Gilentires and Macbreths take New York

This spring we were lucky enough to host some of our favorite visitors: The McEntires! The girls were so excited to see their cousins that they shook and screamed the WHOLE THREE HOURS to JFK airport. (It was bad traffic.)

We stayed in New York for a few days to show off the sights. And I will just say New York is a totally different experience when toting around five children. It's not just the herding kids that takes extra effort, but the carrying the stroller down the stairs to the subway, toting a suitcase worth of diapers, wipes, juice boxes and snacks, and never being able to get more than 500 feet away from a restroom before another kids need to go that gets to you. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful time introducing these five excited kids to the city.

Our first stop was the museum of Natural History. Not as big of a hit as it looks like. It was too crowded and the kids totally didn't get what the big deal was about seeing REAL dinosaur bones when they have seen fake but ANIMATED dinosaurs at other museums. Sigh. So we left and went to Central Park.

Which was a big hit. Go figure. We sat, ate snacks and overpriced hotdogs, and played on the playground. And escorted kids to the restrooms a lot. We enjoyed beautiful weather, and these country kids got to run around and use some energy.

And then an obligatory subway ride to Times Square. It's always mandatory to see this spectacle.

Back down to the subway. . .

. . . and back to our comfortable and appropriately-priced hotel room in good ol' New Jersey.

The next day we saw beautiful sights of the city as we got totally lost on our way down to . . .

The Statue of Liberty. . .

. . . and Ellis Island. The kids are wearing thin by now.

Dinner in the financial district, and then time to head home to Connecticut. . .

Mother's Day

[May 2011]

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This is what I got for Mother's Day: 

an awesome homemade sign that said "MOM!" I like it. Direct and to the point.

homemade chicken parmesan by John. The value of this cannot be underestimated.

three adorable children who made me a mother to begin with.

Between the sign, the chicken, and the kids, life is good.

Newport, Rhode Island: without kids.

[April 2011]

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This spring we women around these parts decided that we were (over)due a retreat weekend away from kids and home-tending to relax and have a little fun. Well, a weekend was not a realistic goal this time around, so we settled for 10 hours.

We traveled to Newport, Rhode Island to tour the huge, beautiful, seaside mansions once owned by members of the Rockefeller families. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed of the inside. But trust me, they were opulent; the personification of excess.

Between the speeding ticket for the driver, the run-in with the town drunk, and lots of shopping and eating, it was a very eventful day. 

Pomp, Circumstance, and Preschool.

When we moved in they all thought she was Lucy.

Blond, short, curly hair. Light blue eyes. Adorable [and mischievous] smile. Preschool age.

They were instant friends, and Nora believed she found her twin. Lucy was a godsend, because moves are not easy on Nora, and she left friends she loved dearly in Ohio. Lucy softened the blow and made her love Connecticut.

As luck would have it, they would be going to preschool together. And this is how they started the year off:

And this is how they ended it.

This summer Lucy was the one who had to move away. Although this has been a sad event for Nora, she is learning to be more resilient and confident in her ability to make new friends, and know things will be okay.

She still misses her though.

A personal word on Preschool Graduations out here (is it an eastern thing?): I had no idea what a big deal they are! I am quite sure my high school graduation was less ceremonious than these four-year-olds graduating. I'm sad to say I did not rise to the occasion as I was expected to. No flowers for Nora. No stuffed animal. No hefty donation to a college fund.

I did have John pick up a balloon on the way home from work. Hailey popped it within 20 minutes. We had to remind Nora it was the DIPLOMA that counted. Not entirely accurate, but. . . oh well.

After graduation, Nora went outside and shared a popsicle with Charlie. And also Steel, the neighbors' dog. ew.

And for your viewing pleasure:

The first 15 seconds of the first video are awesome.

Jump on the Fire Truck (but don't fall!) from Jenni G on Vimeo.

Hailey. Turns. Seven.

[February 2011]

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[Written months ago]

I spent the afternoon looking at photographs of my firstborn as a baby. I tried to remember what she was like at six months when she went for weeks without sleeping well until she finally learned how to crawl. 

-at twelve months when she started talking and could express her desire for a specific colored sippy cup with a specific colored lid, and found security in her new ability to communicate.

-at sixteen months when she could. not. stand. her fingers being sticky or dirty and would run them through her hair while eating to clean them off.

-at two years when she showed her characteristic excitement in everything by waving her arms like a hummingbird on caffeine. (which she still does.)

It's amazing to watch a child develop and see the seedlings of personality blossom and grow- and to look back and see where such amazingly unique, interesting, quirky, beautiful traits started from.

at seven she is my extra pair of hands, my shopping buddy, my dishwasher unloader, my sibling soother, my story teller, my song and dance show, and my great great friend.

I'm glad she is my first.

To celebrate we went as a family to a Butterfly conservatory in Deerfield, Mass.

Hailey spent the whole time the trying to get a butterfly to land on her WITHOUT BREAKING THE RULES. Because that's the way she is. Wouldn't you know on our way out, a butterfly lands on Nora. 

And she freaks out.

Then we stopped by Yankee Candle's flagship store, which really isn't a store as much as a city. We were planning on being there for five minutes and stayed for over two hours.