Here Comes Santa Claus....

We've started what is hopefully a wonderful tradition with dear friends of ours.   This is the 2nd year we were lucky enough to bring not just Nolan, but Buckley as well to get pictures taken with Santa.  AND we are joined once again by Nolan's best bud and Buckley's girlfriend!  (Seriously, you've should've seen the tail wag and heard the excited whine as Buckley spotted his best girl strutting up to the door of the vet clinic)   He could barely contain himself.   Fortunately for our family, a local vet clinic opens the doors to the public for pictures with Santa for children and pets.  How delightful that we get to take the brothers in for pics with Santa together.   :)   The best part is that there is little to no wait and no overwhelming crowd to battle.  The owner of the clinic himself dresses up as as Santa, his children are his little elves, and his wife snaps the pictures.  They also let us take our own pictures, too.      Last year we were joined by Nolan's almost birthday twin (my friend and I were due one day apart, but I went a few days early and she went a few days late and the boys are now exactly a week apart).   Here's last year's picture:

The boys are nearly oblivious of the man in red.  And so sweet in their holiday garb.  

After our Easter Bunny debacle,

I decided Nolan was going to need a little more preparation this year.    So all week long we talked about Santa, read stories about Santa (petting the picture and saying "Niiiice Santa!"), and tried to find shows about Santa.  I gave him a stuffed reindeer to snuggle with and we asked him what presents he wanted Santa to bring.   The morning of Santa pics we even talked about how Buckley was excited to go see Santa, too.  

On the drive to the vet's clinic, I told Joe "We're taking this picture no matter what, right?  Even if he loses it."  (Joe isn't the biggest fan of taking a picture for the sake of having the picture so I wasn't sure what would happen if it didn't go well)   "No problem, of course" was the response.  Nolan was in great spirits waiting for our turn to go in and see the kind-eyed Santa saying "Ho, ho, ho!" on the other side of the door.  He and his buddy watched squirrels steal bird seed from the feeder outside the window.  

Finally, it was the moment I had been preparing the little guy for.  We walked into the small room where they set up a tree and presents and were greeted by the sweet family who organizes this.   There sat Santa with his soft voice welcoming us.   We got Buckley set up first for the picture and then I looked at Joe who was holding Nolan.   This was it, ready or not Nolan.   Joe handed him over to the jolly man in red who got Nolan settled on his knee.   Holding my breath, I just starting snapping pictures.  Nolan barely paid attention to the Santa, focusing more on all the crazy people saying "Nolan!  Look over here!  Smile!"   He must've thought we were all looney.   But the little guy did great!   I was so proud of him.  

After the picture with Buckley, we took the picture with both boys.   His little buddy had a harder time with it all, but we hope we have many more years for both boys to get those smiles down.   Either way, it's a fun tradition!

Merry Christmas!

Take time to stop and smell the roses...

Every night after work it's rush, rush, rush.   Leave work, run errands, pick up Nolan, come home, do small chores around the house, cook dinner, eat dinner, bathtime, pajamas, story and bed!  Then, try to sit down and relax for an hour or so, maybe catch up on some DVR'd tv, brush teeth, go to bed, wake up.....you know the drill.   And count every hour until the weekend.  Sometimes it can feel like "Groundhog Day." 

Tonight, Nolan and I were waiting for Daddy to get home from Parent Conferences.  (UGH!! That time of year again!!)   We dressed for the cold and headed outside; something we hadn't done since last week and this boy definitely needs his outside time.  I figured I'd try to squeeze in some yard clean-up so I grabbed the rake and continued the job of leaf removal I had started last week.  Nolan and Buckley wandered around the yard while I raked.  Suddenly, I heard "Oooooooo!!!!!" come from around the corner of the house.   I rushed to find Nolan smiling and pointing at the sky.   The sun was setting over the river and the sky was this beautiful hue of amber.   He was in total awe.   At that point, I put down the rake and knelt down in the driveway beside my son to take in the beautiful view.   I know the sun sets every day, but this was the first sunset he had ever noticed and delighted in.  He deserved my time and acknowledgement so we watched the sun disappear behind the trees together.   It suddenly didn't matter that leaves still littered the yard, the rake now resting against the house not to be picked up again for the rest of the evening. 

