March 16, 2016 by Jaclyn

A Storytelling Birthday Party

Well, here we go… it seems like only yesterday we were welcoming our baby boy to the world, and this past weekend I threw another first birthday party. This year has gone by so quickly, and we really wanted to do something special for our little guy, and to celebrate the fact that we made it through. Our first year as a family of four brought a lot of growing pains and also a lot of joy.

I started thinking about Nugget’s birthday party a couple of months ago. March is a tricky time for a birthday in upstate New York, because the weather is so iffy. Last year, when Nugget was born, we still had quite a lot of snow on the ground – when we came home from the hospital, I remember being greeted by a family of three foot tall snow rabbits just off the driveway. This year, it was sixty degrees and sunny – who’d have thunk? Still, I knew that if I planned a party at a park, it would be cold and probably freezing rain, because that’s how my luck runs.

I also wanted to do something a little different. We’ve been blessed with wonderful friends here and as a result, we’ve been to a fair few kids’ birthday parties in a number of different locations around town. We’ve celebrated at friends’ houses, at the YMCA, at a local nature preserve, and at a working farm. I knew that our townhouse was too small to host a group, so we’d have to go somewhere, but at the same time I didn’t want to copy any of our friends’ ideas. A bit of googling and I found the perfect place – Monkey See, Monkey Do – a children’s bookstore in Clarence, one of the Buffalo suburbs. We’d actually been to Monkey See, Monkey Do once before – on Christmas Eve morning, when they hosted a Polar Express story hour. It’s a gorgeous children’s bookstore, housed in a building that dates from the mid-nineteenth century (and still has its original walls and ceiling beams) and the book selection is beautifully curated. They host events and parties regularly, and they have two birthday packages available. I called them up, verified that our date was available, and immediately started talking details with the party coordinator. And a nature/garden-themed party was born.

The bookstore handled the cupcakes and I provided the rest of the food. The party was after lunch, so we went with an assortment of snacks. My favorite (Pinterest-found!) snack was the s’mores lollipops. They looked so cool and couldn’t have been easier. Just marshmallows impaled with a lolly stick, dipped in melted chocolate (done over a double boiler with a little cream) and rolled in graham cracker crumbs. Looked ten times harder than they were, and they were delicious.

I can’t say enough good things about the bookstore. The party package included a craft or two (they planned two) and a storyteller, plus the cupcakes and tea and coffee, and all of the paper products. The wonderful party planner had arranged a table with garden tools for the kids to decorate. (I’d told her that even though it was party for a one-year-old, she should gear the activities to three and four-year-olds, since Peanut and her friends made up the entire guest list.)

And after the kids had finished beading their spades (!!!) she had foam flowers to decorate, and then they got to put stickers on flowerpots and plant beans. I mean, really. How perfect is that activity for an early spring birthday?

(Obviously Nugget’s participation was limited, but Peanut and her friends had a ball.)

Don’t worry about the little guy, though. We had an activity for him, too. I brought his campfire from home, which is one of the favorite toys in our house. At $60 I thought it was a bit steep for a baby toy, but I can’t argue with the hours of entertainment that both Peanut and Nugget have gotten out of this thing.

After the crafts and cupcakes, Miss Kim – the owner of the store – read the kids a story. They had a selection of several books, all related to the gardening theme, on the table, and we chose Compost Stew. Kim read the book to the whole group; she’s a fabulous storyteller. (She was also the storyteller at the Polar Express story hour. Man, I wish my job involved reading stories to kids in a beautiful bookstore! #lifegoals)

After the story, we wrapped up the party. Nugget took Compost Stew home as the store’s birthday gift to him, and we picked up a few more books, too – Jumping Off Library Shelves for Peanut, and Bee-Bim Bop!, A Bear’s Year, and Forest Has a Song for our family library. Peanut’s friends each got to take a book home, too (and I felt a little guilty about having a party in a bookstore when one of Peanut’s pals suckered her mom into buying Princess Hamster – oops).

We headed back to our place with Nana and Grandad and did the rest of our gift-opening there. Nana and Grandad had Hilton Head souvenirs for both kids, and a mess of presents for Nugget for his birthday (including two that light up and make noise – poor form, grandparents). We mostly gave Nugget puzzles and books, because that’s how we roll. He got a few new board books from the BabyLit gang, a London opposites primer, and two gorgeous books about water and rocks, as well as his special gift from us – a beautiful Folio Society edition of Stuart Little. And because Nugget has to be Nugget, he also got some vehicles – wooden London taxi, police car and double-decker bus, and a new helicopter. Nana and Grandad also brought cars (and this cool rug to zoom them around on!), books, clothes and a couple of stuffed animals. So Nugget did quite well. I think he was psyched about his haul.

We spent the rest of Saturday afternoon and evening relaxing, but on Sunday morning the grandparents came back around and we all headed out to get some fresh air at Glen Park in Williamsville. I used to come to this park all the time when my Stroller Strides class met to work out there, but haven’t been in months (Stroller Strides ended last fall and hasn’t met since). I love Glen Park, but I did break out in cold sweats thinking about all the times I’ve sprinted up and down the switchback-laden path up that waterfall.

We weren’t at the park for hill repeats, though. We were there because it’s SPRING, and SPRING means DUCKS! Peanut was overjoyed that her feathered friends were back for the season.

I love ducks – they’re so adorable. This crowd wasn’t shy at all. There’s a sign instructing park visitors not to feed the wildlife, but I don’t think most people abide by it. These ducks have definitely gotten used to being fed by humans – they came right up to us wanting bread. (We didn’t have any, and didn’t feed them.) Peanut had a blast climbing up the rocks, running around on the grass, and checking out the new arrivals to the duck pond. And Nugget had a blast watching his sister play.

One more time – happy birthday, little boy! You’re my heart’s joy and I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We loved celebrating you, and we’re so glad you’re here.

March 11, 2016 by Jaclyn

Nugget: Twelve Months

Oh, little buddy – beautiful little boy – you are ONE YEAR OLD today! Hold me. I can’t believe this year has already gone by. A year ago at this time I was complaining about my hospital bed being periodically uncomfortable, and being told by the nurse, “That’s not the bed, that’s you, dear.” Ha.

