hello from corning

T sings at lunch

2012-02-04T13:13:00.000-05:00

Apologies that the quality isn't a bit better but I wanted to capture her songs and the only available camera was on my phone!

2012-01-31T13:56:00.001-05:00

Ok, so it's 55 degrees ... Now what?

Church or hockey tryouts?

2012-01-29T12:42:00.001-05:00

Finn has entered the self-dressing phase. This morning he showed up downstairs in 3 long-sleeved shirts, shorts and striped socks. He looks like he's going to try out for the Sabres. At least he is interested in clothes. (we did negotiate a change of outfit by the way.)

Tess's new thing is to put on a scarf and say "I have a meeting!" ... Not surprising after all of the meetings I had this week. She's sitting next to me wearing an improvised scarf made of cheesecloth.

Pink Piano

2012-01-28T12:45:00.001-05:00

Aunt Judy, this one's for you!

Friends

2012-01-26T20:59:00.001-05:00

This is a photo I love of T and her friend Caroline. Love them.

I really wanted to mention that Finn had an eye checkup this week as he has been squinting when he points on occasion. Worry not for he is fine and he was SUCH a trip during the checkup. He told the ophthalmologist that it's not nice to shine a flashlight in someone's eye, which cracked the nurse up. In any case the diagnosis is 20-20 vision and a growing boy who is figuring out how to focus.

pillow pet

2012-01-23T19:21:00.002-05:00

With kitty cat pillow pet

Because the prospect of muddling through our holiday photos remains too daunting a prospect for my feeble mind, here's another quick post.

One of my friends mentioned a few days ago that our kids look "vintage" - which is about the most fitting description of them I've ever heard. To the point that when I look at Tess sometimes it's like looking at an old-fashioned postcard. She's still a really sweet little girl, if not a bit bossy ("sit DOWN!" etc.) Lately she's been picking up on anything she hears from her brother or the rest of us. I believe that little kids fall into one of two groups - early talkers or early walkers. F&T were both staunch members of the first camp, both speaking in complete sentences well before their 18-month checkups. Last night she woke up at 10 after being asleep for a few hours and when I walked in she was sitting up her crib, and said, "Hi, Mom." I picked her up and she said, "Rock a bye baby." So we rocked for a while and then she said, "Back to bed now." I laid her down, told her I loved her and she said, "I love you, Mom. Don't let the bed bugs bite." Verbatim. Now if I could only get her to keep saying Mommy ... it's too soon for MOM!

budding artist

2012-01-16T21:01:00.001-05:00

Finn loves art. Can't get enough of it. Luckily, on Wednesdays when I work a full day, Mimi picks him up and always has a fun project to do while she's here. Last week they did some watercolor painting which turned out beautifully. We have to get organized and get some of this art up on the walls!

Andrew took these photos last week. I love the concentration.

First snow day

2012-01-13T10:34:00.001-05:00

We're getting a good little snowfall this morning but it's still warm enough to play outside so we bundled up and set out. Finn was already outside but Tess stopped for a quick pose. She insisted on wearing Finn's bofonda (sp?), the scarf his Spanish teacher gave for Christmas. Btw Tess lasted all of six minutes before coming back in.

Sequined hats are all the rage

2012-01-10T20:01:00.001-05:00

Toolbox

2012-01-09T19:09:00.001-05:00

I'm testing out my new iPhone with a pic of Finn and his new toolbox! Am I now going to be the worlds most annoying blogging mom?

Not a Box

2012-01-03T16:11:00.001-05:00

One of Finn's favorite toddler books was called "Not a Box" - such a good one. Today, another reminder that rather than spending lots of money on a few gifts it's a better value to buy one huge thing that comes in a huge, super-fun box. Or a not-a-box, if you will.

They are busy installing the radiant floor in their new apartment.

Happy new year!

up on the housetop

2011-12-23T19:12:00.000-05:00

I've been busy customizing the verses of this song to sing at bedtime. Here's how it goes.

Me: First comes the stocking of little Tess, O Dear Santa she's the best (girl)
Fill it with rabbits and kitty cats, and a little pink striped hat.
Tess: Stocking, Mama. Again.
[repeat 4 to 10 times.]

* * * * *
Me: Next comes the stocking of Mr. Finn, O Dear Santa, fill it in,
Fill it with trucks and a tool set, and a penguin pillow pet.
Finn: And a feller buncher.
Me: And a fell-er bunch-
Finn: And a fire truck. And other kinds of trucks.

Only two days til Christmas. I think we're gonna make it.

pageantry

2011-12-19T21:46:00.000-05:00

Last night was the Waverly Presbyterian Church 90th Annual Holiday Pageant. As Andrew noted in the haircut post, Finn was the next in a long line of Barbers to participate as a page. His role was to walk up to the stage with one of the three kings and present a gift to Jesus, then they all sang "Away in the Manger" and he had practiced the words so that he was able to sing along. It was very sweet and we were so proud of him. Also proof that I'll be a basket case stage mom.

So adorable in his page costume, which Mimi

originally made for Aunt Heather back in the day!

I mean really, the cutest costume EVER.

Way to go, Finn!!

First Haircut

2011-12-17T22:24:00.009-05:00

With the holidays here we decided that it was finally time for Finn's first haircut. He will be appearing in the Waverly Presbyterian Church's pageant tomorrow as a page (the fourth generation Barber to do so --Papa played the same role in 1954 or thereabouts) and there will be many, many other photo ops throughout the season so we wanted his hair to look a little bit neater.

The whole family took a trip to the barber that Daddy goes to (and where Finn has been many times before while Daddy gets his hair cut). Mommy was a bit overwhelmed by the rows of mounted deer skulls with trophy racks, hunting/gun magazines, turkey calls etc. but was quickly put at ease by the friendly atmosphere (note that Finn is draped in a camouflage sheet while getting his haircut).

