all of the public schools in our area require uniforms. They look pretty cute, I must say.

Photo shoot the day before:
Walking to school:
Feeling shy...a first for them:
In line waiting to go to class room:
This shows part of their class--so far only 19 kids, which is great for NYC:

Vacation highlights

2009-08-23T19:28:00.010-05:00

We went on a 3 week vacation this summer--one week on the west coast of Washington State, one week east of the mountains in Washington, and one week in the mountains of North Carolina--all to see various family groups. I deliberately picked (mostly) pictures with no family members, because it would be impossible to illustrate the fun we had reconnecting with everyone. It was such a privilege to be able to travel in some of the most beautiful parts of the country and to enjoy it all with those who we love.

Week 1:
The kids were re-acquainted with various forms of wildlife. Low tide always brought new discoveries.

Adaline constructed a beach-front home for herself.Arthur's rope swing wasn't far away...
Week 2:
Swimming in the lake surrounded by mountains was absolutely spectacular. Pictured is the kids going further out than they probably should have.
The kids were exposed to many new vehicles...

We enjoyed cherries (and all sorts of fruits and veggies) grown by family.
And especially enjoyed the grass-fed beef raised in the backyard.

Week 3:

The kids were fearless in their cave climbing in NC...they made all of the adults nervous on many occasions.

There were many natural slides made out of rocks. Arthur never tired of riding them over and over again.

This overview only skims the surface of our experience. I wanted to at least get a little taste of our adventures on here. We're staying busy in our new place and neighborhood, and I've had many failed attempts at uploading these pictures. So this is the best I can do for now...

5th Birthday Party

2009-07-16T13:00:00.005-05:00

In our new back yard!

Friends pitched in to do music:

and dancing:
and face painting:Aunt Glenda did the cakes for the 4th time:
Lots of silliness:

And also a picture of Pre-K graduation!

2009-07-04T16:16:00.002-05:00

These are pictures at Pratt Institute, an art school in our new neighborhood. Yes, we're moving this week to Clinton Hill! We're busy stoop selling, planning, packing, etc. Maybe we'll find time to post pictures somewhere in there...

2009-05-14T18:38:00.003-05:00

Weekend away

2009-04-25T09:46:00.004-05:00

Last weekend Jamison preached at a church in Rye, NY, and we took the opportunity to have a family weekend out of the city. We were able to stay in the home of church members who are out of the country. It was wonderful! The house is on a small island with beach access. Here are some pictures...

We already have plans for another night or two away. Jamison is preaching at a church in the Hamptons in a few weeks. I am especially thankful for these opportunities because the kids and I haven't been out of the city since November. It's been a long winter here and Jamison was away a few weeks in February/March. These are much needed nights away as a family. I'm very happy about these trips and about our first days of spring weather. New life is here!

Debuts

2009-03-23T16:13:00.003-05:00

A friend of ours is a writer and producer in children's media. She has worked on projects such as Blue's Room and Sesame Street and now a Mother Goose Club series. She particularly likes Arthur's raspy "airy" voice, so she asked our kids to record for her. We went today to a recording studio in a basement in our neighborhood. A friend from Scotland was recording nursery rhymes in his lovely voice when we arrived, so the kids had some time to ask questions and figure out what they would be doing. Since they don't read, our friend read the rhymes, line by line, and the kids repeated. It was really fun to hear their sweet voices over the speaker. They did a great job! I'll keep you updated on their burgeoning careers as animation voice-overs :)

I also had my television debut recently. Last week my friend got tickets to the Letterman show and kindly invited me. We were VIP friends and family of CBS, which meant we were respectfully escorted to the front rows of the balcony (because we were all boring New Yorkers as opposed to the rowdy fans in the bottom section). We had a great view of Letterman--it's a tiny theater--and had lots of fun watching the whole production. It's interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes. Our show aired last week on Wednesday (sorry I haven't blogged in a while). I was the one on the second row of the balcony with the distinguished black turtle-neck (next to my friend with the red turtle-neck). We are waving happily at the camera during the one audience scan. Our one chance to shine...

Actually, I have another potential television debut. I stumbled upon a Gossip Girl filming by Central Park last week (just before the Letterman show). In case you watch the show (and I am NOT admitting whether I do or not), it will be the episode where Blair is in a bright green coat and Chuck Bass is leaning against a limo. I am the girl in the same color green coat strolling behind them along Central Park. (That is, if they happen to keep the take when I was walking past...)

Don't be jealous. The Galts were meant for fame! (Hopefully you are all picking up on my sarcasm.)

Stay-cation*

2009-02-21T11:13:00.006-06:00

The kids were out of school this week for winter break, and I desperately wanted to go on vacation. I knew that Jamison would have been gone for a week and that the winter would be at the peak of the it's-never-going-to-end feeling (and our landlord said that he would remodel our bathroom if we could get out of the apartment for a week). But we couldn't "afford" to go out of town, so instead my mom came to visit us. I knew we could make staying home for the break enjoyable with all that NYC has to offer. And we did!

Here is a survey of what we have done since Dad has been gone: We went to a bowling birthday party. We went to the Bronx zoo, Central Park zoo and the NY Aquarium. We went to a marionette puppet show of Sleeping Beauty. We saw South Pacific on Broadway (not the kids). I had a day to myself of reading, writing, and a little shopping. I had a date with a girl friend at a French restaurant and enjoyed cheese fondue. We ate pizza, Egyptian food, Indonesian food, pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and pizza. (I'm looking forward to healthy home-cooking again.) We had lots of other fun things planned, but the kids often opted for train tracks and princesses and play at home. And today the kids are at the Staten Island Children's Museum without me :) Oh, and did I mention that we spent $600 in parking tickets and towing fees yesterday from illegally parking Uncle Marshall's car? What fun. There is a reason I don't own a car...

So our time at home didn't end up saving us much money. I guess we'll have to find a way to "afford" our stay-cation...we hadn't factored in the $600 parking spot. Hidden costs will get you every time. Maybe next time we'll just fork out the money for the plane tickets!

Oh, well. At least Daddy comes home tomorrow!!!!!!!
----------------

*A staycation (or stay-cation, or stacation) is a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions. Staycations have achieved high popularity in current hard economic times in which unemployment levels and gas prices are high. (from Wikipedia)

Be My Valentine

2009-02-13T17:26:00.004-06:00

The kids and I watched Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown yesterday to celebrate Valentine's Day. I thought it would get them in the mood to make their valentines for their classmates. It ended up being not so celebratory...both kids wept when Charlie Brown did not get a valentine from any one during a school party. And they continued to cry as Charlie Brown faced more disappointment. Do you think they might be a little emotional with their dad out of the country? Although, I had forgotten how cynical and depressing Charlie Brown can be. But still, weeping over it? Poor kids. They started the Valentine's "spirit" with a fear of forgetting a friend's card and a nervousness about receiving cards from others.

I have to admit that I was a little nervous myself. Arthur has attached himself to two girls in his class. They are his "best friends" and he thinks about them and talks about them often. But it has become painfully obvious that the feeling is not mutual. Play dates have ceased. He was not invited to their well-attended birthday party. And then there are the general looks of disinterest and even annoyance. Ouch. It has been painful to know what is (probably) going on while Arthur is oblivious to it. Although I certainly hope that he remains oblivious and doesn't get his sweet heart hurt by them. I couldn't help but think of him when Charlie Brown was so sad. Thankfully there was no drama at school today.

