Thursday, October 25, 2012

Team Lisa Races Again!

Team Lisa blazed a trail at the Komen Greater NYC Race for the Cure last month - the team's 7th year, and Luke and Mommy's fifth!  The race might have been last month, but it's not too late to donate!  Donations are accepted until October 31st, and this year more than ever, every single dollar counts!  Donations are down considerably in 2012, and vital grants are in jeopardy of going unfunded in 2013 - leaving women in need without services, care, or support, as well as jeopardizing research funds.  If you haven't given yet, please consider sending some money Team Lisa's way.

It's easy!  Just visit www.komennyc.org/goto/paigeandluke2012 and click on the DONATE NOW button on the right hand side of the page.  Your donation is tax deductible and will help women in need receive services and support they may not otherwise get.  Please help Team Lisa!

 Team Lisa: 2012 Edition

Luke and Mommy got an early start with an 8:00 train into Grand Central.  Luke was so excited to ride the train into the city, just like Mommy & Daddy do!  
  
No, really, he was excited.  I promise.  He also brought his pirate compass, just to be safe.

For the first year ever, Luke didn't ride in the stroller - he was scooting for the Cure!  Mommy was impressed with how well he did staying close and listening to instructions in the big crowd of racers.  (For the most part, anyway)

He was the master of all he surveyed.  And hoo boy, ladies love Luke in a frog backpack - one lady even took his picture while he was on the move!

 He was so excited to finish "Aunt Lisa's Race"!

He scooted like a champ, and did a great job holding it together on a very long day in the city that included the round trip train ride, taxis, the 5k race, amazing brunch at Ocean Grill, and a trip across Central Park to check out the steps of the Met (as featured in a library favorite, You Can't Take A Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum).

Celebratory ice cream for Luke!  He had his mind on a Sponge Bob pop from the get-go, and boy did he earn it!

A great picture of Luke and Auntie Lisa...not so great of Mommy.


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

It's Autumn, Harper

Both kids have been learning about "Autumn" in school with all sorts of fun activities - leaf collecting, apple snacks, leaf rubbings, apple crumble, etc.  Luke, as is his wont, is now An Authority and loves to lecture us on fall facts.  We've also been having fun playing outside in the magical weeks when it's not too hot and perfect for running around and riding bikes.

PA Local 9 Represent!
You know it!
(the Local 9 gets A LOT of promotion from these 2 around here)

One blip was the crime scene that broke out on our driveway...
CSI: Ossining

Harper was wary of the monkey jams Aunt Tanya bought her at first, but once she realized the top was "like a coat!" she was sold.  She even tried to wear them to school the other day

Picture day ensemble!  Dress courtesy of Uncle Lenny.

GO U BEARS!  (She slept in this hat the night before and spent all of bathtime & bedtime preptime telling Daddy "I wear my hat TO-MORROW!")

Harper takes all new favored-nation items to bed with her.  On this night, her jingly-belly Pooh from Aunt Slater made the cut, along with Luke's Toy Story book (or, per Harper, "YeeHaw Cowboy"), Snow, ABCs, and "A Mother for Choco" - a book she finds at once vaguely unsettling and compelling)

The kids both need to bring little pumpkins to school this week.  Harper, of course, had to take hers to bed.  "Harper's little punkin.  NOT LUKEY'S."

"Mama, do you know one of the fun things about autumn?  
You can make a big pile of leaves and jump into them!"  
Daddy wisely convinced Luke to move the leaves to the grass vs. the driveway. A project was undertaken!  Safety vests were donned!  (the best $6 we ever gave Ikea)


Harper tried on her new winter boots, courtesy of the Genna Sime collection.  They're big on her, but she so doesn't care.
And she pitched in to help!
Why yes, she is taking a break on the travel high chair.  In the driveway.
We're klassy.



Making "leaf angels"
Harper was finally given a turn

While they were playing he was saying "IT'S AUTUMN, HARPER!"
They had so much fun together - and fell asleep toot sweet that night

That evening they continued their peaceful co-existence with a "game" of dominos 


They lined them up 
"HARPER MAKING A LINE!"

We lined them up "like soldiers"
And sundry other ways

Happy fall everyone!  Stay tuned for Halloween pictures and the cutest Batman and Elmo you'll ever see!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Silly Faces, Going Places, Batman Traces

Some more pictures from the last few weeks - we've been very busy having fun!  We've had play dates and gone apple picking and made yet another trip to the Bronx Zoo.

We had a play date with Max a few weeks ago & we all made Great Grandma Miller's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  See my children eating the dough...

Jen had the kids captivated as they SCOOPED and DUMPED.  Harper also enjoyed the special toddler step stool for kitchen helping - she was just like the big kids!
 
And here Luke & Max grew skeptical of Jen's methods
Harper got her own tray & bowl of dough.  These cookies were fortified with Harper germs

Daddy had to go to CA on business at the beginning of the month.  One morning before school Luke had me "take pictures of us making silly faces."

Luke workshopped some looks


"This is me after someone stoled something from me."(?)
Luke taught Harper how to make this silly face

And Harper kept it up even after Luke stepped out of frame

...and they did it again a few days later.  Harper is wearing her new favorite "GROVER SHIRT!"

They have rediscovered...and broken...the microphone that came with Luke's keyboard from Aunt Sharren & Uncle Charlie.  Who needs the TODAY concert series?  We have Luke Live.


A replacement microphone was procured and Luke made the silent butler into a mic stand.  Doesn't everyone rock out in fireman jams and your sister's hand-me-down slippers?

PONIES! 

Double fisting dessert - cookies from Max's house & an apple

Luke got his face painted at the Irish Festival

Luke has chosen to be Batman for Halloween.  He is so excited we have had to hide his costume, but the first night he wore the gloves and slept with the mask & cowl

And Harper has been obsessed with Maurice Sendak's Nutshell Library, just about memorizing "One Was Johnny"  She also likes to bring them to bed with her.  I walked in one night 15 minutes or so after I had put her down and she was on her back, half asleep, dreamily clutching them to her chest.  "LITTLE BOOKS.  Read chicken soup WITH RICE."

How did she get enough hair for a ponytail?! (It stayed in for approximately 10 minutes)

We made our annual apple picking trip - Luke is an old pro


Harper dug right in to her spoils
Luke, too, got his money's worth



Harper was also determined to find a "happy punkin"
Luke helped her look
 
Approved!
They also rode the tractors at the apple farm


'nuff said
YAY indeed



This past weekend we took advantage of an Indian Summer day and went back to the Bronx for Boo at the Zoo.
Harper caught a ride on Daddy
Luke got to wear part of his Batman costume
But he took it off for the "haunted" hayride


At first, Harper was having fun
But then animatronic skeletons started popping up along the route and she DID NOT WANT
Luke worked on some spooky faces


Then, just one day later, we were all bundled up and making carrot muffins
Luke and Harper were in charge of lining the muffin tin
"I HELP."

Columbus Day wasn't a holiday for Daddy, so Luke, Harper, and Mommy had a fun day together.  In addition to breakfast out and a trip to the "Big Park," we made a tent in the living room.  Here Luke is loading in the magnetic white board.  Of course.  The step stools outside are "the porch."
Harper was introduced to peanut butter crackers.  She LOVED them.
She wasted no time getting as many in her mouth as possible
A rousing game of "Cootie Bug Free" was played (which, per Luke, is when you "don't bounce the red thing and just put together silly bugs")
And Harper and Mommy made cookies.  She was a great helper - "I MIXIN'!  I DUMP IT!"