Finn was initially a bit skeptical (as you can see in the first photo) and never got comfortable with scissors near his ears and neck (which is hilarious when you consider the reckless abandon with which he attempts to play with Papa's power tools, tractors and just about anything else that can cause bodily harm) but he sat still long enough to get the job done.

cheese!

2011-12-17T13:06:00.000-05:00

This is the new smile I use in ALL of my photographs! Isn't it pretty?

Dentist!

2011-12-13T13:35:00.001-05:00

Today was Finn's first dental check-up. It was such a trip, but I'm still not sure why they charge twice as much as the grown-up dentist... Although he "sure had fun having his teeth checked" so I guess there's your answer.

santa hats

2011-12-11T21:39:00.001-05:00

If you've received a holiday card from us in the past three years, I hope you've enjoyed the adorable photos of our kids because this year it's not looking very promising. Mimi knitted these hats for the kids and I tried to get a photo of them - maybe for a card? maybe not? - to no avail.

Such a helpful brother.

Sweet elf.

I call this the "oy vey"/"smirkarama" shot

From the looks of things you all might have to settle for a New Years card,

or perhaps a simple Easter greeting!

intrepid playground explorers

2011-12-02T22:15:00.001-05:00

We went to a playground last weekend that had really cool playground equipment, if it was 1984, but anyway it was a nice day out and we made the most of it. In particular, the kids really seemed to enjoy this rather scary tunnel that (while not entirely appropriate for play) made for some cool photos.

serious Granddad resemblance

I've got this!

Scary tunnel

Get me out.

Tess sings

2011-12-02T21:43:00.000-05:00

And to think that I had only heard her sing up to "G" ... until tonight!

relaxing in the morning

2011-11-26T08:46:00.001-05:00

Watching "Rio" ... glued.

Oh look, a camera! (note matching jams)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T11:03:00.001-05:00

We're blowing off some steam at the park before naps and cooking commence! Love to our friends and family today, we're thankful for all of you.

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names

2011-11-19T12:20:00.001-05:00

Andrew: Finn, what's my name?
Finn: Dale Robert Barber.
A: That's Papa's name. What's my name?
F: Andrew Dale Barber.
A: Right. And what is Mommy's name?
F: I forgot.
Nico: It starts with an N. N-n-n-n...
F: N-n-n-ninny.
N: Well, ok then.

N: Your name is Tess Abigail Barber! Can you say that?
T: Tess Abracadabra. Abby Cadabby.

Caillou brings everyone closer.

Good thing I have a book in the car.

2011-11-08T13:23:00.001-05:00

Nothing beats a driveway nap. Except maybe a map in an actual bed, haha. Zzzzzz...

music

2011-11-04T11:21:00.001-04:00

Like a lot of families, we're really into music. We sing in the morning, we dance in the afternoon, we play instruments after dinner, we groove in the car. I'm trying to keep from having to listen to too much kids music (although with that being said, there's some really good kids music out there.) But right now in our car, the #1 rated CD is the soundtrack to The Sound of Music.

Finn was initially obsessed with "My Favorite Things" - which you may recall from a few months ago - next, he was on a "Lonely Goatherd" kick, which has recently evolved into a preference for "Maria." Although raise your hands if you've ever started your car and preschooler in the backseat has chirped, "Sixteen Going on Seventeen, please." He asks for those two songs all the time and Tess does too - although she also refers to "Maria" as "Lamb Song" or "Abbey Song" (which only makes sense if you know the lyrics. Suffice to say... I know the lyrics.) Last week I was trying to skip through some songs to get to the end, being rather sick of the whole CD, and I stumbled upon the organ-heavy version of "Maria" that accompanies her walk down the aisle. Finn literally gasped and said, "THIS IS EXACTLY THE SONG I WANT TO HEAR" so I explained that this is the wedding song in the movie, blah blah blah, and when he realized it was a churchier version of "Maria" he almost lost it with excitement.

So I guess it's time to introduce them to the movie, which I'm actually VERY excited about. It's also time to find some new music for the car!

the lion and the bee

2011-11-03T20:13:00.000-04:00

I'll never forget the time leading up to Finn's first Halloween when he was about two months old and I was still so tired and I don't know - sometime earlier in October - some of my friends like Val and Sue and Marna started asking what Finn was wearing for trick or treating and I remember clear as day saying - mehh, I don't think we're going to do that. He's so small. And the uproar was so very loud ("You have to dress up the BABY." "Babies in costumes are SO CUTE!") that I relented and stuffed him into a penguin outfit and it was super adorable but it is possible that he has not yet forgiven us (Val, Sue, Marna - you were correct, so no hard feelings).

Fast forward to this year when we started planning outfits a couple of weeks ago - thank god there's no dressing-up situation at school and we only had to worry about the evening of, which was pretty brief. In the past week, Finn has told people who have been asking about his costume that he was going to be either a fish, seahorse, lion, cheetah, or a dragon. Depending on the day. So thank god my friend Stephanie who lives up the hill had a lion costume in just his size that he fell in love with on sight. And also thank god I picked up this little bee outfit at TJ Maxx a few weeks before which suited Tess just fine. We went to a few of our neighbors' houses, saw the decorations in the neighborhood and then came home and it was all peachy... and I'm glad Halloween is a year away.

Leaf Play

2011-11-02T17:13:00.001-04:00

Taking advantage of one of the last nice days (or so we assume!)

better

2011-10-26T20:23:00.002-04:00

Tess had a little rash on her face last week (who am I kidding, it wasn't little) and I wanted to get some photos of her for future reference - or to show to the doctor. Of course she was in the mood to cooperate ["picture, mommy! picture"], so maybe i'll edit this one a bit and get it in a frame one of these days.

Everyone in this house is mesmerized by those eyes!

F-I-N-N

2011-10-22T12:09:00.000-04:00

We were kinda surprised last week when Finn just - ya know - wrote his name in the driveway.

He told the whole neighborhood!

Apple Picking II

2011-10-17T08:31:00.001-04:00

We went back to Reisingers Apple Country yesterday to re-up our apple supply and pick raspberries (and look at the foliage along Seneca Lake!) F and T enjoyed the wagon for the first 15 minutes or so then we picked and picked and then treated ourselves to MORE cider donuts. All in all a very successful autumn Sunday.

