Julia, Will, and Simon in Brooklyn, NY

Birthday Song

2012-02-09T15:53:00.000-05:00

Yup. He's really 6 now. Last night as Simon got into the bath he said, "Wow. This is my first bath as a 6 year old!"

Party Magician

2012-02-05T07:03:00.000-05:00

The best part of this video is the look on Simon's face at the end.

(It is important to know that right before we started taping the magician put one red clown nose in to Simon's hand.)

A Quick Birthday Blog

2012-02-04T19:06:00.000-05:00

A few quick photos of the big birthday bash. More, including video, to follow.

The room pre-chaos. (Thanks to Grandma Jean for her help setting up!)

Simon and Brian the magician.

(Brian was AMAZINGLY GOOD! Anyone in need of a magician- I can reccomend him whole heartedly!)

A group shot of sorts.

Checking out the goody bags.

It was a wonderful party.

Simon was an amazing boy (full of positive energy).

All the guests were fun and happy (and well behaved!)

All the grown-ups also were fun and happy.

The magician wowed everybody.

The cake was yummy.

The dancing was fun.

The room looked beautiful.

We are very tired.

What more could you want?

Incentives

2012-02-03T19:09:00.001-05:00

Simon really likes incentives. Tonight, in an effort to get him to eat the healthy food at dinner, I told him that after every bite he took I would give him a math problem to do. It worked.

writing 3

2012-01-29T14:05:00.001-05:00

And now from December 2nd.

Translation- Animals by Simon

Some animals move slow like the turtle.

some animals run fast like a cheetah

Here is a camel.

Zoos have animals I like animals do you?

Some animals swim.

we do not want to hurt the animals.

Some animals eat leaves.

Some animals eat chicken.

animals are cool but we should not kill them.

Writing 2

2012-01-29T13:45:00.000-05:00

Now from November 8th.

Translation- do snails have six eyes?

tell me please, pretty please

I need to know

No silly. I have two eyes.

Writing

2012-01-29T13:39:00.000-05:00

I thought it would be fun to a series of posts that show the deelpoment of Simon's writing since he started school. First, from September 14th. Note the vertical lines he puts between words in stead of just leaving space.

Translation- I was on a train I love you but...

I love me but that I was sad

But ??? for my house ???

Jokes?

2012-01-25T18:56:00.001-05:00

Tonight, we were looking up the word 'flare' in the dictionary (yes- we look up words together as a family) and Simon liked Daddy reading the dictionary so he opened it to a page and told Daddy, "Read!" Will commenced to read the definitions for 'beef'. After a pause, Simon said, "Read more jokes! Those are funny!"

Lejo!

2012-01-22T14:43:00.000-05:00

We saw a great show at the New Vic yesterday called Hands Up! It was by a fabulous Dutch puppeteer who uses only his hands and eyeballs to make his puppets. We loved it. Below- Simon with a puppet he made pre-show and Daddy waiting for the theater to let us in.

ps- Go Pats!

First Flip!

2012-01-22T07:33:00.000-05:00

Our weekend had a special first for our pancake loving boy.

Magnet Experiment

2012-01-16T11:09:00.000-05:00

Simon is having a ton of fun with the magnetic science kit he got for Chanukah. Mama and Daddy are enjoying it too!. Thanks Jesse and Sarah!

2012-01-13T17:04:00.003-05:00

I said, "Simon, how did those shoes fit?"
Simon, "As perfect as dumplings."

More Simon Sees

2012-01-07T14:55:00.000-05:00

This one is after he saw a puppet adaptation of the little prince.

Mose Simon Sees

2012-01-07T14:53:00.000-05:00

Simon Sees

2012-01-07T14:51:00.000-05:00

Simon filled his photo card on his camera so FINALLY let us put the pics on teh computer- these are from as far back as two years agaon up through just a few days ago. But here's a taste os what the little guys sees...

Skating and Bribery

2012-01-02T22:06:00.000-05:00

Julia neglected to say that we bribed him with promises of purchases on iTunes. After skating he picked Beethoven's Ninth and two Electronica pieces.

Skating Star

2012-01-02T16:42:00.000-05:00

The picture doesn't do it justice.

We had a GREAT day skating- Simon is there in the middle with the blue tie-dye arms- he went around and around by himself. We lost count of how amny times, maybe 9 or 10! He even went around once all by himself, as in with out Mama or Daddy anywhere near- we thought he was taking a break and went off skating on our own, meanwhile he decided he only needed ashort break and went out alone!