We have had quite a year. We’ve traveled to the Outer Banks and the Rocky Mountains, spent more than two weeks (between the two trips) giving the kids lots of quality time with Uncle Dan and Aunt Danielle – and what a gift for Nugget in his first year of life – we’ve walked countless miles around East Aurora and on the hiking paths, and we’ve spent many afternoons dozing together in a patch of warm sunlight in Nugget’s rocking chair. This little guy speaks to my heart in ways all his own. Before he came I wondered – was my heart big enough to love another baby as completely as I love Peanut? And the moment I looked at him for the first time, I knew: yes, yes, absolutely. There is a place in my heart that is all Nugget’s, always has been, always will be.

And now here he is today, a big one-year-old. He’s still a little dude – small for his age – but he is mighty. I’m living in fear of the day that he rips the faucet out of Peanut’s play kitchen (it’s going to happen). He’s pulling up and cruising all over the place now, climbing the stairs (y’all, there’s no fear quite like a one-year-old who climbs stairs), and generally wreaking havoc all over the house. It’s chaos, and it’s so much fun.

What hasn’t changed this month? Well, the obvious – this boy is still completely, wildly, all-consumingly in love with his sister. His face lights up when she comes into the room, and he starts giggling as soon as she talks, or laughs, or even appears to notice him. He lives for her, and she for him, and it’s the best thing I’ve ever seen. Of course, he’s a little brother. So he also annoys the bejeezes out of her.

You know what he is not doing? Eating table foods. At this age, Peanut was snacking on all kinds of table foods in addition to her purees. Nugget – not so much. We offer them at every meal, and his teachers at daycare reinforce it, but it doesn’t matter what we offer – it pops right back out again. I keep on telling myself that he’ll get the hang of it eventually, but so far, no joy.

(We did discover one table food that he’ll eat: frosting. Last weekend we attended a birthday brunch for one of our closest friends here – the lovely mom of Peanut’s lovely BFF – and there were cupcakes. And there was cupcake domination. He even ate some of the cake. So at least I know that tomorrow he’ll eat something at his birthday party.)

There have been a lot of things about this year that have been really tough. A preschooler and a baby – that’s no joke. Having two small children, who both need me very much, has put me through the wringer. The long days and multiple night wake-ups have taken their toll for sure. It’s been an adjustment for our family, our marriage, our friendships – you name it. But it’s been so worth it. This has been one of the hardest, most exhausting years of my life – but I wouldn’t trade it. And while I have wished for a little more understanding, and a little more grace, from time to time this year, ultimately, we’ve survived and now we’re here, with a sweet, funny, joyful, absolutely miraculous little one-year-old that we couldn’t love more if we tried. So it’s good. It’s hard, but it’s very, very good.

Nugget at 12 (!!!) Months:

Weight: 18 pounds, 10.5 ounces. And the funniest face ever when I weighed him.

Height: Forgot to take this one, but I’ll add it in on Monday after his well-baby appointment, sound good?

Clothing Size: Twelve months.

Sleep: I don’t have much to say this month. Pretty much the same. Still no naps to speak of (naps are for weaklings, you guys, weaklings), still waking up 1-2 times per night to eat. (He may not be hungry, but it’s the easiest way for me to comfort him so we’re still nursing at night.) We did have a few days of shenanigans because we swapped the kids’ rooms, for reasons that are way too complicated to get into in a short paragraph about sleep. It took Nugget a few nights to get used to his new space, but he’s about back to his baseline now. Which isn’t to say good sleep, but at least I can manage it.

Likes: Cruising, the play kitchen, the actual kitchen, his SISTER!, pointing at EVERYTHING, climbing stairs, climbing Mom, throwing puffs, being spoon fed pouch puree at exactly his preferred speed, watching cartoons whenever Mom is not being vigilant enough, having raspberries blown on his tummy.

Dislikes: Your normal baby stuff. Having his clothes changed and his nose or face wiped. (Bad news: it’s spring cold season. There’s a lot of nose-wiping going on.)

Favorite Toys: Still loving cars and trucks. We opened up a train set that he received for Christmas and that’s been a big hit, which is not surprising at all. (Peanut loves it too.) And still loving anything that is not a toy, especially – this month – whatever he can find on the floor and the lowest shelf of the pantry. Especially the pretzel jar! So fun!

Milestones: So many, again, this month. Last month he was just beginning to pull up – now he’s cruising, pulling up on toy baskets and rooting around, dancing in place, and even starting to (very cautiously) let go and try to balance for a moment or two. He’ll be walking before I know it. He has a couple of words – aside from Mama and Dada we’ve heard “up” and “uh-oh.” And as I said, he loves to climb stairs (Mom is less than thrilled about that one). And a milestone Mom doesn’t love? Nugget’s hair is starting to fill in and weigh itself down, which means that his signature rooster ‘do is all but tamed. I’m going to miss that exuberant baby cowlick when it’s gone.

Quirks: Here’s one for the books – Nugget loves kitchens. He likes Peanut’s play kitchen, our regular kitchen (dishwasher! pantry! pots and pans to bang!) and he can’t get enough of watching the guys make pizza at a wood-fired pizza place we found in our new neighborhood. I’ve been joking that he’s going to grow up to be the next Bobby Flay.

Happiest of birthdays, baby boy! You’ll always be my little sweet one. Mommy and Daddy and Peanut love you more than you will ever know. We’re sad to bid goodbye to the first year, but excited for all the good that is right around the corner. You keep right on being you, growing so big and strong and amazing us every day. We love you!

March 4, 2016 by Jaclyn

ColoRADo 2015: Indian Peaks Wilderness

Our second full day in Colorado was a big one. I’d asked Dan to show us the very best of his adopted home state, and he came through in a major way, starting with Indian Peaks Wilderness. If he was trying to show us how spectacular the scenery is less than thirty minutes from his house, he succeeded.