The best part was when they held hands in the car on the way home but I didn't get photographic evidence.

I Play Purses

2011-10-06T15:57:00.001-04:00

I often bring Tess into my room to buy some time while getting ready. Until recently it was enough for her to sit in front of the shoe rack and pull off every pair, occasionally trying them on. She started getting bored with that though, so I gave her a few handbags to play with and this is definitely her New Favorite Thing. She says to me several times times a day, "I play purses!" As in, let me play with your purses! Quickly!

Yesterday I was cleaning off the porch and cutting the herbs up to freeze and it reminded me that her other favorite thing is "I taste basil" and proceed to rip off 2-3 basil leaves, stick them in her mouth and gag on them. I'm glad she likes basil, though. It's a mainstay iin our house.

Japanese crayons

2011-10-05T13:58:00.001-04:00

One of the benefits of the Wags 6 living in Japan (we try to find good reasons!) is that they have access to super awesome art supplies such as the pastel crayons Finn received for his birthday. Those combined with the huge rolls of paper from Ikea and we may just get through the winter.

Here they are drawing a knuckleboom loader. Oh, and Tess's new words are "excavator" and "bucket truck." Not a huge surprise, right?

Happy G

2011-10-05T13:03:00.001-04:00

Finn just drew his first letter for me! He said it's a "happy g" and if you look closely it is indeed a blue G with a purple smiley face. As soon as he can write his name he can get a library card, so maybe that's not too far away!

I'm walking!

2011-09-24T13:43:00.001-04:00

I'm still not used to seeing Tess walk around. It's been a few weeks now and still seems so - I don't know - small? to be walking. She often will yell from the other room, "I'm walking!!" And then we'll hear either a little pitter patter or a boom, thankfully only seldom a crash followed by a cry.

We were walking around the dining room today and she put her sticky fingers ALL the way across the china cabinets. Then again, for good measure. I said (quietly, or so I thought), "Tess, you're killing me." And she said, "I'm killing you." Another lesson in Watch What You Say 101.

apples apples and more apples

2011-09-20T21:47:00.004-04:00

It's apple picking season here! Well, of course we had to go. We went to this super-beautiful place overlooking Seneca Lake called Reisingers Apple Country. Tess fell asleep in the car so she and Nana missed out on the actual picking, but Finn and I had a great time. I think he ate 4-5 apples yesterday and another half dozen today, so he's feeling very healthy indeed, even after the apple cider donut-stravaganza.

Kid, check. Huge chair, check.

Relaxing on the way to the Honey Crisps.

I love how focused he looks here

(and also his blue eyes)

(and also his little face)

(and also the scenic apple trees)

Tomorrow he's going to help me make apple crisp, and if that goes well we'll be making it every day until our 13 lbs of apples are gone!

first day of school

2011-09-16T13:42:00.002-04:00

Finn's first day back to preschool was yesterday. He has a new classroom with a few other 3 year olds as well as 4 and 5 year olds, so it's a big change from last year but so far he seems to really like it. We all love Montessori and have no doubts that this year will be a success.

Leaving the house.

Most half-hearted wave ever. Is he 3 or 13?

(me laughing)

In lieu of a notebook where I write down the funny stuff my kids, I'm using this blog. So before I forget...

The other day he was saying that he needed some new school shoes and "maybe Mimi could order him some from babyzon.com." (Mimi - he doesn't really need new shoes quite yet.) (NOTE TO SELF: babyzon.com URL is available.)

Then yesterday I mentioned that we need a new broom and he said, "We should go to Home Depot. They have BEAUTIFUL red brooms and WONDERFUL red dustpans." I went to Bed, Bath instead but am still wondering if he was right about the Home Depot brooms?

Birthday Dreams

2011-09-12T08:28:00.001-04:00

Finn asked me whose birthday was next and I said we have quite a few in our family (aunts, uncles, cousins) but the next one in our house is mine. This matters because it means we'll have cake.

Finn: What would you like for your birthday, Mommy?
Me: I'd like to go to a spa for the day. Can you arrange that?
Finn: You have to pick something from the Bruder truck catalog. How about a track loader?

matching dogs

2011-09-08T14:04:00.000-04:00

Tess loves dogs. She seems to take a particular shine to dogs with similar hair color as her own. Our neighbors Robert and Michael have these two adorable spaniels (I think that's what they are?) and when they walk by she has a total cow of excitement. Not shown: Tess toddling toward the dogs. We might have this on video, in which case I'll post it!

Happy Birthday Granddad

2011-09-01T11:19:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you just have to do the best you have with your talent, which can also be dependent on the mood(s) of your talent. I hope that despite F&T's willingness to perform this morning you'll know that the sentiment is there, and we hope you have a very happy birthday!

Helping

2011-08-31T16:01:00.000-04:00

Finn is in the foreground with his trucks emulating Papa, who is busy putting an addition to their house in the background.

We are so enjoying these beautiful summer days!

16 months!

2011-08-28T14:51:00.002-04:00

Tess with her friend Zip the Monkey

(the frighteningly life-like toy)

I'm sure that there are some parents of 16-month olds who use the potty 2-3x/day who don't feel smug about their child's potty-telligence, but I'm not one of those people. Let it be known that Tess was officially using the potty before she could walk. (She says "poo poo potty," and then she goes. It's a miracle of nature.) As of this week, she's now taking steps - albeit tiny and very tentative steps, and usually only to me - but it's happening. Did you read the part about the potty?

After she sat on the potty earlier today, we had this conversation.

Me (jumping up and down, which is what I do): Yay, Tess!

T: A-GAIN, Mommy.

Me: Yah, Tess!

T: A-GAIN, Mommy. Teeth, Mommy!

So I give her the toothbrush.

T: Thank you, Mommy.

Me: You're welcome.

T: You're welcome, Mommy.