The Showlights!

2011-12-31T15:36:00.000-05:00

Simon shows off one of his favorite gifts. The effects of the light is even cooler in real life. Trust me, when you come to our house you will be able to see since he hasn't really stopped playing with it yet.

More From Rochester

2011-12-31T13:00:00.000-05:00

More photos of our walk.

Notice the covered bridge behind Simon in the second shot

and the cool tree growing over the gate in the third shot.

This picture is from a lovely meal we had celebrating Grandma Sue and Grandpa Steve's 42nd anniversary.

(Simon was wonderful at the nice restaurant -he is really turning into a gentleman at times.)

Mostly Outside

2011-12-30T07:10:00.000-05:00

On the 26th we took a very nice walk. Simon got to use a hiking stick just like Gandma and Grandpa.

Then on the 28th it snowed! Simon was so excited he ran out barefoot. He got in lots of playtime later with the neighbors. Will is a hero for with-standing the cold.

And then, magically there were more presents when we got home.

And just in case you thought Simon was a little strange- here's proof- the look of glee on a child's face is not unusual when they open presents but look carefully at what the present is.

Yes- 500 sheets of paper. He love blank paper but at our house we are always trying to conserve so we use the blank side of 'previously owned' paper. I guess Santa really knew what Simon wanted.

Christmas Proper

2011-12-29T20:24:00.000-05:00

Simon dumped out his bulging stocking with glee.

And many happy presents were opened- I love this picture of Simon showing off a gift, Grandpa Steve opening one in the background, and Will playing with one.

Everyone got into the happy action.

And this shot is representative of the speed at which opening happened.

How Christmas Begins

2011-12-29T20:19:00.000-05:00

Start with a healthy dose of fun with Snarrs!

We had great Christams eve visit with Sara, Jeff, and the girls (in order as pictured, left to right, Alison, Hannah, and Maegan.)

Simon loves to play the girls and we all laughed at how Simon is taller than Megan who is 8 or 9, and has feet just a tad smaller than Hannah who is 11. Let's just not talk about how he compares to Ali who is in 1st grade.

After playing and eating delicious homemade treats the girls made we went out to hear the Christmas story read at house in the back of the neighborhood. We sang a few Christmas songs and then…Santa came out of the woods!!! With a present for each child there! Simon was such a good boy- his present came out 3rd to last (out of near to 100!) and he waited so well.

And then it was Christmas morning.

OK- actually the morning came at 5:30 after Simon being up from 11:30 until about 1:30.

You don't think he was excited do you?

Holiday Song From Kids Orbit

2011-12-23T06:35:00.000-05:00

Show!

2011-12-23T06:01:00.000-05:00

Simon's after school had a little holiday show. (Video will follow.)

And yes- he is that much bigger than all of the other kids his age.

Giggle at the Grinch

2011-12-19T16:54:00.000-05:00

We bought 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas' for Simon.

(The original cartoon- not the live action movie.)

Will and Simon watched it first while I was working at the computer. I kept hearing these fabulous giggles so I'd glance over at the couch, but I couldn't see my boys, just the Christmas tree. It seemed as if I had a giggling Christmas tree. Later Simon and I watched together in our PJs. Simon has probably watched it about 8 times since.

No Training Wheels

2011-12-11T20:24:00.000-05:00

Simon demonstrating his new skill- no training wheels!

In all honesty- he is still using a training shell of sorts- just a really great new-fangled one. It is called gyro wheel and it allows the child to have a ton of support while teaching all the correct biking habits. Old-fnagled training wheels don't do this at all- in fact they teach the opposite of what you need to do. Simon was really struggling to get off the training wheels so we thought we'd give it a try- SUCCESS!

More Fun in NYC

2011-12-11T18:38:00.000-05:00

We had another full and fun weekend...

We saw some amazing Chinese acrobats at the New Victory theater, Simon was too shy to have his picture taken so he took Mama's picture with the performers.

We also went to Rockefeller Center as we do every year.

Not pictured are some athletic feats--

Simon can now ride his bike without training wheels!

And Simon is now in the swim class where they swim with out a floaty belt!

What Holiday Are We Celebrating Today?

2011-12-05T17:20:00.000-05:00

It was one of those confusing weekends… First a big Chirstmas party, 22 days early.

Then Chanukah 13 days early.

But it was all fun and delicious! Thanks to the K's and Jesse and Sarah for being wondeful hosts.

