I Love Camels

A recent conversation with SJ:

Me: "Do you like whales?"
SJ: "I like whales."
Me: "Do you like dolphins?"
SJ: "I like dolphins."
Me: "Do you like sharks?"
SJ: "I don't like sharks."
Me: "Do you like doggies?"
SJ: "I like doggies. Woof."
Me: "Do you like spiders?"
SJ: "I don't like spiders."
Me: "Do you like alligators?"
SJ: "I don't like alligators."
Me: "Do you like lions?"
SJ: "I like lions. Roar."
Me: "Do you like camels?"
SJ: "I like camels. Humps."
Me: "Do you like zebras?"
SJ: "I like zebras."
Me: "Do you like cats?"
SJ: "I like cats."
Me: "What is your favorite animal, Sydney? Which one do you like the most?"
SJ: "Camels! I love camels!"

go figure....So, I made sure we went and saw the camels when we were at the zoo yesterday.

House Hunting

This past weekend was spent by looking at houses. I think we saw 10 total over 2 days. That's quite a bit. SJ was happy scoping out the backyards of all the homes with her friends, Ethan and Isaac. They especially liked the house if it had plenty of sticks in the yards. And, Ethan liked the house with the big basement (which also happened to be the messiest basement of all the ones we saw, but the eyes of a 4 year old only saw the size!) Although stick quantity can be a good thing for those aged 4 and under, it's not on the priority list for E&I's parents or us. Finding the "perfect" multi-family home has been quite challenging so far. Perhaps if we too just thought about the sticks our decision would be much easier.

I'm a Big Kid Now.

SJ is fascinated with her Pull-ups. She calls them "poo-yups!" Currently she doesn't like wearing pants when she has the pull-ups on. Except it is still a family rule that everyone wear pants at dinner time - a rule that really didn't need to be established as a rule until the todder era began with Sydney. She is still not potty trained, but at least is progressing in that direction overall.

A Happy Ending

SJ and Tomas enjoyed watching Finding Nemo and chillin' out on the couch after a busy afternoon full of playtime.

A Young Settlers Player

When Tomas and his parents came over the adults were excited about being able to play Settlers of Catan after putting the kids to bed. It was only the 2nd time we've played since SJ was born. We had fun and Maureen won!

Time with a Friend

Saturday night, SJ got to spend a lot of time with her friend, Tomas. At dessert time, she tried to convience Tomas to go with the Chocolate cupcake.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I am glad SJ made this Shamrock crown at school for she doesn't have anything green in her closet. Now if there were a holiday to celebrate pink, especially in the form of fleece pants, SJ would be all set!

What a Difference a Day Makes

Just a few days ago it was near 70 degrees and SJ was romping about without a coat on. Last night we brushed the dust off her snow suit and headed out to play in the heavily falling snow. Boston ended up getting 8-9 inches overnight before the snow turned to sleet and rain. Know that that means for us? Another driveway full of ice and mushy goo!

SJ had a great time in the snow. She has a little shovel and tried to help us, but mostly she had fun sitting in the snow while her Daddy covered her legs up with snow. She was so cold yet didn't want to come inside. Today she had fun in the puddles and climbing a little snow mountain in the back yard. At least someone in the family enjoys weather like this. The rest of us are aching.

SJ goes to the Zoo

Today was a beautiful day in Boston. The sun was bright and the winds fairly calm. So SJ and I headed to the Zoo. Here are a few pictures from the day. The first stop was the Flamingos. Then SJ spotted the peacock. Franklin Park Zoo has a few peacocks that roam freely about the grounds. Usually we've seen them actually roaming about and speading their feathers, but today, it was quitely resting in the sun. SJ loves statues of animals (see previous posts of SJ hugging an orangutan statue at the Berlin Zoo) so she had to stop by them as well. And the final picture is of her climbing through one of the play tunnels. SJ seemed to have a great time at the zoo overall!

By the way, notice the Band-Aid on SJ's forehead? There's nothing underneath it. She simply wanted to put a Band-Aid on her head. I'm not sure the strangers who asked about it believed me when I told them that though! They probably thought I was trying to hide something!