I am thankful for the gifts that each day brings.   The sunrises and sunsets, the smiles and laughter, the joys as well as the frustrations, the blue eyes that peer through crib railings each morning when I open the bedroom door and the "Na-night!" when I close that same door behind me at the end of the day, the surprises of newly discovered experiences and the routines we fall into....this boy reminds me that each day is precious.   I've said it before, but there's really no other way to say it - we are truly blessed that this sweet boy has graced our lives.  

And I can't wait to see what gifts tomorrow will bring. 

Count your blessings....

It's that time of year again.   With the changing of the seasons, the cold nights and warm days, the uncertainty in how to dress as you leave the house each morning, and the loss of more and more daylight comes cold season.   Students at school are sneezing and coughing and trying their best to "muffle" like we've taught them into their elbows.  Nolan's friends at daycare are all stuffed up with runny noses and tiny coughs themselves.  So when 2 teachers and one child who attends daycare all share a small home and lots of snuggles and kisses, it's inevitable that at some point we'll each take our turn. 

Nolan's cold started Sunday afternoon.  A couple of days later, I started sniffling.   Just about every child at Nolan's daycare is suffering from some form of a cold.  So he must be hearing lots of sneezes and responses to that.   Last night I was giving him his bath.   He was sitting back to me, playing with his bath toys while I cleaned him up.   Suddenly, I sneezed.  Without any hesitation, Nolan turned to look at me and in his toddler garble he said "Bless you!"  He smiled at me and went back to playing in the bubbles. 

I was astounded.   He picks up a lot of things from his experiences at daycare and this is now one of my favorites.   Ask Joe - if I sneeze and he fails to respond with the usual "Bless you" he hears it from me!  I don't know why, but I consider it to be an important sign of good manners to say this when someone sneezes.   You'll catch me saying it to strangers at the grocery store; even from the next aisle over. 

So hearing it from my own sweet boy made me pause and enjoy the moment and count my own blessings.  I hope you take time to reflect on yours.  

Wishing you all health and happiness!

Again, again!

I had been on the search for a small slide for Nolan for the past few months.  Craigslist, yard sales, etc. I don't know why they are so hard to come by.  Last weekend, I was on my way out of town when I passed a yard sale.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw 2 slides!  I pulled in to the driveway and asked how much she was selling them for.  "I don't know...$5."  And lucky me (and Nolan) I had just that amount in my purse.   I was so excited to pick one up finally! 

When we first got it home, he was a little apprehensive.  Soon he was climbing up the stairs, and sitting down.  Reaching for a hand to guide him, he slid down with the help of his Daddy.   After a few more tries with help, suddenly he was letting go and sliding down on his own. 

Now, Nolan climbs up, sits down, and slides down over and over - sometimes yelling "Gain!" (again) after he gets to the bottom. 

Here's video from last night:

All Aboard!!!

Today, we took Nolan to the Boothbay Railway Village for a train ride on their coal-fired steam engine train.  They run this fun little Pumpkin Patch Event that I thought Nolan might enjoy.  It's pretty neat.   Cost of ticket includes the train ride, a hay wagon ride to the little "patch" they put together, pumpkin picking, some warm apple cider and cookies!  Plus, Nolan got to ride free!  Too good to pass up!  We picked the earliest train ride so not to mess with Nolan's nap schedule too badly.  Like I said, we wanted him to enjoy this experience.    The Railway Village also has a train museum and the people running the events really tried to make the experience authentic.  We loved that the condutor and train engineer both dressed up for the parts.  In fact, I went to ask the conductor how soon the train was leaving because I had to use the restroom and he looked down at his pocket watch - "5 minutes sharp" was the reply.  Nevermind. 

We weren't sure what to expect with Nolan.   It could've gone either way when that train whistle blew.  He could've burst into tears or - what actually happened - look wide-eyed towards the front of the train and say "Ooooooo!"  

