Scenes from a mall

Today was really rainy and gross. Our plans to go enjoy the outside were derailled. Instead, we went somewhere we NEVER go- the mall! This particular mall didn't have anything we wanted to buy, but it DID have a fantastic carousel with 2 levels and lots of different things to ride. Aubry chose the traditional horse, and Nola picked the spinning teacup.

it's hard to get a good photo of someone on a spinning teacup...

riding the double decker carousel

Declan's favorite thing was the water fountain in the middle of the mall. He was totally fascinated by it. Nola and Aubry knew that it was a wishing fountain, so they emptied Nola's purse of small change (brought specifically for this purpose) making wishes.

fountains are fascinating...

Today was a really good reminder for Greg and me that we don't really need to plan anything elaborate for the kids to keep them involved and entertained. We couldn't believe how much fun they had at the mall, of all places!!

An apple a day...

Last weekend we all went apple picking at Strawberry Acres. This outing has been an annual one ever since we moved here to PA. The place we usually go is out near my parents - it's much less crowded than the orchards closer to home. Strawberry Acres also has the added attraction of having a petting zoo and a lunch counter.

Anyway, we went there on Sunday to pick apples. The kids loved it (of course). Nola was especially interested since her kindergarten class is doing a year long study of trees (FOSS kit, anyone?). We took pictures of each type of apple tree and collected a leaf from each for Nola to share with her classmates. It was fun for me to talk to her about the apples/trees/leaves and have her observe them for similarities and differences. I love kindergartners!

The trip's timing was planned specifically for Aubry. Her preschool class studied apples this week and she had to bring in an apple to share. We figured it would be cool for her to have picked her own apple at the orchard.

waiting for the "convertable" school bus to take us to the apples.

on the bus - look mom, no roof OR seatbelts!

who doesn't love picking apples?


yum-fresh off the tree!

The girls had a great time picking lots and lots of apples from the trees. They bit into most of them. And then chucked them onto the ground. Or put them back into the box to be found days later, rotting away (yuck). We spent $30 on apples - want some?

you're looking at $37 worth of produce - most of it apples!

having a bit of a car picnic before heading off to aunt stacey's to pick up 200 bricks.

Oh, I forgot the best part of the trip! My FAVORITE part of this whole thing was when Nola got carsick all over herself and the car less than 2 minutes away from the orchard. That was quite a cleanup. Thankfully, I packed a change of clothes for AUBRY and Nola was able to squeeze herself into them (Nola wears a 6. The clothes were size 4T.) Ahh... parenting!

A Few Milestones

Before I forget, I need to get down some milestones the kids have passed over the past few weeks.

Nola:
She can tie her shoes! We've been trying to teach her the rabbit ears method for a few months now (at her insistence), but she had been unsuccessful every time she tried. All of a sudden last week she wanted to wear her sneakers and sat down to tie them herself. To my utter disbelief, she tied both shoes in double knots within a few minutes!!!! It's amazing how proud you can be of your child when she shows determination and perseverance and finally succeed.

Aubry:
She can whistle (pretty much)! Again, she's been trying to learn how to whistle off and on all summer. Up until recently, she managed to practice only the skills necessary for blowing out birthday candles. About 3 days ago, she came running up to us staying "I'm whistlin'!". Lo and behold, she was!! She's so proud of herself and we are too.

Declan:
He's cruising up a storm wherever furniture allows. It won't be long before he's brave enough to let go and go it alone. He already can stand independently for quite a long time. He's also able to transfer from one piece of furniture to another with ease.

Also, today he climbed up an entire flight of stairs for the first time. We were at my sister's house and Declan decided to follow Aubry and the cat upstairs. To my surprise, he SPED up the stairs without any hesitation at all. Go Declan!!!
Go Declan!

That's my girl!

We went to the zoo again today - didn't get to see everything last weekend. My personal favorite moment of the day happened at lunch. We took a break for lunch by the faux choo-choo train (really a tractor masquerading as a train) and the geese started swarming as usual.

For those of you who are unaware of the dangers of zoo geese, let me recount our first encounter with this unique species before I finish today's story.

It went down a couple of years ago when Nola was about 2 1/2 years old. Aubry was still cooking in the mommy oven, and we had all just moved here to PA. We had no friends, so I decided to take an adventure with Nola and go to the Philly Zoo while Greg was at work (please keep in mind that I'm pregnant and really, really tired).

After driving through the scary ghetto that surrounds the zoo, navigating the loooooong walk from the parking lot to the entrance, and seeing a few animals, we decide to stop for lunch. I had packed a healthy meal for both of us - at least healthier than the "food" served at the zoo. We sat down at the picnic tables near the bear enclosures to eat our feast in peace. A very bold and mean Canadian goose decided to see what Nola had to eat - up close and personal. The flipping thing actually started hissing and snapping at my baby girl when she tried to tell it to get away! (Scared the sh** out of her, of course, and she has been terrified of Canadian geese ever since).