It should come as no surprise that we have the reverse situation with Adaline. The aforementioned J*** loves our daughter. He brings her a drawing or card or little present almost every day. When she walks into class in the morning, he lights up. Then he runs to his backpack to retrieve the gift of the day. He is an absolute sweetheart (and strikingly resembles Arthur in many ways). She definitely has an affection for him and occasionally draws him a picture, but there is no doubt that she will disappoint him eventually. I cringe every time I think about her making him sad. But I can't figure out how to tell her to treat him well, but also not to reciprocate an unhealthy dependent friendship. She's only 4 years old!

Of course, I am without a valentine this year. My husband is 7,000 miles away. (I won't be able to talk to him either--he's taking a little plane to Lalibela in northern Ethiopia this weekend. He said something about riding a donkey up a mountain. Love it!) The good news is that my mom is coming to the rescue tomorrow, so that is my valentine's gift. Thanks, Mom!

Dad took the camera on his trip so we will have no new pictures while he's gone. The kids and I took these goofy pictures before he left so that we could send him a surprise. But he hasn't had internet access so far. We'll send him a surprise anyway, just in case he get a peek at a computer...from his donkey :)...I miss you, valentine!

Ice Skating

2009-02-06T11:51:00.004-06:00

The kids have been begging to go ice skating, and we finally went. We started them off in normal blade skates, which were a LOT of work. I can barely stand up myself, so it was quite a challenge to get them to skate with us. Quickly we moved to double-blade skates, which were super fun for the kids. They were able to be independent, but weren't really skating...just sort of slowly gliding along. They could have done that all day, if only Mom had double blade skates. It felt like some one was stabbing daggers into my feet and ankles. Very painful!The kids started off pretty confident when they could balance and walk around easily before we hit the ice.

These pictures are by the lake next to the ice rink, which are all in our park. Today we had to say goodbye to Daddy for 16 days. He is traveling to Ethiopia with our church on a medical missions trip. The kids are very excited that their dad gets to go to Africa to "help people." We will miss him a lot!

Special Fridays

2009-01-30T18:33:00.003-06:00

I am enjoying my kids so much these days. I'm not sure if it is their age or their interests...or if I'm settling into parenthood in a new way. Whatever it is, it's fun! Part of the fun is their independence and their ability to initiate and maintain play without intervention from me. So I get to observe and reflect on my kids rather than constantly entertain. Now they can actually enjoy one activity for 2 hours. TWO HOURS. This afternoon they spent 2 hours drawing pictures and taping them all over our apartment. I was busy cooking and barely spoke to them the whole time. What a change from the past 4 years of feeding and changing diapers and breaking up fights and rarely freeing myself from the floor of toys just to go to the bathroom. Now I'm experiencing the fruit of having twins as they play together and really enjoy each other (most of the time).

We have inaugurated "Special Fridays" this month. I surprise the kids with some fun activity in celebration of a good week at school (or simply a completed week in Adaline's case, who is still struggling to understand that she is not in charge of her class). I give clues along the way as they try to guess the activity. Today they had 2 surprises: #1 Uncle Marshall, who surprised them on the train platform and #2 the Natural History Museum. Adaline sketched most of the time and Arthur asked "why" most of the time. They experience the world so differently. I love my little artist and scientist!

Sledding!

2009-01-19T18:20:00.003-06:00

Today was a fun, fun day sledding with friends. The highlight was the "train" that we formed with all 8 of us on 3 sleds. It took a few trials, but we finally made it all of the way down the hill without turning over. I wish we had it on video--everyone around us must have thought we were crazy. I'm proud to say that the adults had just as much fun as the kids.

And it wasn't too cold. 14 degrees gives you up to 1 hour of sledding, but 34 degrees allows for many hours in the snow. (Except Mom's feet were pre-frostbitten and the kids bath turned cold once their freezing bodies entered the warm water.) But it was totally worth it!

Brrr, it's cold outside

2009-01-15T17:37:00.004-06:00

Winter is here and it takes creativity to prevent hibernation in our household. We spent Jamison's last day off at the NY Aquarium by Coney Island. You get to alternate between warm tanks inside and cold viewings outside. We also had authentic Russian food in Brighton Beach, a neighborhood that has the appearance of being transported directly into Russia (all Russian language signs and all Russian-speaking people). Arthur loves a Russian dumpling and Adaline appreciates the Ukrainian sausage. Today we had a fun (but short) sledding day in the snow. We could only stand the low temps for an hour. Tomorrow is supposed to be a high of 14 degrees. Yikes!
This sea lion gave our kids nice juicy kisses that were not caught on camera. The parents declined the sea lion saliva.
Huge walrus.
Adaline was terrified of the sharks. She begged to see them, but did not appreciate Mom trying to throw her towards them in the tank. I've never seen her so scared!

Christmas

2008-12-29T18:45:00.003-06:00

We had a very busy and wonderful Christmas celebration. We went to friends' house for Xmas Eve, opened presents with Grandma and Papie in the morning, served lunch to people in an elderly home across the street, and hosted 13 adults and 6 kids for dinner at our place. We enjoyed all of it!

The kids were surprised with bikes (the above picture with their eyes covered) and happy to receive more princess attire and airplanes. They picked out presents for each other and made paintings and books for the grandparents. We have all enjoyed our advent/12 days of Christmas candles, readings and hymns at night. Arthur sings Away in a Manger and Go Tell it on the Mountain in his sweet high yet raspy voice, and Adaline serenades us with a new original song and story afterwards. We are not ready for the Christmas season to end, but we hope to have an Epiphany party when it does. Merry Christmas!

You've been X-ed!

2008-12-01T06:25:00.007-06:00

Adaline loves art. She can't pass by a marker or a pen or even a piece of paper without stopping to draw. I think she would prefer to draw and paint most of her waking hours (if she didn't have a brother who would prefer to play with her all of his waking hours). She processes the world through drawing. Often when we are out, she observes something and immediately asks me if I have something to draw with. She enjoys a sight briefly and then needs to get it on paper.(Granted, many drawings tend to end up as a princess or girl...as if everything she sees in the world becomes a muse for another pretty lady. Her subject matter is fairly narrow at this point.)

A recent development is Adaline using art to express her emotions...namely anger. When she gets angry at you for any number of reasons, she stomps away and huffs. Soon she returns with a piece of paper. She angrily hands it over to you and leaves with more stomping and huffing. The picture reveals everything: a drawing of the person in question with a large "X" over them. You mess with Adaline: you get X-ed.

If you're lucky, she "hearts" and "flowers" you after a brief separation. It's her artistic interpretation of forgiveness, I guess.

It was very fun to be with my dad the artist because he set the kids up in his studio to paint with stuff I'll never have in our apartment (pictures below). At one point the kids were on top of a huge drawing they were working on together. Some sort of argument took place, followed by mutual life-size X-ing out of each other, and resolved in hearts and flowers. They rushed to tell me the good news (that they forgave each other without my intervention). I wish all conflict resolution was that easy! Processing anger through art is much more calm than the hair-pulling and hitting that usually occur around here. Maybe I should market the "X" technique...for adults as well as children?

