Monday, June 17, 2013
Mobile Posts
Since I take most photos with my phone now a days I thought maybe if I post from my phone I may post more often. So here goes!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
June Update
OK, I had 2 blog posts in 2012. We are 6 months into 2013 and I have 0 so I am posting today.
Not much to say. Things for us are pretty much the same as my last post. Only difference is little Viv is now 3.25 years old. Very sassy and giving mom and dad a run for our money. She definitely has my stubbornness and her dad's fierce independence. She is loving school and learning to write her name (and spell it). She is getting very good at puzzles, card games (i.e. go fish and old maid), and has learned some board games as well. We still enjoy nightly dance parties but there is serious competition with jumping on mom and dad's bed. We are getting ready for Grandma Howard to come for a long visit and for Vivian's first ballet recital this month. Very exciting.
Vivian loves to find V's on signs and scream "there is my name!". This one was on a subway platform on the way to the Central Park Zoo.
Out for a walk in the neighborhood with her dolly. Wearing mommy's giant sunnies.
Out and about with Daddy. Can you tell what her favorite color is? Vivian picks out her own clothes most days and mommy has learned to pick her battles! Mismatched socks on purpose? Sure, why not. At least you have clothes on!
Not much to say. Things for us are pretty much the same as my last post. Only difference is little Viv is now 3.25 years old. Very sassy and giving mom and dad a run for our money. She definitely has my stubbornness and her dad's fierce independence. She is loving school and learning to write her name (and spell it). She is getting very good at puzzles, card games (i.e. go fish and old maid), and has learned some board games as well. We still enjoy nightly dance parties but there is serious competition with jumping on mom and dad's bed. We are getting ready for Grandma Howard to come for a long visit and for Vivian's first ballet recital this month. Very exciting.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Silly Woman
I can't believe I wrote that last post in January. Silly silly me. I guess I was trying to be realistic that I wouldn't be blogging much with school. It ended up being true. Yes, I have had the urge to blog a lot lately but no time or attention to give to it! Sorry! Here is an update on the Cruikshanks for those interested!
Vivian
She is growing like a weed and is so bright and funny. She is a little over 2 and half years old but will be moving up to the 3 year old classroom at school this month. This summer we potty trained and transitioned her to a toddler bed. It has been bitter sweet for me since she has shed all of her remaining baby things at this point (crib, changing table, diapers, etc.). She is officially a big girl/toddler and is doing great. She is really into music and dancing and loves us to tell her stories at night (in addition to reading books). We then catch her acting out the stories or telling them to her dolls which is so cool. She is taking karate and a separate gym class at school and seems to enjoy them though we can't get her to show us any of her karate moves at home. She is obsessed with wearing dresses. Luckily any long or flowy shirt is also a "dress" to her and she thinks wearing pants under them is cool, otherwise her wardrobe would be very limited. She has an amazing memory and notices so many things which means we have a harder time slipping things past her and she regularly calls us out on things we said or promised. Drat! The amount of spelling we now have to do is crazy.
Daddy
Greg is pretty much the same since January. He works too much but spends every spare moment he can with Vivi and me. I know this abbreviated update sounds like he is not important, which is really not true at all. It is just that my poor hubby pretty much works, sleep, and handles getting Vivi to and from school each day and not much else. I have been pushing him to begin looking for a new job so he can reclaim his life and enjoy himself a little more. He could use a lot of prayer!
Mommy
I graduated with my MBA last spring which was awesome. I took the summer off with little expectations of myself (thanks to the prodding of a friend to lighten up a bit) which was very nice. This fall I went back to school! Just kidding, I decided to take some continuing education classes at NYU on Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. I have always been intensely interested in those programs and would like to build up my skills (and resume) for the next stage of my life. For once I am taking classes I love and it is so cool! Work is going fine with its regular ups and downs and I am excited for the cooler weather.
Overall we feel like we are in a major transition period and trying to figure out what that means for our family. I wish I could say more about it but I really don't know what God has in store for us next. We are very open to anything and we are exploring a few different options.
I wish I could say I was going to start blogging again regularly but maybe if I don't say it, it will actually happen! Ha!