Marathon #2- Here We Come

2011-12-04T14:24:00.002-05:00

No pics- just a bit of news. Will finished a race today in Central Park that official guarantees his entry in the 2012 marathon.

Spectacular

2011-12-03T09:53:00.000-05:00

We went to see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular.

It was, as advertised, spectacular.

Mama tried to be a rockette.

So did Simon. But not as hard as Mama.

And honestly, the show is amazing- tickets are expensive but when you see the show you realize why. I was truly in awe of the dancing, costumes, design, everything. Thanks Grandma Jean and Papa Don for a memorable start to the holidays!

What Did Thanksgiving Mean To You?

2011-11-26T13:08:00.000-05:00

To us Thanksgiving means…

Don't forget to bring the turkey! (The paper bag one.)

Didn't the pilgrims drink Martinis?

Apparently Thanksgiving means drinking BIG martinis to some of us.

But don't worry- we were traditional too- Will carved a really lovely turkey.

We all had a great time eating and laughing and playing.

There Are No Volcanos Along The Hudson

2011-11-20T19:24:00.000-05:00

Simon has been very interested in volcanos recently. We aren't sure why. He was near to tears the other night when he realized he'd never seen a volcano. When Will and I reassured him saying that we'd never seen a volcano either he seemed to feel a bit better. His fascination was so deep that we decided to find a good video to watch. We didn't find any children's ones that were offered for streaming so we figured watching a PBS Nature show would be fine. Well it was. Sort of. Great film of lava flows and eruptions and all things cool about volcanos. And several very sad stories about people dying.

So he's been sleeping with Ellie recently.

We went on a hike today. Simon needed lots of reassurance that there are no volcanos. We promised that we would not see lava anywhere. We didn't. But we did have a nice hike up Anthony's nose. It was probably the most challenging hike Simon's ever done. It wasn't that long, maybe 2.5 miles but there was a ton of vertical and the dry leaves piled everywhere made walking tough. They hid roots and rocks and were super slippery where it was steep. Still he was a hiking trooper and up we went.

And made it to the top.

More Marathon

2011-11-19T17:47:00.000-05:00

A few few cool pictures of the marathon that we thought might interest some of you.

First-

This shows the three sections where runners start from in each wave. Will would have started in the one to the far left in the second wave. Will said that while you are in the chute you have no awareness of the other sections.

Here's the same thing from the other side, showing the path ways to get to the chutes.

This is a cool shot of how the runners come off the bridge in three different paths. Will would have been on the far left. He told me that as he ran over he wanted to make a joke about avoiding getting on the belt parkway.

And finally a cool picture showing the runners on both levels. We hear that the lower level is awful because it feels very dark and sometimes people pee off the top level and it blows! Yuck!

Marathon UPDATED

2011-11-17T10:36:00.003-05:00

Photos and video from the Marathon. Julia thought I should have said more about the pictures...

This is at the 10k mark (on 4th Ave at 18th street). There was a photographer on a boom lift over the course... I wanted to make sure they got my picture.

I'm not sure where they took this picture.

Crossing the finish line. While I was run/walking during the last few miles, I managed to run the last half-mile through the finish line. I am still running here... admittedly, with a very short stride.

Next year I will work on my after-race photo pose. (You have to hold your medal off your bib or else they'll never find your photo).

3:54:32 (Ignore the Wave 1 clock above the finish line).

Calm Weekend

2011-11-13T17:02:00.000-05:00

We've been much calmer this weekend.

Some shopping, a show at the New Vic, and

A lovely visit to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

(as pictured below.)

Marathon!

2011-11-07T17:20:00.000-05:00

We don't have pictures of Will running yet- but here's what we do have.

Will's official time was 3:54:32. Very exciting. Very.

Here's Julia with two of her signs. They are both kind of inside jokes so don't worry if you are scratching your head.

(The reason I am smiling so much is I just saw Will go by for the final time and he really looked like he was going to make it.)

And what is this you ask? Why is there a picture of ice?

Because this is our bathtub- and this is what Will did when he got home.

Brrrrrrrrr.

Promise that pictures of Will running will be coming soon, we're just waiting for the photo company to process the millions of photos they took..

We Are Getting Excited Around Here

2011-11-05T08:06:00.000-04:00

Simon found Will's running shirt this morning and put it on.

He then ran and ran around the house.

Yup- we're getting excited.

Here He Goes!