Let the Good Times Roll...

Last night, we took SJ candlepin bowling with our friends, the Saffs. For those "non-New Englanders" who don't know what candlepin bowling is, I'll explain. You roll a small ball, maybe 2 to 3 pounds, no holes for fingers, toward the 10 pins. The pins are small on the top and bottom and taper to a wider middle section. I think the lane is shorter than regular bowling, but it's been forever since I've been regular bowling, so I'm not exactly sure. In candlepin, you get 3 tries on your turn.

Candlepin is great for kids becuase they can really handle the balls. SJ did a "granny-style" roll and did fairly well for a first-timer. She was so excited to actually roll the ball that she turned to get another one before seeing if her previous ball knocked down any pins! She also loved her bowling shoes and did a lot of jumping.

My Bologna has a First Name....

Today SJ had some friends over for lunch. SJ asked for some "meat", i.e. bologna, and her friend Simon wanted some too. Everything SJ did, Simon wanted to do and everything Simon did, SJ wanted to do. Thankfully at this age keeping up with the Jonses only requires stocking up on bologna, having some "alone" time on the toilet, sliding down the fireman's pole at the playground, and running side by side. Let's enjoy the innocence of toddlerhood (and it's ability to be inexpensive) because when those tween years arrive I'm sure SJ won't want the cheap bologna anymore and neither will her friends!

Will work for food.

Available Immediately: one adorable 2 year old toddler; tall for her age; loves pink fleece pants; will do windows - but does require step stool to reach the top of the window and needs Windex pre-applied. Please provide snack option for ensuring a happy worker bee. Warning: job likely to be interrupted if distracted by books, music, or Little Einsteins.

Sheer Happiness

SJ as finally learned the art of smiling for the camera. Now we have to teach her how to smile normally and not be goofy!

Our Little Einstein

Today SJ and I babysat our friend, Mika. She is 3 months old. SJ wanted to watch Baby Einstsein with Mika and this is the result.....

The Baby Mall

O.k. The title of this entry has nothing to do with the picture. I had a thought, but unfortunately did not have my camera with me at the mall today. So, here is a random picture of SJ making pretend spaghetti for her purple monkey and her big brown bear for you to enjoy while I share my thoughts!


Today I took SJ to the Atrium Mall. It is really a Baby Mall. Not "baby" as in size, no, it's a full sized mall. But, "baby" as in there are many, many babies at the mall. Some of the great things about his mall that make it baby friendly include free, underground parking! You don't have to fuss with getting the stroller set up in the rain or cold. The mall also has a little indoor play area. It consists of those big, plastic slides and climbing contraptions and the room even has a cushioned floor, a diaper changing area, and a vending machine with 1/2 way healthy snacks! The mall's lay out is kind of circular - great for letting SJ walk by herself and not getting too far away from the exit or the elevators (by the way, there are 4 elevators so you never have to wait very long for one to come.) But, I think the biggest baby friendly feature is that fact that there are not many people at this mall and the people that are there are other moms with their kids in stollers. So, if your baby cries or throws a tantrum you don't have to worry about it or be embarressed since every other person knows exactly what you're going through.


Today SJ was particulary good at the mall. She stayed really close to me while she walked around and was very obedient - even in Borders as we looked at books. So, I rewarded her by taking her to the little cafe - I got a latte and she a Sesame Street juice box (even the cafe has very kid friendly fare.) We sat at a a table in the window sipping our beverages and SJ greeted all the other kids as they walked by. She had a blast and it was fun for me, too.


I am glad that SJ can behave in a mall, especially since I like shopping so much myself! This mall is a good practice mall. Maybe after a few more trips she'll be ready for shopping in the real world!

SJ in Motion

My Life as a Blogger

Ever since taking over the blogging duties, I have begun to think in terms of titles for blog posts. Every situation I ask, "What is a good blog title to describe this?" Do any other bloggers feel this way? Maybe it's a phenomenon experienced only by new bloggers. Maybe it's my subconscious' way of trying to simplify my life. Maybe I am just taking this all too seriously!

But, it is fun. I like capuring lots of pictures and then trying to sum up the event in just a few words so those interested friends and family can have a little glimpse into the life of SJ and her family.