It's not a very long train ride; just one loop that goes around the property.  They took us around the loop twice.  The conductor came along and punched our tickets. 



 

 

 

Then we pulled into one of the "stations" and saw two tractor-drawn wagons waiting for us.  The wagons were lined with bales of hay, and we climbed aboard and found a spot. 

The wagons took us to another location where they had lined up pumpkins in a make-shift patch.   We got off the wagon and Nolan quickly ran in the direction of the pumkins.  He ran around to all of them, squatting down, touching them, and trying to pick them up.  

Then we noticed they were giving kids rides in the little barrel train.   We decided to take a chance and plopped Nolan into one of the barrels.  The train lurched to a start and Nolan glanced at me in a panic.  I thought I was going to have to run up and grab him, but then he noticed the little steering wheel in front of him and started playing with that.  The little train went around 2 times and I followed alongside to be sure Nolan was having fun (and he was the youngest one on it).  He certainly thought it was pretty neat, and he did a good job holding on tight. 

After the ride, we went and got some cider and cookies.  Nolan loved his homemade ginger snap, but didn't have any interest in the cider.  He ran around the pumpkins some more and finally he decided on which one he wanted to take home. 

We got back on the wagon and rode back to the station.  While we waited for the train to come around, we explored part of the museum.  Nolan enjoyed sitting up in the engine. 

On the ride back to the main station, we sat in the caboose this time.  Nolan was able to stand up on the bench and look out the window.  He kept glancing back at us smiling.  He definitely preferred this part of the ride. 

 

We pulled into the station and exited the train.  As we walked past the engineer, Nolan yelled out "Ba-bye!!!"

All in all, the train ride was a success!  The ride was not too long, and the wagon ride and pumpkin patch were a fun addition!  We will definitely be returning to the Boothbay Railway Village for future events.

http://railwayvillage.org/hoursandevents.html

The Winds of Change...

When Nolan turned one, all the books and websites on child development stated that he was officially a toddler.  Joe and I refused to accept that information.  Nolan was still crawling, was only speaking a few words in addition to the couple of signs he used, and he required a good amount of assistance at meals. 

Little by little, it has become apparent to us that he is truly bridging the gap between "babyhood" and "toddlerhood."   In June, just shy of 14 months, his few unassisted steps turned into a sweet little waddle.  Soon he was running...

Then came the climbing.  He was up on chairs, the couch, the back stairs, the glider in his room - everything was his Mt. Everest. 

 

 

 

Then, of course, there's the tantrums....I have not enough energy to get into this topic. 

At bath time this summer, we finally ditched the infant tub for the regular big tub.    He was just getting too big for the tiny tub and it was warm enough that I didn't worry he'd get chilly too quickly.  After that, he outgrew the sweet little hooded towels we received so many of as baby shower gifts.  Now, he uses a regular bath towel like the rest of us in this household. 

In August, per recommendation of our parent education professional from the Parents As Teachers program, we started making a list of the words he was saying.  Not just repeating (although he does make a great parrot), but actually using.  The list started at 4 or 5 besides "Mum-mum" and "Daddy," and we're now up to about 2 dozen.  

Nolan has a special chore - feeding the dog.  He now expertly dumps the cup of food into Buckley's bowl and we tell Buckley "Okay!"  Nolan also delights in helping in other ways such as sweeping, dusting, and, his favorite, vacuuming. 

 

 

He's started helping in other ways as well.   A couple of times, Nolan has joined me in baking or cooking.  This past weekend, he helped me make pumpkin cookies.  It went surprisingly well!   Since dumping things out is one of his favorite activities, he did well with dumping out the ingredients after I had measured them. 

 

 

 

At meal times, Nolan started grabbing the spoon more often and then pointing his finger down on his high chair tray as if to say "You can put that bowl right here."   So I decided to let go one day and hand him the reigns.   Here, he is feeding himself oatmeal: 

Now, he has 100% control of dishes, bowls, spoons, forks and sippy cups.  Yes, sometimes he decides his hands make better utensils which is totally fine, and, yes, sometimes the forks, spoons, or bowls end up flying across the table or on the floor, but he is so independent now. 