She is growing like a weed and is so bright and funny. She is a little over 2 and half years old but will be moving up to the 3 year old classroom at school this month. This summer we potty trained and transitioned her to a toddler bed. It has been bitter sweet for me since she has shed all of her remaining baby things at this point (crib, changing table, diapers, etc.). She is officially a big girl/toddler and is doing great. She is really into music and dancing and loves us to tell her stories at night (in addition to reading books). We then catch her acting out the stories or telling them to her dolls which is so cool. She is taking karate and a separate gym class at school and seems to enjoy them though we can't get her to show us any of her karate moves at home. She is obsessed with wearing dresses. Luckily any long or flowy shirt is also a "dress" to her and she thinks wearing pants under them is cool, otherwise her wardrobe would be very limited. She has an amazing memory and notices so many things which means we have a harder time slipping things past her and she regularly calls us out on things we said or promised. Drat! The amount of spelling we now have to do is crazy.
Daddy
Greg is pretty much the same since January. He works too much but spends every spare moment he can with Vivi and me. I know this abbreviated update sounds like he is not important, which is really not true at all. It is just that my poor hubby pretty much works, sleep, and handles getting Vivi to and from school each day and not much else. I have been pushing him to begin looking for a new job so he can reclaim his life and enjoy himself a little more. He could use a lot of prayer!
Mommy
I graduated with my MBA last spring which was awesome. I took the summer off with little expectations of myself (thanks to the prodding of a friend to lighten up a bit) which was very nice. This fall I went back to school! Just kidding, I decided to take some continuing education classes at NYU on Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. I have always been intensely interested in those programs and would like to build up my skills (and resume) for the next stage of my life. For once I am taking classes I love and it is so cool! Work is going fine with its regular ups and downs and I am excited for the cooler weather.
Overall we feel like we are in a major transition period and trying to figure out what that means for our family. I wish I could say more about it but I really don't know what God has in store for us next. We are very open to anything and we are exploring a few different options.
I wish I could say I was going to start blogging again regularly but maybe if I don't say it, it will actually happen! Ha!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Fun with String
It is one of my New Year's goals to blog more this year, but with a winter intensive class starting in a few days I don't really see that happening for a while. That being said, I didn't want to delay this post so that local moms can take advantage (or anyone who wants a silly activity).
Last weekend we took Vivian to PS1 to see an art installation featuring a room full of string. I am talking about an entire room filled a foot deep with balls of string. It is like a ball pit for grown-ups. I can't tell you what the artists purpose was, you can read about it here. I can only tell you that you leave your shoes at the door and jump into a big pit of string. It was highly recommended on the Sunnymoms email group (a listserv in my neighborhood) and it did not disappoint. Totally worth the entrance fee for me and Greg (kids under 16 are free). Vivi loved it and so did we. We jumped in the string, we fell backwards into the string, we buried ourselves in the string, we dug a hole in the string, we pulled on the string. It was a hoot. We probably hung out there for an hour and Vivi did not want to go. The rest of the museum was ho-hum for an almost 2 year old but I would highly recommend going just for the string. It runs through the end of January.
And here is another cute shot of Vivian. She is adorable as usual in her ladybug raincoat my mom gave her. We are amazed at her language skills. She is starting to drop her baby pronunciations of words as she learns the real way to say things and her sentences are becoming more and more complex. So much fun!
And for those who have not seen me in a while, a photo for you. Another resolution of mine is to spend a few more minutes each morning on my hair and make-up for a more professional put together look. I have been really lazy with an unwashed ponytail and no make-up most days. That has to stop! I got a haircut today, have been studying hairstyling blogs and bought a new ceramic flat iron. Hopefully I will find a new routine that is not too labor intensive and will share it here.
Hopefully you will see and hear more from me soon! Happy New Year to you all.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Fun in Texas
We recently went down to Dallas for a few days to visit our besties John and Aimee. 90 degree weather, great food, lots of fun, and drive through margaritas (that is a strange story for another time). It was a nice way to spend the limited amount of time I got off between semesters and a fun way to spend Mother's Day.
Vivi's favorite sculpture at the Nasher. Seriously she kept running back to it and pointing and staring.
I love Texas!
John and Aimee on our walk home from dinner.
