Sunday, December 28, 2008
The happiest place on Earth
Friday, December 12, 2008
The days of Christmas
Monday, December 08, 2008
Let it Snow...Let it Snow...Let it Snow
Monday, December 01, 2008
Giving Thanks
Monday, November 24, 2008
Playdates and Cookies
Anyway other than playdates we have been taking part in plenty of free library story times and also spending time at the park, when weather allows. I am also trying to get motivated about job hunting! When every call I make ends with "No, I'm sorry we don't have anything right now," it gets a little distressing and each time it's easier not to pick up the phone. Hopefully things will look up after the Holidays...and after the Inauguration.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Full-time mom ....or not?
Cole and I have been spending lots of time together lately...and neither of us is very good at it. My mind is elsewhere pondering what the next job will be, having to update my resume, put together a portfolio, thinking about the cleaning that I am not doing, feeling sad for Craig now that he is the only breadwinner in the family....the list goes on and generally not a single one of the things is about the little guy. I do feel guilty that I am not taking advantage of my newly found time with him to do something educational. I tried to take him to story time at the library on Tuesday but forgot that it was closed because it was election day. By the way, Cole says "barack obama" in the cutest way. I have got to get it on video. Cole misses his normal routine..seeing his Maw-maw and spending time with his favorite playmates, Emmy and Checkers. I know with time, we'll find a routine that works for both of us. For now, we're stuck in a don't know what to do with each other phase.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Cannons go "Boom"
Cole loved the boat's cannon best. Ever since Alexandria's 4th of July celebration where they ignited cannons in celebration, Cole has had a fascination with cannons. The minute we mentioned we were going on Jus' boat he asked, "cannons?" and didn't stop asking till we saw the big one. All in all, it was a very neat experience. You can never possibly imagine what the inside of one of the vessels looks like and I feel honored to have had the opportunity to go on one.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Fall Festivals