We got to Indian Peaks and suited up in our winter gear. The temperatures were very low – the Boulder-Denver area was enduring a vicious cold snap while we were there – but it wasn’t particularly windy that day, so it was really quite comfortable in the sun. Dan told us that we were going to walk to Brainard Lake, and he promised that it was only about a half mile hike along the road. Normally, he explained, we’d drive all the way, park near the lake, and hike the trails – which would be more to everyone’s enjoyment. But on this particular day, the road was closed – whether that was for the season, or just because of the snowfall, I don’t know – so our hike became a road walk. Although we’d have loved to explore the trails, a road walk was okay by us, too. There was snow on ground and it was deep in some areas, and we were up over 10,000 feet of elevation, so anything to make the walk a bit easier on the littles was welcome. The road was nice, but Dan’s promised half mile turned out to be two miles each way! Oops. It was just more scenery, and the kids were champs, so in the end it was fine.

Heading off on our walk! See that mountain? Our goal lake is at the base.

Shortly after beginning our walk, Dan pointed out a small path leading down to a pristine little pond. Steve wanted to stay on the road, so Nugget, Dan and I opted for a quick visit. So beautiful!

Seriously feeling so happy to be able to share all this natural beauty with my little boy!

We continued on our way, marveling with every step at the jaw-droppingly gorgeous views. As you can see, although this was a “road hike” it was still quite challenging! Between snow and ice making some of the footing treacherous, and wading through ankle-deep powder in other spots, plus the high elevation, it definitely wasn’t the easiest stroll we’d ever taken. I was happy to be getting in a good workout, though, and the mountains made for a good distraction from burnin’ legs and lungs.

Holla, Pawnee! I got unreasonably excited to see a sign for Pawnee Campground! Dan did not understand why I was laughing and snapping pictures because – now, this may come as a shock – he doesn’t watch Parks & Recreation. I know. I was appalled, too. But I forgave him, and instructed him to watch it ASAP.

Somewhere in there, the little dude fell asleep. That’s one cozy snowsuit!

Finally, just when our endurance was starting to flag, we made it to Brainard Lake… and the long walk turned out to be well worth it.

Cannot. Handle. The. Beauty.

After a tough year, many sleepless nights caring for a newborn and worrying about the future, it felt so good to be together as a family in such an awe-inspiring place. All our hard work and struggles just seemed to drop away as we took in the beauty all around us. I know it’s cheesy, too, but I was so grateful that Peanut and Nugget got to take this trip – even though they’re little, and Peanut will probably remember very little of it, and Nugget none at all. I want them to grow up with an appreciation for our beautiful natural places, and this trip was a good early step toward that goal.

After taking in the view for awhile, we headed back toward the car and made our drive down through the mountains, back to Dan’s house. We reunited with Danielle – who sadly had to work most days, and was missed very much during the activities she couldn’t attend – and headed out for dinner in Nederland, a cool little town not far from Dan and Danielle’s cabin. Our first stop in Nederland was the Carousel of Happiness, an all-wooden indoor carousel. I was a little stressed about some work drama (that lasted all week) but this Carousel did put a smile on my face the moment I saw it.

We managed to squeak in for the last ride of the evening. Dan and Danielle grabbed animals to ride on…

While Peanut and Daddy settled onto a bench. Peanut was pretty apprehensive about the whole thing – the carousel employees actually nicely delayed the start for us while we tried to talk her into riding. In the end she pretty much had to be dragged on, but I think she had a good time! Nugget and I didn’t ride – we had fun watching the lights, listening to the music, and waving at the rest of the family as they went by. (In retrospect, I probably could have brought Nugget on and sat with him on one of the benches. But someone had to be the photographer!)

Peanut was a lot less apprehensive once she was off the carousel. She enjoyed petting this wooden tiger. What a nut!

After the carousel, we headed to an Indian restaurant that Dan and Danielle had been wanting to try out. Since we’re all big fans of Indian food, it felt like a great fit – the food was delicious, and we pretty much had the place to ourselves, which meant very few people had their dinners ruined by our rambunctious children.

Nugget sat on Aunt Danielle’s lap and made grabs for her water while Steve and I attempted to bribe, threaten, cajole and browbeat Peanut into eating dinner. (Every. Single. Night.) Nederland was so cool – I just wish we’d gotten to see it in daylight! And I wish we’d been able to explore more of the trails around Brainard Lake. I guess we’ll just have to go back!

Next week, I’m taking a week off from recaps to celebrate a little guy who is turning ONE! But the week after that, we explore Denver – check back in two weeks!

February 17, 2016 by Jaclyn

Reinstein Woods: Fall 2015

Here we go – our final seasonal hike at Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve! (Slowly, slowly, I’m catching up to 2016 – of course, by the time I do catch finish recapping 2015 fun, I’ll have so many new things to tell you all about that I’ll never get there. Well, I’m doing my best.) Anyway, as longtime readers may remember, for the past two years we have been enjoying a family tradition of hiking in the same park at least once in each season, so we could see how our favorite places changed throughout the year. In 2014 we did our seasonal hikes at Tifft Nature Preserve, and for 2015 we moved on over to Reinstein Woods! It’s a lovely little pocket of wilderness not far from our old house, so it was nice and convenient.

We visited Reinstein on a lovely crisp day in November, the weekend before we headed out to Colorado for an extended Thanksgiving visit to my brother Dan and sister-in-law Danielle. It was a perfect way to stretch our legs before a week of almost daily hiking.

I love the little ponds at Reinstein. The water was sparkling – the park put on its prettiest face for our final seasonal walk there (although not our final walk ever – we’ll be back for sure).

Peanut, as you can see, was dressed in her most rugged attire. What – don’t you hike in a pink tutu and glitter Mary Janes?

We strolled down the wooded path and out into this lovely clearing. The wind was blowing the tall grasses so it looked like the field was dancing. So beautiful!

I love hiking with my cuddle bug! Nugget was cozy in the Ergo, snuggled up to me. I’m so proud that we have made a point of getting him out and into nature since he was a brand new baby. Both of my kids are growing up on the hiking trails, and I love it.

