Ben's Birthday

For Ben's second birthday we celebrated with the full cadre of nannies and their charges whom Ben plays with on a regular basis (he has this whole social life that his parents know nothing about...) He wasn't sure quite what to make of the party itself, but he seems to have gotten the concept down since. I catch him singing to himself: "Happy buhday you! Happy buhday you! Happy buhday you!" Pause. "Whoo hoo!!!"

 

Things In Our Future #7

This in from my friend Jessica: Her son Seth asked her -- as sons apparently do -- if he could marry her when he grew up. Jessica explained that he couldn't but that she was sure he would marry a very nice girl. He said, "Yes, I will. I will marry a nice girl. . . Named Mommy!"

We spent a lovely weekend in West Virginia with some friends at their beautiful farm. The Bug got lots of ourdoor time, and also got practice "playing nicely" with their son Nicholas.

Things in Our Future #6

Catherine just told me this story that happened to almost-three-year-old Will (who loves trains), while we were away in France. Will had a particularly tough evening one night when he insisted that Catherine put on Thomas the Tank Engine immediately. ("I want to watch Trains! Right now. I want trains! Put it on now!")

Fifteen minute of watching "Trains" is part of his nightly going to bed ritual, but his mom was not particularly excited about his barking tone. She's been working hard lately on his getting his "may I's" and "pleases" and "thank yous." So she whisked him off into his bedroom to have a serious conversation with him.

Will cried a bit, and his mom insisted over and over that he couldn't demand to do things, he had to ask for them: "It's not a statement. It's a question. Do you understand? It's a question." Once, Will had calmed down, he and his mother emerged from his bedroom, for round #2.

A teary-eyed Will looked up at Catherine and said, "I want to watch trains. . . It's a question!"

Things in Our Future #5

I called up my friend Rebecka the other day and asked how she was. Her response: "Well, I'm in the middle of nap negotiations at the moment. My daughter is currently lying in her bed singing a little song she made up called My Mom Does Not Like Or Love Me."

(I have to say it's the "or" that shows the true budding songwriting genius.)

The Bug and Water

Pacifiers are out. Water is in. He has discovered water. Banging it in the bathtub, on the shower floor, in the pool, in the cat's bowl (we try not to think about that time we caught him lowering his mouth to the bowl and drinking), and in this fountain last weekend at Elizabeth's Memorial Day party.

California!

We went to California in March to visit Rebecka, Todd and Annika, and Tyler and Nathalie. It was a 4-day trip which accomplished several crucial goals:

-- We emptied the storage bin that Steve has had in San Francisco since 2001. We steeled ourselves for a day of misery, unloading the bin, packing up post office boxes, sending the stuff home . . . and then it only took 2 hours start to finish. Steve had the happiest look on his face when seven years of worrying about it was over!

--We initiated our plan of doing U.S., 3-day weekend travel while the baby is young, since it's a good opportunity to take shorter trips and really explore locally. (Ok, California isn't exactly local, but the rest applies. . . )

--We spent really wonderful time with friends, eating good food, drinking good wine and generally enjoying ourselves. Even the bug got in on the action, as you can see here!

(Somehow, tragically, there are no photos of us with Rebecka, Todd, or Annika, which is a shame since Annika was incredibly sweet with Ben, holding his hand in the car when they were both in car seats and singing songs to him. . . )

Here are photos of Tyler and Nathalie with Ben, and a pic of Steve and the Bug, with Scott and Calista. Calista had learned to walk just a few days earlier and you can see Ben, below, worshipping at the older woman's feet. . .

Straight Hair

Tyler had the patience to keep brushing Ben's just-washed hair down until it finally dried straight. This is what The Bug looks like, preppy-style.

Nathalie and Tyler

Nathalie and Tyler came to visit, which was a very nice weekend of doing as little as possible while eating good food and drinking wine. The Bug got lots of attention, which means he

now thinks that Nathalie and Tyler are some of the best people in the world, too!

Things in Our Future #4

This is two-year-old Will, learning the difference between "my nose" and "your nose." (Also, Ben is wearing one of Will's hand-me-downs, given to us in a crunch when Ben managed to destroy his current outfit in what we affectionately refer to as a "nuclear diaper explosion" -- an event which is definitely still in our Present.)