Back to Life, Back to Reality...

Ah, we're back. What an absolutely WONDERFUL week we had in Emerald Isle. The amazing house, the ocean waves, and the company of extended family was just what the doctor ordered. Hanna did not interfere with our trip and we swam, chased crabs, acquired some new freckles, dug for clams, built sandcastles, watched dolphins, celebrated an anniversary, and saw a few rainbows. I couldn't have asked for a better time. The kids were even extraordinarily well-behaved. Bliss.

Just a Photo

Ok, maybe a wee comment - Man we really need to get that pacifier out of her mouth! I think it's time for the Binky Fairy. Laney turns 2 on Friday, so it's now or never, huh?

SSNS Truck Touch Photos

Mia's preschool, Silver Spring Nursery School, has a creative and wonderfully preschool-centric fundraiser every year called the SSNS Truck Touch. What a fabulous event! Saturday, we enjoyed face painting, live music, truck-related arts and crafts, food, a book fair, and of course TRUCKS. Besides a UPS truck, tractors, a cherry picker, a police car, a school bus, an ambulance, a hang glider, and various other trucks for the kids to climb into and onto, the local fire station lent us its hook and ladder for the affair. Like any star, the engine arrived with fanfare about an hour into the event, and rushed off an hour later to a real emergency. The parking lot was noisy with children beeping horns and adjusting seats, squealing and flying UPS frisbees - just what every preschool aged child would want a truck touch to be.

Brilliant.

Happy New Year 2008!

Happy New Year to you! Today I am sitting here drinking a pint of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider, something I like to toast with, but lately have been drinking like a coke. Last night we spent the early evening celebrating New Years' Eve at our neighbors' home a la Greenwich Mean Time (7pm here). It was fantastic! A little beer and wine for the grownups, a little juice for the kiddos, some fantastic Indian food, homemade mac-n-cheese, and noisemakers and glow necklaces for the big hurrah! Just a great family night for all. The best part was that we got Mia down to bed at 8:30, and she didn't feel the least bit slighted. Laney, on the other hand, is sick and didn't go to bed until 1am, so Patrick and I definitely made it to midnight and then some. Ah well, such is life as a parent.

Christmas week was spent in Raleigh with my parents, Aunt Amanda and Uncle Travis, Uncle Neil and Jessica, and cousin Jacque. Jacque and Mia played and fought like sisters, and Laney spent the time trying to woo her favorite Uncle Travis, as well as getting baptised at my parents' church. Gracious thanks to GrandMary and Santa George for hosting brunch afterwords - what a wonderful day.

The 23rd, Jacque turned 5 so we had a birthday party and Santa came to visit that night before his big day on Christmas Eve. Mia again reported that she'd like none other than a horse for Christmas, but Santa is a practical man and knows we aren't allowed to have a horse on our property, so she got a My Little Pony instead. :) Laney was a bit frighted by the prospect of sitting in any man's lap except Daddy, Grandaddy or one of her uncles, and let us know exactly how she felt. Very loudly.

Uncle Neil made a fried turkey this year, and whoa what a difference from our first experience - this one was fantabulous, as Amanda would say. The girls decorated gingerbread houses made of gingerbread graham crackers (thank you for the idea, Ms. Janise!) and enjoyed many many sweets and candies, much to my chagrin and to their sleep deprivation.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and are having a great New Year's Day celebrating the passing of the last year, and optimistically planning for the new one.



PS: Thanks to Julie for showing me how to post an album link!! You can view our Christmas slide show via the link to the right under Volpe Photo Albums - enjoy!

Caterpillars!!

If there was one overriding saying these past few weeks at our house it had to be "Mommy, I want to go outside and play with the caterpillars." This, evidently, is caterpillar season. Mia absolutely LOVES caterpillars. We caught several that had been climbing up our walls, our trees, and on the picnic tables at our favorite park.

Mia would play with them as if they were her little dolls, "bundling" (her word) them up in blankets made of leaves, feeding them Maple leaves, giving them baths, and storing them in little bowls from the kitchen, much to mine and Patrick's dismay.

She was rough enough with them that I had to look them up to make sure we weren't killing future butterflies. You will be happy to note that they were nuisance caterpillars that turn into nuisance moths. Fuzzy, cute, striped, Eastern Tent Caterpillars.

We are still searching them out and find the occasional slowpoke straggler, but it looks like the season is coming to a close. I'm glad we enjoyed them while they were still here.

Mia's First Dentist Visit

Well, today we took Mia on a trip to see the Dentist, Dr. Starr. This is important, because Mia had not been to the dentist before, and her all-time favorite things in the universe are stars. Prognosis: Mia has a bruised tooth. It's grey, but fine. (She tried to eat the table two weeks ago when she fell while spinning/dancing. There are actually toothmarks on the table.) Dr. Starr was actually GREAT with Mia and won her confidence from the get-go, and it was definitely a positive experience, even though it only lasted about 3 minutes. She told everyone in the office about her Ouchie, and told Dr. Starr that she has 2 teeth. (I can attest to the fact that she actually has 20.) We will see him again in 6 months for Mia's "official" first dental exam.

We didn't bring a camera, because it took all the energy I had to wake up two cranky wee girls from their naps and stuff them into fleece and hats and gloves and get them to sit still in order to strap them into their carseats. We will get a photo of the next one, which is the official "first visit" anyway.