Go Chisholms GO!

Kateri Tekawitha to Become a Saint

2012-02-11T14:35:00.000-05:00

Sainthood nearer for Kateri Tekakwitha: Credited with miracle, Lily of the Mohawks to be canonized
[source: Montreal Gazette]

KAHNAWAKE - A Mohawk woman whose remains are entombed inside a Kahnawake church has moved one step closer to becoming a saint.

On Tuesday, Pope Benedict XVI cleared the way for the canonization of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, known as Lily of the Mohawks, and six others.

Kateri died in 1680 at age 24.

“The bells have been ringing here all morning to let the village know,” said Rev. Ron Boyer, deacon at the St. Francis Xavier Church in Kahnawake.

The decision was made on Tuesday after the pope signed a decree approving a miracle attributed to Kateri. She is credited with interceding to save Jake Finkbonner, a child in Washington State who developed necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease, after cutting his lip while playing basketball.

With Jake gravely ill in hospital, his parish priest asked his family and other church members to ask Kateri for intercession. Soon after, the bacteria stopped spreading and Jake recovered, his family says.

“It was a first-class miracle,” Boyer said on Tuesday.

Boyer said he will attend the canonization at the Vatican, probably next year.

In 1980, Kateri was beatified by Pope John Paul II, the final stage before sainthood. To be declared a saint, a miracle must be attributed to the candidate after he or she has been beatified.

The Vatican has been receiving requests to canonize Kateri for more than 100 years. The first recorded instance came in the 1880s, when Jesuit missionaries delivered a petition on behalf of Mohawks.

Kateri’s mother was an Algonquin married to a Mohawk chief, according to historian Darren Bonaparte, who recently published a book on Kateri’s life.

Her mother, father and younger brother died during the smallpox epidemic of 1661-62. She survived the disease, but it damaged her eyesight and left her face scarred.

She remained weak throughout her life, shunning sunlight, emerging only covered with a shawl or a blanket, said Bonaparte, a Mohawk who lives in Akwesasne.

She was baptized Catholic in 1676 and, after facing pressure from her uncle to give up Catholicism, was spirited away with the help of her brother-in-law and the Jesuits to the mission of St. François Xavier du Sault, in an area along the St. Lawrence River around what is now Kahnawake and Ste. Catherine.

When she died, it was reported that her scarred face became beautiful, and that priests and friends saw her in visions, while miracles were attributed to her intercession.

Adams Natural Peanut Butter

2012-02-11T03:00:00.000-05:00

As a push-present for myself, I purchased eight 32 oz containers of my favorite peanut butter. Here's to never fitting in my non-maternity jeans again! Hooray and yum!

Super Bowl 2012

2012-02-09T12:06:00.002-05:00

Until James is a bit older, Joshua is still essentially in a girl-dominated house. Therefore, the Super Bowl party in our house was primarily toenail painting and watching the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.

Morning Hammering

2012-02-08T03:00:00.000-05:00

Alma has been "entertaining" James as much as she can. I hear "Look James" approximately a million times a day. She wants him to be a part of most every thing we do. Here she is showing him her hammering bench.

Not Just Equipment

2012-02-06T13:54:00.000-05:00

Allentown Faith leaders and Residents win a $50,000 commitment to Franklin Park

Last Wednesday, 75 residents, teens, and parents, and faith leaders from Center City Allentown as part of Congregations United for Neighborhood Action (CUNA) rallied at St. Stephen Outreach Center at a meeting with Allentown Parks and Recreation Director Greg Weitzel to secure $50,000 in new playground equipment for Franklin Park.

"It's not just playground equipment," Reverend Maritza exclaimed as meeting participants waived posters reading the same sentiment in the air. "It's a message of hope in a city that needs it."
Last December, Director Weitzel shared with Reverend Maritza the possibility of the city obtaining funds to remove the existing playground play structure and replace it with new equipment. Wanting to secure these funds and make a case for future investments CUNA leaders, residents, teens, organizing Wednesday's meeting to make it loud and clear to the Department of Parks and Recreation that the investment would be well worth it.

Guadalupe Mella, Allentown mother of 3, shared in a moving testimony that this couldn't come at a better time. "It would mean so much to not only my kids but all kids in the area and struggling moms like me to have a safe park in walking distance."
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Anthony Archilla, a 21 year old of Allentown, and member of the Allentown B-Boys a break dancing crew who practice in Franklin Park and St. Stephen Outreach Center, shared his experience from two months ago when waiting for his b-boys to arrive for practice he was jumped by 20 teens. "I was hurt and angry but we can't let the violence win." In his moving testimonial, Anthony shared that he is not giving in or giving up and that he wants to challenge the Allentown Parks Department to do the same.

A portion of the evening was a research report, in which meeting organizers told the story of Franklin Park, how it started as Franklin Elementary School. In the 1960's the school was shut down and razed, leaving a large open space. For close to 50 years the space sat underutilized housing only the remnant play structures associated with the elementary school. Around 15 years ago new playground equipment was installed. As it stands now the equipment is some of the oldest in the city of Allentown, with some portions simply boarded up due broken features and unsafe playing conditions. Yet despite the condition Franklin Park is cherished by the surrounding community and used by hundreds of children and families daily.

Upon the completion of the research report, Esteban, another member of the B-Boys commented that everyone in this city as a child or teen had drugs, gangs, and bad choices offered to them but there were adults, resources, and activities that provided most of us an alternative so we didn't go down that path. Esteban then challenged the city officials and the residents gathered to make the right decisions that children and teens of today would have the same resources, activities, and positive influences so they too can make the right decisions. He concluded that we can start by securing the funds for the playground.

Following the presentations, Director Weitzel committed that the funds would be secured for Franklin Park. "Right now we have $50,000 allocated towards the project." He then explained that after seeing such a large community presence at the meeting that he would work to secure more for Franklin Park. "We're excited and hopefully we can find more dollars to do more improvements."

Wrapping the evening up, Reverend Maritza explained the importance of this effort. "The good things and the bad things all happen in that park. Now there is a plan to clean up the park and make it a beacon of hope for the future. The Lord has bestowed us with a wonderful gift from the city of Allentown." Reverend Maritza added, "It is hope, it is vision and it is joy. This will be an attractive place in the neighborhood and give kids a place to exercise."

Next Steps

The department of Parks and Recreation agreed to invest $50,000 in new playground equipment; they also agreed to use the long term vision and recommended renovations for future park improvements such as: Refurbished Pavilion with new concrete surface and moving the existing flower boxes to a location more ideal for the community garden.
The department of Parks and Recreation agreed to partner with CUNA in both the removal and installation of new equipment by organizing both a closing ceremony for the outgoing equipment and a ribbon cutting for the new equipment. City officials shared that the outgoing equipment will be re-purposed and sent to Haiti for a playground there.

Super Bowl Revisited

2012-02-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

In 2008, we celebrated a Giant's win over the Patriots with Patrick, Carrie and the rest of my Loyola college gang of friends. Yes, we made shirts -- one that read "Brady is a girl" -- a sentiment still holds true. Since the Eagles cannot be in the Super Bowl this year, we are fully backing the Giants. Go Big Blue!

Thank you, Doolers!

2012-02-03T04:30:00.000-05:00

Look at this beautiful hand-made quilt from Krista to celebrate James's arrival! Alma was so excited for it that she immediately requested that she and James lay down on it to act like babies. Um, okay Alma.

