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Monkeys!

2012-01-09T22:01:00.001-05:00

Our Ann Arbor buddies Chris, Stu, FIona and Eilidh sent the girls monkey t-shirts. Cuteness ensues!

Pretend You Like Each Other

2012-01-08T21:59:00.001-05:00

They do actually like each other. It's just sometimes they forget. And you have to remind them. By saying, "hey, I'm taking a picture, look at each other and pretend you like your sister!"

Happy 23 month Birthday, Amity!

2012-01-02T21:57:00.000-05:00

This poncho was actually a present from Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Art, to Zara. Amity ended up wearing it. Cute ensued. Can you believe she turns 2 in a month?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T21:46:00.000-05:00

We began 2012 with a hike to South River Falls in Shenandoah National Park. We knew it would be an auspicious (and possibly wet) trek when we saw the rainbow while eating lunch (in the car, with Amity napping in her car seat in back, because it was so cold, and wet...) We would not be deterred (and I stole Wes' hat). Good thing, too, because the falls were amazing. Turns out the trail is a loop, but we weren't certain of the details (how long a loop? how far into the loop were the falls?) so we turned around and headed back. And then it rained. Again. But we made it back to the car and out of the park well in advance of the 5pm gate closing curfew. And had a wonderful time. Next time we'll do the loop.

Going on an Edventure...

2011-12-28T21:32:00.002-05:00

Another day of travel, another fun museum. I think this is the best children's museum we've ever been to - we hardly even saw everything there was, much less tried it. Even with extending the trip home out to 3 days, we still didn't get to spend as much as we'd probably have liked exploring along the way, but what we did do made for fun times. Evidence of said fun times include Amity as dentist, Amity as West African cook, and Zara as very small person in chair with very large kid (who is actually a play structure!) in background. For anyone going anywhere near Columbia, SC with kids, do check out Edventure. It's TOTALLY worth a stop.

The MoSH

2011-12-27T21:23:00.000-05:00

One of the awesome perks of membership to our local children's museum is reciprocal membership at children's and science museums all across the country (and some in Canada, I think, too!) We use this benefit to its fullest extent when traveling, often stopping for an hour just to run around and explore in a new museum somewhere (and not be sitting in the car). Here we are in Jacksonville, FL, at the MoSH. The giant sideways face is the entryway to an exhibit on the human body.

Ormond Beach

2011-12-26T21:14:00.000-05:00

The only thing we didn't get to do while visiting family in Florida was get to the beach. So, when Amity woke up from her nap on the first day of our trip home, we got off at the nearest exit of I-95, and headed east. We arrived in Ormond Beach about an hour before sunset. As to not waste time with changing and since it was kind of cold anyway, I figured we'd just all go in the clothes we were wearing and wade a bit in the water and play in the sand. However... 3 out of 4 of us ended up getting significantly wet. 1 of us had to remain dry in order to properly document the expereince... and hold the iPhones and car keys.

Riding River Run

2011-12-24T20:55:00.000-05:00

The really awesomest thing about Aunt Debbi's horses is getting to ride! Here Z is getting ready to ride River Run, Deb's very tall (over 16 hands!) horse. Zara did fantastically, of course (video to follow some day soon-ish). And most importantly, she has a wonderful time! She rode every day we were in Florida. Thanks SO much for hosting us, Deb and Craig!

Maté

2011-12-23T20:39:00.002-05:00

One of the best parts of visiting excellent Aunt Debbi in Florida is the horses! Here Zara's hanging out with Maté, after helping Deb give him a bath. Zara spent a great deal of time helping with farm chores, and seems to take follow in the footsteps of her various horse loving relatives!

Jekyll Island

2011-12-22T20:22:00.002-05:00

We planned our trip down to Florida as a 2 day drive, with a stop in Savannah, GA, as that's about the halfway point. Ironically, however, we never ended up in Savannah proper and just kept driving on by. As we were about to pass an exit for Jekyll Island National Park, Amity started have a mega-meltdown, so we quickly left the freeway and went exploring.

Long story short, here's a pic of our 2 resident cuties relaxing in the rocking chairs on the porch of the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.

Happy Chanukah!

2011-12-20T20:13:00.000-05:00

We had a funny chanukah this year, because of the overlap with a good chunk of winter vacation. The first night (pictured here) was the only night we actually celebrated at home. For the other nights we were either on the road traveling to/from Florida, or lighting candles and singing with Aunt Debbi (and Nanny). Also of interest is the homemade menorah representing our 2nd year entering the creative chanukiah contest. This was a fairy menorah, and we called it "Queen Titania Brings the Light." It won the award of "menorah a fairy is most likely to land on" in the contest, so we clearly did a good job! Also of note, Amity likes latkes!

