October 2010 - December 2010

It's been quite a while since I've caught up with things in a long-term kind of way, so I decided to back-track a little bit in order to keep track of our memories.  It looked like October was the month where I started to lose hold of recording the days.  So I'll start in October and finish up the year in pictures. 

 

 Jacob turned 7 at the end of the month.  I made his cake again this year and stuck with the baseball theme, but this time I think I got it right.  The year before he'd asked for a baseball cake, so I made it in the shape of a giant baseball.  Jacob explained to me that when he asked for a baseball cake, he's wanted a baseball themed cake.  So I waited a whole year to redeem myself, and this was the result.

 We asked again that people not bring presents for Jacob's birthday, but instead could bring a donation for the animal sanctuary.  After his birthday we took our annual trip to the sanctuary and turned in our donations.  We took a tour and Jacob sponsored a rabbit named Harvey.

 For Halloween, Jacob wanted to be Jorge Posada.  I found a decently priced jersey at Target, and then had a hell of a time getting the letters and numbers on the back the right way.  But it was worth it, I think he looked pretty cool.

I always try to match the kids up somehow for Halloween.  Since Jacob was a catcher for the Yankees, Sabine became a baseball.  I found a used homemade baseball costume on ebay for six or seven dollars, and it was just the right size.  It was a nice, warm outfit for another frigid and rainy Halloween.

 My brother and his girlfriend, Katie, got engaged.  Congratulations!  More family drama to come, I'm sure!

 Jacob and Sabine are both still taking gymnastics lessons.  Sabine takes a class on her own now (no longer parent and tot).  She's awesome; taking classes with four year-olds but doing just as well, or better.

In November we hosted Ace, a black lab puppy, but huge nevertheless.  We pet-sat for the better part of a week and it was chaos.  Zach and I decided that we were definitely at our max with kids and pets; we were full-up at two kids and six animals.  It was just a few days later that I found out I'm pregnant.

  

We also played host to a number of the kids' fantasies.  Little Baby (in the foreground) started joining us at the dinner table on most nights, as well as certain Lucky members of Bob the Builder's crew (Roley, Dizzy, Muck and Party Muck can be seen in the background).

 Years after his obsession with his animal friends began, Jacob is still enjoying setting up dinner parties and luncheons for his crew.

 

Sabine provided me with many photo opportunities.  Here she had just gotten into my makeup and discovered the enhancing effect of lipstick. 

Just being a ham.

  

Little Baby got the thrill of her life when she was asked to be a stand-in for Baby Jesus at Christmastime.  I find that her pose is actually quite conducive to filling that role.

 Sabine got to spend lots of time with her cousins around Christmas.  Here she is finally coming out of her shell and warming up to twins, Nicholos and Christopher, respectively.

 I attempted a from-scratch gingerbread house.  While our efforts started out strong...

...The final result ended in disaster.

 For Christmas gifts this year, we use all home-made wrapping paper.  My favorite design was Jacob's reindeer.

And then it snowed and snowed, and snowed some more.  The end.

Day 93: Apple Picking

We went to an apple orchard one day last week after school. Jacob was so excited to go apple picking; we go at least once every fall. We were admittedly going a little early in the season, but this year's crop isn't a great one and isn't going to last a very long time. So there were only one kind we could pick on that particular day. And the pickings were slim. We had to get creative and climb the trees in order to get any apples.

Zach was with us this year, and he's the one who actually started the climbing method. Jacob followed his lead. Click on the picture to see Zach in the tree...

Day 91: Fall Ball

Jacob is playing Fall Ball this year. He had the regular season in the spring, which was his second year, and this is just a short season, about six weeks long. Anyway, Nate is also playing Fall Ball, but this is his first team baseball. The boys ended up on different teams, but happened to be playing each other in the season-opening game. They also both happened to get #1 (mostly because they're on the tiny side and needed the small size). We thought it was funny that Nate (a Red Sox fan) ended up on the navy team, and Jacob (a Yankees fan) ended up on the red team, opposite of what they would have preferred.

We tried to orchestrate this photo with the two of them backs to the camera, yet with their faces toward each other, scowling as if they weren't really good friends. But they couldn't figure out how to turn their heads without turning their bodies, and then also remembering to scowl was difficult. Still, pretty cute pictures.

