Of Birthdays and Bread

Rose turns four on Tuesday, so her party was today. Huge crowd. Here are some pics.

Cutting the cake to very eager onlookers. This is Rose's first official birthday cake. Last year it was muffins. Reena made the cake, and we made the frosting and decorated it together. Rose enjoyed it.

Also, Reuben has started to fuss extremely at meals. It turns out he wants to hold the food and take bites. He still takes too big bites, but understanding will come in time.

The Kids

We are wearing sun hats these days because we are going out in the sun!

City Museum

St. Louis trip- Thursday

We got up at 5:15, got out the door by 5:45, and made the airport easily in time to add Reuben as a lap child at the ticket counter and get through security with time to spare for a bagel at Dunkin Donuts. On the plane, Rose mostly listened to tunes while Reuben mostly modulated between whimpering and screaming. Luckily the plane was only half full, and most of that half was sitting in the other half of the plane. We were near the back next to a very nice father who helped with the bags and a student who is working with toddlers in her education program. They, and the flight crew, were charmed with Rose.

Reuben, doing his best pale man from Pan's Labyrinth imitation, was another story. His teething was really difficult, and he did not rest. Instead he vocalized and squirmed most of the flight. The surrounding people were very tolerant. Amazingly, the one time I took him to the lavatory, he was very calm. Usually airplane lavatories wig him out.

Upon arrival, Rose greeted her grandma with her usual and effusive, "Grandma, Grandma, Grandma," as she ran from security to the waiting arms for a hug. People around chuckled and smiled. Reuben fell asleep in the stroller while I worked to install the new car seat for him. He transferred to it and stayed asleep.

St. Louis is significantly warmer and further along in the spring season than Boston. Upon arriving home, we immediately put on shorts, or in Reuben's case shed everything but the short-sleaved onesy.

There was no continuing the nap for Reuben, and Rose was pushing boundaries to see what she could get away with. Pooping in the potty instead of the toilet, using impolite language--these may seem trivial to others, but they have been major work in our house. With the volume increasing and the boundaries pushing, I opted for my walk in the Loop. Grandma will love them and not have any of the triggers I have. She also hasn't been cooped up with a screaming Reuben for three hours.

The Loop. It is one of the core elements of what I call home. There are some establishments that have been there since I was a kid, many new ones, and significant change over time. What was once a scary place for visitors and admittedly a pretty shady area has now become one of the nation's hottest streets. In the process it lost some of its charm as well as some of its violence. More on Loop history.

At the top of my street, the University City City Hall, the former Women's Magazine headquarters, is one of the most prominent landmarks in my mental geography. Here it is framed by blossoming trees.

Next to the city hall is the library. This was my second home growing up. The children's section still has the reading bathtub and the same tables at which I sat as a child. On my walk down memory lane, these two buildings along with the adjacent elementary school are still the most powerful. Each time I visit, they evoke memories I forgot I had.

My former elementary school, Delmar-Harvard, is now closed. The playground is dismantled, and there is a fence posted, "No Trespassing." One lone jungle gym stands, painted in rainbow hues after I left. The many play structures of my day were torn down for parking for the adjacent police department or replaced by newer pre-fab structures. The huge railroad tie structures designed and built by parents when I was there are ghosts in a generation's memory.

The Ward building, at one point the University City Senior High and then part of Delmar-Harvard was turned into apartments and space for Washington University Art Department. I wonder what will become of the Delmar and Harvard buildings. Anyone who went there, do you remember the tunnel?

I have posted before about the many places I love in the Loop. I was even there to see the destruction of the Cricket Walk entrance which has now been replaced by a slightly eerie sculpture of Chuck Berry.




One of the things I love about this area are all the architectural details that give it character.

Rose Triumphant

Today, I took Rose and Reuben to a nearby playground. After some time on the swings and stomping around the young children's area, I took Rose over to the bigger kid play structure. While Reuben sat in the stroller, I taught Rose, who approaches new playground equipment with trepidation, how to cross a rope and wood suspension bridge. At first I held her hand as she crawled along. Then we worked on walking much of the length of the bridge. At its end, there was a slide that she also went very slowly down, first in my lap and then on her own. Finally, after about ten times, she was able to walk with much more confidence across the bridge and slide the full length of the slide. Another productive day in the fathering realm.

Cute Kids!

Whether toddling around the bedroom, bouncing on a ball at school, or just having fun with a box, there are moments of joy in the kids' lives.

Old photos from email

This is from last winter, I think. I just went through all of my old email. I saved photos and trashed or archived most of the rest. Spring cleaning.

Lots of doing

This evening, after a day of periodic meltdowns, Rose and I went around the house fixing things and doing chores. We made bread, we fixed both gates leading out of the dining room, and we fixed both her bed and Reuben's crib. She loved using the channel lock pliers and the hex wrenches to repair the house. She also loved taking them out from their places in the tool box in the closet and from the basement. She did most of the measuring and pouring of ingredients into the breadmaker pan. I assisted on the molasses fearing a mess that would be near impossible to clean up.

Farm Visit

One of Rose's favorite activities at the farm is climbing rocks. She gets such joy at reaching the top, and her excitement as each new one comes in view, a new challenge to tackle, is engaging. Of course, there are animals, too. A new crop of kids were fun to watch as they bounced around the enclosure looking for their mamas and just about anything to try to eat.