Both kids want to be an artist when they grow up after their experience with "Pa." (Although, they currently want to be a Rockette after going to a show--see pics on Jamison's blog.)

Reunions

2008-11-25T12:55:00.003-06:00

Friends, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents...it was great to be reunited with those we love!

Dorothy and the Wicked Witch of the West

2008-11-01T19:04:00.003-05:00

And just for fun...my family as the Wizard of Oz characters when I was a young Dorothy.

Double Trouble

2008-10-28T18:05:00.003-05:00

One is trouble at home. One is trouble at school. I guess they have decided to divide and conquer in their spheres of influence.

Arthur: Trouble at home. Wow this boy knows how to test his parents. He's a smart kid who sets his mind to something and refuses to let go. That can manifest itself in positive ways (loves challenges and learning, steadfast and loyal and loving) and negative ways (still throws tantrums over any small thing if it is against his desire). The boy can't take no for an answer. And we never give in. I'm not saying we're perfect--I'm just saying that we have been consistently just as stubborn as him in refusing to give in to his protests. Yet he still hasn't learned to let go. I guess we just continue to hope that he matures into a person with the positive aspects of this characteristic. And he really is a delight when he's free of negative attention and doing something that he enjoys. He sort of has a double personality (as if we need more double language in this post).

Adaline: Trouble at school. I'm informally in perpetual parent-teacher conferences. Arthur is the model student. Adaline, not so much. She is officially the trouble-maker. They have introduced new discipline procedures for Adaline's unruliness (really just a behavior modification reward system). She orders her friends around--uses "teacher" words instead of kid words. She talks back to her teachers and argues with them. She has to be separated from her partner-in-crime J***. (As a side note--the kids are in a special needs school in an integrated classroom. They are supposed to be a component in preparing these special needs kids for regular kindergarten. J*** is one of these kids, and she is succeeding in misleading rather than encouraging him. I'm wondering if they might kick her out of Pre-K--Ha!) Adaline is a dream at home though. Well, maybe not a dream, but very easy. She just flits around in her own world, making up princess dramas and is generally an extremely happy child. I think the structure of school is going to go against her free spirit. Better get used to it, kid.

Everyone says that you never get a break when it comes to twins. And why should you? It's double the fun.

*These pictures are from our recent camping trip with friends. Very fun!

City Cats

2008-10-08T18:05:00.002-05:00

Our kids are obsessed with cats. Obsessed. Everything is about meowing and taking kitty for a walk and feeding kitty. They have actually tried to meow through an entire worship service. I've tried to explain to them that if they were cats they would just sleep all day and eat the same nasty food everyday. No such luck changing the annoying kitty voices.

I know I'm supposed to encourage imaginative behavior, but for how long? They've been cats for 6 months. I need something new. Dogs, bunnies, anything. Jamison has tried to get them to be fish, but it hasn't caught on. Well, at least they're cute all painted up as kitties.

Has it really been 2 months??

2008-09-23T18:57:00.004-05:00

No wonder my family members have been nagging me about my lack of blogging. I had no idea that it has been 2 months. Oops! I guess we've been busy...
This summer "pop-up park" was genius. Fish tacos and beer by the East River with an enormous sandbox to entertain the kids while we enjoy the view...and perfect weather both times we went.
Rock sliding in Central Park.
First day of school!! We only have a 4-block walk to school. The kids go from 8:30 to 11 every day. They really enjoy their school...and I have somehow managed to enjoy my time without them. (Ha!)
Gazing up at their new school--trying to spot the rooftop playground.

The bigger adjustment than starting school is that they are in separate classrooms. Adaline has enjoyed her new freedom, but Arthur is struggling as was expected. I thought that he would express his loss in being sad or not wanting to go to school. Instead, he is angry and fights more with his sister. He is even more demanding of her--expecting her to play whatever he wants and unwilling to accept her refusals. He just chases her around screaming, "You're stupid! You're hateful! You hurt my feelings!" Try explaining that to the other parents at the playground.

Adaline pretends to be oblivious to his frustrations. I think she enjoys this additional power that she has over him. I'm fumbling around trying to correct both of their issues. I'm hoping that it all mellows out eventually because I'm not proving to have much wisdom in dealing with this. This is stretching them in new ways, and I think it is good for them to grow up a little. The Galt Twin Team is breaking up a little for the first time--sad, but necessary.
Oh, did I mention that my mom took me to Brasil to visit my aunt (pictured here)...10 days without the kiddos to fuel me up for the Fall! Can I do that every season?

Camping in the Catskills

2008-07-30T18:42:00.003-05:00

We went on a two-night camping trip in the Catskill Mountains last week. We booked the most perfect campsite for summer camping with kids---boat rentals, lake swimming, remote hike-in campsites...we will definitely be returning to Little Pond Campground.

We do hope that our next stay will be free of some of the difficulties of this trip...namely RAIN. And we should probably purchase a couple more sleeping bags and a larger tent. Night 1: Suffocated under the rain shield with four wiggly bodies in a 2-man tent (translation: more like 1 1/2 person tent). Night 2: Opted out of the tight rain shield for air flow and instead fought for the 2 sleeping bags to stay dry and warm. Oh, and did I mention that we had NO food the first night because the closest grocer was closed? And we got delayed more by an electrical storm and had to set our tent up in the "lighter" rain at 9:30pm--dark. Yet we still had so much fun! We must have been desperate for some outdoor time.

The highlight of the trip for me was a 2.6 mile mother/daughter hike. My daughter hiked the whole time except for me carrying her 3 minutes through the mud on the way down! We forgot our hiking backpacks, so we didn't do any major hiking as a family. Adaline was begging to hike, so I took her for what I thought would be 15 minutes up and down the mountain. But she was a rock star. She kept saying, "I just can't stop. It's just too beautiful!" I agreed with her and we kept going--1.3 miles up the mountain. Finally I insisted on us turning around because I knew the trip down in the mud would be difficult. But she never complained the whole time. ---Now why can't I get her to walk a whine-free block from our house when I need her to??

Our camp site--fairly far away from others, lots of woods to play in, and right on the lake.
We broke the rules a little and left our kayak at our campsite overnight. The early a.m. kayaking great. We had the pond to ourselves most of the trip.
On the way home, we enjoyed a 2-day visit with our friends on vacation at a beautiful house. I had so much fun playing in the creek by the house. I could have stayed down there all day catching fish and swimming in the waterfall. It is so much fun vacationing with other families because your kids get to play together during the day and being trapped in the house at night is fun when there are others to party with.

Check out my adventurous daughter swimming towards the waterfall (she has a flotation device):
If I ever have to leave the city, send me straight to the woods with a creek and I think I'll be happy. I seem to like the extremes--urban or rural. They do have something major in common: no driving. The ideal plan for me is to live in the city and have a vacation home in the woods...ok, i know. It's only a dream...