Day 86: The Sand Dunes

That's what Jacob likes to call this place that we walk to from Camp. I don't really know what it is other than a giant pit off of the railroad tracks. I used to think it was a landfill when I was younger. We visited there a few times this trip, as it was a nice retreat from the crowd at Camp. Jacob built and elaborate system of houses for the mice to use when winter hits.

This day's photo was a toss-up between the sand dunes and the walk to the sand dunes. In the linked photo Sabine is walking Ginger (and by the way that's not a pacifier in her mouth, it's a teether for her molars) and it wasn't long after that when Ginger took off, dragging Sabine behind he just like in the cartoons. I'd been warning Sabine to let go if Ginger went too fast, but she didn't listen.

By the way, this photo is late again, still because of the hardwood floors, but they're done now and just drying. It will be a couple days before we can put furniture back on them, and then Zach still has to take on the new walls.

Day 83: That's the One

Another picture from Camp...there will probably be at least a few more since it's my favorite place on Earth. This is my brother's immediate reaction to the ball he just hit as it landed on the island (just above his head in the picture), which is what he was aiming for.

For some reason I just really like this photo, maybe it's the composition. I like Jacob and Marisa in the foreground, standing in the kayaks, pretending to be paddling somewhere. And I like how they frame my brother. It just happened that way, I hadn't even been standing there a minute before. I think I snapped the picture as I was walking toward the lake.

Anyway, the photo nicely captures the energy of my family, and since it's one I wasn't even trying for, it makes it all the better.

Day 74: Buried Treasure

I think this was our first day at the beach. We did the obligatory sand burying and I gave Jacob a shirt under his head to be comfortable, as well as the hat over his face to block the sun. The Yankees would be proud?

Day 72: Go Fly a Kite

Jan bought a kite with Jacob, an octopus, and he had a lot of fun flying it on the beach. Jacob actually did really well with the kite. I wasn't involved with the whole process so I can't say if it was easy or not, but I was a little jealous that Jacob took to it so easily. I have no talent for that kind of thing.

This photo was taken on the day we went up to Sea Isle City to visit with the cousins again. They all had a blast burying each other in the sand and riding the waves.

Day 70: Rainy Day in Cape May

On Wednesday of our trip, it rained. It was a nice change of pace. We did some different things that day, one being a trip to the arcade. Some of the older, more established (ie, people with money) friends we were staying with had given Jacob hand-outs during the week, ranging from bits of change to a five dollar bill (from Terre on the day she left - listen up kids, it literally pays to be good) and so we let Jacob blow some of that money at the arcade.

On the way back from the arcade, although we had umbrellas with us, the rain had picked up significantly and we got soaked. By the time we made it to the house, the water in the streets was high enough to sweep the little one away! It was impressive how fast the water collected, making it hard to even drive. I let the kids play around in the dirty street water for a while then I promptly took them in for baths.

Click the photo to see another rain picture, and then use the thumbnails to see more public content of the rain.

Day 69: I was fine until then

On Tuesday of our trip Jacob and I climbed the Cape May Lighthouse. Instead of posting a photo of the actual lighthouse, I thought it would be funnier to post this. My reason being: I was fine until I saw this sign at the base of the lighthouse. I really hadn't given the height or enclosed-ness of it a thought. Then I read the rules and all because I'm a rule-reading kind of person. As we got closer to the top, I was less and less of a happy camper. At the top I would hardly let Jacob go anywhere near the edge and I couldn't wait to get back down to the ground.

Prior to that, Zach and I had decided he would stay with Sabine and watch for us and I'd climb with Jacob. He'd had a foot issue going on and we thought it would be a pain to carry Sabine up (plus, when I read the Rules, I found out backpack carriers weren't allowed anyway), but when I got to the top and recalled our conversation and remembered Zach is a little queasy about heights as well, I realized that his 'foot issue' was just a way to get me to go instead.

I do have pictures of us at the top of the lighthouse, but they're not great or anything. For one, there was absolutely nowhere to safely change my lenses, and then there was no one who could figure out how to use my camera in order to take a picture of me with Jacob. "Sure, I can take a picture, as long as it's just point and click...?" I should have just had Jacob take a picture. But click on the photo to see what we did get.

