Christmas in New York

Christmas in New York

Ah...today has been a good day. I woke up this morning, had some coffee, laced up my running shoes and was off for a much needed run after a trip up north. The warm, muggy air felt great on my face - I am realizing that I must be a southern girl now. I run over a part of the trail that has become very bumpy from the trees' roots growing over the years, pushing the pavement up and apart. I begin to think about time... and then back to my very own roots in New York.

We drove the 12 hours up to New York first visiting Andy's home town and then my own. It was funny to hear Landon's reactions to things that he would see along the way that I now take for granted. He pointed out cows, horses, tractors, even open fields and was mesmerized by all of it. Of course the snow was first and foremost as Andy carried him sleepily out of the car and he quickly noticed asking "What's that?" Sledding was a treat for him even though he only lasted 10 minutes (due to the cold) after Andy and I pulled him a mile down the road to get to the hill. Building a snowman was something he only read about in books and I would ask him often before we took our trip, "Is snow warm or cold?" And suprisingly he would tell me warm - he never felt cold reading books about snow and watching Frosty so why would he ever make that correlation? Ask him now and he will confidently state that snow is cold.

Landon and Chase both loved seeing their grandparents. It is amazing that no matter how often (or not so often) you see your parents, your kids will always have that bond with them. Landon, by his actions, declared both grandmas his best friend. And Chase warmed up to them as well - it was too bad that he didn't warm up to the sleeping arrangements as quickly!

Overall, we had a great trip. The sleep deprivation took it's toll and we headed back to SC a bit early, but it was so great seeing everyone! Thanks grandmas and grandpas for everything! We miss you guys already!

A Jingle Bell performance

Landon and his cousin, Sasha, jamming out to Jingle Bells.

First gifts

Since we are driving up to NY for Christmas this year, we decided to give Landon and Chase one gift each from us a bit early (to save room in the car). Landon gushed saying "Oh my goodness!" over and over again, trying to figure out what was in the box (a scooter), while Chase ate wrapping paper and cried over his new toy - maybe not the one he was hoping for? Then Landon decided to give his new toy a whirl!

Happy Together...

Coffee, breakfast, and friends

We met up with friends at IHOP bright and early on Sat. morning so we could have breakfast and catch up...catching up was not really what happened. It went more like this...Chase was fussy the entire breakfast (I forgot his paci) and he kept throwing things (toys, silverware, etc.) on the floor so he could watch me pick them up. Landon wanted none of his pancake, was standing on the booth seat, then decided under the table might be more fun. He came back up only to guzzle maple syrup right out of the bottle...and we left shortly after that.

Christmas Caroling

We kicked off the weekend Christmas caroling with neighbors - Landon had a blast with his buddy Michael - they sprinted from door to door - a repeat of Halloween but they quickly realized through all of their efforts, there was no candy to be found.

Missing Person Report

No, I didn't actually have to fill out a missing person report - thank goodness! But if I went missing, this is what mine would look like - according to Landon:

Hair color: black (must be my roots coming in), short
Eyebrow color: brown
Eye color: white
Teeth color?: red
Name: Mommy

Has anyone seen me?

Big Boy Chase

Sad Boys...

Last night we were getting the boys ready for bed and Landon was VERY tired as you can hear him crying over his toothbrush "dilemma" as Chase gave a few sympathy cries himself.

Preschool Christmas Bash!

Landon had his first school Christmas Party today! They kicked off the bash by singing a verse of Jingle Bells while shaking bells to the beat and then sung the happy birthday song to Jesus which ended with all of the kids blowing out the candles. Landon's blood sugar was so low that he muddled through the songs and once his plate hit the table, he didn't even bother to peel the cupcake wrapper off...he just ate right through it!

Why we live in the south

Why do we live in the south? Because in December you can still have 7 0 degrees days (like today) which brings our neighborhood back to life...the sounds of kids playing can be heard once again...friends walk or drive by to say hello...dads are throwing the football with their kids...couples sit on their front porches to soak up the fresh air...runners and walkers are frequently sighted...and people's moods seem to become lighter as we are all so grateful for the break in what we consider a "cold spell".

Tega Cay Christmas lighting

We ventured out for our town Christmas tree lighting - they have a mini village of blow up displays and then they light the trees all around. Santa came through the crowd as we all sung "Here comes Santa Claus" and then visits the kids in the firehall. Landon was pretty afraid of Santa - he clung to Andy pretty tightly and wanted no part in visiting him in the firehall. Chase had a blast and was just content checking out the lights.

Outside Decor...

The Stockings Were Hung By the Chimney With Care...