Until next time, Reinstein Woods! You’re a small park, but you sure are a pretty one.

A few people have wanted to know if we are planning to do another round of seasonal hiking in 2016, and I think that we are. Steve and I have talked about not being sure that it really fits with what 2016 is looking like for us – not that we won’t be hiking, because we absolutely will, but just that to set a goal to hike in one place multiple times over the course of an entire year is a lot of structure for where we are in our lives right now. But we both agreed that we like this project, so I’m going to go ahead and say that we’re going to try to do a 2016 seasonal hiking project this year, and our goal park is – Sprague Brook! I have loved Sprague Brook every time we have been there, and we both agreed it would be a fun one to hike seasonally. Watch for a winter hike post coming soon!

Have you ever done a seasonal hiking project?

February 12, 2016 by Jaclyn

Nugget: Eleven Months

Trust me, Nugget, I can’t believe it either. I can’t believe that in just one month (from yesterday!) I will have another one year old. The past eleven months have been the sweetest of my life. Falling in love with this precious boy, watching him with his sister, and getting to know everything about his sweet little spirit – he is such a joy and such a gift and he has made us feel so complete. These past eleven months have also been the fastest of my life. I know I say it every month, but I really don’t know where the time is going. I feel like he just got here, and yet here I am making calls to book his first birthday party. How is that possible?

This month, more than any other month, Nugget has really been into everything. He’s officially crawling now (sniff – my baby!) and he is using his newfound mobility and skill to explore every inch of the house. With a particular emphasis on anything he should not have, of course. If it lights up, he pokes it. If it seems electronic, he bites it. If it’s battery powered or seems likely to make a big noise, he throws it across the room. This is new territory for me, because aside from floor vents, Peanut wasn’t interested in getting into much of anything at this age. She was happy to sit with a book and a stuffed bear, looking like the world’s most perfect princess. Not so Nugget; the man is on the move.

If you asked Nugget what the biggest milestone of the month would be, I’m pretty sure this would be his answer – riding in the cart at Target and Wegmans! Until recently I have either worn him in the Ergo or plopped him, still in the car seat, into the basket of the cart. But lately the Ergo has seemed like too much effort for a quick run into the stores, and the car seat just plain takes up all the room. So I tried Nugget in the seat and he loves it. He shouts and giggles and claps and checks out all of the faces and colors around him, and he has an absolute ball. He also likes to turn around and try to climb over the back rest, and because he’s so small, he can usually wiggle himself into all kinds of precarious shopping cart positions. It has certainly made Target runs an adventure.

Other milestones this month have been less fun – Nugget’s first house move, for one. See all those boxes behind him? That’s his new reality. Not that he minds. Boxes are just more things to climb on and explore! It’s been tougher on Mom than on baby – as much as I knew the house wasn’t a good fit for us, and that we needed the change, bidding goodbye to his nursery was tough. I poured so much love into that room, and I miss it – the happy green walls, the friendly woodland creatures gathered along the wall above the crib, the bright sunlight flooding the picture window, and the cozy Berber carpet… I know the move was the right thing to do, and that eventually we’ll find our perfect situation and it’ll involve an even better room for him. But that one was his first – it was the room where I rocked him and fed him as a newborn, where he laughed at his sister spinning around, where I hung pictures and decals that I had carefully chosen even before I met him.

Sniff. It’s not weird that I don’t miss the house, but I do miss his room… is it?

Another challenging milestone – Mom’s first night away from baby. And a week later, second. I had some travel this month that took me away for two nights (separated by about six days) and while I knew that he was in good hands with Dad, I was a mess. I missed the little guy so much. When Peanut was a baby I was working a job that required a lot of business travel, and I got used to it. But this was the first time in eleven months that I have spent a night away from Nugget, and we both needed some extra cuddles when I got home.

Nugget at 11 Months:

Weight: 18 lbs, 4 oz (this is an approximation, guys – there was a LOT of playing when I weighed him this month).

Height: 28.5 inches – does that sound right? What was he last month? I can’t remember and he never really cooperates.

Clothing Size: I think I have to bite the bullet and admit to myself that he’s in twelve months now. His nine month clothes are looking short in the torso, the legs, the sleeves – all around.

Sleep: This has been a rough one, this month. Nugget has never been a great sleeper (the proof is in the archives) and between teething, the ten month sleep regression, and a new environment, he’s become a complete maniac at night. He goes to bed relatively easily most nights (touch wood) but he’s killing me with wakeups. A few nights before his birthday, he woke up four times. I don’t remember him waking up that much even in the newborn days. Part of the problem is that he is able to get himself into all kinds of situations – involuntary tummy time, sitting up in the crib, kneeling on his knees and holding the bars, or leg through the slats – but he doesn’t yet have the skills to get himself out of them, so he has to call for a rescue. Every ninety minutes. You’re killin’ me, Smalls!

Likes: The stairs, anything he’s not supposed to play with, anything dangerous. Rubber duckies. Perfectly smooth purees. (No chunks, please, Mom. And who do you think you’re going to feed those quartered blueberries to? Maybe Peanut will eat them.) And speaking of Peanut – Peanut! Especially at bedtime, first thing in the morning, and all day long – she’s the coolest!

Dislikes: When Mommy leaves the room, anytime, but especially at bedtime. He has a particular cry for disappearing Mommy, and it can only be described as indignant. He’s always been very attached to me, which I love. But sometimes I have to put him down (for instance, it’s hard to get dressed while holding him… I’ve done it, but it’s a challenge). And he lets me know that he is not happy about that. Sometimes Mommy’s arms are the only place you can be, amirite? Oh, another thing we learned this month that Nugget dislikes: having Valentine’s Day photos taken. Oof.

Favorite Toys: When it comes to actual toys, this hasn’t changed. He still loves cars and trucks and things that go, and anything hard – like Mega Bloks (basically, Legos for babies). Still has no use for soft friends or cuddly toys. But even more than his beloved fleet, Nugget’s favorite toys this month were… not-toys. Dad’s xBox controller! The remote! An envelope! Newsprint! Empty diaper wipe containers! The cable box! If he wasn’t supposed to play with it, he was ALL ABOUT IT. And that extends to anything that belongs to his sister. Nugget especially loves to grab and shake her fairy tale puzzle box, which – of course – fills her with rage. But when she takes her nap… par-TAY.