Thanks, Krista! You are the best and we miss you!

And how much do the kiddos look like each other in this photo?! Usually I feel like James looks like his own person, but then I see photos like this and know that they strongly resemble each other. Button nose, big dark blue eyes, chin that can cut through a tin can, and the cutest cheeks ever? Yup, they are siblings.

James is Thriving

2012-02-02T19:27:00.000-05:00

One month appointment ... weighing in at 12 lbs, 1 oz; 23 inches and 15.5 head circumference. All 97% for his age. Yup, we are going to have another hunky-monkey baby. Love it!

James -- First Month

2012-01-25T04:30:00.000-05:00

How can it have been a month all ready? This month has that odd mix of forever and just yesterday all in one.

In a similar way that I noted key milestones with Alma each month of her first year, I'd like to do the same for James. In the busyness that seems to be life with two little ones (or, as Joshua properly noted, the business that comes with any infant), this lunaversary list may be a challenge for me. I'm going to be kind to myself and simply let it happen and try not to get caught up in the details or doing it in the same way that it came about when Alma was little. It might be shorter lists. Or less editing. Or not even happen. But trying to do it is the point, right?

In no certain order...
* James may or may not be a strawberry blonde. The jury is still out on that one. He has the softest hair and skin; it is difficult to not paw him constantly ... not that I'm trying to resist.
* I feel that I'm getting more rest than when Alma was born. This is primarily because Joshua and I already worked out the system that works for us. Since Joshua is the night owl, he takes the 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. shift then I take the 12:30 a.m. until morning shift, with an option to give Joshua the baby for an hour in the morning if James and I have had a rough night. Joshua spends his evening shift sitting on the couch with his legs up and James on them. Then he "bops" his legs a little to keep the baby asleep. When James wakes, Joshua brings him up to the room where I'm sleeping for a nursing session. We use the baby monitor to communicate when I am done nursing. While we are tired, this system works great for all of us. I think the tiredness comes from not having any true downtime than from the lack of sleep.

* James has been a bit fussier than Alma was. Alma would fuss if we held her too much or if we held her in the cradle position. She loved to have some independent time to "swim" on a blanket. James is the opposite; he would like to be held indefinitely while you pat his back, make shushing noises, walk around and hold a pacifier in his mouth. Or be nursed. This prevents any actual accomplishing anything around the house. So Alma and I have been spending a majority of our days on the couch reading books while I nurse James. This is her absolutely favorite thing to do so she is seeing James's addition to our family as a complete win.

* This week Alma, a sleeping James and I went to story hour at the library, the grocery store and to tour a possible preschool for Alma. These daily outings, while tiring, were fun and demonstrated that we can keep doing our regular activities with the little guy.
* There have been stints when I can lay him down in a bassinet and he sleeps for three hours. I just need to figure out what the conditions were that made those times possible so that we could have that on a more consistent basis.

* When he is out cold, James is able to sleep through all sorts of noise. All of the yelling Alma did at my belly while I was pregnant must have helped. Her favorite: "COME OUT!!!" James barely bats an eye at the chaos of our household. (And, yes, his hearing was checked at the hospital before we were discharged.)
* Because of this fussiness, we have fewer photos of James. Screaming baby photos are only okay if you have them in an appropriately funny shirt. And you can only have so many pictures of a sleeping baby. I have a feeling that he is going to chill soon and then we will start snapping away.

* We have been going on daily walks around the neighborhood with James in the Moby wrap/carrier and Alma walking. James is usually screaming when we leave the house and asleep by the time we get to the corner.
* James is a good burper. Burbs are required after every meal. He is also able to drink from a bottle, a skill we never taught Alma as an infant.

Overall, this time around with an infant is so much easier because there isn't that steep learning curve that comes with one's first infant; this time we just have to learn the special features of this new model. I'm finding that I have more time to marvel at how cute he is and nibble his ears. It's nice. Sure, it is still stressful around here -- our household has a lot of moving parts and it feel like everyone's needs (let alone desires) will never be met -- but I think that we are powering through it as best as we know how.

I know that my heart grows bigger every day in the love and gratitude I feel for Joshua, our children, our family and friends. Basically, I'm grateful for James's arrival because the sleep deprivation makes me weepy with love. Ha! How's that for honesty?!

Christmas Revisited

2012-01-20T04:30:00.000-05:00

One last post celebrating Christmas ...

Alma wearing the Christmas outfit I wore as a toddler.

First year of the Chisholm children posing in front of the Christmas tree

And the first year of them tiring of posing in front of the Christmas tree

Zoo

2012-01-19T04:30:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, we braved the cold to walk around the Lehigh Valley Zoo. It made for a fun morning trip!

Thank goodness Patrick and Carrie showed me how to properly use the Moby wrap! We have been using it daily for our family walks. What a great way to carry a sleeping baby and keep us both warm.

Random Photos

2012-01-18T10:59:00.001-05:00

2012-01-14T17:18:00.000-05:00

We made it through the first three weeks! The first week Joshua had off of work and my parents stayed with us to help, the second week Joshua worked half days and, while he worked full-time the third week, my mom was here to help. This upcoming week will be my first as a full-time stay-at-home mother of two. Exciting stuff. Now that I'm feeling (nearly) fully recovered from labor, I'm thrilled for the challenge. Thank goodness I had support the last three weeks!Here are two pictures from the little taste I had to parenting two on my own.

And a picture of James at 2 weeks old.

First Visitors

2012-01-05T09:10:00.001-05:00

Comparison Time

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

What do you think? Do they look similar?

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T17:39:00.003-05:00

So excited and blessed to be heading in to the new year as a family of four.

A Christmas to Remember: James's Birthday

2011-12-31T08:15:00.000-05:00

I woke up at 3:30 a.m. with a contraction. After monitoring the contractions for over an hour, which were coming every five minutes and were intense but manageable, I got up and packed last minute supplies in my hospital bag, ate a bowl of cereal and called the doctor. Around 5:30, after only three hours of sleeping in bed (he fell asleep in front of the tv), Joshua popped out of bed and packed up his things while I woke my parents to tell them that we were heading off to the hospital. I may have inundated them with a bunch of information (i.e. which presents Alma could open from Santa) that I had been mulling over. It was exciting but we were a little unsure if we really were in labor or not. With Alma, my water broke at 4 a.m. and there was no denying that labor had started.

We got to the hospital at 6am and had to enter through the ER because the main doors were locked. Not wanting to be separated from Joshua, we parked in the garage and walked around the hospital to the ER, which was refreshing in the cold air. Joshua thought it was hilarious that I would pause (both walking and talking) for a contraction and then once it was over quickly return to my chatter again. He teased that they wouldn't need to put a contraction monitor on me, they could simply listen to when I paused my endless banter.

Once we got to the ER at 6 a.m., we were told that someone from the Labor and Delivery floor would be there shortly to escort us up. After a half an hour of steadily increasing contractions and a very nervous looking front desk attendant who was constantly calling up to L&D to see when the escort would get there, we walked through the winding hospital up to the L&D floor. In the triage room, I was found to be between 5-6 cm dilated and was official admitted to the hospital.