Meanwhile Cole is the biggest jabber jaw lately. From the moment he barks his first words in the morning..."Mommy,I'm up!" to the minute I lay him down at night,"I see maw-maw and checkers tomorrow?"...Cole always has something to say. Craig and I were trying to pay attention to a newscast this week and we couldn't hear over our jibber-jabbering toddler!
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Almost Famous
Nope we're not talking about our Daddy! This time Cole gets the media attention. A little story to go along with this week's blog...
One of the first times Craig, Cole and I visited the Pentagon Memorial together, Cole was being his usual 2 year-old self playing in the gravel walkways and putting his hands in the fountains among other disrespectful things. Daddy doesn't like it when Cole does these things so in our usual Mommy and Daddy fashion we had to distract. I bribed him with a snack while sitting on the perimeter seat walls and observing how people interact with the Memorial. About this time, Cole peered up from his fruit snacks and commented on the "dolphins". At this stage of his speech I often have to nod my head and acknowledge that I understand (when many times I do not!). I figured he had read a book during the day about underwater creatures...and then it hit me...he was talking about the benches!
This is what appeared in an issue of the Boston Globe from October 5th...
"Falsani, who writes a religion column for the Sun-Times and who is the author of the new book about grace, "Sin Boldly," compared the benches to dolphins - a comparison, I later learned, that was first noted by the 2 1/2-year-old son of one of the memorial's builders.
"From a distance, and even as I walked among them, the underlit 'benches' looked like the dorsal fin of a diving dolphin - a pod of dolphins moving together," she wrote me. "Dolphins historically symbolize safe travel and were also used on ancient tombs - the Roman catacombs, for instance - to signify a love that remains even into the depths (of death, despair, etc.)."
So funny...maybe our Little Man has a future as an architectural critic. Here's the link to the full article:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/10/05/everything_is_illuminated/
One of the first times Craig, Cole and I visited the Pentagon Memorial together, Cole was being his usual 2 year-old self playing in the gravel walkways and putting his hands in the fountains among other disrespectful things. Daddy doesn't like it when Cole does these things so in our usual Mommy and Daddy fashion we had to distract. I bribed him with a snack while sitting on the perimeter seat walls and observing how people interact with the Memorial. About this time, Cole peered up from his fruit snacks and commented on the "dolphins". At this stage of his speech I often have to nod my head and acknowledge that I understand (when many times I do not!). I figured he had read a book during the day about underwater creatures...and then it hit me...he was talking about the benches!
This is what appeared in an issue of the Boston Globe from October 5th...
"Falsani, who writes a religion column for the Sun-Times and who is the author of the new book about grace, "Sin Boldly," compared the benches to dolphins - a comparison, I later learned, that was first noted by the 2 1/2-year-old son of one of the memorial's builders.
"From a distance, and even as I walked among them, the underlit 'benches' looked like the dorsal fin of a diving dolphin - a pod of dolphins moving together," she wrote me. "Dolphins historically symbolize safe travel and were also used on ancient tombs - the Roman catacombs, for instance - to signify a love that remains even into the depths (of death, despair, etc.)."
So funny...maybe our Little Man has a future as an architectural critic. Here's the link to the full article:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/10/05/everything_is_illuminated/
Monday, September 29, 2008
Crazy Busy
Next came a very fun extended weekend with our family from Michigan. Dad's house became family and party central as we celebrated Emory's 2nd Birthday and Beth's 49th with a delicious brunch and yummy crabs (if ya like that sorta thing). We were also able to become tourists for a few days while we bounced around town to the various Memorials and touristy sites.
Unfortunately our fun weekend came to a screeching halt when Nanny was rushed to the hospital. She had suffered a stroke some time during the day and lost her speech. Her recovery is going well and we are very hopeful that she will regain everything in the coming weeks.
Cole has managed to be a trooper through all of this. During the Memorial events he spent lots of time with his Maw-Maw and returned easily to his normal routine. On the weekend of our family visit, he stayed up late without a fuss and somehow managed to be pretty good natured during the day. During Nanny's hospital stay and recovery he has been a constant source of smiles and laughter that has been much needed by all.
Thank goodness for children. They give us all a reason to wake up in the morning and smile.
Monday, September 08, 2008
In Remembrance
The Memorial itself is a beautiful place. One cannot help but feel (and show) emotion as you step across the zero age line and run into the first bench, that of 3 year-old Dana Falkenberg. As Cole and I visited the site last night with Craig, a sneak peek offered to family members prior to the Memorial's "real" opening on the 11th, they were testing the audio system. A Norah Jones song played across the "park", slow and mournful. I crossed the zero age line and stopped. A swell of emotion hit me. I couldn't look at Craig, he would surely make fun of the tears in my eyes. It is the most awesome, and the most awful place all at the same time.
I encourage you all to visit it, particularly at night, when you just can't help but feel the site's intensity and the love that is present there.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Labor Day
Cole also bonded with our close friends Scott, Allison, Jenn and Shawn...which gave me a little time to relax. Relaxation was a key this weekend. We spent our Saturday out on the river boating and attempting a little tubing, water skiing and knee boarding. I was quite surprised at the hubby's athletic ability when he got up on the water skis his first try and awed us with his abilities on the knee board. In the evenings, Shawn lit a wonderful fire for us to roast marshmallows and to make mountain pies (I recommend peanut butter, banana and chocolate...just don't do it on a full stomach!). All in all....it was a fantastic weekend. I can't wait till next year!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Terrible Two's make for a Terrible Mom
They have finally hit and all I can say is "wow". My little angel is an angel no more. I was really looking forward to spending the weekend with Cole after a long, hard week at work and now that it's Monday morning I am sad to report that I am GLAD that I am here...and not there. I am a bad mother. I know this was bound to happen but just like motherhood, no one can prepare you for toddlerhood!
The thing is that I still don't think he's THAT bad...I just can't hack any of it...not even one iota. We were on one of our many errands yesterday and he demanded gum (for the 3rd time that day). Now don't think bad of me yet, I am doing the responsible thing and at least giving him sugarless gum but come on...not 3 times a day...the answer was "no". This is sure to elicit a screaming, fit-throwing tantrum out of any toddler and lucky me it was in the middle of the fabric store. Not Target...not Walmart...where any number of children are screaming for one thing or another... but at least in one of those stores you are able to duck down an aisle to reprimand your misbehaving child...but right there in the middle aisle of the fabric store for all to see. I simply had to smile, while thinking, "Yes this is my toddler screaming, "GUM...MOMMY I WANT GUM" at the top of his lungs. While also thinking to myself, "Oh great...now they not only think I am a bad mother because I don't know how to control my child but I also give a 2 year-old gum!"
The thing is that I still don't think he's THAT bad...I just can't hack any of it...not even one iota. We were on one of our many errands yesterday and he demanded gum (for the 3rd time that day). Now don't think bad of me yet, I am doing the responsible thing and at least giving him sugarless gum but come on...not 3 times a day...the answer was "no". This is sure to elicit a screaming, fit-throwing tantrum out of any toddler and lucky me it was in the middle of the fabric store. Not Target...not Walmart...where any number of children are screaming for one thing or another... but at least in one of those stores you are able to duck down an aisle to reprimand your misbehaving child...but right there in the middle aisle of the fabric store for all to see. I simply had to smile, while thinking, "Yes this is my toddler screaming, "GUM...MOMMY I WANT GUM" at the top of his lungs. While also thinking to myself, "Oh great...now they not only think I am a bad mother because I don't know how to control my child but I also give a 2 year-old gum!"
Monday, August 11, 2008
Monday, August 04, 2008
Mr. Hollywood
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Planes, Trains & Autos
On Saturday, Craig, Cole and I started at Gravelly Point, next to National Airport, and rode our bikes into the City. This was the first time we had taken Cole to Gravelly Point to see the airplanes and boy was it exciting. I used to go there a lot as a child and it is still an excited place to watch the planes landing at the airport (they are RIGHT over your head!). Our ride into the City was fun too. Cole saw 2 helicopters and wanted to see more. We stopped at the WWII memorial to dip our feet, had ice cream on the mall and then headed home to cool down and have dinner.
On Sunday, we visited our friends, Carl (well he was at work), Erin and Ella, that just moved to the area. We took Cole and Ella to a park where there are train rides! It was fun, Cole said.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Back to Basics
Onto more basics....our evenings lately have been spent taking bike rides and watching baseball. Cole absolutely loves both! I think he just likes spending time with his dad.
Speaking of...Craig is finally finished with bathroom renovations. Hip hip hooray! We are thrilled to finally have him back into the mix for our weekend activities spent at the park, pool or just hanging out.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Happy 4th of July