Block Party

2008-07-30T18:34:00.004-05:00

I always look forward to our annual block party when they shut down our block from traffic and we get to play in the street. We've met so many of our neighbors during this event. This year the spraying fire hydrant was a great surprise, especially since it was a nasty hot day. Summer fun!

4th Birthday!

2008-07-15T18:41:00.007-05:00

We had a great 4th birthday party in the park. 13 friends plus younger siblings came and celebrated with us. The cake was a treasure chest that "cracked" when it hit the ocean floor (actually it fell apart in transit from New Jersey). It was still a beautiful cake with jewels and such--thanks to Aunt Glenda.

The highlight of the party was the treasure hunt that I planned and daydreamed about for weeks. I'm tempted to scan the maps just to prove how much I love my kids, but I won't. (It was a little embarrassing how much effort I put into it!) Actually, I just had the vision and Jamison's aunt drew the maps. Here is a picture of the kids studying their maps to see where to go next:

The parents were happy because the kids got lots of exercise chasing their treasure. (They might not have been happy that they were forced to get exercise along with their kids...)

Unfortunately I did not learn from last year and forgot to get a group picture. One of these days we'll remember...but the kids had a great time and felt loved by all of their friends.
On their actual birthday we went to the Bastille Day street party. Arthur spotted an ice cream truck and Daddy caved.
And last night we went to the Philharmonic performance in the park followed by amazing fireworks. We're done celebrating and going to bed early tonight!

2008-07-05T19:18:00.000-05:00

Texas heat

2008-06-15T21:18:00.004-05:00

NYC has actually had a few days of warmer weather than Texas...one of the few times that we were happy to be in the Texas heat. We're surviving just fine with plenty of sprinklers and pools and ice cream. And you can't beat the air conditioning in Texas--they do everything bigger and better! We're all having a blast here.

"Gone Daddy Gone"

2008-05-25T17:36:00.004-05:00

Daddy is gone. He has been out of town this weekend. We miss him when he's gone. The family is not complete, as the kids say.

Arthur has been sick, so we sent Adaline to church this morning with friends while I got some rare one-on-one time with my son. At one point we were doing our separate things--Arthur zoning in on a toy and me in the kitchen. We were listening to Gnarls Barkley (our favorite uplift-the-mood band). He suddenly commented on the lyrics of a song: "Mom, did they say, love is gone? Love is gone away?" Yes. "I don't like that song." OK. Separate time continued.

Seven hours later at dinner, he randomly teared up pleading, "I don't want love to be gone. It can't go away. You can't stop loving me!" He was trembling and genuinely concerned that love could be taken away. I assured him that I would never stop loving him for any reason.

I can't believe how sweet he is! Did he worry all day about that song? Why bring it up 7 hours later? Until that point, all he knew was that Mom and Dad love him and that is true and can't be undone. That is the safe world that he lives in...Until Gnarls Barkley announces that love is gone away, and his world is turned upside down. It's both beautiful and terrifying how much your child's outlook on life is influenced by YOU as a parent.

Arthur told me that we should never listen to that song again. Thankfully he never connected the "love is gone" phrase with the title of the song: "Gone Daddy Gone." That would have really thrown him in a tailspin.

Happy 30th to Me!

2008-05-02T07:43:00.004-05:00

Jamison got a trip to Austin for his 30th. I get a trip to the kids' doctor. Not really. We have free overnight babysitting, and we're going to a new Ethiopian/African fusion restaurant that's been getting good reviews. And we'll get to sleep in (sort of--until 8:00am). What else do I want for my birthday?...

A skull for the day to keep my kids occupied (and trapped)...

This really was beautiful, and the kids could have played in it all day. It is in the St. Louis Botanical Gardens, along with dozens of other mosaic sculptures. We visited there a few weeks ago and had a wonderful time seeing friends.

City Kids

2008-04-03T18:49:00.004-05:00

Any germaphobe parent would be miserable living in this city. Kids touch everything, and everything here has been touched by the other 8 million people who live here (along with their 5 million dogs). We're hoping to boost their immune systems. This is a picture of our kids waiting at the bus stop by our house. I think Jamison captured a beautiful picture with the lighting. Any time you can make a dirty sidewalk and bodega store window look interesting is pretty impressive.

We've been spending a lot of time in the park lately since we've had off and on days of nicer weather. The kids are in adventure exploration mode. Last week I was hiking down "mountains" with a stroller on my back trying to keep up with those kids. They have found forts built by other kids, huge fallen trees to climb on, etc. Along with these gems, they find popular secluded spots for unmentionable activities (gross! no known immune-system-building-contributions). Once they found a "cave" created by some overgrown bushes and fallen trees. I chose not to play in the cave and zoned out on the latest New York magazine...until I overheard talk about a shoe and bottles and clothing. My kids have a good imagination outdoors, but it usually involves making stone soup or something. I entered the cave only to discover that it was the former (or current) dwelling of a homeless person, full of the remains of weeks of living. Lesson learned: Escaping into nature doesn't mean you escape the city.

Yet I absolutely LOVE living in this city! Does that make me crazy? Every time I walk out of my door, I get energized by this place. I love being smashed together with all of these people and not being able to walk a block without seeing a familiar face. It is really mysterious to me because so many people are drained by cities (granted, we live in a very pastoral area of NYC). I am so thankful that we live here and that we have the gift of raising city kids...trash and all.

P.S. I refrained from posting our newly graffitied garage by our apartment...that can make the next city kids' post...

The difference between girls and boys: A pictorial analysis

2008-03-24T17:12:00.010-05:00

Boys have the gift of making everything a bit more messy.
And girls love to add a dainty touch.

Boys are serious about their food.
Girls are serious about their looks.
(Adaline spent almost as much energy primping her dress as singing the Easter song in front of church.)

You can put a boy in a dress...

But it's nearly impossible to take a dress off a girl...or at least our girl.

Snow day

2008-02-23T17:50:00.003-06:00

The kids finally experienced their first sled ride. We went to the park with a neighbor who has a sled. I pulled the kids the whole way in the sled since a stroller wouldn't have worked. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun. I forgot my camera, but our neighbor took these shots.

Illegal in Most States

2008-02-17T12:16:00.003-06:00

Illegal in Most States from shookfoil on Vimeo.

Manhattan Children's Museum

2008-01-21T18:33:00.000-06:00

We had a special first visit to this great museum with Aunt Sherron from Brazil and Uncle Marshall. Every other child in the city was also there with us to celebrate MLK day, but the crowds did not stop the kids from having a great time. We also were privileged to see the Harlem Gospel Choir to further the celebration. Pictured are Adaline and Arthur sort-of dancing with the choir.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T18:25:00.001-06:00

Up and Down

2007-11-27T20:58:00.000-06:00

Our camera has been eating batteries for the last few months, so we've only caught a few pictures here and there. Now it is officially dead, so I'm forced to post old pics.

The kids have been promoted to "up and down" beds, as they call them. (Although whenever they misbehave, they are promptly demoted to a portable crib as punishment.) They have really enjoyed their new sleeping arrangements, mainly because it gives them the opportunity to find all sorts of new ways to avoid sleep. Dismantling (and recently breaking) the tent on the top is the most popular. Actually, they are doing relatively well with sleep and we are really happy with the new bed.

