Free Fallin'

Jim and I were talking the other day about the fact that our bedroom is definitely not off-limits for the boys. Seems wherever we go, they follow... and we like it that way.

Both boys LOVE jumping on the bed. T is getting a little too big for it, and Ollie can't really quite jump yet... but they like to watch themselves in the mirror. Luckily, they rarely fall off.

The other day, T said to me, "Mom, can you put some make-up on so we can jump on the bed?" I now realize that that is what I'm doing pretty much every morning while those two goobers goof around behind me.

Here's a bit of that nonsense:

Free Fallin' from Sheryl Konopack on Vimeo.

Memorial Day, 2010

Ahh! Memorial Day!
This year I decided to take the kids to the parade in Ocean Grove (which is actually a part of Neptune Township). Although it was short and sweet, they did throw candy (a step up from last year). I had prepped Trenton by reading a book with him about Memorial Day , making sure that he understood that this holiday was significant, patriotic, and more than just a parade ;)

Together we clapped as each veteran walked by.
T wore his Statue of Liberty bathing suit.

Ollie liked the parade, for sure. Only problem was, they said it would begin at 10, and it didn't get to us until 45 minutes later.... luckily, I had some fruit salad and a few cars. You can do anything with cars...
A lady from the township took our picture. You might see it here ;) Not sure if it will be as nice as the one below:


We skipped the 21 gun salute and instead headed down to the beach. It was a bold move for me-- packing a lunch and deciding to see if I could get Ollie to nap on the beach. Poor kid was hot and cranky-- kept rubbing sand in his eyes. He wouldn't rest on me and he wouldn't rest in the beach tent I brought along (typical for him-- he's never been a bedtime cuddler). Plus, there was all the commotion... Trenton had befriended a big kid on the beach and was crushed when I told him we'd have to leave.
But there will be more days, son! Summer is just beginning!

You Gotta be Kidding Me...

Are you aware that Enfamil has put out a new line of formula for toddlers that comes in chocolate and vanilla flavors? I mean, seriously?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends having toddlers drink whole milk until age two. So between milk and water, and probably the occasional juice, this is what your child should develop a taste for in the first two years of his life.
But chocolate? Vanilla?
Enfamil's peeps explain that they are catering to kids who won't drink it otherwise... OMG what baloney.
I know someone who gave her kids strawberry milk for a long time... each time they had milk to drink... I had a bit of a talking with her, and shortly thereafter, it subsided.
I don't CARE if it is made with artificial sweeteners/doesn't have more calories/gets my kids to drink more of it...
You're consciously building a desire for added sweet to something that is already naturally sweet! You're getting your baby to understand that chocolate is good and necessary to have as a beverage on a regular basis...
Who are the doctors who've endorsed this stuff? Thankfully, there are moms on the other end of the spectrum getting the word out about this (and the Chicago Tribune).
Gets me to remember another post I read awhile back... Yes! Buy some greasy, breaded, beefed-up chicken! And we'll put money towards helping 'find the cure'! So wait-- obesity isn't one of the leading factors for cancer? Couldn't they at least make it the grilled kind?

Arugh... so that's my rant. I know there's bigger stuff going on in the world today... but this one seems like something we can at least control.

Many thanks to Dawn for forwarding this site. If you need a smile, or at least a laugh, click here now!
Also, LOVE this site... wish I had a need for the products...

Lovin' My Boys

I really missed the kids this weekend. Lots of things that I saw that I know they would have enjoyed.
Trenton is totally into Mario Kart now. I had (arbitrarily) decided that he could play Wii once he turned 4... which also was right around the time he started acting up at preschool... So we set it up as a reward system. On the days he got a good report from school, he was allowed to play Wii after lunch. And let me tell you, since February, I think there have only been two days he's missed out ;)
He's probably just as good as I am at Kart. It doesn't help that I'm usually nodding off on the couch as I play...
He's learned how to form a heart shape out of his fingers. He likes to use his own sign language to tell us that he loves us.
We love you too, buddy.
Oliver, on the other hand, has turned a corner. He is now officially an independent pisser.
Instead of just going along with everything I say (boy, do I miss those days), now he's all "Mine!" and "NO!"... I knew it was coming, but... so soon?

Luckily, at the times when Ollie is giving me a hard time, T is a complete angel. And vice versa. I seem to remember this being the case when my brother and I got in trouble as kids as well (sometimes we ganged up together on 'em, though).