Second Recital

2011-12-18T20:25:00.005-05:00

Just a few short months after Zara and friends performed in their first recital, we present you their second one! This time they are doing a reel.

And that's why they call me... Doctor!

2011-12-13T09:30:00.003-05:00

This blog is usually devoted to our adorable kiddos, but I must take a moment for some shameless self-promotion. Today, I successfully defended my dissertation, which means pending a few small changes and filing the very large document with the Curry School (that's the name of our Ed School here), I will have earned my PhD. This has been many years in the making - from toying with going for a doctorate instead of a masters when at UMich in '02-'04, and then finally taking the leap to apply to programs outside of MI in '05. I started at UVA in August of '06... and of course in the meantime Amity was born. So it has been a long, not entirely direct path. I could not have done it without the support of friends and family, near and far, and I thank all of you who have helped me along the way - you all know who you are! Of course, this now brings up the larger question... what's next? Stay tuned to find out! (This does not mean I actually have a plan, mind you, just that one will get made. Sooner or later.)

Ball Pit, Jr.

2011-12-12T08:51:00.003-05:00

And another in the series of "cute things my daughter was doing while I was working on my dissertation." Amity found herself unexpected solo at Vijay's (other kiddo was sick and therefore didn't come to play) and so they went to Bounce 'n' Play instead. She apparently had a fabulous time, and enjoyed herself in this small ball pit pictured here. Not quite as all-enveloping as this one that Zara played in, but it's a start!

Spring Jackets

2011-12-08T22:33:00.000-05:00

Sure, it's December here, but as I've often mentioned, it can be quite balmy. Here the girls show off their Spring Jackets (thanks to the Greene-Hutchings-Schmidt crew for the Amity hand-me-downs!) and their dual ponytails, aka pigtails.

"Doggie" Hat

2011-12-07T08:40:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure who started calling this a doggie hat, it looks a bit more like someone took and Ugly Doll and turned *that* into a hat... but monster hat doesn't have such a catchy ring to it? And it does have cute floppy puppy ears.... naming conventions aside, here's Amity showing off her cute to Vijay while I do my final prep for my dissertation defense next week!

Pony Tail

2011-12-02T22:30:00.000-05:00

Here's Amity, looking all grown up in her first ponytail. Also 22 months!

Irish Tree

2011-11-27T22:23:00.000-05:00

Wes would like to point out that this is the same tree where we took a pic of Zara, Claire, Kiera and Esme 2 years ago on May Day... I would like to point out I spent all summer at this museum collecting data... why are we here the day before my dissertation is due to my committee?

Modeling Fun

2011-11-23T12:16:00.002-05:00

Dearest No Dashiki readers, You, like my facebook and twitter friends (probably 95% overlap here anyway), are undoubtedly sick of me going on and on about all the fun things everyone does while I'm constantly hard at work on my dissertation (with the exception of brief pauses, such as these, in which I upload photos of aforementioned fun things everyone does). Fear not! I've begun the last round of edits and to schedule my defense meeting, so in just a few short weeks I will instead be going on and on about how much fun the kids and I have while Wes works! In the meantime, here's a snap of aforementioned fun. Wes and Zara decided to enjoy some quality Old Navy dress up time - here is the result. She looks fab if I do say so myself, no?

Look up! Way up!

2011-11-21T08:14:00.002-05:00

Here's Amity playing at Vijay's house, checking out an airplane getting ready to land. Being just south of a littlle airport like C'ville's is a big win when you are a toddler!

Do we dress for dinner?

2011-11-20T09:39:00.000-05:00

Sometimes getting a toddler to keep their clothes on is a difficult proposition.... but enter the big sister with a fabulous dress up idea! Voila, much cuteness! For the record, while these outfits might have gone better with tofu and broccoli stir-fry, we had blueberry pancakes. Still tasty.

Greenleaf Park

2011-11-19T22:18:00.000-05:00

Having a sisterly rock on the dino and the motorcycle at Greenleaf Park, getting their yayas out before dinner time.

While I was writing...