One last photo of the baby bump while in the ER watching It's A Wonderful Life

We were moved to a labor room around 8 a.m. were we hung out -- I was mostly on a yoga ball and Joshua was by my side massaging my neck -- for a relatively painless laboring process until 9:30 a.m. when the doctor arrived. She checked me and found that I was 9cm dilated. With her guidance, I broke my own water with a push around 9:45 a.m. and began pushing the baby shortly after. Pushing this baby was a bit more intense than with Alma and lasted a little longer. He decided to twist on the way out, which ... well, wasn't the most pleasant.

As soon as James came into the world at 10:22 a.m., they handed him to me bum-first so that I could see that he was a boy -- yeah, a little weird, I would have been okay with them just telling me -- before I got to hug him and snuggle with him. I couldn't stop repeating "Hello, Baby." I will always remember the excited look on Joshua's face as he kissed me and congratulated me on doing a good job. It was a very happy moment.

An hour later, my parents brought Alma to meet her little brother. Joshua went to the lobby to bring her back to the labor room and we had some time together as the new family of four. She was excited not only to meet James but also because she had been given a "Big Sister" sticker by the hospital staff.

Comically, when we asked Alma if Santa came that morning she said, "No." While we were confused at first, we realized that when we explained that Santa was going to come at night while she was sleeping, we forgot to mention that he would also leave at night before she woke up. She had been expecting to see him in the morning. Sure, he ate the cookies, drank the milk and left presents, but he didn't officially visit because she didn't see him herself!

Then my parents joined us and we had a nice visit while Alma snacked on pretzels. We were so blessed that my parents were visiting and they could watch Alma and celebrate Christmas with her while we were in the hospital. It was nice to not have to worry about her or juggle her around between friends while my parents drove out to Bethlehem from their house, as they were planning to do if we went into labor before their visit. Also, my brother's family, who were already planning on joining us at our house on Christmas for a feast, still came so Alma got to enjoy the holiday with her cousins.

Twas the Night Before Christmas

2011-12-30T19:17:00.000-05:00

In telling the birth story of both our children, it seems that starting the day before seems best. We spent Christmas Eve in a flurry of baking (Joshua), cleaning (Joshua again) and resting (Laura). Along with cleaning the entire house, Joshua baked all the holiday cookies (anise, biscotti, orange shortbread) and an amazing povitisia well into the night on Christmas Eve's Eve and Christmas Eve. He was an animal of productivity ... and probably a little sleep deprived.

Late in the afternoon of Christmas Eve, my parents arrived much to all our delight. We attended the 4pm Christmas Mass and luckily someone gave up their seat for me because I don't think I could have endured the crowded standing-room only section along the pews. After Mass we came home to a fantastic meal of Omaha steaks and all the fixings. Before Alma went to bed, we put out cookies, milk and carrots for Santa and his reindeer. The adults spent the evening watching the Sound of Music. It was ideal.

We also spent some time dressing Alma up in her Halloween costume and taking silly photos of "Mary" (Laura) riding her "donkey" (Alma).

All of this was just a set up for the 3:30am-Christmas-morning-dream-ending contraction that started James's labor process.

The rest of the birth story will follow tomorrow...

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T20:53:00.000-05:00

Baby James Anchor Chisholm joined our family this morning at 10:30am, weighing in at 8 lbs, 10 oz and 21 inches. We couldn't be happier!

40 Weeks

2011-12-23T01:00:00.000-05:00

So many people I know (or at least keep in touch with through Facebook) had babies last week and this week. Every day I seem to see a new baby photo on Facebook.

I have been (superstitiously, I admit) purposefully not been finishing important projects in hopes that the baby would want to arrive at an inopportune time. Obviously that wasn't working so in the last few days, I finally installed the closet doors in the baby's room, purchased a Christmas gift for Joshua, packed my hospital bag, wrapped the last of the presents, and finished up a load of other projects. Hear that, Baby? Baby? Hello?

Kate said that I need to act like her when she was waiting for Neal to propose ... once she decided that he was never going to do it and she became fine with the situation, then he proposed. So I was like, "I'm supposed to think that the baby is never going to be born and I'll always be pregnant and then the baby will come?" Ha!

Whenever the baby arrives is fine with me. Sure, it is still difficult to not want a great birthday for the little nugget, but I'm trying to be open to whatever happens. At the OB doctor's appointment this morning, we discussed scheduling an induction on New Year's Eve if the baby doesn't arrive naturally before then. What a fun birthday that would be!

Lehigh Valley Zoo

2011-12-20T02:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we spent a few chilly hours at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, which is just a half hour from our house. It wasn't the best zoo but it was so empty due to the weather that we had no problems seeing the animals.

Santa "Visit"

2011-12-19T02:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning were planning on going to see Santa at the mall but at Mass they announced that the Knights of Columbus were having a breakfast fundraiser with Santa. So we adjusted plans and went to that instead.

Alma was shocked to see Santa in the auditorium. Even though we sat at the furthest table from him, she still wanted to just stay in Joshua's arms, especially after Santa waved at her. Eventually she ate some breakfast (still on Joshua's lap) and stared at Santa the whole time. After we were done eating and beginning to pack up, Santa came over with a little present for Alma (a tiny stuffed bear and candy cane) which he gave to me while she clung in Joshua's arms and sucked her thumb. She was really impressed that I gave Santa a hug.

It made me happy that we didn't have to brave the craziness of the mall to have her avoid the big guy. She has spent the day talking about how the stuffed bear came from Santa, like it is the most magical thing in the world. She is such a sweetie.

Alma talking about the baby

2011-12-18T00:30:00.000-05:00

Best Days

2011-12-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

We have been soaking in these last few days of being a family of three.

Nana and Alma's Birthday Party

2011-12-16T21:40:00.000-05:00

Alma's Birthday

2011-12-15T21:39:00.000-05:00

37.5 Weeks and 24 Months!

2011-12-08T06:33:00.000-05:00

Happy 2nd Birthday, Alma!

2011-12-07T06:55:00.000-05:00

On top of Hawk Mountain, enjoying a granola bar

Our lives are so different than we could have ever imagined two years ago before such a charming pipsqueak came into our lives. And we couldn't have asked for anything more wonderful. Cannot wait to see how she continues to grow and develop both as a person, a daughter and (soon) a big sister.

Love you so very much, Alma!

Ron's House Demo

2011-12-06T15:06:00.001-05:00

Back in 2007 when Joshua first started working in Camden, New Jersey for CCOP, he initiated a "quick win" project with Father Jud and members of the St Anthony of Padua Catholic Church (where Alma was baptized) and School to take down a dilapidated and abandoned house that was being used for all sorts of crimes (remember the drug bags?) and was located just feet from the school.

Well, finally -- because this is how slow progress can be in a city like Camden -- the church and community had a major win this week with the demolition of the house!!!! How exciting!

Just take a look at how bad the house was when Joshua started working on this project. Amazing!

Congratulations to Father Jud, the St Anthony Local Organizing Committee, Kate Goodman and the rest of the CCOP staff!!!

Decorating

2011-12-03T07:39:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we pulled out a few decorations but I'm looking forward to going all out this weekend.

Bowling Shower of Awesomeness

2011-12-02T07:18:00.000-05:00

While we were at my parent's house for Thanksgiving, Kate came to visit and take me out for a special night to celebrate the coming of the baby. It was beyond fun to get time with her -- eating good foods and BOWLING!

Here's Kate mugging it up with Alma. What a good impression of Alma's "cheeeeeese" face! I'm so blessed to have such a terrific bestie!

