Little Monkey and Friends

I've figured out some ways to trim expenses for the upcoming year.





Forget about that pricey pool membership next summer. What do I need it for? The monkey gets as much amusement out of the friggin' garden hose on the front lawn. And I don't have to pack a big pool bag, drive to the swim club, or get into fights with other mommies about their rambunctious kids (don't ask.)

Bonus.. maybe I can get rid of the lawn service people too...



And the next time the car needs fixing, I'm not taking it to the mechanic. I'll just turn the monkey loose on it. He loves hanging out in the garage tinkering with the "zippy scooter," as he calls it.



I have yet to figure out a way of making Miss Mina useful. She's still not pulling her own weight around here yet.



Yet.

Labels: summer, two monkeys

photo, credit to in2jazz.

On Saturday, we had planned to head into the city to watch The Color Purple - starring Fantasia! It was a rare night out without the monkeys and I was looking forward to it. Naturally, because of this, that night did not happen.

Apparently Fantasia flaked out for the evening, and was not to appear for our scheduled show. Once I discovered this, I exchanged our tickets for another night when I hope, she will make an appearance. Thankfully, I learned of this development before we drove all the way into the city. But, with babysitting already arranged for the evening, we were unwilling to sacrifice a rare opportunity to escape the madhouse for a few hours. So we went out anyway. We're all crazy and spontaneous like that.

We began the evening with a fabulous dinner at The Fig & Olive in the Meatpacking District.



Here's an idea of what the appetizer/tapas/crostini plate looked like. This picture was taken by Leslie Duss, who had the foresight to bring her camera with her when she went to the restaurant. I didn't bring my camera, but I really loved the food. It was picture perfect and (more importantly) scrumptious. The restaurant was big, by NYC standards, and filled with pretty, skinny, metro-type people who probably hadn't allowed themselves to eat all week. But apart from the scene, it was an awesome restaurant with great food and service.

Then we hit the club. The Highline Ballroom, to be precise. Wow. Why didn't places like this exist when I was young and skinny? Or if they did, why didn't I know about them? Wait, I know why. I lived in upstate NY and went to college there too. Places like this definitely did not exist in my old stomping grounds.



The trouble is, I was about fifteen years too late for this club. I'm not ready to say I was the oldest person there..but pretty close. The band - the Join, was great, our table was awesome, the fact that we could bypass the line out the door (thanks Steve) was great. What was my problem? Just old age, I guess.

As much as I was digging the music, I was distracted. Distracted by the hippie chick and boy who crashed our space, stood up on our booth barefoot, and put her stanky a$$ flip-flops on the table!! On the table!!! Lord, give me strength. Even my infant monkeys at home knew better than to put their foot apparel on the table.

I found myself thinking about the situation, as I listened to the music and surveyed the crowd. Some things never change, I guess. Fifteen years later, still the same ratio of hippie chicks/glamour girls/frat boy types. Still the same weird body gyration hippie dance going on (who invented this move???). I will say this crowd seemed slightly cleaner than the crunchy types that used to frequent the shows I went to.

But shoes on the table?? And maybe if they were nice shoes, I could deal. Like Manolos, or Jimmy, or Christian Louboutins, or shite, even Todt's, if you want to go casual. but flip-flops?? They looked like the Old Navy flip flops I have been living in for the last two years. I mean come on, girlfriend, make some effort will you?

Yeah, I've gotten old and grumpy. But at least my shoes were clean.



So, you can see why I do the bulk of my music appreciation at home these days. Here, Monkey jams on his horn (err...train conductor whistle) while I cook dinner. Front row seats without the scene, and he doesn't care how old I am. I'm the mommy, after all. I'm supposed to be ancient.

Labels: mommy time, summer

I'm done looking at preschools. We've decided on a place; and it's none of the ones I had been agonizing about before. I knew this was the one as soon as I walked in. It's exactly what I had imagined a preschool should be, and I am actually excited about bringing the Monkey there for his pre-enrollment interview and exploring session.