Oliver is my little reader. Here he is exploring "Doggy Book" on the bed alone. He's totally into his lift-the-flap and touch-and-feel books.
I love being a family of readers!
P.S.: OMG I think about this EVERY TIME we go out to eat... glad to see that it is finally in print!

Helpin' Mommy from Sheryl Konopack on Vimeo.

Ahhh... Bahhhston...

For those of you who are recent friends, know that Jim and I lived in Boston (Malden, to be precise) for a year while he got a master's degree at BU and I taught at a private Catholic school in Lynn.

The year we spent there was awesome. Not only was it our first time living in the same state together, but we were also exploring a fantastic urban area for the first time, together. We learned how to parallel park like pros, carry furniture up three flights of stairs, and find the best places for chowder. Together, we volunteered our time working with kids who were living in halfway homes with their mothers (my first observations of Jim as a father-figure). We often rode the T into the city to go out at night and explore during the day. Traffic was constantly snarled by the Big Dig and construction was everywhere. Sept. 11th occurred while we were there. Jim proposed to me on a park bench in Boston Common after a dinner at Mamma Maria in the North End.

Jim was asked to attend a teaching professor conference in Boston this past weekend. With lodging, food, and travel covered for him, it seemed like a sweet deal if I tagged along! My parents watched the kids, and I did some fancy trip-planning (NJ Transit bus from home to NYC, Bolt Bus from NYC to Boston). $75 ROUND TRIP. SHA-BANG! I totally recommend the Bolt Bus to anyone who is looking to travel solo between major cities-- you'll save $ with the price of gas and tolls, they have free WiFi, and it takes about as long as it would if you were driving yourself!

Of course I had a plan for my time in Beantown! I had done a bit of research and decided that I wanted to try out the new Harbor Walk. I downloaded the audio tour from the website onto my iPod and was eager to try it out. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint! The narrator was informative and warm and they had interviews with locals and prominent figures along the way. It is clear that Boston (under Mayor Tom Menino) got serious about cleaning up its harbor and encouraging more people to visit it as a tourist attraction. Halfway through the tour I decided to catch a show at the IMAX theater. I saw "Hubble-3D" and it was amazing! I really learned so much about NASA and the space program... good stuff at 10AM on a Saturday morning ;)

You can see some of my pictures from the tour in the slideshow below:

After that mile and a half tour, I was ready for the BIG one. Yep,

that's right--The Freedom Trail. All that time living in Boston,

and I never actually got a map and walked the trail. This time, I

decided to purchase the audio tour and head out on foot solo. It

took hours! I totally enjoyed it, being a history buff and all...

So much Revolutionary War information, so many instances where

our young republic could have failed, but strong people got together

for the greater good and did something to save it!

Dancers in the Common from Sheryl Konopack on Vimeo.

The kids above were part of a historical dance group known as The Ginger Ale.

Needless to say, I could barely walk when I got back on the T. I

think I must have walked about eight miles or so that day!

I don't know if it is that Boston has great beer or that we just

know where to find great beer when we're in Boston... either be

the case, The Sunset Grill is a place not to be missed if you're

in town and thirsty!

We had the good fortune to meet up with our dear friend Todd.

Together, we swapped stories from the past and indulged in

a bit of the local brew.

The Sunset Grill allows you to taste 5 oz. of 4 different beers

(known as a "flight").

The pic above is of Jim's flight and the one on top

(with the red glass)

was mine. I got a FRUITY FLIGHT.

It was DELICioUS. And I don't say that about beer much...

All in all, a fantastic weekend. Will definitely have to go back again soon

with both kids, as the Children's Museum and Aquarium are two places

they NEED to visit.

Well, That Went Quickly

You know, when you think about it, you can do a LOT in six years.
You can finally feel settled in a new state, then have a baby, move elsewhere, have another kid, and break into a new decade of life.
And all the while, you can count on a fantastic show coming on each season that you truly enjoy watching and discussing with your spouse, that you wouldn't miss a second of it (and let the kids cry until commercials), that you lie awake in bed when you should be sleeping because it is late but your mind is still going "What does that MEAN???"