She is such a joy. The nice thing is that she and Finn are also a joy together. Much of the time anyway. We're not living in wonderland - they fight, they push each other, but they also cuddle and give kisses and I love it. Finn's school starts in 18 days.

eating a peach

2011-08-26T09:10:00.001-04:00

Finn came down a few minutes ahead of Tess and me this morning, and I walked into the kitchen to see him standing on his stepstool with a peach and giant scissors. When I asked what he was doing, he said "I'm eating a peach with this bulldozer ripper." At least he's becoming more independent, even if that means all of our sharp objects need to be hidden in upper cabinets, apparently.

let's hope not

2011-08-17T15:43:00.001-04:00

Me: Aw, Tess has a little owie on her head. Finn, did you see what happened?

Finn: No, I didn't.

Me: Hmm, I wonder where it came from.

Finn: Well, it came from Papa's milling machine.

Baby on Bed

2011-08-15T17:21:00.001-04:00

Ahh... The elusive day when they nap simultaneously (and yes, that's my head-print next to Tess). Even better I got to cuddle with them both. Bliss. To be followed by two very late bedtimes as they're both still asleep at 5:20.

Finn turns 3

2011-08-09T15:53:00.007-04:00

It has been a big week in our household. Last Friday, Tess started using the potty. On Saturday morning, Finn walked into the bathroom and saw her using it again and ... he started wearing underwear and has been using the potty ever since. Needless to say everyone is pretty excited about his big-boy-ness and thankful that when school starts in a month, he'll be out of diapers.

Sunday was the big day - his third birthday! We had a wonderful party in Waverly and many of Finn's great aunts and uncles who happened to be in town joined us, it reminded me of birthdays growing up with so much family nearby, which made his party extra special. (As Katy told me about one of her friends - my kids will have kid parties when they start asking for them, haha.)

Yesterday Finn started climbing out of his crib and then he finally made it, so it was time to take down the crib and transition him into his toddler car bed. He fell asleep last night after many stories and some back-scratching and slept until 7 a.m.

Now for some party pics. Check out this CAKE!

Heather outdid herself with an awesome (and delicious!) construction cake.

She made fondant pylons that spelled "FINN"

My only regret is that we don't have video of "Happy Birthday"

or you'd be able to see and hear Finn singing louder than anyone else

Sitting in his adirondack chair opening presents.

He loves his John Deere tractor

(a gift from Uncle Pat and Aunt Neta, visiting from KS!)

The orange bow didn't seem to faze him.

Aunt Susan and Tess with Aunt Neta and Beckett.

Sandbox fun right before the rain REALLY started.

Finn received this terrific excavator from Jim & Colleen

... very handy for dumping sand into his wheelbarrow from Mimi & Papa!

Little Blossom

For all of our photos from Sunday here's the link.

THREE!

2011-08-07T06:55:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday to our FAVORITE 3-year-old!

We love you, Finn!

stoka party

2011-08-06T08:53:00.003-04:00

The Stokas came up from Miami a couple of weekends ago and we had a GREAT time. The kids wore each other out, which was awesome - and it was fun watching them play together. We'll see you guys again in November if not sooner!

Enzo and Finn are almost the same size and had lots of fun together.

The kids on the putting green after dinner.

Tess in the baby pool (aka "tubby")

Yes, that's Tess on the mini excavator that

cousin Paul brought over to show the kids.

Enzo LOVED it!

(Finn and Massi opted out.)

Tess loves her Aunt Katy.

(And Uncle Dario.)

We had a great evening singing on the porch.

Enzo kept saying, "Again! Again!"

Biscotti

2011-08-04T11:54:00.001-04:00

We're at the farmers market downtown and T is in heaven with her biscotti!

She had her 15 month checkup yesterday. Her nurse practitioner was amazed by how well she speaks (when Tess pointed at a poster and said "It's funny!" the lady about fell out of her chair) and she's not concerned about the not-yet-walking - which nobody else cares about either...

Weight: 20 lbs 4 oz (on the petite side)
Height: 29"
Head: XL (haha)

Sadly we also discovered that her sniffles and general misery in the past few days is the result of a double ear infection, her SIXTH :(
All of the biscotti you want, my sweet.

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15 months

2011-07-26T19:26:00.002-04:00

Our sweet girl is 15 months old today! And she's about to walk without our helping hands ... in the meantime, practicing in her playpen (and possibly reacting to something funny on tv.)

Cousins

2011-07-16T09:19:00.001-04:00

We are having so much fun with Katy, Dario, Massi and Enzo visiting from Miami. Tess and Enzo are playing so well together, it's very adorable. Poor Tess needs some doll accessoreies, stat ;)

wood river

2011-07-13T20:34:00.004-04:00

One of these days I'll have time to catch up. But until then, here are some more photos from our trip!

Finn made himself right at home at the farm.

Tess managed to hold it together for a little while.

But as soon as she got comfortable with Aunt Mary Frances...

(a few minutes later.)

When people ask me where Tess's red hair came from,

Aunt Judy is the answer from the Wagoner side!

I LOVE this picture.

It was great to see Uncle Dennis and Aunt Jane!

if only

2011-07-05T12:53:00.002-04:00

Finn: What are those things on your leg?

Me: Freckles.

F: We should go get the tweezers and get them off.

M: That would be great, but they are part of my skin. They come from being out in the sun too much, and they don't go away.

F: Well ... let's get the tweezers and get them off.

gingers and quotes

2011-06-28T15:32:00.000-04:00

Grady (4), Tess (14m), Cadyn (21m), Finn (almost 3), Bryce (21m)

A few cute quotes to share from our trip... Last week, the kids were playing at Aunt Judy and Aunt Mary Frances's with my cousins' kids, above. Finn and Grady are about a year apart so they were playing trucks and I heard this from the other room:

"FINN. My name is Finn Barber."

"Finn Barber." That was Grady.

"Phinneas James Barber."

Then a few moments later, I heard Grady say, "Move out of the way, Barber!"