It's relatively close by - although that is meaningless when morning commuting traffic is taken into account. It's got a great reputation, been around for a long time, it's beautifully designed, spacious, blindingly clean, full of fascinating spaces for exploring and learning, and run by a woman who impressed me immediately with her professionalism and warmth. Unlike the other places I visited, I walked out of there feeling happy and confident.

Naturally all of this wonderfulness comes at a price. But I keep reminding myself that if this school were located in NYC, we would be paying five times the amount for all the amenities. Thanks to everyone for their helpful suggestions during my last several months of anxiety driven madness.



In preparation, Monkey has begun practicing his best cheesy, school-portrait grins.

In other news, Miss Mina is growing increasingly cranky and frustrated. Apart from the pain of more teeth cutting in, she has found herself in that limbo between crawling and walking. Unhappy with the limitations of crawling, but still too scared to venture alone upright, she howls in frustration...limited mobility sucks.



The Monkey has been doing his best to comfort her. That is, when he's not smacking her on the head with his toy tools.



Monkey Sr. and I are looking forward to a rare, mom and dad night out alone tomorrow. We are belatedly celebrating the old monkey's birthday with a Broadway show - The Color Purple, starring one of our favorite American Idol alums - Fantasia! I have low expectations of the show itself, since I am not a Broadway fan by any stretch. But we both loved Fantasia's voice, and hearing her sing onstage should be a real treat.

But first, we will spend the morning doing yet another unpleasant parent thing - taking the monkey for another blood test. Seems that the folks at clinic might have discovered something amiss in his blood levels, so we need to retest. Yes, I am a nervous wreck. For me, this is one of the hardest parts about managing Jordan's care post-transplant. Everything can be going along wonderfully, he seems healthy and happy, he's got loads of energy, has been sleeping well, eating phenomenally well, behaving like a normal kid..then all of a sudden I get some random phone call on my cell phone from the pharmacist informing me that a new medication has been ordered for my son. When should I like it delivered?

"What? What do you mean a new medication? What's it for???

And so on. In this roundabout way, I learned that something was off. It isn't alarming, except to me. But for a change, I wish we could just enjoy life without being blindsided. I know. It's a lot to ask.

Labels: summer

So, here's another one of these parenting decision things that I have been sweating over, all summer long. Where do I send the Monkey to preschool? He's definitely ready, and Fall is right around the corner. The time has come. The time is now. And all that's left is finding the right place. But like every other major decision involving the kid(s), I am agonizing over the minutiae.



I mean, we're not talking rocket science here, right? All the schools I've looked at so far seem to offer pretty much the same thing. Three days/three hours of supervised activities, play time, circle time, potty practice, arts and crafts, etc. Some programs have been around forever. Others are just starting up. Some have larger class sizes..others would consist of maybe five or six kids per group. Some have computers, some don't. Some have great playgrounds, others don't.

The trouble is, I'm still overly conditioned by the metro mentality that the right preschool is critical for ensuring your child's entire educational life span. Choose correctly, or they'll never get to Harvard. Since I never went to Harvard either, clearly someone chose badly on my behalf, and I need to avoid that fate for my own spawn.

I have worked myself into a frenzy over this because I always need something to fret over. And for the foreseeable future, this is it. Naturally, everyone has an opinion, which I am privy to. At the end of the day, the decision is one we have to make ourselves, and live with the consequences.

Do I go with the school everyone else in town sends their kids to because it's been around forever? Do I dare try out the new start up with the small class sizes and sharp looking little computer stations? Is it better to go with the big class, experienced teachers, and let Jordan fend for himself in the frenetic crowds? Or do I baby him a bit more and go for the personalized attention, albeit in an untested environment?

Sigh. I'm over thinking this. That's what I do.

Labels: Jordan, milestones, summer

I really enjoy our little corner of the world. It's a small town, with two main roads, one supermarket, and an endless supply of personality. In the two years that we've lived here, I'm continuing to discover the various quirks that make this place such an interesting one in which to live.