Bloom

Across town a new upscale grocery store opened, called Bloom and their motto: *A different kind of grocery store. I had to get a few items and decided to take the boys over to check out the place. It is a beautiful store - hardwood floors, very modern inside, great atmosphere and I wander over the deli to order my turkey lunch meat. I comment to the lady on how I was impressed with the store, she looks at me, smiles and says, "It's great... except for the people who work here." I nod politely, thank her, take my meat and keep shopping. I was not really interested in hearing the behind the deli Bloom drama.

In the next aisle, Landon was hunting for juice and a man who apparently left his dentures at home, comes zipping along with his motorized cart and stops quick to take a gander at Landon. He holds out his hand and says, "Wait...I think you are old enough...." And so we are waiting for seconds...then minutes...for him to dig into his old, flannel shirt front pocket...pulling out papers, then lint...and then whatever else came out before he hands over a piece of candy and then another piece - one for Landon and one for me. He then continues to tell me that he used to give out hugs but now people would think he was a pedofile. And we were off...to the next aisle.

Almost done and a lady approaches me to ask me if I was from a certain neighborhood around here. She tells me that she is a retired teacher, part time tutor who would love to babysit during the day, weekends, and even for overnights... all the while she is touching Chase's hands...I guess that was her way of showing me she really cares for kids. And she left me with her number. I didn't bring the number home and I pulled out the sanitary wipes when she was out of sight. I thought it odd how she approached me and she should know that you don't randomly touch babies in stores!

My rating on Bloom:
Modern/Trendy Atmosphere: 10
Specialty Foods: 10
Soap Opera Service: 10
Random and Strange Customers: 10

Bloom: Definitely a different kind of grocery store!

Potty Training?

No, Landon is not potty trained nor have I actually started to really work with him. I will ask him if he wants to try before I put his diaper on before bed and that is about the effort I have put forth. I am waiting until he shows signs that he is ready, and until recently, there have been none. His preschool teachers have him "try" every day and on most days he will come home with a sticker for going potty. It seems though lately, when we get into a public place, Landon feels the need to begin his training right there and then.

We were in Target the other night and as we are leaving he announces "Potty, Mommy". "Are you sure?" I ask hoping that we don't need to begin his training in a Target bathroom. The idea of him using the Target facilities isn't very appealing to me. "Yeah, potty." he replies and gives me a funny look for questioning him. So we venture into the bathroom (Andy waits outside with Chase) and the first thing we see is a stall door barely hanging by one hinge, so we skip that stall and go to the next. Landon decides to point out all of the "dirt" around the toilet bowl as I am telling him to touch nothing and reminding him that there are germs all over. So I hoist him up holding him high enough to go, trying not to let any of his body parts touch and he ends up resting his knees on the seat while he successfully pees and I cringe thinking he needs to wash his knees as well as his hands but not wanting to turn him into a germ-a-phobe. He washes his hands after going (I skipped the knees) and as we are walking out, he turns to me and says, "Sticker, Mommy?"

The Roemer Boys

So many people ask me if Chase looks like Landon when he was younger. It's hard for me to tell - what do you think?

Blankie boo boo

Landon, Chase, and I were all cuddled on the couch watching Barney last night and I notice that there is a hole in Landon's blankie where he is putting his finger in and gently pulling on it to make it bigger. I asked him what happened to his blankie. He doesn't take his eyes from the t.v. and says, "Blankie...hole..." Then a few seconds later, eyes still unwavering, he says, "Doctor...fix it."

Fall Day

Fall has arrived in the south! The trees are all decorated with the prettiest colors but not for long - the leaves are falling pretty quickly now! Grandma Roemer raked up a pile of leaves and the boys' had a blast! Especially Chase who was touching, smelling, and eating the leaves!

Oh Christmas Tree...

With Thanksgiving over, we decided to pull out our Christmas decorations, put up our tree and attempt the outdoor light/wreath project - that is still on hold - we are in need of another string of green lights. But much to our surprise all that we needed to motivate Chase to crawl was put up a tree with lights! I walked in as he was arriving at the tree via the crawl and he reached out, pulled on a lower branch and just kept on pulling - the whole tree was a rockin'! That could be a huge problem this year - not sure what I am going to do yet...a barricade of some sort I guess. And the kids got into their new jammies from Grandma Roemer - they love them!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a great weekend with the Roemer family in town - the Roemers from Ohio stayed with us and the parents with Heather. Heather cooked an amazing dinner along with five pies - everything was delicious! The kids ran around and played, then crashed in the movie room. The feature presentation was "Finding Nemo". Thank you to everyone for traveling down here - we all had such a great time!