Day 65: Dutch Wonderland

I'd been waiting a whole year to go back here and take a picture like this. Click on the photo to see the one just like it from last year. Last year they look all bright and cheery; this year they look tired and sullen.

We really loved Dutch Wonderland last year, and it's a good thing that we did have an enjoyable first experience because if this year's trip was our first time, we probably wouldn't go back in the future. Last year we were there on a weekday, so it was much less crowded. Also, we had arrived the night before and purchased out tickets for the next day after 5:30pm, which allowed us to get into the park that evening with the next day's tickets. Having those extra few hours there really made a difference. Not to mention the fact that this year we were alone, as opposed to last year when we traveled with my mom and Jamie. It just wasn't the same without them.

We did have a good time, but after the car ride the day before and then the late-night tent set-up, we were all exhausted. It's hard to enjoy something to the fullest when you're that worn out.

Day 64: Tent Camping

Our first stop on our trip was Dutch Wonderland, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We first went there last year, and we loved it. So this year when we found out we had an opportunity to go to Cape May, I got my heart set on going back to Dutch Wonderland on the way. We decided to stay at nearby campsite. The tent was actually my very first tent camping experience, save for our back yard. It was less than stellar. It's not that I'm not an outdoorsy kind of person, because I totally am. It's just that I enjoy a 'controlled' environment, and I don't like to be dirty. Dirt is ok, musty, moldy smells make my skin crawl.

Anyway, the whole thing would have been 100% better if we'd gotten there in the light, except we don't travel quickly. The kids travel really well, and without DVD's, we just make a lot of stops. That and the fact that we left 2 hours later than planned, which is actually really good for us. Well, so the best part of the tent camping was waking up to this sight. And I love the Snoopies in the background. Jacob recently acquired that second one, the first one is called Smitty, so I have named the other Bad Smitty (as in his evil twin). Jacob prefers to call him Bitty. I say that's perfect, it's short for Bad Smitty.

Day 61: Curly Girl

Here's Sabine playing in the sand. She was so cute and peaceful, and her hair was blowing in the breeze; I absolutely love how her hair curls up at the beach and in the humidity. This was one of our favorite photos of Sabine at the time. Zach took this picture (she actually just in the sand of the volleyball court) while I was playing tennis just a few yards away. He was so proud to have gotten a shot that I really liked.

Day 58: Zach and his crazy kid

Ok so I just realized it's Zach's birthday (no, not just now, I'm doing this 5 days ago and post-dating) so I had to come up with a photo of him. So here he is, carrying Sabine in the Ergo Carrier (Kevin and Bethany, take note), and walking with Jacob and Marisa to go miniature golfing. We took those crazy kids mini-golfing twice on that trip and I swore I'd never do it again. They cannot control themselves when they are together. Anyway, the picture is adorable, and how about Jacob in his calf-length baseball socks? It was a phase...

Day 16: Family of Runners

Ever since last year, Jacob loves to go for runs. He ran his first kids' mile in September, and he plans to do another one this year. As you can see from the photo, Sabine has clung on to the idea as well. I don't think she'll quite be running races this year, but she definitely gets what it means to go for a run, and you wouldn't believe the stamina both of these kids have for running. They've got skinny legs and high metabolisms, just like their father.

When Jacob asks to go for a run, I'm happy to oblige him in the name of College Scholarships...

Day 14: The Jellyfish

The jellyfish exhibit was one of the last things we did before leaving the aquarium, and then leaving town. I thought it was awesome and wanted to stay longer, but by the end Jacob was just going nuts, running around and dying to get out of there so I only had time to get a few photos. But it's definitely worth the trip to the aquarium because the pictures I got don't do them justice.

I tagged this post, as well as the alligator post, 'nature'. I realize an exhibit is the exact opposite of nature, so I've added an 'animals' tag.

This was our second family trip to Baltimore and I think that firmed it up as one of our favorite places; we'll definitely go back regularly.

Day 13: Light Tubes

I loved these tubes, or whatever you call them. I really enjoyed taking pictures of them. I did play around with this one a little to enhance the colors. I'd definitely like to have one, or several, of these in my house. Kinda like a giant lava lamp.