Friday, June 27, 2008
Proofs
here is a sneak peak of more pics we took for cole's 2 year old pix. He looks like he is having so much fun. More of the fun we've been having, when Mommy recovers from strep throat...blah :(
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Yummy

Monday, June 02, 2008
Best pals
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
"Mommy Fight..."
Cole is as much of a boy as ever. He has 2 skinned knees and a skinned nose and chin to match. Silly me thought I was going to get the opportunity to take his 2 year-old pictures this weekend.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Favorite Things Installment 2

Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Oh Happy Day

Friday, May 02, 2008
Beachin' It
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Favorite Things

Balls, Balloons, Bubbles and Blankie (or "kie kie" as Cole likes to call it).
I thought I'd try to take a photograph of each of them with Cole. Blankie was the most obvious to begin with, since Cole and "kie kie" are inseparable. I was hoping to get a really nice image of Cole holding "kie kie" in his sweet embrace but this will have to do for now.
Monday, April 07, 2008
To the Circus we shall go...

Grammie also came for a visit. We went Downtown to the National Geographic Museum to see a frog exhibit...how cool! Sunday brought cool, rainy weather so we spent the day indoors watching videos, playing with Cole's new toy (video coming soon) and watching Hockey.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Happy Easter
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Jibber Jabber
Cole has turned into one talkative little guy these days. I specifically noticed this past weekend when I rendezvoused with some girlfriends (yes sans baby and hubby) in Texas and called home to say hi. I was speaking to Craig and there was all this raucous in the background. I figured he had visitors. As it turns out, it was our Jibber jabbering toddler! Wow! Dazed with the normal business of everyday, I can say that there are a lot of things that go unnoticed and just how much he is now speaking was one of the things that had escaped me. It’s so amazing to hear him actually speak words (now granted he probably knows and says about 10 x as many as I can give him credit for). I hear that some time soon I will be sorry for “wishing” for more words, but for now I’m simply amazed.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Demo continues...