(They were like little teenagers!) BTW the photo above is but one of many cute ones of the crew, and I should clarify that Grady is not about to hit Tess, nor was Cadyn very upset. The photo session was near the end of the morning and they were all getting a little tired but they still got along so well.

Anyway, a few days later, we were at my friend Karen's, who said to Tess in passing, "What are you doing down there, missy?"

"It's Tess," Finn said.

"What was that?" Karen said.

"That kid's name is Tess."

This morning we were walking down the stairs and Finn said, "Let's pretend that I'm the boss for a while." I said ok, but as soon as we got downstairs he said, "No, Mama - you're the real boss." Yesss! At least he understands this, (even if he doesn't always listen to the boss(es)).

last day of school

2011-06-27T21:50:00.002-04:00

Clearly I'm still playing catch-up here and posting from a few weeks back while organizing our vacation photos. Anyway, here's a quick before and after celebrating the end of Finn's first year at school:

First day of school, Fall 2010

Checking everything out.

Walking with confidence on his last day in June

What a guy.

We love Montessori! See you next year!

two grandfathers

2011-06-27T13:31:00.002-04:00

We spent Fathers Day in Wood River with Papa and Granddad. Although we were sad that the timing of our trip had to coincide with Father's Day away from Andrew, it was really special to be able to be with grandfathers from both sides, meeting up at the Wagoner farm.

This is at the beginning of our trip so there are many more photos and descriptions of our uhm, adventures to follow.

En Route

2011-06-24T20:19:00.001-04:00

We're back in the quad cities on our way back, with lots of photos to share about the days in between. Who did we see? Well, who *didnt* we see?!

Yes, that is a bandaid on Finn's forehead. Thankfully the pediatric urgent care in Omaha can't be beat! He bumped his head last night, ended up with 3 stitches and hasn't complained about it since.

machine shed

2011-06-22T16:18:00.002-04:00

We have a few vacation days to catch up on ... it's been a whirlwind trip and we've seen so many people that we love. On the 2nd day of our drive out, though, we stopped in Davenport, Iowa for lunch at the Machine Shed restaurant. The kids were both getting pretty antsy so a restaurant featuring old farming equipment was just the ticket. It didn't really even matter by that point that Finn had a giant bowl of ice cream for his meal. Another huge score was the large family seated nearby whose kids were so loud and miserable that they received all of the scornful glances that we might have otherwise. If we make this trip again, we'll include this in our itinerary.

Finn enjoyed this old tractor muy mucho.

Tess thought the Machine Shed was wonderful.

It has senior citizens. It has bread. It has ceramic kittens in the gift shop.

I love this photo. It's like she's saying, "This here is my Papa."

(And he's driving us all the way to Nebraska!)

11:39 am

2011-06-18T12:41:00.001-04:00

Crossing the Mississippi.

Day 2

2011-06-18T09:32:00.001-04:00

Someone isn't in a very good mood and doesn't want his picture taken.

It's ok though. We're just outside of Chicago heading west on 80, making good time. Lucky us, we get to drive across Illinois and Iowa this morning!! :)

Indiana (almost)

2011-06-17T15:52:00.001-04:00

7 hours of driving down, 11 to go. It's really amazing to me how pleasant a road trip can be when one has the following:
- A father-in-law who has done all of the driving so far
- A mother-in-law who loves to entertain kids
- A happy almost-3 year old who loves nothing more than slowing down for road work (trucks)
- A sleeping baby, who for some reason smells like sourdough bread but in a good way.
- Honda Odyssey.

Will update you all as we near Illinois.

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Day 1

2011-06-17T08:04:00.001-04:00

... And we're off! To the Midwest we go.

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pools rule

2011-06-14T14:14:00.003-04:00

It's in the high FIFTIES here today so Finn's end-of-the-year picnic was postponed. I actually thought about turning the heat on but we just threw on some socks instead! Anyway, it's hard to believe that only a few days ago it was warm enough to swim in his pool (as seen below), and tomorrow it's supposed to be back in the 80s.

We are departing for a long road trip to Nebraska with Mimi and Papa on Friday morning, as they are eager to christen their gorgeous new Honda Odyssey with graham cracker crumbs and fisher price cd's. Crazy? Possibly. Fun? Undoubtedly. I'll be blogging early and often from the 17th on, so stay tuned.

Not only is his expression hilarious here but you can also see the little deck in the background that Papa built for their playhouse, and the little adirondack chairs Mimi found for the "front porch." Tess loves the playhouse - whenever she sees it she says, "PLAY! PLAY!"

Loves the water!

Out with Baby

2011-06-13T17:07:00.000-04:00

She's holding "Baby" - the baby's version of an American Girl doll which looks just like her! I've posted many stroller pics but loved her hair, eyes, smile in this one today.

Fairy God-Auntie

2011-06-10T10:15:00.004-04:00

My very dear and awesome friend Karen visited us all the way from Omaha last week. We had the BEST time and the kids - knowing a good person when they meet one, and not only because she gave them presents every single day - loved her from the start! (It has been a year since we've all seen each other.) Thanks again, "Fairy God-Auntie" Karen and please come back soon!

Tess was hamming it up at breakfast.

That smile - ha!!

Finn had the best time showing her the sights.

And teaching her about trucks.

We went up to Seneca Lake on Sunday to visit wineries and eat delicious food.

Thankfully by Tuesday my hangover was gone (ha!)

Memorial Day

2011-06-07T16:23:00.003-04:00

We spent last Monday with the family in Waverly, where Andrew's dad was the MC for the annual parade and celebration. It was hot, but really fun!

Of course Finn loves a parade.

T's hair looks exceptionally red here. It was her first full day with a bow!

They didn't instantly recognize Papa in his dress blues.

Tired baby takes a break with Mimi.

Finn and his Great Aunt Shirley have a moment.

We are so lucky to have these memories!