I finally found some pictures that I took a long time ago of our Brooklyn Target store. For a long time I have wanted to share this beautiful contraption to non-New Yorkers! Our Target is two stories, so how, one might ask, do you transport your shopping cart from floor to floor?? Why, the cart escalator, of course! I still smile when I get to push my fully loaded cart onto this...

Up...

and Down!

Halloween

2007-11-01T19:02:00.000-05:00

Jamison already blogged some pictures, but I'm going to repeat them in case some of you don't check his blog... We took the opposite approach for costumes this year. Last year I tried out some adult humor at my kids' expense. I forced my sweet son to be a devil so that he could complete the angel/devil combo. He refused to carry his pitchfork or wear his horns so he only had on a tight red jumpsuit with scary face paint and a silly tail. This year I spread out all of our potential dress-up clothes and let the kids try on and pick whatever made them happy. We had a lot of fun the hour before trying out our options.

After going through a fairy phase, Arthur became fixated on being a "super why." (This is some sort of superhero character on PBS that saves the day by spelling words.) If you know Arthur, you know that once he's fixed on something, you either give it to him or endure a long painful tantrum that makes you wish you'd given in. So I came up with a pretty cool superhero ensemble on the spot (if underwear on top of Adaline's tights, pants for a cape, and goggles for a mask is cool). He spontaneously came up with superhero poses, of which I thankfully caught a few on camera.

I happened upon the pirate idea during this process. It was just too cute to pass up so we convinced Adaline to be a pirate by telling her that we'd make her a sword which would make people give her more candy. She's very candy-motivated, so we avoided the usual princess/fairy that we assumed she'd be. Her "Argh!" was quite convincing and cute, although the construction paper eye patch was never on her eye.

Here is the final product, followed by the test runs:

Oh, and they had a blast all night!

Country Livin'

2007-10-09T19:38:00.000-05:00

We spent a few days in rural New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. We had a church retreat during the weekend and tagged on a one-night camping trip while we were away. The kids had so much fun. Their frame of reference for the whole experience was Curious George who lives in Manhattan and periodically visits his country house. They didn't seem disappointed that our "country house" was a motel-style room in a conference center, and they made sure to imitate everything that George did on his camping trip. They were very upset when we took down the tent, and Arthur had a major meltdown when we drove up to our Brooklyn apartment. He wants to pick apples and roast marshmallows and count the stars and do our light show dance (ha! family secret). We had one of our favorite family moments when we laid together in the grass looking at the stars while the kids made up stories about the stars and angels and pigs and whatever came to mind...Although they loved country living, they are adjusting easily to life back in the city. Sorry Arthur, we're here to stay!

New book idea...

2007-09-08T20:00:00.000-05:00

How NOT to Potty Train Your Children.

I have come up with so many good (terrible) ideas with this whole potty training thing, and my children are nowhere near being trained. They are boycotting the whole thing at this moment--they are over the praise, over the candy, over the run-fast/jump-high no-diaper feeling. They are utterly content in their nasty tail-flopping diapers. I finally caved and bought another $50 worth of diapers.

I failed to mention that my first potty progress with Arthur was facilitated by the fact that I set his potty in front of the TV and allowed him to watch it as long as he sat on the potty. He was so overdosed with cartoons that he relaxed enough to have some success. (And he refuses to go unless I approximate this same scenario most of the time.) Now I find myself continually rattling a jar of mixed candies in front of my children's faces, begging them to just stop long enough to sit on the potty. I'm so desperate, it's embarrassing. My lastest tactic is to just eat the candy out of their reward jar and scold them for not even attempting to be diaper-independent. "Well, if you're not going to go potty, then I'll just eat all of your candy for you." Now I'm so hooked on the sugar high that I can't stop eating the stuff. At night I finish the jar and we have to make another trip to the bodega to get more goodies. My bodega store owner is getting suspicious of my parenting techniques as I buy more and more sugar goodies.

Ugh! Will this ever end? I'm tired of changing poos as big and more numerous than mine. I'm tired of spending tons of money on diapers for two...not because they are incapable but because they inherited my stubborn willful tendencies. Is this payback time for all I put my parents through? Well, at least I'll get a book deal out of it...to save parents from failing as miserably as I have. I could call it, Potty Train Your Kids Before College or worse What to Expect When Your Kids Go to College in Diapers.

Maine Pictures

2007-09-05T19:44:00.001-05:00

Maine was absolutely beautiful! We had a wonderful time exploring the area with Gigi and Marshall. Arthur preferred the beach and could spend hours in the same spot near the water--throwing rocks, discovering sea life, splashing... Adaline, on the other hand, never stopped moving. She especially appreciated the natural rock climbing on every shore. She and Arthur were so fast at climbing that they sometimes asked the adults if we needed help. It was a perfect natural playground full of new things to explore and discover. They were so happy!

This picture of Arthur shows #1 how excited he was anytime we were near water and #2 the effect of the frigid water on one's facial expression. Looking for crabs and sea urchins in the tidal pool.

Marshall point lighthouse.
Climbing rocks with Marshall.
Resting after a mile rock walk out to a lighthouse.

How to eat a beignet...

2007-08-20T08:36:00.001-05:00

Arthur demonstrates how to eat beignets at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans...

He couldn't let all of that powdered sugar go to waste! He said, "I have a good idea!" and began licking the plate clean. He only did what all of the adults were thinking.

Other news: We finally have potty progress. We literally ran out of diapers, forcing Arthur to work out his fears. Now he has surpassed his sister, who has almost totally lost interest. (She says that she wants to have an accident and then pees all over herself. Nice.) One problem with Arthur is that he gets frustrated that he can't go more often so that he can receive his gummy bear treat. About 30 seconds after success, he tries to go again saying, "I want to go all of the time and I don't want to drink more water!" Sometimes this leads to a full-blown tantrem.

Adaline has recently begun offering parenting advice during these tantrems. She says in a very adult-like tone, "Mom, just let him cry. He's frustrated." When I try to reason with him and calm him, she insists, "Leave him alone. Just let him cry. He's very frustrated." Not bad advice, sis.

Beach Pictures

2007-08-12T18:10:00.001-05:00

We just returned from a vacation in New Orleans, Florida, and Mississippi. We went to the beach with our good friends from NOLA. We had so much fun that we hardly took any pictures. These are a few ...

Arthur and Adison are watching Adaline swim all by herself (with floatie). She was very brave and insisted on not being touched by the adult with her. You might notice that there are no other swimmers in the ocean. This is partly because we stayed in our friends' house in a gated community with a private beach and partly because we didn't get the memo that there were many shark sightings. We didn't notice the shark alert flag until our last day...oops. Adaline spent the last two days screaming at the shore because she wanted to swim in the ocean. She seemed more afraid of the crab we found in the pool than the sharks and stingrays in the ocean. Arthur loved the pool and ended up floating by himself too. We had a wonderful time!
This was our wonderful boardwalk from the beach to our house.

Birthday Party

2007-07-15T14:11:00.000-05:00

We had a birthday party with 9 of the kids' closest friends their age. They all had a lot of fun. I didn't think to get a group shot of all of the kids, but here are a few pictures...

