Goodbye Rye

Movers are gone, cars were loaded on a flatbed truck, the house is empty, and we've said goodbye to Rye and our wonderful friends. The past couple days have been somewhat a blur with our lives being turned completely upside down and nothing being "normal". Please remind me to never move cross country again when I'm 6 months pregnant!

Luckily Wade and I have been able to keep our sense of humor through the whole thing. I love my husband. Not sure if I've ever told you before.

It is bitter cold here in NY, and we boarded the Rye train all bundled up with our two suitcases and our HUGE car seats. We are staying in the city for the next couple nights and will spend tomorrow running around NYC as a family for the last time. We're staying a couple blocks off of Times Square and we're on the 38th floor. We have an amazing view of the square and if we were here 1 more night, we could watch the festivities and the ball drop from our hotel room window!!

Goodnight!

Sledding at the beach

Merry Christmas Eve!

We decided to go sledding at the beach today with all the leftover snow from last weekend's storm. Never thought I would be able to say that I went sledding at the beach! Perfect weather, lots of sun, and a lot of laughs...

Rye Street Fair

Rye closed down downtown Purchase Street today for it's annual Christmas Street Fair. They had Santa, reindeer, train rides, sleigh rides, bouncy castles, food, and all sorts of fun.

Ava really wanted to get her face painted, so we waiting patiently in line and she got transformed into a snow princess!

She doesn't look very happy, but I swear she was as happy as a kid in a candy store.

Dana's Baby Party

Have I ever told you that my dream is to be a freelance photographer for magazines? OK, I said it. That's my dream.

I love to photograph parties, events, places and details. I would love to photograph for Real Simple, Country Living or Cottage Living...if it was still published!! Still mourning the loss of my favorite magazine...

So yesterday I helped host my fabulous neighbor Dana's baby shower with Dana's good friends Diane and Heidi. Dana is having her first baby, a girl, and is due in February. I can't believe I won't be here to meet her, and I won't be here for her to Baby Gus!!!

We hosted it at the Rye Square House Museum, which is one of the oldest houses in Rye, built in 1730 I think. It was a great location, and I had sooooo much fun getting all the decor together.

Check it...

The front door with baby things put together by Diane.


Diane and Heidi also did this this clothespin line filled with baby clothes for Dana. Isn't it adorable?? It looked so great and they had to get Dana's baby a Brooklyn onesie since that's where Dana lived before Rye.


I had a lot of fun doing this setup. I got baby pictures and young girl pictures of Dana and displayed them on my vintage potato chip holder that I snagged for $6 at the Paris Street Market in Denver. This is a staple in my house and holds pictures, Christmas Cards, announcements, vintage postcards....anything that I want to display.

I also framed Dana's ultrasound picture and used my scrabble letters so everyone would know what they are looking at. Idea courtesy of my sister as she always has scrabble letters in her house.


On to the cakes. Oh my. It doesn't hurt that our neighbor across the street (the one whose chocolate shop we went to in Boston a couple weeks ago) used to be a pastry chef. What? You're offering to do a cake for the shower?? Um, let's think about that one. YES!!!!!

Wow, it was good, and Wade is enjoying some of the leftovers.


OK, now this was too cute. Diane and Heidi put together this diaper cake. Every diaper was individually rolled and taped down and set up as a tiered cake. Is this not the coolest thing ever? So it was double duty...decoration and gift. Dana is set for the first week (OK, maybe just the first few days) of diaper changing!


This next project belonged to me and Tyson. We went on a nature walk at the Nature Center and collected sticks, then spray painted them white. I ordered these tissue paper flowers from Oriental Trading Company and displayed them in white vases as the food table centerpieces. Then we pinned extra baby socks and stuff to them.

So each centerpiece cost like $3. Love it!


I love all my enamelware, some of which I picked up recently at flea markets here, and I used them for forks and napkins. White white white was the theme.


There were two fireplaces in the room, so I bought scrapbook paper and sewed a garland of flags to go across the mantels and used my telephone pole glass things that I picked up at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market in NYC as weights. I also used my spinning gourds from that I won from Janna's blog to decorate the mantel.

By the way, the flag idea also came from my sister. She made some for Tyson's shower and we hung them in his room. So Dana took these home and can use them to decorate in her baby room. And again...like $3 per garland.




Dana's mom came up from Savannah, which was so special. She reminds me on my own Mom and I just got attached to her immediately. She helped us shop for food at Costco on Saturday and was such a trooper.

Diane and I had asked everyone coming to write a wish or blessing for Dana that they could read (if they wanted) at the shower and bless Dana and her baby girl.

Lots of tears were shed, and it was one HUGE love fest.









It was such a great and special afternoon, and I'm so glad I had the chance to be a part of it. Love you Dana!!

Fleeting summer afternoons...

...make me happy.

What could be better than a Friday afternoon, Pediatrician Barbie, glorious afternoon sun, a rocky beach and bait?

Last week the kids and I, along with Pediatrician Barbie, headed out the beach after naps to see what we could find. Ava wore her hand-me-down orange fleece skirt that has a convenient front zip pocket which is perfect for collecting shells.