2011-11-04T14:21:00.000-04:00

Less than 48 hours until the marathon!

Here's Will getting his number and proudly wearing his shirt.

He's feeling great and relatively calm. GO WILL!

Serious Haul!

2011-10-31T19:18:00.000-04:00

Wow. Really. Wow. Thank goodness the Halloween Fairy comes to our house.

We had a wonderful time trick-or-treating this year, Simon was a wonderful boy, fun and polite. Mama got lots of compliments on Simon's costume. And the whole neighborhood was filled with happiness. What a great night!

What A Great Night

2011-10-31T19:07:00.000-04:00

We found this mummy wandering the street.

We took pity on him and walked around with him while he asked strangers for candy.

And then we found another mummy! (Actually Simon's friend Vivienne.)

Pippi Party… the Strong-man

2011-10-31T11:10:00.000-04:00

No Halloween costumes at school today, just a Pippi Longstockings Party. Here is Simon as the Strong-Man.

Halloween costume photos will come later...

We're Ready!

2011-10-30T17:38:00.000-04:00

I'm Dreaming Of A White Halloween...

2011-10-30T17:35:00.000-04:00

OK- Not really. But that is almost what we got.

Simon and his friend Kyra stare out the window in wonderment.

They begged and begged to be let out to play.

We finally said yes. But they didn't stay out long because we heard many branches snapping and falling, then a big branch landed on Uncle Robert's car and a wire went down in their yard.

So we quick got into the car to drive home.

I didn't take pictures of the scariest parts- driving around fallen trees (under lots of not yet fallen trees).

But here's how it looked close in to the city. Not that atypical a winter scene- except IT'S OCTOBER!

The Cube To Outer Space

2011-10-23T10:29:00.002-04:00

Here's the cube! If you listen carefully near the start you'l hear Simon say that they are not in an oven any more after the red light fades. Deeanna suggests that they are in outer space now. Then they float. Simon decides that they have made it to a planet and he describes the planet as having weird noises and beautiful colors.

Sadly the cube has its last day is today, October 23rd. So if you missed it, you missed it. There are some decent videos up on youtube- it looks especially amazing at night. The official name is Origins, so a search for 'brooklyn bridge park origins' might get you good stuff.

Happy Birthday Deeanna

2011-10-23T10:03:00.000-04:00

Our friend Deeanna celebrated her birthday with a picnic in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Which meant we also went to the carousel.

We also saw this amazing art installation- which I will post video of soon.

One Year Of Reading

2011-10-22T20:31:00.000-04:00

You nay have trouble hearing, but it is pretty amazing to think that our first reading video was posted only one year ago.

Nice Visit

2011-10-17T19:20:00.000-04:00

We had a nice visit with Grandma Sue this weekend. (Grandpa Steve is off hiking the Grand Canyon.) This picture is from our very windy boat ride. We did other things- but didn't seem to take pictures of them. Thanks for hanging with us Grandma Sue.

What A Weekend 2

2011-10-10T16:08:00.000-04:00

Then today (Monday) we went apple picking.

It was beautiful. And hot. Over 80. But we have a lot of yummy apples to eat!

What a Weekend 1

2011-10-10T16:02:00.000-04:00

On Saturday (to give Mama time to work) Simon and Daddy went out to check out the newest carousel in NYC. They approved- though it is a slow one.

The carousel is in the Brooklyn Bridge park area which just keeps getting nicer and nicer- the usualy throwing-rocks-into-the-water activities were enjoyed.

Sunday we went to a birthday party. There were CUPCAKES!

(A note about the shirt- a big package arrived from Sweden the day before with Christmas gifts spanning many years. Thanks Sofia!)

It was Phoenyx's 1st birthday. Momentous. She was adorable and loved the singing and dancing portion of the party- a child after my heart.

Learned This At School

2011-10-07T06:18:00.000-04:00

Simon loves his dance teacher at school. And now, after she made a dance to one of his favorite songs, it may be closer to worship. Simon really loves this video and wanted us to post it for Grandparents. If his costuming choice ever bothers him in the future we will remove the video. One thing you should know is that apparently they only spent one day learning the dance and this is how much he remembers. Wow.

HW

2011-10-03T21:16:00.000-04:00

Simon is still doing a great job with his homework. So much so that he made homework for me and Daddy to do too. (Actually it was for Mr. McMillion's students, Lulu and Henry.) It look almost exactly like the sheet Simon had to do.