2011-11-16T21:21:00.004-05:00

I've been spending most of my free time, and some time I don't even have working on the final stages of my dissertation. I currently have my 2nd draft into my advisor, so I have a few minutes to breathe before he sends back critique and we do it all over again :) In the meantime, while I'm writing Zara is generally at school or asleep, and when Amity's not asleep she plays at Vijay's house with a few toddler/preschool buddies. Here's a sampling of their fun... also, despite my complete and total lack of fun, we do have some other pics to post of the kids (and maybe a few of the grown ups) but they will likely be backdated, so the very small number of you who actually still read this blog withh need to scroll down....

Slumber Party

2011-11-13T22:16:00.001-05:00

We haven't gotten them sleeping together at night, yet, but this looks to be a step in the right direction....

Humpback Rocks, revisited yet again

2011-11-07T22:12:00.000-05:00

This hiking Humpback Rocks is getting to be "a thing." It's the only place Zara ever wants to go when we suggest we should go for a hike. This time around Amity actually walked a good bit of the lower part, some up and quite a bit more on the way back down. By the spring I'd guess she'll be doing the whole gravel/step part on the return, and possibly the ascent, too. Fun times.

Order up!

2011-11-02T22:06:00.000-04:00

Amity plays restaurant with me at Pen Park while Zara attends her Irish Dance class. Much cuteness ensues! Also, happy 21 months birthday, Amity!

Halloween on the Lawn

2011-10-31T12:29:00.000-04:00

Another year, another Halloween on the Lawn. Zara is a candy acquiring pro, and being a bug with a light up bum made it very easy to zip in and out and in between to attain maximal goodies. We brought the Pegasus costume Zara wore in 2007 when she was a bit older than Amity is now (just over 2 as opposed to a few months shy of 2). Amity wore it for a few minutes and then decided that she'd rather explore. She and Wes found some leaf piles to play in and some bubbles to chase. All in all, everyone had fun.

Ginter Gardens, 2 Ways

2011-10-10T08:54:00.002-04:00

The first 3 pictures were taken by Zara. We gave her the "nice camera" to use during the trip, which is now the oldest (digital) camera in our possession and has the nice feature of a wrist strap, so it's of good use to the 6 year old set. As expected, she took some blurry photos and some photos of "nothing." I was fairly surprised by how well some of her pics came out. How cool is the depth of field on the rose? How awesome are those green reedy things? How cute is Amity?

The rest of the pictures, in grand Bromberg/Craig tradition, are Wes' meta-commentrary on our trip. Zara taking a picture of Amity, the girls climbing a tree, and all 3 of us doing the visiting the botanical garden thing. I'm not sure what was going on in the last picture, but I believe Amity was threatening to nap in the middle of the walkway.

Squish!

2011-09-26T20:15:00.000-04:00

Here we see Zara and Amity proving the old adage that 2 cute kids are even cuter when snuggling together.

Team Purple

2011-09-24T20:05:00.001-04:00

Zara's moved up to U8 soccer, where they now practice once a week then play on Saturdays. They also have the concept of "out of bounds" but the do not keep score or have off sides, etc. She currently alternates between really enjoying it and working hard to help her team, and spending time on the sidelines socializing. Not sure if soccer will end up being a sport she'll pursue much longer, but as long as she's having fun we'll go with it.

Fry Cook

2011-09-20T19:48:00.001-04:00

Amity's finally reached the stage where we can actually read (very simple) books to her and she can follow the (limited) plot, anticipate what is to come, and all of the fun associated therein. Here we see her reading one of her current favorites, "Maisy's Firetruck"

Tangled up in View

2011-09-18T22:24:00.002-04:00

Zara was at a birthday party where there was swimming (which Amity LOVES) but it was also really cold (which Amity's parents do not love when it comes to swimming for her or for them) and so we had to take her for some non-big kid fun. Turns out the Agnor-Hurt playground was both nearby and had a really cool climbing web. Score on all accounts. Plus afterwards aforementioned parents got coffee. Sunday success!

Monticello Trail

2011-09-17T22:11:00.001-04:00

It was a bit of a cloudy, overcast day, but Amity's been so excited to WALK these days we figured we should fine a place that's car-free and little feet friendly. Turns out the Monticello trail fits the bill almost perfectly. Here we see the sisters pause for cuteness on a bench, Amity modeling Zara's hat, Zara playing hide and seek in the remains of a multi-hundred year old tulip poplar that used to sit next to TJ's house, and finally, off to explore!

Table for Two, Revisited

2011-09-16T22:03:00.002-04:00

In the first picture Amity's showing off her newly acquired stool sitting skills, a feat she's accomplished several months earlier than her big sister did largely because her big sister sits on those stools every day. So, naturally, Amity must do it, too. Ah, the life of a little sister. As can be seen in the latter 2 pictures, they're quite a pair.