War College Museum

2011-12-01T19:38:00.000-05:00

We also went to the War College's outdoor exhibits. It was great to watch the grandchildren run through the bunkers and explore the space.

Daddy Running

2011-11-30T19:39:00.000-05:00

While home for Thanksgiving, we went on the Rail-Trail. Alma, Grandpa and I rode bikes while Joshua ran. Alma loved watching her father run. They are such a cute pair.

Ikea

2011-11-28T04:17:00.000-05:00

Completely random post to proclaim my love for Ikea. Gosh, I miss living closer to its godliness.

"Loll-Pop"

2011-11-27T04:08:00.000-05:00

Alma's love for lollipops continues. She is amazed at the idea that they turn her tongue colors. Although regardless of the color of the lollipop, she is convinced that her tongue is "boooo!" (a.k.a. "blue" for those not fluent in toddlish)

Ice Skating

2011-11-26T04:12:00.000-05:00

A few weekends ago Joshua and I were feeling beat from our hectic schedules of work, trying to get the house ready for the new baby and taking care of Alma. So we plopped down on the couch, snugged up with Alma and turned on the tv to ice skating (actually the National Ice Dancing Championships). Alma was entranced. She has been "skating" through the house with her dolls ever since.

The other day I had the chance to take her to the newly re-opened Bethlehem ice skating rink which is just up the street from our house. She was thrilled ... and then easily bored. I cannot wait until I can take her out on the ice to give it a try!

Fashionista

2011-11-25T04:10:00.000-05:00

The other day during a walk along the Lehigh River, Alma and I stopped to rest and have a snack. She found my Blackberry in my bag and asked me to take a picture of her. I asked her what she wanted to do for the picture so she put on her hat like this and then said "cheese". Could this picture be any more cute and silly?!

Hawk Mountain Hike

2011-11-24T08:45:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we hiked up Hawk Mountain, a bird sanctuary about an hour drive from our house. While we didn't see many birds (one red tail hawk in the distance), it was a more comfortable hike than the last time Alma and I hiked there in (at least) a foot of snow.

Our Little Grunge Kid

2011-11-24T04:05:00.000-05:00

Every workday I send Joshua a photo that summarizes our day that I snap with my low-resolution Blackberry camera phone. Most of those photos make their way onto the blog because they do a good job showing Alma's everyday life. When I sent Joshua this photo, he called me laughing because she looked so much like a 90's grunge-era kid.

Illick's Mill

2011-11-23T04:02:00.000-05:00

The other day we had a little bit of time to kill so we went to Illick's Mill near our house to watch the ducks, a man who was fishing, a train that drove by (the conductor waved and blew the horn for us) and a bat that was catching the early evening bugs. I love these quiet times with Alma when we can enjoy being outside together.

Baker

2011-11-22T03:59:00.000-05:00

We have gotten back into the habit of baking a few times a week. Alma is so helpful in the kitchen these days. It is a joy.

Nana's Visit

2011-11-21T03:59:00.001-05:00

Joshua was out of town last week (New Orleans for a work conference) so my mother came to visit. What a fun time we all had at the library's story hour, an OB appointment (everything is going well!), swim class, touring the Lehigh Valley, visiting an ice skating rink and on walks around the neighborhood.

"Swim Day!"

2011-11-11T06:10:00.000-05:00

Alma's favorite day of the week is "swim day" which she almost always says with a cheer of "yeah!" afterwards because it is the day we travel down to Swim In Zone in Center Valley for swim lessons. She loves jumping in the water and jumping off my standing lap to swim to the wall. It is so neat to see how comfortable she is going under water. Our little fish!

Footprints

2011-11-09T05:05:00.000-05:00

With the snowstorm we had the other week, Alma's new favorite word is "footprint". To celebrate the cooler weather (and the freezing tile floor in our kitchen), we all invested in some new slippers.

Simon decided to get in on the footprint action by walking around the freshly painted bedroom and then walking across our new cream-colored carpet. Shockingly, I did not kill him immediately. Wait, I mean I didn't kill him ... yet.

33 Weeks and 23 Months

2011-11-07T02:03:00.000-05:00

Visiting Pat, Carrie and Baby Joey

2011-11-05T01:52:00.000-05:00

While Joshua endured the lack of heat for an extra day, Alma and I had a great time visiting Pat, Carrie and their five month-old son, who easily holds the crown for the cutest baby!

We spent the week enjoying another trick-or-treat night, strolling through the Air and Space Museum, visiting a great farm/petting zoo, eating good foods and playing in the park. We are so blessed to have such awesome friends and a great visit.

Space Shuttle Endure

At the farm

First swing ride

The impossibly handsome family

October Storm

2011-11-04T13:51:00.000-05:00

After a freak snow storm (~6.5 inches) last Friday night, we spent Saturday celebrating the first snow and the lack of damage to our our house ... until later in the day. The casualties, apart from the power which went out on Saturday and didn't come back on until Tuesday night, were that our tree that was splintered from Hurricane Irene last month took a beating and lost another massive branch, blocking the road and just missing a neighbor’s truck. Scary! Evidentally, since the trees still had most of their leaves and the sap had not yet drained to the roots, there were more tree limbs that fell during this storm. Even now, a week later, the town looks like a tornado ran through it and some roads are still closed. In our case, we were lucky that the tree didn't take out the power line like last time, however one of the cables (phone or TV, who knows?) did fall due to the weight of the snow. The fire department came out and simply cut it. Lastly, a branch from a backyard tree broke-off -- again, no added casualties just less shade in the summer. On Monday, Alma and I headed a day early for a planned trip to visit our friends Pat, Carrie and their little baby in Virginia. Joshua had to stick around due to work.

We are hoping that this was not the beginning of a very long winter.

Eating the snow

Fallen Tree

Crafting in a chilly house on Sunday

Trick-or-Treat Night

2011-10-29T04:25:00.000-05:00

Our little horse was so excited to wear her costume again and practice putting candy into her plastic pumpkin. But when the actual trick-or-treating began, we asked her to walk up to the neighbor, who she knows well, to get something to put in her pumpkin, she clung to Joshua with all of her might. Of course, after knocking on a few houses, she got the hang of it and was then trying to transfer all of their candy into her pumpkin.

We only visited a dozen neighbors (the ones who were especially excited to see Alma, since she won't be eating the candy anyway) and then came home to sit on the porch, hand out candy and watch the parade of costumes go by while Alma enjoyed a lollipop.

Happy Birthday, Joshua!

2011-10-24T01:41:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday to a husband and father whose love is always apparent. You mean the world to us.

Zombie Pumpkins

2011-10-21T14:26:00.000-05:00

Every year we end up throwing away our pumpkins before Halloween even happens.

Halloween horse

2011-10-19T06:28:00.000-05:00

Not sure if Alma could love this costume more. Joshua and I had a great time bringing her to story hour at the library dressed as a horse on Monday.

Cannot wait for trick-or-treat night!!