It's definitely a family friendly town. Apart from the town recreation center and pool - where the monkeys enjoy classes through the year, there's also amusing little traditions that make this place special. We have an annual Halloween party, a tree lighting, a menorah lighting, Earth Day, a Father's Day regatta, several parades, a 4th of July race, an Easter Bunny in the Park in the Spring, Santa making rounds of all the streets on the firetruck in December; there's fireworks in July, concerts and movies in the park; we're home to one of the oldest and longest running stage production groups in the country; and according to Wikipedia, we are the historical haven to five Nobel prize winners.

I can state for certain, that none of them were present at the latest town event we attended on Saturday.



The Wet Down.



Getting wet is fun. God knows both my kids love the water; but I'm still trying to figure out what this event was celebrating. Our town is a little quirky in that Star's Hollow kind of way. It sometimes seems like there's a whole lot of celebrating going on, without any identifiable occasion to warrant it. Maybe the wet down fell into that category. Or maybe I just haven't lived here long enough.

As best as I can tell, the fire department got a new firetruck and everyone was invited to celebrate and show support for the local volunteer crew. Neighboring fire companies came too, along with their trucks, firefighters, families, groupies, and what not. There was a band, barbeque, a bouncy house, t-shirts for sale, and several fire hoses turned on to create a waterpark for the kids. Or, I thought it was for the kids. Apparently, the older boys got into the act too. As one friend commented, "I never expected to see grown men hosing each other."

Yeah, me neither, but it's all good. And my kids are still so young, they assume everything they see is normal behaviour.

Like herding the beer drinkers into a fenced in corral. I kid you not. Those choosing to consume alcoholic beverages, had to do so within the fenced in confines of a baseball diamond under the blazing hot sun. An orange "fence of shame" surrounded them while they consumed their devil's brew. The teetotalers watched/judged them from afar. Monkey sr. and I did not indulge, so we were able to get a view of the animals from a nice shady area of the park. It was pretty damn funny in a Peyton Place kind of way.



Miss Mina can sympathize. She knows full well what life is like behind the fence.

Anyway, as strange as it seemed, the event occupied that twilight time between nap and dinner in the afternoon. It kept the monkeys occupied, got them wet, and forced some fresh air into their lungs...in between inhaling second hand smoke. And we do love firetrucks, after all.

Labels: summer, town stuff

but we still love him.

Labels: Jordan, quirks

Do not make for a good combination, as we discovered during our recent trip to Chicago.

We were in town to participate at a function for an organization known as Gift of Hope. These folks were responsible for coordinating Jordan's heart transplant from Illinois. We were invited out as a surprise for the staff meeting. Needless to say, it was a unique opportunity to meet key players first hand and thank them personally. I spoke for a few minutes, introduced Jordan, and presented a short pictorial with highlights of the last two years.

From our perspective, Jordan's story was something we lived personally. Each element unfolded in its own dramatic way. Yet, so much happened that we had no knowledge of. Meeting some of the staff at Gift of Hope, as well as some of the doctors and nurses in Rockford, Ill. gave me a chance to learn what happened on the other side of the equation. A lot took place over the course of one night. I walked away with a better appreciation for the hard work performed by so many people, all of which makes the miracle of organ donation, a reality.



But, there was little time for reflection with two monkeys in tow. Despite the amount of travelling we have done recently, this was the first time the two of them had ever stayed in the confines of a hotel.



Even with so many bedding options, a full night of sleep remained elusive.



Yet, even in this strange, new place, some things remained the same. Like breakfast! At the Sunnyside Up Pancake House, Monkey discovered the joys of chocolate smeared pancakes served hot off the griddle.



We continued to practice good oral hygiene. Monkey Jr. and Sr. demonstrate. Brusha! Brusha! Brusha!



And of course, some things never change. Here Monkey has his requisite "Time Out" of the day. As I like to remind him - there are naughty chairs everywhere. Even at the Westin.