Duck Boat Photo

2011-10-02T17:36:00.000-04:00

Official Duck Photo.

We like it.

Boston!

2011-10-02T17:29:00.000-04:00

For the long weekend we went to Boston to visit Alex and his kids, Zack and Kayla.

We had a tremendously good time.

Not picture- the first night we hung out at their house, ate grilled yummies and the kids all put on shows together dancing with flashing blue light zooming around- Simon was in heaven.

Also not pictured- the next morning started out with a fun swim/get thrown session in the pool at our hotel.

Now to some pictures- Simon. Will, and I went on a duck tour, Simon even got to drive when the vehicle was in boat mode. It was a ton of fun! Will and I decided we were glad we had a five year old so we had an excuse to ride.

Not pictured- yummy lunch out at Fire and Ice, one of the chain of retaurants the Alex is CFO of. Simon loved it.

Then it was off to the aquarium which has a sensational new touch tank with rays and sharks in it.

Good thin the rays didn't actually eat the children.

Then it was off to a crazy resaurant, Dick's Last Resort. The kids were so happy with the mean waitress, thrown things, weird hats that said; Simon's "I kick Puppies!" Kayla's "Escaped Circus Freak" Zack's "I just pooped my pants", the ballons we got to play with, the LOUD music, the silly decorations, etc, etc. The adults- had some level of fun too.

It was a great trip and we appreciate Alex for being a generous host. Hopefully the Hardy's will all come visit us in NYC soon.

Fun!

2011-09-25T20:14:00.000-04:00

We had a great time at Luna Park again this weekend. We went with our friends Konstantine and Katya. Simon and Katya went on a ton of rides together and had a blast.

The grown-ups also rode some rides. I have never laughed as hard as I did on a ride with Konstantine.

It'll be hard to find Katya in the picture, but she is there, you can see her arms around me.

And some art for the Simon fans out there.

Homework

2011-09-15T16:58:00.000-04:00

Last night Simon did the very first homework of his school career.

He could not have been more excited.

Today, he got the homework back from Ms. Brackman and she was pleased.

(We know that only the Grandparents will really care about this.)

Drawing

2011-09-14T16:48:00.000-04:00

Just a drawing.

Simon says it is a famous giant sunflower that has been given too much water so it is spraying out what it doesn't need. The man getting wet has lots of bug bites. Of course.

The First Day

2011-09-08T09:23:00.000-04:00

Simon was very excited to head to school today, and was at our door at 7:00 am, insisting it was time to go. We managed to hold on until 8:30. He picked out nice clothes and insisted on hair product. Shortly after this photo he said, "Ok, now I'm nervous."

But being nervous didn't stop him all. Here he is right before we went in.

And when he walked in he got a happily shouted "Simon" from one of his oldest friends, Thijs.

Good Weekend So Far

2011-09-05T08:08:00.000-04:00

It's Labor Day!

This is what we do on the way to the beach.

This is what we do at the beach.

Not pictured is Daddy and Simon's trip to the Queens Hall of Scienece.

And then- Simon's first baseball game! (This picture doesn't show the stadium at all) We were at the Brooklyn Cyclone's final game of the season- they won! And lots of hot dogs were eaten.

A Conversation

2011-08-31T12:08:00.000-04:00

On our way to Rochester Simon and I carried on a conversation through notes and talking. I though it was very impressive both in his content and writing skill.

First he wrote this...

(I want to know how it feels like to be a grownup.)

I wrote this back to him...

Then I asked him out loud, how does it feel to be a kid?

He wrote this...

(Fun, and boring on the car trips.)

To which I responded...

And then he answered me, "Someday I'll be a grown-up and that will good. But now it is good to be a kid."

It is good to be an optimist.

Impromptu Trip To Rochester

2011-08-31T08:17:00.001-04:00

Because of the hurricane we decided to visit Rochester again. It seemed like an easy way to avoid the stress and problems of the storm. So instead of sitting around in the house being worried and getting bored we swam in the pool, took a hike, played in the yard, visited the science museum, and went to Seabreeze again.

And this time at Seabreeze- Simon made the 48 inches cut!!!!

Here he is in line for the Jackrabbit- Mama's first coaster. He loved it and we went on 4 times!

Here he is by a ride that he liked but the seat squished him so we only went on it once. It was also pushing it a bit for him.

The hands up gesture is a, "Who knew? Who knew I was 48 inches?"