We watch guys fishing and checked out their tub full of little fish (no idea what kind) and we watched a father-son team turn over rocks and catch a whole lot of little crabs for bait.

Barbie got her feet all sandy as Ava buried her in the sand, and Tyson dug holes. That's what he does. Dig holes. "Mommy, will you dig a big big big hole for me?" All he wants is a hole so he can jump in it. Sigh....it's the little things....



This is my attempt at shooting flair. I am really very poor at it. Anyone got any tips???





Has anyone ever seen these before? It's a bunch of snails that have attached themselves to each other. Safety in numbers?? I found one that had like 7 shells, but I showed it to Tyson and he threw it and I lost it in the rocks.




Enjoy the last fleeting summer afternoons. Unless of course you are in Denver and you enjoyed the chance of snow yesterday with cold cold rain.

Routine

...makes me happy.

I haven't been in a routine since we moved here 10 months ago. Don't get me wrong, I have loved it, but it is nice to have something going on that is routine!

Ava started preschool on Tuesday and goes 3 mornings a week, with a long 4 day weekend break (I purposely did that just in case Wade could take a long weekend off).

We started out the morning at Starbucks for a special treat for both of them....their OWN kid's hot chocolate. They usually have to share, but today was a special day.





Of course the "spark-eh-ly" shoes had to make on appearance on the special first day!


Much to my surprise, she ran right into school and almost didn't look back. Is this really MY Ava?


The tears were starting to come when we got inside, but luckily one of her teachers, Miss Bobbie, came to our rescue and took Ava to the big blue rug for singing time. LOVE Miss Bobbie.

Cousins at the beach

Now Audrey used to live in San Diego, and she wanted to go to our Rye Beach while visiting, and honestly, our little beach is NOTHING compared to San Diego. I mean, c'mon! BUT, it was still a good time, and I loved that Audrey was so willing to watch after the kids and was willing to let them play all over her. What are cousins for?




And I couldn't resist this one. I LOVE Tyson's bellybutton. It sticks out so cute, and I think he's the only one in the family with an "outy". Although his is really 1/2 and 1/2 and not really a full "outy". But look at the sand sticking to his stomach. Oh, I just want to reach down and give his tummy a big zerbert!!!!!

Our Day at Playland

I think I finally get it.

I remember being young and watching my Mom watching me having fun. And I would think, "Why don't you want to join in?" "Do you not like (fill in the blank).... riding roller coasters, playing in the water, making forts, riding horses, roller skating, jumping curbs on your banana seat bike, riding skateboards?"

She would just watch, but seem perfectly content doing so, and I didn't get it.

Well I think I finally get it. I think it happens when you become a parent. You find sheer contentment watching your kids have fun and would rather watch them than do the activity yourself for fear you might miss observing their excitement, reaction, laugh, or smile.

So last week while Mom and Audrey were here, we went to Playland. I live in Rye, the HOME of Playland, and this was my FIRST time!! It's kind of like the cobbler's children who have worn out shoes I guess.

I had more fun watching Ava and Tyson (and MY MOM) riding rides while laughing, spinning, twirling, tipping, rocking, and sliding. I mean, I'm pregnant, so I wasn't even allowed on the rides, but even if I could, I had more fun just watching (and taking pictures).

To start, here are a few photos to give you the feel of Playland, which had "been providing family fun since 1928"...or 1920-something.










Could my Mom BE having more fun?



Now the submarine...this was one of Tyson's favorites, and I think it was one of my Mom's favorite rides too. Check her out!



Can I just say how proud I am of Ava? She is my shy one. The one who is afraid to try to new things. The one is has to sit and observe before participating, and the participation usually involves someone holding her hand.

I think she blossomed at Playland. She went on a lot of rides BY HERSELF. BY HERSELF! That is a huge deal for her. This ride in Kiddyland is called Whip It, and I think it's been there since 1930. It was so cool. The track is oval shaped, and the little cars roll along until you get to each end, and you get whipped around the corner. Simple concept...BIG fun.




OK, now this next picture has a story. There is a kiddy roller coaster which we convinced Ava to go on by herself, because Audrey was too big, and Tyson was too small. She went on it with a little hesitation, but was excited. She sat in the last car next to a boy, and we watched the car climb up the "incline" before she disappeared from view. When the coaster came to the end, she was trying really hard not to cry, but when she saw me, she lost it.

The ride was "too jerky" and "the boy sitting next to me wouldn't hold my hand".


The spinning balloon ride. By the way, all the Kiddyland rides require you to give the operator a thumbs up before they start the ride.





More rides that my little girl rode all by herself...





This may be my favorite picture. As it was getting to be dusk, and everyone but the prego one, yours truly, went on the ferris wheel so they could see the view of Rye, Playland, and the Long Island Sound before it got dark. On one of their rotations, Mom stuck her hand out and waved to me. Love it.


More spinning. My Mom is such a trooper, isn't she?




This was one of Ava's last rides of the night. Why the sour face? Well I think she was getting tired, and when she got off, all she said was, "Mom, it wasn't fast enough." That's my girl. I'm so proud of you.




Thanks Mom for reliving your childhood and riding all the rides. I can't decide if I had more fun watching you or my own kids. It's too close to call I think.