Single...and loving it.

Well...not in the way that you might be thinking.

For the first time in 15 months, I have had the unique and special privilege of spending 24 hours alone with my elder child. My beloved husband took our daughter to visit his parents and check in on his father who is recovering from ankle surgery, and I stayed here with Alexander so that he could attend a friend's birthday party tomorrow. Because these things are important.

And so, Alex and I have enjoyed the last 12 hours of hanging out, running errands, eating, and eating some more, watching movies and generally just enjoying each other's company. At dinner this evening, he said to me just after ordering, "Mommy, so what are we going to talk about?" Like, he was sick of me already??? He more than made up for it after dinner by telling me that I am his favorite woman because I'm smart and pretty. That also made up for last night's screaming fit about leaving the pool, and certainly made those few times he's told me that he hates me a little less stinging.

Anyone that needs an ego boost should spend a day with my nearly-five year old.

Easter Festivities!

I'm writing this as my children "play together." This roughly translates to Charlotte happily busying herself with a toy (usually one of Alex's), and Alex yelling about how she is always taking his stuff. Lately, they've added to their repertoire...Charlotte will imitate a sound Alex makes, and then he admonishes her for copying him. The next five years are bound to be fun around here.

We traveled to Boston this year to celebrate Easter, and then headed out to the Cape for a few days spent with dear friends. I had some time today while the children were simul-napping (rather, I did this instead of cleaning, catching up on laundry and starting dinner, which would no doubt have been a better way to spend my time, I suppose) to put a quick video together showcasing some of my favorite moments from the Boston leg of the trip...Cape Cod will come later.

And now, off to remind Alex for the fiftieth time today to be a good big brother and to ensure Charlotte doesn't swallow any small legos.


Easter in Beantown from Carrie Hill on Vimeo.


"Easter Parade" by Steve Goodman

WHEREFORE?????

We've officially reached The Land of Wherefore, which is a fancy way of saying that from the moment he wakes until the moment he is sleeping, Alex asks, "Why?".  Who am I kidding?  He probably asks in his sleep but I'm just too deep of a sleeper to hear him talking.

This morning's conversation went something like this:

Alex:  Mommy, WHY do sharks have hearts?

Me:  Sharks have hearts because they need to pump blood through their bodies, just like we do.

Alex:  WHY do they pump blood through their bodies?

Me:  Sharks and us need to pump blood through our bodies to deliver oxygen and nutrients to all of our other organs, like our livers, stomachs, and our muscles.  We need the oxygen and nutrients to grow and be healthy.

Alex:  WHY is there oxygen in our blood?

Me:  When we breath air our lungs take the oxygen from it and put it into our blood.

Alex:  WHY?

Me:  Because we need the oxygen for our bodies to work.

Alex:  When we die do our bodies still work?   
Note rare departure from the WHY questioning format

Me:  No, honey.  When we die, our bodies stop working.  That's what dying is.

Alex:  WHY?

Me:  Because that's what dying is.

Alex:  WHY?


I could go on, but I think you know where this leads.

I think the thing that I find most challenging about the many many MANY questions (OH MY GOD, THE QUESTIONS) is that so many of the questions don't have answers, or answers that make sense, and no matter what the answer, the QUESTIONER IS NEVER APPEASED.

In other news, last week I took the children to the NJ Aquarium to get out of the house and enjoy the fish.  Alex is a huge fan of the fish, especially sharks.  The kid knows the names of more sharks than I ever knew existed before he became obsessed with them.

We arrived shortly before lunch time and proceed to make our way to his recent favorite exhibit where you can touch a shark.  He loves it.  It's a major change from last year, when he wouldn't even go near the area.

After touching many sharks and nearly falling into the shallow tank with them (due to Mommy's error and poor balance), I explained to Alex that we would need to take a break for lunch.  He was not a fan of the lunch break idea, and begrudgingly followed behind me pushing the stroller.  In the line to get our food, he was dancing around singing a made up song about sharks eating seals...in the line to pay he was  jumping around and pretending to be a shark (including growling at the cashier, who lacked a sense of humor).  As we proceeded to our table, he wandered off in the general direction of the large shark tunnel and tank, by far his favorite.  I parked Charlotte, walked quickly to retrieve him and sternly explained that he needed to eat before we did anything else, or we were headed home.

To which he responded, "BUT MOM (extra emphasis on the Mom), THIS IS MY LIFE!  I WANT TO BE A SHARK SCIENTIST."

And that, friends, is why I am quite certain that I birthed the most dramatic male on the planet.

Dreaming of the Warm

It's mid-January, anything lingering from Christmas 2010 has been long put away, we've had two good snows, and so now I'm dreaming of summer.  I've had enough cold for this year, thanks.  I'm wishing the days were longer.  I'm craving the feeling of bare feet in flip flops, sun on my face, and just the slightest tan.  I miss my freckles and the smell of sunscreen.

Since it will be months before any of these warm-weather luxuries return, I spent some time today editing a quick video from summer 2010.  I hope it brings you some warm memories of your own!


Summer 2010 from Carrie Hill on Vimeo.

Of Mice and Pirates

So Disney...one week, one family of four, a few meltdowns, definitely a few tears, but oh so much fun. It is certainly not a relaxing vacation, in fact, it's kind of like work for the parents. But will we do it again? Definitely yes!

I took about 1,500 photographs and shot a lot of video. I've had time to get through about 1/3rd of all of it. I think each of us (well, probably not Charlotte) have our own favorite moments from the trip that will stay with us. The video below showcases one of the highlights for us. On our last full day there, we took Alex to the Pirate's League, for a transformation. It was pretty awesome. He spent the rest of the day dressed as a pirate, and for much of it remained in character. There were plenty of "Arrrrs," and "Walk the planks," directed at total strangers. Much fun.