My favorite part of the trip was getting a chance to meet up again with Nikki. For those of you new to this blog, Nikki is the donor mom responsible for Jordan's heart. It's been awhile since we've talked in person. Since our last meeting, she's gotten married to a great guy, and had a brand new baby boy - Nicholas. We got a chance to catch up at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.



The little ones had a chance to get acquainted and compare cheek size and thigh rolls...



The "older" kids tried out the paddle boats at the Amazon exhibit.



Nikki's son Brandon, has gotten so tall, even Jeff had to stretch to make eye contact.



But then, just like that, our time in Chicago came to an end. We had to get to O'Hare airport to catch our 4:15 plane back home. We drove like mad, split up for maximum efficiency at check in, returned the rental car, got through security (we were flagged at the security gate! Mina and Jordan were both frisked!!!!)

Only, that 4:15 flight never happened. The plane was delayed and we didn't actually board until 7:30. Despite checking all morning on the flight status, it was only after we got through security that we finally were told that the flight was delayed.

Yeah..that would be three hours of time to kill in an airport with two very tired monkeys. Grr..

Just when I was ready to throw in the towel/get plastered at the bar/commit hari kari, Jeff discovered that there was an on-site children's museum!!! Thank God. Their tiredness was quickly forgotten, and hilarity ensued.



They sampled the flight panel.



Took a few slides down the shiny emergency exit.



Jordan commiserated with fellow travellers who also waited out the delay.



While Miss Mina showed off her two brand new teeth - both of which decided to make their appearance simultaneously during the trip. Fun!!



Oh, yeah. Two teeth. Twelve months in the making.



The payoff for all the drama? They both slept till after 9:00 am this morning. Thank you, God.

Labels: adventures, misadventures, transplant, travelling

Parties are so much fun. It's always great seeing friends again and getting a chance to catch up. Mina's birthday party was a perfect opportunity to reunite with some old friends from the hood.



Jordan was reciting his "Ode to Gina" all week in preparation. Here he grudgingly shared lap space with Gina's daughter, Samantha.



The only downside to a good party is the clean up. Oh..clean up.



Luckily, I had two able-bodied helpers who thought washing dishes was the height of amusement. Thanks for the tip, Aunt Audrey and Uncle Richie.



Yes, they had a grand old time cleaning up. Soap and water and plastic dishes are FUN!!



Until they realized they were being put to work. Then I got these looks. Oh well, I'm guessing child labor is probably illegal in NJ.

A pity. There must be a way to harness all that kid energy into something productive.

Labels: play, two monkeys

Summer babies always got the short end of it when we were in school. They never had the classroom party with cupcakes and songs because, well..school was over by the end of June. But, the one thing summer babies get is, well...summer! Glorious summer! Backyard parties, hazy, balmy summery breezes cooling us on backyard decks. Summer babies luck out when it comes to birthday party planning.

My summer baby celebrated her FIRST birthday this weekend. And it was a blast.



We had lots of food ...





And friends ...



And sprinklers...





And bubbles...



And chalk..





And water balloons...



Of course, she dressed for the occasion. We began the morning in an eyelet white and pink frock with matching bow.



Yeah, white eyelet makes me pretty giddy too.



We weren't going to attend our own party barefoot. She may not have any teeth yet, but she knows her shoes. For this event, we chose to go with white patent leather and silk ribbons.



Other guests came dressed to impress too.



But, for some reason, Miss Mina seemed happiest when she lost the frilly dress, and slipped into something more comfortable. Like this one peice pink bathing suit.



All right, let's get back to the important things. Did I mention the food? To be precise, I should say did I mention the dessert? It's comforting to know, we aren't the only ones who love ourselves some chocolate.



Miss Mina really loves herself some chocolate. She may have gone a bit too far here. I think she keeled over from sheer gluttony at this point. Like mother like daughter, I guess.



Monkey was no slouch either when it came to dessert. But that's old news.



While my children were stuffing their faces and smearing themselves with chocolate body paint, other guests showed them how civilized human beings eat.







The one thing I can say for my kid though is that he can drink. Water that is.



And why drink from one cup, when you can hog all four?