Lemony Snicket's Take on Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-17T18:11:00.000-05:00

Thirteen Observations made by Lemony Snicket while watching Occupy Wall Street from a Discreet Distance

1. If you work hard, and become successful, it does not necessarily mean you are successful because you worked hard, just as if you are tall with long hair it doesn’t mean you would be a midget if you were bald.
2. “Fortune” is a word for having a lot of money and for having a lot of luck, but that does not mean the word has two definitions.
3. Money is like a child—rarely unaccompanied. When it disappears, look to those who were supposed to be keeping an eye on it while you were at the grocery store. You might also look for someone who has a lot of extra children sitting around, with long, suspicious explanations for how they got there.
4. People who say money doesn’t matter are like people who say cake doesn’t matter—it’s probably because they’ve already had a few slices.
5. There may not be a reason to share your cake. It is, after all, yours. You probably baked it yourself, in an oven of your own construction with ingredients you harvested yourself. It may be possible to keep your entire cake while explaining to any nearby hungry people just how reasonable you are.
6. Nobody wants to fall into a safety net, because it means the structure in which they’ve been living is in a state of collapse and they have no choice but to tumble downwards. However, it beats the alternative.
7. Someone feeling wronged is like someone feeling thirsty. Don’t tell them they aren’t. Sit with them and have a drink.
8. Don’t ask yourself if something is fair. Ask someone else—a stranger in the street, for example.
9. People gathering in the streets feeling wronged tend to be loud, as it is difficult to make oneself heard on the other side of an impressive edifice.
10. It is not always the job of people shouting outside impressive buildings to solve problems. It is often the job of the people inside, who have paper, pens, desks, and an impressive view.
11. Historically, a story about people inside impressive buildings ignoring or even taunting people standing outside shouting at them turns out to be a story with an unhappy ending.
12. If you have a large crowd shouting outside your building, there might not be room for a safety net if you’re the one tumbling down when it collapses.
13. 99 percent is a very large percentage. For instance, easily 99 percent of people want a roof over their heads, food on their tables, and the occasional slice of cake for dessert. Surely an arrangement can be made with that niggling 1 percent who disagree.

22 Months and 30 Weeks

2011-10-15T17:39:00.000-05:00

Exciting that Alma is almost two years old and I'm 3/4 of the way through with this pregnancy. I'm not going to say that I'm feeling better because every time I do something else happens -- i.e. more nausea, a rash that covered most of my face and arms, killer heartburn, etc. Yeah, this pregnancy has been one thing after another and this time I won't be as sad to see it end. Plus, knowing first hand the awesomeness of the prize of a snugly babe at the end of this ordeal makes it totally worth it and makes me want to rush the process even more.

Uncle "SOT!"

2011-10-13T17:46:00.001-05:00

{Visiting the piglets at the farm where we picked our own pumpkins.}

Godfather Scott visited last weekend and Alma had a blast. It was so fun to watch them bond. We are so blessed to have Scott as a good friend and future mentor for Alma.

{Playing Angry Birds on Scott's ipod; She could not have laughed harder.}

New Adventures in Food

2011-10-08T13:07:00.002-05:00

Enjoying a pretzel at the mall after starting our Christmas shopping. (When you are due on Christmas, you have to start prepping for Christmas early!)

Eating a crepe filled with blueberries, strawberries and bananas during a mommy-daughter date night

Alma's first lollipop (ever) enjoyed after a swim lesson in which she swam by herself underwater from my standing lap to the wall (~3 feet)

Crayola Factory

2011-10-05T18:41:00.000-05:00

Today Alma and I ventured over to Easton with our friends for another visit to the Crayola Factory. We went there in February and it was neat to see how many more things Alma could do this time around. Painting! Coloring! Enjoying more of the exhibits! It was great.

Lupus Loop

2011-10-04T08:54:00.000-05:00

Once again, at the end of October we will be walking in the Lupus Loop to raise awareness and funds to fight lupus. If you would like to support us, please visit the fundraising page of our team, The Queen's Team by clicking here. Thanks!

Bread maker: Joshua --> Machine

2011-10-03T11:35:00.000-05:00

After over five years of marriage and begging for a bread maker, I finally got one!

The bread maker was surprisingly inexpensive + the recipes are super easy + the bread is so good = I keep thinking that I will slowly win Joshua over to my side. However, even though he is enjoying tasty toast for breakfast, I think he still isn't sure about giving up the role of bread maker to a machine.

On another note, I'm realizing that I've totally become a gadget head. Not with any fancy technology (computers still seem to repel me), but with household gadget that make life easier. On a daily basis, I use a Roomba to clean my floors, a Cuisinart Mixer, a bread machine and an electric tea kettle. I love them more than I imagined I would. Remember back in the day when everything I owned fit in the trunk of my car as I moved to Seattle? When we first got married, I didn't even want to own a toaster because then we couldn't pick up and move as easily? Yeah, I'm a different person.

Chat with a 21.5 Month Old

2011-10-01T04:44:00.000-05:00

As a typical child, Alma will chat up a storm until the video camera turns on. While not the best video of her, I was able to catch her chatting a bit. (Yes, we are testing paint colors in the dining room. I think we are going with the lighter blue color. Hooray!)

"Firecar WOW"

2011-09-28T11:21:00.000-05:00

Today we visited a local fire station with the MOMS Club. Alma loves firetrucks, or as she calls them firecars, and must have said "WOW" a million times. One of the firemen dressed in full fire gear, which was interesting to see. The kids got to climb through the firetrucks and at the end of the visit they all received plastic fireman's helmets and badges. It was a fun and educational visit!

Prince the Horse

2011-09-24T06:20:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, Joshua, Alma and I went out to a farm where our friend keeps her horse. Alma has been terrified of horses in the past, so it was great to see her progress to actually petting the horses (not much, but at least she touched them) and sitting on a pony for a few moments. We are so blessed to have friends in Bethlehem who have include us in their lives with such warmth and hospitality.

Gift from Kate and Neal

2011-09-23T06:17:00.000-05:00

Right before her 21-month doctor visit, Kate and Neal sent us some medical equipment. It made the visit to the doctor's office even more fun because she was familiar with the stethoscope. Alma seems intrigued by listening to our hearts.

Choo-Choo

2011-09-22T06:15:00.000-05:00

As another Montessori-inspired activity (based on the idea of playing follow-the-leader or following a path around a room), Alma has been playing a game she calls "Choo-Choo" which consists of walking along two 2x4s and then jumping off the end. We change how far apart the boards are from one another to add complexity. And, with our bumpy yard, the boards move around a good bit as she walks, adding to the challenge.

In the summertime, in addition to kicking off her boots, she would often take off her shirt.

Rain Damage

2011-09-21T06:30:00.000-05:00

While all the rain we received during (and especially after) Hurricane Irene was great for walks with Alma's beloved yard sale-find umbrella, it was hard on our house. Our roof has some serious issues and we've been busy with getting quotes from roofers. Below is Alma reading a book to herself on our front porch as another roofer climbs his ladder to take a look at the damage.

When I Let Her Dress Herself

2011-09-19T18:11:00.001-05:00

"You Had Me At Bacon" shirt, tutu, white patton leather shoes, hat with mermaids. Her favorite things. Beautiful! I sent this picture to Joshua in the morning and he was amazed she was still wearing it that evening at dinner after a park play date, story hour and a trip to the grocery store.

Sorting Game

2011-09-15T10:05:00.000-05:00

Joshua and I have recently been discussing and implementing activities for Alma that are based in Montessori principles. This is our first sorting game -- putting coins and beans in separate bowls. Every day we play a version of this game that is similar but increasing in complexity. It's so wonderful that I get to learn so much about the Montessori philosophy from Joshua. I've been enjoying perusing his binder of lessons (from when he completed his Montessori training) for more ideas.