Even I couldn't get the goose to back down, so we packed up all the food and literally had to eat on the run. Ever since then, we're always cautious about the geese at the zoo. Vicious creatures!

TODAY we had our secret weapons with us - Greg and Aubry. I sent Greg out as the first line of defense against the geese. He did a stomping thing when they got too close. The geese did a good job of respecting our alpha male and kept a safe distance from us and the food. HOWEVER, Aubry was also there to protect the family. Here's what she did to contribute to our safety....

YOU GO, AUBRY!!

Do-over!

Remember when you were a kid and you could call a do-over if you messed something up? Well, I officially call a do-over on Aubry's first day of school. As you may remember, I was a terrible mommy last week and forgot to take her to class on her first day. Let's forget all about that mistake and start anew.

look, i go here now!

TODAY WAS AUBRY'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!! Isn't that exciting? We were all counting down the days until she could march into St. Faith and meet her new teacher, Mr. Steve. She already knew him from last year when he would often dismiss Nola at the end of the day. We knew she'd have him as a teacher in the Mom's Morning Out program this year, so we spent some time chatting him up last year. Also helpful was the fact that his kids go to Nola's school and we've seen him around town for the past few weeks.

getting ready to leave (nola's helping)

As a result, Aubry was very excited to go today. She loves her new backpack with the special monkey patch on the back (Nola picked out patches for both of them) and has been wearing it around the house for the past week. Today she put it on, velcroed up her mary janes, and was practically out the door before breakfast. I still was anticipating separation issues since Aubry is notoriously emotional and has never been away from us before.

aubry loves her purple backpack!

I should have known better. She had NO PROBLEMS at all!! She happily said "bye mom!" once she got in the Blue Room and climbed on the spring loaded rocking horse. She had a great day and is looking forward to going back in the morning. I love you and your adventurous spirit Aubry Ruth!!!!

mr. steve and aubry at the end of the day

It's a zoo around here

Today we took the troops to the Philly Zoo for the first time this summer. It was a lot of fun and we felt like we were traveling light for the first time ever. Just the Kelty and the detachable bag it came with.

look closely and you'll see all 3 kids

Aubry's potty training these days and we decided to take her to the zoo without diaper or pullup. Needless to say, we went through both changes of shorts/panties and had MANY stops in the restrooms. Oh, and there was also the wonderful time in the toilet stall where she had a massive tantrum about not wanting to sit on the potty because she thought it would flush her down. (It was very helpful when a random mommy in another stall suggested that I cover the sensor with some toilet paper. We used Aubry's hat, but same difference....) After the flushing trauma, it only took several more minutes of skillful negotiations to get her to sit on the seat and do her business. Ahhhh, parenting.

aubry liked the peacock - maybe a little too much

hi, i'm a farmer!

feeding the goats is always a bit, er HIT.

Declan missed his morning nap, but didn't seem to mind too much. I think he's fine with pretty much anything as long as someone is holding him!

sooo sleepy...

Kindergarten!

Well, it's official. Nola is now a big-time kindergartner! She started school on Tuesday and is LOVING it. We got to take her to school the first day for a brief orientation period, then it was full steam ahead on Wednesday.

orientation day

Nola was a bit shell shocked when we left the room on Tuesday, but she quickly adjusted and had no problems thereafter. She was even VERY excited to take the bus on Wednesday morning. Alas, the bus driver forgot her and turned down the street before our stop. We did our best to frantically wave her down, but to no avail. Luckily, Nola caught the going home bus with no problems and we've ironed out the pickup bus difficulties. When asked, Nola says she'd rather ride the bus than get picked up or dropped off by Mom & Dad.

As is typical for our eldest, we don't get the inside scoop on her day when she gets home. Rather, the details of her life emerge in bits and pieces over the course of several days. So far, I know that a boy named Jacob likes to be tickled under his armpits. Great......

waiting for the bus that never came..

nola's going home bus

the first day is over, but my attitude is just beginning!

Aubry is also very eager to start school. She's attending a Mom's Morning Out program in Nola's old preschool this year. She'll go 2 mornings a week. Sadly for her, I actually FORGOT to send her on the first day. BAD MOMMY! It has been a crazy week.....can you tell??

I am personally having a difficult time with managing all the to-ing and fro-ing involved with school. It's going to take a few weeks to get used to being a taxi again. With Declan still taking 2 naps, an AM preschooler, and a PM kindergartner, I don't know if I'm coming or going! I know it will get better, but right now I'm definitely in the sh**.