Dingo Snack!

2011-09-15T21:36:00.001-04:00

This awesome t-shirt, given to us by Erin, used to be Zara's. Now Amity's wearing it.

Bad Hair Day

2011-09-12T22:00:00.000-04:00

Probably Amity would tell you that any day with a lot of sliding fun is no way bad at all, hair or otherwise. I'm mega impressed at Wes' ability to capture the post-slide 'do as well as entertain and amuse Amity while I'm off at the Museum collecting data. On an unrelated note, 2 more trips and I'm done! (Well, with data collection. There's analysis and write-up and defense, but you know, we'll get there when we get there...)

First Grader

2011-08-24T23:51:00.003-04:00

No qualifications of "rising" this time around - Zara is officially a 1st grader! She walked into school and immediately began chatting with teachers and friends. The first picture shows her awesome confidence and readiness to take on the (1st grade) world. In the second picture she's pointing at her name on an alligator outside of Ms. Branson's class. Early reports indicate she had a fantastic first day.

Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike

2011-08-20T23:45:00.000-04:00

We spent 3 fun-filled and very tiring days with family and friends in Brooklyn. The late nights and early mornings took their toll on the kiddos, as you can see from this picture of the 2 of them sacked out in the car. Lucky for them, too, because they both napped through the only significant bit of traffic on the whole trip - the New Jersey Turnpike. For once, the root of all driving evil was not the Washington DC Beltway?! Looks like there was some construction on the turnpike, though. Hopefully they are widening it some more so the merge of cars only and everyone else doesn't back up for miles and miles...

And we're walking....

2011-08-12T23:34:00.002-04:00

Maryann was headed back to Australia, and flying out of Dulles. So naturally we took the opportunity to introduce Amity to the Udvar-Hazy extension? addition? to the Air and Space Museum. It's all one big happy Smithsonian family, who keeps track of the distinctions, anyway?

Here we see Zara and Amity, and then just Zara, camped in front of the SR-71 Blackbird. Man, that thing is cool. The other two pictures show the kids, of course, and the space shuttle prototype Enterprise. It never flew in orbit but they did a bunch of test runs with it. I believe they'll be getting one of the actual shuttles soon and passing the big E on over to another museum... stay tuned!

Another tooth later...

2011-08-07T23:29:00.001-04:00

This time the tooth came out at bedtime! This one required a bit more of an tug, but came out very easily with minimal trauma to all involved. What is not pictured is the 1 dollar bill, folded into nested origami hearts, she received in the morning. She had asked the Tooth Fairy for a "real, live Zebra" but allowed that "if not, money would be ok." We hear some kids get as much as $5 a tooth (or more?!?!) but Zara's tooth fairy seems to be more of an artist type fairy - of modest means but endless creativity!

Happy 18 month Birthday, Amity!

2011-08-02T23:28:00.000-04:00

Ok, so we kind of slacked on the month birthdays, but 18 months is a big one. So here's Amity. Aged 18 months.

Dinner date

2011-07-30T23:24:00.001-04:00

We had a lovely dinner play date with the Tobiases. They made a fantastic Pan Bagnat which the kids even kind of ate, though they preferred all of the ingredients separately over the whole sandwich package. Amity sat for a while in her own seat, but kept getting up to join Sadie in her seat, as you can see here in this picture. Also, bonus points for making dinner which requires the kids to sit on the food. (No worries, food was wrapped in plastic and foil!)

A visit from the Tooth Fairy

2011-07-16T23:21:00.001-04:00

Looks like the Tooth Fairy delivered! Zara recevied a 2 dollar bill (it's got a pic of Mr. Jefferson, dontcha know?) in the form of an origami butterfly. What a fantastically creative tooth fairy we've got here in C'ville!

Zara lost a tooth!

2011-07-15T23:17:00.000-04:00

Zara lost her first tooth today while brushing her teeth! It just came right out into the sink. Luckily the drain was closed and we were able to retrieve it... I wonder what the tooth fairy will bring?

Visiting Nora...

2011-07-08T21:59:00.000-04:00

Why write a whole separate post about our adventures with Nora when Kevin's already written one here?

Rich in Daughters

2011-07-05T21:45:00.000-04:00

The 2 on the left are the usual stars of this blog. The two on the right are the daughters of Wes' oldest friend, Stu. Last time we took a picture kinda like this one, Amity and Eilidh weren't even born yet. I see much fun in store for this foursome.