In the background you can see another roller coaster he rode, Whirl Wind, that while on it he said, "I'm a little scared but I like it!" -Actually he shouted that because we were in the middle of the ride.

Needless to say- we had a great day.

Getting Ready For Kindergarten

2011-08-23T14:36:00.001-04:00

Simon got a very nice letter from his Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Brackman.

She asked for him to draw a picture of himself- this is what he drew.

Also- we just had an Earthquake! (Lots of people just had an eatherquake.)

Poor Simon feels pretty scared.

But we're fine and the only things we could find in the house was a crooked painting. It was pretty exciting for the 30 or so seconds it lasted.

Luna Park!

2011-08-22T19:29:00.000-04:00

We were off to Luna Park today- a new amusement park at Coney Island-

We had a great time- Simon got to eat his first candy apple.

And ride the Cyclone.

OK- not really. You have to be much taller.

We learned that despite Mama's deepest hopes, Simon is not a true 48" yet, so we have put off our plans for Hershey Park unitl next year.

Simon did ride the slingshot again- this time with Daddy.

And lots of other great rides, including the huge, high swing.

Stuff Happens In August

2011-08-22T19:19:00.000-04:00

Like tooth number two falling out!

And going to the zoo- hanging out with a BIG tiger and

Riding the carousel (as always!)

And Simon taking the camera and taking random pictures- which he is not allowed to do.

Sigh.

What Makes Us Happy

2011-08-18T11:22:00.000-04:00

Being married for ten years.

(Thanks Simon for taking the photo.)

Being in Camden.

(Can't wait to be back next year!)

More Maine

2011-08-18T09:37:00.000-04:00

We went off to hike Mount Battie! Simon did a great job, though he did complain a bit about being tired and sick. We basically ignored him. He made it up the mountain and back down fabulously- we are very proud of him. Then when we got back he promptly tooks nap which convinced us to take his temperature, 101.9. Bad parenting.

The Dread Pirate Simon.

Playing at the Rockland Children's Museum.

Mama played too.

Trying To Explain

2011-08-17T09:43:00.000-04:00

It Is Hard To Explain

2011-08-17T09:15:00.000-04:00

Then we went somewhere very hard to explain. Simon loved it. And the rest of us were in awe. Not always fully positive or comfortable awe, but awe all the same.

There is this couple out in Thorndike, ME who are collectors. The woman collected dolls and the man made the dolls come alive on rides and in other ways. You walk into a huge room and they flip a swtch and the dolls all just start to go. It is wonderful and the stuff nightmares are made of. several videos will be posted soon.

Rainy Day Slide

2011-08-16T17:12:00.000-04:00

Lobster Festival

2011-08-16T17:07:00.000-04:00

It was raining. But when you've promised a child that you're going to a fair... you go.

Simon is in the background in a blue raincoat (Thanks Sarah- we really loved the raincoat this trip!)

And thanks for being good sports Grandma Jean and Papa Don!

Yes- That's our child smiling his head off on the tilt-a-whirl in the pouring rain.

The Rockland Lobster Festival features lobster crate races where people try to run across floating crates. It is really fun to wath people try- and we did see one boy make it across two plus times for a toalt of around 135 crates!

And If You Pick Blueberries...

2011-08-16T16:59:00.000-04:00

You make pie!

Can you tell I am proud of my pie?

Simon declared it yucky and disgusting.

The adults all agreed he was wrong, and by 11:00 the next morning the pie was gone.

And Then... Maine!

2011-08-16T16:55:00.000-04:00

(These first pictures are off of my cell phone- for some reason I kept forgetting to bring the camera with us- could it have been the lack of sleep?)

We walked out the Rockland Breakwater to the light house! We did this last year, but the light was closed to visitors- not this year! The man even turned on the light for us!

Our walk back was very exciting.

It was an unusually high tide and we were walking back just 15 minutes shy of the height of it. It is not normal for the top of the breakwater to be even with the sea! We all got soaked with waves that came up to our ankles- but it was quite an adventure.

The next day we were off to one of our favorite places, Beech Hill.

Once a year they have a one-day blueberry pick. We picked like crazy.

Though Simon and his friends Willa ate lots more than they picked. They also played at being Sal and Little Bear which was too cute for words.

I guess that would make Papa Don Papa bear! Though there isn't actually a Papa in the story.

The Trick In The Pond

2011-08-16T15:23:00.000-04:00

Cape Cod Yum

2011-08-16T14:55:00.000-04:00

Cape Cod!

