Catch Up Post

So I have forgotten to post about many things as I have been busy with moving related tasks. (move date Oct. 19) I will start off with today and go backwards.

1. I love the mannequin game. When we are at the mall, I have Addie look around for certain kinds of mannequins to buy me a few more minutes or to keep her moving. I ask her to look for ones with no heads, or no feet, or her favorite, kid mannequins. Since she likes mannequins so much, one day when I wanted some peace and quiet I created the mannequin game. Here is how it works. I tell loud wiggly kids something like "be a running mannequin or be a swimming mannequin." Said kids freeze into the required mannequin pose. After a while I request something else and then kids start naming their own and I can get something done. Always a crowd pleaser and today Addie requested it.

2. My best buddy was up visiting her family and we actually managed to squeeze in a nice morning walk at the reservoir. We even got to hop the fence because the gate was closed. Addie took this picture of Bess and Beth, dynamic duo. Also featured is Bess's nephew, Austin, and Edith's pigtails.

3. Scarecrow Festival: We headed out to Leominster to the scarecrow festival. I wanted to be there early before it got too crowded. This was a bad idea because how the festival works is people bring their old clothes and then make scarecrows with the provided frames and hay. This meant there were only 6 finished scarecrows to look at. Not wanting to just leave I bought the girls a pumpkin and we made a jack-o-lantern. The girls scooped it out and gave input to how it should be cut. (While Addie complained continuously about how windy it was). And again Addie decided to name her pumpkin diarrhea. Lovely. (that is also what she named her pumpkin last year and of course it made everyone crack up)

4. Celebrating Dad's Birthday: We had lunch and cake to celebrate my Dad's birthday. Edith wore her new I love Grandpa t-shirt. She loves this shirt and has since asked to wear it everyday. Cute. I guess the elmo shirt is now in second place for favorite. Dad was happy to have parsnips as part of lunch as he really likes them and doesn't get them at home, and I was happy to have someone be pleased that we were eating parsnips. He turned 1 year old. (I only had one candle that wasn't an inacurrate numeral)

She'll be coming round the mountain

Today's lyrics to "she'll be coming around the mountain" courtesy of Addie

She'll be bending all the jewelry when she comes....

She'll be blowing up the anchor when she comes...

She'll be poking all the trees when she comes...

She'll be eating cake on the lawn...

Who knows where all this stuff comes from. Al1though I suspect blowing up the anchor is taken from a pirate song about pulling up the anchor.

Sweet Addie

Hurrah, we have bought our new home. We will be living in Brookline, New Hampshire and hopefully this will be our forever home. Addie has some funny thoughts about the whole home and moving thing. The funny one is that she tells us that she will be moving out when she's 17 to get her own house. I guess if she can afford to buy her own house at 17 that's ok.

The sweetest thing Addie said was yesterday when we were driving there.
Me: We are going to our new house.
Addie: Don't call it that. Call it home.
Me: Ok, we are going to our new home.
Addie: No just call it home not new home.

And anyone who wants to visit is more than welcome. We have lots of space. No pictures yet because I forgot my camera yesterday.

Apple Picking

Friday morning we had a nice day apple picking in Berlin. The weather was beautiful. The kids enjoyed the crooked little houses and running in the orchard. We sampled 4 kinds of apples and are still working on eating them all up.

Edith was very silly with her apple. It had a long stem which she decided was perfect for carrying the apple in her teeth. "Look Ma, no hands."

Funnies

Addie has really gotten into drawing actual things. The one that made me laugh was when she described her drawing as, "this is the policeman. He is putting out the fire with his sword. He is crashing the house down." This just made me giggle because policemen don't carry swords and a sword can't put out a fire.

Yesterday we were hanging out in the girls' room. Addie said to me, " I want my room to look like a grocery store." I answered, "How does a grocery store look?" She replies, "well there isn't food lying all around the floor everywhere." Quite true. Grocery stores are probably one of the most consistently tidy and organized places. Addie and Edie's room is not tidy very often, partly because they don't have any shelves. This should all change (crossing fingers) when we move next month. We're not expecting grocery store tidiness, but maybe a few less toys on the floor with some storage shelves. So all you mothers out there, if you want to describe what a clean room looks like just say, "a grocery store."

And now for Edith's antics...

Today my mom and I were at the storage unit sorting through all my paraphernalia from high school. Edith was happily playing in our cars. Climbing all around. I went to check on her and the door started beeping when I opened it! Edith had dug around and found my keys and then stuck one in the ignition! Luckily just the mailbox key. Brian and I had already been talking about how Edith will be one of those kids who tries to take the car for a spin around the age of 5 or 6. We didn't think she would start her attempts so early. Lesson learned: always leave the keys in my pocket when I let Edith explore the car.

Addie being silly in Brian's alien mask and a pacifier.

First Day of School

Today was Addie's first day of preschool. The moms got to go too to help with the transition. Addie was a bit slow to warm up, but enjoyed playing with all the toys.

Before we left to go to school she was dancing around and singing in excitement. She picked out what she wanted to wear and requested that I curl her hair. I guess she knew it was a big day and wanted to look her best.

What a bittersweet moment for her to be off to school. I didn't even cry even though I wanted to. No guarantees on Thursday when she goes without me.

Eric Carle Picture Book Museum

Saturday the whole family headed out to Amherst to see the Eric Carle picture book museum. Addie really enjoyed seeing all the pictures. She especially enjoyed the artwork from Winnie the Pooh. Edith just ran around while I followed her. She only liked the 4 foot tall cake sculpture and that was the only thing that could console her when I took Addie to the bathroom. All of us each made our own painting in the studio. Brian snuck off to the gift shop and bought each of the girls a book while they were playing with the toys. Overall a great visit. Not so great listening to Edith cry and wail on the way home though.