We Survived!

We survived two weeks of daycare. The first week was really hard for me...I cried a lot. Partly because I was sad to leave Henry and partly because my short friends were kicking my butt. I have a very detailed schedule filled with fun and learning, but often I am in the middle of anarchy of some sort or someone hitting someone or taking something and someone yelling, "MINE!!!!" I hear MINE about 300 times a day. I need a lesson in Love In Logic for toddlers...where's Mary Edmonds when I need her.

Henry has every adult wrapped around his finger. He is pretty tired everyday adjusting to one nap, but usually sneaks a small nap when we get home. He also has been sick this week, but is getting better. It is hard to know how sick he is because he is still happy and playing no matter what. He threw up for the first time and it was very sad.

There are a lot of things to look forward to at the Preschool in this season. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas...lots of fun projects and parties. This is the best case scenario for Henry and I, but I still get sad leaving him as he is putting his cute little hands up to me and I have to turn and leave. I never thought someone could tear my heart out like this, but I guess this is the way it goes in Parenthood.

Dedicated to the One I Love

ODE TO YANKEE STADIUM...

We had a very emotional Sunday as my husband simultaneously mourned the Yankee season ending before October and Yankee Stadium having its last hurrah! We watched ESPN for 5 hours as the nation and our family said good-bye to an icon of America's favorite pastime. Luckily Ryan went to New York this summer with his dad, so they could say good-bye in person to Yankee Stadium...the House that Ruth Built. Here are a few pictures of their time...

In the dugout

Monument Park

In "the Tunnel"

G for Gelbrich

Yankee Stadium

And one day baby Henry will hear the stories of the original Yankee Stadium and experience the NEW Yankee Stadium with his Papa and his Daddy.

Note: My favorite Yankee of all time is Lou Gehrig. Mainly, because two years ago I was reading his life story with a small group of fourth graders in a Scott Foresman and I started crying...good stuff!

Henry Boy!

Here is an update for those of you who miss baby Henry in Oregon and Albuquerque. He is 11 months old today! Here is what he has been learning lately...

He has known how to clap and say clap-clap for a while. He loves when we sing, "If you are happy and you know it clap your hands..."

We also sing, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed." When it gets to that part he points his fingers and jabbers like he is yelling at the monkeys...he is our little monkey!

He loves to play Peek-A-Boo. Last week he was saying Keek-aaaa-boooo, but just this week he started saying, "Peeek-aaa-booo!" He plays it with his hands, his clothes or the curtains.
He loves to play with his farm, read books (jabbering), he waves bye-bye, blows kisses, he can say bye-bye, he repeats sounds a lot. Even though he has had an ear infection to some degree for the past 2 months, he is very happy and hilarious.

He talks a lot, I do not know where he gets it. He mostly jibber jabbers. Still likes to get into wires. He LOVES to move the furniture around and has been seen standing on his own and trying to go from squatting to standing (twice playing peek-a-boo with his cousin). Last night when Ryan put him in his crib, he grabbed his blankie that Mrs. Kleen made him and cuddled with it. OH and he LOVES Sesame Street...ya, we love it too. Should a one year old watch TV? Yes, especially when Ernie is on!

We both start daycare tomorrow and my heart is breaking. I am teaching a 2-3 year old class and Henry starts in the almost 1 room with lots of friend he met on Friday. He almost flew out of my arms to get to them as they were painting (ya 11 month olds painting). I know he will be fine and I can visit him, but I am still sad. I'll let you know how it goes.

Someone to Look Up To

Everyone needs a sports hero to look up to and my son has two:
HIS COUSINS! Zane and Zach...

Who loves the zoo?

Not ME! Sorry, add bad mom to bad wife.
On Labor Day I had the big idea of going to the zoo with our family. Me and Ryan, Henry, my baby sister Tara, my big sister Liz, my brother-in-law Wayne and the other loves of my life my nephews Zach and Zane all ventured out to one of the top 5 zoos in the U.S.--the Phoenix Zoo.

It was a nice warm day in sunny Arizona. Actually it was hot, with the occasional cloud covers that we were thankful for.

So who loved the zoo? Zach of course did reading us the signs and running to all the exhibits. He was only disappointed by the animals who were too hot to come and acknowledge his presence...most of them did come over to him. I heard a few times from Zach, "Why are all the animals looking at me?" The elephant even stopped what he/she was doing and came over to him.



2 year old Zane loved it! He was soooo excited and cute about EVERYTHING, especially the orangutans!


Henry also loved the zoo...he loved to point at everything just like his cousins. I knew Henry would like it based on our daily bird watching...and he did even with no nap!



At the end of the day, I was ready to leave, but knew I would be back. Although I do not personally like the zoo...I love three little boys who LOVE the zoo!