We also took a metro ride to Pentagon City this past weekend (a favorite of Cole's...the metro ride that is) and we went to Toys R Us to check out the new toys. All in all it was a quiet weekend spent recovering from pink eye (yes...the adults avoided it!).
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
One colorful week...

The spectacular weather on Monday (high of 67!) sent us outdoor seeking some fun. We went to the playground then headed into Old Town for the President's Day parade. The weather began to change mid-day and we were forced to run home while it drizzled...Mom was soaked by the time we got there. Although the weather had made a change (but still nice) some new friends invited us over for an impromptu BBQ...yummo! When Cole and Oliver (Cole's new Stroller Strides pal) disappeared into another room....and were wayyyy too quiet...Craig and Tony discovered that they had found the markers and were eating them! That was fun to clean up (Cole chose the green one). It was a great addition to the purple bruise on his forehead from his very first ever fall down the steps earlier in the day (Yes, he's okay). Last but not least we have to add pink to the mix....that is PINK eye. Yes...but noooo! The doctor confirmed it this afternoon. So far it's been a healthy winter...I guess we couldn't keep a perfect record.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Our very Hungry Caterpillar
On Sunday, Cole ate…..
One cup of milk
Snack trap of fruity cheerios
One bowl of oatmeal
One coconut cupcake
One bowl of chicken noodle soup
2 marshmallows
One lollipop
Handful of craisins
Several pretzel fishy crackers
One apple with peanut butter
6 pieces of cantaloupe (okay I didn’t count!)
Many pieces of shredded Chicken
Another cup of milk…
Phew!
As I was reading Cole the real Hungry Caterpillar yesterday, he made me laugh as he tried to eat the book. He wanted the lollipop on that page and was going to go to any length to get it! We then proceeded downstairs, where he ate an entire apple by himself (he never ever ever does that!)
One cup of milk
Snack trap of fruity cheerios
One bowl of oatmeal
One coconut cupcake
One bowl of chicken noodle soup
2 marshmallows
One lollipop
Handful of craisins
Several pretzel fishy crackers
One apple with peanut butter
6 pieces of cantaloupe (okay I didn’t count!)
Many pieces of shredded Chicken
Another cup of milk…
Phew!
As I was reading Cole the real Hungry Caterpillar yesterday, he made me laugh as he tried to eat the book. He wanted the lollipop on that page and was going to go to any length to get it! We then proceeded downstairs, where he ate an entire apple by himself (he never ever ever does that!)
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Rub-a-dub-dub

Sunday, January 27, 2008
Boys and their Trucks
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Testing 1...2...3
So one of our big Holiday gifts was a video camera. Craig and I had decided we were much more of the still picture type but I've always been a little envious of friends and the video they have of their kids. Well...never fear...Pap steps in and gives us a way too generous gift. Not just any video camera but the mega of them all...complete with its own hard-drive. So now all I have to do is figure out how to use the thing, transfer the video to the computer, edit it, post it, archive it...phew. I'm exhausted just thinking about all of it. So whether we use it weekly, monthly or heck yearly, we'll have some cute clips of the Little Man.
Here's my first attempt...Cole bath time. He just learned to blink this week and still one of my favs...his version of "moooooooom".
Enjoy!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Christmas Morning
We're looking forward to our next "projects"...truck shopping for Daddy (he finally is going to get something to replace his 10+ year old high school vehicle) and remodeling the bathroom (ugh!).
Cole is busy working on speech these days. He mumbles a ton, but i still can't understand much. Craig is dictating that bath time pick up by me is preceded by a request from Cole of "Muuuuuuum". It's really cool to hear. I've never thought much about how hard that probably is to say...much more difficult than "ma ma".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)