Happy 3rd birthday!

2007-07-13T19:31:00.000-05:00

See how our little ones have grown over the last 3 years--from 3 pounds to this!

Birth

1st birthday

2nd birthday

Our little princesses

2007-07-11T12:52:00.000-05:00

Last night we went to a concert in the park to hear the New York Philharmonic. It started at 8pm, only an hour after the kids' bedtime. All things considering, they did pretty well--sitting "still" for 4 hours, maintaining some level of peace for the surrounding listeners. This experience confirmed our suspicions that Arthur is a potential musician. He listened intently (for a kid) and wanted to know which instrument produced each section of music. He often recognizes a trumpet (used for any brass) and is getting better with the violin (any stringed). He has always been very concerned to learn every note and word of the silly songs that we sing, where Adaline just sings them freely and without precision. Both kids enjoy conducting--something they imitate from a Little Einstein's video. There was also some interesting interpretive dancing thrown in the mix...

We persevered through the evening mainly because we wanted the kids to see the fireworks show after the concert. The kids have never seen fireworks before because they've only seen the dark a handful of times. It was a fun parenting experience to see their reactions. Adaline's eyes and mouth were wide open in amazement for the first few minutes, and Arthur kept saying, "They're so beautiful!"

One of my favorite things about having kids is that you rediscover things in life that have become normal and uninteresting. Seen through the eyes of a child, everything has potential for excitement. Riding the bus or train or ferry (a recent adventure of ours) is mundane for a typical New Yorker, but an adventure for kids. I love that I'm more interested in watching the expressions on my children's faces than the fireworks that they are discovering.

Old pictures...long overdue

2007-07-05T11:02:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time since I've blogged. I actually haven't been taking pictures lately. These were the most recent--taken at the Cloisters in upper Manhattan. It was a beautiful place with lots of rocks for our little climbers.

Speaking of climbing, the kids are completely trained in climbing in and out of their cribs. Good news--the clothes are staying on. Bad news--it still takes hours for them to go to sleep. It has been exhausting to try to keep them in their beds. On the cute side, though, Arthur often climbs in Adaline's bed and they play quietly together for hours. It's not cute when they still get up at 5:55am cranky and tired from little sleep. Will the sleep drama ever end?

The 3rd birthday is coming up next week, so I'll definitely take pictures of that. Until then...

Man-hat-on

2007-05-19T11:35:00.001-05:00

One time we were on the subway train, and Adaline said, "Mommy, Manhattan!" I said, "Yes, Adaline, we are going to Manhattan." Then I realized that she was pointing to a Hasidic Jewish man with the traditional clothing, namely a top hat. She was thinking "man hat on." So cute.

Since then we have made many trips to Manhattan and the kids think any big city is Manhattan. Here is proof that we do get out of Brooklyn and visit some of the classic New York places.

Pictures from top left: On the Subway with friend Eben. Times Square. FAO Schwarz piano (from the movie Big). Museum of Natural History.

The Stoop

2007-05-08T13:00:00.000-05:00

Quote of the day

2007-04-30T12:18:00.000-05:00

Dad: The fruit of the Spirit is...
Adaline: Love, joy, patience, kindness, oh my goodness, and remote control.

Spring Pictures

2007-04-24T19:40:00.000-05:00

Every time the kids see a flower or a green leaf or hear birds singing, they say, "Mom, it's Spring!" We're all very happy to get some warmer weather, so we've spent lots of time outdoors. Warm weather also brings dirty, stinky kids--Arthur spent much effort piling dirt on his head today. The kids have had 3 baths in 3 days...a true accomplishment (and necessary evil) for the Galt family. Here are some warm-weather pictures from the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and Coney Island...and our future Italian soccer players.

Breakfast Conversation

2007-04-18T11:32:00.000-05:00

Arthur: Mommy, we eating [as a] family!
Adaline: Oh no. Daddy not here. It's broken.
Arthur: Daddy need to come home. We need to put it back together.
Adaline: I know! We get Dora's map and fix it!

Jamison has been very busy studying for his ordination exam, and the kids really miss him. The kids know that our family is not complete without Daddy. Too bad Dora can't fix everything...I'm sure Jamison would love it if her map could help him navigate through his exam!

Last night I scrapbooked for the first time. I went to a friend's house for a party/lessons. I'm finally starting the kids' album! I can't take any credit, though. She designed the whole thing for me. I think they turned out well.

3 uses for duct tape

2007-04-11T12:56:00.000-05:00

1. Secure a given diaper on a child/children by wrapping duct tape around the waist. (This was actually recommended to me by a friend who researched the problem that I am having with diaper catapults.)
2. Secure the child's/children's arms together behind the back in case they are able to wiggle their skinny hips out of the duct tape diaper.
3. Secure the child's/children's mouth in case the protests against #1 & #2 are unreasonably loud.

In severe cases, this might become an appropriate use:

I've had it. This problem ends today. The kids are going over 2 hours on the naked acts before their nap. I just walked in there with scissors and cut the feet off footed-zip pajamas and put it on them backwards. If they can get those off, then I might have to resort to duct tape. I'll provide the child abuse number below :)
The drama continues...

Easter Pictures

2007-04-08T17:59:00.000-05:00

We should have taken pictures of our Easter party. We had a potluck consisting of 18 adults and 7 kids! Who said that you can't host a lot of people in a small apartment? It was a lot of fun!

100% chance of rain

2007-04-04T12:30:00.000-05:00

What does one do when she sees the weather report of 100% chance of rain and 40 degrees? Movie day? Craft day? Pull-out-all-of-the-special-toys day? Anything to stay inside, right?

Well, not me. I like to load the kids up in the stroller where they stay nice and dry under the rain cover, while I stomp in massive city sidewalk puddles without rain boots wearing short sleeves and a rain coat that is not rainproof. (Side note: Who makes rain coats that aren't water proof? Someone actually invested their time and energy into designing and sewing a coat to wear in the rain that only traps the rain inside the coat in effect soaking every piece of clothing that it touches. Fascinating.) While I was shivering and getting wetter with every step, all my kids could do was whine/cry about anything they could dream of. It was pure torture.

All I could think about on the way home was a hot shower, a cup of hot chocolate, and nap time without any contact with children. Instead I had the privilege of participating in Act II of "Dancing in my Poo"--this time not only from Arthur, but also from his talented sister in the next crib. I could not feel any more sorry for myself at this moment.

I have learned from this experience, though. #1 Buy a new raincoat. #2 Drink two hot chocolates ASAP. #3 Put in 2 hours worth of videos when the children awake (if they ever fall asleep--the verdict is still out at this point.) The children will be lucky if they go on the luxury stroll in the rain ever again.

"Disgusting"

2007-04-02T19:20:00.000-05:00

This was the word that my new hair stylist chose to describe my current hair color. It was my first haircut since moving here, and it was a true New York experience. Between the stylist's multiple profanities in Israeli accent and a random salesman pushing boot-legged DVDs onto my lap, I was utterly in awe of the situation. I knew I was at home when I was served a fresh espresso to sip while my hair was being blow-dried.