Milestones: See above – so many! Crawling, and beginning to pull up. More teeth – he has four now. And his first house move. It was quite a month.

Quirks: I’ve said this in the past, but it bears repeating. Nugget is a kisser. He has started to restrain himself a little bit, but sometimes the love and enthusiasm know no bounds. Until recently he has reserved all his toothy, slobbery love for me (I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit gleeful at being the favorite – Peanut is such a Daddy’s girl that I was feeling a bit the third wheel, until Nugget came along loving only ME) but lately he has become more of an equal opportunity affection giver. Steve walked in on Nugget having a moment with the student teacher’s face in his classroom (haha! poor girl) and the next day I asked her about it when I picked him up. “Oh, yes,” she told me, “He kisses everyone! Me, the other teachers, the kids! If any of his friends get too close he grabs them and kisses them! We joke that he’s little, but he’s dangerous!” Who would have thought that I would have a baby Casanova on my hands? Don Juan of the Daycare.

Happy eleven months, my sweet boy! I can’t believe you’re almost one. You’ve made life so sweet and so joyful. Thanks for choosing us.

January 27, 2016 by Jaclyn

Twelve Months Hiking Project: Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park (November 2015)

As promised, continuing with my recaps of the final months of our family commitment to hike in a different spot each month, I have a great one for November: Bear Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park! I’ve been itching to visit Bear Lake ever since I started following RMNP on social media – the pictures the park posts are always stunning. When we decided to visit Colorado over Thanksgiving, one of my first acts was to research Bear Lake to find out if it was a hike that our family could do, with two tiny ones along for the ride. What I learned was that, once you get there, the hike itself is short and mostly flat. Excellent. Sign me up.

Of course, first we had to get there. Bear Lake is deep within RMNP, and we visited on a day of snow-packed roads. The winding drive up from the park entrance to the trailhead would have been harrowing under the best of circumstances. But in winter conditions, in a flimsy-feeling rental car with Arizona plates and no snow tires, it was kind of terrifying.

It was also beautiful.

After a white-knuckled ride up, we arrived at the trail head and suited up in our winter gear (and for half of our group, our baby carriers).

Elevation 9,475 feet! We just kept climbing and climbing on this trip – hard to believe that the air would feel thick in Denver – but it did. Between hiking at Indian Peaks Wilderness, over 10,000 feet in elevation – more on that coming in a few weeks – and Bear Lake, and staying with my brother in his cabin at over 7,000 feet, we were definitely out of our element. I think we all adjusted fairly well, though, and the hiking didn’t pose much of a problem. We did have to take it slower than we would at sea level, and we got out of breath a little more quickly, but overall I think we adapted quickly.

As I said, the Bear Lake hike itself wasn’t too difficult. The lake was only about 250 feet from the trailhead, and it was only a half mile to circumvent it, so that’s what we did. Had the weather been warmer, I’d have loved to explore more of the lakes in the area. We’ll just have to go back, in a warmer season next time.

We started out on a well-groomed path from the trailhead to the lake.

As with many of the hikes we did in Colorado, the trails were hopping! As you know, I love seeing other like-minded folks out and about and enjoying nature, so I was delighted.

The lake itself was spectacular. Hard to believe something this incredible was only a five minute walk from the parking lot. Only in Colorado!

After marveling at the view for a few minutes, we headed off on our hike around the lake. (Well, first we asked a fellow hiker to take a family picture of our entire group, thinking Nana would enjoy seeing all of the kids and grandkids assembled in such a beautiful spot. It was an epic fail and we ended up deleting the picture because it was so bad. The guy cut off all of our legs and squeezed the group into the bottom corner of the picture so you could hardly make us out at all. What are people thinking?)

Ah, well. Into the woods!

The entire hike around the lake was beautiful. My only complaint? I wish it had been four times as long! Well, maybe not – by the time we got back to our car, what felt like only a few minutes later, the kids were chilly and were definitely ready to cuddle up in their car seats. But we made the most of our brief time in RMNP. I’m already itching to go back!

After RMNP, we headed to nearby Estes Park for a delicious pub dinner and more exploring, but I’ll tell you all about that when I recap the trip.

The hiking in Colorado was really spectacular. I actually had a hard time deciding which hike to use as our November hike, because we were out exploring on foot almost every day and we did some really incredible walks. But Bear Lake felt right for this project, after I’d dreamed for months of visiting it. The snowy hillsides, craggy mountain peaks, and fresh pines combined to make a truly magical experience. Now I want to see it in summer!

Have you ever hiked at a national park?

January 13, 2016 by Jaclyn

Nugget: Ten Months

WAHHHHHHHHH. WAHHHHHHHHH. WAHHHHHHHHHH. Excuse me – sorry – I’m just going to wail a bit more for a minute here. WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. How is my tiny prince a gigantic ten-month-old? I mean, wasn’t it just five minutes ago that he looked like this?

That was five minutes ago, wasn’t it? I’m not crazy. Anyway, no matter how I feel about the speed with which this first year is going by (TOO FAST) it is what it is and another month is in the books, and we’re in double digits, which is insane. I wish it had been slower, but this has been a really fun month, the biggest event of which was…

Nugget’s first Christmas! In contrast to Peanut, who was only four months old (two adjusted) when she celebrated her first Christmas, Nugget was old enough to really get into the fun of the holiday. He had no clue what was going on, of course, but he had a ball. Wrapping paper! New toys! Different faces! Music! It was an exciting couple of days for him and it was clear that he was really enjoying himself.

And yes, I did dress him up like Santa Claus. Don’t hate, appreciate.

He is just such a happy little guy. Seriously, what an easygoing baby. He’s always got a smile on his face and he is just so full of joy. I love watching as he charms – and is charmed by – the world. 2015 was a pretty dark year in the world, but Nugget was a ray of light for our family. It’s hard not to hope for the future with his sweet giggles ringing out.