Apples, Pears and Mud

2011-09-13T12:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we spent the morning picking apples and pears with our friends at a huge orchard near Bethlehem. Well, Alma didn't spend much time picking because she was too busy gobbling up the delicious fruit. She would trek through the mud with the fruit smooshed into her face before eventually coming up to me with only the stem and telling me "DONE!" What a sweet fruit-loving babe.

21 Months Old

2011-09-13T08:50:00.002-05:00

I'll admit it: I think Alma is pretty much the ideal child. I love spending my days with her and feel as if we have such a good rhythm to our days and that life is rather easy with her. In prepping for the coming of our next child, I've been trying to think of ways that I want to apply what I've learned with Alma to the next baby's upbringing. Sure, they will be different and we cannot replicate the process, but I just want to be mindful of the current successes and failures that we are experiencing. Here it goes...

Things I'm Happy We Taught Alma/Alma Does on Her Own:
* "All done"/"Not an option" We sign something that looks like so-so (shaking hands with palms open) to mean that we don't have something, something is completed or that something isn't an option. This has been invaluable for us as we don't have to say "no" all the time, but can instead convey that some things just aren't possible. For example, before she could say any words and was just barely signing, I could use it to tell her that at certain times I could not provide something (i.e. nursing, a snack, etc). And nowadays it is useful for telling her that certain activities aren't allowed (i.e. climbing too high on a fence that overlooks the ocean). Alma is great that she generally doesn't push the limits on this sign.
* To say please and thank you. I find that I cannot tolerate a toddler screaming demands at me. But add a little please ("peas" or "bee") and thank you (usually just the sign) in there and I can deal with any demand.
* To sit down when eating. This not only keeps the mess down in the house, decreases the odds of the dog snatching her food and keeps me from having to worry about her choking, but it also creates the situation where eating is something we do on a scheduled basis and not just on the fly. So many other mothers seem to spend all day chasing their kids around trying to get another bite into their mouths. Alma seems to respect the idea of meals and snack times, more by her own nature than my teaching. Although I think the fact that she has to sit down during the process helped to reinforce this.
* To clean up toys before moving to the next activity. She isn't volunteering do to this, but most days she easily jumps in on the suggestion if we help with the process.
* To say "nice". Alma has started using it to acknowledge things she likes. Like when she came into the living room after I hung some new curtains, when she was put into her crib with fresh sheets and when I gave her a cup of milk spiked with a taste of hot chocolate. It is such a sweet sentiment.
* To pray before meals. Alma loves to "circle up" (holding hands), bow her head and close her eyes for a moment of silence before meals. While this is actually something we feel a little bashful about at times -- we don't want to be those people -- it is such a great habit that she usually instigates. And sometimes, if dinner is especially tempting, she will nibble at it without the use of her hands, which is hilarious.
* The idea of "Only Mama's". This concept is applied to food that I don't want to share. Like cookies and miniature candies. When I tell her that certain food is only for me, she solemnly says something like "mama eat mouth" to acknowledge that it is just for me.
* To read books by herself. She will sit for up to an hour looking at books by herself before she demands that you join her and read the words. I love hearing her tell herself the stories that she sees. While I always hate not being a part of the process (the side effect of working from home is that I sometimes have to do some work during the daytime), it's easily one of my favorite things.

Things I Wish I Had Not Taught/Allowed Alma:
* To say "Yuck" This has become a recent favorite word of hers. A word that accompanies pointing at the offending object. Usually that object is whatever I'm eating. Imagine trying to enjoy a salad while your little one repeatedly points in your bowl and screams YUCK, BLAH, YUCK! It's hard enough enjoying a salad some days. Hence the miniature candies, right? Yesterday at the grocery store, the deli counter employee gave Alma a slice of American cheese, to which my darling little girl yelled YUCK. Charming. She also signed "no thank you" but all anyone heard was the yuck comment.
* I got in the habit of only singing "The Ants Go Marching" when putting her down for naps and bedtime and now she won't allow me to sing anything else. I'd like to change it up, but we seem to be too entrenched in the habit. Not such a horrible thing, but worth noting for me.
* While we don't watch much TV during the day -- maybe 30 minutes two days a week -- we have been using it for messy diaper changes. For awhile I just could not get her to sit still and started turning it on for the length of the diaper change to distract her. It started becoming norm. Makes me frustrated; but so does a wiggling bum smearing ... I'll stop there. I think that I've almost curbed this bad habit, but it's been difficult.
* Sitting on my lap when I use the computer. It is impossible to type with a squiggly little one on my lap -- my ever-shrinking lap as my pregnant belly grows -- and I wish that I had never allowed this to be an option.

There are a load of things I'm missing from both lists, but this is what is on my brain today and what I want to remember about my 21-month old.

Reason #212 Why We Miss South Philly

2011-09-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

At Mass on Sunday, the first day of football season, we looked around our new parish in Bethlehem and did not find even ONE Eagles jersey, shirt or emblem. In South Philly, it would have been at least half the attendees in full regalia. We miss that sense of home team pride and community.

Union Beach Day Trip

2011-09-11T18:42:00.002-05:00

Alma and I were thinking of trekking down to North Carolina to join my parents at a vacation house for a week. However, after a lot of back and forth (analysis paralysis, for sure), I decided that I wasn't quite up to the 9.5 hour drive that it would take to make it down there. Instead Joshua, Alma and I drove out to the Jersey Shore for the day. Playing in the sand, watching seagulls and getting lungs full of fresh air was just what we all needed. What a great day!

A Year Ago

2011-09-04T12:43:00.002-05:00

It is wild to think that a year ago we moved from South Philly to Bethlehem. The time has gone by incredibly fast. Just a year ago we were...

Introducing Alma to the joys of swings:

Camping out at FDR park for the day as potential buyers viewed our house:

Celebrating the finalization of buying/selling houses in our small backyard with food from the corner store:

Going to the local high school every day when Joshua got home from work to play fetch with the dog:

Snapping the last of the stairs photo series with our tiny little Alma:

A Very Good Mommy

2011-09-02T12:34:00.000-05:00

Alma loves these sunglasses, wearing them every day as she pushes her beloved stroller around the neighborhood. When I look at her, I kept thinking of the Jim Gaffigan routine which says something like ...

"I'm so white because my father was Swedish and my mother was Elton John. He was a very good mommy!"

Reason #23,876 Why We Moved Out of South Philadelphia

2011-09-01T12:27:00.002-05:00

This butterfly (or an impressive imposter) visits our backyard and says hello to us every day.

Little Helper

2011-08-31T12:33:00.000-05:00

Alma putting away groceries and helping Joshua make pizza crust (with her purple Playdoh).

Hop on Pop

2011-08-30T12:26:00.001-05:00

Alma's new favorite game, which she calls "HOP POP" and plays at least once a day, consists of all the pillows in the house and Joshua. There seem to be set rules -- you start the game by saying "BYE" to all the mamas (even if they aren't in the room), then there is some hopping and balancing activities -- but mostly it is giggling and wonderfully silly.

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-29T12:26:00.000-05:00

We made it through the storm. The only damage is a little leaking in Alma's room and one of our trees that split and fell on our back fence, just barely missing our house but taking down the power line. We still have power but the line is blocking the road.