Day 12: A Frequenter of My Dreams

This is at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, as are the next two pictures I'll post. I've been dying to show off this picture but never got around to posting about our trip, nor did I ever post about our trip to Myrtle Beach around Easter time. I'll do a photo series for that when we go on our next big adventure.

I love this photo of the alligator (or is it crocodile?). I do know the difference between the two, but I can't tell from this picture, and I can't remember now which it was. I just think it's so cool with its eye sticking up above the water and a hint of the snout. Creepy. I often dream about alligators. They're usually in the lake up at my camp (in my dreams, I mean).

Day 11: The Night They Lost

Here's Jacob looking all cool heading into the stadium. Zach took this because Sabine and I didn't go to the game. I told Zach I'd be much happier in the hotel room and would rather just have the cash that he wasn't spending on a ticket for me. Sabine and I headed to the Inner Harbor and walked around for a while before heading back to the hotel to read and have some quiet time. Of course I never saw the cash.

Anyway, this was the first game that the Yankees lost to the Orioles this season. For a long time the boys were really bummed that the game they'd been at was the one where their team lost. But now I'm told that the Yankees have lost to them again, so I guess all is well?

Pretty In Pink

Again I blame the hot weather for this mess. We were actually supposed to leave the house for a change on Tuesday. But in the process of getting lunch packed up and dealing with a few phone calls, the kids made their own fun. I decided it wasn't worth the effort of getting them cleaned up only to put them into the car to go to the park. We just ended up hanging out the whole day again and had some good ole back to basics fun. We like to think of it as the 'spa'.

Making our own Indoor Fun

I posted earlier about all our outdoor fun this winter. Outdoor activities tend to set themselves up; they're there for the doing and they're pretty much the same from year to year, with just the details changing. It's being indoors during the winter that dictates the need for creativity. We did a lot of crazy things in the name of staying sane this year. I'll file them under the title 'Cabin Fever'.

We made it to Christmas in a pretty good frame of mind.
Here's some of the cousins at Christmas.
Everyone looks happy and healthy.

Jacob got a remote-control helicopter for Christmas,
and initially I was like, "Couldn't you have given
him something a little more educational?" But it turns
out this thing was a lifesaver many times. Jacob passed
many hours mastering this - I still can't figure out how
to fly the thing. He also enjoyed torturing the dogs and
scaring Sabine with it.

We had a lot of hot chocolate parties...Sabine really
got the hang of drinking from a mug. All in the name
of chocolate, that's my girl.

Sabine thought she'd take it upon herself to
claim some of her very own computer time.

She also stepped it up a notch in terms of
hiding places and fitting into small spaces.
(that's her behind the shades)

I cleaned out my old make-up and let Jacob
use it for some really creative projects.

Zach and the dogs even started going loopy.

A bakery truck must have crashed in front of our
house because one day I came home to find 50
baguettes laying in our front yard. The dogs discovered
the frozen bread on the front lawn and they spent
the next two weeks dedicated to the goal of
digging it out and eating it. Ginger
succeeded one day and came running into the house
with a full loaf of it sticking horizontally out of
her mouth. It was the first time I ever saw her
stick up for her food when Mango tried to take it away.
Must be some bakery.

Sabine kisses everything with a face. One night at
dinner she discovered the honey bear had a face
and it was all we could do to keep her from climbing
over her plate to get to him for a smooch.

She also spent a lot of time in that hat, at times
pairing it with sunglasses. She rocked that look.
And she knew it.

The most exciting part of my winter was when
the new recycling bin came and we could suddenly
get rid of the piles of plastic I'd been accumulating.
"But look at all the things I can recycle that I couldn't
before!" I said in disbelief as I was setting up this photo.

I was taking photos for an Annie's contest, to win
a basket of goodies. The kids thought it was the
coolest thing that I let them eat right out of the
box - they stuffed their faces in fear of me taking
it away. They may be skinny, but this proves they
can house an entire box of crackers in one sitting.

The little one discovered diaper cream.

Zach invented "the Bull"

This is the first thing that usually happens
when he comes home from work now. The kids
hardly give him a chance to get in the door
before they jump him.

The game, it appears, will continue for
generations to come. Thanks Winter.