Nugget at 10 Months

Weight: 17 lbs 5 oz

Height: 27.25 inches cooperative? I don’t know, you guys. He’s not very cooperative.

Clothing Size: Still in nine months, although between Santa and a trip to Carters, I’ve got his twelve month wardrobe. It’s not washed and ready yet, but I have it.

Sleep: The biggest news on the sleep front is this: we dropped the crib mattress after I had a major scare on New Year’s Day. I went into Nugget’s room to feed him shortly before 4:00 a.m. and found him sitting up in the corner of the crib, holding the railings and grinning broadly at me. I’d been thinking of lowering the mattress but didn’t think it was urgent, since I’d never seen him push himself up to sitting – well, I guess he can do that after all. Y’all… I don’t think I’ve ever crossed a room that quickly in my entire life. And of course once he was safely in my arms there was no way I was putting him back in the crib until the mattress was lowered – which Steve did, half asleep, at 6:30 in the morning after I’d stayed up holding him for the previous (almost) three hours. I finally tumbled back into bed at 7:00 in the morning, exhausted, but relieved that the crib was safe again. Of course I’m now scarred for life.

Likes: Food! He’s a great eater, and still gobbles up all the purees I put in front of him. Also likes hard plastic and wooden toys, sneak watching TV, laughing at his sister, and CHRISTMAS!

Dislikes: Having his toys stolen. So basic.

Favorite Toys: As noted above, he loves anything hard. Trucks and cars! Rattles! Mega Bloks! He’s really been enjoying playing with a Green Toys school bus that Peanut handed down to him (her interest in it was never more than casual, but Nugget and the bus immediately developed a deep loving bond) so Santa brought him a Green Toys fire truck and biplane to add to his fleet. He also loves his KidO Go Car (and he’s got a truck and plane from KidO as well) – the fleet is growing, growing. He’s also a big fan of Mega Bloks, which is great because he’s got TONS of them. Santa brought a big bag to our house and my aunt and uncle sent a set, too. I’m going to build a gigantic tower, if I can ever pry them out of his hands.

Milestones: First Christmas and New Year’s! And on the developmental front, I’ve already told you that he can apparently push up to sitting. He’s also gotten very good at scooting around like a starfish, as Steve says (you know how you never see a starfish move? that’s Nugget – you don’t actually see him move, but you’ll put him down in one spot and when you blink he’s halfway across the room, playing with a toy you had no idea he could reach) and he’s desperate to crawl. Steve has been encouraging him to crawl, but I haven’t been… yet. For one thing, I like that he (mostly) stays in the vicinity in which I put him, and for another, my baaaaaaaaaaaby is growing up too faaaaaaaaaaaaast! But I hate seeing the little ones frustrated, so I’ll get to the point of teaching him to crawl eventually. Don’t rush me.

Quirks: Not so much a quirk, but a fun observation – the more he grows, the more he looks like Dad. I’ve always thought he resembled Steve, but the world is finally agreeing with me. Just the other day, Steve reported that another dad, who had just met Nugget briefly while visiting his classroom at school, saw Steve in the hallway (for the first time ever – they had never met) and immediately remarked, “You must be N’s dad.” The resemblance, it is strong.

Happy TEN months to my big boy! Sweet puppy, you will always be my tiniest prince.

January 8, 2016 by Jaclyn

2015 Goals: Final Recap

Happy New Year! It’s been some year, hasn’t it? I think we can all agree that 2015 brought more than the usual number of ups and downs – for the world at large, and for many of us (me included) personally. I’ve got a whole slew of end-of-year posts planned, including my usual three-part bookish recap, a monthly roundup of all of our family adventures, and a post about my hopes for 2016. But for now, a look back at 2015 goals, the good, the bad, and the totally half-@$$ed.

Big Goals

~~Have a baby.~~ Done! This one was sort of out of my control, as you can imagine. But I love the result rather a lot! Nugget joined us on March 11, 2015, and I already can’t imagine life without him.

~~Focus on immediate family.~~ This is something we worked hard on, especially in the second half of the year. At the end of last year, I felt that too much of our identity was wrapped up in relationships outside of our four walls – important relationships, of course, but we needed to take some time to focus on each other. I think we did decently well at this – whether it meant committing to hike together every month, eating together as a family most nights, or sneaking away during extended family vacations to do some activities as a foursome. We still have a ways to go, though.

Keep growing in our new region. This one slipped through the cracks, especially after Nugget’s arrival, and I think we suffered for it. I definitely don’t feel as if we’ve put roots down here. We’ve tried – maybe not as hard as we could have, but we’ve been hibernating with a baby. Still, I can’t declare this goal accomplished.

Small(er) Goals

~~Plant a garden with Peanut.~~ Can I declare this done if I subsequently killed 90% of it? Only the rosemary and the parsley survived my negligent stewardship; even the hardy mint eventually succumbed. I did bring the parsley and rosemary inside (after they miraculously soldiered through the first snowfall of the season, I thought they deserved to warm up) and I’m committed to keeping them alive all winter. Of course, you know what that means: my attention will kill them, where my ignoring them didn’t. Well, one thing’s for sure – Peanut and I both learned some stuff this year. Hoping for a more successful garden next spring.

Marathon or bust! Bust. I realized early in my training that a marathon was just not happening this year. I still want to run one someday, when the kids are a bit older. (Maybe when Nugget is 3, I’ll have another go at it.) But I did run three 5Ks and a 4-mile obstacle race, so at least I can say I’m back out there. I have my eye on a few fun races for next year – including another half marathon, if I can make the training work with my currently very tight schedule.

Start juicing. I’m really mad at myself, because I haven’t done this. And I got the juicer for Christmas last year! Sorry, Santa. In January, I mean to do this. I really do.

Use my dSLR more. So I learned something: babywearing is really fun, and I love it, but the combination of Nugget in the front carrier and a big camera around my neck is just not workable. I’ve relied on the iPhone and luckily it takes decent pictures. Once Nugget either moves to my back or is spending more time in the stroller, I’ll dust off the dSLR.