Triangular snack crackers FAIL

2011-06-02T13:05:00.001-04:00

This note was in Finn's snack bag when I picked him up. His triangular pop corners were untouched.

havana glen

2011-06-01T21:54:00.003-04:00

Last weekend - the one BEFORE Memorial Day, that is - that's how behind we are! - we went for a drive up to Montour Falls because I read about this really nice park called Havana Glen, which by one person's account is the best hiking for kids in the area. Turns out that because although it is indeed located in the middle of Upstate New York and therefore the opposite of Cuba, Havana Glen is a really cool spot that we will likely return to again and again, perhaps even one day with the pop-up trailer of Andrew's dreams. But until then...

First we stopped in Montour Falls to see said falls.

What I love most here is Finn's tiny-ness in the background.

Havana Glen has those really great old-school swings

that all parks used to have before they got all lame and safe.

There's also a humongous wooden truck that someone likes.

We love it here!

picky

2011-05-24T19:30:00.003-04:00

Today was one of those days in which I really questioned my right and/or ability to do this whole kid-raising thing. No, I'm not fishing for compliments because yes, they are happy and well-adjusted, so if that's any indication we're on the right track but still. I always have self-doubts when neither one of them nap - usually because I'm starting to feel insane - and I know that it's silly to a) take oneself so seriously and b) get so bent out of shape about events that are both out of my control and seldom-occurring but STILL. It gets to be 1:00 and then 2:00 and 3:00 and they are both SO TIRED; not to mention, my herbs are still unpotted, I haven't eaten anything since breakfast, my list of unfinished projects is growing in front of my eyes, and my base instincts are telling me to "just lay down on the couch for a minute ... they'll stop talking/crying/taking off his diaper/peeing on the crib sheet etc etc etc ... [me me me]" anyway, if I haven't painted an accurate photo for you of a Mother's Very Annoying Afternoon then you are very lucky, indeed. Or not. I don't know.

So as of late, one of the several banes - I'm quite doubtful "bane" can be pluralized, but whatever - of my motherly existence is that Tess is the most picky eater this side of the Mississippi. The only items of food that she will eat are 1) things that are shaped like Elmo and 2) things that are quesadillas. It's enough to make me crazy. From the time she began eating solid food until last week, she ate bananas. One time, she ate black beans. Another time, she had tofu. The next day, upon being offered the exact same soy-glazed tofu, she turned her head as if offended. She must have a really incredible sense of smell, for she can determine whether or not she'll be putting the "head turn refusal" into effect from 3 feet away. It's a real skill, I tell you. I'm only hoping that she'll turn into a real toddler foodie and branch back out into sweet potato fries and the lily pad pancakes I make out of frozen peas. Things that - you know - she ate a couple of months ago.

Thank the Lord God my mom took Finn to Waverly today. If she hadn't I'd surely be crying into my unpotted basil right this very second. He was so tired at 6 pm (post-non-nap) that they say he headed upstairs to run his own bath and go to bed. That's a kid who knows what he wants when he wants it. Especially after a bowl of ice cream (which I forgot to mention Tess will also eat). Wine, please!

Evening Entertainment

2011-05-23T20:19:00.001-04:00

The public works dept is flushing the fire hydrants in our neighborhood so Finn bought an extra 20 minutes at bedtime.

Shut up! We DO have hobbies.

more F and T

2011-05-19T21:05:00.005-04:00

Tess is obsessed with her wee Directors' Chair which arrived as her birthday present from the Wagoner 6. It's possible that one day she might walk as the result of her stand-up/sit-down ritual in which this chair is the centerpiece.

Making sure that a majority of eyes are on her.

Yessss! A half-stand. Let the applause commence!

Finn is so sweet to his sister 95% of the time.

He reserves for her the highest of praise. Heard this week: "Tess, you're a good sister." Also, "Tess, you're a good construction worker."

The best thing about Kohls

2011-05-17T10:24:00.001-04:00

The baby carts.

sand table

2011-05-16T20:10:00.003-04:00

Perhaps after several hours watching Finn play in the sandbox at their house, Mimi came up with the idea of a sand table for our patio. Well, no sooner had she asked if this was ok (yes!), Papa built and delivered it. We've had a rainy week but this afternoon had a break long enough to dump the sand in and bring out a few of his little trucks. Every 10 minutes Finn would think of another truck he needed to finish his road. After an hour we had to pick him up and carry him inside. Whining may have occurred. This is really one of the best ideas ever and the only thing I'm concerned about is that we'll have to pass it every time we go to the car.

SO happy!

Andrew heard him saying, "Oh, I don't like the looks of that embankment."

Finn told me tonight that "the people who make toy trucks should also make toy knuckleboom loaders." Are you all familiar with what a knuckleboom loader is? Great. He would also like a toy delimber.

Fun in the rain

2011-05-15T10:13:00.001-04:00

When toys aren't necessary: A rainy day with boots, a puddle and a couple of rain-collecting apparatuses. (Apparati?)

Lawn

2011-05-15T10:10:00.001-04:00

We are happy about the lilacs and flowering trees in bloom but sad about whatever is killing our lawn. Does anyone have any clues about what this might be? We are novice lawn folk, after all.

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Pocky

2011-05-13T11:42:00.000-04:00

Strolling through the ethnic food aisles last week at the store I spied this box of Pocky. It has been eyeing me for weeks but up to then I was able to turn away. Then I wasn't. Now that we have Pocky in our home however I'm afraid that ir's here to stay. Sue - if you haven't had it yet give it a try! Japanese biscuit sticks covered in artificially flavored cream, I mean really you can't lose!

Swinging in the breeeeeeze!

2011-05-11T11:03:00.001-04:00

Get this girl an agent

2011-05-10T10:27:00.001-04:00

(Post-pedicure, putting Tess in car seat.)
N: Let's go get Finn. You can have a cat nap.
T: Meow! (Smiles.)

Pedi

2011-05-10T10:02:00.001-04:00

We're finally having a stretch of decent weather and in order to wear open-toed shoes in public, the law states that I must get a pedicure. So Tess and I are here while Finn is at school, taking care of business. She cries every time one of the nice ladies who work here come up to say hi but as long as they stay away everything's cool. In her defense, it is nap time. She's not antisocial, she's just tired!

