The Posegate Family Blog

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I think it is really fun how our life seems so idyllic when set to some groovy music. But actually, it is pretty great…sound track or not.

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This past weekend we went to Rochester (and Russ and I, Dave and Kerry on to Buffalo) and had a great time.  We got to go see Ben Folds at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo.  Here he is rockin’ out…or rather, Rockin’ the Suburbs.

 The next day we got to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Kuyt.  We managed to fix (aka plugging in) their VCR for them so Grandpa was able to finally watch…and, I dare say rather enjoy, his new video of Wile E. Coyote cartoons.  There was one where Wile E. actually talked and introduced himself to Bugs Bunny as a genius.  He and Evan were laughing so hard they almost couldn’t stand it.

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A week before Halloween our friends Amanda and Rob and Cedar threw a lovely party. The kids had a blast– and so did the adults. The middle picture is the kids waiting in line to pick their cupcake. Rob did a pumpkin carving demonstration (top left) and also a reading of Where the Wild Things Are (not pictured) Even the adults got in on the costume fun!

  This is the family on Halloween…out trick or treating, and the bumblebees (one transformer, one buzz, buzz)  You may recognize the sunflower costumes.  Russ and Evan wore them first in 2006. 

>Here’s where Alec is at (wait for it…):

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

And here’s where Evan’s at. I have a feeling that I might show Evan this video in a few years when Alec learns to annoy him with this particular trick. I also have a feeling it won’t help.

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

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Evan suggested we have our own circle time, like he has at Pre-K.  Since Alec is acquiring some sitting skills it was an excellent suggestion.  This is his rendition of “Who Let the Dogs Out” but instead of Dogs it’s letters and instead of “woof” it’s the sound the letter makes, all accompanied by the ASL sign for the letter. 

And here is a closer look at Alec’s ability to sit up. I think he’s going to be mobile much earlier than his brother was…

>Tonight, I thought to myself, maybe I’ll blog a little. Let’s see what there is on the camera to talk about.

HA. Not much. A couple random pictures of Evan at a little playground in Rochester. We went to the little apple farm I remember visiting as a kid. We didn’t take the time to go picking but there was this nice little play area and Evan enjoyed it for a little while. We bought prepicked apples and cider and snacks.

A couple shots of the beautiful white deer that live near us– saw them on our way home from Rochester. They’re not albino, just white, and Seneca County has the largest herd of them in the world.

Pretty pathetic for a weekend in Rochester during which we visited great-grandma Linda, had a birthday party for my Dad with my Aunt, Uncle, and my cousin Ryan’s family and hung out with Dave a bunch. (Poor Kerry was sick). I need to think about the blog!!!

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So Evan finally had his first day of Pre-Kindergarten this week.  The night before, we started to pack his lunch together.  As he climbed up the step stool next to me he said “Alright…First day of school, here we come.”  He was pretty excited.  We had visited his classroom and he enjoyed the playdoh and puzzles.  His teacher had come to visit us at the house (impressive,no?) and he talked her ear off while we filled out paper work.  Miss Elizabeth is young and sweet and energetic. 

I prepped Evan the night before on the importance of the first day of school photo.  He’s not to keen these days to pose or say cheese.  So, I was very pleased when he allowed us a few snapshots without protest on this, his first day of school.

He was a little nervous and then contemplative on the 2 minute ride over.  

Here he is finding his hook and putting away his backpack.

 And off to the classroom…

He had a good day and even sat in the circle at circle time.  I saw it!

>Sleep.  It is the obsession of every new parent.  How to get your baby to fall asleep, stay asleep, to sleep longer, and how to get some for yourself too.

Asleep on the big red chair in the living rm

Before I became a parent I hardly ever thought about sleep.  I slept when I was tired.  I knew that I wasn’t the best sleeper ever.  I need dark and quiet and something comfy to lie on.  Sometimes I was tired from staying up late or doing too much but…. I had no idea.

When Evan came along we spent months and months being very sleep deprived. I was miserable, frustrated and did I mention miserable? Looking back I realize that I was too tired to be as thoughtful as I would have liked or enjoy the process of parenting very much.  I was just trying to survive.

Eventually we got to the end of our ropes and desperate for sleep we did some sleep training and we all slept a little better.  At the time I was traumatized.  How could I let my baby cry?  I must be the worst parent ever (especially here in co-sleeping heaven Ithaca).   Is sleep really that important?  Yes, in my book it is!

Alec is a completely different baby. I’m sure some of it has to do with us being more experienced but I have to give the little guy some credit.  He started sleeping long stretches on his own and they just kept getting longer.  Last week he slept 10 hours or more three nights in a row.  Having a taste of what being a rested parent of an infant feels like was heaven! (He’s gone back to getting up about twice…still  not bad!)

Alec sleeping at Viva Taqueria

Rested me really enjoys taking care of Alec and can handle a minor crisis.  (Like today when Evan, Alec and I went to Mama Goose and just as Evan announces that he had an accident Alec spits up on me.  Rested me didn’t cry or yell, I just calmly took them both to the restroom and we got on with our day.)  Rested me threw an ice cream party.   Rested me took care of both boys by myself for 24 hours while Russ went to Rochester for a helicopter thing and I wasn’t begging for death by the end. 

All this to say…sleep can make all the difference in the world.  Get it any way you can.

>One of my fondest memories of my childhood is going to my friend Meghan’s ice cream parties.  Every year she and her two siblings would invite all of their friends over and run around and play and make awesome ice cream sundaes.

Since she has an older brother and a younger sister who also got to invite all of their friends it was an interesting mix of kids.  I remember watching and hanging around the older kids– mostly boys, ooo, la, la.  One year we made a huge tunnel out of all their moving boxes. Lining up was a major part of the party. We had to line up from youngest to oldest and by darn we figured out when everyone’s birthdays were and got it right to the day! What a commotion that was! I have pretty vivid, albeit disconnected, memories of these parties…the invitation from one year, standing in line another year, the noise, the excitement in the air as we all anticipated going back to school. 

Now, as a parent, I can really appreciate what a lovely tradition this is and what wonderful memories Meghan’s mom, Mary, was creating for her and her siblings. So, I totally stole the idea and started our own tradition before Evan’s first day of Pre-K.

Plus, it seemed like a nice, easy way to throw a party.  The adults enjoyed themselves just as much as the happy, sugar high kids.   Thanks Mary!