Playdate

Rose, Reuben, and I visited with Liv after school today. What had been a very chilly morning turned into a fairly nice day, so I walked down to Newtowne with Reuben in the double stroller. We met up with Liv, her mother, and her little sister. With our stroller seats facing forward and theirs facing back, the two girls started talking on the way to their house, and the conversation never ended until we left much later in the afternoon. They had a great time with pretend play, music making, and many craft projects. Great thanks to Laura for hosting us and providing a stream of activities for the girls.

Amazingly Reuben, who has had difficulty sleeping with his teeth hurting, zonked out and slept through some pretty raucous play.

Yay to growing friendships, play, and just being in another space.

The Long Walk Home

 More about the walk on my post in Dadding Ideas, but here is a pic of Rose walking along a fence. She really enjoyed balancing on curbs, walls, and fences during the walk.

 

Harvard Museum of Natural History

 This morning, Rose and I went to the Harvard Museum on Natural History. Sundays are free in the morning. The museum reminds me of the Natural History museum at Oak Knoll Park that we used to go to when I was a kid. Lots of fossils and stuffed animals. Rose was a little overwhelmed by it all, but she did enjoy it and shared lots of stories with Reena when we got back home. Of course, the bus ride there and back was part of the trip.

Here is Rose next to a large crystal.

 The museum houses a large collection of glass flowers. They are amazingly lifelike.

Rose in front of a large plesiosaur.

 Moose!

Bread Time

Today we baked bread from the dough we made yesterday.


Flouring the dough.

Putting cornmeal on the pizza peel.


Making the loaf

Rose meets Zeus

This was outside a local store tonight.

New Books!

Books are a constant in this house, and our recent trip to St. Louis and Seattle infused our house with some new ones. Rose is currently sitting on the toilet reading The Family Book that Gwen gave us. Rose is adding much more detail than the story has, creating her own story for each page and building on each type of family represented.

Kids, what kids?

Haven't posted pics of the kids for a while:

Rose and Hazel playing in the "boat."
Reuben is in the stage of putting everything in his mouth.

Flying Home

This is the Rockies from the plane window. The snow-capped mountains were picking up sunset's colors.
Ah, Boston skyline as seen through an iPhone camera!

Seattle to San Fran and then on to Boston. The first leg was ok, but the next was one of those times that expands my understanding of the word patience. Beautiful scenery as we passed over the mountains, though.

At the Round Table

Rose and Reuben eating at the table at 750 Harvard. We bought this table unfinished, and one of my childhood memories is when it replaced the blue, Formica-topped, wobbly one.

Some photos

It has been a while. I have photos from my camera and some from my phone.

From my phone:
I was coming home from school one day, and there was a wild turkey walking down the sidewalk a block from our house!
When the family visited Philly, we made a stop in Manyunk (sp?) for dinner. I am always looking at and taking pictures of building details. This one caught my eye.
I finished one year working at Derby Academy and am going to work elsewhere next year. One thing I will miss is Derby's natural setting. I waited for the bus along the ocean's shore where the tides, the atmosphere, and the animals soothed anything the day brought along. I did love the work I did with students and teachers at Derby.
On a walk through campus one day, I happened upon this scene at the cove.
We had quite a run of trouble with the tires on our double stroller. They seem to work now, but it is hard to trust them after all the issues. We love the design of the Phil and Ted's, but the tires blew out too many times to feel completely secure. They, however, do seem to be fixed at this point.
Yard work! Finally got to it. Finally chopped the hedges down to stubs so that I can reshape them from the towering, twenty-foot-tall monsters they had become.
The garden that Rose and I planted (with help from Cassie, Allie, and Rachel) grew. The peas did the best.

The carrots finally started showing their feathery leaves. Lettuce did ok, too. The only ones that have really to get going are the tomatoes.




Dramatic sky and spring seemed to go together. Actually it seemed to rain all the time this spring.One amazing foggy morning on the coast near Derby.
Rose and Reuben interacting.Rose is carrying Polar Bear around in the child carrier. She treats her animals as her own children-feeding them, tucking them in for naps, and even nursing them.

Rose plays guitar with Mike
Reuben hangs out in the Baby Bjorn bouncy seat that have been the best thing for both kids.

Peas appear! They were tasty.

On a walk through the Back Bay, Rose and I stopped at the pond featured in Make Way For Ducklings where the swan boats are pedaled around for tourists.

Rose enjoyed riding the statues of the ducklings and Mrs. Mallard.


Reuben learned how to hold his own bottle!

Rose revisited the sailboat outside the sailing club.

Rose looks at a sleeping fur seal at the aquarium

Where they also have an amazing jellyfish display and a shark petting tank.Post Office Square has a terrific fountain for hot day splashing!

Reena and I took the kids on a walk yesterday. It was drizzling, and fog swallowed the tops of buildings downtown.
We saw fancy boats.
Rose got to drive a bus at the Children's Museum.
She and Reena collected virtual butterflies.
Rose feeds Polar Bear.

Pictures from my camera:

This is a shot of Rose's third birthday party at the park down the street from us. Lots of kids!

The other day, I saw this albino squirrel on the back porch and mimosa tree in our back yard. Haven't seen it since.