The power line originally was draped over someone's car but that person got in their car and drove away!! We could not believe it. Before the road was closed, we were watching out the window to make sure no one was going near the line. But we turned our backs for a moment and the car was gone. Thank goodness nothing horrible happened.

Now if we can just get the neighborhood kids to stop riding their bikes under the line.

Joys of Summer: Goldfish Crackers

2011-08-26T14:16:00.001-05:00

Today's joy: Goldfish crackers. Just don't try to take the bag from her, even when she falls asleep with her hand in the bag. And, during long car trips, eating the crackers from between your toes is perfectly acceptable and encouraged!

Joys of Summer: The Beach

2011-08-25T14:20:00.001-05:00

Today's joy: The Beach. Every part of the beach is great, but rolling around in the sand like a sea turtle is the best.

Joys of Summer: Sunglasses

2011-08-24T14:19:00.000-05:00

Today's joy: Sunglasses. If they make you look like Elton John, even better!

Joys of Summer: Belly Buttons

2011-08-23T14:13:00.000-05:00

Today's joy: Belly buttons. Alma is still 100% obsessed with her belly button and uses it as a soother-of-sorts. It may end up being an outtie after all the tugging it receives.

Joys of Summer: Swimming

2011-08-22T14:13:00.001-05:00

This week we are going to review the wonderful joys of summer...

Today's joy: Our local swimming pool and Alma's love of swimming

Five Years of Fantastic

2011-08-19T12:06:00.010-05:00

Five years ago when we said "I do" I could not have imagined the many ways I would continue to fall in love with Joshua and our life together.

Newest Thompson

2011-08-18T18:48:00.003-05:00

My brother and his family welcomed their third child at the beginning of June, so we celebrated the baby's baptism this past weekend.

Alma enjoyed playing in the baptismal font with Grandpa, who she lovingly calls "Baw-paw".

Update: Gifty McRudolph

2011-08-17T20:51:00.000-05:00

Making us laugh and feel better, Alma's Godfather Scott comes through with an email ....

Okay, I just read the blog, and I feel as if we really need to move you people beyond this sadness about #2 being born so close to Christmas!! As I will tell #2 a great many times (yes, I'll speak to the child even though I am not his/her godfather), being born close to Christmas is the greatest thing ever!!!

1. You never have to go to school on your birthday (if born on Dec 21 or 22, then maybe once every few years, but that's it)

2. You're more likely to see relatives during this period. Relatives who might only send a card if they lived far away, but because they're seeing you in person: Presents!

3. It's a very happy time of year. You'll associate that with your birthday, too... as if your big day is the true cause of all the joy!

4. You get to constantly shoot down the assumption that you get fewer gifts because your birthday is around Christmas. (This is because you have a family that will make sure no such thing happens!)

5. Being born at the end of the year is cool. For 99% of any year, you're the same age. "Ah yes... 1998. The year I was 20."

6. Apart from the fact that they usually come bearing gifts, it's super cool that there tends to be a lot of family around during this time of year. Oftentimes family that you don't get to see a lot. So instead of cards and phone calls, hugs and parties! (Oh yeah, and presents.)

7. Plenty of cool people were born on/around Christmas. Jane Fonda and Connie Chung come to mind. Also my host brother in Argentina, Italo.

8. Your parents will love it because you'll always be home for your birthday. (At least through college.)

9. You'll go 33 years before you hear the words "Gifty McRudolph." (If you take after your sister's godfather!) tee hee

10. Two words: Christmas Music! You'll LOVE it! It's your own personal birthday soundtrack!

11. You'll be one of the older kids in your class. Awesome!

12. Christmas break (excuse me, "Winter Holidays") will often be the occasion of a family vacation. That means birthday in an airport! Birthday in Hawaii! Birthday w/ Grandma and Henry! Awesome, awesome, and awesome.

13. When you're older, you can take birthday presents you don't like to the mall and exchange them for even better gifts, thanks to annual Dec 26 clearance sales!

14. Weirdly, not that many people seem to be born in December. You'll be part of an exclusive club!

15. You automatically get the chocolate in the Advent Calendar on you big day, even if the rule of alternating days means that it's your sister's turn.
--------------

So there you go! See? Christmastime birthdays are awesome. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

Signed,

Scott Smith
Christmas Baby
December 21 (that's 21, bloggers!), 1977

Thanks Scott!

Update: This Pregnancy

2011-08-17T18:48:00.002-05:00

Thus far, this pregnancy has been difficult. Much more difficult than we were envisioning. From being sick all the time, to crazy stress coming from Joshua's work, to lots of sad news (the loss of both of our maternal grandmothers and the sudden/acute sickness of a close friend), it has been a lot to handle. While it is difficult to not enjoy a summer schedule that includes a happy, loving toddler, I have been feeling like we have been cycling quickly between highs and lows.

We only know two things about this new baby:
1. He or she is a healthy baby.
2. The due date is approximately Christmas Day.

Sure, it's good to know the first fact -- ruling out giving birth to puppies or veloceraptors -- but it is a little limited in scope. Girl/Boy? Redhead/Blond? Looks like Alma? Good sleeper? So much yet to learn.

The second fact is, I'll admit, a bit of a downer. We didn't plan to give birth to a Gifty McRudolph, as I've been calling the baby, so close to Christmas. It seems that no one beyond Scott (Alma's godfather) has given us encouraging or even neutral words about this impending birthday. Scott's birthday is December 22 and you cannot imagine someone who loves their birthday more. I am feeling that a child's birthday -- yes, while important -- isn't the most important thing ever. However, seeing as that is one of the only things we know about this child, it has become a critical point and, at times, it is difficult to see as a positive around it. Don't want to have "bummed out" feelings about a new member of the family, but have to admit that I have been stuck in that mire a bit. Granted, I've also been sick for the past four months, which just generally leads to bummed out feelings.

It helps to put the birthday out of mind by thinking about how that will only be one small part of the child's life. Moreover, I've been dreaming on family traditions that we can start for holidays -- birthdays and Christmas' included -- that go a little against the grain but also feel more natural to me.

In general, it is interesting where the mind goes when feeling a little run down by the rest of life. Soon enough I'll feel better -- to be honest, I've been feeling great during the day but still got sick two of the three past mornings -- and can start nesting. I struggle with being in a holding pattern of inactivity.

At the Farm

2011-08-13T08:05:00.001-05:00

Alma and I ventured out to Klein Farms yesterday to see the animals. While Alma still isn't a fan of the larger animals -- telling me "NO" when I asked her if she wanted to see cows even before we left the house to drive to the farm -- she eventually warmed up to the calfs because their long tongues made her laugh. She mostly enjoyed the smaller chickens and the ducks who were swimming in a kiddie pool.

Best Friend

2011-08-12T15:04:00.000-05:00

How much do we love that Alma's best friend in town is the cutest little redhead ever? SO MUCH!!

Vacation Wrap Up

2011-08-06T17:16:00.001-05:00

We were lucky enough to have three straight weeks of vacation this summer. Well, one week of "workcation" followed by one week of "memorialization" before a week of actual vacation.

Our first week was spent in Applegate, CA (near Sacramento) for Joshua's work conference. The overarching organization that Joshua, through CUNA, works with, People Improving Communities through Organizing (PICO), is an international non-profit that encourages the employees to bring their families to the yearly week-long work conference. I've been wanting to attend for years but this is the first time that the trip didn't interfere with my own employment. Alma and I spent our days playing with the other 40+ kids in attendance and enjoying the beautiful Jesuit retreat center where the conference was held. And, at night, Joshua and I would hang out on the patio overlooking the pond and share a crossword puzzle.

