Birthdays & Reunions

We tackled the much-hated, but necessary one-day trip to Western Mass today. Three hours of car time in a single day is always daunting for a child who hates to be strapped in and sitting still. But I have to admit, this was the most pleasant experience to date.

Today's was Grandpa's 64th birthday so we floored it to Southampton. Once in the doorway, Sadie caught a glimpse of the red velvet cupcakes and suddenly had a one-track-mind. She didn't let up until she had her paws on one. She toasted to Grandpa and dug in, frosting first.

Then, out of the blue, I got a text from a very good childhood friend who was also in town visiting her family for a belated Thanksgiving. Timing just all worked out and we popped over there for a visit with her entire extended family (which was cool, since I've known them since I was 10). Another high school friend stopped by too. Her daughter, Olivia, was born on the same day as Sadie - just one year later. What are the odds?

The ride home was amazing. I was anticipating horrific holiday traffic and a cranky, restless child. I got neither. We did have to sing the Mickey Mouse song and Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer 80 times each, but if that's all it took to keep her entertained, we were positively happy to oblige.

Sweet As Pumpkin Pie

Today was as low key at Thanksgiving you could get, particularly when hosting it. Alex ran a 5 mile race this morning, while I started in the kitchen. Sadie marvled a bit at the Macy's Parade. Lots of yelps over Dora and the Smurfs. Grandma and Pep came by with Frank, Marie and baby Ethan (who's just over 3 months old). We haven't seen Frank and Marie since their wedding in upstate New York, when Sadie was only 5 weeks old.

A fresh bird, locally grown from Outpost Farm, a handful of sides and outrageous pies. I starved Sadie so she'd eat with us at dinnertime, but she was only interested in the bowl of cranberry sauce. Eaten with her hand. She polished it all off with pumpkin pie - mainly eating only the whipped topping. The girl's particular, what can I say? It's once a year.

I'll have a Thanksgiving part 2 post to come soon. The pics of Sadie cuddling with baby Ethan are on another camera. Stay tuned!

Snuggle Bugs

Last week there was an all out snuggle-fest on our bed. James, who didn't mind Sadie so much in the beginning, now can only tolerate a few minutes. I think it's the high pitched squealing she unleashes. It hurts my ears, so I can only imagine. Maggie pretty much goes with the flow - she's just grateful for the attention.

MA Ink

Cool dude got inked with her first tat - a Cookie Monster, rightfully so. There was a lot of muscle flexing, a push up contest and mini dance party.

Aqua Girl

I'm eager to take advantage of any outdoor time while we still can (cabin fever is closing in) - and this past Saturday was a great day to be out. On top of that, I had tickets to the New England Aquarium that I scored from work - and expire in November. I was determined not to let them go to waste (though I can always get more).

With no nap to be had, Sadie explored the aquarium. Her eyes were darting around and she lit up at the sights of colorful fish, diving penguins and crowds of kids. Yet, after awhile, if you've seen one fish - you've seen them all. She was done.

We strolled over to Faneuil Hall, where we watched a crew trim and prep a massive Christmas tree, saw a street performer squeeze his body through a tennis racquet, and got an up-close look at a horse (the kind that pulls the buggy for tourists) - and like the child genius she is - Sadie pointed at Quincy Market and yelled "EAT!"

Round two with the merry-go-round. As you may recall, in April she had her first ride and was skeptical. This time it was utter joy! When the ride ended, she sprinted for the gate to have another go at it.

Sadie's been on repeat mode with certain words lately. A few weekends ago it was "donut". This weekend she was all about "cake". It came out of the blue. We tried to make Mike's Pastry in the North End an experience unto itself, but the line was enormous. Instead, we made our way through the cobblestone streets, past Paul Revere's house, and back to the car. The fresh air was simply too much to take.

Making Her List

This morning Sadie casually grabbed a toy catalog that came in the mail, sat on the couch and shopped. Gotta get a jump start on that Christmas list. She cracks me up.

Almost Forgot!

A tiny someone had an 'accident' in the tub tonight. As we were rushing to clean it up, I was thinking to myself "Wow, we've made it how many months without this happening?" Then it dawned on me...oops, it's the 4th! Cue the crayons and paper for a quick photo shoot before bed time.