Cookie Time

Between work and the holidays out blog posts have been few and far between and for that I apologize! A couple if dats ago the kids made gingerbread cookies with Aunt Heather (we won't talk about how many I ate...)

It looks as though I'm helping. Hahaha!

Finn has a vision.

Riding in Style

Its nice enough to ride bikes today! We are taking advantage of 50 degree days before it heads back down to 20s...

Scraper

Finn and Papa finished building this scraper yesterday and he is SO excited. He said that when he is grown up he's going to have all of his wooden trucks on "several shelves" in his bedroom. But for now, we are busy playing with them.

Quiet morning

The kids don't have school this week. We got a few inches if snow last night so we are in this morning making pumpkin waffles and enjoying the quiet. Soon we will go out to shovel and preemptively burn some calories!

Finn "I made a New York City picture for you. Can we go there again?"

Another good one

From the photo session last week... This was obviously toward the end of the hour. You may see it on our holiday card!

photo session

We had our family photos taken last week and the photographer, Alexis, just put a sneak peek up on Facebook so I wanted to share it with you all. I'm so happy to have this photo of myself with our little cuddlebug!

Drum Set

One of my friends brought this over yesterday. I see a garage band in our future. Finn is also quite talented so we'll have to give him equal billing in a future post.

Here she is singing "Simple Song" by the Shins. (The best part is the end: "I think I've got it!')

Latest Creation

F&T spent Columbus Day at their grandparents' house as we had to work. I'm pretty sure that means we all won.

From Papa:
"Finn made a trip with me to see how Rob Bennett was doing in digging ditch for his power to new shop (almost done).  On the way home he wanted to stop at the Kinney’s and say hello (I think he has a scam figured out in that regard).  Sure enough Jim offered him chocolate chip cookies even though Colleen was not home.  He had 3, said thank you and was well behaved. Once we got to the shop Finn started his usual.  I gave him the remnants of a motor out of the washer – tried to explain to him how a motor works, in simple terms, with a magnet, wire, etc.  Told him when he gets a little bigger we will make a ‘motor’ out of some wire and nails and use a battery to make it go.  He was working away while I was cutting parts for the scraper we are making.  Next thing I know he is showing me the ‘motor’ he built – includes a spring because it works better that way according to Finn.  He is getting creative, that’s for sure."

Golfing

Finn had a private golf lesson this week as group lessons don't start until January. Our weather has been so perfect this week that we are taking full advantage (although at the time if writing they are both zoning out to Peppa Pig). He had a great time sinking putts and riding in the golf cart. 

One of these days Finn will teach us how to golf, too!

Nobody told me...

... But going to preschool every day is a LOT of work!

First Day

Tess had preschool orientation today in preparation for her first real day tomorrow. Despite Finn's guarantees that he would see her on the playground and "catch her on the slide"... She was a little nervous.

Getting psyched up!

"I'll get the door for ya, Tess."

It went great! Tomorrow is officially the first day of the real routine!

Mazes to Tess

Finn was "sad" that Tess didn't have her own maze book so he made one for her, which I thought was pretty cute. 

Ballerina

We made the last-minute decision to try the pre-ballet class at the ballet school in Elmira today. Although we were unable to secure a black leotard on time, otherwise it's so far so good. I'm not allowed to watch so I will get the full report from Tess in an hour!

Meanwhile, here are some photos of her rite of passage.

"From Finn To Tess"

Finn spent much if the past two days at his work bench in the barn. He made his first project for someone else, which warms the cockles of this Mama's heart.

A table for Tess!

He even wrote a little note on the bottom.

It probably won't last too too long but maybe long enough for a pretend lemonade stand or two - and I feel like someday we will have a real live handyman in the house! (Although the grown ups have recently made a commitment to start learning how to use tools, etc.)

small differences

The kids usually take a bath together right before bedtime. Sometimes on days when we've been outside and my feet could use a little rinse I ask for an "express pedicure" meaning that they splash my feet and pretend to paint my nails.

Every time I try and pay Tess, she says, "No, Mommy--it's free!"

Every time I pay Finn, he says something like, "That will be FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS." And then I say, "More like FORTY! And that's for a really nice pedicure." And he will respond, "Give me two hundred dollars or else I'm rinsing off your nail polish. Now leave."