Amity meets Amber

2011-07-04T21:33:00.000-04:00

Amber is a very patient kitty. Amity is a very enthusiastic kitty petter. Worked out pretty well, all-in-all.

And your bird can sing?

2011-06-29T22:43:00.003-04:00

While visiting Montreal we also checked out the Biodome. I could go on about it, but wikipedia has saved me the keystrokes. Here are K and Z coming face to beak with some bird or another.

Adventures in Montreal

2011-06-28T22:33:00.001-04:00

We spent a wonderful few days with the MMs in their new hometown of Montreal. The first shot is of Zara playing at this really cool park (Parc Jean-Drapeau) which coincidentally turns out to be on the same island as La Ronde, the amusement park I took many a visit to in the late 80s and early 90s. In case you thought we were just making up this whole leave the country thing, the next shot shows Z, C, K and Char with a Canadian flag. This was on the water taxi that took us from the park to Old Montreal. And the last shot is very clearly authentic proof of our time in QC - poutine!

Happy 6th Birthday, Zara!

2011-06-27T22:22:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Zara's actual birthday in Montreal with our good friends C, L, K and C. For Zara's birthday she received (from the MMs) a zebra cupcake kit thing (complete with super cool Zebra lunch box). Here's the birthday girl making her 3rd wish of the birthday season (we also ate cake and sang at the potluck following her BRIMS camp recital. Happy birthday to our zany, artistic, resplendent, adorable Zara!

Visiting Big Grandpa

2011-06-26T22:19:00.000-04:00

On our way up to see friends in Montreal we stopped in to visit several members of my family in upstate NY. Thanks to K and V for hosting us! Here's a shot of my grandfather, Ted, with me and 2 of his 5 great-grandchildren.

Yaaaaaarrrrrr!

2011-06-18T22:03:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Zara's 6th birthday a little early this year, as we were planning on being out of town on the actual day. We celebrated with a pirate-themed party (hats, parrots, scavenger hunts) complete with awesome pirate cake (by Wes). This was the first of many birthday celebrations this year :)

Lewis Ginter Gardens

2011-06-14T21:28:00.000-04:00

It's a bit surprising that after 5 years here in C'ville and countless trips to Richmond we only *just* made it to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, which incidentally has a totally awesome children's garden. Here's a shot of Z and A building a fairy house, and A playing with some scarves. Looking forward to our next visit!

We we're picking berries...

2011-06-13T21:31:00.001-04:00

Apologies in advance to those of you who now have "Berry Picking Time" stuck in your head. And to the rest of you, go buy Great Big Sea's eponymous album so when you next read this post you will also get it stuck in your head.

The 4 of us went blueberry picking to celebrate Zara's first official day of summer vacation. As with our go at cherry picking the week before, Zara was an awesome picker. Unlike the previous picking session, the rest of us got to help her out a bit since I remembered the Ergo and it did not take both Wes and I fending and scooping and restraining the 16 month old ball of excitement and fury that is Amity. You'll notice there are no pictures of cherry picking. That's because cherries rank high on the list of choking hazards and it was all we could do to keep Amity from consuming rotting nasty choking hazards. So no pictures were taken. But here, there are pictures. The Ergo rocks.

Day One Hundred Eighty (of 180) Done!

2011-06-10T22:50:00.000-04:00

It was a very emotional day. For the first (and last time, it being her last day and all), we received a call from the principal as Zara was inconsolable. This is the kind of call you might expect on the first day, since she didn't really know anyone when she started, not on the last day when she's grown to know and love ALL of her teachers and friends. But she was borrowing a special necklace of mine for her last day, and it broke (though it was totally fixable, and Wes fixed it), and she was already pretty emotional about school ending, so I guess that just put her over the top.

The first picture commemorates the completion of her 180th day of Kindergarten, and pairs well with the snap to mark the end of her first day. She's looking surprisingly good considering that, moments before the picture was taken, her teacher Ms. C had run across the road from where she had been standing (with the large group of teachers and staff pictured in the 2nd picture) to give Zara one last hug and say goodbye (for the summer). They both had tears in their eyes, causing both Wes and I to get a bit choked up, too (and neglect our documentarian duties, otherwise you'd see a picture of the very sweet hug).

What a fantastic, wonderful, incredible, and growing year this has been for Zara (and the rest of us, too!) Thanks, Johnson Elementary School! See you in August!

First Grader (rising)

2011-06-10T22:29:00.000-04:00

Here's Zara (and Amity, too! She stands now and everything) 180 school days after the first day of Kindergarten.