~~Do at least one home project every month.~~ I sort of stopped keeping track of this, but I think it must have averaged out to at least one project a month as we worked on updating some cosmetic things to get our house ready to sell. So I’m saying – yep, did this.

Get back into yoga, and try out barre classes. Other than one yoga class on vacation in the Outer Banks, I haven’t done a thing – and I’m feeling it. (I always feel so much looser and more comfortable when I’m doing yoga regularly. Why don’t I do it more? Oh, right, two kids and no time.) And as for barre – haven’t done a minute of it, and still really want to.

Get organized. I haven’t made nearly as much progress organizing as I’d like to, but an upcoming move should present a golden opportunity to work on this.

Lose the baby weight. Not quite yet. I’ve lost some, but not all. With Peanut, it took a little over a year, and Nugget is only nine months, so I’m not panicking just yet. With two kids and, again, no time, I’m not expecting it to be a super fast process. I’m planning to do a month of no sugar in the new year, and hoping that will jump start the next phase of getting back into shape post-baby.

~~Hike in a different place each month.~~ Did this – wow! Twelve months of hiking in a different park each month! Our hikes took us all around WNY, down to North Carolina, and out to Colorado. I still have to recap November and December for you, and then I will post a big roundup of all of the hikes we did for this project – look for that coming in January. I’m really, really proud that we stuck to this goal for the entire year and made a commitment to hitting the trails as a family all year long.

~~Take a family vacation – or two!~~ How about TWO?! After a stretch of almost four years without a vacation (other than the occasional weekend getaway) it felt so great, and so long overdue, to get away on not one but TWO big trips. We joined my parents, brother and sister-in-law for a big family trip to Hatteras Island, North Carolina, in July (recapped on the blog over several weeks thereafter) and spent a week and a half visiting my brother and sister-in-law in Colorado over Thanksgiving (recaps to come). Two trips, two beautiful places, two opportunities to spend lots of quality time together and with Dan and Danielle – too lucky.

~~Date nights, for realsies.~~ I’m proud to say that we’re actually making an effort to get out together as a couple again! It only took three years, ha. What finally clicked was when we realized that with the kids both hitting the sack in their respective rooms at 7:30, we could put them to bed and then slip out in the evenings. It’s an easy night for a babysitter, who ideally can just sit on the couch with a book and hopefully not hear a peep from upstairs. And it’s a guilt-free evening out for us, because the kids would be sleeping in their rooms whether we are downstairs in the family room or out on a date, so we don’t feel that we’re missing out on any time with them. That was a revelation, and we’ve taken advantage of it twice now – once to see The Martian, and once to see Star Wars. Hope to keep that rolling in 2016!

Well, in looking back at my goals, things are really better than I thought. I set some ambitious goals for the year and I always knew I wouldn’t have a perfect record – especially not with a new baby in the house. But it’s been a fun journey and I’m looking forward to seeing where life takes our family in 2016.

January 1, 2016 by Jaclyn

2015: A Look Back

Happy New Year, my friends! I hope that you all had wonderful, joyful, sparkly and safe evenings last night and that you’re now ready to face 2016 head on. Let’s make it the best year yet! But first, as I like to do, here’s a look back at the twelve months of fun and challenges that we’ve just wrapped up.

31w4d

In January, I hit a very important pregnancy milestone – 31 weeks, 4 days! It was a big deal to me, because it was officially my “pregnancy PDR” – Peanut had been born at 31w3d. I snapped a picture for posterity and expressed a hope that Nugget and I would get all the way to full term (spoiler alert: we did!). I also mused on some bookish topics, including my ongoing reading slump and a day of reckoning as a mystery reader. And we started off our year in hiking with a twofer: a stroll through Reinstein Woods that doubled as the first of our seasonal explorations and the first hike in our twelve months’ hiking project.

In February, we were busy indeed! We weathered absolutely frigid temperatures with plenty of indoor fun, including visits to the Buffalo Botanical Gardens and the Buffalo Museum of Science, and we got outside for a hike through Knox Farm. I got an extremely late start on Nugget’s nursery and made my peace with the fact that there was no way we’d get it all done before his arrival in March. I also shared my “alphabet of right now” and my thoughts on the news that we could expect a “new” Harper Lee book in July.

In March, we joyously welcomed our sweet baby boy! Nugget officially joined our family on March 11, 2015, so most of the month revolved around our great happiness and getting to know him. We pretty much hibernated, sleeping when we could and getting in lots of snuggles, but we ventured outside at the end of the month for a walk through Como Lake Park – Nugget’s first hike.

In April, we celebrated Nugget’s first Easter, even while shaking our fists at a fresh snowfall that morning. We made good progress on the nursery, I was cleared to run (!) and once the snow melted (for good, finally) we ventured to a new-to-us scenic spot: Times Beach Nature Preserve.

In May, we enjoyed warm sunshine and rising temperatures for the first time in way too long. Peanut and I planted a patio garden and a fairy garden together and I relished the chance to spend some one-on-one time with my first baby. I celebrated my first Mother’s Day as a mom of TWO and ran my first race of this post-partum period, and we hiked at Darien Lakes State Park and Reinstein Woods.

In June, we celebrated National Trails Day with – what else? – a hike at Sprague Brook Park, which immediately became one of my favorite local walks. We also celebrated Father’s Day, I participated in #BlumeAlong, and Peanut and I continued getting our hands dirty in our patio garden.

In July, we managed to pack more fun into one month than I would ever have thought possible! We started off strong with a fun Fourth of July at Canalside, followed by a picnic in our backyard and a swim with the grandparents on the fifth. Our whole family (plus Nana!) enjoyed the treats at Taste of Buffalo, then Nana and I took the kids blueberry picking. At the end of the month we headed south for a family vacation: first stop was our old stomping grounds of D.C. and northern Virginia (miss it so much!), including a stop by Great Falls National Park, my very favorite hiking spot in the entire world, and then we continued on for a week of beach fun in the Outer Banks.