I wonder which one of them will end up running his or her own business?

school is starting

Next Wednesday, Finn starts his last year at Montessori before heading to our neighborhood public school. We love his preschool and are happy that he'll be there for one more year. Also, he'll be right "next door" to Tess's classroom as she starts every-morning school for the first year (they do a phase-in so she begins a week after Finn). He will go every day until 2 and she will go every day until 11:30. I'm having a REALLYHARDTIME thinking about her in school every day. A really hard time!

[Keep in mind that I'm sure it will be really easy to get used to, working Monday through Wednesday and having my Thursday mornings free for yoga! And Friday mornings free for whatever! But right now I'm really sad!]

In the meantime, there's this.

Me: What am I going to do when you're in school every single morning?
Tess: Don't worry, Mommy. I'll come back to you!

Could you die? And then she offered up an eskimo kiss. Sublime and throat-lumpy at the same time.

three little pigs

Our friends Kim & Adrian visited last week along with their kids Mason & Arden. We all had a great time together and Finn & Mason even had a mini-slumber party in his room. Kim was telling the two boys the "Three Little Pigs" as their bedtime story last Friday and I'll try and relate it to you below because it is too funny not to pass along.

Kim got to the part about the third pig building a house out of bricks.
Finn: What about the mortar?
K: Hmm?
F: Did he use any mortar with the bricks?
K: Well yes, he did use mortar.
F: And what about the roof? Did he put on shingles?
K: Yes, he put on shingles.
F: Did he use a crane to get the shingles onto the roof? What kind of crane did he use?

And so on and so forth. Let this be a cautionary tale to anyone telling Finn a story--be prepared with your construction and truck references.

Not to ignore Tess, I also have to credit her with correcting me when I referred to Dizzy (on Bob the Builder) as a concrete mixer and she said, "No, Dizzy is a MORTAR mixer!" Big brother is teaching her well.

summer update

Thanks to Papa for sending these photos and the commentary below... (by the way, how many of you would like to go back in time and be kids with that awesome sand box/swing set combo?)

Pictures of Finn showing his Mom and Dad how hard it is to ride up an incline when you are first learning to ride a bike – the downhill direction is easier.  And a picture of Finn with his buddy Mason, showing a Brooklynite what upstate is at the Empire Farm Show in Seneca Falls – no we did not go into the tent to view the robotic milking machine as we were too busy climbing on all the equipment.  Tess liking Mimi’s cupcakes at Finn’s party last weekend and showing how good an excavator operator she is – even if her drawers are slipping due to being soaked after playing in the pond with Mimi.

Gardening

August 4, 78 degrees, winter vest... Yeah, she's mine.

Nebraska trip part 2

We had a great time in Grand Island with all of the cousins (missed you, Audrey!)

Maiden voyage to Coney Island.

Tess and Granddad bonding over a love if almonds ;)

Finn showing Granddad his wish list on amazon...

Tess enjoyed the sculpture garden at Joslyn.

Finn and I had coffee at the Chocolate Bar in downtown GI.

On our last night in CB, the girls in their matching gowns :)

Thanks again to everyone in Nebraska and Iowa for making our trip so special!

3 year old girls!

Tess and Gigi had so much fun playing and getting to know each other while we were in Nebraska last week. Sue took a few cute photos of them at Granddad's house.

 SPLASHING

 INVESTIGATING ROCKS

SAYING "I LOVE YOU"

(note the matching Belle "gowns" ... Tess's new fave article of clothing.)

Serious Business

(This was last week...)

The kids are loving the beach in NC (we all are!) better photos to come.

Omaha highlights Part 1

We left for Nebraska on Wednesday evening. Our flights were great.

 

A little too great!

Yesterday we went with Karen to the Children's Museum. There is a great exhibit there about bugs.

Tess loves making smoothies with her Aunt Karen!

We are having so much fun! Miss you, Daddy!

Visiting Papa's Barn.

Finn proudly shows off to Mommy all of his tools and what he has learned to do with them through the years working with Papa while Tess intently examines Pap's clamps in the background. The miniature replica of papa's workbench he is standing in front of was originally built for a different little boy named Andy.

Making Friends

Q: Why did the turtle cross the road? 
A: To meet Ms. Tess of course. 

Tess making friends with a baby snapper in front of Papa's barn (we explained to her that the term "snapper" is to be taken literally in this instance, and she maintained a friendly distance).

Three Barber Generations

Cousin Paul is here with the Bobcat to help Papa rip up the old driveway while Finn looks on enthralled. Note that Finn has mastered Papa's stance.