The cupcakes were in honor of my other summer baby. His birthday is this week too. Don't feel bad if you can't read the message. The frosting melted a bit overnight.



The two birthday guests of honor pose for a photo op.



A big thanks to all our friends and family who made it out, who sent presents and well wishes. As always, we feel pretty lucky to have so much to celebrate.

And I'm sure Miss Mina does too.

Labels: mina; mina milestones, parties, summer

When I hit the town with two of my favorite mommy bloggers what's on the agenda? Wild and crazy partying? Drinking? Dancing? After all, the night is young, the kids are safely tucked away, and the dads are on babysitting duty. And what they hey, it's not like we have to go to "work" the next morning, right?



I'll tell you what we do.

We talk about our freakin' kids all night long. We compare notes, commiserate over the long hours, the tantrums, the feeding issues, the classes, the quest for the right preschool, the right books to read, the right discipline techniques. And when we've had just about all we can take of the kiddie topic nonsense, we order another round of tapas and dig in.

In the few blissful moments of savoring a meal cooked by someone else, we chill out. We decompress.

Then my sanity starts to return and I can face the kiddie world again - fortified. I look forward to seeing the munchkins when they wake up in the morning, when we sit at the breakfast table together, and when I hold them in my arms again.

But, I do appreciate a good mom's night out. There's comfort in knowing we're all in it together.

Labels: mommy time

I've always loved Central Park. It's an amazing place - a sprawling oasis in the midst of Manhattan. Tucked into nooks and crannies throughout, are sights and sounds, pockets of history, and urban lore. Summer invites a trip to the park to enjoy any number of activities offered - many of them for free.

Once upon a time, Monkey Sr. and I enjoyed summer nights at the park, under the stars, on the Great Lawn, listening to free opera concerts. Along with thousands of other urban dwellers, we brought along picnic baskets filled with food, and wine, and dessert. Often, friends would meet us at our designated quadrant by the side of the fence. Stretching out on the blanket, listening to the music, with the balmy air rustling around, it felt like a tiny bit of heaven, sent down just for us.

Appreciating Opera in the Park is something the monkeys may not be ready for yet. Luckily, there are lots of kid friendly options the park has to offer as well. This weekend, Wollman Rink was transformed into toddler nirvana. A carnival was in town! And there were LOTS of rides to enjoy, just their size.



Like boats!



And airplanes!



Hi, pretty mommy!



You can't tell from this pic, but the planes actually lifted up pretty high in the air. They spun around nicely, which drew up a lovely breeze. From atop, we could observe the mini carnival with all the activity occurring below.



I also got a second chance on the fun slide! This one was considerably shorter than the beast I climbed last week. After surviving that thing, this baby was a piece of cake. Hence, the look of complete calm on my face.



Mami Kristen, on the other hand, was a little nervous. Newbie.



And there were sprinklers. On a hot day in the city, you couldn't ask for anything more.



Miss Mina takes a moment to ponder this strange place called Gotham.



A fun place for kids of all ages. Opera is overrated anyway.

Labels: adventures, summer, two monkeys

Monkey's buddy, Grace is back in town for a visit. We got to spend the morning with her and Mami Kristen today in Central Park.



The munchkins had some catching up to do ... under the watchful eye of their chaperon, of course. Kristen lent a hand as well, when it got to be too much for Miss Mina to stomach.



They made a half-hearted attempt at escape..



After which there was a discussion with a parental unit.



Followed by some reflective cookie eating, as we considered the error of our ways.

Labels: cuteness, Jordan outdoors, love, summer

Just a quick update on Friday's biopsy-

The good news - the cardiologist's preliminary assessment was that everything looks fine. The bad news is that we have to wait till next week for the official version and for results on his blood tests. But, the doctor seemed pleased, and the monkey seems healthy as usual, so we don't expect any surprises. Knock on wood.



I will say that this biopsy was one of the fastest ones ever. I usually can safely settle in for a good few hours or so and read the Times from cover to cover, engage in at least one long-winded political debate with Monkey, sr., and eat breakfast by the time they wheel the monkey back into the recovery room.