In August, we continued to soak up summer fun. We celebrated Peanut’s third birthday (where has the time gone?) and our tenth wedding anniversary (seriously, where?!). We hiked to the Eternal Flame at Chestnut Ridge Park, enjoyed swimming in our backyard and soaking up the sun, and I joined in the Austen in August fun.

In September, we rang in Labor Day by squeezing in our summer walk through Reinstein Woods. We also got a special treat when Aunt Rebecca flew into town for a brief visit, and we got to hike with her at Niagara Falls State Park! Later in the month, we went apple picking – a favorite fall activity – and finally managed to make it to the orchard during the too-brief Gala apple season. The other big news of the month was that Nugget turned SIX MONTHS OLD. I can’t believe how fast his first year is flying by! The rest of the month was bittersweet as I wrapped up my maternity leave and headed back into the office; I spent a lot of time missing the little guy and reminiscing about our long, sweet summer days together.

In October, we made it our business to have ALL the fall fun. We visited the pumpkin patch, hiked at Letchworth State Park, and took the kids trick-or-treating. We made several visits to Elm Street Bakery in East Aurora, danced at the wedding of a dear college friend, and I celebrated another birthday and scared myself silly during #RIPX. Life just gets more and more full with each passing year.

In November, the kids enjoyed roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the campfire in Nugget’s room (is that some toy, or what?) and we welcomed a new family member – BB-8! But by far the best part of November was our trip out west to visit Uncle Dan and Aunt Danielle in Colorado. We spent Nugget’s first Thanksgiving with them and it was so wonderful. There was hiking, great food, and visits to the Denver Zoo and the Denver Aquarium (where Uncle Dan fed a stingray and a mermaid waved to Peanut). Recaps of the whole vacation coming soon! We also squeezed in our fourth and final seasonal walk through Reinstein Woods – we’re so lucky to live near such a lovely wild spot.

In December, we celebrated Nugget’s first Christmas! He dressed up like Santa (he was a good sport about it) and I think he had a great day. I shared tips for festivity on a budget, including making our own Advent wreath (a fun activity that Peanut and I did together). We also had a playdate with two of Peanut’s school friends at the Buffalo Zoo and finished up our year of hiking every month with a stroll through Tifft Nature Preserve, and celebrated a lovely, low-key New Year’s Eve with fondue and baby snuggles. It doesn’t get much better than that!

We have so many things ahead of us in 2016 – at least one move, and maybe two; Nugget’s first birthday and Peanut’s fourth; and hopefully another family vacation. And who knows what else? But it’s great to look back on the year that’s just ended – we had a big one. We did a lot, we learned and grew a ton, and – most important of all – we completed our family when we added one sweet, joyful little boy spirit to the crew. 2015 brought some tough times and some growing pains, but it also brought a lot of happiness and baby giggles.

And now, on to 2016 – I hope that all of my friends have a magical year!

December 30, 2015 by Jaclyn

Christmas 2015

Another milestone down – sniff – Nugget’s first Christmas! I think that both of the kids had a good one. Christmas is my favorite holiday, and it just seems to get better and better, with so many fun things to do and experience through the kids’ eyes.

On Christmas Eve, their school was closed, so I took the day off and Steve worked from home, and we took the kids out for some fun (maybe) morning Christmas activities. We started with a Polar Express story hour at a local children’s bookstore that I’d never visited before – and oh, my, GOODNESS, was it a gorgeous store. I picked up a few more things on Santa’s behalf (post about the kids’ book haul coming next week) and then we enjoyed the story. After the story hour, we headed to the mall to meet Santa. Steve and I were both a bit skeptical that it would go well, but Peanut had been talking about meeting Santa for weeks, and she promised – promised – that she would sit on his lap and not raise a ruckus. Of course she got performance anxiety as we waited in line and we ended up with the world’s worst Santa photo. Peanut is crying (see the tiny tear?), Nugget looks like he’s about to punch someone, and Santa is the unhappiest of all. (I couldn’t really blame Peanut – this Santa seemed really unfriendly. But seriously, what a waste of time and $25.00. We’re never doing this again – I don’t care how much Peanut begs next year. She’s all talk and I am not falling for that again.)

After the Santa drama, we all needed a bit of a break. We headed home for lunch, and Peanut took a nap. (Nugget did not, of course.) Later that evening, we hosted Auntie Em and Aunt Grace and their respective boyfriends for drinks and snacks. I made gluhwein and we all enjoyed the combination of alcohol and sugar. Can’t beat it.

We were up at zero dark hundred on Christmas morning and Peanut went tearing downstairs and into the family room, where she spent a good five minutes jumping up and down and shrieking “PRESENTS! PRESENTS! I’M JUMPING! LOOK AT ME JUMPING!” Nugget was impressed with his sister…

…But even more impressed with his new fire truck.

(He really likes hard plastic and wooden toys – trucks, cars, blocks – and has very little use for anything soft or snuggly. So he got exactly what he likes from Santa: a fleet of trucks, cars and planes, a giant bag of Mega Bloks, and some new things to chew on.)

After the gifts were opened, we got dressed up and ready to head to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for dinner. But first, I gave myself a present: a picture of the kids together on Christmas Day. All together now: awwwww.

And then this little tableau took place:

Poor Nugget. The kid can’t call a toy his own. (His face just slays me.)

But things were looking up once we got to the grandparents’ house. After a delicious turkey dinner and a gift exchange we were all revived. Especially Nugget. Nothing cures a heart broken by the loss of a Mega Blok like some new wrapping paper to eat.

On Boxing Day, we headed out for a family hike at Tifft Nature Preserve – the final hike of our twelve months’ project (recaps of November and December, and then the whole project, coming in January). It was a crisp, cloudy day and we had the park almost to ourselves. Then we headed home to wait for Nana and Grandad to arrive… and with them came…

A new gown for Princess Peanut. Oh, brother.

Merry Christmas one more time, my friends! I hope your days were filled with warmth, joy, family and friends, and that no one stole your Mega Bloks.

covered in flour

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