The Pirate's League from Carrie Hill on Vimeo.

Flashback from Summer

Finally getting around to editing some of the video we took this summer. I have to say, this has become one of my favorites.

Flashbacks from Summer from Carrie Hill on Vimeo.

The music is "Life in Technicolor" by Coldplay.

Playing Catch Up

In May, we traveled to Boston for a few days. It was Charlotte's first plane trip. I posted photos a while ago, and just got around to completing the editing of the video we captured.

Boston was amazing. We will definitely return.

Hill Family Does Boston from Carrie Hill on Vimeo.

Perhaps I Spoke Too Soon???

Potty training should more aptly be named, "Process Intended to Drive Parents Batty." Today, Alexander told me that the reason he won't use the potty for pooping is because it's too big. Yesterday, he removed his potty seat from the toilet announcing that he didn't need it anymore because it makes the toilet too small. Perhaps someday soon, we'll find the magical balance that is just right.

Until then, I'll keep throwing away poopy underwear.

On a positive note, he has the peeing thing down pat. So, yay Alex!

Potty Time

So, Alex is nearly 100% potty trained. I say nearly 100% because he still has confusion about what to do when he needs to poop, but I'm sure this will work itself out with time. Yesterday, Alex said, "Mommy, I get to stand up when I pee pee because I have a penis. You have to sit because you only have a butt." He's figuring things out nicely.

Last week we were enjoying some outdoor time with the sprinkler when Alex needed to pee...since we were in the backyard and since he was soaking wet, the tree had to suffice. That's my boy!

A Return to the Blog...

So, this blogging with two children thing...not happening. Not that I don't have anything to write about because these two give me plenty of content. It seems though that every time I sit down to write something, someone wakes up from a nap, or needs a new diaper, or is hungry, or wants to discuss the tragedy unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico and its far-reaching, long-term ecological and economic ramifications...

We went to Boston recently and introduced Charlotte to air travel. We're fortunate in that she seems as easy of a traveler as her older brother. The amount of stuff we packed and hauled with us was comical. I should have documented it with photos of the bags. It was an excellent adventure, nonetheless, and I have fallen in love with a new city. I think I want to move there.

Our Dancer

When I returned home from work tonight, Alexander had just finished dinner with Skip. Frequently, we'll partially undress Alex in the breakfast room after particularly messy meals to avoid tracking peas and avocado upstairs. So, Alex was running around the house without his shirt. Ne-Yo was on in the background of the family room, and Alex started to dance. We captured the following, and we're still laughing our heads off.

21 Months...

Alexander,

In a few days, you'll turn 21 months, and Mommy is actually on the ball this time around and writing a monthly update early. This likely won't last, as our lives have shifted from the lovely predictability that came with you passing the 18-month mark to absolute chaos.

Know that this isn't entirely about you. Our little family unit has been rocked over the last month with some pretty significant stuff. In the midst of it, I found myself thinking about how well you were weathering the rapid and unplanned changes to your routine that were becoming an all too frequent occurrence. I think I spent too much time lingering over that thought and didn't touch wood fast enough because almost as soon as I got used to the idea that you must be the most stellar 20, near 21-month old ever, you forgot how to fall asleep at bedtime again. Then you added insult to injury when you spent three hours figuring out how to go to sleep, complete with very much nashing of teeth and rending of garments (all mine).


What is up with this? Seriously! You are clearly tired little one. You are yawning through your sobs and your eyes are fighting to be open. It would be so easy just to go to sleep. Seriously! GO TO SLEEP.

I'm thinking that there may be more teeth causing this latest drama. And I am wondering why we haven't figured out a better way for babies to teethe yet. Someone smart should be working on that.


This month hasn't been oddballs due only to your sleeping wierdness. You've had some other notable happenings in the heath department. In the last 30 days you have visited the doctor five times, run a fever over 104 for five days, logged five hours in the emergency room, and had your first CATT scan (thankfully only one of these and not five). You are our little dare devil, it seems, and careening around your school playground and running into play houses hasn't dampened your spirit one little bit. You took that concussion like the little man you are, and argued with me the next day about why we couldn't go to the park and swing on the swings. Granted, your argument consists of continued pointing in the general direction of the playground, repeating, "please...PLEASE," FOR MANY HOURS.

Thankfully, this head trauma (that's what they called in in the ER and on all of your discharge paperwork) was a relatively minor incident, made all the more dramatic by the lengthly ER visit, but I think regardless of that, I will never forget the sight of your little face, and your little left hand reaching for me as you were swaddled on the table for the CATT scan, and I will certainly never forget the feeling of wondering if you were seriously hurt, and what I would do if you were.

Early in May my grandfather died and your dad braved his first flight alone with you to join me in Florida with our family for the funeral. I had traveled there the day before his death, so I had two nights without you, which is enough to cause me to more than slightly want to see your smiling face. The sight of you (and your father) coming out of the terminal at the airport was something I will not soon forget, nor wish too. You had this giant smile on your face, your arms were outstretched to me, and you were yelling, "Mommy," with some vigor. All of the sadness for the passing of my grandfather completely dissolved for that moment. Any doubts I have had about being your mother vanished. You have that effect on people, kiddo. The whole family felt it - there was a warmth that you brought with you that would not have been there if you weren't.

This is what I was thinking about as you were having your CATT scan, and completing the thought with what I would do, how I would feel if something ever took that beautiful smile of yours away. Certainly, life would be less warm, less amazing, less fun, also less challenging, but so very empty.

So, cry at night, little one. Scream your head off if you wish. We will weather this storm too and figure this one out, and I will hold your hand and hope that it brings you warmth, as you do me every day.


I love you Alexander,
Mommy