I have to give props to both kids who must have sensed that after a long day of just-the-three-of-us (Andrew was in NYC til this morning) they were both angels at bedtime and slept through the night.

1st Birthday Recap

2011-05-08T20:51:00.005-04:00

Here are some photos from Tess's birthday party that we had after Easter brunch. Has it already been two weeks? And is it possible that Finn's birthday is only three months away? Wow.

Tess loves her Mimi.

Finn looking at his "I Spy" card from Colleen and Jim.

Aunt Heather with the birthday girl.

Heather's bunny cake was as cute as it was delicious.

Big brother helping out.

I love his expression here.

Tess is like, "what's up?"

Apparently I was feeding her too slowly for

she took matters into her own hands.

I'm not a huge fan of mess/messy babies/messy face photos,

but it was *so* funny.

As was this. Thou shalt not let ice cream go to waste.

Tess got the hang of present-opening pretty quickly.

Love this photo of our little doll baby and "Aunt How".

Tess could hardly believe that Mama allowed Nana to

bring this pink princess-mobile into her home. Score!

Such FUN!

Good manners at an early age are important.

This includes reading cards before opening gifts.

Uh oh... When she inserts thumb, it's time to go home.

Thanks again to everyone who helped to make Tess's birthday SO special!

Gardening

2011-05-01T10:44:00.001-04:00

Had to share Finn's self-styled ensem this morning: pajama top, check. Backwards shorts, check. Crocs with (matching) socks, check. And yet it kinda works.

(Also, I'm aware that we need some new plants and pots - this dead/broken one is so much fun to dig up!)

Birthday Beauty

2011-04-26T12:43:00.002-04:00

I don't often get very emotional about this blog, but today! Today ... for some reason, maybe because this is the last first birthday we'll be celebrating until we have grandchildren (and please God, let that be a good 25 years from now) ... because the sun is shining and everyone we've seen out and about has been so sweet to my baby girl (the checkout lady at Target even sang Happy Birthday and none of the waiting customers seemed to mind) ... because I looked at her hair when we were on the swings this morning and she looked back at me just so ... well, this birthday is making me a little sentimental.

The day she was born, the nurses and hospital photographer told us she was one of the most alert babies they had ever seen. Sweet as sugar from the start!

This photo of when they first met never fails to make me teary (and smiley).

At her birthday party on Sunday after digging into that delicious Aunt Heather-made cake!

(More photos from that party to come.)

Happy FIRST Birthday to our lovely and sweet baby girl!

WE LOVE YOU, TESS!!

T minus 1

2011-04-25T21:06:00.003-04:00

Desperate for a change of scenery on yet another rainy day, we headed up to Ithaca today for a stop at my *favorite* baby/cloth diaper store and lunch at Moosewood. Pretty much my favorite kind of day with my favorite almost-1-year old.

(Please note the tongue in above photo if you have not already.)

Tess isn't usually the easiest baby to dine out with but today she was a dream. She was flirting with all of the dude customers and the hostess brought several waitresses to our table to meet her and she smiled for all of them. This general goodwill and distribution of smiles to complete strangers on Tess's part was a rarity. Then of course I had to let it spill that tomorrow is her birthday and of course they gave her some free vanilla and lemon/gingersnap ice cream which we proceeded to eat with gusto. Yep, pretty much the perfect afternoon - the sun was even shining and the tulips were in bloom! Even though we would not want to live there, we love Ithaca!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T21:42:00.004-04:00

Today was Tess's first Easter. It was also the first Easter that Finn was cognizant of his basket, and the chocolatey goodness and presents residing in and around said basket. It was a great day and we are all worn out and full of yummy food!

Tess's bunny is her new favorite toy.

Chocolate rush RED ALERT

Sometimes their heads are so yummy I can HARDLY STAND IT

Preppy and ready for church!

I wuv him so much.

Wuv this picture too.

Miss Princess-puss.

Our sweet baby doll - she turns 1 the day after tomorrow!

(I'm admittedly getting a little emo about this.)

not quite getting it.

2011-04-22T09:23:00.002-04:00

Me: Finn, Tess's birthday is next week.

Finn: (blank stare)

M: What would you like to get her for her birthday? Do you think she'd like a tea set?

F: I'd like a tea set.

We don't need fancy vacations

2011-04-21T11:08:00.001-04:00

You know why? Because Finn is in perfectly content sitting in a gas station parking lot watching a bulldozer, excavator and dump truck moving dirt around while it's flurrying outside! (Note scone crumbs on coat.)

With that said, I would like a fancy vacation.

long day

2011-04-18T18:42:00.002-04:00

When it's 40 damn degrees and raining and my children don't take afternoon naps, it's important to find humor wherever one is able.

[This morning]

Finn was standing at his kitchen. He went to the cupboard and got the rice cooker out. I asked him what he was making at "cooking class." (I've had cooking class for 7 of the past 10 Saturdays.) "Japanese pancakes," he said. "I'll add some flour, salt, and syrup. Perfect." Mick and Sue, maybe he's going to work on this recipe for you ... I'm not sure, but he was rather proud of himself.

[Late morning, Wegmans]

I took Finn to the store so that we could get out the house. Usually he eats his way through Nature's Marketplace all the way to the checkout and is then totally worn out. Of course today this didn't work. Anyway, I was shucking corn and this older gentleman said to Finn, "Hi partner." He walked away and Finn looked at me and whispered, "Is he a cowboy?" (This is a day after we saw a REALLY old guy with a cane leaving church and Finn asked me if he was a shepherd.)

[Naptime]

Heard from his crib: "Get me out of here. GET ME OUT OF HERE! BABY CAT IS MAD. Baby Cat wants to play with Mama Cat and Daddy Cat and Tess Cat." And so it went.

And now it's bedtime!

moo! baa!