Maymont Bears

2011-05-24T22:17:00.000-04:00

So for the longest time we'd never actually seen the Maymont bears, and we used to joke that this statue was the extent of Maymont's bear exhibit. Well, there are bears again, and there's still this bear statue...

She's cool.... very cool.

2011-05-22T21:55:00.000-04:00

Some pictures require no additional words. I think this may be one of them.

But why is the wind gone?

2011-05-21T11:13:00.001-04:00

We missed it last year, but 2 years ago we had a wonderful time at the kite festival. This year we were again joined by the hungry robot crew (who again took pictures as we neglected to, thanks guys!), but due in large part to a serious lack of wind the festival was more of a sizzle this year than the bang it had been in years past. Ah well, good times with friends are always worth it. And to prove it, here we see Z and E joyfully frolicking together. (Also, there were bouncy castles this year which was a big hit with the 5 year old set)

Soccer, Round 3

2011-05-14T20:52:00.000-04:00

So, this time around, Zara chose to play "Hot Shots" with her friend Vivien (who also did Y soccer wit her this past summer and turns out to be in Zara's class at school, too!). Also on her team? 4 other friends from her grade at Johnson, and at least one other kid who will be at Johnson in K next year. So all those Learning Leopards made the whole experience a lot more fun. And making it even mo' better was the fact that 3 of Zara's teammates are in her reading group at school! There was so much love on the field the kids sometimes forgot to play soccer and held hand instead. A lot of progress was made by all team members, and by the end of the 8 weeks the kids were going above and beyond my wildest expectations for huddle soccer, with even the occasional (purposive, as far as we could tell) pass! The accompanying 2 images show how COLD it was when soccer started in contrast to how delightfully balmy it was on our last game day.

Portrait of the Artist (squatting)

2011-05-09T21:28:00.000-04:00

See? I told you! Art! Think we should buy her an easel for her next birthday? She seems pretty happy with the floor...

Walking with the Big Girls

2011-05-08T21:19:00.002-04:00

Amity's actually a pretty good walker at this point, from a stamina perspective. From an agenda perspective, she really needs a lot of hand holding so she keeps moving and doesn't run into the street. She often tolerates Wes and I holding her hand, but big girls are the best! Here we see her toddling in to drop Z off at Hebrew school, accompanied by Z and her buddy S.

Amity's Art

2011-04-29T21:16:00.000-04:00

Let it not be said that 15 month olds cannot do art. They can! Well, it's really messy and requires a fair amount of parental interventon/co-creation. But ya know, still art!

Spring Concert

2011-04-28T22:30:00.002-04:00

Zara had a 'speaking part' in this year's spring concert. She was very proud and of course did a wonderful job. Kid's a natural on stage. Here's the entire Kindergarten presentation condensed to about a minute and a half. Enjoy!

To the Disco Room!

2011-04-24T21:06:00.001-04:00

Props to anyone who knows the title reference of this post. And to everyone else, go see the movie anyway. It's super funny. As to the picture, I consider this part of the "future album cover" series.

First Recital

2011-04-17T21:57:00.001-04:00

Zara (she's the one in the khaki skirt) and her posse of 5 year olds performing a jig for the BRIMS winter concert. They were the surprise hit of the show. Not bad for her first recital!

Marmee-Grandma-Dada Dress

2011-04-09T21:01:00.000-04:00

This dress, which Zara adores, was a joint familial undertaking. The fabric (Liberty of London) was acquired by Marmee. The pattern comes from Grandma's sizable pattern library. The craftsmanship is all Dada. And of course, we all know who the beautiful model is.

Art Class

2011-04-08T22:17:00.000-04:00

Amity's taking an art class geared at 1 and 2 year olds. She seems to be enjoying the "art" part of it so-so (there's a gymnastics class next door i think she'd rather join...), but she LOVES to play in the soapy water at clean up time.

Playtime at the Beach

2011-04-07T23:45:00.000-04:00

It might be cold, but that doesn't stop us from having beach fun! Amity was particularly enamored of the waves. She is fearless! (where fearless = she really likes water and the fact that the ocean is salty and freezing and full of things like tides and currents does not phase her in the least)

Surrey, no Fringe

2011-04-07T21:58:00.001-04:00

We rented a "surrey" aka a bike built for 4, where 2 are really small and the other 2 people pedal. We biked up and down the "board" (aka concrete) walk, while Amity and later Zara waved at every passer-by. Good times!