Sadly, Joshua's grandmother passed at the beginning of June, so we spent the next week with his family celebrating her life. While it was a sad event, it was so nice to have some time with the Chisholm clan when we had not been planning a visit with them for this summer. We were able to spend a day at Santa Monica beach (photo of Alma and me was snapped by Hayden!), some time in the backyard shooting cans with a BB gun, and Alma had plenty of time idolizing her cousin Hayden.

After a wild trip home -- three days of delayed flights, car rides interrupted with me getting sick on the side of the road (yes, that happened more than once), an eventual red-eye flight home with an overly tired toddler -- we were home for 20 hours before leaving for a trip up to the Adirondacks for a week of relaxing with Kate, Neal (a.k.a. Uncle Fun), their pup Rio and our dog Simon. It was a week composed of all the greatest things: best friends (even Simon had his best friend), delicious food, and an amazing house right on Lake Paradox. We spent days hiking, napping, watching the dogs swim until near-drowning fatigue and our nights were long games of Kate beating us at Settlers of Catan.

20 Weeks and 20 Months

2011-08-05T14:47:00.000-05:00

Still Around!

2011-07-22T10:19:00.000-05:00

Even though we haven't posted in over a month (gasp!), we are still around. In June, we spent two weeks in California (outside of Sacramento and then outside of L.A.) and continued our traveling into July with a week-long vacation at an awesome lake house in the Adirondacks. My "morning" sickness is still going strong and has made it so that my usual nighttime routine of playing on the computer -- and telling you about these great trips -- has been replaced with an extremely early bedtime to avoid ... ahem ... the loss of my dinner, to put it plainly.

However, I couldn't resist hopping on the computer this morning to post two cute pictures of our adorable Alma, whose sass and wonderfulness continue to bring more joy to our lives than we could have ever imagined.

Photo Catch Up

2011-06-11T18:32:00.000-05:00

A neighbor was getting rid of this hole-laden plastic rowboat ... so now it is our makeshift pool. Perfect for these super hot and humid days.

Eating ice cream in the yard after dinner.

Enjoying breakfast at a local cafe. Alma loved the French toast and thick cut potatoes.

Making a monster mess in the sand and water table. It was awesome

Old photo that shows how Alma spent the early spring: transferring dirt from the wheelbarrow to the bucket and back again and again and again and ...

Feeding "Baby Pilar"

Sleeping in the car after a fun playdate

Making a sheep talk on the phone (a.k.a. the tv remote).

Pregnant!

2011-06-09T11:53:00.001-05:00

Joshua and I are excited to announce that we will be welcoming another Chisholm to the clan at the end of the year. At our first ultrasound, which Alma was able to attend, as soon as the baby was on the screen, she pointed at the screen and yelled "BABY!" with such excitement and joy that everyone in the room started laughing. It is easily one of my favorite memories of all time.

We are excited for the arrival of another baby and are excited to see how Alma grows into the role of big sister. With her love of caring for her growing pile of dolls, as she calls them "girls", I'm sure she will be terrific.

Something about these pregnancy hormones is magical because I could not be more in love with my husband, my daughter and life in general these days. Now to just stop throwing up as often .... ha!

Spray Park

2011-06-08T14:07:00.000-05:00

Alma's enthusiasm for water still knows no bounds. We went to the spraypark at the local shopping center and Alma just about lost her mind with excitement. She would stand in the middle of the chaos, spinning slowly and signing to the other kids that there was water. With a big smile, she would sign "Water! Water! Water!" Too cute.

CUNA's Youth Employment Initiative

2011-05-31T15:43:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, CUNA's work was featured on the front page (above the fold!) of the regional newspaper, The Morning Call.

... To help students like Alexander navigate the job process, Dolich asked Congregations United for Neighborhood Action to get involved. With the support of Allentown and Mayor Ed Pawlowski, CUNA launched an initiative to place at least 25 students with local companies.
So far, six have been placed, though getting them a job isn't the pilot program's only goal. It also will give teens opportunities to be mentored or shadow employees, and to receive job training.
In a letter asking business owners to participate, Pawlowski said the effort is of "economic and social importance."
"Teens who work have a greater likelihood to graduate from high school and they receive the soft business and trade skills necessary for future employment," he said.
By the time school ends, Dolich, who is a CUNA board member, hopes the program has placed all 25 students in summer jobs. ...

Read the full article here.

Photo Catch-Up

2011-05-22T12:58:00.000-05:00

While feeling a little "photoed-out" and "blogged-out" these days, I still want to share photos from our daily adventures. Here are some recent snaps from my Blackberry. Enjoy!

Daily walks around Moravian College campus to look for small animals, bugs and seeds

Alma at a work event with Joshua at an Allentown park

Eating lettuce from our garden

Rainy walks looking for good puddles to do some splashing

Enjoying the grocery store at the Please Touch Museum

First time to a fast-food restaurant for some fries and chicken fingers

Pretending to vacuum the cat

Hair in a french twist

Driving the bus at the Please Touch Museum

Reading one of her beloved Babybug issues to the cat

Walking around in my sneakers

Being cute

Helping me sort the mail

Yoga

2011-05-09T02:51:00.020-05:00

Alma and I have recently started slacking on our daily baking. I think I might have gotten baked-out. We make the occasional scones but we are generally taking a break.

About a month ago, we started a new daily tradition of yoga. Sure, it only lasts 5 minutes, but its really fun and Alma is already at the stage where she can do most of it unassisted. We keep to the same routine each time. This consists of the following:

* Reaching up to the sky - touching our toes (4 times for the set)
* Downward dog (yes, there is barking involved) - cobra (3 times for the set)
* Cat - Cow (usually around 5 times for this set, which also involves animal noises)
* Reaching up to the sky - touching our toes (2 times for the set)
* Sing the Namaste song and three OMs while we have hands in prayer

I hope to keep this daily routine going as it is a great way for us to connect and for me to remember to stretch.

Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-08T02:14:00.000-05:00

So blessed to be able to celebrate another Mother's Day with my two sweethearts.

House Projects Update

2011-05-06T01:08:00.000-05:00

We finally painted the kitchen nook a few weeks ago. We went from this (APPLE JAIL!) to a great shade of green, which honestly isn't showing up in this photo very well, but that makes the area feel clean and bright and perfectly wonderful. Somehow, it even makes looking out the back window so much nicer. Can you tell I'm happy with the color choice?!

Alma and I also tore up the carpet in the "monkey room" and installed some closet organizers in what is fast becoming an exceedingly large walk-in closet. More current photos will be posted shortly.

Love These Faces

2011-05-05T02:46:00.001-05:00

This was snapped a month or two ago. Alma was feeling frustrated but somehow that doesn't stop me from loving this photo any less.

CUNA's Youth Jobs Initiative in Allentown

2011-05-04T12:35:00.001-05:00

Last night, Joshua's organization, Congregations United for Neighborhood Action (CUNA), held an action in Allentown asking the mayor to support the effort to create more youth jobs this summer. See the Channel 69 News clip here. It was a great event filled with positive energy from the women chairing the event, a spot-on research report, and a great mix of over 100 Allentown residents.

Hooray CUNA on your first citywide action with Joshua at the helm!