Then another change - one night at dinner, he threw a fit when I tried to put him in his high chair.  He was kicking, grabbing my neck and doing everything he could not to be placed in that chair.  This was strange behavior.  He calmed down after a few minutes and I was able to finally get him in his chair.  A few days later, it happened again.  This time, Joe suggested we make the switch to booster seat.  We got a great 2-in-1 high chair that you can take the seat off and use as a booster on a regular kitchen chair.   So off came the tray, then the seat, and we buckled it to the kitchen chair.  Happy as a clam, Nolan gladly climbed in his seat and ate dinner without any more issue.  I sadly put the rest of the high chair away in the back room.  Now, he'll run up to his chair at dinner time and say "My seat! Sit down!" 

Sure, there's still times we're quickly reminded that Nolan is still our "baby."  But, all too quickly, this little boy is growing up - and faster than I can keep up with!  My busy, busy toddler. 





Being this cute....

Is Risky Business!!!  ;)



Off to Daycare

Monday was supposed to be the official start of our teacher's school year.   With Hurricane Irene on the horizon, my school department postponed the start of school.    One more day with the little man is like gold!!!   Daddy did the drop-off on Tuesday since I had to be at school earlier in the morning than I had anticipated (read "in past years with the previous superintendent").   On Wednesday, I chose to bring Nolan in.    At 7:10, about 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours prior to his normal, summer wake-up time, I went in to wake him up.   He was on his belly, with one of the many stuffed puppies' ears shoved in his mouth.....grumpy and not used to being woken so early, he was slow to rise.    I snatched him up in my arms and settled into the glider.   I rocked him for a few minutes, enjoying this quiet, solitary moment.   Soon it was time for the diaper and wardrobe change.   After getting dressed, we chose a couple of puppies from The Nest  for naptime and headed out the door.  On the quick drive to Nolan's new daycare, we sang a few songs  (I tried so hard NOT to tear up during "You Are My Sunshine.").   I could see in the rearview mirror, his face grinning as he snuggled with one of his puppies.  We pulled into the driveway at daycare, and I snapped a quick picture of this boy:

He's ready for his day and he didn't need a cup (or 3) of coffee like his "Mum-mum" to make that happen.  His daycare provider refers to him as "happy go lucky," but we're the lucky ones.   So blessed to have this child who goes with the flow, makes adjustments as needed, and doles out the hugs and kisses when requested. 

Just this afternoon, I picked him up from daycare - he was playing with a ride-on car toy.  I scooped him up, ultimately pulling him away from this preferred activity.   He gave me a hug, said "Awwwwww," then pulled my face towards his, gave me a smooch, and demanded "DOWN!"   So sorry I interrupted......    

As we start a new school year, and a new daycare, I realize there are so many changes.  Nolan is not the 4 month-old infant who began daycare last year.   While an infant requires more care, supervision, attention, etc., here is a boy who knows very much what he wants and what he needs while not always being able to communicate that.   And I'm not the stressed-out, exhausted, post-partum, ready for someone else to take a turn, mother-of-a-newborn I once was.  After nearly 11 weeks at home or on the road this summer visiting friends and family, and making some wonderful life-long memories together the question is....So who is having the separation anxiety here??????     My guess is not the child in the back seat, grinning and ready to see which friends are waiting for him at daycare....

"You are my sunshine,

my only sunshine.

You make me happy

when skies are grey.

You'll never know, dear,

how much I love you.

Please don't take 

my sunshine away." 

- Oliver Hood, Jimmie Davis, and many, many others....

*tap, tap, tap* Is this thing on?