This time, they had him back in an hour. He still needed a couple of hours to recover from the anesthesia, but they discharged us quickly, and we were home by 11:30. Monkey had some lunch, goofed around for awhile and then took a nap. You'd think it was just a regular day in our little zoo.

Not too bad. Apart from the cardiology fellow calling him by the wrong name (don't get sick in July people! The hospitals are crawling with newbies!!) it was not a bad day at all.

Labels: misadventures, summer, transplant

When he's not busy doing heavy construction or directing traffic, monkey's just your average two and half year old, enjoying summer in a small town. We've had a fairly typical week - swimming lessons, pool, holiday barbecues, meals, snacks, naps, potty time practice and failure, cutting another molar, etc. Today, we embarked on another milestone in the life of monkey (and mommy) when I paid my first visit to the local preschool to check it out as a possible option for this Fall. It was pretty nice, although I'm still having a hard time imagining the monkey in "school."

A not-so-typical activity is the one we will be doing tomorrow morning. Once again, we're heading into the hospital for a scheduled heart biopsy. Biopsy days are tough for a lot of reasons. No food or water for the monkey after 11:00 pm tonight. Nothing tomorrow until after the procedure. We have to adjust his medication times the day before, which in our case means keeping him up till 9:00 pm. We have to leave the house at 6:30 tomorrow morning to get to the hospital in time. We have to keep the monkey calm once we get there and he sees a bunch of doctors. Then we say good bye to him for a little while when they take him away.

After that, we wait.

When they bring him back, he'll be groggy and tired. He'll sleep for awhile as monitors track his vital signs. We'll sit by his side and try to be patient. If he awakens early, we'll be there, ready to comfort him, read him a story, or find a good show on tv to keep him amused.

Tonight, we told him what to expect. We even practiced a bit with our mini stethoscope on Elmo's heart. The monkey enjoys talking into the bit on the end and hearing his voice amplified in the ear pieces. He also enjoyed staying up late, sitting on the steps outside, searching for the moon, and watching the fireflies flicker across the lawn. He took his medicine like a champ as usual, nibbled on his cookie, and observed the night unfold around him. I held him in my lap and once again, felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

Labels: Jordan, summer, transplant

Most people rightly assume that a barbeque's focus should be on the grilling aspect of the meal - the burgers, hot dogs, chicken, etc. Recipes and books abound claiming to have perfected the art of the BBQ.

Amateurs.

I have come to realize that the secret to a good barbeque has nothing to do with the meat.

It's all about the cupcakes. You can be forgiven a lot of other things, as long as the cupcakes are good. Ours were festively decorated with red, white, and blue sprinkles...as well as orange, green and yellow ones just for kicks. And I think they were pretty good too. At least, the monkey thought so.



The first taste ... like a true connoisseur, monkey savors the complex blend of flavors as they hit his taste buds.



He thinks about it for a minute and considers whether classic chocolate frosting would complement devil's food cake cupcakes better than the golden yellow cake of this particular batch.



Maybe another bite is in order.



Yeah, ok. They're pretty good.



They even warranted another round after lunch.



We did serve some alternate options for the healthier eaters. This is a nectarine, peach and blackberry salad with lime zest.



Miss Mina sampled those out for us.



Cheeks puffed out to full capacity is usually a good sign with her. It's like her own version of a "two-thumbs up."



The fruity facial is also another dead giveaway.



In between gorging on sweets, the monkeys also took a few minutes to hang out with their friends.



At this age, "hanging out" is loosely defined and can include grabbing toys from one another, screaming when one doesn't get her way, and other such examples of bad behaviour not normally tolerated in polite company. Miss Julia and David handled it all with grace and charm. Hopefully, we'll do it again soon.

Labels: food aventures, parties, playdates, summer, two monkeys

Miss Mina got a shot today. To be accurate, she had a blood draw to test for lead levels. It's a routine thing they do out here around the 12-month mark. Because I'm hard up for posts tonight, I thought I'd do a mini pictoral. Here's Beanie before we left for the lab, all happy and smiley with her two ponytail 'do.