I was actually happy to find someone who will give me a strong opinion. He cut my hair the way he wanted and told me to come back in two days if I didn't like it. I've always secretly wished that one of those TV makeover shows would pick me to be their next project. Sometimes I intentionally dress a little dumpy, hoping that they are wandering the city streets looking for someone who needs help. To get a free hairdo and wardrobe? That is totally worth the embarrassment of being the unfashionable ugly one on TV. Maybe Shlomy will be that person for me...someone who will just tell me what looks good and do it.

On a different note...here's a picture of Adaline waving a palm branch to celebrate Palm Sunday at church.

Adventures of Sweet Friends

2007-03-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

It is so fun to listen in on a conversation between two kids who are the same age and have never known life without the other. We are certainly in a unique position--something that I have to remind myself to be grateful for, especially because it also involves lots of fighting and biting. These pictures were taken in the park when the kids were on a search for the "gooey geyser" (something from a Dora video). They take scenarios from videos or books and recreate them in our apartment or in the park. We are entering imaginary play--such a fun stage to be in with twins.

Together they also instigate not-so-desirable adventures. They love to move chairs to climb wherever they want to get whatever they shouldn't have. The other day they helped each other get all of the keys down from the key rack. They proceeded to put some keys in the hole in Dad's guitar, while trying to fit another key in the electric outlet. Not a good idea.

Perhaps their most fun moments together are spent in their separate cribs before nap and bed times. This has always been the case for them, but they've recently taken it to a new level. The old repertoire included throwing everything out of the bed, jumping, singing, laughing, crying, etc. Now they've extended the time of play (often 2 hours) and have added the removal of clothing (including the diaper). We check in after an hour performance and find them completely naked in a bare bed. You just have to hope that the diaper is empty before it is catapulted from the bed. (Once Arthur performed in his own poo. A very messy event.) Besides the loads of fun that they have together, the only positive outcome of this is that Mom's "nap time" is potentially much longer. Unfortunately, they don't sleep any later in the morning...still early risers. In fact, a couple of times they've cried at 5 am because they were naked again without their blankets. Did they perform in their sleep?

On to the pictures of sweet friends...

The Galt Diet and Money-Managing Plan

2007-03-19T19:25:00.000-05:00

Simple one-step plan:
1. Never purchase any sweet items from the grocery store. This prevents unnecessary additions to your waist or subtractions from your bank account.

Exceptions:
In the event of a sweet craving, walk across the street to the bodega (local convenience store) and purchase a roll of cookie dough for $4.99. It might be twice as expensive as grocery prices, but at least the sweets are not permanently occupying your house.

*The Galt family has followed this plan for 8 months and has avoided any significant weight gain or banking deficits. One of the exceptions occurred a few minutes ago, and the plan proved successful.

Breakfast at McDonald's...Dinner in the Hamptons

2007-03-13T11:11:00.000-05:00

We have Uncle Marshall's car for the week, so we decided to explore on Jamison's day off yesterday. We drove up Long Island to see the various beaches and towns. It is theoretically 3 hours to the tip of Long Island. In actuality, we were still in New York City proper 2 hours into the trip...1 hour in Brooklyn, 1 hour in Queens. All of this stop-and-go traffic forced us to make a stop at McDonald's--a place we haven't visited in the 8 months we've lived here. I ordered a Sausage McMuffin at 11 o'clock, apparently at the switch from breakfast to lunch. The cashier informed me that they were out of the circular egg patties that go with my choice of sandwich. Would I like the fold-over egg thingy instead? It's been a long time since I've had fast food...where were they getting these pre-shaped eggs? So I opted for no egg. By the time I got around to ordering something for the kids, they were hand-rolling the breakfast menu to the lunch menu. Voila! So the kids and Jamison got cheeseburgers.

For dinner we stopped at what looked like a great find- the Southampton Publick House Microbrewery. It was located in a quaint wooden house near the beach. The inside revealed it to be an overpriced menu with an Applebee's atmosphere. The only affordable item was the burger...I gladly would have enjoyed another McDonald's value meal over the $9 burger at this restaurant. Next time we'll read up on the Hampton's travel books before we make a decision.

Aside from eating, we stopped at several beaches, all of which were beautiful. The kids were impressed with the "big sandbox," as Arthur called it. We underestimated how cold it was, though. We were so excited that the temps were in the 50s, so we wore light clothing. Adaline and I were shivering the whole time. We took turns using our one towel to cover our heads. The boys had a great time running from the waves. We can't wait to spend more days at the beach. Here are a few pics from the day.

This is the lighthouse on the tip of Long Island-Montauk Point.

Snow Day

2007-02-26T14:48:00.000-06:00

Fresh snow and Daddy's day off finally came together. We had a fun morning in the snow. These pictures give you a taste of our park (this is only the edge near us). The last picture was taken outside of our apartment window.

Spring in New York

2007-02-21T18:20:00.000-06:00

The weather report as we left the house was 38 degrees/feels like 32. Cool! A perfect day for the zoo! It worked its way up to the mid-forties for a high. It truly felt like Spring after the freezing weather we've been having. The only problem was the slushy ice/snow that has not melted. My friend and I had quite a time getting our twins and our double strollers through the slushy park. But we made it to the zoo and the kids all had a great time.

Yesterday was a "Spring" day also. We went to the park for the first time in weeks. I wish I would have taken pictures of the kids pushing their little strollers up the hills of snow. It was actually their first time to play in it. Although, it is really ice that just looks similar to snow. They were so happy to be outside that they didn't mind it when they slipped and fell.

This was the result of "play" with Daddy. You've already seen the tackle videos that were inspired and filmed in my absence. Well, this is the latest casualty from Mom getting some time alone. Just kidding, it was an accident, but it makes you wonder...

Please don't grow. Please don't go.

2007-02-17T16:22:00.000-06:00

My friend from home not only changed my hair color, but also my kid-feeding tactics. She used a little playful reverse psychology on my children, and it works brilliantly. We plead with our kids not to eat something healthy because it will make them grow. We tell them that we want them to stay little babies and not to grow big or run fast or jump high. They gladly accept the challenge and beg for more when they are finished. Adaline says, "Here comes the grow..." and takes a bite. It even passed the broccoli test with Arthur (although he vomited it after he ate it). Instead of spending all of my time telling them that they must eat X more bites, I simply ask them to stop eating so many bites. I highly recommend the please-don't-grow method to all frustrated feeders out there.

I had my first medical "emergency" since living in the city. I have been curious about how it would look in a place where we have no car and the hospital is a 20 minute walk away. (My friend came only 1 cm from delivering her baby on the sidewalk during her walk to the hospital!) My situation wasn't nearly as dramatic, but stilled proved the difficulties of emergencies here. I had/have an obvious bladder infection...I'll spare you the details...the most pertinent thing to know is that you urinate FREQUENTLY. The walk home from the doctor was one of the most miserable times in my life. It would be a 30 minute walk without all of the snow and ice. All I could think the whole time was, "please don't go, please don't go." I barely made it to the playground bathrooms half the way home. I wondered what someone would do in that situation who didn't know all of the playground bathrooms in the neighborhood. Thank God for those growing kids!