Rosey cheeked. A little sweaty from our time at the arboretum.
Playing in the frog fountain.
Peter Rabbit's house. Do you like my sun hat?
At John and Aimee's loft. I love this chair, it is just my size. Where did that kitty go?
In the tee pee with Daddy.
Vivi charms everyone she meets. She loves people so much. It was a nice trip overall! We can't wait to see J&A again.
Vivi's favorite sculpture at the Nasher. Seriously she kept running back to it and pointing and staring.
I love Texas!
John and Aimee on our walk home from dinner.
Rosey cheeked. A little sweaty from our time at the arboretum.
Playing in the frog fountain.
Peter Rabbit's house. Do you like my sun hat?
At John and Aimee's loft. I love this chair, it is just my size. Where did that kitty go?
In the tee pee with Daddy.Vivi charms everyone she meets. She loves people so much. It was a nice trip overall! We can't wait to see J&A again.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Our Girl is One!
Wow, time flies by. After the holidays we went into crazy mode for the month of January. I won't get into all the details but things are quieting down now. On February 23rd we celebrated Vivian's first birthday! Well, we didn't actually celebrate until the weekend but I just wanted to post a few photos of our girl.
Here is Vivi on the day of her birthday, striking a pose. Really she is thinking "why the heck am I on the table?". She is with her pall Charlie the Cheetah, her favorite stuffed animal. At this point she is in 18 month clothes but we are finding them snug already. She weighs 23.5 pounds and is 31 inches tall. That is almost 14.5 pounds and 10 inches of growth in 1 year! Amazing. 
Vivi has 10 teeth, two of which are a little toward the back and have been tougher to cut. She is a very active walker who practically runs around the house. Here she is pulling out items from her hiding spot. I like to leave things in this little cubbie next to the tv for her to discover.
Vivi has been climbing stairs for a while now so we have to be ever vigilent to put up the gate. She has learned to climb off the bed and couch but has had a hard time continuing that training onto the stairs. She will do it for a couple steps but then gets bored with it and wants to turn around and step off like a grown-up! Yikes. We will keep working on it. Her shirt is wet here after being cleaned up from dinner. You have seen how messy she can get feeding herself! Speaking of which she is a master eater. We are working on self feeding with a spoon. She is completely off of bottles and drinking from sippy cups though we are also working on using regular cups. At daycare Vivi has been moved up to the one year old room where they no longer use cribs or highchairs. They sit at little table all together as a group and eat their meals. We decided to continue this at home and have Vivi sit at the table with us which means her highchair is more like a booster seat. No tray. We put her food on a plate and she has done well with it so far. We are trying to teach her that if she doesn't want to eat anything she can move it to a pile to the side instead of throwing it on the floor. She still prefers the out of sight, out of mind approach. I however, am tired of cleaning food off the ground.
Here is Vivi at one of her virtual birthday parties. We had a little Skype party with each set of grandparents so they could watch her open her presents and have some cake. Lots of fun. When my parents were on the computer Greg held the laptop and she followed him around "chasing them" for 15 minutes straight. It was very cute. 
We are still waiting for hair to grow. The mohawk region of her head has gotten a lot thicker and MIGHT have a little curl to it but we are still waiting for any real length. Here is Vivi "brushing" her hair. She copies my hand motion but doesn't actually touch the brush to her head. Such a funny girl. 
Here is Vivi practicing wearing her swim cap. We signed up for swim classes at the YMCA and they require everyone in the pool to wear a cap. We were a little nervous because Viv hates to have hats or headbands or anything else on her head. However, when we put the swim cap on (it is pretty big as you can see) she just acted like it wasn't there. Good thing. That was a battle I wanted to avoid. I bought her a cute pink skirted swimsuit and a swim diaper and we were all set.
I wish I had a better shot of us at the pool but photos weren't allowed. Greg caught this shot on the down low which is why it isn't very clear. Vivi likes being in the water and seems to enjoy our classes. We mostly just bounce around and sing songs at this point. It is more about being comfortable in the water than anything else. She is the biggest baby in the 6-12 month class and is pretty good a kicking her legs. I think we may sign up for music together once swimming is over. It has been fun spending Saturday morning hanging out with Vivi and other kids/parents. Not something I get to do a lot since Greg is the one who handles all the daycare interaction.