First Landing

2011-04-06T23:40:00.000-04:00

Zara and Amity appreciating the monument to the "first landing" of the British here in the US (well, when they founded Jamestown). Zara's reading the plaque while Amity explores the area on foot. As they say, to each within their means.

Zara of the Waves

2011-04-06T23:34:00.000-04:00

The last time we took Zara to the ocean she wasn't quite 3. While it was a bit too cold to really swim, she enjoyed it just the same. We'll definitely get back before she's 8.

Strolling

2011-04-06T22:41:00.001-04:00

We just got back from Virginia Beach (we finally made it!)... and will have many fabulous pictures to post soon. But in the meantime, here's a snap of the sisters strolling...

Chillaxin'

2011-04-06T21:42:00.000-04:00

Zara's chillaxin after breakfast at the indoor garden at our hotel in VA Beach. Amity's taking off to explore some plants, or some stairs, or something, because the kiddo does not sit still these days.

King Neptune's Octopus

2011-04-05T23:26:00.000-04:00

After nearly 5 years in C'ville, we finally made the comparatively short (3ish hours and a bit) trek to Virginia Beach. There's a pretty large statue of King Neptune around 31st Street right on the boardwalk. Which is made of cement. But never mind, as the statue is so big we couldn't possibly get a really good picture of it up close. So instead, we present to you, the octopus of King Neptune. No, that is not a euphemism.

Virginia Beach Aquarium

2011-04-05T21:34:00.002-04:00

Our first day in Virginia Beach was a bit on the rainy and windy side, so we spent the afternoon at the Aquarium. It was fantastic! Zara seemed to get a ton out of it, and Amity really enjoyed looking at the fish, the turtles (she really liked the turtles), running all around, etc. There's even Komodo Dragons! And a crocodile! Sadly we didn't make it to the 2nd building (where the river otters are, among other creatures, and I'm bummed to have missed that!) so we'll have to go back again. That is, assuming that shark spits Zara back out!

Mitzvah Mania!

2011-04-04T23:16:00.000-04:00

Zara's been taking part in Mitzvah Mania at Hebrew school, and one of the categories is "Kindness to Animals." Zara decided she'd perform a mitzvah for the dogs at Service Dogs of VA, since we've worked with them before (the residencies of both Polar and Coda were courtesy of our work with them). We are not currently housing or training a pup, so Z thought she'd like to take on her own service dog work. Here she and Wes are working with the extremely adorable Robin. They are teaching him where he should be positioned (in regards to a client child, played by Z here) for Autism work.

Swinging into Spring

2011-04-04T21:31:00.001-04:00

We spend a lot of time on swings. Also, the weather here in C'ville? It's awesome!

Humpback Rocks, revisited again

2011-04-03T23:13:00.000-04:00

Zara says we should make this trek yearly. It's a relatively short hike, and the view is incredible, as is the sense of accomplishment. Z's now made it up and back all by herself twice now. I imagine the next time we go Amity will walk a bit of it. In the meantime, she seems pretty comfy on Wes' back.

Happy 14 month Birthday, Amity!

2011-04-02T22:39:00.000-04:00

13 month birthday was celebrated with cantaloupe, so here's a shot of Amity gnawing on an apple. Looks like she's going to need to learn to accept some hair clips or we're going to have to trim her bangs....

Wacky Hijinx!

2011-04-01T22:36:00.002-04:00

The girls are both brushing my hair. Somewhat successfully. Good thing I cut it so there's a lot less to brush! Also, Amity's newest hat. Anything goes as a hat around here these days.

Toys

2011-03-30T22:32:00.000-04:00

Amity recently turned 1, and as such has moved onto toddler toys. She's done with those baby toys... well, not really. But here are a few shots of her newfound capabilities.... (note she's taken up reading about baby sign language as well. very advanced!)

Where's the mustard?

2011-03-28T22:28:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, ok, so more like sometime in February, Amity learned the "I don't know" gesture while visiting the fam in NYC. She's been using it quite a bit when asked where someone is that she cannot see at the time (ie when you ask her "where's Zara" while Zara is at school) but she's recently started using it as a joke, where she hides something and then gestures to indicate she doesn't know where it is. In this case, we're asking her about the mustard. Which is sitting next to her in her highchair. Funny kid.

Five and Three Quarters

2011-03-27T00:35:00.000-04:00

Here is Zara. She is bubbly! She is beautiful! She is brilliant! She is wearing a blue.... fuzzy. And she is 5 and 3/4 today! Which means in 3 short months she will be 6! Ack!