Milestones: Reflections at 2:30 am

2007-02-14T02:02:00.000-06:00

#1 Arthur's longest sentence: "I need to sit up in my bed and read some books." This was declared at 2:30am this morning after I told him that he needed to lay down and go to sleep. He also wanted me to know that "rabbits eat carrots." He woke up because he "spilled" (Arthur code for vomited) in his bed. He's had a fever since yesterday morning. At the moment, the kids are taking turns congratulating each other for singing the ABC song. It's 3 am.

#2 First potty training session lasted 1.5 hours. Yesterday we went cold turkey with the underwear, drinking special juice, sitting on potty every 15 minutes, M&M potential rewards...After 2 accidents each, Adaline was weeping and begging for her diaper. Arthur agreed. After a friend consult, the diapers were back on. I was very discouraged because I had full intentions of potty success this week. This training possibly induced Arthur's fever.

#3 First outnumbered plane ride: Mommy 1, Kids 2. We went to Mississippi last week while Jamison was out of town. The first flight was 4 hours and delayed, but thankfully the full sprint to the second flight paid off as we were the last to board. The whole ordeal wasn't nearly as dramatic as I had imagined. Although getting them to sit in their own seats with seatbelts fastened was nearly impossible. All I have to say is travel DVD player with two headphones--don't leave home without it.

#4 First change in hair color. My friend dyed my hair while we were in MS. Stylists have tried to lighten my hair ever since it started the turn from blonde to brown, but I have resisted for root reasons. (Meaning I can't handle the discipline of keeping away dark roots) So instead we went for a darker color that's been described as auburn red. It's fun to feel like a different person. I'm hooked.

Well, the songs and readings and congratulations have ceased. I'm off to bed.

Tackle 1

2007-01-15T15:03:00.002-06:00

Tackle 2

2007-01-15T15:03:00.001-06:00

Tackle 3

2007-01-15T15:02:00.000-06:00

Christmas and New Year's Pics

2007-01-04T18:19:00.000-06:00

I'm limited on the pictures I can post because I don't know how to rotate the vertical pictures (which is the majority of them). You get a little sampling here, though. The kids loved unwrapping presents, although Arthur was pretty content with his first gift--a firetruck. We all got tired and had to take an intermission, mainly because we were coming off of the sugar-high from the orange rolls (a yummy McKey family tradition-thanks, Mom). Adaline got a Dora the Explorer tea set, but Arthur enjoys tea more than her. He drank 4 little cups at our last tea party (herbal decaf, don't worry).

Also pictured are their best twin friends, Tess and Bruno, who celebrated New Year's with us. We had a kid-friendly celebration/countdown/toasting before bedtime. Then I went to the grown-up party at Marshall's while Jamison played with our new keyboard (our big present to each other for Christmas and both birthdays and everything else) and watched the fireworks from our roof. The grown-up party watched Manhattan's fireworks from Marshall's roof. Happy New Year!

Waiting for Christmas--Belated

2006-12-27T15:09:00.000-06:00

The kids patiently awaited Christmas morning. Over the month we received several boxes full of presents in the mail. By the end, the kids screamed "presents!" every time the door buzzer rang. We made lots of forts out of the big boxes and surprisingly, only a couple of gifts were stolen and partially unwrapped from underneath the tree.

We celebrated advent every night all month with candles and carols and chocolate. It was perfect for preparing young children for what was to come. They knew exactly what was going to happen on Christmas and why we were celebrating. It made the waiting and anticipating much more fun. We are continuing the celebration through the 12 days of Christmas
and I suspect that this is the beginning of a new nightly routine for our family. There's nothing better than ending the day with a little chocolate and hearing your kids' sweet singing voices.

Christmas Day pictures to come...as soon as they are downloaded for my computer-illiterate use.

Little chefs

2006-12-02T19:35:00.000-06:00

The kids love to cook in their little kitchen. Today they made their great-uncle Marshall "eggs, cranberries, and corn puffs." Yummy.

They also beg to sit on the kitchen counter and help us cook. Arthur helps "Dad" (he's dropped the "y" and prefers to call us "Mom" and "Dad" like a little teenage squirt) grind the coffee beans every morning. We don't have tons of counter space, but we try to find a way for them to help if possible. It's really cute.

They made the cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. Arthur chose to taste it as his first bite of the feast and quickly vomited everywhere, ending his Thanksgiving meal early. Oh well. It still hasn't discouraged him from further cooking endeavors.

Mom and Dad have also been exposed to new tastes in the kitchens of NYC restaurants (thanks to the generosity of those who took us). We went to the Korean restaurant Temple in the East Village and enjoyed the spicy squid dolsot, or hot stone pot. For our appetizer at Al Di La we had carpaccio (thinly sliced raw beef) with anchovies--both a first for me. Last week with the parents at Applewood we had foie gras over lobster. About half way into the liver, I realized that foie gras can be prepared cooked or raw...and I think I had the raw. It was delicious for a couple bites, but next time I would opt for medium rare. Literally any cuisine is at our fingertips in this city--a place where I am really excited about our little chefs growing up.

Laundry day...living like kings and queens

2006-11-23T12:59:00.000-06:00

Here is a picture of laundry day in the Galt household. We have resigned ourselves to drop-off laundry service. Occasionally we find the time for Jamison to watch the kids while I go to the laundromat across the street, but we usually drop it off. I still haven't gotten comfortable with this luxury. We're living like royalty here in Brooklyn! Before you get jealous, we paid royal prices for that cart of laundry Adaline is riding on...around $25. We pay 60 cents per pound, and that's at the cheap laundromat down the street.

Along the same line, pictured is King Arthur and Princess Adaline. Adaline is very much into her dress-up clothes. There have been days when she wears one out to the park over her clothes. Arthur also begs to wear princess dresses--one nap time both of them went to sleep in a dress. He is also known to walk around with clips in his hair and other pink items. I think Arthur is a little envious of the attention Adaline gets over her dresses. So we came up with the king idea. As you can tell from the picture, Arthur is not totally won over to the idea. But it's growing on him, and he's a very handsome king.

Halloween

2006-11-01T12:21:00.000-06:00

I was going to blog our Halloween pictures, but Jamison beat me to it. Check them out on his blog: shookfoil.

Adaline was an angel and Arthur was a devil. We were trying to be funny (although these characters often do fit their personalities), but let me tell you the ordeal from a mom's perspective. I was feeling a bit insecure about dressing my kid up as a devil. The angel/devil contrast was funny to us adults, but would my devil child feel neglected? We tested it out at a toddler Halloween costume party on Monday. I walked in the party to see a giraffe, dalmation puppy, duck, ladybug, Tigger, etc. All cutsy cuddly custumes. Meanwhile, I'm forcing some horns and a pitchfork on my son who is crying that he doesn't want to be a devil. I received many stares from the other moms (most of which I had never met) and wondered if forcing your child to be a devil could be considered child abuse.
The next day Adaline said that she was the devil and Arthur was the angel, so I thought that we might do a switch. As it turns out, Arthur was pretty content in his sister's tiny red pajamas and her tail-stuffed red tights tied around his waist. He had no interest in wearing the horns or holding the pitchfork, so by the end of the night he just looked like Richard Simmons in leotards. Oh well, Adaline was truly a perfect angel.