Just one of those days

Out of the many things on my "to do" list today, the only thing I was able to cross-off was "find Magpie's bathing suit." Oh well, I guess that's better than nothing.

Today is one year after the Tragedy in Mumbai

Despite being completely heartbreaking, I find this very inspiring. These are photos of babies named for the Chabad couple who were killed in Mumbai last year.

May their memory be a blessing.

Lil' Pumpkins - Halloween Photos of My Kids

Magpie at the pumpkin patch with her uncle a little before her first birthday...



... and five years later.


At the same age, second child Kay of course had to settle for pumpkin headgear instead of a trip to an actual pumpkin patch though she seems happy enough with the substitution:
And here she is just past her fourth birthday:




And that brings us to baby number three, Ziggy. Like Kay, he made no baby trip to the pumpkin patch, but we did bring him back a bitty pumpkin. He was delighted to be remembered.



We gave him his own baby gourd too.


For pics of the girls and pumpkins last year, click here.

R.I.P. John Allen Muhammad

"In its effort to race John Allen Muhammad to his death before his appeals could be pursued, the state of Virginia will execute a severely mentally ill man who also suffered from Gulf War Syndrome the day before Veterans Day."

John Allen Muhammad, December 31, 1960 - November 10, 2009.

R.I.P.

Life of Ziggy

My mom felt badly that Ziggy didn't get to go to the pumpkin patch so she sent me this picture with this email:
"i cropped pic of ziggy so you can superimpose on pump patch and tell him he was there!"

Thanks, Mom.

Go Phillies!

From One Cole to Another

You look like you're dressed by yo grandma

Here's an email I got from my momma today:

"Bought Ziggy some plaid PJ's since U like 2 dress him in old men clothes
and he's in bed a lot."

you may also recall momma's sartorial email from last year:

"I got Kelly a Kenzo suede coat- I'm pretty sure she'll like it and it
will go well with her evening black bag and brown dog"

They really should make a woof translator

I'm linking-up this old post to Finding the Funny, the funnest online party around. Visit Kelley's Break Room and My Life and Kids for lots of hilarious posts!

Today, Kay and I were taking a scenic stroll along the streets of Larchmont, NY when we saw a lady walking two small, and very cute, dogs. Kay and I both smiled at the sweet lil dogs.

And I said, "I love those kinds of dogs. I think they're French Bulldogs." And Kay said, "So, they speak French?"

I immediately cracked-up.

Then I felt badly. I shouldn't laugh at a child's naivete I reminded myself sternly, and engaged Kay in several minutes of inane banter about how French Bulldog referred to where the dogs' ancestors came from many years ago, and that these dogs lived here now in Larchmont, NY, so they spoke the same language as their owners, which I assumed to be English.

I even threw in an example to illustrate my point that English Sheepdogs spoke the language of whatever country they happened to be living in and not necessarily English, because again, the English referred to their place of origin and not what language they spoke.

Then Kay asked, quite seriously, "Mommy, how does an English Sheepdog living in France say "Woof" in French?

So I say, "It's the same as English - 'Woof.'"

And Kay says, "But that is how those French Bulldogs just said it, so they are talking in French, like I said."

And I very quickly realized that I probably shouldn't have laughed in the first place. Kay was right - I have no idea if French Bulldogs speak French or English. Why did I think it was silly to think the French Bulldogs spoke French, and I had to go ad be so condescending that they obviously spoke English!

So, I ask, does anyone have an accurate translation of "Woof" or any inside information on what French Bulldogs and English Sheepdogs are most likely to be speaking?

Kay's Fourth Birthday

Last week Kay turned four. Fun was had by all. Here she is with her face painted:

Her Birthday cake:

And her friends singing happy birthday!

Magpie's Second Day of School

Today Magpie told me, "Mommy, we are going to get a lot of homework. This is not kindergarten - this is first grade, so the homework will be really, really, hard. So don't be surprised if you find me asleep in my desk chair. Just pick me up and put me in my bed. Tell Daddy too. This applies to both of you."

Ziggy: Baby, International Fashion Icon

I promised the girls that they could dress-up Ziggy as soon as their dad went back to work. They took me up on the offer.

First up was the Philadelphia Eagles dress, which had been enjoyed by his sisters as well when they were babies. Then Kay managed to find some perfectly fetching black patent leather party shoes, and proceeded to put them on the boy without him even waking-up.

And last but not least, here's Ziggy in cap and sock-shoes, styled with giraffe and purple hippo puppet.Wonder how the magic happens? Check out this sneak peak behind the scenes of the girls hard at work with his next fashion change.

Magpie: First day of first grade

Walking to school with dad...

Letting mom take endless photo ops

 

And a little bit of love from sis (who doesn't get to start her pre-k school 'till next week)

The last day of our NYC vacation

We spent a fantastic week in NYC this summer, an urban vacay while we awaited the little one's arrival. He came an entire week and two false alarms later, but hey, I'm not one for keeping track.