Scarves

2011-03-24T22:25:00.001-04:00

Amity and I took a music and movement class (aka Mary's dance class, I believe Zara was in the first round of classes Mary ever taught here in C'ville) a few weeks back. Amity liked many things about said music and movement class, and one of her favoritest things was the scarves. Here she is on stage at the Virginia Discovery Museum playing with those same scarves...

Hugs

2011-03-21T00:33:00.000-04:00

Amity giving me a good morning hug while simultaneously modeling her early dress up endeavors - all chefs must wear their hair out of their face!

Swinging Trajectory

2011-03-17T00:27:00.000-04:00

Amity spends most of the time in her "baby swing", but on occasion has been known to explore the challenging world of "big girl swings." Once we're a bit more confident she'll actually hold on most of the time, perhaps it will become a bit more of a regular occurrence.

Dolphin built for 2...

2011-03-14T23:18:00.001-04:00

Enjoying a tandem rock on the trusty Pen Park dolphin...

Readers

2011-03-12T23:14:00.000-05:00

Zara's reading Good Night, Moon to Amity. Amity is thrilled and enchanted. However, Amity knows Zara won't always let her turn the pages or drool on the book as the mood strikes... so Amity's got her own book ready as a back up should the page turning or drooling need arise. Hey, she's getting molars, this is serious business!

I can't hear you I have a banana in my ear!

2011-03-10T23:12:00.001-05:00

Amity demonstrating that everything is a cell phone, and also, everything is edible! At least in her world view. This is the first time we've let her hold a whole banana on her own. Needless to say, she enjoyed the experience!

Happy 13 month Birthday, Amity!

2011-03-02T22:04:00.002-05:00

Amity is very fond of that piece of cantaloupe. And why shouldn't she be? She's 13 months old, after all!

Hair gone, again

2011-02-26T21:49:00.000-05:00

It is not quite as short as the last time I cut my hair off, when Zara was about 7 months old, but it sure is nice to have a lot less hair. Amity's been pretty good about pulling it (or rather, not pulling it) as she spends a lot of time on my back, and has a lot od opportunity to do so which she doesn't take much. But I was just ready for something new.

Uh Oh!

2011-02-24T21:17:00.002-05:00

Amity demonstrates her newest phrase - quite useful when you drop things semi-professionally as she is wont to do these days!

Collaborative Coloring

2011-02-21T22:00:00.001-05:00

Zara and Amity working on a joint artistic creation. Or maybe I'm just trying to keep them out from underfoot while Wes cooks dinner.

She does her own stunts...

2011-02-19T21:57:00.000-05:00

Zara in mid-air, jumping off the swings at red park. There's more to this story, about how she and Wes measured where she landed after each jump in "clogs" (her feet) and then went home and graphed it all, since we left school early on Friday and she missed some graphing fun. But really, isn't this a cool picture?

Sojourner Truth

2011-02-14T21:52:00.000-05:00

February is African-American History month, and in celebration Zara's class drew portraits of Sojourner Truth. The top photo is the whole display, while the bottom photo is Zara's contribution. She's got a good eye, no? Takes after her father. I can't draw.

Cat!

2011-02-07T21:45:00.001-05:00

Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Art got Amity this super cool ride-on tiger for her birthday (Zara is also a very big fan). While the rest of us know it's a tiger, Amity insists it's a CAT! And yes, the capital letters are necessary to convey her enthusiasm... Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Amity's First Birthday (Observed)

2011-02-05T21:32:00.001-05:00

Maryann and Gabi were both in town for Amity's first birthday shindig, but neither is pictured here. Instead we see the birthday girl and her big sister (in nearly matching dresses courtesy of the Brooklyn family, thanks guys!) as well as Amity and her buddy S (the younger sister of Z's buddy E) playing in the wreckage of our small birthday dinner party.

Teeth Brushing

2011-02-04T21:25:00.001-05:00

Now that Amity has 7 teeth and is officially a toddler, Zara's begun giving teeth brushing lessons. So far, so good!

Happy Birthday, Amity!

2011-02-02T21:03:00.003-05:00

Hard to believe but the littlest member of the Craig family turned 1 today. We celebrated with cupcakes at home (as 1st birthday messy cake face pictures are required) and then rounded out the day with a trip to Red Robin (official birthday restaurant since there are things for veggies and non-veggies alike to consume, grown up drinks a-plenty and we never have the most poorly behaved kids in the restaurant ;). Our wonderful waitress Steph was kind enough to snap a full family portrait to commemorate the day. Happy Birthday, Ami-boo!