2011-08-16T14:49:00.000-04:00

We were lucky enough to go to Cape Cod again and stay with wonderful Peter and Erica. Peter and Erica fed us, babysat for us, entertained Simon, and laughed when Simon threw talcum powder all over their guest room. See- we are lucky to have them.

And to top off the luck- jesse and Iva were there when we arrived. Even though our overlap was very short, Simon and Iva had super fun together. Here they are helping get dinner ready.

And dancing together.

We will get a picture of them on the beach together up soon.

Our other big highlight of the trip was swimming. Over a three night visit Simon made it to a beach and water FIVE times! Here we are at Duck Pond.

You can see that Simon's swimming is getting very good. But we think he wears his goggles too tight.

Gotcha Day Number Five!

2011-07-28T10:01:00.000-04:00

It's been five years since Simon became our son! We celebrated gotcha day in five year old style.

First, unpictured, we visited Simon's summer camp and talked to the children about gotcha day.

It was good, though certainly seemed to make Simon think even harder about what this whole adoption thing means.

Then we went to one of Simon new favorite restaraunts- Cheeburger Cheeburger.

He especially likes it because of the car that his food comes in.

After that we were off to the movies!

We figured Winnie the Pooh was an excellent first movie in the theater for our easily scared child.

It was.

Is this all for me?

Cell Phones

2011-07-24T15:44:00.002-04:00

All of this occurred on Friday while shopping at Costco.

Simon- Mama, When am I going to get my i-phone?

Mama- What!?!

Simon- I need a phone for kindergarten.

Mama- Why?

Simon- Well, I will go out to dinner sometimes and I need a phone to call you and tell you where I am.

(His reason is great- just early. He seems to understand that now.)

Literary Updates

2011-07-19T13:25:00.000-04:00

Simon has been writing a lot lately, here are two recent examples.

Translation, "That is me jumping under the pool."

Translation, "Do not forget to bring the wrench for the bike."

This one was written well over a month ago and the 'w' was Will's showing Simon where on earth a 'w' might go in wrench.

Hooray For Camping

2011-07-17T15:33:00.000-04:00

Will and Simon went camping with their friends Kees, Thijs, and Rui.

Look at the great campsite they had.

They spent lots of time playing in the lake.

And even took a hike on the A T!

Dream Catcher

2011-07-13T16:25:00.000-04:00

Simon made a Dream Catcher at camp today and wanted to share it. Here he is pretending to sleep.

A Few More Moments From Rochester

2011-07-08T20:42:00.000-04:00

We saw the fireworks from up on top of the Highland Hospital parking garage.

Simon loved his glow necklaces.

Daddy and Simon ohhed and ahhed together.

We rode lots of rides at Seabreeze- Simon took this picture!!!!

And Grandpa and Uncle Alan made sure no one plumetted off the cliff at Letchworth. Yes- they are almost to the edge of the cliff. Yes- Simon really wanted to hold hands and then walk farther away from the edge. Glad to know he has survival instincts.

More Water In Rochester

2011-07-08T17:25:00.000-04:00

There was lots of playing in and around water that didn't involve the pool too.

Like making mud!

And hanging out on top of waterfalls.

And walking in streams with Daddy.

And watching really big water falls.

Credits for locations- small waterfall and stream are in Corbett's Glen,

-large waterfall is at Letchworth State Park

Not pictured was the serious water fun had on some BIG slides at Seabreeze.

Playing Wet In Rochester

2011-07-08T17:16:00.000-04:00

Simon also played a lot in Rochester- most of the play was wet...

He jumped,

he splashed,

he squirted, (thanks to our friend Janet who was very happy to be squirted) and

he swam!

Working Hard In Rochester

2011-07-08T17:06:00.000-04:00

We went to Rochester for the week and Simon really worked hard...

He cleaned the pool,

planted flowers,

watered flowers, and

was a monster.

Four Fabulous Eyes!

2011-06-29T19:04:00.000-04:00

(Excuse the zoned expression- he was watching TV.)

Hooray For New York

2011-06-27T06:22:00.000-04:00

We took Simon to the Pride Parade.

It was a great day to be there- lots of happiness- if you have not heard-

New York State has legalized gay marriage!

(Other happiness- there will also be no teacher layoffs- a real threat this year that we were protesting against mightily.)

Just Because...

2011-06-19T18:36:00.000-04:00

Simon's first cotton candy ever at today's street fair.

And how could we not post this?