So after one year Vivian is doing great. She is a high spirited and happy baby/toddler. We were just commenting on how much easier parenting is at this point since she is more self sufficient and it is certainly more fun everyday as her personality grows. She just learned to shake her head yes and no and it is hilarious to watch since her whole body shakes along with it. Happy Birthday Bubba!!
Here is Vivi on the day of her birthday, striking a pose. Really she is thinking "why the heck am I on the table?". She is with her pall Charlie the Cheetah, her favorite stuffed animal. At this point she is in 18 month clothes but we are finding them snug already. She weighs 23.5 pounds and is 31 inches tall. That is almost 14.5 pounds and 10 inches of growth in 1 year! Amazing. 
Vivi has 10 teeth, two of which are a little toward the back and have been tougher to cut. She is a very active walker who practically runs around the house. Here she is pulling out items from her hiding spot. I like to leave things in this little cubbie next to the tv for her to discover.
Vivi has been climbing stairs for a while now so we have to be ever vigilent to put up the gate. She has learned to climb off the bed and couch but has had a hard time continuing that training onto the stairs. She will do it for a couple steps but then gets bored with it and wants to turn around and step off like a grown-up! Yikes. We will keep working on it. Her shirt is wet here after being cleaned up from dinner. You have seen how messy she can get feeding herself! Speaking of which she is a master eater. We are working on self feeding with a spoon. She is completely off of bottles and drinking from sippy cups though we are also working on using regular cups. At daycare Vivi has been moved up to the one year old room where they no longer use cribs or highchairs. They sit at little table all together as a group and eat their meals. We decided to continue this at home and have Vivi sit at the table with us which means her highchair is more like a booster seat. No tray. We put her food on a plate and she has done well with it so far. We are trying to teach her that if she doesn't want to eat anything she can move it to a pile to the side instead of throwing it on the floor. She still prefers the out of sight, out of mind approach. I however, am tired of cleaning food off the ground.
Here is Vivi at one of her virtual birthday parties. We had a little Skype party with each set of grandparents so they could watch her open her presents and have some cake. Lots of fun. When my parents were on the computer Greg held the laptop and she followed him around "chasing them" for 15 minutes straight. It was very cute. 
We are still waiting for hair to grow. The mohawk region of her head has gotten a lot thicker and MIGHT have a little curl to it but we are still waiting for any real length. Here is Vivi "brushing" her hair. She copies my hand motion but doesn't actually touch the brush to her head. Such a funny girl. 
Here is Vivi practicing wearing her swim cap. We signed up for swim classes at the YMCA and they require everyone in the pool to wear a cap. We were a little nervous because Viv hates to have hats or headbands or anything else on her head. However, when we put the swim cap on (it is pretty big as you can see) she just acted like it wasn't there. Good thing. That was a battle I wanted to avoid. I bought her a cute pink skirted swimsuit and a swim diaper and we were all set.
I wish I had a better shot of us at the pool but photos weren't allowed. Greg caught this shot on the down low which is why it isn't very clear. Vivi likes being in the water and seems to enjoy our classes. We mostly just bounce around and sing songs at this point. It is more about being comfortable in the water than anything else. She is the biggest baby in the 6-12 month class and is pretty good a kicking her legs. I think we may sign up for music together once swimming is over. It has been fun spending Saturday morning hanging out with Vivi and other kids/parents. Not something I get to do a lot since Greg is the one who handles all the daycare interaction.
So after one year Vivian is doing great. She is a high spirited and happy baby/toddler. We were just commenting on how much easier parenting is at this point since she is more self sufficient and it is certainly more fun everyday as her personality grows. She just learned to shake her head yes and no and it is hilarious to watch since her whole body shakes along with it. Happy Birthday Bubba!!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Gift Wrap Find
Just a fun find. Soule Mama did a post today on fabric gift wrap! She showed a way to use ribbon without doing drawstrings that totally makes sense. I can't believe I was considering a much more complicated alternate plan involving velcro! I am totally inspired to finish my Christmas gift wrap and get it tucked away for next year. She wraps gifts that are being given away too. Something to think about.
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