Here's the Beaner when we got back home. Despite the cool sticker and crayon band-aid, she's a bit pouty. The ponytails seem a bit droopy. Can't say that I blame her. It was a bit sneaky to whisk her off on an adventure, only to stick her with a needle.



We discussed it a bit, and all is forgiven. For now.

Labels: mina; mina milestones

Both monkeys began this season's swim classes at the pool today. Miss Mina, as she has done in the past, threw herself into the water like she was meant to be there all along. I noticed this behaviour when we vacationed in Florida in March. The minute she saw a pool, she squirmed and wiggled, as she tried to free herself from whomever's captive arms she was in. She wanted to be in that pool NOW!

At the pool today, she happily splashed about, oblivious to the fact that it was only about 70 degrees outside, the wind was blowing, and the sun kept darting behind the clouds. Brr.

I was pleasantly surprised to notice the Little Monkey was just as happy to jump into the pool. He actually ran over to it before lessons even began, which, needless to say, shaved a few years off my life.

Once in the pool, under the watchful eye of the local highschooler posing as teacher, Monkey and I splashed about, practiced jumping in and out, and even blew bubbles. He did not freak out when he inhaled his first gulp or two of water, but actually laughed through spluttering it out. Not a pretty sight, but amusing in its own way too.

Unlike Miss Mina, he did begin to feel the cold quickly, and moved to get out before the lesson was over. That's ok. We had fun while it lasted. While draped in his hoodie towel, warming himself in the sun, he continued to watch the older kids take their lessons on the far side of the pool and on the diving board.

"One day," I said, "you'll be diving off the board too."

He looked at me, with a mix of curiosity and fear, and I felt like I was transported back about thirty years to the swimming lessons of days past.



Monkey enjoys the sprinkler park in California where the glorious hot weather made for a fun splashing time.



The Flying Nun? No, it's just Miss Mina, soaking up the sun and fun in CA.



This child should have been a Pisces.

Labels: summer, town stuff, two monkeys

our town..that is. The monkeys got a chance to amuse themselves at the carnival this weekend, and as usual, it was an adventure of sorts. Do all small towns have events like this? I know mine did when I was a kid; and it was something we looked forward to every year. As a kid, it was fun for the rides, and games, and junk food. As we got older, it became the place to hang out and be seen on those summer nights. Yeah, life in a small town ...

The monkeys are thankfully still so young we go on most of the rides with them.



Like the carousel.



Miss Mina waits her turn.



The helicopter ride was a big hit, although Monkey Sr. looks a little concerned.



This year, the Little Monkey went on a ride all by himself! What I did not get a picture of, is the look of anxiety and stress on my face as I watched the fire truck go round and round at an alarmingly fast speed. He did just fine though.



And then, in one of my more stupid parenting moments, I decided it would be a fun idea to take the monkey on the giant super-slide. Ever been on one of these? It involves climbing a lot of stairs, up along a rickety, steep set of metal steps that are thrown together like construction scaffolding. Then, you spread this potato sack thing on the slide, plop down and descend at ungodly speeds down a cascading series of hills.

I really don't know what I was thinking, but I kept telling the monkey not to look down as I hiked up those steps. It was really windy too, and I almost had a panic attack as I realized how high it really was. Of course, Monkey decided to be all independent all of a sudden, and demanded to climb the steps himself.

I ignored his perfectly enunciated sentence completely, lifted him up and clutched on to him for dear life. We made it down faster than I thought possible. He had a smile on his face at the end of it, and demanded to do it again.

I ignored him.



The thought of it all, makes Miss Mina grimace in terror.



The baby train was more her style.



What better way to complete a successful ride than with chocolate ice cream?



Chocolate-ice cream-goatees are the look this season in kiddie land.



I think they had fun.



And the ice cream was really good too.

Labels: adventures, town stuff, two monkeys