Here, SJ is holding baby Mika. She lives upstairs from us and is much different from SJ when she was a baby. I am amazed that Mika actually follows a little routine at such a young age - eat, awake, sleep. She seems pretty consistent. SJ was never quite that easy!

Urban soccer.

This is SJ's soccer field. A little different from the lush green grass of Bonn's Hofgarten. The good news about playing soccer on concrete is that you don't have to worry about stepping in doggie doo. You do, however, take the risk for more injury if you fall. And, there are many more distractions, such as fire trucks zooming by!

Today it was 50 degrees outside! Quite a nice day, but not quite warm enough to melt the aforementioned ice in our driveway. Home Depot and Lowes continue to be sold out of ice melt - 2+ weeks after the ice storm. On the bright side, Nathan did get to install 2 more replacement windows in our house today.

Thawing out....

The other day SJ went to the shoe store for some new boots and some new sneakers. She loves both pairs. As you can seen in the picture she loves splashing in the numerous puddles found currently in our driveway - once an ice rink, now 1/2 ice rink, 1/4 puddles, and 1/4 slushy goo. Her new sneakers she wears all the time in the house - even wants to wear them to bed! As most children feel when they get new shoes, she feels she can run really really fast now!

Speaking of wanting to wear things all the time, SJ is now going through a phase when she only wants to wear pink pants - no jeans, no khaki's, no purple pants...just pink... and fleece pants to top it off. A sure way to avoid a dressing battle in the morning is to set out a pair of pink pants and preferrably a pink shirt to match. AND, she recently rediscovered her Elmo pj's that she got for her birthday from Gami and Papi. They were set aside to be put away when she discovered them and now she has to wear them to bed every night. They are, of course, too short - her belly shows and the pant legs only go down to below her knees - but, she loves them. Why do kids go through such little quirky phases?! A lesson learned.....put away all "old" and "too small" things pronto - once discovered again by the toddler they will become the new beloved item!!

A fun time was had by all!

SJ was sad to say good-bye to Grandma and Grandpa after their week long visit. As usual, she was showered with lots of attention, love, and even some presents. Thank you!

Congratulations to SJ's Mommy!

Valentine's Day also marked the occasion when Jill received her recognition for earning her credentials as a Board Certified Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy. The ceremony took place this year in Boston at the American Physical Therapy Assocation's annual meeting. Jill was very glad to have her parents and Nathan in the audience. SJ was happily at home with her Gami, Papi, and Aunt Emily.

Valentine's Day

SJ and her Grandpa prepare for Valentine's Day by coloring her valentine cards for her school mates. Grandma and Grandpa braved the Valentine's Day storm to take SJ to her school for the Valentine's party. The note from SJ's teachers the previous week indicated that all students should bring Valentine's for their classmates. Being the good parent that she is, SJ's Mom along with Grandma searched high and low for the perfect Valentine cards for SJ to take to school. High and low on the shelves of Stop & Shop and Star Market, that is...the Valentine's there were on sale for 99 cents. What a bargain!

SJ proudly decorated these Hello Kitty Valentines that even came with little heart stickers to close them up. What could be better? Well, needless to say SJ's Mom was quite surprised that she came home with way better Valentines from the other kids. Some were boxes of candy, some little bags with Hershey's kisses. One included little plastic bracelets and little toy rings! One was for a free Friendly's ice cream cone! 2 even came inside real envelopes. Ok, there was one other little girl who passed out the 99 cent Hello Kitty ones, too, but most were not from the bargain rack! I guess we need to start saving up now for next year's Valentine's Party. What will we pass out then...ipods? Gameboy's?

A Visit from Grandma and Grandpa

SJ's Grandparents from Ohio came to pay her a visit. They claim that they also came to see SJ's parents, but that is questionable! SJ was thrilled to spend so much quality time with Grandma and Grandpa. The first day, she took them out to show them how she can ride her bike. The next day, Grandpa and SJ had some quality time after SJ got her portraits taken. SJ particularly liked the little bathtub prop. Thankfully Grandma has a really big purse so it occupied SJ for a while!