Thanksgiving in New York

We have just returned from our trip to New York for the Thanksgiving holiday. We spent it at Anna's mom's and had Thanksgiving dinner with family friends, Fran and Dierdre. We went last year, and had a wonderful time again this year. The dinner was simply delicious and it was divine to be a guest at their home - it's a flat in an enormous and beautiful old home in Katonah, and I simply love it there. I think in another life time I grew up in an old and beautiful home just because of the way it affects me. The food was amazing, the guests were fun, (we got to meet Anna's brother Peter's new girlfriend!) and I had the best walnut cookies I have ever eaten in my life. The boys played with electric trains, a gentle snake (really!) and their playful and spunky dog, Bella. To end the night, Fran's nephew, brother, and Anna all played and sang to us on guitar. The music was almost the best part of all.

The next day we took the train into New York City with the kids and had a (busy) day of shopping and sight seeing. We went to Bryant Park to watch the skating, saw an enormous holiday tree at Rockefeller Center, looked at the window displays at Saks Fifth Avenue, and had a Swedish lunch at the Church of Sweden...I know...we didn't really go into the church, but ate at their little cafe and shop where it seems only Swedish is spoken. Luckily, I was with Barbro who did all the talking. We also went into a mobbed Lego Store where Anders was blown away by an enormous Lego dragon that wound its way around the ceiling of the store. We bought a tub of bulk, mix-n-match Lego's (who knew they came in bulk?!) So fun, but a somewhat insane thing to do the day after Thanksgiving!

Anders fell in love with Bella (he cried enormous tears just leaving her) so we managed to get in a play date on Sunday for the boys and Bella. Clearly he is a candidate for getting his own puppy "some day."

New Kuba-isms....

Kuba at dinner the other night...

"Tell me which of these is true....noses fly? ... or noses put out buggers?"


Kuba at dinner the night before...

"Everyone, everyone, I want to tell you something...everyone, listen,
I want to tell you something....Everyone (with big sweeping arm gestures) everyone in this village - you are the best!"

Kuba's New Mama

My camera broke again, which is bad timing with Halloween and Kuba's birthday happening simultaneously...though I was able to get a cell phone photo of Kuba on his birthday posing with this big giant furry bear. My sister gave it to him, and it was the most exciting gift he received...he immediately named it "mama."

Whale of a Good Costume

Due to a broken camera I had no pictures of my own to post from Halloween!
A friend just sent some to me and now I can post the kids out trick-or-treating in their costumes. I have to admit, Anders costume looks fabulous considering I was certain it was going to be a fiasco. Anna ambitiously worked for weeks with Anders and the costume morphed a few times into this final and lovely great blue whale. They even worked it out so that candy could be easily dropped into the mouth of the whale. Kuba, as you can see, is dressed in a really simple monkey costume that I made out of a brown fleece pant and jacket set with cute monkey ears and a long monkey tail...it was simple and sort of looks that way in these photos. But...the good part was that it was really easy for him to walk around in...Anders had a bit of a hard time making his way onto porches, etc.
But who cares about that if you look that good as a whale?

My almost Three Year Old

Kuba will be three soon and as happy as I am about him growing up, I am also a little bitter sweet about how quickly he seems to be growing. He really is growing in leaps and bounds.

I find Kuba to be a remarkable child. I am fascinated by how his mind moves at the speed of light, and at times how his little body does too. I love how language is so much a part of his experience; exploring things verbally and right out loud is so necessary for him. He is one bright boy. He has a lot to say and anyone who doesn't take the time to listen to him is really missing something. This boy is one fun little ball of light.

I love how much passion he feels- about a bug, a leaf, a book, a particular food, and even about NOT DOING something.

I love how capable he is with his body, and simultaneously how hard it is for him to manage his impulses - especially when he is all worked up about something.

I love the sound of his voice and his beautiful singing. I love his brilliant imagination as well. You should hear him tell a story, make up a song, or create an imaginary scenario with his toy animals.
He is extroverted, hysterical, and charming...and at times uncompromising.
Kuba is not easy to distract or divert. When he says no, he means no. This is a bit of a parenting challenge to say the least. He's sharp and demanding and he keeps me on my parenting toes. For sure this little boy is my teacher.

And of course, I think he is absolutely beautiful. I mean, just take one look at him. I feel an insane amount of love for him.

Here's to a very happy year three my little boy!

Puffy Head....M.I.A.

We lost one of our chickens this weekend....a mystery for sure.
She was the Polish chicken, tan and beautiful with a big plume of feathers bursting from the top of her head. She's the chicken on the left in the photo. She was also the chicken the other chickens like to peck, the one at the bottom of the pecking order. I felt a little protective of her. And then she vanished.

Clues:
A bunch of tan and white feathers found by the chicken coop.
A very big, round raccoon on our barn roof.
Two children convinced that "she either ran away or the raccoon ate her up, either one..."ran away or eaten up...eaten up or ran away" This was a big part of the weekend conversation.

I was really looking forward to seeing her green eggs. Supposedly, the shell of the eggs she laid was going to be the same color as her feet. She had beautiful green feet.

So long sweet Puffy Head - R.I.P.

Nothing at all to do with my life with boys....

But everything to do with what I find beautiful! I have to say that this photo is so stunning I just have to post it! Check out this link for more photos!
www.theadventurelife.org/2010/09/the-mad-crazy-badass-delivery-bikes-of-china/