2011-04-15T15:48:00.002-04:00

Finn spent the night at Mimi and Papa's this week so Tess took the opportunity to play in "his" kitchen without any flack! She is learning new words every day. It just blows me away.

12 days til ONE!

2011-04-14T10:15:00.003-04:00

It's not too soon to start counting down to her birthday, is it? WOW!

The other day, someone told me that Tess looks like a doll. Sometimes looking at photos of her, I have to agree. In person she's not exactly as sedate as she looks in photos, but she's definitely a sweetie pie.

Pantera Bread

2011-04-12T10:16:00.001-04:00

Tess loves coming to Panera while Finn is at school because it's full of senior citizens who stop to fuss over her cuteness. Also, bagel.

my favorite things

2011-04-06T10:09:00.000-04:00

Finn has a knack for lyrics (must get it from his dad). I started singing songs from the Sound of Music at bedtime a couple of weeks ago and recently he surprised me by singing all three verses himself. I was amazed that he agreed to be filmed singing this morning - I asked him if we could show Granddad what a beautiful voice he has!

tourney time

2011-04-04T19:26:00.002-04:00

Tess wore her Duke jumper (thanks Aunt Sue!) faithfully throughout the conference until the day we lost - she was under the weather and slept through the game in pajamas. Aww. Don't blame us, though - it just wasn't Duke's year. We are SOOO excited for the game tonight. Go Butler Bulldogs! They probably deserved to win last year so we're really pulling for them now.

I've been slacking lately due to various sicknesses - Finn had sniffles for about a month and Tess had a double ear infection/cold/teething - gah! - so sleep was hard to come by for most of March. I'm happy to report that everyone is now well, it's 62 degrees outside and the tulips appear to be coming up. Hooray for real spring.

and just like that...

2011-03-25T10:33:00.003-04:00

...the ground was again covered with snow. This week the weather has finally really started to get to me, but Finn - thankfully - doesn't mind. This despite the fact that he's up every night for 1-2 hours coughing, but the pediatrician doesn't have a lot of great advice and we don't want to medicate him for something that will hopefully go away once it warms up a bit. In any case, he's spending a couple of days with his grandparents happily moving snow around with his (and Andrew's and Dale's) trusty trucks while Tess and I are home trying to get as much sleep as possible.

(Is that a new backhoe I spy?)

SPRING!

2011-03-20T11:31:00.001-04:00

It's 40 degrees therefore we're at the Park! A little brisk but that's A-ok...

Tessie's first bow!

2011-03-20T11:29:00.001-04:00

little irish

2011-03-17T14:11:00.002-04:00

Same onesie, different baby:

March 2009

Finn, 7 months

March 2011

Tess, 11 months

It cracks me up how different they are - our sweet, solid boy and our equally sweet, but slightly less mellow, petite little girl. (When she's wearing a particularly cute outfit, Finn still calls her "Ma cherie Tess." Pam taught him that.)

They are currently resting up for our big night out - by which I mean, we're going out for a walk! In the sun! And maybe to eat some meat. I think Finn just woke her though, as his idea of Quiet Time means jumping in his crib, yelling at Ba to "MOVE THE MOBILE CRANE and get the skid steer out from down cellar." Yelling. Yeah, she's up.

One more thing - the other day I picked Finn up from school and his teacher was excited that he is starting to spell! He did a painting and she was labeling the colors and he said, "Blue, b-b-B! Red, rrrr-R!" It's such fun watching him learn new things literally every day - I can't believe he'll be THREE this summer.

playing together

2011-03-15T21:21:00.002-04:00

Thank heaven the kids have started amusing each other.

The funniest person in the world is her brother.

And every morning he can hardly wait to see her.

On this day, however - all she really wanted was his tractor.

Finn loves this particular tractor because it has "duals."

"Maybe if I just grab it, he won't even notice."

"Unnh! I almost have it!"

"Oh well, this little plastic present is cool."

"I will get that tractor.

Did I mention that ALL of my top teeth are coming in?"

It's good that Tess is learning to stand up for herself.

In the end, I'm just happy that they love each other.

Boat

2011-03-14T11:51:00.001-04:00

Finn drew this boat the other day without any help! I have to say, it looks pretty boat-like.

PS. Welcome to the new Wagoner baby Celia Grace! Shawna and Shawn we are excited to see photos of your baby girl.

When toddlers open netflix

2011-03-09T19:52:00.001-05:00

Ash Wednesday

2011-03-09T11:58:00.001-05:00

My friend Stephanie reminded me about 10 am kids mass this morning so Finn and I went and he was great - he even clapped after the song at communion and beamed at Fr. Lou after he blessed him. This kid, I tell you.

Having never been to mass on Ash Weds with kids I didn't know about the stickers they give the little ones (instead of ashes) so this is probably a common occurrence - it's very sweet!

Grizzly

2011-03-03T13:59:00.001-05:00

Finn and I took a little road trip with Papa today and stopped at a mega-huge tool store called Grizzly on the way. Finn loves it and knows what most of the tools are... I meanwhile am (cluelessly) wandering behind at a safe distance looking for an employee who might direct us to the nearest DQ!

two-and-a-half finn

2011-02-28T19:26:00.003-05:00

It's a pretty sorry situation when I'm so tired in that it's easier to just turn on PhotoBooth to snap a photo of my child than to get the camera out and *sigh* go through the trouble of importing ... so anyway, Finn and I were on the sofa after his checkup today watching netflix online and - well, here you go.

His checkup was great. I told him there'd be no shots (thankfully this turned out to be true) and that he'd have to show the doctor his teeth and possibly to jump up and down. When she walked in he immediately opened his mouth wide to show her his teeth. Then he helped her turn on her flashlight and cooperated with all of her requests, answering all of her questions (what does a cow say, where are your ears, etc.) with atypical patience.

My favorite part - aside from hearing how healthy he is at 32 lbs and 34" tall! - was at the end when the doctor was all done, Finn looked at her and said, "THANK YOU for checking me." Just for being so sweet we went to the car wash after as a special treat.