I realize it's been well over a month since my last post.  This last month of summer has been a busy one in an effort to cram as much as we possibly can into these few fleeting days.   (Stay tuned for a "Summer Recap" to occur after Labor Day; because that's when summer is truly over)   This blog needs something - a weekly review, a "Yuck it's Monday, here's a picture Nolan to cheer you up and get you through the week," something to keep me on my toes and motivated to get back into this blogging thing.  At this point, I feel so overwhelmed by the possible blog topics that I don't know where to begin.   So, here's a picture from this morning when I had to go in to wake Nolan to go to daycare (not happy about that whole deal either - more to come).   But it's this kind of picture that brings a little bit of sunshine to those mornings we have to go to work (Do I HAVE to???)

Happy Friday!

My Own Hiking Challenge

While searching for some short, local hikes, I came upon this:  http://tinyurl.com/6l2wshv
It's a hiking challenge in Harpswell, Maine to hike 8 waterfront trails in 2 days.  Unfortunately, it was back in June.  But I thought it would still be cool to complete the 8 hikes listed as part of the challenge.   I will not do it in 2 days (it's just not possible with a 14 month old at home)...instead I thought my challenge would be to complete all 8 hikes by the end of our summer with the little man on my back.   If we did 1-2 a week, we could definitely do this.   And since Nolan loves the outdoors, I think he'll enjoy our weekly excursions.  PLUS Harpswell is just a beautiful area and I love that it's only 15-20 minutes down the road.   Most of the trails are a part of the Harpswell Land Trust.  Most towns in our area have a land trust and open the trails on these beautiful parcels of land to the public.   Now, I know this is no "40 4,000 Footers" list like New Hampshire has, but this is baby steps!!  (which I have completed at least a dozen of those hikes on the list, by the way)

So our first hike was one Buckley and I have already done with my good friend and her dog (also, Buck's best girl) and it's definitely a favorite of mine.   It's called the Cliff Trail.  It's a very pretty hike through the woods where children can stop and build fairy houses.   It also peaks at Harpswell's highest point and the views are just breathtaking (and sometimes stomach-taking at first).   I was able to drag Joe away from some outside yard and shed work and we all went for a "Family Hike."  It was nice to get out together.  Buckley chased countless number of poor, innocent chipmunks and one very angry red squirrel.  And Nolan and I started a little backpack fun where we pretend the tree branches are going to tickle him and he squeals with joy when the branches brush up against him.  Then he reaches out for more. 


 Here's some pics:

And we're off!

Family self-portrait

Good times

Joe and Buckley at the top

Such pretty views just minutes from home!  We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful area of Maine.

On to hike #2!   Nolan had woken up from a nap, Joe was busy roofing the "addition" to his shed, and I decided I was going stir crazy at home.  Nolan and I headed out to the Devil's Back trail on our own.   This is a newer trail and I couldn't find any information online about whether or not dogs were allowed.  Come to find out when we got there, our furry friend was more than welcome.   Since I really enjoyed this hike, we will definitely be heading back with Buck in tow.  There were a couple of spots for him to enjoy a dip in the ocean.   Online the hike was described as easy.  I guess when you don't have a 25 pound toddler on your back, it is!   There were definitely a few steep spots that I had to think about my footing and use the help of some sturdy trees to negotiate my way up the trail.   I got a really good workout in on this hike!  One half of the loop was this way, and the other half was fairly easy to get through.   We had a lot of fun exploring this 1.4 mile loop.   A pretty location in the woods with some nice water views along the way.   At the end of our hike, we went down on the rocks to snap some pictures and engage in Nolan's new favorite pasttime of throwing rocks in the water.  He could've stayed there all evening.   I'm sure we'll be back.  

A little tricky to find, but glad we did!

Heading out at the start of the trail!

Nolan loved this boat and waved every time it came into view along the trail

Fun in the sun

I have no idea what he's pointing at....

Down in the little cove

"One, two, three, throw!!!"

After our hike, we decided to head a little further down the road to this cute little place called the Island Candy Company for ice cream.   I perused the list of flavors and decided on some blueberry ice cream.   Yum!  It was delicious and we fought over the spoon constantly until the very last bite!   The perfect cool treat after our hike.  

So, that's 2 hikes down, 6 more to go!  Can't wait to choose which one we'll do next.   After Harpswell, we'll have to pick our next area to conquer!   :)