Our last day in the City we took the girls to one of their favorite destinations, The American Girl Place, for tea and a present of their choice - which was a gift from the baby. Magpie choose to get a new doll, Rebecca, and Kay also choose to get a new doll, Josephina.

Everyone was happy.

Thanks, Ziggy.  You weren't even born yet and already you are the best brother a girl could ever have.

Feeding the Animals at the Central Park Zoo

Being the Animals at the Central Park Zoo

Pre-Ziggy, pregnant as can be, I took the girls to the Central Park Zoo. It was 95 degrees, and though it could just have easily gone the other way, we all had a really, really fun day.

Ziggy "I heart the Phillies" Cole Comes Home!

Ziggy's just a few days old, but already his big sisters love to speak for their baby brother, "Mom, Mom? The baby totally wants to watch TV."

Or, "Mom, Mom he really wants to go outside. To the playground. Now."

Ziggy likes to sleep, but not at night.

Ziggy likes to sleep, but not in his crib. No, he likes to sleep in his car seat from our friend S.

With his stuffed Stegosaurus.



Ziggy likes the latest fashions:

... and his baseball shoes!

Nature Camp

This summer Magpie is going to Nature Camp. Kay is going back-n-forth in our SUV taking Magpie to and from Nature Camp. The irony is not lost on me that every kid without exception is dropped-off at Nature Camp in a SUV. No hybrids, not even a regular car.

The first day of camp Magpie took forever picking out her outfit, I couldn't really figure out what her angle was, but then she finally told me: "I want to blend-in with the trees. I'll see more animals."

Today Magpie's nature education progressed to her pretending to be a grandma spider. And mine - I got to see a Black-Crowned-Night-Heron dive into the water and swallow a fish whole in one giant gulp. It was truly amazing.

A Gift from Above - Dirty, Sexy, Money

The DVR gave me the greatest gift on Saturday night - a NEW episode of Dirty, Sexy, Money - which I think has irrevocably been cancelled.

Where did it come from?

DVR Heaven?

And more importantly, are there more DSM's that are coming my way from the beyond before it's truly over forever?

American Girl has a new girl - Rebecca!



Photo from AmericanGirl.com

 And Rebecca is - gasp - a Jewish doll! She even lives on the Lower East Side! I'm sure my girls will insist on one of these, and don't think it's lost on me that American Girl knows I will be much more likely to buy them a $95 Rebecca then a $95 Kit or Julie.

I just read a truly fascinating article in The New York Times about an American Girl's Journey to the Lower East Side. This article explores the research and painstaking attention to detail that went into the creation of new girl on the block Rebecca Rubin. The article ends by expressing my thoughts exactly on this new addition to the American Girl Family:

The company hopes the doll will appeal to everyone. If a blond Christian girl in North Dakota enjoys pretending she is living in a tenement on the Lower East Side in 1914, helping her Bubbie make latkes for Hanukkah, American Girl will be happy to sell her a toy menorah.

And no, they're not kidding about the toy menorah:

Sabbath Set. Photo from AmericanGirl.com


Rebecca was introduced for sale to the public in May, 2009.  Not coincidentally, Manhattan's Salute to Israel Parade was also held the same day.

Magpie: Kickball Week 2

Magpie started kickball last week. The first week was filled with the thrill of the game. But the second week? I guess the thrill had already worn-off. I didn't attend the game, but this is the update I got:

Me: How was kickball today?
Husband: Fine, oh fine.
Me: Did she seem to improve from last week, or the same?
Husband: The first two innings she played, the last three innings she held a worm. When she was in the outfield, she insisted on everyone coming over to see the worm. When she was at bat, she ran the bases holding the worm and pointing things out that Wormie (the worm was named) might find of interest.

Magpie: Kickball Week 1

Sunday's Trip to American Girl Place

End of an Era

R.I.P. Dave Arneson.

Two Ways of Looking at an Ant

I.
Mom, Magpie asks, can you open the front door for me. It is literally freezing cold out. Sure, uh why? Magpie says: I just gotta let this little guy go, that's all, and she shows me an ant crawling up her arm.

II.
Mom!!!! Mom!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alarmed, I run up the stairs to Kay's room.
What's up little bear?
There is an ANT!!!!!!!!!! On my bed!!!!!!!! Get it! Get it!
I get it with a tissue, and it is gone.
All gone, little pie.
Mom, there was an ant! An ANT!!! On my bed!! Are you SURE it's gone?

P&G Cafe Update

http://lostnewyorkcity.blogspot.com/
5.09 update to "P&G Cafe Update":
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/the-pg-bar-returns-quietly/

GO NOVA!

Jill Biden to teach at our hometown school.

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