From Daddy's "Hurray! You finished your master's!" dinner.

Great Party

2011-06-19T18:25:00.000-04:00

We went to a great party this weekend. Simon spent a lot of time catching frogs in the pond- we lost count but estimate that he caught around eight. Or the same terrified frog eight times.

The party was way upstate at a house with a beautiful garden, yard, pond, and bee hives.

It was a luau- hence Mama in the bliue grass skirt above and Simon looking like this below.

There was a face painter as you can tell- but Simon's was pretty much gone by the time we left.

Honesty

2011-06-19T18:18:00.000-04:00

Sometimes our blog might look like our lives are pretty perfect.

Not always- Simon doesn't always (often) do what we wish he would.

I was saying, "Simon- Give Me The Camera Now!"

Artwork

2011-06-18T20:32:00.000-04:00

Simon's artwork has been changing recently-

This one is from school and was made after they looked at VanGogh's sunflowers.

(It is a bit cut off.)

This one was made at home and when he made it there was s tory to go with this wonderful guy and his flower. none of us can remember the story now- but he's still a great character.

And this one was painted just a few days ago at home.

It is a picture of what Simon and I saw during the tormado last spring.

The orange is the window of the restaurant where we were,

the purple squiggle is the tormado (which we did not actually see)

the blue is a car,

and the brown is a trash can flying and hitting the car.

We did really see that happen.

Graduation Song Let It Be

2011-06-15T19:02:00.000-04:00

For those that couldn't be there.

Presenting...

2011-06-14T21:40:00.000-04:00

Simon!

The graduate.

He sang his little heart out.

And he stood with pride in front of the group- though later he told us he was,

"nervous, all kind of nervous."

He hammed it up with Grandma and Papa.

And surprise, he ate cake.

Wedding Weekend

2011-06-13T06:47:00.000-04:00

We celebrated a lot this weekend because Cousin Julia and Jim got married!

This picture is from the brunch on Sunday.

We hace pictures from the wedding0 the camera wouldn't fit in my bag. But here Will and I are in all our finery.

And this happened the Friday before the wedding. Grandma Sue came to abysit and she was able to hook up with Uncle Peter and Aunt Erica and Iva for some playground fun.

Master

2011-06-06T20:12:00.002-04:00

It is official.

Will is a master.

Most of you already know this, but if you didn't- Will has received his Master's degree from Queen's college in Library Science. Simon and I are very proud and very glad it is over! Will is a great guy and deserves congratulations from everyone.

Let Him Tell You All About It

2011-06-04T16:51:00.000-04:00

Oh No!

2011-06-04T13:04:00.000-04:00

Here is the promised video- Simon did do this ride alone a few times with successful landings- but the time I taped- not so much. The first time you watch you'll focus on Simon- the second time you should look for the loving Daddy who rushes in to the rescue. And I think I remember giggling- but apparently I did not since I can't hear it. But it is a little funny. And right after this, Simon decided to go down again.

Berfore and After

2011-06-04T12:42:00.000-04:00

Before...

During...

After...

Even more after.

Look Who We Met

2011-06-04T12:39:00.000-04:00

We got very lucky this time and met so many of the great characters from Sesame Street...

Cookie Monster...

Bert and Ernie...

Zoe...

And Grover! Simon is looking up at Mama and Grover with a funny face because they have just shouted, "Super Grover!"

2011-06-04T11:01:00.000-04:00

Why is Simon running?

To ride the rides at Sesame Place!

Daddy and Simon were at the front of the roller coaster- I think we went on about 10 times!

Simon also began to ride the water slides alone- it was semi-successful as a later video will show.

More Of Memorial Day

2011-05-30T16:05:00.000-04:00

We went to the beach! And following our grand tradition of always doing things early, we got there at 9:07. Look carefully at the beach in the background.

Simon was VERY hapy to be there- he ran straight to the water and played and played. There were brief breaks to make sand castles and eat.

Simon developed a game where he would jump up and land in a sitting postion in the shallow water- he claimed that this did not hurt. We decided to believe him since he was having so much fun. We also all went out deep and played in the swells. Simon was very brave.

And finally we left at 1:45- check out how crowded the beach had gotten! And this picture was toward the less dense part! It was an amazing day.

It Is Out!

2011-05-30T06:27:00.000-04:00

Look what happened mere minutes ago!

Simon is super excited about the tooth fairy coming. So are we- we hope Simon will still sleep because the tooth fairy only comes when you are asleep.