That's kinda been my affair with the show LOST.
And now it is over :(

Here's some good analysis of it here. And here. And here. You know, so I can look back at that someday and remember the emotions that went along with it, and with the finale. (Which, by the way, we thoroughly enjoyed, just not so much the last ten minutes... but whatever, the writers will do what they do).

This was one of the last scenes in the finale episode. Honestly, the dog did it for me, and I was tearing up at that point.

We don't think we'd ever invest in the boxed set of the show (who re-watches dramas they've already seen, anyway?)... but I can bet we'll be making LOST references for a long time coming.

Thanks, LOST, for an amazing run!
****
Late addition: wonderful video analysis of the music played on LOST!

YupYup

I'm betting you can't read that above... but what it says is that my brother's quad-rugby team is ranked as one of the top 20 in the country. Not an easy feat! He plays for the New York Warriors and truly enjoys it-- the physical sport as well as the camaraderie with his team mates. I took the kids to see him play in a regional match in South Jersey this winter... they loved it, but had a hard time sitting still for long. Last month they went to Alabama to play in the national competition. He had a blast. :)

***
You know, when you're reading an article on most websites, they'll be a button you can click to share with others that you're reading that article? I'd assume most people do this via Facebook or Twitter. I've found that when I do it through Blogger, it creates a whole new post for you to view. Which is probably unnecessary.

So, I will continue to save the articles that I find most interesting and want to share with you all, and then put them together in a post such as this. Happy reading!

This woman certainly left her mark. God Said Multiply, and Did She Ever

Could all of those food allergies really just be food intolerance? And what is the difference? Doubt Is Cast on Many Reports of Food Allergies

Although I've never been a fan of the standard, required book report, it seems to be working in this case, and the kids love it! Local School Bus Driver Controls Chaos With Books

Still don't believe in miracles? Look at these pictures and explain how he survived. Libya Plane Crash

And in case you need another good reason to get your kids outside and interacting with the natural world around them, check out this recent research here.

Thompson Park for Mothers Day

On the morning of Mothers Day, we met up with my parents and brother at Thompson Park. I've taken Trenton here once before and I'm pretty sure I remember coming here as a kid myself. It was incredibly windy but the kids didn't seem to mind.
There were pigs, chickens, turkey, geese, and deer to feed. We had a loaf of bread and four apples. I felt a bit like I was trapped in the story of Feeding the Five Thousand ;)

Timid deer. Hungry deer.


Trenton bonded completely with this one deer, above, who followed him all around, hoping for more handouts. In the second movie, you can hear how he names it.
He told me today that he wants to go back "in warm July" and see if antlers have grown.

Feeding the Deer Apples from Sheryl Konopack on Vimeo.

Trenton Names the Deer from Sheryl Konopack on Vimeo.

Mothers Day Tea

I know I'm the luckiest Mommy, ever. Trenton has taught me that time and again.

At school last week we had a Mothers Day brunch and tea. The kids practiced a song, illustrated a placemat, and created a picture frame craft.
Can you read those answers? He's got me to a T! (Except for the one about eating peanut butter and jelly on bananas with honey...) I don't watch much TV around him, so the answer about baseball was one he probably had to think of. I totally love my scanner, BTW.


Think they'll all still be mommas' boys when they grow up? Probably ;)

Trenton's Mothers Day Song from Sheryl Konopack on Vimeo.

Quick Visit to TCNJ

It has been nine years since I graduated from TCNJ... we were back for homecoming in 2007, and I think that was the last time I set foot on the Ewing campus. The alumni decal on the back of my truck is starting to come off and it was totally time to get a replacement. As we left the parking garage in Trenton, I decided that I'd drive on up and pay a visit with the boys.
(This was a risky move, as it was already past Oliver's nap time. But, seeing as class is over and I had no absolute reason to bolt home, I decided to make a run for it)

Changes, changes... so many new buildings. Very pretty ones, actually. And they've demolished the nasty ones. They've also added some artwork. Four orbs like the one above are planted outside Loser Hall, the new Art building, the Music building, and the Social Sciences building.
Yes, Trenton tried to push each one over. Because that's what you do when you're four.


Now, as you can see above, it looks like they're working on Green Hall. Not sure if it still houses the administration, but looks like it is getting an update.
The picture below is what's left of Quimby's Prairie. So sad! Some big-'ol building has been planted right in the middle of it. :(
As the story goes, one of the first presidents of the college lived in a home on the other side of the lake, which is just past Quimby's Prairie, and just outside his office window. He used this vantage point to make sure his wife wasn't cheating on him during the day while he was at work...
Guess he'll never know now...

Yes, ladies, the elevator in Forcina Hall still takes FOREVER and is STIFLING in the heat.
I walked the kids across campus to see if there was anyone hanging out in the ed. department that I might remember (there wasn't-- it was finals week). But there was a desk of "Take Me, I'm Free!" materials. Trenton scored with a teacher's manual for Arthur books.
Then we walked back to the new Social Sciences building. Can't believe I didn't take pictures of it, as the atrium is beautiful (you can see it here), but the kids were crabbin' and I wanted to just pop in and pop out. I left a note for my old adviser, Doctor Crofts, who was finished giving finals and out of the office. I was happy to get an email from him today! If you're wondering what he is up to, check out this review on his new book, “A Secession Crisis Enigma”.


Kids didn't fall asleep in the car until we were halfway home. I had the brilliant idea of parking the car, leaving the windows open, and napping with them in front of the house. Yes, it was that nice of a day...

Good Morning, Trenton!

Okay.
In case you're one of my readers from another state, here's what's going on in New Jersey.
Governor Christie is turning state funding up on its head. In a way, I think it is great. I'm all for listening to his proposals, especially when it is clear that he is looking to reduce a deficit and bring this state back to fiscal sense. But of course, there's two hot button issues that affect me directly, that I want to know more about. One is cutting state aid to local schools. The other is reducing state aid by 74% to New Jersey's libraries. You can read more about it here. After speaking with my local librarian, it seems that this will have a domino effect: funds that they thought would be coming from the state to meet needs will now have to come from local government, donations, etc. I use our library and its systems often. As a parent, we're there at least twice a month getting books, audio CDs, tapes, and DVDs. Sometimes we go for storytime or special programs. As a graduate student, the inter-library loan system is efficient and instrumental (especially for my area of study).
All this leads up to the following: the NJLA held a rally outside the State House Annex on Thursday, and I decided to attend. I wanted to learn more about what was going on and to show my support for our fantastic librarians.
But these kids aren't standing in front of a library, are they?
No. But the State Library is right next door ;)
We had gotten there early enough that we had a chance to walk around downtown. Can't say that it was overly exciting. Trenton is a city that is past its prime and will probably never go back. Which is a shame. Very much a forgotten capital. Great location, amazing history... but a dead-zone.
For those of you who did not know, the name Trenton actually means the town by the river Trent. (English)
Totally appropriate for my firstborn, who started his exit from the womb in a swimming pool, came out too quickly for a water birth, and now calls the seashore his second home...

So, if you are hanging out in downtown Trenton on a Thursday morning, why not check out the State Museum? It's free. And open early. And best? DINOSAURS!!!!!!

All I had to do was mention the dinosaur fossils, and he was jumping in the car, ready to go.


Oliver kept pointing to this one, dangling from the ceiling, and yelling "Bird!!!"
When he saw the T-Rex, he immediately said "GRRRROWWWL!" But he wouldn't go within three feet of the box. Neither of them would. Ha!

Below, they climb on a huge rock with a fossil footprint... it is right near T's head. See it?
They had a nice section on the history of Trenton (as evidenced in the battle scene above... I cannot WAIT until he is old enough to really understand the history of our great state... I get all giddy just thinking about it! Historian nerd blogger, right here!!!) There was also a room with pottery by a NJ artist (we did not break any pieces, thank you very much) and an entire exhibit devoted to Native American shoes. Cool.


And then there was the rally. We were told to wear red, which we did. There was coverage of the rally (you can read about it here, and watch a bit of it here), but not extensive. But very well organized. You can tell that a lot of people care, and do want their voices heard. Hopefully, the state congressmen were listening, and can take some of these issues up with the Governor and his new budget proposal.

Above, Trenton sits near a chalk drawing he did of the word "Library". There was a great photographer out and about that day. If you have a chance, look here and here for FANTASTIC pictures of the kids. I was very glad that I went and brought them. Trenton and I had a discussion about what a rally was and why the people were there. We brought several library books and read them together. Mostly, they raced cars and ate snacks. And Ollie fell and scraped his knee. But the two of them brought a lot of smiles and inspiration to the organizers, and for that, I'm happy. :)